Like many people, I have a list. In fact, I have several. Shopping, places I'd like to visit, general to-do and so on.
But this is The List - things to do before I die.
There are lots of things on it. Learn how to fly (a plane, rather than Superman style, although that would be awesome); have tea with Stephen Fry; build a hobbit house; visit Iceland to see the Northern Lights; learn how to do the splits... I also want to run the London marathon.
Yes, I know there are other marathons. Like many regular runners I find it amusing how people refer to 'The Marathon' and somehow expect you to know they are referring to London. As far as the distance is concerned, it is one race among many.
But there is something about London that sets it apart. Possibly the fact that it's a big city marathon. Possibly the level of support from the crowds - the cheering, the music, the 'motivational' banners.
Maybe it's the ethos of the event. It's pretty much been taken over by charity runners (it's the biggest one-day fundraising event in the world), so there's no fear of being the slow person at the back. The bigger fear is being beaten by the runner dressed as a canal boat, or a rhino.
As an aside, the rhino dude is likely to be at home with his feet up long before I finish. Wearing that costume is not for the faint-hearted! They weigh about 25lb, and the head has to be held in position for the duration of the run.
Anyhoo, I digress.
There is something about London that I've always wanted to be a part of. This marathon for me is not just about covering the distance. It's not about setting a certain time. I want to be there and soak it all in, so when I'm old and grey I can reminisce about the day I ran through the streets of London with 35,000 other runners. As daft as that may sound, it's on my Bucket List!
But, alas, year on year I've been unsuccessful in the ballot. Last year I was Smurfed. This year Ironman landed on my doormat, proclaiming 'sorry!'.
There are lots of things on it. Learn how to fly (a plane, rather than Superman style, although that would be awesome); have tea with Stephen Fry; build a hobbit house; visit Iceland to see the Northern Lights; learn how to do the splits... I also want to run the London marathon.
Yes, I know there are other marathons. Like many regular runners I find it amusing how people refer to 'The Marathon' and somehow expect you to know they are referring to London. As far as the distance is concerned, it is one race among many.
But there is something about London that sets it apart. Possibly the fact that it's a big city marathon. Possibly the level of support from the crowds - the cheering, the music, the 'motivational' banners.
Maybe it's the ethos of the event. It's pretty much been taken over by charity runners (it's the biggest one-day fundraising event in the world), so there's no fear of being the slow person at the back. The bigger fear is being beaten by the runner dressed as a canal boat, or a rhino.
As an aside, the rhino dude is likely to be at home with his feet up long before I finish. Wearing that costume is not for the faint-hearted! They weigh about 25lb, and the head has to be held in position for the duration of the run.
Anyhoo, I digress.
There is something about London that I've always wanted to be a part of. This marathon for me is not just about covering the distance. It's not about setting a certain time. I want to be there and soak it all in, so when I'm old and grey I can reminisce about the day I ran through the streets of London with 35,000 other runners. As daft as that may sound, it's on my Bucket List!
But, alas, year on year I've been unsuccessful in the ballot. Last year I was Smurfed. This year Ironman landed on my doormat, proclaiming 'sorry!'.
Rather than being sorry though, I was a little miffed. It is a ballot, and you can wax lyrical for days about the fairness of it. But I wanted a place, damn it! So rather than give up for another year I decided to go down the golden-bond route and find myself a charity place.
Golden bond places aren't actually that easy to come by. Big events such as the London marathon are massively oversubscribed (hence the ballot), and naturally so too are the charity places for these races. Fortunately, the charity VICTA accepted me.
I can’t imagine trying to navigate the world without sight. I’ve worn glasses since I was 10 years old – I have a fairly mundane case of short-sightedness. I would struggle to get myself out of the door in the morning without my specs on, let alone cope with a world of indistinguishable blurriness or total blackness.
I'm not unfamiliar with adversity. I spent the first 18 years of my life in a wheelchair. I was very overweight, very inactive and life was passing me by. Juvenile arthritis really isn’t fun. I was fortunate though – my condition went into remission, and with a lot of hard work I got out of my wheelchair and learnt to walk again. With a lot more hard work I found I was able to do a lot of the things I'd never dreamed of. Running is one of them.
In all honesty, I'm not sure why I've not done this before.
It appeals to my nature in so many ways, it seems like the best idea I've ever had (other than cheese and Marmite pancakes. Seriously, you should try them).
Fundraising for VICTA involves planning. I love planning. I like ideas, I like brain-storming (or should I say I like to have a 'Thought Shower' - a phrase I learnt in a corporate training session: I think it sounds vaguely dodgy...), I like to organise stuff. Fundraising requires a lot of planning, a lot of organisation, a lot of ideas. This is my calling!
My first foray into the world of fundraising will involve baking. Lots and lots of baking. And for those who know me, you'll know that this is a very pleasing scenario :) I LOVE to bake. I'll be hosting a stall at a Christmas market on December 13th, selling my wares to the good people of Birmingham.
So... I think I've rambled enough for my first blog post! I'll try and keep things updated so anyone with a vague interest in my adventure can see how things are going.
Oh yes, and if you do pop by (please leave a comment!) please remind me that I actually need to train...
Much love,
Sarah
