So hands up if you thought you'd ever see me running a marathon..? Not many huh, well yeah it is kinda huge ;-) Especially for those who have known me since school...

But as if getting licensed to practice psychology in the US, getting a new job in NYC and moving cities again weren't enough for this year, I thought maybe training for my first marathon would be a good idea.  

And turns out it was an awesome idea! 24.2 miles of fabulousness in the beautiful bright sunshine from Staten Island through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and back into Manhattan :-) and just 2 of slight pain which really wasn't so bad.  And my time: 4:17:56 - so proud!  If you would like to see video of me finishing, or pics of the race go to http://www2.brightroom.com/event.aspx?eid=62039 and type in my bib number (30171).

Thank you so much to all have supported me so far with kind words of encouragement and sponsorship.  Thank you also to my darling sister Joanna who went to both the running shop and post office to send me more gels, so that I could actually make it through my training and the race.  And to my amazing friend Kelli who jumped into the race with me at mile 18 and ran with me til mile 24, bringing water and a banana, telling me how solid I was, weaving me through the slowly increasing numbers of people who had stopped to walk, and spurring me up the horrible hill at mile 23.  

But enough of my enjoyment.  All of this also had a purpose:

Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, based in Farnham, Surrey (where I went to school) care for people with terminal illnesses and their families.  They are a unique charity who make such a difference for people and only a very small portion of their costs are covered by the NHS.  I know death and dying isn't an easy topic for us to think about, but sadly far too many of us know people who have had to face death, and the right support at this time is beyond invaluable.  

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.  It means an awful lot to me, it means even more to those who Phyllis Tuckwell support.  x