I have not written a new post for over a year and that is because most of that time was taken up by illness. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's B Cell Lymphoma during 2010, and I had to have six months of chemotherapy, which made me feel truly awful. However, it made the cancer feel even worse because in March 2011 I was declared 'all clear', and I am now feeling better than I have for a long time.
From Last to First has now been republished by Aurum Press,  in hardback, with the addition of  pictures. It is, as they say, available from all good bookshops.
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Second Edition 01/06/2010
 
06/Jan/2010
Thanks to some extensive overtime at the printers during Christmas, I am delighted to say that the book is available again. My thanks to everybody who has sent messsages of support.
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Sold out! 12/21/2009
 
21/Dec/09
I am delighted by the great reviews the book has received, thrilled by how popular it has become and surprised by the sudden surge in sales leading up to Christmas. With three shopping days left, we have no books left in the warehouse. A second print run is organised but it won't be complete until mid January.
There are still books for sale in a large variety of shops, and I can supply a list of outlets to anyone who writes to info@charliespedding.com
I will take this opportunity to thank everyone for their terrific support of From Last to First.
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Far and wide. 10/25/2009
 
25/Oct/09
When I first produced the book people told me they thought it would go well in the North East of England. It is doing quite well near to home, but thanks to the wonder of the internet people have bought it in Ireland, Finland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, several States of America and even Jakarta.
Despite this worldwide appeal, it is not the sort of book that interests the major book shop chains. However, you may still be able to buy one locally if you visit your local sports shop. Northern Runner in Newcastle was the first running specialist sports shop to stock it, and it is now stocked by a growing number of sports shops around the country.
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Down time 09/28/2009
 
28/Sept/09
This site was unavailable during parts of saturday and sunday because of technical problems with the hosting company, but all is well now. Apologies to those who tried to visit.
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Why I wrote it 09/20/2009
 
20/Sept/09
I have been asked on here why I suddenly decided to write my story when I have been retired for so long. As I explain in the introduction, I haven't suddenly decided to write it. I started many years ago, and with the pressures of a business and a family it took me a very long time to complete it. I think the question could have been - is my story still relevant after all these years? I think it clearly is relevant because the best British runners are now running slower times than I did 25 years ago. My hope is that someone will learn something from my experience, which makes him or her into a better runner. There was a good article in the Independent on Sunday today, which reviews the book and discusses this point. Click here to read it.
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Published!!! 09/04/2009
 
04/Sept/09
The book is published! It brings a great sense of relief and satisfaction. For years I have worried about finishing it, and then worried about how it would look when printed. I am happy with its appearance, but now I can start worrying about whether anybody will buy it.
I think the fact that I always do this thing of looking for the next step as soon as I have reached the one I was aiming for was a major factor in pushing my running career forward.
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First Post! 08/10/2009
 
10.Aug.09
 Writing From Last to First was like an uphill, into-the-wind marathon. There were many times when I thought I would never reach the finish despite all the effort I was putting in. However, today I sent my files to the printer and, although it isn't published yet, I have reached the end of a long but often very enjoyable road.
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