The girl who couldn't run.

 I cannot believe that I am typing this, and I cannot believe that I am able to say...  I am a marathon runner. So, how did I get here? Through a lot of work, a lot of belief, a lot of training runs and, having the best support around me.  Reality is. I signed up for Manchester Marathon in October 2022, but kept it an almighty secret. I knew I had nailed the half distance, so in effect, in the words of Jon Bon Jovi.. I was half way there . 26.2 miles terrified me, but with everything I had been through the last 12 months, this was the icing on the cake to prove to myself and others, that I will not be beaten. I will not be beaten down and that I am stronger than I ever thought I would be. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want the pressure. I didn't want the doubt to set in. I just wanted to crack on.  January hit and the training started, my white lie was " Sunday runs are in my routine now " (true) " I just want to see how far I can push myself." ...

 Hello... Long time no see. I thought I better come clean about something... Some people have assumed, some people have guessed, some people think I've already done one. (no, I have not .) I never thought I would be this stupid.   Courageous. I never thought this would be in my reach. I'm not a runner. But I'm running my first marathon. Yes, T minus 4 days to go. I am running Manchester bloody Marathon. I've always said NEVER a marathon.. and here we are. I always said only the GNR, and here I am 4 half marathons deep. So, if I can go half way, why not all the way?  I'm scared, I'm nervous, I'm excited. Can I mentally do this?  The great thing about this, is I've not been on my own through the training. There is a wonderful gang of us going out on Sunday and I think that's what makes me excited. Nothing more special than a Lion's day out. Shout out to; Andy Carr - First time marathoner - like me, raising money for his wonderful fiancee's s...

 Happy new year!  I've been thinking of the theme for a new blog, as its has been so long but my mind is just a little bit blank at the moment. I suppose I could give you all a quick rundown of what this years races are looking like... And then delve into the magical world that I was graced with yesterday... The National Running Show (North) 2023. So! As what always happens around new year lots of discounts fly around and its the time of year that people start to make plans for the year ahead. My race calendar is looking quite healthy this year and this is what I have to look forward to so far... February North West Half - Blackpool - Not sure how I'm feeling about this one, the weather in Blackpool at the best of times, but then in Feb as well.. lets hope the Beast from the East stays at bay! March Mad Dog! - Yes, Mad Dog is back, in a different month this time. Will this finally be the one where I shave 2 minutes off my PB to get my 1hour? I hope so. Although, there are rumo...

 Well well well.. I've not been here for a while. Did you miss me? After a pretty special weekend, I thought that it was only right that the blog was revived for a Malaga special. Next week, I might even do a round up of the year, seeing as my running has taken a huge turn this year and I actually cannot believe how far I've come. But! Let's get down to the main event. So, back in July, when the weather was delightful and running was very much a welcome sport, 13 lions all booked onto the Malaga half marathon which was Stu's birthday present. We unfortunately were a lion down, but they were not forgotten and their presence was certainly missed. 💕 Fast forward to December and the one weekend our great country is gifted with snow... is the morning that we had to get up a 2am to get to the airport. The pre flight beer went down a treat, but there were many mutterings of " remind me why this was a good idea again ?"  2 and a half hours later and safely landed in ...

Have you ever seen a sight more beautiful than this?   Here it is. The big event. This blog has taken me so long to write because of a multitude of reasons.  1. I was on a huge high from the weekend, and I've still been replaying the whole experience over and over again, that I was there. 2. I am equally absolutely exhausted from the weekend, I thought I would sleep in the car on the way home, but again. I was on too much of a high.  3. Work. (I have no other words on this front.) So, here we go.  It was quite a long journey to Saturday. What with events unfolding on Thursday evening of the Queen's passing. My excitement had been subdued because we did not know if the run was actually going to go ahead. It was said that we would know Friday morning. Way to put a blow on something I've been looking forward to for 9 months. The website wasn't updated until lunchtime. We (Paul, James, Shelby, Haile and I) were on tenterhooks as to whether we would be seeing each other ...