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WOO-HOO! Just a quick message before I fall into my bed - but I did the race, and had the most fantastic day. Got round in 4.05.49 - a whole thirty seven minutes off my previous time, yet slightly off my sub-4 target.... it looks like today's race won't be my last marathon after all!! Here's hoping my next one isn't on quite such a hot day.... But, the most important thing is to say a big huge giant THANK YOU to all of YOU for giving me  such fantastic support, encouragement - and sponsorship! This last five months wouldn't have been half so much fun without your help! I'll report back properly when I'm not quite so tired!

Lots of love, and really big hugs,

Jo

xxx

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Yes, on 22nd of April I'll be doing it again - running 26.2 miles around London. I know I'm mad, but I've got a pretty good reason - I'm running in support of Help the Hospices, the UK's hospice charity.

Hospices provide free care for adults and kids with terminal illnesses. They help families and carers cope at an impossibly difficult time. Most provide respite, palliative, inpatient and outpatient care. And they do all this whilst relying almost entirely on funding obtained through charitable donations.

If you want to help too, you can - with no need to don day-glow-lycra (although you can, if that floats your boat). All you have to do is SPONSOR ME  and you get a warm fuzzy glow that'll last all day!

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Help the Hospices will receive your money faster, and (here's the best bit) if you're a UK taxpayer, Gord at the Treasury has to cough up an extra 28p/£ extra at no cost to you! How gratifying is that - getting money from Gordon! So please tick the GIFT AID box!

So go on - no donation is too large or small, and you can watch the race on the 22nd feeling all smug, knowing that you've done your bit without breaking a sweat, bathing in deep heat, or wearing fluorescent lycra!

Lots of love,

Jo
xxxx

Update - 28/04/07
I just wanted to thank everyone who has sponsored me in the last week - I have been stunned and touched by people's generosity. I'd like to say a particularly big thanks to Sheila Carruthers - not only for her fantastic help and encouragement with running this spring and providing the tastiest and most magical flapjack i've ever tasted - but also for raising a stupendous £113 for me! Sheila, I've said this before - but YOU ROCK! Thank you *so* much! J xx

Update - 18/04/07
Three days until the big race, and I am most definitely suffering from marathon fever! I'm so excited I can hardly think of anything else (which makes writing essays rather challenging!). Training has gone well, and now I'm tapering before the race. I had a lovely time catching up with the Headington gang on Thursday (thank you all for your encouragement and sponsorship), and a lazy weekend in Moreton Pinkney too. Perfect preparation! A big gigantinc THANK YOU to all who have sponsored me, your kind words and support will help me on the day - and you can be confident that the money has gone to a truly fantastic organisation. I'll log on again soon, and let you know how the race went! Love and hugs, J xxx

Update - 05/04/07
Well, I've spent an enjoyable hour counting coins and paying money into the bank! Thanks to everyone who bought a cake at the Grace Dieu Cross Country back in March - we made £56! That, with the generous cash donations from colleagues and friends brings me up to £946 - that £1k target is really close now!

Update - 01/04/07
What a way to spend my birthday - a hilly 20 miler! It went well though, especially given how undulating the route turned out to be! Thank goodness London is flat! Now the tapering starts; got to save the legs for the big day. Bring on the pasta!! Thanks to all who have sponsored me so far, i'm about to make a trip to the bank to pay in some cash - we're getting closer to the £1,000 target!

Update - 25/03/07
Woo hoo! Just got back from the Stafford Half Marathon - did it in 1hr 45.25 - taking a whole 6mins off my PB! Am still smiling like the loony that I am - and feeling very excited about London! 3 weeks to go!!!

Update - 18/03/07
Well, here I am 3/4 of the way through a 7hr shift at work. Half asleep, but got a BIG smile on my face because I did the 20 miler this morning and it went swimmingly! Despite the best efforts of the weather to put us off (very very windy, and the odd bit of hail!)  - Sheila, Giulia and myself did a fairly epic trek around our corner of Leicestershire. You can see the route we took here: http://tinyurl.com/34vfbo - and the very enthusiastic amongst you can take a look at some of the other routes I've run this spring!

Update - 14/03/07
I am still smiling three days on from a pb in the Newton's Fraction Half Marathon at Grantham. A lovely event on a beautiful day. Two absolutely killer hills though - I wish they'd put a bag over the road sign at 10miles warning us of the 12% incline ahead!! I've got a 20miler planned for Sunday which I'm feeling a little nervous about. Watch this space for further details!

Update - 24/02/07
Today was the Belvoir Challenge - 15 miles of mud, sweat and hills! Never been so muddy in all my life, but it was a fantastic race. Got round in 2hrs 52 - which tells you how hard it was! Bodes well for London, so long as I can still move tomorrow! The new picture on this page is of me (far right), Siobhan (middle) and Giulia after the race.

Update - 18/02/07
I survived, and actually really enjoyed today's 18 miler. We set off to Shepshed and picked up a few friends there, before heading into the hills - even Sheila didn't know where we were! Great scenery, and lots of mud! Belvoir Challenge is next Sat - i'm reliably informed that there are water and cake stops along the way! Sounds like the perfect race for me!

Update - 04/02/07
Another long and slow run today, about 13 miles or so around the forest. The view from Beacon Hill was particularly stunning today! I've entered some races too - the ominously titled Belvoir Challenge is the first - on the 24th Feb. 15 miles off-road plodding! Should be fun....

Update - 22/01/07
Much better now, and training properly again! Did a long plod around the Charnwood Forest on Sunday - about 12 miles in the mud! Hard work, but lots of fun (at least in retrospect!). Thanks to all the lovely huggable people who have sponsored me so far!

Update - 11/01/07
Thanks to Loughborough Market Traders Association for their generous sponsorship of £100! And to all the people in Moreton Pinkney who have pledged to support me! Training hasn't got off to the best start as I have been ill, but I'm on the mend now, and itching to get on the move again!