Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am running the London Marathon in just a few days time -  on 17 April 2011  - with about 40000 other nutters.

( Running is a mental sport ...and we are all insane! )

I am privileged to have been given a place in the 2011 London Marathon without having to battle with the ballot process.  I have chosen to run voluntarily for "Home Start Butser" - a local charity established by our local community to support families with young children. I think smaller charities are often neglected - fundwise - by us inadvertently -  and so I decided to chose this small charity who do so much locally without many of us knowing about them at all.

Home Start is all about volunteers assisting local families in need of perhaps a helpful hand,a friendly face or a listening ear. Help is often as practical as assisting a parent for a few hours with a toddler or a baby  - just giving Mum or the Dad that extra pair of hands that makes all the difference. 

Families are referred to Home Start from many sources including Health Visitors & GPs. Home Start is the UK's leading family support charity with branches all over the country. Take a look at their website attached to this page to get a bigger picture of their commitments and goals.

So how's my training going for the 17 April 2011?

Runners of the London Marathon refer to the month of March as "the monster month" due to the build up in training and mileage in readiness for the 26.2 miles in April.  At the moment it seems to me that my free time is spent either running, or recovering from running!

  As my "children" ( aged 15 19 & 21)  say,  I seem to need more sleep than they do ....and certainly during March!  ( .....well almost)

My aim? To be in the first five ...........

well for my age category anyway!

Achievable?   - Possibly.    

Why do it?

A Marathon is like life really,  with it's ups and downs,  but once you've done it - you feel that you can do absolutely anything!

As for the training  - I think I get out of it what I put into it.

Anyway I am now off for...... a(nother) run............thank you so much for reading this -  and if you feel able to donate even just a pound or two for this very worthy charity - it will make a difference. Yvonne