THE MARATHON

In 1984, mum, aged 40, ran the London Marathon. It was such a massive highlight of her life and she was proud as punch to have done it. Below, in the photo, you can see her with my dad, Sam, his brother Bill and best friend Damon. She went to the hairdressers that morning and sorted the name labels so that the crowd could push them along.

I hadn't planned on going in to visit mum today in the care home, but, as soon as I heard the theme music on the Marathon tele coverage, I couldn't resist. It felt more important to go today than Christmas or Easter somehow. So I dug out the t-shirt that was given to finishers 40 years ago and headed down there with some 0% wine.

​She looked frail, tired and red around the eyes when I got there. As soon as I told her story to her wonderful carers, one of them, Luliana, flicked off whatever dreary was on the tele in the common room and found BBC Iplayer marathon coverage.  Hearing the music, Mum walked towards the massive screen, her arms in the air, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was so thrilled.......and furious with those who'd nodded off after lunch!

Mum's mara inspired me to do the same, and I too completed it in 2010. The best day of my life! A wonderful emotional rollercoaster that I felt so comfortable doing I wanted to go round again! So important to acknowledge that running is more than just a race day. Just like life, it's about pushing yourself, constantly moving forward, setting targets, dealing with injuries, joining communities and rising to each and every challenge. The highs, the lows, never staying still- taking it all in our stride. Without the crowd, the encouragement, it would be so much harder. It's so important for us to buzz each other up, in every aspect of our life.  Stuff the chitter chatter, meet for pow wows with buddies- help them to feel pumped and proud- we are the spring boards for our loved ones.