I ran 537 miles last year. That's equivalent to 20 marathons. So this'll be easy, right?
Wrong.
Three years ago I was told I'd never run again. Two years ago, after 12 months of intensive rehabilitation for my shattered hip, I was told that maybe a 10k might be doable. In 2017 I was told that a half marathon might be 'overdoing it'.
In 2018 I ran three half marathons and a fifteen miler, sustaining one injury which knocked me for three months in the process. But did I quit? Nope.
I ran. And ran. And ran. And ran. Until I'd run 537 miles in a year.
Why?
Because I can. And because I am able. And because for as long as I can, and am able, I will.
Last year I ran the streets to help get people off them.
This year, I'm running for a different cause. This year I'm running because some people will never get the chance to run. They may never know the joy of finishing a race, the anticipation of a start line. Maybe they do know it, but they can never do it again. Maybe they were too young to even know what the word 'running' means.
I'm running because cancer robs this opportunity (and many others) from it's victims.
I'm running because one in three of us, yep, 1 IN 3 people will get cancer. And I'll bet you any money that you know someone that's had cancer. And I'll bet it was more than just an illness. It's emotional. It's physical. And that's not just for those who get the dreaded diagnosis. It's an uphill battle for everyone.
Macmillan are there to help.
They support. They guide. They offer services. Provide hope.
So I'll run. For them. For everyone. 26.2 miles. For cancer.
And this may be the last time I'll ever run. The strain on my shattered hip may be too much. But at the end of the day, I'm going to do a damn good job of smashing this marathon and raising all I can for macmillan.
So please, support me on my mission.
Let's do it together.
