What a year 2014 has been. I started this year overweight and unfit. I drank too much and ate too many pizzas and takeaways. I couldn’t walk up the stairs without getting out of breath and the thought of playing with my kids in the park filled me with dread. Add to this 40 cigarettes a day and I think you get the picture. I was seriously on the way to an early grave.
Then my sister ran the London Marathon in April and, in a moment of life changing madness, I said that I would run the London Marathon in 2015, if I got a place. As you may know, if you’ve followed this blog, I changed my life from that moment. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in 235 days, I’ve run 650 km, just over 400 miles, which started at 6 km the first week and now is increasing at 35 km per week.
I still love pizza and although my weight has only decreased marginally you work with what you have. I’m not the fastest of runners but the plan was just to run and finish one marathon. The plan changed. I got Addey from the IRun4 Family to run for and my kids love the medals I get from races I’ve run in. The challenge has changed and it’s become a labour of love. I still don’t like running but I guess I’ve got to the point that I don’t hate it anymore. How that will change when I get to run 26.2 miles is anyone’s guess. And now the temperature is under 0° when I run in the mornings, that ain’t no fun. 🙂
As I’ve said the original plan was to run one marathon and I thought that would be the end to this madness. Now I find myself planning events after the marathon. I’m beginning to believe that this marathon may be just the start of something new.
I’ve met many people along this journey and have made many new friends, almost all of them runners. These are people who don’t care if I run one mile or 10 miles, whether I run fast or slow, inside or outside, but I can feel their support all the time. The IRUN4 Family has been instrumental in changing my life along with so many others.
The Charity I run for, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, gave me the place in The London Marathon to run for them and they need money to continue their research. Please click on the link at the top of the page and donate, even the smallest donation is welcome.
My thanks go out to my family for their support, to the Shuberts, Matt, Karen, Julie and especially Addey for unknowingly pushing me further all the time. To everyone who has offered advice for which I am truly grateful and last but by nowhere least to everyone who reads this.
2014 was a life changing year. 2015 is hopefully going to be more of the same.