Hi all

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I really appreciate your support and interest.

Some of you will be aware that Paula, Emilia and I are running the Run 2 The Beat (R2TB) Half Marathon in London on 26th September. Some of you may be wondering why? I cant quite believe it myself as I am not "a runner" and would be much happier in a swimming pool!

Last year, Paula asked if I would run a 5K Race for Life with her. I thought it was something that everyone ought to do just once, and then that would be that! As we crossed the line in Hudson's Field, she shouted out "10k next!"  Mmmmm.............

A few months later............

Running on a cold, crisp autumn morning, through the grounds of Longleat House, was strangely exhilarating. We didn't find it easy but were proud of our achievement. We even contemplated another 10k! But then the nights drew in, it grew colder, and we lost enthusiasm. The running shoes hid at bottom of the cupboard.

In September last year, out of the blue, my lovely friend Claire, at the ridiculously young age of 49,  had a massive stroke. She was in Intensive Care for a time and in hospital for months. 

Deeply frustrating for Claire who, as many of you will know, is a very independent out-doorsy person, and very worrying for Ian & the boys, being in hospital was not a great experience, despite the best intentions of staff.

Visiting regularly over the weeks, it became clear that the needs of younger people who have a stroke are not always appreciated, nor met.

Gradually I realised I wanted to do something to support people who support others like Claire, and became aware that The Stroke Association is trying to address this issue. And that the shoes ought to come out of the cupboard.

Over the last year, it has been truly inspiring to watch Claire re-learning even the most basic skills; slowly, painfully and with unbelievable determination Claire is making terrific progress. Much of this progress is borne out of Claire's refusal to accept "no", and her ability to find ways to overcome her difficulties. There has been support from many lovely people, cooking meals for the whole family, providing lifts etc and we know that our village community has been a great help. But others are less fortunate and there are many younger people who have had a stroke who lack support. 

But in addition to raising money to support the work of The Stroke Association, I wanted to raise awareness of the importance of knowing what your blood pressure is, and doing something about it if it is awry. Stroke is a devastating thing, and really can affect anyone at any age. Being on the periphery of Claire's situation has been a constant reminder that we so often take our own health, freedom, and independence for granted.

High blood pressure is the cause of many strokes and yet is easily treated. It takes less than 5 minutes, is free and painless, to have your BP checked. So do yourself a favour, pop into your local chemist/surgery and have it checked soon!

So, here we are with a month to go. The training is going well and we run 4 times/week. The recent weather has been interesting! We have discovered that running in torrential rain until even your bones are dripping, is surprisingly pleasant. (Did I really just say that??!). We will be up to 8 miles this weekend, so if you see us out and about give us a toot!

Paula and Emilia are raising money for Macmillan and I'm aware that some of you will be donating to their JustGiving page. Please don't feel you need to donate to us both, your thoughts and support are wonderful too.

This is the official bit about JustGiving........

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 - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

We're all really looking forward (nervously) to R2TB on 26th September. We're hoping that the thumping, live music on 10 or so stages all the way round the course will help to distract us from the pain. It will certainly make for a fun day out if you fancy coming along to meet us at the finish line!

So please dig deep (and then go and get your blood pressure checked!)

With love, thanks and best wishes

Penny x