Charity

London Marathon 2010: Running All The Way!

Hi, thanks for visiting my page. This year I'm running London Marathon on my own ballot place.  Money from this page will not be paying for my entry!  My aim is to run the whole length of the 26.2 mile course.  Not bad going for someone who could only run for about 20 seconds a few years ago!  I'm hoping to do it in under 6 hours, a whole hour under my previous best!  Training hasn't gone perfectly: I've had many weeks unable to train due to ice, work pressures, a chest infection and tummy bug!  It's going to be tough, but I'm going to do my best, and certainly expect to come in well ahead of my previous time!  At least, I expect to do it faster than I ever have before.

Race Report

I have mixed feelings about this race.  Training didn’t go well, and the few days up to it had been marred by a pretty horrendous hay fever type thing (no temperature, or I wouldn’t have run…).  I suspect volcano dust *G*  So on the morning I took my place, mentally up for it but physically far from where I’d like to have been.  I knew 6 hours was pretty unreachable.  Running the whole way was a gamble.  I knew if I tried I risked seriously slowing myself down or even not finishing.  But I so wanted to try… so I did.

I actually kept up a pretty good pace, and had I been able to maintain it I’d have done under 6.30 at least.  But the further I went the more I struggled.  I seemed to be passing people collapsed at the side of the road every couple of minutes (being looked after, I should say!).  I realised I was just going to get slower and slower until I joined them.  Finally I set myself a time limit to the next mile: the time it would have taken me to get there at 15 minutes per mile.  I didn’t make it.  I made myself walk the next mile (feeling like I was walking on a trampoline), and did the rest in a mix of running and walking.  At first it was easier.  But by the end I was having to dig deep and kept counting steps just to keep focused and keep going.  I knew even a pb was slipping away… somehow I found the energy to push the last few miles and came in… with a pb of just about a minute!  06:54:58. Ah well, I got goal 3, even if only just!  And I did run the first 12 miles. So, somewhat disappointed, but I also feel I earned my medal.  I could hardly walk for several days after!

Purrs for Strokes 

For every £30 raised I'lll include a cute pic of a team Purdey kitten or kittens (Purdey being their mum...) in the gallery.  See my profile pic top right for an example.  I would have made them less each and included more, but the gallery allows limited numbers, and I did the maths! Feel free to include requests in your message: it doesn't have to be a kitten pic, but does have to be within reason and not infringing copyright!  You don't have to donate the whole £30 if you don't feel able: I will still try and accomodate any requests, though you might get outvoted!

My Charity

The Stroke Association is a great organisation, working hard to prevent and help recovery from Strokes.  Stroke is the major cause of long term disability in the UK.  Besides the human cost, they cost the NHS large amounts of money!  Many can be prevented, and recovery can be aided by swift specialist care.

The Stroke Association helps many people like my Dad, who had a major stroke following heart surgery.  He still has problems with fine movement, meaning difficulty with daily tasks such as dressing, grooming and eating.  It could have been worse without the therapy he recieved to help him recover.

Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor me and donations will be quickly processed and passed to charities. Virgin Money Giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity's behalf where the donor is eligible for this. I really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations.

Thanks!

Thanks for the donations so far!  The kittens are (in the profile picture L - R) Margali, Teddy, Walter and Merlin.  That's Teddy on the Swiss ball *G*  Hope you enjoy them!

Big thanks also to Cat Care London for putting the word out.  Not to mention making it possible to take time off to do the marathon in spite of the present crisis!

Recent donors