How did it start? Well, I'm glad you asked. It actually started in November with an email from one of my oldest and dearest friends, the lovely Elaine. Elaine had just started working for WorldVision and sent an email to all her contacts saying that WorldVision were looking for people to do the New York Marathon whilst raising $10 000 for the SEE Solutions project. Given my exercising history, I suspect Elaine meant for me to pass this email on to others but instead I took myself completely by surprise when I heard myself think 'I'm going to do that'.
Funnily enough, only a few weeks previously I had decided, quite out of character, that I was in need of a physical challenge and had chatted to some fellow school mums about maybe doing the City to Surf. We'd even met for coffee to discuss; which was just as well because that coffee suddenly morphed into 'currently in training for the City to Surf' when asked by Inspired Adventures about my running experience to date. To my non-running self, 42km and 12km couldn't be THAT much different. (Oh, what a sweet, naive, little couch dweller I was back then!)
Secondly, I had been a supporter of WorldVision for a long time and, like many people, was a big fan of the work they do. Being connected in to the legal profession and the private school network, I figured that I knew enough people who would be both willing and able to support the fundraising and donate to such a great organisation. (As it turns out, that was the easy bit; I clearly had no idea how generous people could be (see below!))
Sometimes these things pop up and for some reason, even though it comes completely out of left field, it's obvious that it's meant for you. And even though sometimes I wonder WHAT THE *&^% AM I DOING?????, I am really glad I took this on; I'm certainly going to miss it when it's over. There's something nice about having a really huge but tangible goal to complete. Even if it does involve running a ridiculously long way.
Speaking of running a ridiculously long way, I've mentioned before that the 'Non-Runners Marathon Trainer' emphatically states that first time marathoners should not set a time goal (even if I do secretly dream of beating Katie Holmes' 5:29:58). Unfortunately, the lovely Holly has recently drawn my attention to the Sweep Bus, a.k.a. the Bus Of Shame. The sweep bus follows the marathon route at a 6:30:00 marathon pace, allowing runners who've had enough to drop out. Check out some YouTube footage of the Bus here. If you're slower than the bus, the roads re-open and you have to continue on the footpath, sorry, sidewalk to the end. The Bus Of Shame has been giving Holly nightmares and frankly, it's freaking me out a touch now as well. So, even though it's against the NRMT rules, I am hereby setting myself a minimum goal of 6:29:00. Because I'm with Holly - I Ain't Riding No Bus of Shame.
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| Even if this guy ran the marathon slower than 6:30:00 I suspect he wouldn't actually fit in the Bus of Shame |
My shins seem to have healed up ok but it certainly knocked my confidence a bit. This weekend is the 10km Women's Classic at Burswood - that will be my longest run since my shinjury - so I am looking forward to seeing how the legs hold up.
And, finally, to end on the happiest of happy notes, donations to WorldVision are now at $10 211.00 with donations coming in every day, a fundraiser that hasn't even happened yet and some promised donations from some lovely cynics who just want to see me cross that line in November (fair enough!) I'm excited enough to aim for a new target of $15 000. And a HUGE thank you once again!!
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