Well this time last week I was waiting at the start of the London Marathon, time to write about my experience!!!
My husband took me to catch my train at the start line, due to the fact that I couldn’t shut up he informed me I was clearly nervous and yes I was. As I said goodbye to him and boarded the very busy train I was really nervous! As the train set off people on the train were chatting away and I ended up speaking to two blokes Alex and Aaron! Alex was running the marathon for an ovarian cancer charity as he had lost his sister to ovarian cancer. We discussed our training, nerves, Boston marathon bombings, the weather and where we were from. General chit chat that allowed nerves to lessen. Once we arrived at the holding area I was less nervous I just wanted to get running! So after numerous toilet trips I headed down to my start point and the nerves were back !! The marathon held a 30 second silence for the Boston marathon but where I was stood you weren’t aware that this was happening which was a shame. And then we were off well it took ten minutes to walk to the start line but then that was it I had begun!!! For the first few miles it was brilliant I was loving every minute, at about mile 8 I was thinking I can do this!! I had a good pace and despite the sun was feeling very comfortable! On arriving at the 12 mile mark I had to go to the loo!! Big mistake!! After queuing for ages once I got back out running I was behind where I wanted to be! I set off running again and for a mile was doing ok but my knee had other ideas!! Suddenly it felt like my knee cap was on the outside of my knee! It wasn’t it just felt like it and it was agony!!! I stopped running and started walking /hobbling! I was running for two amazing charities and in memory of two little girls a painful knee was not going to stop me!! So for many miles I walked/hobbled/ ran in a funny way!! My husband rang a few times to give me words of encouragement and at 22miles I spoke to my four year old! That was it I was suddenly crying along the marathon route!! I reached 25 miles and thought stuff this I don’t care how much pain I’m in anyone can run a mile so I was off, suddenly I was at the 800 metres to go, 600 metres to go, 400 metres to go, 200 metres to go!!! Then I saw my husband he told me my daughters wanted to run with me, I saw them waiting just ahead. I ran grabbed their hands and they dragged me over the finish line! That was it I had done in 26.2 miles and I finished with my girls knowing how lucky I was to have them there as the whole reason for running was to raise funds in memory of two little girls no longer here!! The ballot for the marathon opens again tomorrow, I may just enter!!!!
In memory of Sadie Rose Clifford and Freya Doherty xx
Www.run4charity.net
I did it!!!
It’s tomorrow!
Well we are on our way to London! Collecting running number today and then tomorrow is the big day! I’m sure you are all bored of my sponsorship requests but raising funds for these charities is so important to me! Both these charities do amazing work in supporting families at extremely difficult times! Running 26.2 miles is a very daunting task, I am in no way a runner and do not in anyway have the physique of a runner but I try and I will try tomorrow as I am doing it in memory of two little girls. Without Freya and Sadie I would not have know about these charities. Both little girls were taken from the world to early and left parents without their child, I cannot begin to comprehend how parents cope with the loss of a child. Freya never got to see the world but is still loved as much by her family as if she had lived 100 years. Sadie rose spent a large part of her life fighting neuroblastoma and although she lost her battle she gain the love of not just her family but also the community , what an amazing little girl she was! I hope tomorrow I can do everyone proud in memory of Freya Doherty and Sadie Rose Clifford xxxxx
Www.run4charity.net
Excuses
So there are 22 days until the marathon! How did that happen?
I have to be honest and say that as well as being absolutely rubbish at updating this blog I have been rubbish at training too! I have been out running just no where near as often as I should. Trying to fit in time to run between, children, hubby working away, work, pets, snow, cold weather, birthdays, events, cake baking ……etc. Yes I know none of these should matter and I should have found time to run and I know in there that there was more time to run than I did! To be honest when I am out running I feel guilty as this is some of the little time I could be spending with my kids used to run around the streets!
I have decided that I will never be the fastest running in the world but with an average pace of 12-13 minute miles I am particularly slow (I do have short legs and that really doesn’t help ‘More excuses I hear you say’). I have now made a bet with my husband that I will complete the marathon in six hours or under, this should be doable as this requires me to run 13.74 minute miles which based on my average pace should be fine but this involves me keeping up my already slow pace for 26.2 miles! I am determined to keep running until I can run no more and then I will have to walk but there is a massive part of me that says if I can walk then surely I could have run further!?!?!?!?!
Obviously the main reason for me trying to run is to raise money for my charities so as I approach the last few weeks before the marathon and try to cram in a lot of running in a short space of time please sponsor me any amount you can, to do this go to http://www.run4charity.net click donate and find the two options for me.
You can also follow my efforts on twitter @susiedoherty
Until next time xxx
Getting older, friends and excuses!
Well there are less then 9 weeks to the marathon and I have finally started doing some training! For the last few weeks I have been busy turning 30 having lots of celebratory food and drink, more food for my daughter’s fourth birthday, generally having a good time and constantly thinking it’s fine I’ll train tomorrow but tomorrow never comes so now I train today!
Turning 30 was interesting, I decided not to have a big bash and just invited my favourite people for dinner. Most of these people have come into my life as they are long standing friends of my husband however over the years I have come to consider these people my best friends and they really are some of the most amazing people you could meet. Getting older also involved a surprise trip to Barcelona (no I did not run while I was there!).
I am wondering how other working parents fit marathon training into their lives as it is so difficult especially when it is dark either side of being at work, at least I have a lot of highvis pink running gear so if you see someone in a lot of pink gear running the streets of Harrogate chances are its me so say hi!
Ok so here’s the sponsorship request again!
To support Neuroblastoma http://www.justgiving.com/susie-doherty
To support sands http://www.justgiving.com/susie-doherty1
Follow me on twitter @susiedoherty
Also check out http://www.run4charity.net for more information about me, the marathon, the charities and other events the run4charity team are doing.
Until next time xx
Heaven gained an Angel
Today I saw the heartbreaking news that Jamie Inglis had lost his battle with neuroblastoma and has gone to be a power ranger angel. I have been following Jamie’s story for months and he has been such an amazing fighter it is so sad that he lost the battle. Jamie will always be remembered and may he rest in peace. My thoughts are with his amazing family at this time x
New Year!!!!!
Ok so I started this blog and few months ago and have been rubbish at updating it! I will claim to much to do, to little time but really it’s due to my training and weightloss not being what is should be so I’ve not had much to write about!
So what has been happening…..well before Christmas I had managed to shift about 10lbs, however Christmas has undone most of this work and I start the year at 186.6lbs, 46.6lbs above marathon day target!!!
I have started the year as I intend to continue, workout before work plus I went to the gym in my lunch, I am currently trying to shift a three week long cough so have not been out on the roads! I am hopeful that by the weekend running outside will be fine as I have a nice 6 mile hill run I want to do! Plus my hubby bought me new pink running gear for Christmas and I want to wear it out!
Obviously the whole point of this running lark is really to raise funds for the charities I have chosen, I follow a number of Facebook pages for the children who are currently undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma! One boy in particular has made me realise once again how importants the funds are to the charity, he has spent Christmas in intensive care and his family spend everyday wondering what will happen next and just dealing with the things that are thrown at them but living in hope that the doctors will be able to help their little boy. As they are receiving treatment abroad all of this comes at a huge cost. It is so important to me to be able to raise funds for the charity to help people like Jamie continue to receive the best treatment and his family receive the support they need.
If you could support me in my efforts to raise funds for neuroblastoma alliance uk and sands please go to http://www.justgiving.com/susie-Doherty for Neuroblastoma Alliance Uk or http://www.justgiving.com/susie-doherty1 for Sands, even £1 will help!
Charities and getting started
Well we are a few weeks in now and the reality of what I have decided to do it starting to set in! At (and I’m going to be very honest now) a starting weight of 190lbs running is not the easiest! I am alternating running with swimming in the hope that I will lose more weight and then running will become easier! In six months I have to be able to run 26.2 miles and I do want to run it all! So far I am comfortable at 6 but could do 10 at a push!!! Ideally by the time the marathon arrives I need to have lost about 50lbs! I was recently told that my stomach looked like rice krispies so I definitely need to lose weight!! I am struggling to find the time to train around work, kids and other things plus I’m pretty good a reasons not to so I forced myself to got for a run in the rain this morning, no more excuses! Anyway I’m rambling now!!!
The main reason for me wanting to do the marathon was to raise money for charity. I have chosen two amazing charities, the first is Neuroblastoma Alliance Uk, this charity is raising awareness of Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, and helping to raise money for the much needed treatments that are not offered here in the UK. I first heard about this charity last year when a local family started to raise money to take their daughter Sadie Rose to America for treatment, after much fund raising they arrived in America to be told their two year old daughter was too ill for treatment and in June this year she lost her battle with the disease and fell asleep forever. I am hoping to raise funds to help children like Sadie Rose receive treatment that can help save their lives.
The second charity is sands, this charity offers support to families who have lost a baby late in pregnancy or shortly after birth. I became aware of this charity last year after members of my family lost their daughter Freya shortly before she was due to be born. Support to families at this time and after is so important so I am raising funds for this charity so they can support families in this difficult situation.
If you would like to sponsor me please see the below links:
For neuroblastoma – http://www.justgiving.com/susie-doherty
For Sands – http://www.justgiving.com/susie-doherty1
It’s about to begin!!!
For those of you who don’t know me I am a 29 year old working mum of two beautiful girls and I am lucky enough to have wonderful husband! I am somewhat overweight (more about that later) and have been accepted to run the London Marathon in April 2013! My blog will be about how an unfit, overweight, full time working mum can juggle work, kids, husbands, dogs, cat and training to run 26.2 miles in under 5 hours (optimistic I know but I need to aim for something!). I also have an addiction to diet coke!
I am hoping that the training will cause me to lose the weight I need to win the bet with my husband (I have an amazing Louis Vuitton bag, purse and charm resting on this) and I will be raising money for charity so it is important that I complete the marathon!!
Well introductions over, the hard work starts tomorrow!
Wish me luck!
Susie x
somewhatchubbyworkingmumtryingtorun 