PREP RACES IN 2005-HALF MARATHON + 16 MILES

In order to get the extra milage in I have signed up for a couple of races in the New Year.

Reading Half Marathon on Sunday 6th March 2005 10.30am

adidas Breakfast run-16 miles Sunday 20th March 2005 8.30am

You can sponsor me online for either of these races at www.justgiving.com/michellesmarathon where the additional Gift Aid bonus will boost the amount raised.

Many thanks to all my sponsors for your generous donations!

RunLondon Nike 10k-GO NOCTURNAL-28 Nov '04

Training officially started on Wednesday 6th October the day after I signed up for the race. It consisted of a 20 minute jog in the gym. Man I'm unfit! With 6 weeks training to 'run' into my legs start date being November 28th 2004.



There were 5 races with 6,000 runners in each (that's 30,000 runners!), with the first starting at 7pm and the others at 30 minute intervals. Having run this distance only once before (Run London in Richmond Park 2 years ago) my aim was to beat the 60 minute barrier-that placed me in teh 4th out of 5 races at 8.30pm on a sunday evening in the middle of winter...ouch!

Click here to view the race course.

I recall the start of my training two years ago when running for 5 minutes was an obstacle, with a few walks and the Trek to Peru for ActionAid earlier this year under my belt I opted to follow the intermediate training course set out by RunLondon.

ActionAid-fighting poverty together

ActionAid are one of the UK's largest overseas development charities, working with over 5 million people in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.



The money raised will help secure poor people's most basic rights to clean water, food education, shelter and healthcare and provide much needed aid for places currently in crisis.

Read more about ActionAid http://www.actionaid.org.uk/ registered charity no 274467

Donating Online-via justgiving and Shopping Online

There are a few ways that you can help me reach my £1500 Marathon goal for ActionAid

DO YOU SHOP ONLINE?

Help raise money for ActionAid by shopping at

http://www.fundappeal.com/mmitch

Every time you make a purchase from one of our listed
retailers up to 15% of the sale price is donated to my London Marathon bid for ActionAid.



Our webshop contains over 300 top retailers including Tesco, HMV, Argos, WHSmith, John Lewis, Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, EBAY, Dixons, PC World, Jessops and many many more.

The other way is to donate money online via my justgiving account.



The marathon is 26.2 miles so:

50p a mile = £13.10
£1 a mile = £26.20

If you are a UK taxpayer, the gift aid is worth 28% extra at no cost to you.

An example of where this money would go:
£58 could feed one child at a shelter in India for a year
£100 could run a medical unit treating over a 100 people

Many thanks for your support!

Picture of me taken after Cancer Research 5k in May 2004

Welcome to my London Marathon blog

Hi there

Welcome to my Flora London Marathon blog. On 17th April 2005 I will be "competing" in the Flora London Marathon on behalf of ActionAid.

ActionAid are one of the UK's largest overseas development charities, working with over 5 million people in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The money raised will help secure poor people's most basic rights to clean water, food education, shelter and healthcare and provide much needed aid for places currently in crisis.

To gain entry to the marathon, I have to raise £1,500 - if you would like to help me reach this goal then you can donate online via http://www.justgiving.com/michellesmarathon

The marathon is 26.2 miles so:
50p a mile = £13.10 £1 a mile = £26.20

If you are a UK taxpayer, the gift aid is worth 28% extra at no cost to you.

An example of where this money would go:
£58 could feed one child at a shelter in India for a year
£100 could run a medical unit treating over a 100 people

Over the next few months I am going to keep a log of my training, racing I am running and my fundraising process.

Many thanks to all those that have helped me so far.
Thanks for your support.
Michelle