London Marathon 2016: Job done.

2016 London Marathon done, not a personal best time but pretty decent at 04:24 given everything else I have had on my plate.....

It was emotional at points, being out on the course for over four hours gives you a lot of thinking time but I was lifted by all the people lining the route, especially my friends from ShootingStar-Chase Hospice and from the Wimbledon Windmilers Running Club.


My lovely friend Jan was at the finish line with Theo, Andy had helped Jan run the local youth club for a year (I say helped, he mainly swapped jokes with the teenagers while Jan did all the hard work!) and it was Jan who helped with so many practicalities of Andy's funeral and memorial service.

We went over to the charity reception and I was greeted with a rousing cheer as a I walked through the door.  Andy's friend Lee was waiting there for me.  He had finished the marathon 2 hours earlier in an incredible time of 2:27.  Lee was a former work colleague of Andy and had been inspired by Daisy's story, he has previously run a 24 hour race for the hospice and on marathon day he gave me a very special gift to give her, his marathon medal.

Daisy was so happy to have her own marathon medal thanks to Lee, it's hanging in pride of place over her bed

Xanthe & Jules joined us at the charity reception, I was so proud of my three oldest children.   Two years previously we had all been together in the same place, a family of six. Now Andy was gone and Daisy was in respite  as she just does not cope well in crowds any more.

The biggest surprise was when I got home.  My  friends were all waiting for me with champagne and nibbles.  They knew how tough it would be to come back to an empty house. Thank you so much to my lovely friends, always there when I need them.

I promised Andy I would run London again for him and I'm so proud that despite everything I got out there and trained, even when I wanted to give up.  Andy knew I wouldn't have given up.  Thanks to my wonderful sponsors I have raised over £4,600 in Andy's memory, such a fitting tribute to my darling husband.  

I cried a bit while I ran but I smiled a lot as I  remembered all the good times we had, all the laughs, all the fun. 

Oh, by the way, I have been adjusting Andy's old road bike to fit me , I've entered the London duathlon, well it would be such a shame for it to just sit there gathering dust.....

Onwards and upwards as the man said.