My First Post!

Welcome to my first Blog entry!

I’ve been wanting to get involved with “blogging” for some while, but have never really felt I have anything to write about – until now!

On Sunday 10th September 2006 I will be running my first half marathon - The Nottingham Robin Hood half marathon.

13.1 miles / 21.1 km

16 weeks and 4 days and counting……………

The longest race I’ve completed has been the ‘Race for life’ which is a 5k race. I did this in 2002. Since then I’ve done some treadmill running, but have never run further than 5k even then. So to run over four times that distance is going to be somewhat of a challenge for me – both physically and mentally. I find running very hard – I’m sure that is purely a mental block that I have telling me “I can’t run”. Its time I shut that little voice up!

There are many reasons why I’ve decided to do this race – some selfish, some not so……….

Firstly the selfish reasons. Through lack of exercise, and I guess coming out of a long winter, I’m feeling very sluggish, over weight and generally frumpy. I needed something to focus on to give me motivation to get off my ever spreading backside. The ever looming 40th Birthday has also got some bearing on my decision as well! I thought about running the Race for Life, but realised I wouldn’t need to train too hard to complete that, which meant I probably wouldn’t. I thought about running a 10K race, but once again, I knew that even if I didn’t run the whole course, I could at least finish it without needing too much training. A half marathon is another story! I know I can’t just turn up and run a half marathon – I need to train, and lots!! As I love my food, I’m also hoping that all the training will help me loose some weight and tone up rather than having to resort to a dieting!

And then the not so selfish reason. Many of you will either know, or will have heard me talk about our little friend Toby and what he has been through during his 3 short years. With Toby as my inspiration I intend to raise some money for CLIC Sargent along the way. Every 48 hours, 10 children are diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia. CLIC Sargent acts as a lifeline keeping families together when the unimaginable happens. CLIC Sargent provide clinical, psychosocial, emotional and financial services in hospital, at home and in the community across the UK as well as research into improving treatment and care. Quite honestly, with everything Toby has been through in his short life, I feel quite pathetic when I panic about the training ahead and the running of a half marathon.

Please feel free to read Toby’s story …..

http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=toby1

Link to CLIC Sargent website………

http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/home.htm


Don’t worry – I will be begging for sponsorship in due course, but for now I hope you will encourage and support me and keep Sunday 10th September free to come and cheer me on!

Until next time

K xx