2015 London Marathon

I had one of those frustrating days when everything felt like it was a huge struggle, my confidence took a knock and I lost all faith in my own abilities. In the evening I hopped onto social media and I saw a post from an old school friend asking if anyone would like a place in the 2015 London Marathon running for a fantastic charity called Regain. By then my mood had lifted and I just thought, why not raise money for a worthy charity and push myself to complete a challenging event? So I said yes! By the following morning I was feeling regretful for saying yes, and thought that I should back out. Before I could say no, I asked my darling husband and sister what they thought of this crazy idea, I was prepared for complete agreement and that I should back out with immediate effect. However, they both thought that it was an amazing idea, it would be an incredible achievement and of course I should do it! Naturally I thought they were mad, so I asked the doctor at an appointment I had that week and she confirmed that yes, this is a fantastic thing and I should definitely do it! So that was that, I paid my entrance fee and here I am! 

Running the London Marathon is something that I have always dreamt of doing. I cannot begin to imagine the sense of achievement and accomplishment upon crossing the finishing line.
I am not the ideal candidate for running the marathon, I am seriously unfit and overweight, but I am optimistic, passionate and determined, which is a start. 

I am under no illusions that I will be able to run even half of it, but that is more than fine with me, my ambition is to simply finish the marathon and hopefully within 6.5 hours. That is a pace of 4 miles an hour and I can currently fast walk and intermittently jog 5.5 miles an hour, so that is quite positive!
I am training on a treadmill in my lounge which is great (but not so stylish for the décor!) and I hope to get outside as soon as the weather warms up a little, as my asthma flares up in the cold. 

As I mentioned I am participating in the marathon for Regain, which is the trust for sports tetraplegics. This marvellous charity offers practical and emotional support to people who have suffered spinal cord injuries in sporting events resulting in tetraplegia and now live with partial or full paralysis from the neck down.

The charity helps sports tetraplegics to lead independent and fulfilling lives by offering vital support for everyday life and sporting events such as the Paralympic Games. 

Regain aids tetraplegics and their families by offering assistance in providing equipment and facilities to improve mobility, communication, education and employment opportunities. 

They also aim to ensure emotional well-being by forming long lasting relationships and friendships with tetraplegics and their families. 

In exchange for a coveted place participating in the Marathon on behalf of Regain, I have committed to raising £1,500 for this wonderful charity. Please know that I am a very independent person and I dislike asking anyone for anything and under normal circumstances I would never ask such a thing. However, I am making an exception on this occasion because I feel so impassioned by the charity and the tetraplegics they support. So if you also feel inspired by the charity and the people they help and would like to make a small donation, I would be eternally grateful for your generosity. Please feel free to visit my JustGiving page.

With an equal measure of trepidation and excitement I will continue to plod onwards and upwards with the eventual goal of running and walking for 26.2 miles!
I will be back with a training update in a few weeks and in the meantime if anyone has any hints or tips I would love to hear them.