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I have been lucky enough to secure one of a handful of 'Gold Bond' places to represent 'The Stroke Association' in the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 25th April 2010.  As part of my training I am also running in the Adidas Half Marathon in Silverstone on Sunday 14th March 2010!

I am not a natural long distance runner so, training for and completing the is going to be no mean feat! 

So, over the next 4 months I will be fully committed to a gruelling training schedule which will see me training 5 days a week pounding the pavements and the treadmill to ensure that I am as fit as possible for the greatest challenge of my life (to date!).

The Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages.  It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services.

I chose The Stroke Association as my charity because I have seen the devastation which, a stroke can cause to both the sufferer and their families.  

I lost my Granddad (Leslie Taylor) to a stroke 3 years ago.  Before he died, he suffered 5 months of extreme mental and physical disability which, left a man who had once been incredibly fit, healthy old fashioned gentleman without any trace of dignity.  He never smoked and rarely drank.

I saw the devastation which was unleashed on my friend Jill's family when her Mum suffered a catastrophic and fatal stroke.  Jill's Mum, Pat, was only 54 years old.  She was slim, fit and healthy.  She did not smoke and she drank in moderation. In Jill's own words about her Mum: "My Mum has left the most enormous hole in the lives of many people. My Dad, me and my brothers; her friends and her family; her colleagues and all her pupils have lost someone who was very special and totally irreplaceable. One of the hardest things is that none of us ever got to say goodbye. My Mum is tragic proof that strokes can hit anyone, at any time, however well loved and needed they are, however young and healthy they may be, and that they can devastate the lives of many people"

In memory of Pat and Leslie and all of those other people who have suffered strokes and their families I am going to run 26.2 miles.  Please dig deep and support me in my quest.

Hopefully some of you will make it down to the sidelines on the day to cheer me on; I will need all of the support I can get!

Thank you!

Jenny

x

PS If you would like to be kept up-to-date with my training progress then please email me your email address at: j_w_2007@hotmail.co.uk.  I will be writing a weekly "blog" which, I will send round via email so that people can track my progress!!

 

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So please dig deep and donate now.