WOOOOOHOOOO!!!! Done! AND, still got under 3 hours finishing even after having to have a visit to the St John's ambulance for a "twanged" IT band in my left knee. 8 miles in really good time, TWANG, and then a mix of jogging, crying and hobbling to get to the finish line. Gutted it wasn't the 2 hours I wanted, but chuffed that I didn't pull out.

Hannah, my sister, 1hr 45min, Jess, just over 2 hours, Yvonne, 1hr 45 - Just amazing.

Thank you to you all for your donations. For those of you who are still thinking about it - this page stays open for 3 months........

THANK YOU THANK YOU. xxxxxx Here's to next year's???????????????

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17/10/09 - update - Firstly, MASSIVE thanks if you've sponsored me already - on or off line. Tonorrow's the big day! 9am start.... not sure what time finish!! Will update after the event - BIG thank you once more. xx

(Thanks to Bec & Dan, Kate and Steve for their offline donations. x)

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8/10/09 - update:

OK - still snotty but, have done 8 miles this morning, so back on track. Going to run some of the 1/2 marathon course (prob 10 miles) with my sister Hannah, who's also running the event this Saturday to get an idea of the "lay of the land" for the 18th. Wasn't the best run time this morning, but at least it was 8 miles all running and not coughing and blowing my nose and feeling like I'm about to pass out after only 3 miles! So, better than last week's 4 miles only!!! Thank you so much for your donations. Keep them coming. xx

Thank you to Nanny Di & Bobby John, and to Nainie for  their offline donations. x

Rae

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30/9/09 - quick blog update:

Training's going well-ish... got a cold - "streaming", so on hold for a couple of days...

But as soon as I don't have to carry a box of soft tissues round with me, I'll be back out running. Thought I'd add a couple of photos of the entire reason that I'm running these bloody 13 miles!! Pics of Ellis now attached - and what a change from those first few scary weeks in 2002 (click on "more photos (5)" under the pic of the stinky trainers!!). It will be well worth it when I get to the finish line......

A massive thank you to those of you who are already supporting me. xxxxxxx Rae

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I'm running the half marathon in Cardiff on 18 October. Now this is a big thing for me! I've only really ever run as far as the bus stop (and let's face it, those of you who know me, I don't do buses that often...!), or to the cake shop previously (LOL)! But, I have put my ar5e well into gear - I've shifted a load of cake-weight(!) and have been training like mad for this! my treadmill's had a beating, and Davina's given me a darn good work out many a time! ; )

There's a reason for all this: when my son was born, he had a fractured skull, which caused a bleed on his brain. We were transferred from Llandough to the SCBU unit in the Heath (UHW), where he received faultless care by the nurses and the consultant there. It was Christmas 2002, and things didn't look good. Because of their hard work with Ellis, he's now an amazing (nearly!) 7 year old boy, who is clever, gorgeous and in perfect health. At the time, there were other parents at the Unit, who I know, can't say the same thing. We are very lucky.

I'm going to give every penny I raise to the Unit so that the nurses and doctors there can continue to be fabulous and take every care of other children/babies. I'm hoping for £300 - it's not a huge amount in the greater scheme of things, but - every little helps doesn't it?

I've no idea how quickly I'll run the half marathon (13 miles is a fair old way!) - and each day when I'm driving up and down the M50 from Cardiff to Redditch and back for work, and the sat-nav says 13 miles to go, I think, "Holy cow! how am I going to do this??" - BUT - I will.

If you'd like to donate, please make sure you tick the GIFT AID box. That's very important. And, if you can give £1, or £100 - It doesn't matter. Whatever you can give, will be ace!. x