When I wrote about my 30before30 plans a few weeks ago, I didn’t for one min think that quarantine would be on that list.
Yet here we are.
Rewind back to early Feb and I’m laughing at memes on the internet about Coronavirus… It’s now 17th March and I’m still laughing at memes on the internet, just through gritted teeth and anxiety at the prospect of being locked in my flat for weeks/months to come. And just wanting this whole thing to end very soon. Continue reading
OK, so it’s been a couple of months since I last blogged following the NY marathon and Adam’s 30th birthday. I said I would keep writing and running, but so far it hasn’t been going so well has it.
The problem is, since hounding people for charity donations for the 30for30 challenge, I don’t really know what to write about.
A lot goes on in my head, but it all seems pretty pointless writing about it without a sentence at the end to request some cash…
But now, as I sit here with zero plans apart from to do a 13mile training run, I’ve ran out of unnecessary things to do to waste my time. So I’ve ended up here… Continue reading
Race: NEW YORK MARATHON
Distance: Marathon
Date: 4th November
Supporting Runners: Jemma Love, Stephanie Mace, Rachel McCourty
Fundraising to date: £15,051 (including gift aid)
Finishing Time: 00:04:30:00
It’s been 1 week since I landed back from New York after the biggest, most important race of them all – the NYC marathon.
I’ve been putting off writing the blog, so much so that any followers that don’t have me on social media, may be wondering if I even completed the race…. spoiler alert, I did! Continue reading
Race: Glow in the park
Distance: 5k
Date: 27th October
Supporting Runners: Jemma Love, Rachel McCourty, Christa Ntuli, Matt McCourty, Darren Nadin
Fundraising to date: £8,162
Finishing Time: 00:36:03
As I sit here ready to take off for NYC, flight socks at the ready (as recommended by physio) – I realise I now have 7 hours on this flight to whack out the blog for race number 29 – the glow in the park 5k. Continue reading
Last night, I returned to my flat fully prepped for an early night ready for this morning’s training run.
I checked my post and there was a small parcel there waiting. I wondered what it was – what have I ordered now?! Only a Coop membership card and it didn’t look like that…
This time next month (ignoring time differences), I’ll be forcing myself to go to sleep in a hotel room somewhere in Time Square. I’d have carb loaded myself silly and annoyed everyone by stressing out about anything and everything for the next day… The New York marathon… race number 30.
How have we got to this position? One month to go but longing for more time… Continue reading
Race: Great North Run
Distance: Half marathon
Date: 9th September
Supporting Runners: Mo Farah
Fundraising to date: £5,000(!!)
Finishing Time: 00:02:04:58
A few months ago, I applied through Mind for a guaranteed place in the Great North Run. A work colleague had done this race and told me how amazing it was. It’s on the telly and Mo Farah does it – I wanted to do it too.
I was told of the £250 minimum fundraising for a place – which thanks to you guys, we hit a long time ago. Continue reading
Yesterday, I completed the Great North Run for race number 27 and visited the MIND charity tent at the end of the day. I told them all about the 30for30 challenge and explained the reasons for doing it. As I was telling them, I realised how important this challenge has been for my own mental health, and how doing this has helped me drastically over the past 10months.
I talk about the mental benefits of exercise a lot in the blog – But whilst I am recovering from yesterday’s race, here is a guest blog on the topic from my friend, Bianca, who recently ran Man Vs Mountain as a personal challenge, but also to raise money for Cancer Research in memory of her Mum. Continue reading
Race: Trafford 10k
Distance: 10k
Date: 2nd September 2018
Supporting Runners: Nanci Henderson & Tim Gough
Fundraising to date: £4,851
Finishing Time: 00:56:58
In 8 weeks time, I’ll have landed in New York, awaiting the grand finale of the 30for30 challenge – the NYC marathon.
It is safe to say that the panic is setting in hard.
I could have all of the time in the world to prepare for something, yet I’d always be scrambling at the last minute. Continue reading
Race: Sale Sizzler series
Distance: 4 x 5ks
Date: Various – July/August
Supporting Runners: Phil Clare, Emma Clare, Tom Kharchi, Peter Jones, Sarah Ferris-Jones, James Foster, Shabir Hussain, Tim Gough, Abby Kay
Fundraising to date: £4,496
Finishing Time: Various
This time last year, I had decided to do the 30for30 challenge – starting in the November on what would have been Adam’s 29th birthday.
That same Summer, a couple of people from work were taking part in these ‘Sale Sizzler’ races, not far from where I live and close to the office. They were 4 x 5k races every other Thursday evening across July and August. It was the 3rd race by the time I had heard of the series, so I signed up for that particular one. Continue reading
30 for 30 