I’m running a marathon that I never signed up for! I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, as I’m still in denial, but on 21st April, I will be attempting to run the London Marathon. (I feel sick just writing that sentence).

Last July I received an email which read ‘Congratulations you’ve been successful in the London Marathon Ballot’. I thought it was junk mail so ignored it, but a few weeks later I received another email requesting that I accept the place and complete the registration! I mentioned it to Tony, I knew by the look on his face that he had signed me up! I can’t repeat my language. :-) (I will get my revenge)!

My very good friend Cath, also got a place so we decided that we could train together and see how it goes. I have never had any desire to run a marathon and have always had the upmost respect for anyone who does. I know how exhausted I feel after a half marathon and after the last one in 2023, I decided I’d had enough and would just keep to 5 or 10k runs from now on.

So here I am, since the beginning of December I have been training side by side with Cath, trying to increase our mileage every week. It was all going okay, then my beautiful friend Megan passed away in January, I felt like I couldn’t continue, I was so consumed with grief that I had no energy to run and wasn’t sleeping. I thought about all the lovely runs with Meg I’d had over the years and how she’d ran a marathon, so somehow got my trainers back on and continued with the training. Today we completed 20 hard training miles, a distance I thought I’d never reach. I’ve had many tears and tantrums over these miles over the last three months for sure. :-) The last few weeks as we’ve ramped up the miles, have left me exhausted, grumpy, tearful, hungry and can barely walk! I can’t wait to return to my old life of going to the gym, being sociable again and not talking about running!

I couldn’t let this event pass without trying to raise some vital funds for Arthur Rank Hospice. I will forever be in debt to them, for how they cared for my brother and us as a family in the last few days of his life. My darling brother Kevin, lost his life to skin cancer-malignant melanoma, he’d had a body scan and it was crystal clear, then two weeks later the cancer was everywhere in his body, he was given just a couple of weeks to live. He was determined to see Jasmin his beautiful daughter, who was just 5 years old at the time, open her Christmas presents on xmas day and lived for a further 6 weeks. His wish was to pass away at home, but unfortunately his pain was so severe that he had to go into the hospice. The care those nurses and doctors gave him was phenomenal. We didn’t leave Arthur Rank for those 5 days, the staff made sure we were cared for too. Offering us counselling after Kevin had passed also.

I’m sure many of us have had loved ones in a hospice. I hope it’s not somewhere we visit in the future, but I know if it is, our loved ones will receive the best possible care. The hospice needs funds to survive.

I know it is tough times for many of us financially, but even if it’s just £1, you will be encouraging me, with my attempt to run 26.2 miles in 4 weeks time.

Much love xxx