Well I jolly well did it! It took me a whopping 06:17:16 to complete my debut marathon. Was very grateful to club, friends & family peeps as well as the raucous carnival crowd & brilliant sunshine! One of the best days of my life - yay I'm a marathoner :)

Running # 43756 collected!

Thank u Mary James! Moreso for your kind words. It was lovely seeing ur twins r growing so fast :)

Thank u Alison Fox for your recent donation. You've been a wonderful support even thou I wasn't part of ur coach to potato peeps you've given gr8 advice x

Thank u Alison Fox for your recent donation. You've been a wonderful support even thou I wasn't part of ur coach to potato peeps you've given gr8 advice x

Yep, someone else doing something good and wholesome and expecting your hard earned cash for it, I know......

.... but I'm calling out to you all because I'm running the Virgin London Marathon this Sunday 21st April 2013, my debut marathon!  I’m really looking forward to it, not just from a personal point of view, but because I know I will be running for a worthwhile cause.

I know many of you sponsored me when I did my 1 triathlon in 2011 and yes I’m asking for funds two years later but I’m not gonna ask again for at least 5 years (I promise!) so if you can spare anything towards my goal I'd be immensely grateful. Even a donation of £10 means the society can staff  it's phone line with nurses for one hour, anything upward of that helps the society provide support and resources for people who are constantly off work with fractures.  I'm equally excited & terrified about the prospect of completing this awesome challenge.

The furthest distance I’ve ran so far is 20 miles and have now cut back on training in readiness for the big day!  Currently, my predicted race time is 6 hrs well within the rules of finishing 26.2 miles under 24 hours so I'll get a medal!  I'm not a fast runner, part of the 'back of the pack' brigade, improving my times across all distances.  It's daunting  and I can't imagine running for that amount of time, but I'll do it!!

**A big THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored me early on :) **

I'm running for charity National Osteoporosis Society and would be grateful for any donations that you can make.

Progress:

In addition to my weekly Saturday morning 5km parkruns, and weekly Interval Runs on the treadmill other runs that I’ve completed include:

6 January first long run of the year Tadworth 10 miles the worst race of my life, there was a hideous  hill that went on & on & on and we had to do it twice!  Had DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) 2 days later – I hurt all over :(

 

10 January went out for a 15k run, had to change the original route that I'd mapped 'cos it went thru a park, a no-go area since it was dark!

13 January  ½ marathon training run with Nikki from Croydon to Keston and back - at one point the paths disappeared and it turned into a muddy cross country track!

 

16 January 10k run near home, had thot I'd do just 12k (2 laps to up the hill & back) but couldn't face a massive hill twice so ended up doing 10k

 

20 January heavy snow falls across the south of England have disrupted this weekend's Les Witton 10 mile race which had to be cancelled so went for a run to Beddington, met up with Alison to do some laps round the park and then back home – 10 miles done

 

22 January  10k around the established Croydon 10k route in the snow this week -  the snow wasn't as fluffy as Sunday - probably my last road run if gets any mushier or worst freezes!   Was worrying about falling but needs must had to pass a car blocking my route along the way (see pic!).

 

27 January Perch 10k+ was an extremely slippery muddy race.  reps from Collingwood (my running club) said it would be character building and boy they weren't wrong!  Apparently, it would have been worst since they changed the route to bypass a newly formed 'lake' which added an extra 1.25k for our pleasure :(   Tried very  hard to stay on pace but the  extra distance did my head  in. 

 

31 January-15k around Beckenham, happy that I remembered ½ the route, on the negative side there were school kids everywhere blocking paths around bus-stops.  However, great that I knocked off 07:30 mins from my  10/01/13 15k run

2 February  - ran the Lloyds parkrun (Freedom Run) on my tod in the afternoon.  It was sucky mud that almost yanked off my trainers.  Pleased that even thou I'd ran an earlier very hilly parkrun I was still faster than my previous LP freedom run.

4 FebruaryMy longest ever run - 15 miles!  Having driven the route the previous Friday I thot “oh no” (or something stronger!) how long will it take to run it :( Thot it wld take circa 4 hrs & it almost did!  Lovely route & looked forward to running the route again in a few weeks.  Funniest moment was when a lady saw me on Purley Way & said didn't I see you earlier in Selsdon lol :)

10February -Punchbowl Marathon 2013 set out on this ultra 20m walk with Alison & Nikki but three words - DNF, treacherous  & Rainy :(   Was so disappointed  we didn’t finish but we’d agreed at the outset that we would stay together and  someone had had enough. Beautiful albeit misty views.

16 FebruaryRace Your Pace Half Marathon consisted of 4 loops round Dornley Lake, Windsor- 1st time racing using my brand new Garmin pacer – a 08:17 mins PB.  Best news – I wasn’t last and was very proud that I even overtook 4 peeps, first time I’ve done that!

20 February trial run around the club 5m Handicap Route (got lost last time!)  Had planned to run the route the following week but 'cos the weather was fair I decided to do it sooner rather than lastminute.com!  Since I’d finished my running quota for the week I took it easy so not to risk overtraining.

24 February – upped the mileage from 15m to 16m!  Delighted that my 16m was faster than the 15m run I did nearly 3 weeks earlier :)  The dread is so much more than the actuality, it really it mentally challenging to comprehend  that as I step out of my front door that I won't be back for at least 3 ½ hours!!!   Snowdrops were falling and it was bitterly cold & if not for Jantastic & maintaining 100% I may have just ran home!  Fell way behind my Virtual Pacer - completed the first 5 miles in about 1:01hrs but then got slower & slower, but did it.

3 MarchSilverstone Half Marathon Ercole drove car share with, Paul & Nikki - didn't really sleep much in the previous 48 hours and had to wake at 06:00 hr to meet the team at 07:00.  We arrived 2 hrs early-eek but surprising time flew by.  Didn’t take my food gels, ran out of steam and did a slow ‘n’ steady run so no PB.

7March Collingwood club handicap race-aimed for 01:03:53 but the hill on Purley Way super tuff and lost a lot of time and it took me 01:10:01.  Can’t wait until the next one!

10March-increased mileage from 16m to 18m around Blackheath & Crayford environs – 18m = 30k = 3 million centimetres :)    So was dreading this 18m after a Run Techniques sessions with Liz Yelling (sponsored by Spatone).   Had intended to run the 2nd half of the VLM route but went wrong almost immediately (for a change!) which turned out to be the best thing 'cos was able to stay on a straight route for most of the run.  The hardest part of the run was mile 8-9 before turning back.  Had a minor Paula moment Mile 13 (5 miles from  my car) but managed to work through it and find a toilet in time - thanks Morrisons! 

After my run I phoned  thru a fish ‘n’ chips order on my way home and one lady opposite the chippie smoking  a ciggie outside her house watched me take 5 mins to painfully unfurl myself from my car and climb a kerb that seemed like trying to climb a mountain to get to the chippie – so not a good look.

13 March Fartlek running with Nikki & Prisca - had intended to run to Nikki's then to Duppas Hill but just got from the gym late so drove – I did 3 laps and am getting faster.

17 MarchFinchley 20m increased mileage from 18m to 20m last longest run of my life to date!  Marathoners say 20m is the hypothetical ½ way point of a marathon.  Route was 4 long laps of the course was both comforting because it became familiar and could memorise route for when marshals wld step down and partly wrenching knowing that I had to pass the Race HQ each time tempting to stop!   Last lap was fantastic, especially getting to mile 17 & just a parkrun to go :)   Can’t believe I’ve ran this far - ... a distance I would never have EVER contemplated walking, never mind running. Time to taper down yay ...

24 MarchCranleigh 15m let the tapering begin (gradually reducing mileage) before the big day yay!  So was advised by previous marathoners not to take up the 21m option so focused on 15m and get a new PB - smashed it!  So very happy. 

29 MarchGood Friday Folkestone 10 Mile into the taper! yay... a traffic free, fast flat promenade route taking runners along the shore line from Hythe sea front to Folkestone Harbour.-my Runkeeper app went bananas recording over 350 miles, the seafront musta spooked it!  Wasn’t feeling well – the beginning of flu & Donna kindly spaced me a good time, certainly not a PB was just glad I finished it.  3 weeks to go x

7 AprilCroydon Half Marathon - felt strange, kinda cheating to race so near home.  Wanted to do this race last year but hadn't done anywhere enough leg mileage so was good to book this race.  One year on race ran and now a member of Collingwood, all good :)  Woke later than I'd normally do on race day & ate brekkie late & so arrived at the start line feeling full - so not good didn't want to push myself in case got sick:(    2 weeks to go x

13 AprilMaidstone inaugural parkrun – went with my Sis and 3 beautiful nieces.  They’re all coming to support me on mara day and I wanted them to get some concept of what running is like and they agreed to do this 5k parkrun, it was a brilliant day – they all did it and I’m a very proud sister and auntie.  1 week to go x

About Osteoporosis:

Almost three million people in the UK are estimated to have osteoporosis Combined cost of hospital and social care for patients with a hip fracture amounts to more than £2.3billion per year in the UK – that’s approximately £6 million a day In the UK, one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will break a bone mainly because of poor bone health. Osteoporosis costs the NHS and government £2.3 billion a year – that’s £6 million a day. There are about 230,000 osteoporotic fractures every year. 1,150 people are dying every month in the UK as a result of hip fractures.

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