Lucy talks on her amazing running journey and why she has chosen to support Beacon at the world’s biggest half marathon.
Check out Lucy’s Give as You Live page.
It was hard. I had seriously underestimated the amount of mental strength required to push through when your legs wanted to stop, to keep breathing when your lungs were screaming and to not look at the time or distance and feel pathetic.
My first goals were a 5k with no walking, then a sub-30 minutes. These goals came and went and still I ran, a sub 25 in the back of my mind, which I am still to achieve. I purchased my first pair of proper running trainers following a gait analysis and like many new runners completed a park run.
A lot of other things happened that year, I moved house, started a new job, and joined a new hockey club, but I carried on running despite the fact there were now other activity options. This also led to meeting new people, one of which is a running inspiration to me. They started a Friday run club after work, a social thing mainly, which normally ends at the café with a drink and pastry! It was on these runs I started to actually enjoy myself and realise it isn’t all about distance or pace, new metrics become more important. A key new one that has been introduced to me is DPM (dogs per mile), bonus points if you get to pet one.
It was on one of these runs that the idea of a half marathon was presented, the Oxford Half, where we could run and train together and keep each other motivated. A few of us signed up. A few weeks later when talking to my sister Philippa, who used to work for Beacon, she mentioned that there was an opportunity to run for them, a half marathon, in Newcastle. It was like many things fell into place.
Not only is this a chance to raise money for an incredible charity but also raise awareness of the patients and their families living with rare diseases, the resources available to those who may need them, and what more can be done to provide treatments and therapies to improve their quality of life.
The Great North Run will mark a major milestone for me however I haven’t set a time goal because what I most want is to enjoy the experience and help Beacon continue their essential work. That achievement will be worth more to me than any time ever could.
The world’s biggest half marathon for the world’s rarest patients!
Thank you so much to Lucy for choosing to run for Beacon. We are all behind you!
Check out Lucy’s Give as you Live page.
It is with support like this that means we can continue to ensure that no one walks their rare disease journey alone.
