Got to Run Mum

I was asked if I could write a blog post full of financial tips for those who are taking those first terrifying steps of the cancer journey. They clearly looked at my two overdrafts, recent spout of homelessness and my woefully underpaid self employed position and thought, ‘here’s the girl we need in times of financial crisis!’ If you have come to this blog because you are taking those first steps, I am truly sorry that you are joining this sucky club. It’s not one that any parent ever wants to be part of. I assure you, you will find the strength to get through this. It will somehow reveal courage you never knew you had and show you that children are truly warriors who face adversity with such bravery that your love for them will elevate to levels you never believed possible.  When you are told your child has cancer, the last thing on your mind will be money. But it’s incredible how much your finances will take a knock. From hospital car parking fees, to takeawa...

So, 2018. Here we are. Somehow you are flying by already. I thought I’d take time for a little catch up, now that we are solidly into 2018… February already?!! I have become the cliché! January 1st arrived and I joined a gym. Since taking up running I’ve been quite smug about not needing to be a gym member. ‘I get all the cardio I need through running.’… ‘I do my own strength training at home.’ ...Why would I need to join a gym? And yet, I haven’t seen any major progress in my running for a long time, my jeans are all feeling a little... well... a lot more snug (darn you Christmas!) and my strength training now pretty much consists of a couple of squats and stretches whilst watching Eastenders. So when one of those new, cheap and cheerful, no contract, 24- hour gyms opened on my doorstep, I thought maybe, just maybe I could benefit from a helping hand. I’ve now been a member for just over a month, though two weeks of that was spent booking and then ca...

I had a grumpy end of August and September with running. An awful chest infection just wouldn't shift, even after two rounds of antibiotics, and I had to cancel my planned two half marathons. I was gutted. I had looked forward to the Richmond Running Festival and the Kingston Half Marathon since booking them in the midst of post marathon booking fever way back in April. (Does anyone else have to book multiple races after a big event?) I had to drop out of both events, reluctantly I have to add. But seeing as I couldn't walk without becoming a spluttering mess, it was probably the wise choice. I stumbled upon the River Thames Half Marathon whilst eagerly searching for a replacement race before the year was out... How have I not heard of it before? I live a ten minute drive from Walton and love running along the river. Plus, this one I could rope my husband into doing too; he spent most of his youth drunkenly stumbling along the river so it would be a trip down memory lane. I s...

Drumroll please... I have been shortlisted for the Women's Running Magazine Big Marathon Challenge team. I am pretty stunned to say the least. If I make the final three then I'll be on my way to competing in the Manchester Marathon, receiving top notch training and full kit courtesy of Asics. I'm in amazing company, the women are all pretty inspirational and each have their own reasons for wanting to run as part of the team. So, what's mine? I have tackled two marathons but feel I succumbed to the dreaded wall in each one. That little devil on my shoulder won each time and to finish the thing I had to switch to a walk/run strategy. Physically, I know each time I could have run the whole thing. But that little voice, that seed of doubt in my head took over. I know I can do it. I know I can finish a marathon, running the whole way... I also know there is no shame in using a run/ walk strategy, many runners do it and it's still a huge achievement to complete a mara...

As I sit writing this, I am currently resting my poor hamstrings on an ice pack and contemplating how long it will take me to remove myself from the sofa and get up the stairs. Stairs and marathons… OUCH! After the knee issues that prevented me from training properly for last year’s marathon, I was determined to tackle this one and smash it. And most of my training went really well. I entered my taper weeks feeling confident and strong. Then the hamstring… A nice easy 8 miles. I felt a niggle at 6 miles. I stretched my leg and carried on. Eek. Suddenly, I couldn’t run. I limped home, despairing that my dreams of a second, more successful marathon experience were scuppered. Physio confirmed that I’d need to rest until the marathon day if I’d stand a chance of running the thing. That was a blow to my mental state. I felt in panic mode for the rest of the taper, fearing that my fitness would be lost by the big day. I decided to forget about finish times and concentrate on enjoy...

I go into 2016 with mixed feelings. The beginning of a new year usually comes with promises to improve, to better oneself, to let go of the things that held us back before. The thing is, I am pretty ok with me. I began a journey when my daughter received her cancer diagnosis. A journey towards being a better person. Seeing the positive. And life got better- she got better for starters. I launched a business that I love and put my heart and soul (and a lot of money) into it. I set myself challenges I only dreamt of before. Took up running, entered a lot of races and raised a lot of money for charity. All ticks in my book of living a better life. Only, not everyone came on that journey with me. I shrugged off negativity and with that failed to spot the warning signs that were screaming out to me. That my husband, the other half of me, was hurting, was somehow damaged. Couldn't just 'fix' himself. And he sank further and further into his own hell, with me smiling beside him. ...