Story
<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page to raise money for Salisbury Hospicecare who provided so much support to a dog walking buddy of ours, Major Mike Parke and his wife, Kady.</p>
<p>Mike was battling against stage 4 malignant melenoma for months following a shock diagnosis and sadly passed away in May 2010 (aged only 36). Mike spoke very highly of the care and treatment that he received from the Hospice, which is mentioned throughout his website <a href="http://www.mikeparke.co.uk">www.mikeparke.co.uk</a>. <a></a><a></a>He documented a very moving blog, which is written with such a positively given his tragic diagnosis.</p>
<p>Mike was truly an 'officer and a gentleman' (a term engraved on his bench on Little Solsbury HIll, if you have ever sat on it) and it gives me great pleasure that my running the Bath Half will help the organisation that he and Kady thought so highly of.</p>
<p>Right, where did all this Bath Half nonsense begin and how am I doing today (most recent entry at the top in red), check out my training story (not every run, don't worry! ), grab a cuppa, its going to get quite long!! :o)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;">March 16th - Well last weekend I did it!!!! 2hrs30mins37seconds! Pleased with that! Condition were boiling when you are used to running in temperatures close to zero degree! However, the atmosphere was fabulous but the whole route was not so fabulous at all, it was hard work, especially the last 3miles. I was just so hot and cross with myself that I wasn't cooler (!??) Hey ho - its all over now and its time to count the pennies in! So far I have received £833 pounds with a further £66 pledged to collect! So I may just make the £1000 mark if I get a trickle of last minute sponsors...! PLEEEEEEAASSSSSSSEE! Love you!!</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">March 8th - </span></strong>Last run completed, a tiny 3 miles, but felt good, so that's it - training complete! Just need to eat properly and then get to the start line! </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>February 25th - </strong></span>A cheeky little 6.4miles this morning, along the not so glamerous A4 into town, past the fireman washing cars for charity (nice little incentive to pick up speed there!) back along the canal to Bathampton, though the fields to Bathford (liking it sticky in the mud and beautiful sunshine!) then along the river and though the soggy rugby fields and home from the roundabout - a lovely day for a run :o) Not fast but feeling comfy at the 6mile mark, which is a nice feeling...Next run, possibly monday or maybe start boot camp - eek!!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">February 12th - </span></strong></span><span style="color: #000000;">The 'Wiltshire 10' (thats 10 MILES!) My longest ever run and my second running 'race'. It was a chilly one, in the region of -5 degrees! The pace was pretty quick for me, around 10.19mins per mile (I prefer a little slower!) but once I'd started it was hard to slow down! Lovely route from Melksham to Lacock, taking in some nice scenery and some beautiful properties. After about 8 miles I'd had enough, stomach ache and HUNGRY! I learnt to have a better breakfast rather than one weetabix and branflakes! Anyway, I hauled my butt across the line in 1hour46mins, so dead happy with that! .....Felt sick as a dog ont he way home and the cold aggrevated my cold/cough to smokers proportions! I felt terrible, still after a bit of food and lots of cups of tea, I started to feel human again...Phew!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">January 24th</span> - A nice, dark, drizzly, hilly but quick 4 miler :o)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">January 21st </span>- Run with BMT ex-colleagues, a cool 7.2miles around Bath and out to Batheaston, only to turn back away from home (a hot cuppa and bacon sandwich!) and back along the canal with a bracing headwind and back into Bath.....arghhhh!!! Feeling very good though, a very positive run, yipppeeeee!!</span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">January 20th </span>- Most dreadful run, legs heavy, stomachs churning, its dark and cold, regretting eating yummy choccy biscuits and I've lost my headphones, so no music blaring down my ear canal! :o( Very cross, sad and disappointed in self, a truly disgusting 2.92miles....Must do the BMT run tomorrow to mae self feel better and need support!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">January 17th </span>- With mum looking after the children, I hit the A4 and canal for a stonking 6.03miles in 63mins. Feeling good but a pretty fast run for me! Very proud of self!!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">January 3rd, 6th and 8th</span> - Covered 15.26miles over the three days!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Boxing Day</span> - 4 miles - feeling good post Christmas feast yesterday!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Christmas Eve</span> - Just a cheeky 3 miles pre-turkey tomorrow.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">December 4th</span> - MY FIRST 10k EVER! The Bromham Pudding Run - finished in a time of 67minutes, placed 324/349, ha ha! The first four skimpy shorts boys lapped me and finished in 33minutes - that did loads for my morale, still I did it and ran the whole way! :o)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">November 26th</span> - 4 miles across wild and windy bleak Dartmoor while on holiday, encountering a cow traffic jam in a narrow lane and some proper cross country moor running - envigorating!!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">November 6th </span>- 3.18 miles in 36mins</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 26th </span>- 2.73 miles</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">October 16th 2011 </span>- First run using my fancy new 'Runkeeper' app on my phone (how down with the kids am I!?) a cool 2.1miles in 24minutes</p>
<p>The small print.......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 - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>