The beginning of it all

So I am training to run the London Marathon - it is 14 weeks away and a good friend has just pointed out that this means only 13 weekends left to train. So what made me decide to put my body through 14 weeks of gruelling, painful and lets face it anti-social running which will take me out on the streets of Stevenage and London no matter what the UK springime weather will bring?
It all started nearly 3 years ago....

My son was getting on for 18 months old and I was running out of excuses for carrying excess baby weight - I am 5'6 and weighed 13 stone. Liking my food too much to ever take a diet seriously I agreed to run a Race for Life in July 2007 remembering that I had enjoyed running in my 20's. One 5k later and I was hooked again. I then joined forces with my Dad and Brother and entered a half marathon raising money for Kids Kidney Research. I trained hard and it was difficult, but I ran the Great West Run in my home town of Exeter, my first half marathon in 10 years in 2h10 minutes in May 2008. I did a couple of other shorter races and kept on running as a fitness thing. I loved it, I got grouchy if for whatever reason I missed a run, I ran the Great West again in May 2009 and got my time down to under 2 hours.

The weight loss benefits paid off and I reached the size I was aiming for, so running was no longer about weight loss and I needed a new challenge. So after watching the London Marathon in April last year I knew what I needed to do...

I have had set backs, I am the worlds clumsiest person so have hobbled with strappings on twisted ankles after slipping on mud or tripping over my own feet . Recently I had niggling illness after niggling illness and inability to run outside due to the coldest weather in 30 years. But I love running, I see myself as a runner, its in my blood.... which is why I coped with those first few difficult months where I did not look like a runner, I did not feel like a runner and certainly did my best to avoid anyone seeing me run.

So that is how it all began - but this is a log of my training for a specific race - the greatest race - The London Marathon so enough with the past, lets deal with the hear and now and look to the future