Phew what a year and its only February!
By Diane Shaw, 12 February 2012 –
Life has been a whirlwind since I received that magical letter from the Brathay Team informing me YES I have been chosen to run the Brathay 10 in 10. So a lot of time last year was spent upping my mileage, stringing running days together, getting the fundraising off the ground, getting to grips with technology Aargh, booking marathons for the end of last year and the start of this year along with doing the normal things like working full time, looking after Baby Oscar and fulfilling other domestic duties and obligations. Then what happened? All of a sudden it was January and things were and are really starting to hot up in all departments, fundraising, training, juggling, fretting and the rest.
So what has happened this year? Well I completed the Liver Double Marathon on the 31st and 1st of January, (I know not strictly this year but half of the event was this year). I spent a weekend meeting my other fellow ten in tenners and running the marathon course around Lake Windermere in Cumbria. The following weekend I went down to Gloucester and ran 3 times around a very undulating marathon course, all in the name of training. This week I have completed 2 days of the Quadzilla (a 4 day marathon event), so another 2 marathons under my belt and this morning I have competed in a 6 mile off road race with my running club the Kirkstall Harriers. I am also partaking in Pilates, doing glute and core work in the gym and being pummelled to a pulp by my fantastic Sports Massage man Jim www.sportsmassageleeds.co.uk. Hopefully this will all help on the big day or should I say BIG 10 DAYS.
Sometimes with all the training it is easy to forget why I am doing all this but whilst collecting on Leeds Station with a fellow ten in tenner Jim Meta for the worthy cause which is Brathay, I was sharply reminded. A man in his sixties came up to me and put ten pounds into my bucket and said "I spent time at Brathay many years ago and it saved my life" and then he was gone before I could ask him anything. If the money that I raise this year can help one young person become like that man in years to come, then I will have made some difference.
Please help me make that difference, so far I have raised, (with the help of others) just over £3,000 but I really, really would like to raise £10,000 a £1,000 for each marathon. Please help me you can do this by sponsoring me www.justgiving.com/Diane-Shaw0