A little while ago, I told you about how I was going to run the Great South Run for Make-A-Wish UK. Well it turns out that ten miles just wasn’t enough for me. Pah, I laugh in the face of ten tiny miles (if you read my last blog post here, you’ll know that cry rather than laugh is more apt). Somehow, I have managed to secure myself a spot to run the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 on behalf of the wonderful charity that is Make-A-Wish.
That’s 26.2 miles in case you weren’t aware. Twenty flaming six point two miles. I can’t even think it without feeling ill.
So here begins a series of blog posts between now and April 13th 2014, where I keep you updated with my progress and beg for your tips, encouragement and sometimes your money.
Me, in my Make-A-Wish T-Shirt with a giant monkey – as you do!
I’d love to be able to start and tell you that I found out about my place a couple of months ago and am already part of the way through a hard core training routine and have made a dent in my fundraising target of £2,500. Except if I did that I’d be lying. Well, I did find out my place a couple of months ago, but the rest….
Some strange things have happened over the last couple of months; my career has taken a slightly different turn, my blog has taken up a massive chunk of my free time, other demands have been pressing and in all honest I think I went into a little bubble of denial. Sure, I’ve got a place in the marathon, how hard can it be? I’ve got loads of time to train! This has meant that slowly my positive thoughts for the GSR have faded gently into the background.
Fear not I hear you say, “I know so-and-so who only trained for three months and was fine…” All well and good, but let me paint you a little picture here. I’m probably well over two stone overweight (actually no probably about it, that was just me being kind to myself!), I have way too many bad habits; drinking too much wine at the weekends – with the odd Jagerbomb thrown in, I am a secret social smoker – ie I tell everyone I don’t smoke and then say “well just the one” – every weekend. My diet is atrocious at present, as I spend all my time at work, at home in front of a computer or out with friends and grab whatever I can lay my hands on whenever I fancy it.
Oh, and one other tiny obstacle. I HATE running. Detest it. The thought of it makes me want to cry. I get hot and bothered; my legs turn to lead and my lungs burn and burn.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m doing. Surely it would just be easier for me to save up £300 a month for the next eight months and give it to Make-A-Wish in exchange for not having to run the marathon? Well yes, in a way of course it would. Then again, I’m a great believer in doing something every day that scares you, even if sometimes I have to force myself to follow that little mantra. To me, the marathon is the ultimate challenge, I have always dreamed of the feeling that must come with crossing the finish line, and it’s a feeling money alone can’t buy. So although the idea fills me with dread, it’s also something I’m desperate to do, I just need to keep up the motivation to actually do it.
How hard can it be…..?
That’s where Make-A-Wish comes in. I wish I could explain without rambling and sounding like a soppy, idealist, do-gooder, (not that there’s anything wrong with those, if you are one and want to sponsor me!) how passionate I am about them as a charity. Through my volunteering I have been privileged enough to meet a number of Wish Children and their families and hear stories about many, many more. Mostly visiting a wish family is an upbeat, happy experience. The child is normally very excited, the family love talking about something positive and it is an overwhelming experience to be able to play a tiny part in helping them get their wish.
Some recent fundraising…
Sometimes though, it’s unavoidable to not see that the Wish Child is very, very poorly. Recently I drove away from a wish visit (where we find out what the child’s wish is) and had to take more than a few deep breaths. I point blank refuse to cry, because these children and families don’t know me, they haven’t asked for my sympathy and definitely not any pity, and it would be selfish of me to “piggyback” off their distress. That’s not how I think everyone should deal with it by any means, but for me that is how I separate it in my mind. And I always, always look at the positives that you see wherever you look – to see the way families pull together in difficult times for example, is truly heart-warming.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that as much as I detest running, I know it’s nothing compared to what some of these children have to go through every day, and if by raising £2500 I can help towards granting one of those wishes, then I will do it. End of.
My fundraising and training campaign launches on 1st September, which also happens to be my 26th birthday. My plan is to keep a diary on my blog thebeautyobsession.com to keep everyone updated with my progress. You can also follow my journey on twitter @Run4WishesUK and visit my JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/Run4WishesUK
Original article: Oh dear, what have I done?
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