Note: To understand the story from the beginning click here.
Smithy (Charlotte), Gooders (Paul), Simpson (Hannah) and Slapp (Kev) – I salute you. Congratulations for your Marathon running skills on Sunday and to the efforts of all involved in the touching tribute to Boston. Huge amounts of respect for the runners.
I walked home from work the other day and my sweaty, red face told me that perhaps I will leave training for a marathon until a little later in life. Watch this (very long) space. Running is a bit like Marmite, I reckon. Some people really love it and some people really hate it (you know who you are, the I-left-my-kit-at-home crowd). I find running quite therapeutic – whack your headphones in, crank up the tunes and use the time to forget about about the day-to-day.
I say this like I am someone who runs a lot. Erm, not so much. The most running that I have done recently was when I outrageously decided to take on the Vertical Rush challenge with work. If you are wondering what the Vertical Rush challenge is, it’s running up 42 floors of a building (which BY THE WAY is 920 steps). It hurt.
The problem with running is in the getting started. Some nights after work I should get changed and run home. Or I could get the tube. Well, it would be rude not to use my travel card, would it not?!
I’m currently trying to shake off, what seems to be, a never-ending virus (thus why this is out later than planned). As soon as fitness (kinda) returns, running is on my agenda. Maybe I will go for a run in Central Park in NY? (Hey Caroline – pack your trainers.) I can give one of those running apps a go. I can see it now, the Nike app automatically posts to Facebook., ‘Rachael has run 0.01 miles today’ (due to an injury caused by doing her shoelaces up). Cue the invention of the ‘give it up’ button.
It was on Saturday 6th April that I was sat outside a coffee shop in London Fields when I experienced the first glimmer of sunshine England had seen all year. My phone went off and it was message from some avid runners. Meet Dan & Helen….
EMAIL:
Hi Rachael,
I’ve just found one of your postcards in the apartment we are staying in (near la Fourche metro station) and thought it was a great idea to honour your mother’s memory. I’ve attached a picture of myself and my wife (Helen) picking up our numbers today for the Paris marathon that we are running tomorrow.
In the picture we have just realised that an error on our entry form means the country we are running for is Albania, we are in fact from Sheffield. Would love to see the blog to see how the project has developed. Best regards,
Dan”
I laughed a lot. Hilarious. The photo was such a nice touch. They did it for Albania.
This postcard was found by Dan and Helen in the very same apartment that the Paris Crew and I had stayed in exactly 4 months before them and it was a beautiful surprise.
This was the couple’s first Marathon and they let me know their fantastic finishing times of 3:10 and 3:56. Believe it or not, Dan ran this with no training as he had suffered a fracture to his knee just 10 weeks previous. Dan – if you read this, please may you confirm whether you are a) a pro athlete or b) super human. That is ridiculous! (I bet Dan and Helen wouldn’t get the tube.)
Before I run off (pun totally intended), I just want to say thanks to Emerald Street for featuring my blog in their email newsletter on Tuesday and linking it on their website. The increase in traffic, followers and contact that I have received has been both considerable and wonderful and it has made me even more excited about the future of this blog. There will be no shutting me up.
To readers old and new,
A Friday farewell….
60 POSTCARDS 
Grateful for sharring this
Helen shared a link to this story with us at work and so I started reading the blog. After reading the first couple of posts I promised myself I would catch up by reading them at the same intervals of time which you had written them, therefore not catching up and having to wait for the next post…. Well it’s 24 hours since Helen sent the link and I’ve read them all, am totally inspired (to do what, I’m not yet decided… But totally inspired!), but now desperate for the next story…. I don’t know you or your mum, but from reading and immersing myself in your story I know your mum would be overflowing with pride! We’ve already decided at work this needs to become a film! (And you have a cast of willing extras from Sheffield!)
I’m really enjoying your blog! Thanks to Emerald Street for allowing me to discover your fantastic journey, what a brilliant idea! I love that through all of this you have made some wonderful new connections and friends…..your mum would be very proud!x