On Thursday 20th October, we should be gathering to celebrate Mum’s 60th birthday. It hurts like hell that we won’t be celebrating in the way we’d imagined. Mum was fit, healthy, and young at heart. She put everyone else before herself and could light up any room with her smile and infectious laugh. She was a Nanna, sister, mum, friend, partner, and much more. 

I wanted to mark Mum’s birthday by raising some money for Wythenshawe Hospital. Specifically, The North West Heart Centre. Between Blackpool and Wythenshawe, Mum was kept alive on life support for 10 days. Initially on a balloon pump, until Wythenshawe took over. Wythenshawe did all they could to get mum well enough for a heart transplant. They gave mum, and us, hope with the ECMO machine. These pieces of equipment are not widely available or cheap. I’d love to give something back to acknowledge their efforts, kindness, and compassion. As well as fantastic round the clock care for mum, they even put me up for the duration so that I could be with Mum 24/7 and waived all car parking fees.

On Saturday 22nd October I’ll be running for three hours. Three hours isn’t going to be marathon distance; I didn’t get a London marathon place and I’m not as fit as I’d hoped to be at the minute. Instead, I’m inviting friends, family, or anyone, to guess the distance I’ll cover in this time. I’ll stop the watch on the second and whoever guesses closest will win £50. All I’d ask is that you donate £5 per guess. 

As a guide, I’m confident I’d run 13.5 miles in two hours… After the two hour mark, and with my current lack of fitness, I’m not sure how that third hour will go. Or, where my head will be at given the cause! 

Example guess: 17.67 miles. Be specific as the winner will be the one to the closet hundredth of a mile. 

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