silverfox
Well-Known Member
Sheffield United’s 40-year-old player-coach is training for his first Virgin London Marathon next month and hopes to raise thousands of pounds towards the cancer charity set up by his late Newcastle manager and former England boss Sir Bobby Robson.
Raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and also the Everyman charity, set up by his ex-Wales team-mate John Hartson, has kept him going as he pounds the streets in readiness for the big day.
In fact, it’s apt that the event is sponsored by Virgin - as Speed will be running his first ever marathon.
Gary will be joining thousands of other competitors to battle the 26 mile course around the capital on Sunday 25 April – the day after our home encounter with Swansea City.
No longer fit enough to play competitive football, the former Everton, Leeds, Newcastle and Bolton star still aims to cover more than 26 miles in less than four hours.
He says: “With me not playing I knew that I needed to keep fit and running a marathon was something that I have always wanted to do. My wife, Louise, has run the London and New York marathons, so I thought that I’d have a crack at it. She recorded times of about four and a half hours... so I’m hoping to beat that!”
Speed decided to run a marathon last summer and chose Sir Bobby’s charity after attending the former England manager’s memorial service at Durham Cathedral. “Bobby did a lot for me, sometimes without me even realising it. No-one ever has a bad word to say about Bobby and attending that service for him just struck a chord with me.”
Blades fans could be forgiven for thinking that if Gary can run a marathon then he should be available for selection but, as he explains that is not the case.
He said: “When I had my back operation the disc had damaged the nerve and now it isn’t activating the muscle in my right leg. My right ‘glute’ muscle is not being activated properly so although I can run, and run at a decent pace, I can’t sprint and don’t have the agility to jump or play to the standard required.”
He still works with the players on the training ground every day and then is pounding the streets as his training regime intensifies in the build up to the big day.
He adds: “Being part of the management staff means I spend more time at Shirecliffe than when I did as a player, but when I get home I have to make the effort and I’m out on the road at least three nights per week.
Speed is currently running 14 to 16-mile sessions, usually on Saturday mornings before games when he has Blades’ fitness coach Dean Riddle for company.
“The longest run I’ve done at the minute is 18 miles so I will have to up that in the coming weeks, but I’m regularly doing 13, 14 and 15 miles.”
Local football fans wanting to sponsor Gary should visit www.justgiving.com/garyspeed11
Raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and also the Everyman charity, set up by his ex-Wales team-mate John Hartson, has kept him going as he pounds the streets in readiness for the big day.
In fact, it’s apt that the event is sponsored by Virgin - as Speed will be running his first ever marathon.
Gary will be joining thousands of other competitors to battle the 26 mile course around the capital on Sunday 25 April – the day after our home encounter with Swansea City.
No longer fit enough to play competitive football, the former Everton, Leeds, Newcastle and Bolton star still aims to cover more than 26 miles in less than four hours.
He says: “With me not playing I knew that I needed to keep fit and running a marathon was something that I have always wanted to do. My wife, Louise, has run the London and New York marathons, so I thought that I’d have a crack at it. She recorded times of about four and a half hours... so I’m hoping to beat that!”
Speed decided to run a marathon last summer and chose Sir Bobby’s charity after attending the former England manager’s memorial service at Durham Cathedral. “Bobby did a lot for me, sometimes without me even realising it. No-one ever has a bad word to say about Bobby and attending that service for him just struck a chord with me.”
Blades fans could be forgiven for thinking that if Gary can run a marathon then he should be available for selection but, as he explains that is not the case.
He said: “When I had my back operation the disc had damaged the nerve and now it isn’t activating the muscle in my right leg. My right ‘glute’ muscle is not being activated properly so although I can run, and run at a decent pace, I can’t sprint and don’t have the agility to jump or play to the standard required.”
He still works with the players on the training ground every day and then is pounding the streets as his training regime intensifies in the build up to the big day.
He adds: “Being part of the management staff means I spend more time at Shirecliffe than when I did as a player, but when I get home I have to make the effort and I’m out on the road at least three nights per week.
Speed is currently running 14 to 16-mile sessions, usually on Saturday mornings before games when he has Blades’ fitness coach Dean Riddle for company.
“The longest run I’ve done at the minute is 18 miles so I will have to up that in the coming weeks, but I’m regularly doing 13, 14 and 15 miles.”
Local football fans wanting to sponsor Gary should visit www.justgiving.com/garyspeed11
