Blog From A Broad

walking the walk



Since this will probably be the last post before the marathon tomorrow night, I thought I'd blather on about it now. I'm excited about it, but very nervous at the same time - I've never done anything like this before. I'm a 34-year-old slightly pudgy ex-smoker who will be walking for 13 miles starting at 11pm. I'm old. I don't do all nighters anymore (unless they involve transatlantic flights, and I get really grumpy afterwards). I'm not terribly athletic. I'm also a huge wimp. I think that I'll get caught up in the moment, energised by the excitement of 15,000 other walkers, and all will go well. We'll have chocolate; that's the only thing I need to keep me going.



I really need to thank a lot of people (in a non-Oscars ceremony kind of way, 'cos that's just annoying), in no particular order:

• All of you who made a donation. I am very happy to say that I will be handing over more than 1,000 pounds sterling plus the 1,000 euros (that's around 650 pounds) matched by Citrix. Your good luck wishes and support have meant the world to me.
  
  
• Extra smooches and hugs to Barbara, Wallace (and Julie), Adrian, Lisa H. and Lisa S. These are people who sponsored me, and who have never even met me. I also must mention my workmates from our office in Chalfont who also donated and sent brilliant notes of encouragement. Again, these are people who have never met me in person and yet shelled out some shillings for me. I cannot tell you enough how fabulous that makes you all.
  
  
• The Canadians - I know the exchange rate is horrible, and I never expected any donations from you because of that. You guys gave me ten to fifty (!) pounds each; I know that this made huge dents in your Canuck wallets. This goes for you gorgeous Americans too - I know that the exchange rate isn't exactly in your favour either.
  
  
• Chris G. and Dean who posted my marathon details to other sites. You two are stars.
  
  
• ...and I'd like to thank the academy for this lovely award. Oh, wait. Sorry.
  
  

And a man who gets a paragraph all to himself, my Paul. He trained with me since January, encouraged me when I swore with frustration during our lunchtime runs, rubbed my aching muscles, took me to the running shop to get a decent pair of trainers, listened to me whinge and complain more times than I care to remember, and supported me in countless other ways. He will be standing and waiting around for 3 hours before the walk starts, waiting around for another 3-3 1/2 hours for the walk to finish, and then will drive us back to Cambridge afterwards. I never needed to ask him for anything; he simply did all of this because he's such a fantastic person. The best, ever.



As an incentive for reading through all this soppyness, I shall show my appreciation by promising to post pictures here after the walk. Hooray for boobies!