Ironically I am writing this on a night when I am suffering with the remains of cough from a recent cold virus. This may not seem that spectacular to some of you but for me this cold has been with me for nearly 3 weeks now and shows no sign of leaving me. Its past midnight and I'm tired but I can't sleep due to a tight chest and cough. I will be exhausted tomorrow at work.  The reason is I am an asthma sufferer and have been all my life. When I catch a cold, I don't just have it for a few days, it can last for weeks on end, sometimes resulting in needing steroid treatment.  I was born with asthma and some of my early childhood memories are of visiting the Birmingham Chest Clinic for regular hospital appointments. I now take inhalers twice a day and rescue inhalers when I need them and see an asthma GP specialist twice a year. 

I'm not alone though, there are 5.4million children and adults in the UK who receive treatment for asthma and the UK has some of the highest rates in Europe. 

On average 3 people a day die from asthma.

Asthma UK describe it better than me - "Imagine being paralysed by fear as you struggle to breathe, unable to speak, unable to ask for help. That’s what an asthma attack feels like. There are 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, which means asthma affects one in five households. Asthma is not just an excuse to skip PE. For a quarter of a million people with severe asthma, even climbing the stairs can feel like a marathon, never mind going outside their home."

Two years ago I was in very poor health, I was 10 stone overweight and would suffer with numerous chest infections resulting in many asthma attacks. I decided something needed to change and I joined my local Rosemary Conley class and lost the weight and with it regained control of my asthma.  I started running, not very far at first just to the end of the road and back and then I challenged myself to run a little bit further every day and before I knew it I was running the Birmingham Half Marathon in October 2013. 

I have decided to raise money for Asthma UK and challenge myself to do the ultimate - run a marathon.  Have I seriously put that out there in the public domain!! This means I have to do it now! I am very proud to have been selected by Asthma UK as one of their London Marathon runners in 2015.  For my marathon running year I have the following races scheduled:

     - March 2015: Silverstone Half Marathon

     - April 2015: LONDON MARATHON!!

     - July 2015: Women's Running Nottingham 10K

     - September 2015: Women's Running Finsbury Park, London 10K

     - October 2015: Birmingham Half Marathon

     - Nov/Dec 2015: TBC

If you want to keep up to date on my progress, I have a blog: http://runbrummielizrun.wordpress.com/

I am not running for me. I am running for the 5,399,999 other asthma suffers.  I am running for the 3 children (1 every 18 minutes) who have been admitted to hospital in the UK while I have been writing this due to their asthma. I am running in memory of the 3 people who have died from asthma today.  Asthma UK are the UK’s leading asthma charity.  They are  working towards a world where asthma is no longer a daily battle for some and where no one dies from the condition through world-leading research, award-winning information and services, and life-changing campaigns. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

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