I did it! It was grey, wet and muddier than the previous day's cross country but an amazing event nonetheless. I ran the whole distance with the lovely Sian and Susan (also friends of Liz's) and the day was made even better by the surprise support of Naomi and her best friend Demi. I'd no idea they'd planned to come up and they were fab supporters whizzing round the course to see us at least three times then giving us all flowers at the end. It was an emotional run and I thought about Liz so much as I ran - it was actually 13 years to the day that we'd run our first race together so even more special.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME RAISE SO MUCH MONEY - those that I've thanked and those anonymous donors who I've not been able to thank personally. The Peace Hospice team were there on Sunday and have been overwhelmed by your generosity. My grateful thanks to you all.........

Running this half marathon is going to be incredibly hard for me - not because of the distance, but because it will bring back so many memories of running with Liz. Running is something I started with Liz - from our first 10k in 2006, our first half marathon in 2007 and our first marathon in 2008, each new distance was shared. We never had a plan other than to run miles upon miles talking through life's ups and downs. 

Our first 10k Liz ran against medical advice, having just finished 6 months of chemo after her initial primary cancer treatment. But Liz always flew in the face of advice - her indomitable attitude and determination to live each day to the full were extraordinary. The last five years when she once again skewed the statistics and lived as long as she did with her secondary cancer once again demonstrated that when Liz decided she would do something (in this case live till Summer 2019) it was a fool who'd think she wouldn't do it.

Losing a best mate has left a huge hole in my life but I am so grateful that the Peace Hospice found a bed for her at the 11th hour and enabled her incredible children, parents, brother and of course Izzy the retriever to be with her in her last few days. 

These words written by Liz's children completely sum up why the Peace Hospice need all the donations that they can get:

"The Peace Hospice could not have done more to make our beautiful mum's final days as comfortable as possible for her. Not only did they look after mum so incredibly well, they also went above and beyond in supporting all of us during those hard days. The staff there were some of the most incredibly special people we've ever come across. From the hugs, the smiles and the chats - they were truly there for mum and all of us in every way possible" .           Naomi, Alex and Joshua

Peace Hospice Care supports people with life-limiting illnesses, and their families, to help them get the most from life. They aim to reach people at the point of diagnosis to empower them to make decisions that best suit them around their diagnosis. Peace Hospice Care has 12 beds in the inpatient unit to support patients with symptom control and end of life care. They aim to give patients the care and support they need to make them comfortable. 

Peace Hospice Care needs £5 million per year to be able to run the free services it offers to their patients. Less than £1 million of this comes from the NHS and the rest they raise via a variety of sources such as our pre-loved shops, fundraising through events and community projects, legacies and wills and donations.

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.