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The diver: Tez's rival!

I think I've planned my training route quite well. I tend to set off and run through St Helens, where I'm really hated; then I just clip the edge of Warrington, where I'm hated even more; I end up running through Liverpool terrified! No chance of slowing down anywhere on that run!

Terry O'Connor
Quotes of the week

To sponsor Terry, Steve, Chris or David CLICK HERE.
To find out more about Steve Prescott and the Steve Prescott Foundation CLICK HERE

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• Marathon effort

Sky Sports' Terry O'Connor is running the 2008 London Marathon. He's not quite sure why, or how he's going to do it, but he's agreed to take us through the build-up with a weekly blog...

The first question you always get asked is why are you doing the marathon? And to be honest I have no idea!

You know when you have those conversations with people and you mention something, just casual like, and you forget about it? Well I did just that and two weeks later I got a phone call from the bloke telling me I was in!

Having said that, I have to admit it was always one of the things I have wanted to do. People might find that amazing as a professional sportsman, but even as a youngster I used to love watching it on the telly. It just struck me as fantastic the way all these people, from all walks of life, came together to pound the streets of London, dressed as chickens, donkeys, you name it, all in a good cause.

That was then though. Now with six weeks to go, I'm not so sure! I only got my place just over two weeks ago and the more I think about it the more it fills me with dread.

But whatever happens I am going to finish it. I might have to be dragged over the line - although I don't know who's going to drag me - and I'll probably get overtaken by the deep-sea diver on the way, but I AM going to finish.

And at least I am ahead of my mates. David Lyon, the old St Helens and Warrington player, is recovering from a torn hamstring and my old mate Chris Joynt is just back from a broken ankle sustained playing that girlie game rugby union!

Mind you, if any of us needs any inspiration then we need look no further than Steve Prescott. The man is an absolute legend, simple as that. To have gone through what he's gone through with stomach cancer and to be doing what he's doing now for Christies - the hospital in Manchester where he is being treated - and the RFL Benevolent Fund is incredible.

Humble

I was fortunate enough to finish playing at 35 with no major injuries but the work Steve has done for those less fortunate than me is fantastic: the walk he did from Hull down to the Grand Final, the walk from Wakefield to Leeds for Jamie Rooney's son Brennan, and the walk he's already planning next year.

Steve has already asked me to do that as well, but I have told him to let me get through this first - that would be walking before I can run! But Steve gives up so much time for these causes it really makes you feel quite humble.

I know rugby league fans have been very supportive of Steve's efforts but I hope that all of you at home can get behind him and sponsor any of us - even if it's just £1. All Steve Prescott is focussed on is doing as much as he can for these charities and it's quite infectious.

In fact I was watching an old Sky show on the 2000 World Cup the other day, when I was captain of Ireland. There I was, Barrie McDermott came next and then Steve Prescott. And if you'd have asked any of those lads in that dressing room if there was one player you would run through walls for, they would have all answered Steve Prescott.

Speaking of walls, my spirits were not helped by Mr Phil Clarke the other day. Clarkey has already run the London Marathon of course and there I was feeling proud as punch after completing 15 1/2 miles for the first time as I turned up at Sky. "That's great mate, well done," said Phil. "But you won't feel a thing until you get to 20 miles!" Thanks a lot pal!

In fact other than this blog I am not really talking to people about it, because they all tell you something different, something you should be doing, or something you shouldn't be doing.

I am not seeking any professional advice either, just training alone. I'm more comfortable doing it my own way. And besides, Steve and his brother are training hard and I don't think they need at 18 stone Mr Blobby lookalike slowing them down!

Wobbling

It is bloody hard though. To get some training in I have to get up at 6.30am so I can be back at 7.15am to spend a bit of time with the kids before they head off to school. I'm only two-and-a-half weeks into my training so I'm still on a couple of five-mile runs a week, with my big runs at the weekend. So if you see a big lump wobbling up the road of a Sunday, you'll know it's me.

Still, I think I've planned my training route quite well. I tend to set off and run through St Helens, where I'm really hated; then I just clip the edge of Warrington, where I'm hated even more; I end up running through Liverpool terrified! No chance of slowing down anywhere on that run!

People have asked my why the rest of the Sky Sports team aren't doing it, but it's not hard to see why. Clarkey could still do it and would probably give the Kenyans a run for their money; Eddie Hemmings could do it if we could carry him round; there's no chance of Big Barrie, at 22 stone, either doing it or being carried around, and I'm not sure Stevo could stop talking for long enough. Our executive producer Nev Smith is far, far too busy and as for our roving reporter Bill Arthur, well there's more chance of my mum doing it!

We're all busy working this weekend on the World Club Challenge and Wigan-Bradford as well, except I will be the only one going for a run of 15-odd miles in the morning.

When I was playing I never used to understand why people used to look forward to the weekend so much, because I still had to go and work, as it were.

Having been retired for two years, I was just starting to get to grips with the concept... until somehow, I ended up in the 2008 Flora London Marathon.

To sponsor Terry, Steve, Chris or David CLICK HERE.

To find out more about Steve Prescott and the Steve Prescott Found CLICK HERE

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