17 April

Hi Everyone
 
I did it!!!  It took me 5 hours, 7 minutes and 53 seconds.
 
Thank you so much to all for your support, both today on the course, and your donations and moral support.  I woke up on Saturday morning really excited thanks to all the good wishes you sent me.  The excitement stayed, and mixed a bit with nerves this morning (Sunday).  By the time I started running the nerves had eased.
 
The whole day is pretty much a blur already, and I'm also already forgetting the pain!!  The atmosphere at the start was charged with excitement, nerves, the smell of linament and the sight of people covering themselves in vaseline.  It's such a strange concept that all these people are about to intentionally put themselves through something that will inevitably cause pain.  But I now understand it, because I'm a marathon runner!
 
The first half was very warm, but there were plenty of water stations along the way.  The second half was a bit cooler.  It was hard, especially the last 2 miles - but I pushed on and made it!  It has made me realise my body is capable of a lot more than I expected - and I have the drive to push myself even when I am in pain.
 
The crowd were absolutely amazing - it is like one big street party.  Cute little kids handing out jelly babies, and giving "high fives", strangers yelling out my name and words of encouragement, bands playing music all around and the volunteers are amazing and so energetic.
 
We have raised over 3,000 pounds for Child Bereavement Charity - amazing, thank you!
 
I've learnt a lot during my training and today:
- The nicest thing to do after a long run on a cold day is to have a hot shower.
- The hardest thing to do after a long run on a cold day is to get out of a hot shower.
- It is much easier to walk down the stairs backwards the day after a long run (and it's not a good idea to have a bathroom downstairs!)
- I can do anything with training and commitment.
- My friends, family and colleagues are very generous and supportive.
 
If anyone is considering doing a marathon, I recommend you go for it.  If I can do it, you can do it!!
 
Thank you all again.
Rachel
xox

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15 April:

Woohoo, I have reached my fundraising target (well and truly)!  International Power has donated £1500.  Thank you all again for your donations - I've feel quite overwhelmed by your generosity.

I forgot to say that I will be wearing a yellow Child Bereavement Charity vest, and a pink cap on Sunday - so watch out for me!

Rachel

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10 April:

Well, all the training is done (apart from a couple of short runs this week), so all I've got left to do now is eat lots of carbs, and get nervous!

If you are planning to come and watch the marathon, there is a good spectators guide on the website: http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/marathon-centre/2011-virgin-london-marathon-information/virgin-london-marathon-information/

If you do manage to spot me among the 35,999 other runners, make plenty of noise so I see you.

Thank you all again for your generous donations, and good advice.  Now if you could all think positive thoughts for me on Sunday between 0930 and 1430 GMT+1 (approx).

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the weather is not this nice next Sunday (sorry fellow Londoners)!

I'll be back with a de-brief next week.

x

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20 March:

Last weekend I ran the "Finchley 20" - the longest running 20 mile (32.19 km) race in the UK.  My aim was to just do the distance, but I also didn't want to be last (at least when I do large events I know I won't be last, but there were only about 600 people in this one, and some of them were very fast!).  I managed to run the whole way, and came 468th.  The course was 4 x 5 mile laps.  The first lap was good, the second lap was hard because the leaders came sprinting past me, the third lap was hard because the medium runners came past me saying encouraging things (which made me think I must have looked like I was struggling!), and the final lap was hard because I was running further than I'd run before.  But I really enjoyed the whole thing. The marshalls were so energetic and friendly - and I was so pleased to run the full distance.  It took me 3.5 hours.

Today I ran 18 miles (28.97 km) - Tim came with me again, he is great at keeping me going.  We ran through Hyde Park, across the Thames to Battersea park, along the river to near work / St Pauls, and back home through Holborn and Regents Park.  So we are now both on a couch each, and not moving very far.

The biggest challenge for me each Monday now is getting downstairs to the bathroom!

Thank you all again for your generous donations.

Rachel

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6 March:

Last weekend I ran part of the South West Coastal Path from St Ives to (nearly) Hayle and back.  It included hills, narrow sandy tracks, steps, dunes, mud, a golf course and a little bit of rock climbing!   It was slow progress, but a good conditionining run, and I was able to reward myself at the top of steep hills with beautiful views of the stunning bays around that area.

Unfortunately today's run wasn't as good, but I did manage to push myself to do the full distance - 18 mile / 28.97 km.

And we have reached the half way mark on the fundraising!  Thank you all for your generosity.

R

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20 Feb 2010:

3 Hours - that's how long I ran for today!  I ran to Hyde Park, around it a couple of times, then home again.  I've learned that it is important to practise your "nutrition" strategy as well as actually running, so I tried Jelly Babies today (not only do they taste delicious, they are also good fuel - a lot of people recommend them for long runs).

Tim and I are off on a road-trip next week, so I'm planning to do some more "explore-running".

Thanks again to everyone who has donated.  If you would like to donate, remember to tick the option to reclaim gift aid (if you are a UK Tax Payer) - this means the Child Bereavement Charity will get an extra 25% on your donation!

R

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5 Feb 2010:

Training is going well, today I ran further than I've ever run before - 14 miles (22.5km)!  Tim came with me, and was great support.

We ran through Little Venice and along the Regents Canal through Regents Park, Camden Town, Kings Cross and Islington.  When we got to Islington we lost the canal, but explored the streets for a while before heading back the same way.  My new favourite past-time is "explore-running" - I love discovering new places while running.

We saw a lot of other runners, some nice and friendly - London is definitely a runner's city!

Thank you to all of you who have donated already, it is definitely motivating having your support, and will make a big difference to the Child Bereavement Charity (http://www.childbereavement.org.uk/).

Keep an eye on this page for further updates!

Rachel

 

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It's time for me to tick something else off my list - running a marathon!  I've thought about it for a few years now and this year I've been lucky enough to get a place in the London Marathon with the Child Bereavement Charity.  So it is a double challenge for me - raising money for a great cause and training!

I appreciate any dollar or pound you can donate, it will encourage me on those cold winter days when I'm pounding the pavement (but would rather be curled up inside with a good book), and will help get me across the finish line on 17 April!

The Child Bereavement Charity is the UK’s leading charity that supports families and educates professionals both when a child dies and when a child is bereaved. If you'd like to know more about the charity, their website is: http://www.childbereavement.org.uk/

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you again for your support - I will keep you up to date with my progress.

Rachel