I did it, I took part in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon & had a thoroughly great day!!  My official time was 4 hours 42 mins & 23 secs. I am very happy with my time all things considered. 

Amazingly I have also reached & smashed my target of £2500!!  Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me.  

The charity I have chosen to run for is Bliss, the special care baby charity who help care for premature & sick babies.  Those of you who know us will know that our daughter Evie was born early so it is a cause that means a lot to me.  Neither of us had ever considered that she might arrive early so when she arrived at 32 weeks without any prior warning it came as quite a shock to us.  We were very lucky, Evie did well & there were no complications so she came home after just 3 weeks & has continued to thrive ever since.  Subsequent to having Evie I have met a number of people who have had similar experiences to us & found that it is actually quite a common thing to happen.

In the morning standing at the red start line I turned into an emotional wreck, I kept having the urge to burst into tears!  It took over 15 mins to get over the start line & right from the word go the support from the crowds was brilliant.  People calling your name (I had it written on my vest), music everywhere, guys standing on balconcies MCing.

At about mile 9 Nikki & I found each other and we ran the rest of the way together.  Nikki is my good friend and training partner, she started on the blue start line.  Running together was a massive help to me, I am not sure I could have got around without walking if Nik had not been with me. 

The first 18 miles it was the most amazing day.  I think that I must of hit the "wall" as they say because after that it was tough to keep going.  I just focused on making it to the next mile marker but by this stage it seemed to take for ever for them to appear in the distance.  It as a great feeling going up Embankment and then the Mall.

Never again!!.... Or maybe??

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Best wishes, Lou. X