We gained an hour!

The clocks went back last night, so what better to do with the extra hour on a Sunday morning than get up and go running? Today I met with Nick and Yvette for a 12k run around the Maidstone area. Nick is also marathon training and running for Teenage Cancer Trust, and Yvette is slightly mad and loves running!

Nick plotted the route - it was quite tough, uphill for most of the first half and then 'undulating' along the Pilgrims Way before a downhill run back, so we (well, me and Yvette) moaned a lot but were ultimately pleased that we had done it once we were back and feeling rather smug!

A good training route and one in the bag for next year. It is so much nicer to do the longer runs with running friends!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

The Great South Run

This weekend we headed to Portsmouth to take part in The Great South Run. Sarah and I booked it in February, after we had run my first 10K in the CRUK Winter Series and wanted to ride on the euphoria of completing it by booking the next challenge up quickly!

Funny how this amazing 10 mile challenge has turned into a 'training run' now that we both have places in the London Marathon (Sarah is running for Prostate Cancer for her Dad and I will share her story and her details on here soon!)

We had a wonderful weekend. It was amazing to take part in such a big race - 22,000 competitors and thousands of spectators too. It was a cold but stunning day along the coast, the atmosphere was amazing, and we enjoyed it immensely.

Some lessons learned from the event, though:

• Allow plenty of time to do bag drops, last wee, reach the start line. Running before the run because you are late is not great prep (although we were well warmed up)
• Take spectators; seeing our husbands and the kids and then my parents in several places made more difference than I ever imagined. You may only see us for a moment, our lovely supporters, but we carry your cheers and encouragement in our hearts for miles.
• RESPECT THE CHALLENGE: This was the GSR organiser's advice and they were right. We had a brilliant weekend, but we did too much, and I realised that on top of being tired before we started, I had not trained enough to enjoy the moment. 

Waiting at the start

With Sarah, Marathon Partner

Seeing our husbands and kids

Seeing my Mum and Dad and their red flag

Prosecco? Oh ok then!

This time I ran for Scoliosis

The all important runners' bling

As we finished up our roast lunch in the pub and sipped our bubbles, we realised that in EXACTLY 6 months time, we will still be running around the streets of London. 6 months to train and prepare for this amazing event. Scary.....

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

Confirmation

The last day or so seemed quite surreal. The offer of a place was made by phone, so it was good to get an email confirming that I do, really really do, have a place to run for this great charity.

A few days to go now to get round The Great South Run, and then the countdown to London 2017 begins.

It is really happening.....

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich

I've got a place!

Back in April, after a glass of wine at my eldest daughter’s birthday do, I filled in the ballot for the London Marathon 2017.

I had never run more than 10K. I’d only been running for about 2 and a half years. A bit overweight. Slightly dodgy knees. A busy life already filled with work and family and friends….. But I threw caution to the wind, filled in the form, and hit send, thinking, ‘I’ll never get a place…..’

And I didn’t.

And then realised that even though I had put it out of my mind, I did really want to run the London Marathon. When I completed the ballot entry in April, I selected a series of charities that I was interested in; these were all children’s cancer charities, or charities focussed on blood cancers, as ballot week was also the week that my colleague’s son was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. 

I sent off my details several charities, and Children with Cancer called me up to offer me a place. I'm quite terrified and also quite determined that I WILL DO THIS!

Over the next 6 months, I will chart my training and fundraising here. Please follow what I am up to, share the link if you would like to, and do sponsor me too.

Pass me the Prosecco - I'm gonna need it!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmmaAldrich