Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Last year I decided to run my first half marathon and I completed the Great North Run raising funds for RNLI in my target time of under 2 hours.

This year I decided to raise the bar a bit and have set myself the challange of running two half marathons and a 10k within 30 days.

- the Great Scottish Run - 4th September 2011, half marathon - completed in 2 hours

- the Great North Run - 18th September 2011, half marathon - completed in 1 hour 56 mins

- the Great Edinburgh Run - 2nd October 2011, 10k - TBD

Once again, I am raising funds for the RNLI.

The RNLI is an independent charity and does not receive any funding from the UK government.

There are 235 lifeboat stations, crewed mainly by local volunteers, around the UK and RoI. 

As an island-dweller, I feel passionately about supporting the work of the RNLI and all the staff and volunteers that save lives at sea. Please visit their web site to find out about the incredible work they do.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate.

Please dig deep for a very worthy cause.

DIARY UPDATE - 6 SEPTEMBER 2011

The Great Scottish Run was a great race to take part in. The weather was superb - sunshine, light breeze and no rain! The organisation was fantastic and the route was interesting and varied. Definitely a half marathon route that I would recommend.

I completed the race in 2 hours, as always, I know I could do better but it was a great run and good to learn from my pre-race nutrition and hydration in order to improve on my time and performance in the Great North Run on 18th September.

Onwards - time to prepare for GNR 2011 - Newcastle and South Shields here we come!

DIARY UPDATE - 14 SEPTEMBER 2011

Preparations for the Great North Run are on track. I've put in the miles in training; eating the right food; feeling 'race ready' and looking forward to Sunday. Four more sleeps until race day! Look out for runner number 13525, wearing the yellow vest and fundraising for RNLI.

Thanks for your support!

DIARY UPDATE - 19 SEPTEMBER 2011

The Great North Run was, once again, a spectacular event to be part of. Based on my performance last year I planned my approach to this year's race and attempted to shave 5 minutes off last year's time.

I didn't quite manage to reduce my time by 5 minutes, but I did get it down by 2.5 minutes, coming in at 1 hour 56 mintues.

I started off well, running faster than my usual running pace. I found the 8 - 9 mile mark of the race the toughest but after running through the 9th mile I switched my thinking and felt strong for the remaining 4.2 miles. One of the toughest parts of the course is the hill between miles 10 and 11 (just when your legs are feeling really heavy). Lessons learnt last year meant I ran through this section with strength into the down hill then along the sea front for the last mile where you are greeted by hundreds of cheering crowds - wonderful!

Such great support all along the route really helps all of the tens of thousands of runners complete this, the world's biggest, half marathon.

DIARY UPDATE - 2 OCTOBER 2011

Mission accomplished! Today I completed the challenge I'd set myself and ran the Edinburgh 10k - the last of three races in 30 days. I also achieved a personal best in a 10k race of 52 minutes.

The conditions in Edinburgh were great for running, at least they were for me. I prefer to run in the rain and in a cooler climate, so the overcast conditions were just right. The route was varied and interesting, the organisation was great and the suport was excellent!

It's time to give my road running shoes a break and get into the 'off road' shoes for the winter. I have the Pentland Hills almost on my doorstop, not to mention: Arthur's Seat; Braid Hills and Observatory Hill all equally close. It will be a hill running winter while I cook up a plan for 2012.

Thank you for your support and the generous donations to the RNLI.

Louise