Hi Family and Friends,

Well, we did it!!!!!! The Virgin London Marathon 25th April 2010

We are now officially marathon runners for ever.

We had the greatest day. The hospitality of the crowd was superb - everyone seemed to have brought jellybabies to share with the runners. Some brought out carrots, flapjacks, glucose tablets and one woman even offered to make me a sandwich! Everyone yelled out support and cheered madly for us.

Entertainment around the course was spot on - the bell ringers pealed out 'Chariots of Fire', the steel bands were gorgeous, a lone trumpeter played 'Oh when the saints' and a band belted out 'It's the final countdown' at mile 23. The local churches were out in force, singing and generally being noisey and the Catholic Fathers sprinkled us with Holy water as we ran by. And of course, the Salvation Army were there, sent by the General to keep us on track.

Our friends and family who'd made it to London managed to track us by the chips on our shoes so were all there from mile 21 to mile 26 to make sure that we finished it all. Even my Dad was on the end of the phone for the last 800 metres and the crowd shouted, 'Hello Dad!' as I was a bit tired at that stage. Imogen and Honor, along with their cousins, enjoyed every minute and gave us both a great boost when we saw them.

Simon had a great run although as we ran the first 7 miles together, I slowed him down a bit - but hey - that's love for you! Simon's times were 04:59:27 and he came 26258th while my times were 06:26:23 and I came in at 35281st - and - to my great delight - with the rhino!!

Thanks to all who came to support - from as far as Liverpool, Stoke and Wales -  and to all who watched at home and sent vast numbers of messages. You made the day special for us, especially the champagne at the end from Elaine.

We ran for Arthritis Research UK as Gold Bond Place holders. We had to raise £3000 between us, but we're aiming for £4500. So we still have various fund raising events that you're all welcome to attend.

Thursday 17th June  - Concert with the Cardiff Blues Choir, the School Choir of Ysgol Y Berllan Deg (Imogen's School) Mared Browning, a young harpist, Cori Bach and a few surprises. Tickets now on sale from Bev.

Saturday 5th June - Concert with the Cardiff Canton Salvation Army Band, opera singer, Gavin Davies and Seventh Heaven will also take place in the Salvation Army Citadel, Canton. Once again, tickets now on sale from Bev. This concert will raise funds for our second charity - The British Lung Foundation.

Lucy Davies is holding a bingo night on Wednesday 12th May for all the slim ladies!

Fund raising so far -

Kirsty Hudson held a coffee and cakes morning for her colleagues at Cardiff University on Friday 23rd April and raised a fat free £106. Brilliant.

Gloria Knuckey (Mami Bev) is doing a tremendous job gathering sponsorship from all the friends and family at the Salvation Army. £310 so far - go Glo!

Sara, a friend from Ysgol Y Berllan Deg, raised just over £80 through a coffee morning at her house before Easter. The cakes were delicious and the Easter goodie bags were a hit! Thanks to Sara and Mali for baking and organising.

A table top sale was held in March at the Scout Hut near Roath Park. This was carefully organised by two friends, Kate and Victoria, and their families and friends. It was a fun afternoon with fantastic refreshments, a very bouncy castle, provided free of charge by Harris Bouncy Castles, and raised £340. Thanks so much to our friends for all they did to make it such a success. 

Money keeps appearing on our Just Giving page and through our letterbox from as far as Liverpool and even overseas - all for Arthritis Research UK - and we are thrilled, overwhelmed and excited when this happens. But most of all, very grateful that you all supported us in this mad venture - or were maybe just thankful that you weren't doing it yourselves!!

We've raised a huge amount between us and know that it'll be used in the right way. So thank you to those who have donated so generously already. We sincerely appreciate your gifts and do not take them for granted.

Training History-

It's been very interesting to see how many different routes we could find around Cardiff and beyond to make up the mileage. My optician suggested that I actually wore my contact lenses on the long runs as I did confess that I'd been lost at least three times and when you've only got a field of sheep to give you directions... Life on the edge, as they say. 

Simon benefitted from my training advice and promised me that his IPod was switched off when I was giving it to him! I had some fabulous pain-killers for my dodgy knees from my friendly GP, who assured me that I wouldn't feel a thing once I started taking them. She did look shocked when I suggested taking them all at once on the Marathon morning and there followed some wrestling over the prescription before I escaped from her surgery. 

TeamBev completed the Cardiff Half Marathon on October 18th 2009 with timings ranging from 1:36 to 2:43 (guess who?!). The nine of us had a great time - the crowds in Cardiff did us proud with their support and the City, particularly across the Barrage, has never looked so beautiful on such a glorious autumn day.

TeamBev included Bev, Simon, Steve, Elaine, Lizzie, Collette, Jennie, Clare and Rachel.

A huge thank you to those friends and family - old and new - who ran and to those who supported with their banners, shouts of encouragement and smiling faces at the finish line. And to those of you who walked next to me whilst I was running - please don't!!! It makes me look even slower.

Arthritis Research UK -

And of course, the reason that we're running is that a child very close to our hearts has suffered with arthritis since she was eighteen months old. It is an awful condition, very painful and often exhausting for a person to live with. There is no known cure but treatments are improving all the time.

With your help, more research can be funded.

With your help, more medical staff can be educated in the treatment of arthritis.

With your help, better medicine can be found.

With your help, a cure could be a possibility not just a dream.

Please give generously.

Sincere thanks to all our friends and family in the UK and abroad. 

And so now all we have to do is rest...!! Until next year!

With much love from

Bev and Simon.

xx

 

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