300km for Dementia UK

Well that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life! It was an emotional run and I shed a few tears when I completed the race from sheer exhaustion and happiness that I had completed the distance. It was even more special as I had Raf, Amelia and Fox as well as my Mam and Dad to cheer me on at the finish line which is somewhere I never thought I would get to after the week I had with illness and injury. But I am glad that I was stubborn and completed the distance even though I am in so much pain today! I have since been to the doctor and am on painkillers and anti-inflammatories to help with the muscle sprain below my ribs and am aiming to be out running again in the next couple of days. It has got me slightly terrified about the marathon which is only three short weeks away as I don’t know where I am going to find those extra six miles from. But I will do it, I have no doubts about that. Even if I have to crawl across the finish line! And did I mention that I...

It has been a really tough month in my marathon training and I am hoping my luck will change NOW! After the success of the Hampton Court Half Marathon I unfortunately had to take nine days off training due to a bad cold. Whilst I was annoyed that I was ill I thought “Well at least I am getting the illness over with now” I was wrong! Raring to go after my forced rest the Beast from the East had me running in -4 temperatures and forcing me into the gym to run on the treadmill which I absolutely hate. I managed to get out and run 16 miles once the snow had melted before being hit with the flu on Mother’s Day. We are 13 days on from then and I still have a chesty cough and have managed to pull the muscles around my ribs from coughing which is painful to say the least. Tomorrow is the Bedford 20. ‘20 Miles of Magic’ supposedly although I am currently sceptical! So what do I do? Should I withdraw from the race because running probably isn’t the best idea right now or should I give it a go...

Slightly red faced after the Hampton Court Half Marathon This morning I had the pleasure of getting up at 5:30am and travelling to Hampton Court  for my first half marathon of the challenge. It was absolutely freezing when we arrived but by the time the race started the sun had come out and it was perfect running conditions. Despite arriving only thirty minutes before the gun went off and navigating my way through the insanely long lines for the toilets, I was ready to go at 8:30 am and start my run around the Thames Ditton area accompanied by a slightly wheezy Batman and a gentleman who loudly shouted encouragement to himself when things got tough! The first half of the race was fairly sedate but I managed to push through the second half and storm down the finish coming in at 2:03:32 which was over ten minutes faster than my current PB. Woo hoo! It only got better when I looked into my goody bag and discovered a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer! That made all the pain worth it. The hou...

Love Welwyn Garden City 10k This morning was my second 10k of the challenge and was a world away from the mud bath of two weeks ago. The sun was shining and there was minimal mud and hills which suited me down to the ground! It actually felt pretty easy and I was surprised how quickly I was getting around the course and was so excited to cross the finish at 55:32; a full 7 1/2 minutes quicker than Harpenden two weeks ago and an all time 10k PB! I have been suffering with shin splints in the past week which has me worried when I have so much distance to cover but it was great to see that it didn’t bother me too much in the race. Onwards and upwards to my first half marathon which is next Sunday. Eek! It has been fantastic watching the sponsors mount up so a big thank you to Laura Mackay, Claire Anastassiou, Ashley Berglund Buscanera, Wilf Francis and Brenda Francis. Your donations are ensuring that Admiral Nurses can continue to work with those suffering with dementia and prov...

I don’t like cross country. Ive never liked cross country. And so when I arrived at Harpenden 10k this morning and realised it was a cross country course a little part of me died inside. Coupled with lots and hills and mud it wasn’t going to make for an enjoyable run. Within two minutes of starting the race I was transported back to Year 7 cross country with Miss Jacques where we were forced to run around the cliffs of Whitburn. I didn’t like it then and it wasn’t much better today. But it is all for a good cause so I pushed myself around the four laps of the course slipping and sliding in the mud on the way. It was only around the half way point that I realised that the course was short. I dont know if it wasn’t measured correctly or whether the people I were following were cutting off corners but as I got to the last lap I had a decision to make. I wanted the race to be over but also, since this challenge is based on distance, felt I was cheating myself and my sponsors if I didn’t ...

I completed the first 5k of my challenge on Saturday at Bedford Parkrun. It was raining....a lot! So I managed to drag my freezing cold and wet behind around the course in 29:24 placing 233rd out of 418. Not my best time but definitely a good place to start. I am planning on doing the Parkrun every month this year and hopefully with some more training and some better weather I will look less of a mess than I do in this picture! Please visit my fundraising page and help support me in this challenge. I am still looking for that first donor to get me started. Will you be the first??   https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenFrancis10

I am in my second week of training and I cannot remember how it feels to not be in pain! With running three times a week and doing circuits twice a week I am certainly regretting the Christmas indulgence (actually I’m not, it was totally worth it). My first half marathon is only four weeks ago and I am a little bit scared but hopefully once the first one is done, the others wont seem so bad. Fingers crossed! I am doing Parkrun Bedford on Saturday for the first time which will kick off my challenge and bring me 5k closer to my target. Only 195k to go after that! If you are willing and able then please support me on this challenge and donate whatever you can to Dementia UK using the following link: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HelenFrancis10 There is also more information on there as to why I am doing this challenge and why it is so important to me. If you want to know more about the charity then please follow this link: https://www.dementiauk.org/ Thanks for reading and se...