*** POST MARATHON UPDATE ***

 

Hello Everyone,
 
My apologies for not updating you sooner on how the weekend went!
 
But first things first, a massive thank you for the kind sponsorship you donated in support of me running the London Marathon for my chosen charity “Help the Hospices”. With all of your amazing support I managed to smash my target of £2,000 and I expect to finish at just over £3,000! AND if you include Gift Aid in that, it totals £3,500! So THANK YOU all very much!
 
So to the London Marathon itself.  Prior to the big day, on one of my final runs, I managed to injure my knee. After resting for a week and a half I went for a quick tester run on the Wednesday to see if I had recovered, but unfortunately I began to experience the same discomfort.  I booked in a last minute appointment with a physio to get her opinion and treatment. I was advised that I had injured my IT Band and that if I chose to run the marathon it shouldn’t result in any long term damage but if my knee gave up on the day, it would 'hurt like hell'!!
 
I started the marathon really well with my knee feeling ok and despite the hot weather, quite relaxed! I was maintaining my progress of 8.5mins to 9min miles and was well on track for my 3hr 30mins to 3hr 45min target.  I was even enjoying the fantastic sights along the route and the fantastic crowd supporting, I even had the Kenyan running team in sight (well not quite!).  However, just 7 miles into the race my knee gave in and it was very obvious that my time target and expectations were going to have to take a drastic review... instead I faced a 19mile hobble!
 
After running on for a few miles trying to compensate for my injured knee, I was suffering quite a lot. Luckily for me, the marathon has the full support of the brilliant St John's Ambulance stationed at every mile, with a team of physio's on hand, so I made the most of this through the remaining distance ahead with no less than 8-10 visits!! One of the physio's at the 13mile mark advised me not to carry on, but due to my 'ever so slightly' stubborn nature (apparently!) and more importantly the amount of money I had raised, there was no way I was not crossing that finishing line. The handful of jelly babies I had accumulated in my pocket by that time was certainly going to give me some energy to help!
 
Eventually, after 4hours and 45mins of hobbling, massaging and tooth ache (from all the jelly babies!), I managed to complete my London Marathon Challenge.
 
One could say I definitely got my money's worth on the day as I certainly made the most of the free sporting massages along the route! but above all, it highlighted to me how amazing all of the crowd on the day were (particularly my travelling support - thank you to you all), as there is no way on earth I would have completed that race without them willing me on the whole distance.
 
Thank you all once again for helping me to raise such a fantastic figure for such a close charity to my heart. I really cannot thank you all enough for your kind generosity.
 
All the best and I hope to see you all soon
 
Adam
 
p.s. watch this space for my second attempt... I have to try and get my target time after all!!

 

**** UPDATE (PRE-MARATHON) ****

 

Hello Everyone,
 
A massive thank you to all of those of you have sponsored me so far, I am well on track of achieving my target for my chosen charity - Help the Hospices - of £2,000. I thought it was time to give you a brief update on how things are going, now I only have less than two weeks to go...!!
 
I have been running 3-4 times a week totalling a weekly distance between 25-30 miles. The furthest run I have completed to date was approximately 20miles, which is roughly what seems to be recommended prior to the marathon. Running that distance was very very hard and left me with plenty of aches and pains the next day!! I also ran the Milton Keynes Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago which took me around 1hr 38mins, which put me in good stead for a resonable (ish) time for the actual marathon. Unfortunately, the aches, pains and injuries have started to develop recently, so realistically I think I am going to have review my initial target time of around 3hrs 30 - 3hrs 45mins, to around the 4hr / 4hr 15mins mark (hopefully!)
 
So the next two weeks is all about the late preparation and a mass overload of carbs (I was quoted something along the lines of 500g of carbs on the friday and starurday prior!!!) and some gentle runs to keep me in shape.

 

Adam

 

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Ever since I came across the Esher Hospice in July 2008, I had made up my mind that I wanted to repay them in any way possible which I could for ‘everything’ they did…

 

…  I decided to show them how thankful I was by running the London Marathon… unfortunately for me was the fact I entered the marathon before running the Tesco 10k in October, where I discovered how unfit I was at running and how painful it could be!!

 

For those of you who know me and were around after I ran the 10K, will be well aware I am no runner… I believe I managed to carry around my various aches and pains (in muscles I didn’t even know I had) for at least a week or two… to the amusement of most of my colleagues at work! I do in fact seem to remember being compared to a man of 90 by one of my caring family!

 

Despite this, I am proud to be running for such a worthwhile charity…

 

The work and vision of a Hospice is to provide those nearing the end of their lives with the very best care possible. Hospices not only take care of people's physical needs, they consider their emotional, spiritual and social needs too. And they support families and close friends, both during the illness and in bereavement.

 

In the UK, £1.4 million is spent on hospice care every day. Shockingly, of this, only £447,000 comes from government sources, leaving hospices to raise £949,000 per day… yes that’s less than a third!

 

There are so many important charities out there doing fantastic work to research treatments or provide support for people in need, all of them so deserving of our money. Hospices are effectively at ‘the front line’ of the battle of so many cruel illnesses the UK faces every day. Without continued funding they cannot continue their amazing work, so please help support me raising money for them.

 

Thank you for visiting my sponsorship page and for your support. Please feel free to read ‘my story’ below if you wish to hear why I was moved so much by Help the Hospices, but above all please give generously to such a rewarding charity.

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

My Story…

 

Sadly, most people who are aware of Hospice’s are generally those who have come across them because of unpleasant circumstances, such as illness or the death of a loved one. Unfortunately, this was the same for me, as in July 2008 I lost my Grandmother.

 

My Nan, Kathleen Tippell (‘Kitty’) was an incredible lady. She was someone who had an enormous impact on my life and to this day is always in the back of my mind, with a smile.

 

There are two reasons above all, of why I believe she was such an incredible lady. Firstly, she had the power to bring laughter into almost anyone’s life, as she had a brilliant  sense of humour (which was generally ‘rude’), which she shared with all around her. Secondly, she was as tough as anyone I have ever met. Despite being in immense pain for over a year, never once did she moan or plead for help, she put on a brave face and got on with her normal life, more than likely for the sake of not worrying her family.

 

Sadly, in December 2007 she was diagnosed with terminal Cancer. Once diagnosed, she battled bravely for over seven months and not once did she complain about the pain she was in, instead maintained her front of caring for her family. The one memory I have of her from the whole period was the fact that she had one concern, it wasn’t a selfish concern, but the concern that her dying would leave those loved ones around her hurting. She braved seven months of pain and various treatments, but sadly passed away in July 2008 in the Esher Hospice in Surrey.

 

Nan spent some time in the Hospice, where she was given exceptional care and support. The staff were remarkable, so kind, uncomplaining and respectful to all the patients I came across in there. Not one of the patients could have asked to be in a more comfortable and peaceful place for the end of their lives.

 

The reason I decided I would like to support Help the Hospices, was that I could never thank them enough for giving such an amazing lady, the most dignified, comfortable and respectful send off she deserved. Their kindness and care for my Nan, gave her the chance to live her final days how she wished and probably how she would love to be remembered, with sheer strength and humour... To which I will always be grateful for.