12.04.08                                    MARATHON UPDATE!

This marathon update is sadly not at all as I had anticipated it would be.  I have had to face one of the toughest decisions I think I've ever made and have pulled out of the marathon, deferring my entry until next year. 

I am so sorry and I hope that this will not diminish the worth of all the wonderful donations, which have been utterly overwhelming to say the least.  If you wish to withdraw a donation then please let me know as soon as possible and I will contact the charity to see what can be done.  If you still want to donate then PLEASE do!  –  I am determined to be running in next year’s marathon in fine fettle so you need not worry that the job won’t get done!  Because I deferred before race day, I have a guaranteed ‘ill or injured’ entry for 2009.

Doing what I love so much, it is easy to forget how big a deal a marathon is and with hindsight I probably increased my mileage too quickly.  I developed trochanteric bursitis (google this!), but was still determined to run the marathon to the best of my abilities with it.  Over the last six weeks I have been committed to intensive physio and sports massage, seen a sports physician and even had a cortisone injection into my buttock(!).  At one point it looked as if it was truly on the mend, but as cheesy as it sounds the real healer was going to be time – the one thing we haven’t had.  Rather than limp round at walking pace, aggravating the injury and potentially not finishing, we decided it was better to withdraw and to save the marathon for when it would be a good experience.  In typical Lucia style I have left it until the 11th hour to make the decision, but I know that it is the right one, as difficult as it has been to accept.

If you have sponsored me, thank you so much for your part in helping to reach this staggering sum of money, which is going to make a huge difference to cancer treatment in Oxfordshire.  I am so sorry that I have been unable to fulfil my side of the bargain, but believe me this chapter will not be closed until April of next year.

In the meantime, suffice to say it’s a real pain in the bum…

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14.03.08

Having run in the Oxford Blues team for four years now, it's probably not a huge surprise that I have always wanted to do the London marathon!  But this ambition has taken on a whole new dimension - one that is so much more meaningful - now that I am watching a truly special person fight against cancer.

Please help me to raise money for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Cancer Campaign.  At the moment, cancer services in Oxford are scattered between sites and the most modern techniques are not always possible to use due to limitations in facilities and equipment.  The new Cancer and Haematology Centre is a massive investment in cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and care, which is going to benefit so many patients and their families.

Whilst the initial investment is being made through the NHS, this can only provide the essential equipment and so the ORH Trust is raising an additional £2 million ..... and this is where I (and more importantly YOU!!) come in.  The money I can raise through running the marathon is going to help towards making sure that the new centre has the most high-tech equipment available; equipment beyond what the NHS can afford. 

At one extreme we're talking about things like better precision in radiotherapy machines, or operating theatres that can relay live images to trainee surgeons and medical students.  At the other extreme the money is going to help towards things like pressure-relieving mattresses and developing chemotherapy units at district hospitals so that people can be treated closer to home and avoid having to sit for hours in Oxford traffic over and over and over again.  These small scale changes make such a big impact to people's day-to-day lives when they are having cancer treatment.  Trust me!

Sorry if I have banged on, but I hope it has impressed upon you just how meaningful any donation you make will be.  I am really excited about this and can't wait to run 26 miles through London, make Mum proud and to contribute to making so many people's experiences with cancer as good as they possibly can be.  Please give generously! 

Love Lucia
xx

PS.  Donating through this site is totally secure and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% will be added to your gift at no cost due to Gift Aid...... equally, however, for those dinosaurs out there who are allergic to computers of course you can sponsor me directly!

PPS.  For more information about the new Cancer and Haemotology Centre, visit  http://www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/getinvolved/charitablefunds/cancer.aspx