My Activity Tracking
2,183
kms
My target 200 kms
Day 4: The Blimmin Hill
Day 4: The smell of Lynx Africa wafted up the stairs as I lay in bed, not quite yet ready for Monday.
It could mean only one thing - school has begun and the big one was diligently getting into his school uniform. He looked smart and handsome, chrome book on lap checking his timetable, as I entered the kitchen. As we waved him off, his football tucked under his arm in readiness for play, I felt simultaneously a pang of sadness and pride. My little boy is becoming an adult.
For the small one it’s an inset day today so normal routines haven’t quite yet resumed. Leaving him in front of Teen Titans I thought I’d get my run in before a day out we have planned.
Todays route, 5.4K, started in Maryon Park, wound round the Woolwich Barracks and Charlton House and ended with the steep Blimmin Hill running alongside Maryon Wilson Park. And it made me remember a story of that big school boy when he was just 3 years old, sat on the loo wrestling with a stubborn number 2.
“ I wish this blimmin poo would come out” Owen had said, big eyes watering as he strained.
“Try not to say that word darling, it’s not very nice” I said
“You say it.” said Owen “you say Blimmin Hill”
I nodded. “I do, you are right.”
“But I know another word” he proffered, face turning a deeper shade of puce.
“Oh what’s that?” I asked innocently.
“F**kinghell” said my sweet three year old, tear of exertion falling into his lap.
https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/melanieprecious/run-100k-september
Day 3
Day 2 and 3 of our 200k challenge has proven tricky… not just physically but rather logistically.
During a normal school/work week my routine would ordinarily be: walk with Simon and Adam on the school run as far as the park, say goodbye to Adam and pop 6k (or 3k and some weights) under the belt before the team meet.
At a weekend it’s all a bit off kilter - balancing children and chores - so yesterday I found myself trying to do an 8k after a cinema visit with the boys and their friends (involving a twix and stolen - from Owen - Skittles) followed by an Ikea hot dog meal. It was hard going (🤢) and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Similarly todays run had to be squeezed in after a lovely cocktail fuelled Saturday night with friends followed by a hangover-reducing shakshuka breakfast. Again, not ideal circumstances.
So we opted, as you do, to run to the pub avec children on wheels and with our new, favourite version of Uno in the backpack. It was mostly successful - ankles are all still in one piece ….and probably a formula to be perfected and repeated over the course of the next 28 days of this challenge.
So 19km racked up this weekend between us.
We are making a hole in our target… if you’d like to sponsor us (which makes us run faster) please do!
https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/melanieprecious/run-100k-september
Day One: 14K on the clock
It's day one and our strategy is to front load this challenge - so I put 6k on the clock and Simon added 8. Mine was a riverside run - down the Thames Path to the Peter Burke statues that (FUN FACT) everyone (including me) mistakes for Gormley.
Simon ran around Woolwich Common and Charlton Park ("The route I always take when I can't get a bike ride in" he said. Listen to this fitness junkie who 6 months ago had never run a step in his life. He once almost fell off the cross trainer when I took him to the gym wearing walking shoes as he had forgotten his trainers - and another time he pretended to be deaf after a spin class when the trainer asked him why he hadn't heeded a single instruction she had yelled at him throughout but instead had plodded on at a consistent pace for the full 30 minutes.)
Now, I am going to pretend to you that this challenge is a joint thing - in partnership ..team work makes the dream work.
But.
We all know that that extra 2k (deets texted to me smugly at 3pm) absolutely infuriated me and I now see this as a duel.
Bring it on Precious.
The Challenge!
Simon and I reckoned, having covered 10k a day (combined) in the two weeks we were in Southwold, that we can achieve the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity challenge of 100k in September - an average of about 3.3k a day. So together our target is 200k and we'd love to raise at least £1 a kilometre. A km has got to be worth a £ right?!
However, my wonderful friend works in the pediatric A&E ward at Homerton and the work they do there is vital too. So I personally pledge to donate £200 to Homerton in addition to anything we can raise for GOSH.
Will you help support? I'd love it if you would.
Me "Owen we need a picture of Dad and I running for our fundraising page"
Owen "Great - i'll direct. Ok. Left foot, yes, tallest one always on the left. Great. Good. Oh. Mum - I think I got your pyjamas in it..."
Wish us luck.
We are running 200K in September for GOSH Charity!
We are challenging ourselves to run 100 kilometres this September to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity).
Every day brings new challenges at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Every day, around 750 seriously ill children and young people are seen at GOSH from all over the UK for life-changing treatment and care. Every day, doctors and nurses battle the most complex illnesses, and the brightest minds come together to achieve pioneering medical breakthroughs.
And with every kilometre we run, we’ll be helping GOSH Charity give seriously ill children the chance of a better future.
This extraordinary hospital has always depended on charitable support, so please help me to achieve my goal by giving whatever you can; no amount is too small to make a difference.
