This year Jo will be running the Virgin London Marathon for the Charity Refuge.
Below you can read about my journey from couch to marathon, about Refuge charity, and follow my fundraising efforts..
This year I am running the Virgin London Marathon for the Charity Refuge. I know that lots of people do this and that this is probably not a unique tale but there are two parts to my story for how I got here.
This time last year, I didn’t even run. I couldn’t have run to the end of my road. I was so out of shape, not overweight or anything just so unfit. I have been insulin dependent diabetic for 25 years this year and I always chose the frame of mind that balancing the science of blood sugar and insulin management was just too hard. Indeed it still is sometimes but I was persuaded by some friends to try the Couch to 5K introduction to running with a goal of completing the Great Manchester Run in May 2015.
I trained hard and overcame the plain old issues that affect runners physically but also began to manage my diabetes in a way that I never had. I ran the Manchester 10K and felt fantastic. It was about this time that fellow runners were talking about the London Marathon and not wanting to be left out, I thought I’d enter too, as a long term goal. Well here I am! In 9 weeks time I’ll be running 26 miles, and I’m told this is a huge achievement, it doesn’t feel like it to me as the increase in my physical fitness and health has been subtle, but then I just remind myself how I felt 12 months ago.
I was unsuccessful in a ballot place, so I opted to try for a Charity place. I chose Refuge for two reasons: in my line of work, I see far more domestic violence than you think is even possible in the small borough of Sefton, some of these assaults sadly ending in death, and/or removal of children into care as a result of emotional and physical abuse. There are still so many women out there who do not feel that they can escape abuse because the pattern of abuse leaves them feeling mentally and physically destroyed. I myself was brought up in a household where domestic violence was part of our lives. Imagine, as a small child, worried to say or do anything that ends up becoming violent, that sometimes included being to scared to go to the loo, eat or even come home from school. I was well versed in how to contact the police & ambulance services by the time I was 10 years old, sitting with a battered or suicidal parent.
Refuge supports victims and children of Domestic Violence to find a place that is safe to live and is free from abuse. I have pledged to raise £2000 for them but I need your help.For more information, or to sponsor Jo, click here .
If you’re interested in reading more about Refuge you can visit their website here .
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