The starting line

This is the very first blog I've written and I'm hoping this blog will chronicle the ridiculous few months I have ahead of me.

Why?

Briefly:
Our best man and my husband's best ever friend died suddenly on February 25th this year. He was 38. Essentially, he died of a heart attack. At 38. And Mark was a fit, football crazy, golf mad, sport loving man who even worked for a sports organisation. We've been devastated by losing him.
It's wrong that young people die of heart disease. It's wrong that middle aged people die of heart disease. It's wrong that we don't understand enough about congenital heart conditions and premature onset of cardiovascular disease and so much more.

So......
I'm running the London Marathon in 2012 for British Heart Foundation in memory of the very wonderful Mark Versey.

You might think "Well that's lovely Lizzy, but what's the big deal? Loads of people run the London Marathon every year. 37, 000 of them to be precise."

Well, I can't run.

I mean it. At school I always ran the 100m (shortest distance possible) and if possible got out of sports day with some music commitment excuse. I tried to play goal shooter at netball (less running). I hung about on the wing at hockey and looked sheepish. At the gym I avoid the scary treadmills and favour aerobics or Zumba or ballet fit (when I actually drag my rather chunky bottom off the settee). Last year I watched my husband run the marathon and was so inspired I thought I'd give jogging a try. I found I was generally more successful at walking. I've even forced myself on a "Learn to run" course.

So this will be the blog of how a non-runner learns to run a marathon. Not because I enjoy running (I hate it) but because it seems appropriate that I do something that's a real challenge to celebrate the life of Mr Mark Versey and to raise vitally important funds for research into heart disease.

Next time..... the training plan.