Skip to accessibility (Image)

SWIPE RIGHT/LEFT FOR NEXT/PREVIOUS PAGE

Click 'accept cookies' below to remove this message

Previous Page (Image)
GPN (Image)
 

Gnosall Parish News

Produced by publishers of The Popular Village Monthly


 

THE GNOSALL GLOBETROTTERS

LONDON MARATHON GNOSALL GLOBETROTTERS 2024

(Mike on his training swim!).jpg (Image)
(Mike on his training swim!).jpg
Running story of Michael Williams: Despite running for years, I have learnt there is a difference between running, and running a marathon. When I got lucky and managed to secure a ballot place for the London Marathon in 2024, I was already running consistently, at least one half marathon a month as well as about two runs each week. After being awarded the place though, my running has become a lot more serious. I decided I would do a full training program to run a marathon in December, so London wouldn’t be my first. This started out very well, I read multiple books, learning about strategies and diets and most importantly about training plans. All I did was run, early in the morning, late at night, in 3 different states in the US whilst travelling with work, and boring everyone I spoke to about running distance and routes.

The plan unfortunately didn’t go as well as I hoped. After a 19 mile run one weekend I had a pain in my left foot. If I was sensible, I would have rested and let it heal, but I was away and bored so did three runs that week. After the second I knew something didn’t feel right and after the third I really knew it. This injury held me back from running for weeks only being able to do shorts distances and seeing a physio multiple times to try to correct it. I therefore didn’t run my first practice marathon and London will be my first.

I have started the same training program again and although some illness at the beginning interrupted it, I’m now back on track. Perhaps being a bit more careful than I was the first time as I have seen how quickly an injury can come on and stop you in your tracks.

I’ve been saying for the last few years I wanted to complete a marathon before I turned 40, so I am very excited to have this amazing opportunity, but I do look forward to a rest in May already.

Running story of Maria Kershaw: Like many runners, I enter the London Marathon ballot every year without ever seriously contemplating running 26 miles, so I once again breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the ‘Not this time, Maria’ email last July. Fast forward to December and the exciting news that the Gnosall Globetrotters had been awarded a London Marathon place…which I won! And then promptly burst into tears and believe me, they weren’t tears of happiness!

(Maria and her running buddies).jpg (Image)
(Maria and her running buddies).jpg
I’m not a long‐distance runner, I just enjoy a twice‐weekly plod around the village catching up with friends. Having just turned 50, with arthritic knees and chronic Reynaud’s, running 26 miles was surely an insurmountable challenge?!

It was a colleague at work a couple of days later who completely changed my mindset, reminding me that I had overcome far bigger challenges in life and this was simply a very long run. I thought back to this time 20 years ago when I was seriously ill, undergoing an aggressive course of chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and it dawned on me that many people will never have the privilege of good health to be able to contemplate running a marathon.

And so my journey to London began. I’m taking it one day at a time and with the support and company of my wonderful running buddies, including many Globetrotters, training is underway. As expected, it’s not exactly a walk in the park (excuse the pun!). My legs often feel as if they are about to fall off from the DOMS and I don’t think I will ever relish a pre‐work 6am run in sub‐zero temperatures!

(Globetrotters family).jpg (Image)
(Globetrotters family).jpg
Slowly but surely, my distance is increasing and whilst 26 miles still feels totally overwhelming at times, you can rest assured that I am giving this my very best shot and one way or another, I aim to make it to The Mall on 21st April.

This will be the only marathon I will ever do, so I am fundraising for two wonderful causes, Blood Cancer UK and the Sam Myatt Memorial Fund: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maria‐running‐london

Next Page (Image)