The deed is done and I live to tell the tale!
If I had to choose one word to describe the experience? Excruciating! In all honestly if I had known how painful it was to be, not sure I'd have been able to see it through. Sometimes blissful ignorance is the best strategy I suppose! But now I can look back at the experience from the comfort of my desk, with nothing but some aching limbs to remind me of yesterday's challenge, so it's actually now just a sense of pride and RELIEF that prevails!
It was something of a scorcher, 23 degrees and I even managed to get sunburnt - not something you'd think to worry about in October! Other than that the conditions were pretty ideal, and there were regular water stations too to fend off dehydration. The first few miles flew by in a haze of adrenaline, but by mile 6 I was flagging - and the knowledge I wasn't even half way through did little to lift my spirits!
The course itself was absolutely stunning - I may not have been in the best position to enjoy it, but just having such beautiful surroundings was inspiring in itself. Mercifully enough it was pretty flat too which was a godsend!
I was so lucky to have friends colleagues and family there to support me. Just knowing they were in the crowds was such a lift. And pigheaded pride alone did not want them to catch me walking! But also thinking about everyone who has sponsored me in good faith, there was no way I could let them down! The realisation that my sponsorship tally will enable over 300 brand new books to go to sub-Saharan Africa is very rewarding in itself.
So a big big thank you to everyone who has supported me - financially, personally and professionally - it was a day that I will never forget!
Monday 13 October 2008
Wednesday 8 October 2008
It's official - sub one week til the Big Day!
The last few weeks have been tricky, mainly due to trying to track down my perfect pair of trainers (perish the thought of lasting the distance in shoes that are anything other than perfect!) The first pair resulted in some of the severest blisters I have ever laid eyes on. At first I attributed this to 'wearing them in' and proceded to ignore them as best I could. This of course only served to aggravate the existing wounds and saw me out of action for a week! Disastrous. Fortunately enough, I took them back and, causing something of a scene (!) was rewarded with a new pair which have proved far more successful and are ready for the onslaught that awaits.
This final week I have been told it is inadvisable to stretch yourself too much, so am only planning one short run and a couple of walks to keep me ticking over before Sunday. I look forward to reporting back once the deed is done... I like the idea of thinking of it in retrospect!
The last few weeks have been tricky, mainly due to trying to track down my perfect pair of trainers (perish the thought of lasting the distance in shoes that are anything other than perfect!) The first pair resulted in some of the severest blisters I have ever laid eyes on. At first I attributed this to 'wearing them in' and proceded to ignore them as best I could. This of course only served to aggravate the existing wounds and saw me out of action for a week! Disastrous. Fortunately enough, I took them back and, causing something of a scene (!) was rewarded with a new pair which have proved far more successful and are ready for the onslaught that awaits.
This final week I have been told it is inadvisable to stretch yourself too much, so am only planning one short run and a couple of walks to keep me ticking over before Sunday. I look forward to reporting back once the deed is done... I like the idea of thinking of it in retrospect!
Tuesday 19 August 2008
Hi again!
Sorry for the prolonged silence here - training had to be somewhat sidelined during my three week holiday in Morocco (desert runs in 45 degree heat isn't something I quite feel up to just yet.) Since my return 2 weeks ago however, I have been slowly building up my stamina and trying to counteract the effects of three weeks holiday idleness!
At present I am managing to run for an hour, which sees me covering half the 13 mile distance that awaits. With 7 weeks still to go, I hope this puts me on track. I have a friend also running it, which is a huge help. At the weekend we do runs together, including interval training (short sharp stints interspersed with walking) which I find very helpful for leg strength and stamina.
Varying the routes is key I think, I am lucky that I live right between Clapham and Wandsworth common so there is plenty of greenery to get me going. The river along Putney up to Hammersmith is another of my favourite routes.
Well I will keep you posted on all developments as October 12 looms large!
Sorry for the prolonged silence here - training had to be somewhat sidelined during my three week holiday in Morocco (desert runs in 45 degree heat isn't something I quite feel up to just yet.) Since my return 2 weeks ago however, I have been slowly building up my stamina and trying to counteract the effects of three weeks holiday idleness!
At present I am managing to run for an hour, which sees me covering half the 13 mile distance that awaits. With 7 weeks still to go, I hope this puts me on track. I have a friend also running it, which is a huge help. At the weekend we do runs together, including interval training (short sharp stints interspersed with walking) which I find very helpful for leg strength and stamina.
Varying the routes is key I think, I am lucky that I live right between Clapham and Wandsworth common so there is plenty of greenery to get me going. The river along Putney up to Hammersmith is another of my favourite routes.
Well I will keep you posted on all developments as October 12 looms large!
Thursday 3 July 2008
Clara's running a half marathon!
Hi! Let me introduce myself – I am Clara and work as a Trusts Fundraiser here at Book Aid International.
When the subject of the half marathon came up a few months ago, my initial reaction was one of both horror and disbelief. How could anyone even contemplate tackling such a distance! Who would voluntarily put themselves through the blood, sweat and tears of gruelling training sessions? ‘Me’ was the last word on my mind at this stage!
> Photo: my underused trainers - they won't know what's hit them!
And yet here I am, bracing myself for the 13-mile race on Sunday 12 October. Despite my original worries, the reasons I’m so happy to be taking part in it are in fact multiple. Improved fitness, the sense of achievement, but most importantly raising much-needed funds to get books out to sub-Saharan Africa where they are most desperately needed! Literacy is something we fully take for granted from childhood here, which makes the statistic that 1/5 of the world’s adults are illiterate all the more staggering.
To live life without being able to read a map, a medicine bottle or a voting ballot is something we Westerners can hardly even fathom. By sending out over 500,000 new and carefully selected books each year, Book Aid International is trying to help solve the chronic book shortage and empower Africans to make informed decisions about their everyday lives. At a cost of just £1.25 to send a brand-new book, each and every donation really does go a long way.
I hope you will share my marathon journey with me. If you feel inspired to encourage me through the pain barrier with some sponsorship, I have set up a Just Giving page here.
This weekend I am to be dusting off my trainers for a run around Battersea Park – look forward to updating you on how I fare!
Clara
When the subject of the half marathon came up a few months ago, my initial reaction was one of both horror and disbelief. How could anyone even contemplate tackling such a distance! Who would voluntarily put themselves through the blood, sweat and tears of gruelling training sessions? ‘Me’ was the last word on my mind at this stage!
> Photo: my underused trainers - they won't know what's hit them!
And yet here I am, bracing myself for the 13-mile race on Sunday 12 October. Despite my original worries, the reasons I’m so happy to be taking part in it are in fact multiple. Improved fitness, the sense of achievement, but most importantly raising much-needed funds to get books out to sub-Saharan Africa where they are most desperately needed! Literacy is something we fully take for granted from childhood here, which makes the statistic that 1/5 of the world’s adults are illiterate all the more staggering.
To live life without being able to read a map, a medicine bottle or a voting ballot is something we Westerners can hardly even fathom. By sending out over 500,000 new and carefully selected books each year, Book Aid International is trying to help solve the chronic book shortage and empower Africans to make informed decisions about their everyday lives. At a cost of just £1.25 to send a brand-new book, each and every donation really does go a long way.
I hope you will share my marathon journey with me. If you feel inspired to encourage me through the pain barrier with some sponsorship, I have set up a Just Giving page here.
This weekend I am to be dusting off my trainers for a run around Battersea Park – look forward to updating you on how I fare!
Clara
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