I ran the London Marathon 2013

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in this journey. I could not have expected such a fantastic day with beautiful sunshine blue skies and not much wind.

 

I was so nervous and excited I had no idea what to expect it doesn’t matter what people tell you about it so had to be felt and done.

 

Fundraising

 

This was a part I dreaded but I actually really enjoyed it. My 12 hours cycle at Hutton Moor Leisure Centre, where I met and chatted to so many people and had some challenges to guess where I would be in 12 hours as the crow flies on a map, a raffle cake and card sales, to 2 car boot sales, cake and card  sales at work in training sessions, a craft sale at Rafters with cakes cards and home made turned wood to generous donations from friends and family and a big raffle with fantastic local donations of prizes from Mendip Outdoor Pursuits, Bicycle chain, Wharfside cafe Uphill, Stonebridge farm, Waitrose, Costa Coffee, Tescos’, Court Farm, Hutton Moor and a March Members Challenge.

 

Soon every penny every pound was well on its way I breathed a sigh of relief when I passed the £2,000 minimum requirement for Weston Hospice Care, but i wanted to get to £26200 to represent £100 per mile to run for!

 

I left for London to stay with my dear cousin Sophie with the amount at £2.300 and came back to find £2570 on the just giving website

 

Preparation

 

This had tricky bits as not only did the weather this winter become cold wet icy snowy and windy with the odd piece of sun thrown in on top of a still broken collar bone. With help from Weston Hospitals Physiotherapists my collar bone and tight IT bands were eased, I wondered whether the plating of my clavicle would fall before the marathon but it didn’t. I could not have got there without the help of Vicki Harris sports masseur at Hutton Moor who gives me my leg torture to release all the tensions that arise from training and make my legs have extra bounce!

 

Most of my physical training was on my turbo trainer AMT swimming and stretching between work and out when I could on my single speed road bike but mainly on the flat as I can’t pull up hills with my clavicle too well.

 

Pre leaving a good long massage to loosen the legs Vicki style then Friday morning Jason taped me up just before I got on the coach and that tape was magic- it held my body through the 26.2 miles

 

The Expo

 

On the Saturday I went on tubes and DLR to find the Expo while Sophie was working. The nearer we got the fuller the train, it was quiet overwhelming the numbers of people and the buzz. I found myself on the train with a family from the midlands whose son was also doing his first marathon, I stuck with them to find registration and to chat and ease the nerves!

 

We both had to go to different places due to our numbers. The guy I registered with was lovely he chatted and I felt tearful, was this for real me doing a marathon. He explained everything and about going to get my foot tag. On my way to the foot tag I heard soemoen say help it was a guy from Weston and his family who took  photo of me waiting to get my tag and I did for him and his family. We then went through to the marketing hall on eth search of any freebies and tips. It was like being bombarded with running ads and events. I then went to see the stick company who used the massage sticks and chatted to the man who took me over to the KT tape man also American to get my collar bone taped up. I wandered around then for a bit and then headed back out to the tube having collected a runners bag with running ads, cereal bars mints a virgin towel and bag of rice.

 

I headed back to Marble Arch and spend a lovely quiet afternoon in Hyde park while Soph was working. I walked by the river and watched the boats and birds. So I looked at my watch in 24 hours this should all be run and done!

 

The day

 

I do not think I can describe in words how this day was, it was electric awesome.

 

I laid all my stuff out and bagged it up several times checking I had all i needed cable ties safety pins Vaseline, shorts, hospice care tee shirt, socks, shoes ( which ones those ones these ones?) and my watch Nik gave me for my birthday and repeated and repeated. Which old top in case it was cold, what snacks to run with drinks,,,,,,,...... I am sure it used to be easier taking a horse to an event than packing for all weather running in case this in case that

 

Early breakfast, do I wear my shoes to the event or put them on there do I wear socks to event or there race number shoe tag, right get out and go girl

 

I arrived at Marble Arch Tube station it was shut opened at 7 am so I chatted to a lady who was on her way to a medical course.

 

Then on the train I found two guys with race kit bags and chatted and joined them on their way to the Red Start, one of them from Burnley and one from Chester, who explained about the start and where to go putting bags on the kit bag lorry queuing for the toilet then rejoining the queue not eating within an hour of start I was shaking one guy left as he was in good for age groupings which went a pen forward. I was red start Pen 4. The other guy and I wandered across to the bag area and chatted about what brought him here to run. Then I loaded up my stuff on the kit lorry and joined the toilet circle loop then I found a tree to hold my stretches on, remembering all the physio exercises this tree helped me prepare then back to the queue and checked my sheep pen number 4 I met some people who talked about their marathons and asked about mine I said I had not done any but this was my first and i was very nervous – shaking! Off to the loots again then had to rejoin teh sheep pen and made my wya back to the people I had met.

 

The whistle blew 30 seconds silence for honour and respect of those who suffered in Boston. The whole part went silent I am sure they could all hear my heart and adrenaline pump!

 

The whistle blew and the world clapped and then the ribbons now cut we proceeded forwards towards the start line

 

Bang we were off I was running near the guy who I had been chatting to in the pen for the first 3 miles making our way through others over water bottles lucozade bottles slung to edges of teh road and some in teh middle sticky and wet!

 

The crowds were heart warming inspiring and encouraging, I had put sticky letters on y top I kept hearing “Nikki” Go Nikki and I thought of “Run Forrest Run” and I was off, There were children holding out their hands hoping to be touched by runners as if we were royalty running not just someone who had been lucky enough to get a place to run for their charity. It was enlightening touching hands of so many little smiley faces who were chanting your name and when you touched a hand the cheers and name calling increased so helpful to inspire the running feet and see those smiles light up faces, bands playing dancing gymnastics let alone all the back drop, I was so busy  looking at all that was around me I didn’t realise I was running, usually the first 30 mins is tough as I get going, these I felt I could fly I smiles from one side of my face to the other inside out it was awesome Alice and pip were right the crowds do carry you.

 

Passing people  being passed watching the sea of colour dance along the road ahead never knowing what you could find ahead of you, St John’s teams worked hard all day as did the volunteer drink stations and the crowds. This was such a warm and friendly event, so well organised and warm.

 

When I crossed Tower Bridge we had a piece of road where the Olympic and wheelchair athletes were on their way home, knowing when I got there I would maybe see other runners making the tracks I had just made seeing me and the people around me running for home.

 

There were moments when i felt that is enough I have had enough then one person calling my name, thinking of those who helped me get here by donating thinking of those who need the Weston hospice care services motivated me to a finish. It was only at 5 miles before the end that the 3 hour 15 pacer caught up with me - Rats I had to finish in dignity it was not going to be ahead of the pacer which I thought I was but my foot was a bit sore and  I had found it hard to eat my next snack and breath as the race got on so glycogen levels were lowering but hey here we come Big Ben Buckingham palace but then the signs swapped between years and meters it seemed like the finish at Horse guards parade would never happen but it did goodies bag, First aid tent for ice then the marathon task began could I find Sophie, Could we get round the road blocks to meet each other and chat and chill before my coach back?

 

Eventually we did.

 

I completed the marathon and found Sophie and so far have raised £2500

 

http://results-2013.virginlondonmarathon.com/2013/

 

 

 

It seems I did marathon in 3hrs 23:21 and was 3676 overall in female group I was 390 and 79 female in age 40-44

 

I have been offered a place to run for Weston Hospice Care in 2013 London Marathon. I am asking for your presence and your support- every gifted coin takes me one step closer to my target to help others through their journey, be they people who are using the hospice for themselves or the support they need as family members.

 

In 2010 when I was diagnosed with my breast cancer my life was shaken up, I went from being a working professional therapist to a cancer patient within a day. When I had my appointment meeting I was not surprised by the diagnosis it was as if I already knew! I then went to a school meeting for a child and when I left this I welled up, there I had been sitting holding a meeting and then I was going to be operated on and met about in a few days.

 

I had the most fantastic help and support in Weston Hospital from the Macmillan team, the surgery and chemotherapy team. Weston Hospice care leaflets and Time for you Programme was an invaluable source of knowing there was support there should I need it. I was a lucky one, I didn’t but none of us knows what is round the corner so I am choosing to use my body to run 2013 to give to those who can’t those who maybe can see the sunshine outside their window but cannot reach it today.

 

With my treatment I was determined it was not going to get me in bed, and it didn’t. I took on being a trainee for Ann at the gym for her Personal trainer’s course, she challenged me to do the Weston Hospice care Christmas Cracker 10 k beach run. I said so long as you wait for me yes

Running –

 

I had never run outside so I had to challenge myself and this gave me motivation through the journey of chemotherapy, some days I could walk in the gym sometimes jog a little and sometimes run. It was good to connect with people at the gym, the kindness oozed out, even as my hair fell out Matt a trainer at the gym hovered it up and would not let me pick up my hair!

Debbie, a colleague from work gave me her Tough Ten woods run ticket as she was unable to run it that was the February Challenge, wow it was great I loved it the energy and motivation followed by Alice a sailing friend asking me to do Yeovil Half Marathon, somehow running gave me some strength, some drive and helped me feel alive free and well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I look back now I am not sure how it all happened but somewhere on the journey through Chemotherapy and radiotherapy running gave me my life outside home. I know everyone takes their own journey this was mine.

 

I have never done a marathon or even thought about it but it is a challenge I wish to step up to and in giving me a challenge I hope that I can reach a target to help the WestonHospice care team that anyone of us one day may need and I feel I can give right now today.

 

 

 

If you feel you would like to help me reach a target of £2,000 I would be delighted, every coin will help me to run, run, run! And the Weston hospice care give families have special time to be together with the kindest support and the best way they can be. I know how important the hospices have been to members of my family in the past

 

 

 

For me I would rather not have any presents as we enter the festive period but have your presence with me in London 2013 with a gift of motivation, if you wish to add a motivational donation please do so on

 

£2,000 could pay for:The Hospice and ALL its services to be run for five hours

The In-patient Unit and all it’s running costs (for up to 10 patients) for 14 hours one whole day of Community Nursing (allowing 9 Nurses to visit patients in their own home)

One patient from our Day Hospice to complete the full six week programme

The cost of one of our specialist In-patient beds (£1,800)
Your fundraising efforts for our Hospice will reach so many.

We support the patient, the family and their carers – and whilst we cannot add days to lives, we can add life to days.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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