Story
<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><strong>BEFORE YOU READ ON PLEASE BE AWARE THAT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF MY INJURY THE CHARITY HAVE ALLOWED ME TO DEFER MY PLACE TO 2012. I HAVE A GUARENTEED PLACE AND THE CHARITY WOULD STILL BENEFIT IMMENSELY FROM YOUR DONATION.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. <strong><span style="color: #33cccc;"><span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">PLEASE CONTINUE TO DONATE - <span style="color: #0000ff;">THE SKY'S THE LIMIT NOW!!!!! Would be fantastic to hit the £2000 mark!</span></span></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;"><strong></strong></span><span style="color: #006400;">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 <strong>Children with Leukaemia</strong> 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.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">So please dig deep and donate now. </span><span style="color: #ff1493;"><strong>You may win a PRIZE!!!!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">So why the London Marathon and Why <strong>Children with Leukaemia</strong> and why you?...</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">...Well, I started seriously running in January last year. As many of you know I am a mother to six children and have been having babies for the past decade! Jonny and I decided to stop at six which meant there was a huge gap in my life. Hence I started running. It fast snowballed and I ran my first half marathon in September in a time of 1hr 41 mins. I surprised myself and this made me set my sights on bigger goals. I am a londoner and for me the London Marathon is the ultimate race. A once in a lifetime achievement!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;"><strong>Children with Leukaemia</strong>, was my obvious choice of charity. Phoebe, a friends daughter, was due to start nursery this september with my daughter, Nelly. Tragically she was diagnosed with cancer just before christmas. She has been through a lot of treament but her prognosis is still uncertain. She will not be starting nursery this term. Her mum, Lou, wants to keep her close, not knowing how much time they have left.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">Leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer. <strong>Children with Leukaemia</strong> is the leading national charity dedicated to the research and treatment of childhood leukaemia and to the welfare of leukaemic chidren and their families.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">I really need all the help I can get and so do they! And this is <em>your</em> oppotunity to feel that you have helped Phoebe, her family and the many families in similar situations. When April 17th 2011 comes along you can feel satisfied you have done your bit and enjoy the spectacle of the day!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">Wish me luck and please give as generously as you can!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #006400;">p.s please share this link with work and as many friends and family as you can.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>1</strong>: Thank you to all those who have taken time to log onto my site and make a donation, be it £20, a pound-a-mile (£26) or more, it all means so much. I can now add a little incentive - monthly spot </span><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>prizes</strong>, including a <strong>prize</strong> given to the person who makes the largest donation!! Prizes include a gift voucher worth £40 from Cambridge's <em><strong>Sweaty Betty</strong></em> Boutique, a Spa Day and other treatments from <strong><em>Glassworks Health Club</em></strong>, a free haircut with <strong><em>Directors Hair</em></strong> and<strong><em> Toni and Guy</em></strong>, a gift box from <strong><em>Neals Yard</em></strong>, £10 voucher from <strong><em>The Cambridge Toy Shop</em></strong>, a meal for two at <strong><em>Brasserie Gerade </em></strong><em>and</em><em> </em><strong><em>Henry's</em></strong>, Soap from <em><strong>Lush</strong></em>, a signed copy of a book by Lauren Child donated by <strong><em>Waterstones,</em></strong> a book token from <strong><em>Heffers, </em></strong><strong><em>Thorntons</em></strong> chocolates and</span><span style="color: #ff0000;"> much more!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">UPDATE <strong>2</strong>: Just completed <strong>Cancer Research Run 10K</strong>, achieving a new PB! 43mins 48 secs. Was the 7th woman overall. Am over the moon! Well done to Fran and Sarah too!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffa500;">UPDATE <strong>3</strong>: Am very pleased to announce business sponsors <strong><em>Essential Italy</em></strong>. Holiday accomodation in Italy - charming villas, comfortable apartments and stylish hotels hand picked for their distinctive Italian qualities. Thank you for your generous donation! For more information visit <a href="http://www.essentialitaly.co.uk">www.essentialitaly.co.uk</a> and I also get a mention on the blog at <a href="http://essentialitaly.typepad.com/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">http://essentialitaly.typepad.com/blog/</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ee82ee;">UPDATE <strong>4</strong>: Just had fantastic news from Lou - "Good news about Phoebe, she's OK this month". Really happy to hear. Lots of love from us all. X</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>5</strong>: Congratulations to Octobers spot prize winners - they are Sue Rollings, Nicky McBride, Darren Wade, Sarah Upjohn and John McAspen. Well done guys!!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #9acd32;">UPDATE <strong>6</strong>: 31.10.10 Took the train to Ely this morning with some of the Cambridge Hash House Harriers and then ran home. Felt fantastic, even though I am nursing a slightly torn muscle in my thigh/bum. There were about 12 of us in total. They were a really friendly and inclusive bunch. It was roughly 17 miles. A real milestone...</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #9acd32;"><span style="color: #800000;">UPDATE<strong> 7</strong>: Just did an interview with <strong>Cambridge First </strong>newspaper. </span></span><span style="color: #9acd32;"><span style="color: #800000;">Should go out in november 11th issue.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #00ffff;">UPDATE <strong>8</strong>: Jonny took the kids into town to rattle collections boxes - Batman, Robin and a couple of fairies proved very successful! They raised £65!! Not bad for a mornings work...</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #99cc00;">UPDATE <strong>9</strong>: 21.11.10 Did <strong>St Neots Riverside Half Marathon </strong>with my brother-in-law Alan this morning. Made a time of 01:48:47 despite a fairly painful hip flexor strain. Very chilly and windy course. Not used to the hills either. ...Good fun though!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>10</strong>: I can now announce November's spot prize winners - they are; Thomas and Eve Shale, Emily Manning, Helen Forbes, Phil Kinsey, Lauren Butler and Rose Sayers! Well done...</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #33cccc;">UPDATE <strong>11</strong>: Big thanks to Kelsey Kerridge for donating free membership for me until April to help me with my training!!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>12</strong>: Am announcing December prize winners early to coincide with last week of term... They are; Cinannait Low, Neve Osbourne, Imogen Cave, Sally West and Florence Austin.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #339966;">UPDATE <strong>13</strong>: Did the Ely New Years Eve 10K this morning. Hard work following my injury but managed 47min 32 secs, which is OK. Planning to up my training from now on though!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>14</strong>: January prizes go to Rania Della-Porta, Hannah Butler, Samantha Keil and Marcus Shadbolt. Well done!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>15</strong>: Feb prizes go to Fran Patrick, Janya Freer and Megan Shale!<span style="color: #ff9900;"> (...February not been a good month training wise. My hip flexor strain has proved much worse than I first thought. However with a lot of rest and fingers crossed I will still make it!!!!)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="color: #ff9900;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">UPDATE <strong>16</strong>: March prize winners are as follows :- Cathy McBrien, Emily Arnold and Rebecca Chicot. </span><span style="color: #333399;">Have been nursing this hip flexor injury for what feels like forever. Still hopeful I will make it on the day, even if I have to walk it...</span></span></span></p>