Janathon: Day 16 - Back on track

After the completely failing to do anything Janathon-related yesterday, I knew I had to go all out on today's long run. So after sitting around on the sofa in my running gear, watching Bride Wars for longer than was necessary, I dug deep for some motivation and went out. It was another beautiful day, which definitely helped as I plodded up to Hyde Park. I decided to try a new route, which took me from the Marble Arch end of Hyde Park to the Bayswater end, down past Kensington Gardens, along the bottom of the park, past the Albert Memorial, then out of Hyde Park at Hyde Park corner, around Green Park, then back into Hyde Park and up to Marble Arch, then home.

It wasn't the easiest run, and it certainly wasn't non-stop. I mean, I had to stop to take these pictures for you:

13.57km later (according to my Nike+ sports band - 12.87km according to Nike+ Map It, must calibrate it on a track), I got home. I looked down, and saw this:

'Maybe I stepped in something?' I tried to rationalise. 'Maybe someone dropped something on my foot and I didn't notice?' 'Please don't be blood. Please don't be blood.' I willed. It was blood. And a very grim situation involving a toenail. I'll spare you the details and photos.

See how hard this training malarkey is? I'm not the only Team Bangs on the Run girl to suffer this fate (see how I'm not mentioning it?). So if you can spare a couple of pounds to support us and Refuge, you can do so on our JustGiving page.

Janathon: Day 5

I RAN! As you may be able to tell, I'm a little excited by it. I was only out of action for 4 days and I couldn't wait to get back on the road. I guess the running bug has finally bitten!

The 5am alarm call (I snooze for half an hour) did make me die a little inside - I hadn't woken up that early since before Christmas. But after a few seconds of poking myself in the belly (I find a little self-bullying comes in handy at times like this), I was up, changed and out. Because the foot's still not 100% better, I took it slowly, but managed my usual 5.23km route without any more pain. I'm going to try to extend that to 7km tomorrow morning, so I feel a little more prepared for this weekend's long run.

I wanted to share something I found in this month's Runner's World magazine. They interviewed Stefaan Engels, the mentalist who's running 365 marathons in a year. He said:

"I run just like Joe Average goes to work on Monday morning - whether I feel like it or not."

That's really stuck with me, and I think it's a great way to look at training, especially for an event. I'm really bad with self-discipline, and I reckon I need to start looking at my Paris half marathon training as something that I don't have a choice in. I go to work even when I don't feel like it (how often do we ever really feel like going to work?!), and it has to be that way with the training too. There's a half marathon to run at the end of all this!

While I've got you here, I want to say a massive THANK YOU to those of you who have sponsored Team Bangs on the Run. We're all training hard, and your donations really do keep us going, and will make us go faster! If you haven't sponsored us yet, and have a couple of pounds spare (check the back of the sofa) to give to Refuge, you can do your thing on our JustGiving page. Anything you can give really will make a difference - just take a look a where your money goes. 

Why sponsor us?

So now you know all about Team Bangs on the Run and Refuge, the fantastic charity we're supporting. But perhaps you'd like to know exactly where your money might go before you donate?

£10 could allow a woman to buy her child essential materials for school – many women arrive at Refuge with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and do not have the means to buy the things they need.
£50 could fund a session of play therapy for a group of four children, helping them to overcome the trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence.

£75 could fund a local support group session for women who have experienced domestic violence.

£200 could enable a Refuge Advocate to meet and to discuss and plan the escape or rescue of a woman identified as being at high risk of homicide or serious injury.

£500 could support a woman through a trial, helping her to give evidence against her abuser and keeping her and her children safe through the process. Advocates provide intensive support from the point of her partner’s arrest through to sentencing and beyond.

£5,000 could ensure that twenty prosecutions for offences relating to domestic violence take place which might otherwise have been dismissed, owing to lack of evidence or witnesses.

Refuge support 1,500 women a day in their refuges and community outreach schemes across the country. If you'd like to donate to Team Bangs on the Run for Refuge, drop by our JustGiving page. And if you are kind enough to sponsor us, don't forget to leave a comment in the box below or leave your twitter name on the JustGiving page so we can give you some love!

A massive THANK YOU to those of you who have already donated!