I decided to apply for the London Marathon after being told by countless people that "you never get in the first time you apply"... Fortunately they lied. 

When I first started telling people about my success, they called me crazy. They also told me not to do it. They told me that the human body was not made to withstand running 42k. Few things feel as satisfying as proving other people wrong. And here it is – the London Marathon 2017. This is without a doubt going to be the most difficult thing I have ever attempted, but my goodness it will be worth it.

If someone had told me a couple of years ago that I would be running a marathon in 2017, I would have said they're nuts. I was this lazy girl with an average BMI, sitting in front of the TV eating 1, 2 or 3 packs of crisps and chocolate. It took me a year living in Malaysia and 10kg more on the scales to realise I had to change something. I started running in the Malaysian humidity at 40 degrees and hell yeah the first couple of months were a pain in the ass. I felt very proud spending a fortune on new running shoes rather than high heels and fancy dresses and it took me a while to get over this weird purchase. I frequently started running 4-5 times a week and actually started to enjoy it. Ever since I have been getting into fitness & health more and more, to the point where I probably spend at least 1,5 hrs per day exercising, but on the "dark" side also at least 30% of my salary on gym memberships, fitness gear and healthy food. It's no longer a pain bracing myself up to go to the gym but more a great thing to look forward to, relax and unwind. Running makes me forgetting the world around me, clearing my head and finding peace and quiet in myself. Getting out of bed at 6am every morning for a 12k morning run along the Thames has become one of my favourite morning routines. I have found strength and ambition in myself that I never knew existed. 

Nevertheless, it will be a challenge, as I certainly wouldn't describe myself as a natural athlete. I like pizza and wine way too much and 42km is a hell of a long way. Being a very social person who spends a lot of time enjoying happy hours and expensive dinners, I am hoping running the London Marathon will not only be one of the best things I've ever done in life, but also a great way to cut back on London's crazy drinking culture and finally saving some money for my non existing future. I apologise in advance to all my friends who will probably be getting this excuse a lot in the next couple of months: "Sorry sweet, I can’t. I have to run in the morning". 

I am extremely grateful to have been given one of the final places to run for Stroke Association, raising money to fund research into new treatments and ways to prevent stroke. I am running for Stroke because it is something that can happen to anyone at anytime. Many people think that strokes only happen to older people, but younger people can have strokes too, including children. One in four strokes in the UK happen in people under the age of 65. My aim is to raise money for both research and awareness of stroke and offer people who suffered from a stroke a life after. With the right help and support, a stroke doesn't have to stop you from doing anything that you want to do.

I am running the London Marathon on Sunday, 23 April 2017. I am sure there will be times when I want to quit. When I want to collapse on the road, sink to my knees and give up nobly, tears streaming down my face. But I won't. And instead, I will smash this in hopefully just less than 4 hours. And if you would like to have a little laugh, come down to see me sweating. I would love to see you there and share this amazing experience with you. 

I am hoping that some of you might be impressed and give whatever you could afford to my fund for stroke. Every €/£ counts and will make a difference. Thank you so much for your generosity! 

Meike xxx

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