Special People!

Evening Everyone!

Well as I promised here is my first update of the week not a huge amount to report but progress all the same!

After my 3 miler & self butt kick on Sunday I knew Monday would be a right off as we were hosting a "Drinks & Nibbles" party for B&B friends. Cleverly managed to slip on our back door step & fall flat on my backside with quite a thud...... NO I hadn't been drinking! Infact at least if I had I'd have an excuse just to randomly fall over! Lump & cut on my knee & a cut hand, but mostly my pride that was damaged!!

Didn't put me off though as yesterday I took my self to the gym for an hours cross training session. I did the bike, cross trainer & treadmill & then treated myself to 50 (yes 50) sit ups/crunchies (not of the chocolate variety!!) to finish off with :o)

SEE... I told you I was going to get right into it again.... and there is a reason why.... you wanna know??!! Well have a seat & I'll begin...............WARNING... I do go on a bit but there is a moral to my story I promise!

When I started running (1st Jan 2008) it was a new years resolution to basically get fit. I remember so clearly running round the block & getting home nearly on deaths door, breathing like I was having an asthma attack, coughing like I smoked 40 a day and generally feeling mortified at how unfit I was. I couldn't let this put me off, I had to do something about the shape I was in! Every other day I ran around the block until it got easier and from then on I added a bit to my route to make my runs longer. At the time I was working at Nationwide still & my colleague Andrew (who is an annoyingly superb natural runner!!) was very supportive & encouraged me continue & helped me with running related questions etc. I remember so clearly the day that I went into the office & was SO proud of myself for running 2 miles! I thought I had this running lark sussed & it sparked a conversation about my dream of always wanting to run the London Marathon. It was that day that I decided that if I worked hard enough & I knew it would be tough, but with Andrews belief in me I could do it or at least give it a bloody good go!!! So I got myself a charity place & because it was his fault I dragged Andrew along to do it aswell!!

It was amazing once I started to tell my close friends & family that I was doing the London Marathon how many people were excited for me. Some of them knew what a big deal it was to me as I had mentioned it before & some of them were just generally excited for me that I was rising to the big challenge of running 26.2 miles. But I was overwhelmed by the support & encouragement & the sense of no doubt from people that I was going to do it. This alone is one hell of a massive motivator!

It got the the October 2008 & I had only managed to raise my mileage up to 6 miles, I had experienced shin pains & niggles & my confidence was dropping. At the time of the Lochness marathon I met alot of runners who were staying with us at the guest house & when talking to them I told them about my story & my training & they were polite & chatted to me but I could see that they were thinking "ammature runner wanting to do a fun run" I was quite disheartened & realised that there are some elite runners out there that don't have an ounce of encourgement for people to take up running unless they are quick/natural athelete types & I swore on that day that I would NEVER ever discourage someone for taking up running/jogging how ever slow they were. I remembered how the support from people like Andrew, who told me to keep going even when I felt I was doing naff helped like you wouldn't believe! And thats when I met Sue.....

Sue came to stay with me a few days after the marathon & we got chatting. It wasn't long before I found out that she has just run Lochness as her 50th....yes 50th Marathon!!!!! WOW!!! I simply could not stop asking her questions & advice & she chatted to me with passion about running & training plans etc etc I was utterly inspired! 50 marathons & she treated it like it was no big deal & one day I could say the same. Not a hint of "I'm an elite runner" but lashings of encouragement & enthusiasm. I was struggling with a training plan & Sue said when she got back to Canada she would email me some information to help. How nice of her, I thought, but I didn't think she would.......True to her word she emailed me & not only did she offer to basically mentor me to Marathon day she emailed me a tailor made plan after asking me loads of questions & emailed me every week to get progress & help me through my run up (excuse the pun) to the big day. I am delighted to now class Sue as one of my very dear friends & cannot believe my luck that she came to stay with me that day. We still speak as often as we can & she has now moved the encouragement onto kicking my butt when it is needed....& boy am I grateful!

There is a point to my ramblings.... There is so much more I want to say on this subject & could go on forever but really my point is I need to be fired up again to complete my massive challenge ahead in 2010 & the reason I am feeling fired up again is because, how can I not be when I have had the level of support that people have shown me since I started running??!! I know I have only picked out Andrew & Sue as examples on this post but there have been SO many of you who have supported, encouraged, comforted, inspired, motivated & most of all believed in me. And quite frankly I simply could never thank you all enough, so I am going to think of all the things I have just said when I am at mile 3 of 7 and want to give up & make it give me fire in my belly to carry on & this will be one way of showing you all that I appreciate all you have done for me!!! :o)