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Competition time!  I am extremely lucky to be running the 2019
London Marathon after winning a Holiday Inn Facebook competition, yes there are occasional winners!  All I had to do was write about why I liked to run and this is what I had to say ‘Running gives me the freedom to run as and when I like; it doesn’t matter if you are fast or slow as whatever the speed you are still a runner.  Since being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia I am making sure, through running, that I rule the condition it does not rule me!’

So I appreciate after running 55 marathons, to date, I am not going to get sponsorship for running yet another marathon, however everyone likes a bit of competition!  So to raise money for FMA UK, the UK's leading Fibromyalgia charity, how about guessing my 2019 London Marathon finishing time (chip time)!  The closest guess will win 4 bottles of Prosecco, one for every London Marathon I will (hopefully) have run, which I will donate myself!   

To enter all I ask is that you donate £2.00 and in your donation comment write what your guess is; format hh:mm:ss.   For those who like statistics I have added a photo of my spreadsheet of all my road marathon finishing times so far, not sure if will help you though!  You could try and bribe me but to be honest I really do not have a clue and it depends how things are on the day!  However I can say that I am following a proper marathon training plan with speedwork, tempo runs and long runs; I am not just winging it this time!

So a bit about Fibromyalgia and me.  After years of test after test I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia last March.  Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a long-term condition of widespead pain, people with FMS can also have other side affects such as increased sensitivity to pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping, ‘fibro-fog’, headaches and IBS.  The exact cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown, but it's thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system processes pain messages carried around the body.

Compared to many my symptoms do let me carry on my daily life near enough as normal.  I have constant pain mainly in my hands and my feet which is there whether I sit on my backside and do nothing or exercise.  With running it does take me about 4 miles to get my feet working, which is why exercise is recommended and why I do not specialise in 5km races!

FMA UK is a non-profit-making registered charity whose
aim is to enhance awareness of Fibromyalgia. The charity is run by volunteers of which the majority are also Fibromyalgia sufferers who work extremely hard, despite their condition, in order to forward the cause of Fibromyalgia.  FMA UK was established in order to provide
information and support to sufferers and their families. In addition, the
Association provides medical information for professionals and operates a national helpline.  http://www.fmauk.org/home-mainmenu-1/about-fma-uk-mainmenu-44

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my page and please do ask if you have any queries at all.  Liz