23 April:

The race was brilliant - thanks to the supporters and the sunshine I finished in 3:53:06 !

12 April:

Phew, I thought it was nearly all over when I sprained my ankle last weekend... but I'm back on my feet and looking forward to Sunday!

31 March:

Less than 3 weeks to go now. You can add "surprise heavy hail shower" to my list of challenges faced during training...

22 March:

Hello! It's only a few weeks until the inaugural Brighton marathon and my first attempt at running 26.2 miles, eek.

 

I've chosen to raise money for a local charity, Impetus, and specifically the Brighton & Hove Neighbourhood Care Scheme that they run.  I gained first hand experience of this scheme over the last couple years when I spent some time as a volunteer with them.  What really surprised me is that there are so many people living in our local community, even on the same street, that are alone and unable to cope with the day-to-day tasks that we take for granted.  Many people in our city suffer from social isolation and would struggle without the support provided by the scheme volunteers.

 

The Neighbourhood Care Scheme is directed to older people, people with physical or sensory disabilities, and their carers. Volunteer activities include seemingly simple acts such as befriending, accompanying to the shops and helping with odd jobs in the home.  However this can make all the difference.  There is an added dimension in that each volunteer is matched from the local community, resulting in a real two-way relationship that makes a weekly difference to the lives and interactions of the people around us.

 

The scheme receives funding from a variety of sources but it is held in a delicate balance. Last year the scheme suffered from a budget shortfall and staff hours would have been cut were it not for a grant from The Hardship Fund.  Through our support we can help to ensure that the scheme is able to keep going and to continue growing.

You can read more about the charity and its work here:

http://www.bh-impetus.org/neighbourhood_care_scheme/index.php

 

Just in case you were thinking that the marathon may not be such a big challenge for me (ha!), please be assured that I am still very daunted by the idea of running non-stop for 4 hours or so...  I’ve been training specifically for the marathon since the beginning of February and have run in the snow, sleet, rain and sunshine, in the dark, early on a Sunday morning, up and down the Sussex Downs and through the Norfolk countryside.  I’ve got blisters the size of 50p pieces, suffered unexplained ankle swelling, found myself wincing over sore legs and pushed myself on days when I really didn’t feel like running again.  Still I’m now running 30+ miles per week and looking forward to the race!

 

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.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my sponsorship page and  I hope you can make a contribution.