Isn't it funny how times change in what feels like a blink of an eye? A few years ago, my inbox was awash with incredibly stylish emails from aspirational lifestyle brands like Lombok, The White Company and Graham and Green and my regular magazine preference was Elle Decor and Living Etc. Yes I was a new home owner and keen to give my home the ultimate, stylish makeover.
Roll on a few years and these solicited emails had been unsubscribed and replaced with colourful, cute, yummy mummy inspiring emails from brands such as Jojo Maman Bebe, Mamas and Papas, Blooming Marvellous and The Little White Company. Yes my bump had taken over my world and my inbox, taking me into a whole new exciting phase of my life.
Add another year and the grey times loomed. Cute baby emails were deleted and the new inbox interest contained hard lines and grown up brands like Laithwaites Wine Club, Dating Direct, Hotel Chocolat and my magazine subscription also grew up and became serious. Late night, drunken analysis of Psychologies magazine was the norm and these desperate times found me trying to identify me within each article whilst surviving on a diet of chocolate, coffee, red wine and cigarettes. Yes the dark clouds of the divorce era loomed large across my world.
Who could have guessed that a few years later my inbox would be awash with spritely emails from Running Bug, Sports Direct, Adidas and Virgin London Marathon. My magazine subscription would have progressed to Women's Running (and, shhhhh, the occasional secret Closer purchase) and the colour would have found its way not only into my life by my cheeks also. It seems I have caught the "bug" and my world is, for now, all about running not away from but towards something; a massive 26.2 mile sized goal. And a goal that I had, until tonight, considered my biggest challenge ever.
But really on reflection and having re-read the first three paragraphs I realise that this really isn't that big a challenge. It is no more challenging than becoming a parent, no harder than the mental anguish of divorce, and certainly no more time consuming than renovating a home. And it actually pales into insignificance when compared to what my dear sis-in-law (and many others fighting the Big C) are dealing with. And so with that clarity I realise that I absolutely have it in me to cover the distance, somehow!
And if only I had signed off my blog there. But I HAD to question what might be the next phase of my life. And it is now that I realise, with a heavy heart, that my next phase is emails from Saga, Gray and Osbourn and Polygrip dental glue and my reading matter is Peoples Friend and the Daily Mail. Maybe its time to ask coach for another baby and all the colour and youthful exuberance it brings? If only my thighs didn't hurt so much!
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Monday, 25 February 2013
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Hedge your bets!
I have officially 66 days left of training left before the big 26.2 miles and I still have a few more goals to achieve before then:
- Increase my longest run by a mere 7 miles (up to a max run of 22 miles on 24th March)
- Reduce my average mile pace to my ideal marathon pace of 10 mins 30
- Raise another £1300
The pace issue is just about running faster - who knew? So on Tuesday's 6 mile run I focussed on setting a fast pace and achieved an amazing average pace of 9 mins 44 per mile which was a huge improvement on my previous PB of 9 mins 59. However there is no way I can keep that kind of pace up for a whole marathon but I would like to improve my average long run pace of 11 mins 17. Sadly though the faster I run the more I look like Phoebe from Friends (click here if you want a preview), which when coupled with my really appalling running wardrobe (80s legwarmers, child's high vis jacket, luminous shorts over supermarket leggings and ski sweatband) you can see why I have been avoiding it until now. Hey ho London must have seen worse...?
The money raising, though, is more of an issue. My penny pots are slowly infiltrating friends' mantelpieces, desks and kitchens and the two I have already had returned have raised a staggering £29.45... although I am fully expecting this average to be drastically reduced.
So I havestolen borrowed a great fundraising idea from the remarkable Ms Johns and have created a human version of "guess the number of sweets in a jar"... I can tell you are on the edge of your seat now.... which is "guess my London marathon time". Riveting huh! I have listed 240 time spots between 4:30:00 through to 5:29:45 and loaded the document onto Google docs (click here) so feel free to dive in and nab your best guess (or guesses) cos you could be a winner! For just £1 per go the winner will be the guess closest to my official marathon time and they will receive 26.2 pence for every time slot bought. So if all 240 time slots get bought the winner will win a staggering £62.88.... that has got to be better odds than the national lottery! So go on buy a time slot, pay your £1 (or multiples of as I am sure you want to buy more than one) via my just giving page here or give me the cash when you next see me and you could be set to make a small fortune (small being the operative word).
- Increase my longest run by a mere 7 miles (up to a max run of 22 miles on 24th March)
- Reduce my average mile pace to my ideal marathon pace of 10 mins 30
- Raise another £1300
The pace issue is just about running faster - who knew? So on Tuesday's 6 mile run I focussed on setting a fast pace and achieved an amazing average pace of 9 mins 44 per mile which was a huge improvement on my previous PB of 9 mins 59. However there is no way I can keep that kind of pace up for a whole marathon but I would like to improve my average long run pace of 11 mins 17. Sadly though the faster I run the more I look like Phoebe from Friends (click here if you want a preview), which when coupled with my really appalling running wardrobe (80s legwarmers, child's high vis jacket, luminous shorts over supermarket leggings and ski sweatband) you can see why I have been avoiding it until now. Hey ho London must have seen worse...?
The money raising, though, is more of an issue. My penny pots are slowly infiltrating friends' mantelpieces, desks and kitchens and the two I have already had returned have raised a staggering £29.45... although I am fully expecting this average to be drastically reduced.
So I have
Thursday, 7 February 2013
All things equal
Having set the alarm for 5.45am I was on the treadmill before 6 on ANOTHER training session. It's a surreal thing yawning whilst running... I am not sure I was fully awake until at least mile 2 and I found it really hard going and was definitely running on empty. But it felt great knowing my session was done by 7 and I could enjoy my day without it hanging over me. This will definitely be repeated however I will ensure my previous evening meal is carb central. Let's clarify I'm not thinking lentils. I am my very own pasta party with a mountain of pasta smothered in rich, yummy sauce and heavenly cheese, with a side of cheesy garlic bread (Six Bells recipe of course fellow Sussexites) followed by uber pudding rations... after all there need to be some perks and as weight loss is most definitely not a recommendation for would be "endurance runners" I don't need telling twice.
I have also had another couple of donations taking me up to a total of £447 from 15 very generous donors which is amazing but still a long way to go. I am coming to realise that highs don't always last long and before long another friend had shared their own sad cancer story, agreeing "it's bloody horrible". And I ponder natures own quest to create a stable equilibrium and wonder whether, maybe, subconsciously, through onemillionpence I have unwittingly created my own stabilising equilibrium. The minute I get too confident I get a healthy reality check to keep me focussed on the overall purpose. Conversely the minute I get too exhausted and deflated I get my very own, personal pep up. Who needs a life coach when you have the challenge of onemillionpence? So being a (failed) maths A-level student I have created my own pledge formula:
(Another day, another request for a cup and another cancer story) + (Another day, another run and another donation) = positive outlook
And I definitely need to apply this positive outlook to this weeks run. 15 miles just seems such a big number. So much more than 13 and I am totally in awe of it but am focussing on it "only" being 11 miles away from the big 26.2 once I have finished! The goal suddenly seems almost achievable and I am now upping the stakes and looking at my improving my marathon time but with one caveat; I know I won't win and, for once, that is good enough. At 37 years old getting around without my knees giving up will be an achievement in itself but if the kids think my medal is going to become dressing up box asset they need to think again. I will be wearing my "necklace" every day with pride.
I have also had another couple of donations taking me up to a total of £447 from 15 very generous donors which is amazing but still a long way to go. I am coming to realise that highs don't always last long and before long another friend had shared their own sad cancer story, agreeing "it's bloody horrible". And I ponder natures own quest to create a stable equilibrium and wonder whether, maybe, subconsciously, through onemillionpence I have unwittingly created my own stabilising equilibrium. The minute I get too confident I get a healthy reality check to keep me focussed on the overall purpose. Conversely the minute I get too exhausted and deflated I get my very own, personal pep up. Who needs a life coach when you have the challenge of onemillionpence? So being a (failed) maths A-level student I have created my own pledge formula:
(Another day, another request for a cup and another cancer story) + (Another day, another run and another donation) = positive outlook
And I definitely need to apply this positive outlook to this weeks run. 15 miles just seems such a big number. So much more than 13 and I am totally in awe of it but am focussing on it "only" being 11 miles away from the big 26.2 once I have finished! The goal suddenly seems almost achievable and I am now upping the stakes and looking at my improving my marathon time but with one caveat; I know I won't win and, for once, that is good enough. At 37 years old getting around without my knees giving up will be an achievement in itself but if the kids think my medal is going to become dressing up box asset they need to think again. I will be wearing my "necklace" every day with pride.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Hidden meanings
Who knew doing something selfless could actually be so rewarding? I am genuinely loving the journey my onemillionpence pledge is taking me on and the amazing connections I am getting (I will need reminding of this in a few months).
For me it is another reminder that we humans are, in the most, really lovely decent people. It's simply society and the pressure to conform that inhibits us and wraps an invisibility cloak around us as we leave the safety of home. We shy away from eye contact, from chatting to strangers, from standing out in a crowd. However when I was pregnant things changed. Up until that point I had been a heavy advocate of the invisibility cloak, but suddenly strangers would talk to me in supermarket queues, they'd share their experiences and wait for my responses, some even stroked my tummy! I felt engaged and special and important (if a little weird when they stroked the bump!)
Similarly since launching onemillionpence I have had both a reason to actively engage with others and indeed them to me with their own experiences: Colleagues who have had their own personal brush with cancer, friends who have experienced the loss of a friend or family member, indeed my own family experience. Pretty much everyone has "a cancer story" which just shows how widespread this illness and the resulting suffering is. And it is not just the patient that suffers. It is their partners, family and friends who stand on sidelines feeling pretty helpless and, in my case, not knowing what to do apart from bake ginger cookies and sign up to a marathon (I recommend the baking route to others... far easier!)
Anyway tonight I received a delightful email from a fellow PTA member. Having sent out my initial "Plea" email early in January I had assumed my "peak" of responses had been and gone and was beginning to consider my next campaign wave into my "school mum chums". I really struggle with sending out pleading emails as I really don't want to just ask for money. In fact I actively shy away from the brash "SPONSOR ME" message. I want my blog, my emails and my pledge to actually engage with others; to raise a smile, possibly evoke a tear of emotion, rally support (I need bucket loads), and hopefully people will begin to look forward to the next chapter of onemillionpence. I am obsessed with the blog stats and get a real sense of pride when I get a comment or the blog is "shared" though social media. So if you read my emails and my blog and feel guilty about not pledging, please don't! Please enjoy this journey ... there are only another 329 days left!
Anyway back to my lovely PTA friend. She sent me a really lovely email praising my efforts for raising money for well deserving charities which, it turns out, are close to her own heart having had both parents, grandmother, uncle and friends all blighted with cancer and sadly not all ending with a positive outcome. In her own words "it is nasty". And I never knew any of this until today. It just really highlights to me that the face we all "put on" is not the core and we really ought not be judging a book by its cover or indeed take exception to a cross word or brash comment, after all who knows what is really going on in other people's lives?
But here is a book whose cover is worth some attention and which my friend shared with me as another fundraising blog which her brother has been involved with. This unique art book (http://www.memories-book.co.uk/blog/) contains a collection of 144 stunning pieces of art and design and stories inspired by individuals as they battle their own cancer war. For just £10 this is a fantastic and positive way to raise much needed funds for Maggie's Cancer Care. Check it out and if your loved one loves art who can think of a better valentines day present? A gift which really does keep on giving and here is just a preview!
For me it is another reminder that we humans are, in the most, really lovely decent people. It's simply society and the pressure to conform that inhibits us and wraps an invisibility cloak around us as we leave the safety of home. We shy away from eye contact, from chatting to strangers, from standing out in a crowd. However when I was pregnant things changed. Up until that point I had been a heavy advocate of the invisibility cloak, but suddenly strangers would talk to me in supermarket queues, they'd share their experiences and wait for my responses, some even stroked my tummy! I felt engaged and special and important (if a little weird when they stroked the bump!)
Similarly since launching onemillionpence I have had both a reason to actively engage with others and indeed them to me with their own experiences: Colleagues who have had their own personal brush with cancer, friends who have experienced the loss of a friend or family member, indeed my own family experience. Pretty much everyone has "a cancer story" which just shows how widespread this illness and the resulting suffering is. And it is not just the patient that suffers. It is their partners, family and friends who stand on sidelines feeling pretty helpless and, in my case, not knowing what to do apart from bake ginger cookies and sign up to a marathon (I recommend the baking route to others... far easier!)
Anyway tonight I received a delightful email from a fellow PTA member. Having sent out my initial "Plea" email early in January I had assumed my "peak" of responses had been and gone and was beginning to consider my next campaign wave into my "school mum chums". I really struggle with sending out pleading emails as I really don't want to just ask for money. In fact I actively shy away from the brash "SPONSOR ME" message. I want my blog, my emails and my pledge to actually engage with others; to raise a smile, possibly evoke a tear of emotion, rally support (I need bucket loads), and hopefully people will begin to look forward to the next chapter of onemillionpence. I am obsessed with the blog stats and get a real sense of pride when I get a comment or the blog is "shared" though social media. So if you read my emails and my blog and feel guilty about not pledging, please don't! Please enjoy this journey ... there are only another 329 days left!
Anyway back to my lovely PTA friend. She sent me a really lovely email praising my efforts for raising money for well deserving charities which, it turns out, are close to her own heart having had both parents, grandmother, uncle and friends all blighted with cancer and sadly not all ending with a positive outcome. In her own words "it is nasty". And I never knew any of this until today. It just really highlights to me that the face we all "put on" is not the core and we really ought not be judging a book by its cover or indeed take exception to a cross word or brash comment, after all who knows what is really going on in other people's lives?
But here is a book whose cover is worth some attention and which my friend shared with me as another fundraising blog which her brother has been involved with. This unique art book (http://www.memories-book.co.uk/blog/) contains a collection of 144 stunning pieces of art and design and stories inspired by individuals as they battle their own cancer war. For just £10 this is a fantastic and positive way to raise much needed funds for Maggie's Cancer Care. Check it out and if your loved one loves art who can think of a better valentines day present? A gift which really does keep on giving and here is just a preview!
Saturday, 19 January 2013
S'no joke!
This recent deluge of snow has had me in a real quandry. Usually I am the first one chanting for snow and building snowmen but this week I have watched the weather reports in alarm. The forecasted snow reports put my carefully devised and systematically followed training plan in danger. Seriously I have become the type of running bore (AKA big brother) that I used to tease!
Having missed yesterdays run due, in part, to the 3 foot of snow that lay on the ground but also as a precaution from an injury sustained during my extreme sport class on Monday (ballet) I spent far too much time last night pondering my options instead of sleeping:
1) accept a missed weekend of training
2) undertake a short training programme on the treadmill
3) attempt 2 hours on the treadmill
None of these were proving acceptable options as I have become paranoid that missing just one long run will undo all my training thus far. And so in true Mad Dog and Englishmen style I donned my gear this morning and went on my 12 mile run. 2 hours later I had perfected the art of ice-running ... which looks very similar to i've-had-an-accident. In fact some sledge pulling, baseball cap wearing teen even shouted out a less polite version to me which was quite some highlight. It seems I have reached the age where I no longer provoke wolf whistle reactions but rather suggestions of incontinence. Wow how rock and roll.
Anyway it was such a beautiful run I stopped to take some pics (another reason for the poor pace I like to think)
Yes I ran along these and managed to get home intact. And having read the importance of ice baths I decided to use nature and ice al fresco!
And before you ask... yes my luminous shorts do match my luminous trainers and yes they did look ridiculous but gave me some derrier warmth. And yes those are leg warmers - normally only used for ballet (and fancy dress naturalment) so it was good to get some additional wear from them. I have to admit I do look rather fetching and would have blended in perfectly at an 80s keep fit convention. Talking of which it did prompt me to add "Let's get physical" by the gorgeous Olivia Newton John to my running playlist. Hilarious video - click the link above.
And whilst I think about it I have added one more beaut to the running playlist. "We Speak No Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool. Doesn't ring a bell? If you have watched the Inbetweeners Movie and the hideously embarrasing dance scene in the club... link here for those of you who want to watch it again. I actually do some of the arm moves whilst running and then start laughing... oh dear me.
So my determination is keeping me focussed and the donations are slowly coming in (we are now at £180 thanks to a recent donation from Karen - thank you!) but if you haven't already sponsored me then please think about the hours and pain and commitment this marathon is and click here to sponsor me. I promise to refrain from closing each and every post with a plea for cash but today I have even impressed myself with how deep I dug but it is not just me who is impacted; Tom and Thea lose mummy for a portion of the weekend whilst I train, Mark supports me in every way possible and more, friends have agreed to have Thea so Mark and Tom can come and support me in London without having to amuse an inquisitive 2 year old, other friends have arranged my pre marathon shelter at their brother in laws in Greenwich and many more people. I know this just the start of a year where my friends and family will amaze me with their love, support and generosity. So thank you!
Having missed yesterdays run due, in part, to the 3 foot of snow that lay on the ground but also as a precaution from an injury sustained during my extreme sport class on Monday (ballet) I spent far too much time last night pondering my options instead of sleeping:
1) accept a missed weekend of training
2) undertake a short training programme on the treadmill
3) attempt 2 hours on the treadmill
None of these were proving acceptable options as I have become paranoid that missing just one long run will undo all my training thus far. And so in true Mad Dog and Englishmen style I donned my gear this morning and went on my 12 mile run. 2 hours later I had perfected the art of ice-running ... which looks very similar to i've-had-an-accident. In fact some sledge pulling, baseball cap wearing teen even shouted out a less polite version to me which was quite some highlight. It seems I have reached the age where I no longer provoke wolf whistle reactions but rather suggestions of incontinence. Wow how rock and roll.
Anyway it was such a beautiful run I stopped to take some pics (another reason for the poor pace I like to think)
Yes I ran along these and managed to get home intact. And having read the importance of ice baths I decided to use nature and ice al fresco!
And whilst I think about it I have added one more beaut to the running playlist. "We Speak No Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool. Doesn't ring a bell? If you have watched the Inbetweeners Movie and the hideously embarrasing dance scene in the club... link here for those of you who want to watch it again. I actually do some of the arm moves whilst running and then start laughing... oh dear me.
So my determination is keeping me focussed and the donations are slowly coming in (we are now at £180 thanks to a recent donation from Karen - thank you!) but if you haven't already sponsored me then please think about the hours and pain and commitment this marathon is and click here to sponsor me. I promise to refrain from closing each and every post with a plea for cash but today I have even impressed myself with how deep I dug but it is not just me who is impacted; Tom and Thea lose mummy for a portion of the weekend whilst I train, Mark supports me in every way possible and more, friends have agreed to have Thea so Mark and Tom can come and support me in London without having to amuse an inquisitive 2 year old, other friends have arranged my pre marathon shelter at their brother in laws in Greenwich and many more people. I know this just the start of a year where my friends and family will amaze me with their love, support and generosity. So thank you!
Sunday, 13 January 2013
A day of reflection
I awoke this morning raring to go. Having already completed 16 miles in the last few days and with the prospect of my first "Kenyan Hills" session today I was feeling positive, on track and ready. My marathon ambitions are slowly becoming a reality and, whilst I fully expect a set back at some point, I am taking the good while it lasts.
So during my Kenyan Hills training session (sprinting up killer hills, resting for 90secs, jog back down and repeat = knackering) I was thinking about today's post. I was going to write some flippant prose of how the Western world seeks "Kenyan Hills" (in rural Oxfordshire... seriously they are nothing close to terrain of Kenyan Hills) to build stamina whereas those who live in the Kenyan Hills cope with the steep terrain day in and day out, not through choice, not for vanity and marathon training, but as part of their hard and gruelling daily lives. And then I checked my Facebook page and my mood evaporated.
For those of you who read my Sober Up post this will mean something to you (if not I really recommend you do - click here). Alice was a 17 year old girl who had terminal cancer having been diagnosed at the tender age of 12. I only discovered her a few days ago through my pledge to raise 1,000,000 pence for cancer charities, but in those few short days, reading her posts was an inspiration and she has become a daily feature in my online social world. A friend if you will. I can't even begin contemplate her family's loss in comparison to my own but suffice to say I will miss Alice. The poignancy of this amazing woman being robbed of her young life from Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a form of cancer) only spurs me forward with even more determination and gusto. Whilst £10K is nothing compared to the huge sums some people raise it all counts towards finding a cure and potentially stopping another inspirational 17 year old being robbed of their life too early.
But the million dollar question is did I support her cause and sign up to join the bone marrow register. I am ashamed to admit that despite the blog and my plea for others to sign up that, in fact, life got in the way and it became another thing on my ever increasing "to do" list. Sadly Alice's life has stopped but her "bucket list" was thankfully complete, thanks to strangers making it happen today, not tomorrow when it might be too late. And so I have now signed up. Due to my age I have to go via blood donation but this was something else on my "to do" list so two birds and all that.
Can I now please urge you to all consider giving a little; be it bone marrow ( Anthony Nolan register here or the British Bone Marrow Registry here). or pence (click here to donate)
So during my Kenyan Hills training session (sprinting up killer hills, resting for 90secs, jog back down and repeat = knackering) I was thinking about today's post. I was going to write some flippant prose of how the Western world seeks "Kenyan Hills" (in rural Oxfordshire... seriously they are nothing close to terrain of Kenyan Hills) to build stamina whereas those who live in the Kenyan Hills cope with the steep terrain day in and day out, not through choice, not for vanity and marathon training, but as part of their hard and gruelling daily lives. And then I checked my Facebook page and my mood evaporated.
"Our darling girl, Alice, gained her angel wings today. She passed away peacefully with Simon, Milly and myself by her side. We are devastated and know that our lives will never again be the same.
#NightNightAlice
Vicky 12 January 2013"
For those of you who read my Sober Up post this will mean something to you (if not I really recommend you do - click here). Alice was a 17 year old girl who had terminal cancer having been diagnosed at the tender age of 12. I only discovered her a few days ago through my pledge to raise 1,000,000 pence for cancer charities, but in those few short days, reading her posts was an inspiration and she has become a daily feature in my online social world. A friend if you will. I can't even begin contemplate her family's loss in comparison to my own but suffice to say I will miss Alice. The poignancy of this amazing woman being robbed of her young life from Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a form of cancer) only spurs me forward with even more determination and gusto. Whilst £10K is nothing compared to the huge sums some people raise it all counts towards finding a cure and potentially stopping another inspirational 17 year old being robbed of their life too early.
But the million dollar question is did I support her cause and sign up to join the bone marrow register. I am ashamed to admit that despite the blog and my plea for others to sign up that, in fact, life got in the way and it became another thing on my ever increasing "to do" list. Sadly Alice's life has stopped but her "bucket list" was thankfully complete, thanks to strangers making it happen today, not tomorrow when it might be too late. And so I have now signed up. Due to my age I have to go via blood donation but this was something else on my "to do" list so two birds and all that.
Can I now please urge you to all consider giving a little; be it bone marrow ( Anthony Nolan register here or the British Bone Marrow Registry here). or pence (click here to donate)
Monday, 31 December 2012
NYE = Rest day!
Having run more in the past week than I have EVER run (including a short icy run on Scotland on Christmas Day) I have managed to notch up a considerable 20.1 miles across 3.30 hours and burnt off my Christmas dinner (1689 calories). Now those stats are something I would have previously considered beyond me but before I go slapping myself on the back too hard the realisation is:
"somehow I need to be able to add another 6.1 miles and run in all in one sitting ('scuse the pun) before 21st April"
Ugh!
But today (New Years Eve) is not a day for pondering the mountain ahead. Plus the upside of having run three days on the trot I am on a rest day today hurrah. Instead I will be enjoying more than my fair share of fizz and food at the perfect party this evening; A "slob party" where I will be showcasing my festive gingerbread onesie (thanks Mum) as will Mark (a wolf - psychiatrists would have a field day about what this says of mum's relationship with Mark). For the first time ever a onesie is going to be considered over dressed and I am positively excited about the prospect. Yes this does mean I am most definitely the wrong side of 35 but I don't care cos I ACHE all over. My feet are tired and heels are a definitely no no so thanks J&S for proposing the perfect NYE party theme.
One more piece of good news... having officially launched my 1,000,000 pence last night I now have my first donation from the lovely Mary Wiltshire. I am now on the road in more ways than one...
Happy New Year
"somehow I need to be able to add another 6.1 miles and run in all in one sitting ('scuse the pun) before 21st April"
Ugh!
But today (New Years Eve) is not a day for pondering the mountain ahead. Plus the upside of having run three days on the trot I am on a rest day today hurrah. Instead I will be enjoying more than my fair share of fizz and food at the perfect party this evening; A "slob party" where I will be showcasing my festive gingerbread onesie (thanks Mum) as will Mark (a wolf - psychiatrists would have a field day about what this says of mum's relationship with Mark). For the first time ever a onesie is going to be considered over dressed and I am positively excited about the prospect. Yes this does mean I am most definitely the wrong side of 35 but I don't care cos I ACHE all over. My feet are tired and heels are a definitely no no so thanks J&S for proposing the perfect NYE party theme.
One more piece of good news... having officially launched my 1,000,000 pence last night I now have my first donation from the lovely Mary Wiltshire. I am now on the road in more ways than one...
Happy New Year
Sunday, 30 December 2012
The big realisation
So it is official. I have publically announced my quest to raise £10K in a year for cancer charities (read more about the back story to this challenge in the why 1,000,000 pence section). Shit. If you say it fast it almost sounds feasible but looking at the figures it equates to a stinkingly staggering £833.33 per month. With no fairy godmother / lottery win / sugar daddy in the wings I am going to have to think big. My friends pockets are certainly not that big (no comment men please!)
So my calculations mid run today were that the marathon and half marathon might net me £2K. But what about the other £8? Quiz nights (from PTA experience) can raise £1-2K, maybe I can get some corporate sponsporship for another £1-2K then what... ideas are running out. Maybe my adult ballet class can put on a performance... on second thoughts it would be more like a skit!
All I know is that if the half marathon wasn't challenge enough (3K has been the most I have ever run in my 37 years), then the marathon is pure idiocy. But to pledge to raise such a signifant amount whilst raising two children, running a home and holding down a full time career I must (and it has been said) be bonkers (a more polite term than was previously uttered by my better half.)
And it is at this point I think I need to mention that whilst I am gaily announcing such huge commitments there is someone without whom this would be impossible to achieve. Someone who will deserve my marathon medal more than me. Someone who will make me cry when I see his face in the crowds in London. So thank you. You know who you are and without you this is all impossible so it is our challenge and our pledge.
Now where can I find a sugar daddy... does anyone have Lord Sugars number?
So my calculations mid run today were that the marathon and half marathon might net me £2K. But what about the other £8? Quiz nights (from PTA experience) can raise £1-2K, maybe I can get some corporate sponsporship for another £1-2K then what... ideas are running out. Maybe my adult ballet class can put on a performance... on second thoughts it would be more like a skit!
All I know is that if the half marathon wasn't challenge enough (3K has been the most I have ever run in my 37 years), then the marathon is pure idiocy. But to pledge to raise such a signifant amount whilst raising two children, running a home and holding down a full time career I must (and it has been said) be bonkers (a more polite term than was previously uttered by my better half.)
And it is at this point I think I need to mention that whilst I am gaily announcing such huge commitments there is someone without whom this would be impossible to achieve. Someone who will deserve my marathon medal more than me. Someone who will make me cry when I see his face in the crowds in London. So thank you. You know who you are and without you this is all impossible so it is our challenge and our pledge.
Now where can I find a sugar daddy... does anyone have Lord Sugars number?
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