FUNDRAISING PLAN: TO RUN BETWEEN THE LONDON MILK BANKS (about 13 miles from St George's Hospital to Kings College to St Thomas' to Queen Charlott'es and Chelsea Hospital

Okay - 3rd time lucky.  More health problems got in the way (this time not my own) but back on track - well on footpath and road actually - and have a new timeplan.  Will let you know when I'm nearly ready but in the meantime I'm not going to do what is a very long run for a very old person unless I get a very big load of cash into UKAMB's coffers.  So I'll do the distance if you'll donate the dosh........xxxx

Sunday December 12th: Back on track

As you may have guessed, my calf injury took longer to heal than I expected (ever the optimist) and moving house then interfered with training.  But, my only excuse not to get out runnning now is the weather and as today is bright and sunny, no excuse at all really!  I've been looking at suitable dates to aim for and the obvious one that leaps out at me from the calendar is Friday April 1st or as I like to think of it ALL FOOLS DAY. 

So, my build up has started again and this time I have ultra expensive running trainers (thanks for the discount very nice man in small sports shop in East Sheen, can't remember the name but its on the main road) and a painful lesson to remind me to s-t-r-e-t-c-h before and after and that my legs are not as young and forgiving as they once were........

Tuesday 3rd August: Fort Augustus, Scotland

Two weeks on and I am still nursing a painful leg although it is much better and I am contemplating doing a run/walk/run/walk in the next day or so. I've been stretching and hopefully preventing the muscle shortening which sounds like something I don't need.  My plans have been delayed but that is all!!

I am writing this at the southern tip of Loch Ness as Steve Haberfield continues his cycle journey towards Land's End. I can't express my admiration for the way he is undertaking this challenge.  One thousand miles in ten days is incredibly gruelling and after two days Steve is already 'grinning and bearing it'.  I feel very privaleged to be part of the journey that Steve and his lovely family are taking. It is also increasing my awareness of the inequity of access to donor breastmilk that exists becasue so far we have travelled for two days through towns and villages where milk banks are practically unheard of.  Mothers in these parts would have no possibility of gaining access to donor milk for their infants if born prematurely unless transferred to Glasgow.  We will be travelling through many other parts of the UK where lack of access to donor milk is also the case.  It certainly spurs me on in my personal mission to raise funds for UKAMB but also very importantly to raise awareness of milk banks and the importance of donor milk. 

  

Oh no - disaster struck on Saturday. Well perhaps not disaster but certainly a setback.  Something went 'pop' in my leg at the same time as a dull ache became a shooting pain.  I was on a training run, about 3 miles from home and I realised straight away that this wasn't something that would be better in a day or two.  Having hobbled home (slowly) I made a couple of phone calls and consulted the www to discover that I have calf pain caused by (hopefully) a Grade 1 tear of my Achilles tendon (at the top rather than the ankle end).  Grade 2 or 3 would be BAD news.  Today (Sunday) it doesn't feel too bad and I'm hoping that my plans have been set back by a couple of weeks and not months.  Will consult a physio tomorrow ....

The story behind my fund raising :

You may know that Steve Haberfield is cycling 'end to end' for milk banking in August and I will be accompanying Steve and his wife Katrina and their family to help raise awareness of milk banking and also hopefully much needed funds for UKAMB along the way.  Now those that know me will know I don't have very much in the way of spare time and in recent years my fitness regime has consisted of walking from house to car (all of 5 metres) and then from car to the Milk Bank and back. Late last month I decided it was time to mend my ways and so I have started to run (very slowly) again.  I'd really like to be able to run further and maybe a bit faster and I am now challenging myself to get fit enough to run a half marathon. The plan is that I'll run every day whilst travelling south from John O'Groats to Lands End and then I'll attempt the 'big one'.  To tie in with the milk banking theme the plan is to run from St George's Hospital to Kings College Hospital to St Thomas' and then to Queen Charlotte's as these are the central London hospitals that have milk banks.  According to my calculations using the map on my office wall and a ruler this will be at least 13 miles.  I'd like to do this on Monday 30th August which means I'll have one month from when we start from JOG's to get fit.  If anyone is kind enough to sponsor me I'll be 'getting fit for milk banking' as all funds raised will go straight to UKAMB, the tiny charity that supports and promotes milk banking and which has enabled hospitals to set up new banks as well as ensured the continuing growth in the number of babies receiving screened and tested donor milk.  I will be asking the UKAMB Trustees to use the funds raised to sponsor staff working in milk banks and on neonatal units to attend training and education courses and events that will improve their knowledge and experience of milk banking.

 

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