Coming together

Well I am nearly at the end of Q1 of 1,000,000 pence and, true to form, have started many projects but am yet to complete any:

- The marathon is underway (5 weeks yesterday I will HOPEFULLY - and knee permitting - be proudly wearing my medal)
- Charity ball - venue about to be booked and 2 auction prizes confirmed (a Porsche racing day and a gorgeous sequined shrug) but still SOOOOOOOOOO much to do before September
- TMP has talent - booked but needs marketing!
- Marine challenge - 10 idiots team buddies have agreed to take place just need to book us in for our October mud fest!
- London 10K - keep talking about doing it, need to book it up
- Quiz night - keep talking about it but little more
- Penny pots - with £100 in pennies on my desk at home this is a great fundraising scheme.... just to get around to "bagging" it all up and banking it

My growing to do list is massive and growing and doesn't even begin to include my mummy duties. To be honest I don't ever need to write these down. Not because I am a perfect mummy; far from it. I just have a 7 year old who will quite innocently highlight my mummy faux pas, usually in public; "Mummy why didn't you make my bed today?"! However I do recognise that my to do list gives me real significance and makes me feel needed - I know totally non-sensical and I often wonder if I am alone in this odd attitude?


Anyway I digress. I like to think that I have now reached my "base camp". Foundations are firmly in place but there is still a huge mountain in front to climb. Now I am not by nature a "completer finisher". I am far more comfortable being an "ideas generator" and leaving the organised professional folk to make it happen. So not only is 1,000,000 pence seeing me get fit, but also grow a pair of "see it through" wings. Who knew this pledge would turn into some pretty intense personal development?

And apart from refining my project management skills, one of the most amazing by-products of this journey has been the interactions with people I would otherwise not have had; Playground mum chums sharing their stories and giving a much needed pat on the back along with offers of additional childcare to help me with training. Colleagues and their amazing generosity and interest in my latest running scrape (I am certainly corporate entertainment at the moment). Friends offering huge amounts of support, encouragement and direction. My Mark - for everything he is doing whilst I am not doing it (his to-do list is also growing expedentially), and for not once moaning about me taking on "yet something else". And finally strangers. People I would never have come across had I not undertaken this crazy challenge. People who make my challenge look like a picnic in the park. Who undertake their own challenges with such focus, dedication and without a moan, they are the real heros of the piece. They are the ones who are really battle hard and make a 26.2 mile run  look easy. And one such lady, Claire Grant, is someone I have recently come across via the power of the interweb and PR. Despite a terminal cancer diagnosis she is fighting it with every cell in her body and still finding time and energy to raise £10,000... suddenly my challenge looks pretty easy by comparison! And one of the ways she is raising money is not with paper cups with a cut slit in the lid. Hell no, she is way more talented than I. She is creating these lovely bracelets made with her own fair hands and blinged up with Swarovski crystals.

They are made to order and cost a mere £5 each. Why not choose a red or pink one and wear it with pride. Simply pay via the Virgin Money Giving site here and let Claire know your choice and details via her Facebook page here (and whilst you are there why not like the page as well!). Then sit and wait by the letterbox for your new bling to arrive!

A dry run in Bath

I did it. I actually got around my first official race and in a decent time too; 13.1 miles in 2 hours 13 minutes. Not bad huh! Being part of the reason a city grinds to a halt for 12,000 crazy individuals who decided at some point in 2012 to accept the Bath Half challenge was amazing. Being amongest so many charity runners doing something selfless for the good of others is a powerful emotion. Being over taken by a banana... humiliating!

As a complete novice I had absolutely no idea what to expect, least of all the nerves which seemed to rise the closer the train drew to Bath. I thought I was pretty well prepared; well trained, had a target time, carb loaded... And whilst I realise the previous 48 hours had not been ideal pre race conditions (late night, early mornings and a 3.5 mile hike) the Bath Half was really more about experiencing a real race before the marathon.

So what did I learn? For me the most important thing was don't panic. The first mile or two was at a very slow pace due to the crowds and I did what every book, article, blog and expert cautions against; I went too fast to make up for the loss. Lucky this was my "easy week" so having built up my core stamina and mental abilities over my long runs since Christmas, I was able to just about continue the race at this higher pace. It was helped considerably by the fact that I had £40 riding on finishing in under 2 hours 15 mins (thanks Nicole, Lorraine, Jude and Pip). But believe me this is not something I would be able to do across 26 miles and so NUMBER ONE lesson is: listen to the experts they really do know what they are talking about.

I had already planned to write my name on my running shirt for the marathon but the benefit of this was made even more apparent in Bath. The crowds really seem to carry people - and for me in Bath the deep routed psychology of not hearing my name shouted and supported (like the the kid at school who no-one liked) was really de-motivating.

Take a bag. I had assumed that as I had supporters they would "hold my stuff". But it was only as I started stripping off my warmer outer clothes (trackie bums, sweatshirt and coat) and witnessed the growing bundle of clothing that I realised I hadn't even bought a bag. At all big races there are luggage tents so this is the place for belongings... not for your supporters to carry (especially when they also have a 7 year old, a 2 year old, a supply of snacks, entertainment and nappys! to carry and manage).

Have post race fuel ready in your kit bag. The Bath Half post race goodie bag was full of quick hit sugar rushes (and a random Corss and Blackwell cooking sauce!?) but having spent the past 2 hours chewing/drinking and sucking a veritable smorgasbord of sugar packed, artificial flavoured sweet things I was in desperate need of a savoury hit. For once a Mars a day just wasn't going to help me rest and play!

At the end of challenge number 1 I have raised a tremendous £1300 and, selfishly, have my very first bit of metal - engraved with my name and official time - and my name listed in the Bath Chronicle. I hadn't realised how proud I would be of these items and I can't begine to imagine how amazing I will post marathon. With only 5% of the population ever undertaking a marathon this is huge (and I will be milking it!).

Sight for sore eyes

Running injuries ahoy! But be assured that this blog makes no mention of any of the usual running afflictions... my Achilles are fine, I have no blisters, my lost toe nail has grown back, no chaffing has been inflicted. Oh no my running injuries are far more exotic!

- Bloodshot eye - obviously caused by the super sonic speeds I have been running at; Blink and you'll miss me! Seriously my left eye is red, oozing and uncomfortable and I really think that running anything further than for the bus with one eye closed would knock my balance and have me arrested for drunk running (if there is such a thing). On reflection, and based on my recent run ins with the older generation of Oxfordshire, running with a "wink" might also get me a hot date with an OAP, a schooner of sherry and a Thursday lunchtime special! On second thoughts....

- Runners insomnia - you'd think a blissful night of zzzs would follow a 15 mile run but not chez moi! Oh no. My brain likes to ponder every mile. Calculate average pace. Think about the marathon and what time that pace would deliver. Hydration strategies. Energy gels and so much more. Counting sheep... more like pot holes!

- Heartbreak - my lovely shiny (and sweat splattered) treadmill has had to go to the treadmill doctor! The heart (rate monitor) is broken and is with the surgeons undergoing a donor transplant, leaving me treadmill-less for a week. This means evening runs are a mere memory for now, but hopefully in a week my heart (rate monitor) will be pulsing away fit as a fiddle once more.

 - Loose Leg(gings) - not one to brag but one upside of this running is my bottom IS SMALLer (sadly not my thighs or calves which just seem to be on a growth spurt). However this causes a rather embarrassing running predicament; my gusset height slips down to between my knees every mile! At this point I need to avert a full legging slip incidient; running with leggings around my ankles does nothing for my pace, although it might be an interesting way to increase donations come marathon day. So, with little dignity remaining, I have perfected "The Hoist"; grabbing the material from beneath my knees and swiftly yanking it skywards jumping my wiggling rear into the space made. All this whilst continuing to run and map my pace! Who said I couldn't multitask!

So there you have it. My own unique insight into the real running injuries marathonites experience! Feeling the shame - then please support my efforts and sponsor me here!

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 have stolen 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).

Loose change

What is it about handling coppers that make your hands smell? Why can't I stop smelling them even though I know the smell is really rather nasty - I don't need to keep checking! And do I really want to know or shall I just anti-bac and remain ignorant? Yep I agree ignorance (in this case) is bliss!

Now I can hear the tired, Friday evening cogs whirling in your heads wondering why I am playing with coins on a  Friday night (I do have a gin if that makes my Friday night social life slightly less tragic)? Well, this evening I have been doing some investigating as how much in loose mixed change (nothing over 20p) can fit in one of my Blue Peter copper pots.

Having now given out / posted over 25 copper pots the "Save the Copper" campaign has officially launched. At work I am even offering a whole tray of homemade (and delectable) pecan brownies to the person who collects the most pennies in February and, being a competitive lot, there has been talk of including a few golden nuggets to increase integral value! It's amazing heights people will go to for a tray of Brownies.

But instead of waiting for the pots to be handed back, and being of an impatient imposition, I couldn't wait to begin calculating what a full pot might generate. So, kids tucked up in bed, I emptied out the inspiration behind the campaign, our own loose change pot,  and filled a "Save the Copper" cup:

This totalled a staggering £5.53 and I still hadn't completely emptied the our loose change pot! Of course I also found a random array of oddities including a shoe horn, button, American cent, toy penny and a pen!

So whilst I am not expecting each pot to be filled to such levels as my example, this does fill me with excitement that, over the year, the penny pledge might reach £200! What do you reckon?

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.

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!

Halfway house

Today I am more than a little smug as I have finally achieved a milestone in my training. I have reached the halfway distance: 13.3 miles in 2:25 which means my original and ultimate I-am-a-supermum-marathon-running-beast target of sub 5 hours is actually possible. Tough but with a good wind, steady pacing, top notch carbo loading and a lot of cheering from the crowd, its do-able. Who knew?

I missed yesterday's first beautiful day of Spring as I spent the whole day in an auditorium in London listening to a whole wealth of specialist nutritionists , VLM directors (that's Virgin London Marathon to you and I!), sports scientists, Olympic marthonites (Liz Yelling) and celeb marathonites (Sophie Raworth) and much more. I know this is only going to compound my "running-bore" title but it was really interesting. So let me share some nuggets with you:

• £58.2mn was raised by VLM runners last year, that is a phenomenal £2.4K per golden ticket holder... and puts my current total £417.50 to shame!
• I really want to do the Silverstone half-marathon next year* - running around the track sounds fun and Tom would love it (although I think he would still prefer to watch Lewis Hamilton careering around the track in his go-cart!) Sadly this year it clashes with my hot date with the Bath half but a definite maybe for 2014
• This years celeb line-up includes Michel Roux Junior who's PB is 3 hours 19 - Harry Judd (he can be my pacer... I'll run just behind him!), Joey Essex (I hope he realises a marathon is not a chocolate bar?), Katherine Jenkins and Sophie Raworth (my new BFF... check out my first stalker pic)

 

• It can take 20 mins to cross the start line and up to 40mins to get through the finishing section... that is another hour before I can get my hands on a a Big Mac and fries!
• There are cold showers you can run through around course... must remember my shower cap!
• Despite being within view of Buck Palace you WON'T be arrest for acts of nudity so long as it is in context.... !
• It's all about cadence (!?!)
• There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in a human body and about a 1/4 are in the ankle or below (not sure why I like this fact but hey!)
• Pretzels are a must have snacking food in the week leading up to the marathon!
• It's imperative to understand your pre-run poo regime! TMI? It was a Liz Yelling comment and she knows!
• Last year's average race time was 4 hours 22mins... I have never been average and figure for £50 entrance fee I want to maximise the experience and so will be running at a below average pace!

Apart from the pretty useless facts I have trotted off above, it was actually a great day and I treated myself to a new running top (the merchandising hall might just have been my favourite part!).

Well at least I'll be seen whilst training.

So with January's training completed I am feeling pretty pleased with myself. I hadn't figured that marathon training was such a gruelling regime and I being someone who likes a short cut I struggled at first to realise there is NO short cut in marathon training. Maybe this is a life lesson?

February is about building the stamina and I have to admit that I felt really good running today. The high point (in more ways than one) was taking on a particularly gruelling hill just as the MP3 decided Eye of the Tiger would be appropriate listening (check it out here it's hilarious!). Before I knew it I was on top of a 295ft hill looking across the Cotswolds  landscape around Lechlade, punching the air in true Rocky style and jumping around. Thank goodness it was a deserted road, except from a beautiful red kite soaring above my head. I acknowledge that I still have a long way to with 15 miles next weekend and then up to a staggering 17 miler two weekends later but.... apparently it is all in the head!?

March then becomes about practice and my "easy" week encompasses the Bath half so I can practice my race routine and suss out strategies to help me find my cheerleaders in the crowd.

Then we hit April and I begin to taper before the big day...so that all sounds easy and as though I have an age but the reality is that in exactly 11 weeks I hope I am lying somewhere on horseguards parade, with my cheerleaders, being fed Big Macs and with a helicopter ready to fly me home... a girl can dream!

* Seriously I am already planning my running diary for next year... I got it bad!

Copper-bottomed

So very excited when I arrived home yesterday to see a parcel on my desk.... it was my long awaited take-away coffee cups (for relevance see previous post here). Now once upon a time (in fact only 31 days ago - is it really only 31 days?) this would barely raised a smile, let alone manic jumping up and down, however it appears my world (and sanity) has been turned upside down by fundraising fever.

So this evening once the kids were fed, I run up the stairs two at a time (my marathon training means I managed this without getting out of breath), raring to get the printer revving into action to spit out the hot pink labels to adorn the lovely, but currently plain, cups. But as predictable as "You've been framed" can you guess what happened next? Yep the printer was out of ink. Grrr. However someone was on my side as we actually had a spare sitting on the side. I can honestly say we have NEVER before had a spare and I suspect it will never happen again, and so I have decided to see this as a sign that my copper cups are destined to be brought alive with some hot pink.

A few hours later and the labels have printed and adhered and lids now have money slits cut. Well 25 out of 100 have been created but it is a start. I am so genuinely proud of my Blue Peter sticky back plastic action and really love my novel fundraising idea. But with a career in marketing I think I have a few creative ideas now and again although I am not sure the creatives would agree... heaven knows what they'd say if they knew I own a scalpel and spray mount!

Want a sneak preview?

Aren't they the cutest and most beautiful fundraising recepticals ever? Now I just need to find them good generous homes. I have only had 3requests so far from people who have a mighty vision and are clearly the innovators amongst my friends (Daddy Wolf, Fav cuz and lush bestie) but that means there are 97 still available to any early adoptors who, having now seen the fancy design, would rather like a receptical to house their ugly tarnished coins, annoyingly small 5ps, funny shaped 20 and 50s, gold (so last years colour!) or screwed up paper containing the queens head.

Roll up roll up - request a copper cup and get your friends, family, colleagues and even strangers emptying their pockets of lose change all in aid of a fantastic cause. And don't forget down the back of the sofa!

PS The lovely people from Breast Cancer Care dropped me an email today which has really encouraged me and I thought I would share it with you all. It is easy to imagine that £5000 to a national charity would barely raise a blink and it was refreshing to receive such a warm and genuinely appreciative email. Dig deep folks!

It’s lovely to hear from you.  I’ve just been reading your blog – it’s brilliant.  I love the layout, the content and especially the pink pennies!

We are so excited about your fundraising.  £10,000 is a huge amount of money and we are really pleased that Breast Cancer Care will be receiving half of what you raise.  £5000 will make a massive difference in enabling us to continue being there for anyone affected by breast cancer.  Thank you.

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!

Sober up

My ponderings during my 9 mile run today were inspired by an amazing young lady called Alice Pyne. I stumbled across her through setting up this Blog and searching for other Blogs with similar tags, sadly our matches were cancer and charity so you might well see where this is going.

In short Alice is a 17 year old girl who has terminal cancer (she lists her occupation as “full time cancer fighter”), having first been diagnosed at the tender age of 12. But instead of wallowing, at the age of 15 she set up a Blog as a way to communicate with her friends and to share her bucket list; things she wanted to achieve before she left our world. Unlike your average cider swilling 15 year old Alice’s list included the following as her top three:

• To get everyone eligible to join a bone marrow register
• To get EVERYONE to have a bucket list
• To get to the Royal Garden party in May

Sobering isn't it. Now think back to your 15 year old self and I dare you not to swallow hard.

When Alice launched her Blog back on 6^th June 2011 no one, least of all her and her family, could have predicted the turn of events that followed. Through the magic of the interweb in just 2 days Alice's Bucket List had over 7,000 followers and lashings of comments from around the world with many promising to join bone marrow donation schemes in support of her wishes. By 9^th June she was mentioned on This Morning and the Anthony Nolan bone marrow charity web site received 17 times its weekly web traffic over night which could only be attributed to Alice. 10th June and following a postscript on her Blog for people to sponser her sister in her Race fo Life taking place that Sunday, donations topped £10,000, the majority of which came from generous strangers touched by Alice and her story. Staggeringly by the 11^th June this had reached the substantial figure of £30,000!

But as we know there is always evil around the corner and on 14^th June there were countless clone sites claiming to be Alice and taking generous donations from innocent people for their own pockets. Seriously I still can’t believe this as I write it but it gets worse. On 19^th June her charity was hacked and funds were stolen. Thankfully some wonderful strangers donated their time and skills to help Alice and her family secure and protect their Blog and charity site from further hacking.

What I find most remarkable is that what started purely as a means of communication and diary for very poorly 15 year old resulted in registrations for bone marrow donors increasing from 6,000 per year to over 40,000. A legacy to the wonderful and inspirational Alice.

But Alice isn’t alone. There are sadly thousands of other children fighting the cancer battle; some will make it but many won’t.

If this has touched you I ask you to please consider joining the Anthony Nolan register here or the British Bone Marrow Registry here. It is easy: apply, spit on a stick that they send to you, post it back, sit back and have a cuppa!

Whether you are eligible or not (there are varying criterias for the two registrys above) I really urge you to follow Alice's blog or Facebook page.

If you are left wanting to do more then how about you consider supporting me. I have a Vigin Money Giving site set up in aid of my two chosen cancer charities (Macmillan nurses and Breast Cancer Care) click here to donate.

Still want to do more? Then send me a message. Come watch me stagger around London and cheer me on. Or offer to help me organise my various charity raising balls, quiz nights and more; I need so much help from designs for invitations and more, help obtaining auction and raffle prizes, idea generators to come up with innovative ways to make everything more than just fabulous, ticket sales and coordination and much much more.

You could also share this page via your Facebook, Tweet about it, email it to friends and colleagues, talk about it... as Alice has proved the power of the Internet is huge. Everything counts and helps raise awareness, and funds, for an amazing cause.

One final thought. Cancer is a term we are all familiar with (some sadly more than others); something we live in fear of; and one day may need to fight.

To Ball or not to Ball

It is officially day 1 of my 1,000,000 pence challenge and I already have £30 (plus gift aid) pledged. What a fantastic start (thanks Joy, Johnny and Sam for donation number 2) but the hard work really starts now and I am not simply referring to my marathon training but also to the serious fund raising I need to begin to plan and formalise.

So last night (New Years Eve) whilst sat around the dinner table, having followed the dress code to the letter (slob clothes), with dear friends, gossip and drinks flowing, the subject of how I might reach such a significant target was raised. Having just streaked (I assure you it was an accident - but you wouldn't believe me if I told you the story so I shall leave you intrigued) it was suggested by the caveman in the group that I could simply raise money that way. Luckily, despite the drink, I had enough sense to realise that a 37 year old streaker was probably not the inspiration I was intending for the children and so I declined the suggestion. And then hope appeared in the form of my lovely girlfriends (having wiped the tears of laughter following said streaking incident) who suggest a charity ball as a good one hit wonder which should get my target hit (and possibly exceeded).

Now this is something I have considered on and off over the past few weeks but always dismiss due to a reoccuring concern. What if I don't sell enough tickets and make a loss - it is not my money to gamble with? How can I be sure to make it a fantastic night (we've all been to lacklustre charity events) so that the money raising becomes almost a by product rather than the purpose. Or am I missing the point? Maybe I am being terribly British in my embarrassment to openly ask people to open their wallets and spend. Maybe people expect auctions, raffles and alike and am I trying to fix something that is not broken? Maybe I am asking too many questions at this stage?

And so I close with my new years resolution; to make a decision and run with it. As someone very special always says to be "you always get it done... somehow"

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

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?