Well it’s been a long time since we posted a blog, not because we have lost interest but we are in the middle of big plans that can’t go out to the world just yet!
In the meantime we have been training hard for the Leeds Half Marathon, which is now less than 3 weeks away! As 2 non runners I won’t pretend we have enjoyed our training, or that we will be breaking any records (other than our own for furthest distance we have ever run!) but there is a real sense of achievement when I think back to how our first 3 and 4 mile runs made me feel like I’d run a marathon and now, on the same route, it’s an easy mid week run.
This last weekend saw us both top the furthest we have ever run at 10.45 miles. Now, by Tuesday all I seem to remember is the fuzzy glow of achievement and I have forgotten the pain, blisters and the hallucination from not getting my rehydration quite spot on (apparently there weren’t really snakes crawling out of the undergrowth at the side of the path…) The week before I had a horrible 7.5 mile run in rain, hail and thunder and coming to the last mile I really hit the wall, so completing a further 3 miles this week was an achievement in itself and all I have to do on the day is another 2.5 miles to get to the finish line.
Having run a For All Events Leeds 10k a few years ago, we know that the support on the course is incredible (and the hose pipe on that day at the half way point on Meanwood Road was a very welcome relief- take note and please repeat if and it’s a hot day and you happen to be reading this whoever you were!). As it’s also in ‘my backyard’ of my home town, I also know that there are 2 nasty, nasty hills which I’m really not looking forward to, but at least there are good downhill rewards too.
As well as support along the way we are running to fundraise for an amazing charity- Walking With the Wounded. I watched the ski to the North Pole last year and I was so humbled by those guys achievement. I wrote on Facebook something like ‘Wow, it just goes to show that anyone is capable of anything!’ This year a team are climbing Everest, an amazing feat for anyone who attempts it, but surely even more so for these ex-service men.
Our reasons for running for this charity are both personal (my sister’s partner is in the armed forces and we both know people who have been out to Iraq and Afghanistan) and also as a great motivation. I suffer from blisters, whatever I do my feet blister, but at least I still have my feet to blister and in the big scheme of things what are a few little blisters anyway? I know as I am running and my feet are hurting and I’m wondering ‘can I really go on?’ I have a great motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Unfortunately we have left our fundraising quite late, because of other secret squirrel projects going on, we weren’t sure if we were going to make it to Leeds to do the run. But we hope that you will support us and support Walking With the Wounded with a donation- how ever small.
Please sponsor us by following this link to our Just Giving page.
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