"Runs Again"?

I suppose it might not be self-evident why I've called my project "Marathon Sister Runs Again".  The "marathon" and the "sister" parts are probably reasonably self-explanatory, but maybe not the final two words.  So, if you're sitting comfortably, here's a little story. 

Once upon a time, that is, in November 2007, I entered the Religious of the Assumption as a postulant (that's the first stage of formation, before becoming a novice).  I lived in Kensington (sounds familiar) and worked in the garden and had some lessons while grappling with the most challenging element, to get accustomed to the community and prayer life of the sisters.  Around late summer 2008, with still another year as a postulant in prospect, I had a chat with the sister looking after me about my timetable.  An extra project seemed in order.  Maybe I could do some work in The Passage, the drop-in centre for homeless people near Westminster Cathedral, or find a shift in a charity shop?  Well yes, that would be OK, I responded, but how about something a little more individual?  For example, I suggested, how about running two marathons in two weeks to raise two thousand pounds each for two charities?  Let's be clear, I didn't seriously expect to get past the initial incomprehension and suspicion.  Yet somehow, it happened!  The Bungay Marathon was on 19th April 2009, and the London Marathon a week later.  Oh, and no, I hadn't run a marathon before that project.  Maybe if I had, I wouldn't have come up with the idea...  Or maybe I would; marathons do have a way of getting under your skin. 

All the same, a little basic maths should reveal that there's been a 5 year gap since then.  Well, I was in the noviciate, and when I got back I didn't want to be too demanding - such an enterprise creates a certain amount of extra work for the whole community.  Happily, when the suggestion was made to me and I expressed enthusiasm, the seal of approval was granted.  So here I am, running again!  Yes, that's it, Marathon Sister Runs Again.  It was pretty obvious, really. 

One thing differs from last time round.  I had quite a lot of time then, and threw myself into all sorts of fundraising schemes, with reasonable success.  Now, I'm relying more on hope than on action - as I said in my last post.  My fundraising page is still waiting for some more visits...  the address is on the side panel (look to the right!).  Next time I write, I hope to tell you a bit about the excellent charity I'm doing all this for, and the people they empower to lead happier and more fulfilled lives. 

Once again, thank you - for taking the time to read this - and for all your support. 

Countdown: 3 months to go

How can I avoid clichés about the speed of time passing in this post?  Yes, time has been passing more quickly than I could have imagined.  No, I don't know where it's gone.  Yes, there are three months to go.  No, I'm not well prepared!  But three months is long enough to do a lot, I hope!  Indeed, the training programmes offered by the London marathon organisers seem to be suggesting long runs of only 10-12 miles at this stage - that's a normal weekly run for me.  (Endurance, not speed, is the only thing I have going for me, but that's nevertheless quite a useful capacity for marathon running.)  So it could be considered that I'm doing OK.  I'm not sure I'm entirely convinced by the training programmes, though, which are designed for people who can train more frequently than I manage and which seem to expect a lot of progress in a short time.  All the same, my own training, a lot more haphazard but also a lot more gradual, is going as well as I might hope, and so far is achieving its main aim of avoiding injury while building up stamina and strength at least a bit.  Indeed, I managed a run of about 18 miles before Christmas, although "run" might not be a good description for what I was doing by the end.  So, I suppose you could say things are on track from that perspective.  I just need to get moving again after a few weeks of disruption and over-indulgence! 

For the fundraising aspect I'm less sure you could say that I'm up to speed.  It's going a bit slowly - and that's unsurprising I suppose considering the limited time I've spent on it.  Unfortunately, it comes back to my choice to take on this project in the final year of my degree; time is at a bit of a premium just now.  With fundraising, though, just as with training, haphazard and gradual is probably at least reasonably effective, and I know that there are quite a few people who are planning to make a donation but haven't managed to get round to it yet!  Maybe, if you're one of them, you could help ease my jitters by visiting my fundraising page?  And maybe, if you think this project has anything to recommend it, you could tell a friend about it? 

As always, thank you for all your help and support!   

Resolutions?

Although I'm not a great fan of New Year's resolutions, which mostly seem like another opportunity to have good intentions and fail, my ear was caught by the report of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's message for the start of 2014.  We should resolve, he thinks, to try to change the world around us.  Well, not much to ask, thought I!   But what does it mean to change the world?  Would considering my marathon effort to be world-changing come from an over-inflated sense of self-importance, or would it just be a recognition that we all change the world, every moment of every day?  Surely, the latter.  We all have free choice how to change the world: our little actions, our reactions, compassionate or judgemental, have an impact on those around us, and so, like ripples on a pond, on the whole of creation.  Often I'm disappointed with the choices I make, the opportunities I miss, my negative contributions to the world.  Yet these are off-set, let's hope, by moments of grace, the pleasure of generosity, the sense of community and communion which come from shared projects.  This marathon is not really mine; the contribution it will make to Catholic Children's Society is not really mine.  Alone, I could do very little.  So, as much as I hardly dare resolve anything, this year I hope I might: a.) recognise the mutual dependence of everyone in the world to make it a better place; b.) trust that my personal actions can, in communion with yours, achieve something worthwhile.  In this, as in everything, I will need your help.  I could also do with some reminders to get more sleep and to eat more healthily, if I'm going to manage 26.1 miles!  Are you in?  I hope so, because with you, a resolution might for once bear fruit.