I did it!   Completed the Great North Run,  what a great event with so many people doing extraordinary things for their respective charities, very emotional.  I managed a fairly good time of 2 hours 11 minutes.  I enjoyed every minute and every mile and felt good enough to sprint the last mile and a half.  Someone told me train hard, race easy, that is exactly what I  did and was therefore able to enjoy the occasion.   Thank you all again for your support and generosity.  The amount raised  for Dorothy House will help many people.

Can I thank you all for your generosity, it has been overwhelming and humbling.  Only one week to go, I am nervous but excited and i hope I've done all the training necessary.  I can now complete 10 miles fairly comfortably, with a sprint finish, best time is 1 hour and 25 minutes.  Training is tapering off now, with a couple of slow gentle jogs this week.    My Diet will now consist of lots of pasta, which I love and lean chicken.  As I write this I am in anticipation of what next week will bring, I want to enjoy it amongst 56,000 other runners the atmosphere will be fantastic and being back home where I grew up seeing the familiar landmarks will make the occasion very emotional, especially when I will be holding the memory of my dear friend Karlie in my heart and she will be on my shoulder the whole way!  And thanks to Kevin at Hallmark I have her photo on my  Dorothy House tee shirt sleeves, which I shall wear with pride.

Training going well, just completed 9 3/4  miles in 1 1/2 hours ! Hopefully on target for a two hour race.

Dorothy House Hospice provides invaluable support, free to the terminally ill and their families.  

My inspiration for raising money for this good cause has come about after witnessing their care first hand.   The majority of their funding comes from donations.

I began running again seriously 18 months ago and thought if I really focused hard on training I might, just might be able to run a half marathon to raise some money in memory of Karlie and support this excellent cause.

I run 3 to 4 times a week, I am not in a club, but am self disciplined, and motivated now to take part in the Great North Run.  I began running just a mile and a half and I have managed to build it up to 9 miles a session.

As part of my training back in June I climbed Ben Nevis, fantastic day and truly inspiring to meet so many people doing great things for their causes, it was so humbling, but I felt part of a great British tradition of giving something back.

Why the Great North Run? I am originally from Newcastle so it made perfect sense and  what better place to take part in my first ever marathon. It's the biggest half marathon in the world with 56,000 taking part this year.  So as long as I finish at least in  55,999 place I'll be pleased.

I would  like to thank everyone for their generosity and words of encouragement and I know if Karlie was here now she' d be one of my biggest supporters.

If you see me running give me a wave or a beep it will encourage me further.  I run around the Melksham area, through the villages of Beanacre, Whitely, Shaw Atworth and Melksham town.

 

 

 

 

 

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