Looks like I really am doing this!

I'm excited today, because my stuff arrived from Brain Tumour UK, which makes me feel like this is really going to happen. They sent me my tshirt, which I love, and a couple of banners and advice on fundraising.

Ed, my boyfriend, has decided to do the run with me, which I'm really pleased about. I think it will really help me to keep going when it gets hard, because he's a lot fitter than me!

I'm planning a trip over to Up and Running in Birmingham this week, to get myself properly fitted for some good running shoes. They do gait analysis and all that malarkey, so I may just get away with having flat feet and knocked knees. Having the right shoes is super important (so I am told) so hopefully they will make a big difference to how painful the run is.

So all in all, it's becoming more and more real by the day, and I'm getting more nervous by the day, thinking that I have to train so much. I'm really starting from nothing, and some people have questioned whether it's such a good idea. I have friends who can run 5 to 10k without a thought, and even they say they'd be nervous about a half marathon.

I've also just been on a hen-do over the weekend, and I think I've broken myself pretty badly, but I still need to get out running. The amount of commitment it's going to take is starting to dawn on me!

Update: went for a run tonight, after downloading an Android app called Cardio Trainer, which is great! It told me how long and far I had run, showed me my route on a map and even told me how many calories I'd burned at the end. I managed to run a little quicker and with no slowing down this time, even if it was only 1.6km. Gotta start somewhere! I'm looking to add a little to that this week, going up to 2km next week.

Sponsor me here: http://www.justgiving.com/cassieleedham/

run number two, amongst other things...

So today is three years exactly since my mum died, and it is also the day that it has been confirmed that I am running for brain tumour UK and there's something "right" about that.

My second run was a 10th minute run, followed by another, slightly shorter run, with a rest in between. What i found really interesting was how good it felt when I ran the second time. My body felt lighter and I really felt strong. It was fun! I hope that getting good at running will feel like that, even when I've been going for an hour. I just hope I have enough discipline to get through the tough bits...

My first donation!

My donations/sponsorship form is now up - http://www.justgiving.com/cassieleedham

And some lovely person has already donated! They didn't tell me who they are though, so I can't thank them personally. But thank you, whoever you are!

Day one: the first run

Almost exactly three years ago (it will be on the 19th of August), my awesome Mum died from an incurable and terminal type of brain tumour - a GBM 4. Since then, life has been far from easy, and dealing with losing her has been almost impossible at times. When you're trying to deal with something like this, I think it really helps to have a goal in life; something to drive you forward, to fill your brain space in the darker moments and to make you feel like the future is plausible and positive.

So, what I've come up with is this: run a half marathon. Really? Me? Yes. Me. I get horrible chest pain when I run for more than 10 minutes. I have flat feet and a bad back. But more importantly than any of that, I need this.

Also, this gives me a fantastic opportunity, to raise money, and indeed awareness, for brain tumour charities. Cancer gets plenty of coverage, but the majority are the better known cancers like breast, prostate and leukemia.

I'm going to be running, hopefully, for the charity Brain Tumour UK, in memory of my mum and my uncle John, both of whom we lost to GBM 4 brain tumours in recent years. I'm of the opinion that brain tumour research needs a lot more investment, as many types remain a death sentence for the sufferer, and a painful journey for their families and loved ones. The longest I've ever run is 5k for the race for life, but as my mum's favourite song was "keep on running" it seems like a fitting way to raise some money in her memory.

So I went for my very first run tonight. Well, the first run I've done with the knowledge that in less than a year, I need to be fit to run a half marathon. A pretty daunting prospect to say the least. Tonight I jogged round the block, which took about 15 minutes, and I was surprised that I felt ok doing it. I've never been a good runner and I've got no stamina whatsoever, so running for ten minutes feels like an achievement!


I'll be putting a donation button on here soon, so if my story has any impact, please do donate or sponsor me.

Cassie x