This year’s Great North Run will mark my tenth year of running, after signing up for my first one in 2006. With no proper experience of running at the time, I signed up just for the crack, and soon found out that training was a lot harder than I had expected. Since then I’ve run literally thousands of miles, taken part in more races than I can remember, gained a hefty haul of medals and blisters, and chafed parts of my body I never knew could be chafed.
After initially signing up on a whim, I’ve now reached the stage where running is more than just exercise to me. It’s given me a sense of will power, discipline, and self worth that has powered me through the highs and lows of the past ten years. I’m not the fastest, I don’t have the best technique, but I don’t stop.
Get going. Get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race. – Ron Hill
Last year I completed a charity challenge to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society and completed two half marathons in the space of 8 days. I’m not in Eddie Izzard territory, but it’s not bad going for a working mam! This year I’ll be extending my charity challenge, for Parkinsons UK this time, by taking part in 5 events in 5 weeks, a challenge I’m giving the snappy title of “Fast and Furious 5”.
Impossible is not a declaration, it’s a dare. – Muhammad Ali
The events will be:
Great North Run – Sunday 11th September
Back to where it all started, I’ll be aiming to beat my first ever time which I set a decade ago and running in the same race as Mo Farah!
Sedgefield Serpentine Trail Race – Sunday 18th September 2016
A multi-terrain 10k race. I’ve never attempted this course before so it should be interesting!
Redcar Half Marathon – Sunday 25th September 2016
A flat road race which is good for getting personal bests. Well I’ll give it a bash!
Kielder Marathon – Sunday 2nd October 2016
The main event! My brother Liam will be taking on this 26.2 mile off-road course with me, and it should be an awesome challenge.
Hellhole 10k Race – Sunday 9th October 2016
And to finish, another multi-terrain 10k race but this time with my running club Derwentside AC. It’ll be great to complete my challenge in my home town.
As I do a lot of running I don’t feel it’s fair to ask people to sponsor me unless I’m doing something out of the ordinary. For this challenge I will be raising money and awareness for Parkinsons UK, a cause which has personal significance for me. It would be great if you would like to support the excellent work this charity does and visit my justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/fastandfuriousfive
Because of Parkinsons UK nobody has to face Parkinsons alone, you can find out more about their work at www.parkinsons.org.uk
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