Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. As you can see, I have reached my fundraising target!

Thank you all.

If you would still like to donate, please support my daughter, Michaela Neild www.justgiving.com/michaela-neild to reach her target. Thank you x

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.

As a teenager I enjoyed long-distance running and I’ve tried to keep running as part of a healthy and active lifestyle now I’m older. However, sometimes the combination of the effort and finding time to actually go out and run (usually on my own) means it doesn’t happen as often as it should.

I also love technology. This can result in a lot of time spent at my computer, rather than running. Also, my exercising is further hindered by the huge amount of travelling my job involves.

So, when my daughter, Michaela, asked, “Mum, will you do the Bupa London 10,000 with me to raise money for The Children’s Society?” this was both a pleasure (getting to spend time with her and getting exercise), and a challenge (finding the time, getting race ready, and trying to encourage people to sponsor me).

Also, Michaela works for The Children’s Society and the raising money for the charity is another motivating factor. This remarkable organisation works directly with individual children, up and down the country, who suffer from neglect, abuse or isolation, and face some of the most challenging times in their young lives. They also campaign and advocate for changes to benefit young people across the country.

Now that I have committed to the run, I’m using some tech to help with the challenges and I am loving it! So, … my plan of attack?

Get me 10k ready. There’s an app for that!

Upon discovering the app, RunKeeper, we recognised its power for school field trips and other outdoor activities. But, its actual design purpose is ideal for my 10k preparations.

You tell RunKeeper what activity you are doing, (running, cycling, skiing, etc.), and it records your pace, distance, speed, elevation, calories burnt, and more. It is like having a personal trainer in my pocket, and it is free! It keeps me running, keeps me on track, providing feedback as I run, tells me how well I’m doing (with audio in time with my running stride!) and records my efforts, on a map, to share with others.

And, again, IT’S FREE!

The app has workouts to choose from. I have chosen one aimed at achieving a ‘Sub 55 mins 10k’.  Michaela and I ran a 10k race about 10 years ago.  We finished in just under 60 mins, so to do it in under 55 mins really appeals. It states it will take 61 sessions over 112 days, finishing perfectly just before 27 May – serendipity.

The Runkeeper website shows me other runners who have registered for the Bupa event, who are also using the workout, so I might even see some familiar faces there. With Michaela also training using the app, it means we can run together, “virtually”, even though we live 200 miles apart. I love technology!

Raising money – Getting sponsors

I have set up a JustGiving webpage (https://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Neild) and posted it on my Facebook account and here. My first donation came from a friend in Holland and my second from another friend in California! Thank you Fred and Larry.

The money raised will help The Children’s Society project workers to continue to be there to offer specialist, one-to-one support for children who are in desperate need of protection, care and a listening ear – those children who have no one else to turn to. (I am now featured on their website).

So using the web to get the message out there, an app to support my training, JustGiving to collect the sponsorship and Tagxedo to create a “living” trainer graphic (click on the image at the top of this post), I am sorted and on my way. Tech has made my training even more terrific.