‘Hi, Gary and I have just signed up for Loch Ness Marathon its on World Cerebral Palsy Day we’re going to do it for Amber, fancy it?’
Three things you should know
1) The above was said in a phone call from my sister Cheryl who is famous for signing up for races and not actually ever running them -including one just 3 weeks before this phone call.
2) I have been very vocal about the fact that the marathon was a bucket list tick, I had no intentions of ever running that distance again.
3) My awesome little niece Amber has Cerebral Palsy.
[say no, say no, say no] ‘Yes, of course I’ll sign up tonight’ [why did you say that?!]
One of my goals for 2019 was to run more half marathons I had just run 3 within 8 weeks so guessed was half ready to take on this challenge (much more ready than the last time). I downloaded a free marathon training programme from Runners World.
I already had a space at Great Scottish Run(half marathon), which was the week before Loch Ness Marathon but my training plan had 12 miles for that day so I decided I’d keep my place. I was then offered a FREE place at Great North Run(half marathon) through the company I work for, its a ballot to get a place and one of, if not, the most expensive half marathons at £56 so…naturally I said YES… even although it was 4 weeks before Loch Ness!!
And so my challenge was born…
September 8th GNR/September 29th GSR/October 6th Loch Ness Marathon
4 WEEKS -3 RACES-2 HALF MARATHONS- 1 FULL MARATHON
I ran for Craighalbert Centre where Amber has a place on the early intervention programme and my Sister and Brother-in Law ran for Bobath who also provide invaluable therapy for Amber.
If you follow me on Instgram you’ll know my challenge has been completed but I really just wanted to document it for myself.
That Extra Inch 