Archive - Wednesday, 1 March 2006


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'Not easy to get out of bed'

A BUSINESSMAN who recently discovered he had dangerously high blood pressure is planning to run a marathon with Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent.

Nick Parker and Matthew Pinsent Nick Parker and Matthew Pinsent

Nick Parker, 41, has started training with the four-times gold medallist, and is feeling quietly confident about taking part in the Flora London Marathon, on April 23.

Last year, Mr Parker, of Westcott Barton, was told that he would have to take medication for the rest of his life.

Anyone with a reading greater than 140 over 90 is said to have high blood pressure.

When Mr Parker went to his GP complaining of headaches and blurred vision, he was shocked to find out that his was 222 over 138.

He said: "I thought, these are pills that my grandad takes. I'm 41, why do I have to take these things?

"I'm not obese, I don't smoke, I don't drink very much. I know what good food is, and I look after myself. But the one thing I wasn't doing was exercise."

Nick Parker, 41

"I'm not obese, I don't smoke, I don't drink very much. I know what good food is, and I look after myself. But the one thing I wasn't doing was exercise."

He believes his daily commuting in the car is to blame, so he decided to set himself a challenge he spends his spare time pounding the streets.

The father-of-three said: "It is kind of tough to get yourself out of bed on a Sunday morning, when you'd much rather be back in bed and not putting yourself through the punishment of running 12 miles.

"When I was running five miles, that was easy. So I thought 26 miles I'll get there. But now I'm on 12, and everything really hurts.

"And I have got to do twice that.

"I know I'll get there, but between now and then, I have just got to do more stints in the dark, in the rain, at 6am, hurting."

Mr Parker, along with Matthew Pinsent, who lives in Henley, and a team of 30 other marathon first-timers, are all running in aid of the Stroke Foundation.

If you would like to support the runners, visit www.justgiving.com/nickmarathonman