Flora London Marathon	Edinburgh Marathon
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Overview

Hi everyone!

In summer 2006 I looked like this:

I'd lost 3 stone with Slimming World, and was about to run my first 5k race. Not long after I signed up to run the London Marathon, something I'd wanted to do since watching Peter Duncan run the first one on Blue Peter as a kid, and then stopped running for the summer.

The following April I looked like this:

I'd regained the 3st, and more. The dismal experience was the complete opposite of what I'd always dreamed, and I stopped running for the summer - again.

I didn't give up though, and rejoined Slimming World, shifted some of the weight and started up the running again. This time I trained using a run/walk programme, and it paid off with pb's at the Reading Half and Edinburgh Marathon, and much better experiences.

Edinburgh was the real turning point, and unlike after London when I stopped running, I was out only 6 days later running 2 miles non-stop. I haven't looked back since, and am now training to run without the walking, and am getting faster (having lost over 4 stone as of September 2008). My pace has gone from around 15/16 minute miles to around 11:00 mins, and I'm aiming to get that to under 10 minute miling by my next marathon.

I have just completed the New Forest Half, only walking through the drinks stations and up 3 small bits of hills. I never thought I would be able to run 13.1 miles almost non-stop. Losing the weight has given me so much confidence in my abilities, and I've had some overwhelming support from fellow bloggers. Things can only get better from here.

I currently look like this:

My advice to anyone thinking about running (or taking on any challenge that may initially seem unattainable) is to just go for it. Don't worry about your size, or your speed, or what other people think, but smile at the fact that you are the one out there making the effort. If you persevere it will get easier. Even if you don't succeed at first, keep trying and you will get there, and will learn so much on the way.

"The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start"

- John "The Penguin" Bingham

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My races
(pb's highlighted)

5k
16.7.05 - Race for Life - 58:00
17.7.06 - Race for Life - 36:00

10k
8.7.07 - Leukaemia Research Bananaman Chase - 1:35:08
9.3.08 - Exbury Gardens 10k - 1:21:25
15.3.09 - Exbury Gardens 10k - 1:06:18

10m
25.2.07 - Bramley 10 - 2:28:46
15.2.09 - Bramley 10 - 1:52:41

Half marathon
18.3.07 - Silverstone Half - 3:30:38
2.3.08 - Reading Half - 3:23:13
21.9.08 - New Forest Half - 2:37:39
29.3.09 - Reading Half - 2:39:00

Marathon
23.4.07 - London Marathon - 8:07:11
25.5.08 - Edinburgh Marathon - 6:44:05 

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My races
(Sahara Challenge races in orange, races entered in bold)

11th October 2009 - Great Eastern Run
15th November 2009 - Gosport Half
21st February - High Legh 10k
March 2010 - Exbury 10k
25 April 2010 - London Marathon (subject to entry)
July 2010 - London to Bournemouth cycle
October 2010 - Snowdonia Marathon
May 2011 - Comrades Ultramarathon
Spring 2012 - Marathon des Sables
 July 2012 - John O'Groats to Land's End cycle
Spring 2013 - 6633 Ultra

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I have also started a blog specifically to chart the progress of the Sahara journey (a mammoth 4 year fundraising adventure):
3, 2, 1, GO! Sahara!

And I have a triathlon blog that had to be put on hold for 2008, but I will start the training soon for the southampton Fast Twitch sprint Tri, with th long term aims being half IronMan and full IM to celebrate turning 40.
Uno, duo, tri

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