Recently I've noticed a pattern in the typical kinds of questions I get asked by people - those wanting to start running, runners building up to marathon distance and nutters like me interested in taking on a multi-marathon challenge! Whatever your goals, I'm always happy to help to the best of my knowledge so feel free to get in contact, here, here, here or here :)! 

In the meantime, here are the 11 questions I get asked most often... 

What does a typical week look like for you? With my marathons often being so close together I don't have a 'typical' week - I try and listen to my body when it needs to rest but find it near impossible to sit still for more than a day! 

After a marathon I rest for 24 hours then swim - just 30 or so gentle breaststroke laps. Four days later, if my knees are feeling okay I'll run 2-3 miles and build back up from there. Due  to injury, I've found myself cross training a lot after races and avoiding running completely; I suspect if I'd trained for longer and allowed my body to get used to longer distance this wouldn't be the case! 

In a 'normal week', I exercise 6 of 7 days totalling around 15 hours. I'll incorporate short runs (5-10km), two 45 minute spin sessions, cross-training (good for damaged knees), circuit training and an hour of pilates. I also try and have at least one 'leg day' and use weights to strengthen my lower back. 

What is your diet like? Do you use any supplements? I've been awful with my diet recently, thinking I can eat anything I want because I exercise a lot but that isn't the case and I've learnt the hard way. You cannot out exercise a bad diet.

A typical day for me will be porridge for breakfast, a banana around 11am, a tin of tuna, salad and hummus for lunch and chicken, wholemeal rice and some veggies for dinner. I try and stick to around 1,400 calories and up this to around 2,500 calories in the 3-4 days before a race. 

I also use JstJodie nutrition. I take semtex pre-workout and have been known to replace breakfast or dinner (when I'm busy) with a crème brule J-Meal. After a marathon I use, SIS Banana Recovery drinks. I also take a generic multi-vitamin, glucosamine and cod liver oil tablets.

Are you part of a running club? No but I try and run with my local Sweatshop Running Community as often as I can. My local branch (Maidstone) run a 5km on a Monday and a 10km on a Friday. Over 200 people attend the Monday sessions and I always have a great run and meet lots of lovely people. If you want to set a PB or get help with your running style, I'd highly recommend SRC! 

After this year, when I can commit to 3-4 sessions a week, I will be looking at joining a running and athletics club! 

How have you raised so much money? I really want to run the London Marathon but can't commit to raising £2500! There's no way around this one. If you commit to a charity place in an iconic race like the London Marathon you need to work your arse off to raise the funds, having generous friends and colleagues really helps! I've previously posted a blog on fundraising which you can read here! 

Do you have any race day rituals? Aside from smothering my feet in vaseline and dancing in front of the mirror to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself', I tend to just go with it. Nerves get the better of me on race day but I'm quite good at concealing it and everything is fine when I get to the start line. If I make it there, I'll make it to the finish. 

I also always post a tweet to let everyone know where I'm off to and try and include some photos. My twitter followers are amazing and I love completing a race and spending a good hour responding to everyone's messages. 

What do you eat in the days leading up to a marathon?  There is no need to eat tonnes of food before a marathon and it certainly isn't the time to gorge on loads of junk (I know you're all hating this news). Now is the time to be eating really well and drinking as much water as you can.

I stock up on porridge and sweet potato, snack on nuts and drink plenty of coconut water (the pineapple vita coco is my favourite). The night before a race I make a big pasta meal with chicken, peppers, courgette and onion in a home made tomato sauce. It seems to have worked this far! I do allow myself a little treat, normally in the form of peanut butter cups and I've been known to have a few glasses of fizz post-race! 

How do you fuel on the run? A big bowl of porridge three hours before the race (I'm naughty and put a table spoon of nutella in it as a treat - it's slow release energy according to the advert!) I'll then have a banana and a salt tablet an hour before the race and am pretty much good to go! 

I used to take gels every 5km which I've realised is completely unnecessary. I now have gels at 7 miles, 13 miles, 18 miles and 22 miles and have a red jelly baby every other mile (mental treat). I stick to water to keep my fluids up as I find I feel really sick if I take on any more sugar! 

Immediately after a race I have an SIS Recovery drink (banana) and a real banana. If there's a mars bar or clif bar to hand I'll also tuck in to that to line my stomach for the celebratory bubbles!  

What running kit do you use? 
Lets go toe to head shall we? Note: Not everything I own is pink. 

Feet: I have more trainers than any one I know. For road running, I rotate three pairs of Asics GT-2000 which are the first stability shoe to stop me getting shin splints! Rotating them stops them wearing out too quickly. For trail running I wear New Balance WT910s and when I'm cross training I have a pair of electric pink nike free run 3.0; they're SO comfortable and lightweight! For marathons I always wear energize hilly socks, and add a layer of vaseline to my feet to try and prevent blisters. 

Legs: I wear skins calf guards on long runs (10km +) and they really do help shin splints! I also use a knee strap and KT tape on my knee following my dislocation. I tend to run in Nike leggings but have recently started wearing a pair of Adidas shorts which are so comfy and don't ride up! In the winter, Thoosa thermal leggings are my saviour as I really feel the cold! Good underwear is key to running a marathon; Victoria Secrets do awesome seamless pants, and they're super pretty too (is that too much information?) 

Upper Body: On my top half I stick to a Nike sports bra and tech t-shirts, normally that I've got from races, I also have some Nike lightweight t-shirts which are brilliant in this warmer weather. In the winter I tend to opt for a lightweight waterproof and tech-tshirt underneath. Sweaty Betty do fab hoodies for post-workout. 

Other: I like to run alone so often listen to music on the go, I use yurbud in-ear headphones which twist in your ear to stop them falling out. I have a standard cheap armband to hold my iPhone and ID. Finally, my two newest bits of kit that I am OBSESSED with are my Garmin 620 which is essential for pacing when running long distance and my fitbit flex which clocks my day-to-day activity and keeps me moving when I'm feeling lazy! 

What injuries have you suffered from? How did you recover and how can I prevent getting injured? I am basically a walking injury. I've suffered from shin splints as long as I've been running, dislocated my knee, have a tight ITB and get problems with my quad muscles and abductors, and have had blisters so  bad they could qualify as retirement injuries! 

I am lucky enough to have an amazing osteopath as part of my support team who keeps me strong and injury free with regular massage. I cannot recommend seeing a sports specialist enough. If you're based in Kent, check out Luke! 

Three other elements come in to play with injuries: good fitting shoes (go to your local sweatshop for an assessment on your gait FOC!), rest and recovery (everyone needs some time to allow their body to recover) and your diet (too often people are skipping meals and trying to restrict, food is fuel, eat well and eat up)! 

I really want to start running, how can I do it? I get bored really easily and just want to stop... You can do anything you set your mind to. Boredom is something you have to overcome - running is my thinking time and I find it a great way to relieve stress so tend to run alone with music to motivate me but grab some friends or join a local beginners running group to get started. 

If you're concious of joining a running club, download one of the many C25k apps on to your smartphone and start a walk to run program, they seem slow at first but really really work! 

Every runner has bad runs and great runs. When I'm struggling I try and remember to: 
1) Never judge a run by the first mile. Everything will settle down 2-3 miles in and you'll know how you're really feeling! The only exception is if you feel a REALLY debilitating pain - get yourself home and ICE ICE ICE! 
2) Running is just putting one foot in front of the other. If you're struggling and want to stop to walk, set yourself small targets 'run to that postbox... okay now to that car... I'll overtake that person walking their dog'. Metres soon become miles! 
3) That nothing compares to runner's high! You'll feel great when you get home so keep plodding on!

I hope you might have picked up some interesting tips whilst reading this. I love hearing about other runner's experiences, so please do share them on our facebook page or tweet me! And if you have some advice you think I might benefit from, get in touch here. 

If you'd like to submit a question for a future Q&A click here. 

xox

The results from our Charity Cycle Sportive in Headcorn (June 29th) are now in. A huge thank you to our volunteers on the day who made the event possible, to Headcorn Aerodrome and The British Cycling Association. Congratulations to all of our finishers. Thank you for taking part! 

1 Acott Richard - 40 miles 04:46
2 Acott Darren - 40 miles 04:46
3 Alchorn Ian - 40 miles 03:22
4 Baker Paul - 40 miles 03:14
5 Beard Bill - 40 miles 03:45
7 Brooks Matthew - 40 miles 03:01
8 Cheeney Natalie - 40 miles 02:58
9 Cherrett Bryan - 40 miles 03:44
10 Cunningham Luke - 40 miles 02:48
11 Cunningham Myles - 40 miles 02:52
12 Dawson Peter - 40 miles 02:56
14 Field Matt - 40 miles 02:19
15 Goddard Paul - 40 miles 04:46
16 Grayland Andrew - 40 miles 03:35
17 Harris Phil - 40 miles 02:28
18 Mills Simon - 40 miles 02:24
19 Nield Alison - 40 miles 02:30
21 Osbourne Sarah - 40 miles 04:23
22 Turner Paul - 40 miles 02:50
23 Ward Darren - 40 miles 04:46
24 Warnett John - 40 miles 03:16
25 Westerbeek Richard - 40 miles 02:50
26 White Michael - 40 miles 03:44
27 Wickes Kevin - 40 miles 03:54
28 Willetts William - 40 miles 02:46
29 McAvoy Sharon - 40 miles 03:21
30 Taylor Mark - 40 miles 03:18
31 Ellingham Nichola - 40 miles 03:29
32 Chapman Simon - 40 miles 03:29
33 Chipchase Paul - 40 miles 03:21
34 Chipchase Guillem - 40 miles 03:21
35 Day Graha - 40 miles 03:19
36 Nunn Stuart - 40 miles 03:19
37 Anderson Chris - 40 miles 02:52
38 Knowles Chris - 40 miles 03:33
39 Milbourne Lee - 40 miles 02:50
40 Taylor Mike - 40 miles 02:53
41 Hague Karl - 25 miles 02:22
42 Dingwall Rita - 25 miles 02:50
43 Dowle Christine - 25 miles 02:37
44 Hill Alistair - 25 miles 01:49
45 Musk Hayley - 25 miles 02:50
46 Pooley Mick - 25 miles 02:23
47 Pooley Angela - 25 miles 02:23
48 Trevers Julie - 25 miles 02:36
49 Hardy Kerry - 25 miles 02:51
51 Newman Peter - 25 miles 02:37
52 Baker Gary - 25 miles 02:50
53 Lapthorn Barry - 25 miles 02:21
55 Hunt Stephen - 25 miles 01:47
56 Murray Thomas - 40 miles 03:31
57 Murray Peter - 40 miles 03:31
58 Dury John - 40 miles 03:27
59 Grundy Liz - 40 miles 03:27
60 Marshall Karen - 25 miles 01:49

Mountain Warehouse are currently offering one lucky fundraiser the chance to win £5000 for their nominated charity, as part of their Charity Challenge! 

Becky has created a profile and we need your votes to help us win this huge sum of money to put towards our £25,000 fundraising total. To vote, simply click here, submit a valid email address and then verify your vote! The process takes around 2 minutes and could change the lives of those living with cancer. 

The public vote closes on September 12th 2014. The top 10 entries will then be short-listed, with a second public vote closing at 5pm on September 30th 2014. 

We need as many votes as we can so please click here to do it now and share with your friends, family and colleagues.

Thank you in advance for your support. 

*Please do not enter more than once using email addresses with the same name, this could result in us being disqualified from the competition.

For over a week now, I've been trying to work out how I can be motivating, inspiring or even just positive about running a marathon on a 17-lap tarmac track that runs alongside a motorway. I've tormented myself trying to put the right words down on paper, so it was a surprise to me when my answer to the question 'would you do it again?' was 'no, maybe, actually yes I would'. I then started to reflect on the event properly. Whilst scenery can make a marathon memorable, there's a lot more to running a marathon than where you are - it's about the runners' surrounding you, the power of your body and the support you receive, and of course, the rush of emotions that hit you like a tsunami as you cross the finish line. 

Six could be the new magic number?
The Kent Road Runner marathon marked a huge milestone in my twelve-marathon challenge: The HALF-WAY mark! 

I'm 23 years old, have been running for just 18 months and have completed seven marathons, one of which could pass for an ultra marathon but more significantly, six of them have been completed in the first five months of 2014! That is something to be proud of. And for the first time, I am genuinely proud of what I've achieved. 

During the MK Marathon (May 5th) my quads seized up, my knee gave out and I could just about managed to put one foot in front of the other, meaning Mark and I had to walk a majority of the last 8 miles. It was gutting for me. Since then, I've struggled with my injuries. My wonderful osteo Luke has worked tirelessly on my knee, ITB and abductors, and spent many nights replying to panicked, tearful text messages. In the three weeks between MK and Kent Road Runner, I ran just three times, clocking up only 6 miles. 

Two weeks before the race, Meg and I went out on a 5km route we've both run hundreds of times. Within half a kilometre, I was on the floor, clutching my leg in pain. The burning in my legs was unbearable. We should have turned around then but me being as stubborn as I am, wanted to continue. I fought back tears until I snapped, failing to run even half a mile at a time. "I can't let everyone down" I sobbed to Meg. We got home and I locked myself in the bathroom, and cried and cried and cried. It was one of the lowest moments of this year so far. 

I rested, ate well and continued to cross train as much as my body could withstand before returning to Luke for one more hopeful session. A week on, I was back on the road, with just 3 days to go until the race.  Meg and I went back out, this time with the intention to complete a short two-mile course. And we did! It wasn't comfortable but I wasn't in agony. It's like my body enjoys winding me up for several weeks, testing me, and then magically just repairs itself enough to let me get the job done.  

Cycle parks are made for cycling... 
Race day came around quickly, as always. We were stood on the side of the track at 8am; already, it was feeling HOT and I was very aware of the volume of 100-Marathon Club vests that were being worn. 

I pinned my race number to my T-shirt and placed 16 plastic wristbands on my arm. Several pink, a couple of black, 2 whites, 2 red... I'd get rid of them one colour at a time. When I had no wristbands left I had to get round the 1.6 mile course just one-more-time. 

Brian had kindly agreed to join me again. His third marathon of the year. I was relieved to have his support; we'd completed this course together before and whilst it was one of the most mentally challenging things I've ever done, Brian kept me moving with his singing, dancing and bizarre stories. 

We joined the back of the pack, planning to set off very slow and steady. The gun sounded and we were off, down the first winding bend and back up the smaller hill. We climbed 'Helga's Hill' comfortably, being lapped by the lead male runner as we went. We were just coming to the end of lap one, whilst he was sprinting towards lap number 3! 

The only real benefit of a course like this is the support. I knew exactly when I would see everyone, and if they decided to stop sunbathing and wander across the BMX park, I might even see them twice! Mum was clearly worried about my knee, asking me how it was every time I saw her for the first three laps, she then slipped off for a fry-up (cheeky) and was far more relaxed when she returned an hour later to see me still smiling. 

The Toe-Nail Miles
Discarding the final pink wristband, we recognised that we were nearly at the half way mark. "GET OVER THERE. YOU'LL SEE US HALF WAY TO HALF WAY" I shouted to Mark, Meg and Allie as we crossed under the 'finish' line once again. Crossing half-way in a relatively strong state gave me a real sense of pride. We weren't fast but for once it wasn't ugly! 

I moved on to the black wristbands next. 'The Toe Nail Miles' I joked to Brian, not realising the enormity of the damage I was doing to my feet as I continued to run circles around the track (we'll come back to this). 

The miles that followed seemed to pass relatively quickly. More of my family had turned up and the noise every time we ran past them was incredible. I think Team Run 12, arguably, have the biggest support team of any novice runners, and they are bloody loud when they want to be!

Could it all be over?
I spotted Shelley and Tony in the crowd and shouted to them that we only had four laps to go. The crowd of runners had thinned out now. I was feeling sick, having taken on too much sugar, and had a sore spot on the bottom of my foot. The laps seemed to be taking longer and longer. 

As I removed the final white wristband and threw it to my little cousin Lara, everyone burst in to screams and cheers "ONE MORE LAP BEX!!!!". We stuck to our slow, steady pace, winding up the hill and then picking ourselves up on the downwards slope. As we got to one of the steepest bends, a man on his own, Mohammed, fell to the ground clutching his quad. "We've got to stop" I told Brian, he nodded and we made our way over to help this guy out. "I can't move. I can't move. I can't move. I've got three laps to go." I felt like crying for him, this was going to be slow and painful if he was going to make it.

We helped him stretch his legs out before pulling him back on to his feet. We'd compromised a good 10 minutes on our time but the thanks and relief in Mohammed's eyes gave me enough reward. Running isn't always about personal bests and we all know this challenge certainly isn't about speed for me. But to have been able to pull him back on to his feet and see him break back in to a slow shuffle was immense. "Runners don't leave other runners behind", Brian and I smiled and set back out to cross the finish line. (We got to witness the moment Mohammed crossed the finish line - congratulations!!)

A medal so big it comes with its own ruler... 
Two ladies were neck and neck with us for quite some way. Get to the portaloos and make a break for it, I told myself, I pointed at the toilets to Brian and he knew exactly what I was planning.

One of the girls joked about racing us. I laughed and shook my head. She attempted a sprint finish, but had set out too early. As we came level with the portaloos, I broke in to a run, powering as fast as I could, pushing myself as much as my legs could take; catching up with the lady who'd started her final sprint a minute or so earlier, we then overtook her. 

"This lady crossing the finish line is running 12 marathons in 12 months" the DJ announced. And that was it, marathon number 6 was done. The race director hung an enormous medal around my neck, we were handed boxes full of goodies but I just wanted to hug everyone that had cheered us around the course. 

I may be the one pushing my body to its limits with this challenge but I am just a catalyst; spurring you all to donate your time and money to our charities. And for that, I am eternally grateful. 

Everyone meet Juicy Brucey! 
I had a little stretch before sitting down to take my shoes off. Meg bent down and peeled them off my feet, then my socks revealing the biggest blister I think anyone has ever seen. It was so big, I swear it actually had it's own pulse and personality. 

The St Johns Ambulance team were fantastic and got me fixed up quickly. I was actually quite relieved for the little lie down in the back of the ambulance. 

My emotions around the half-way milestone are mixed. I'm, for the first time, very proud. I'm also feeling relieved to have actually made it this far - given all of the illness and injury I've experienced this year. I'm happy. I'm thankful. I'm also quite sad that in 6 months time the Team Run 12 challenge will be complete.

This has been a tough post to write; I'm sorry if it's a bit all over the place, but that's probably a reflection of where I am right now. Please continue to support me and Team Run 12, we may be a team of seven, but looking at the support we receive (in person and online) I've come to realise that there are many, many members of Team Run 12 from all over the world and we all share one dream - a cure for cancer. 

Marathon number five, another 26.2 miles complete, bringing me very close to the half way point of this challenge. If you've seen me in the last seven days you've probably heard me complain of the pain I've been in; my body seems to have realised that these long distance jaunts are going to be a frequent thing for the foreseeable future and is throwing a fairly major tantrum over it. 

Normally, within three days of the marathon I'm walking normally and feeling ready to get my trainers back on. Seven days on from Milton Keynes and I still have a slight crab-shuffle and can't get down stairs without looking like I belong on a maternity ward. It will pass; pain, as I frequently tell myself, is temporary. Anyway, here's a brief encounter of mine and Mark's journey around the Milton Keynes Marathon... 

Does Curry Count as Carb-Loading?
Having sustained a nice bit of damage to my knee during the London Marathon, I was feeling pretty apprehensive in the lead up to the race, but somewhat more nervous that Mark had left me at 5pm the night before the race to go and eat a curry. Who eats curry the night before running a marathon?! 

Races seem to come around very quickly now, it doesn't seem like a few days ago that I crossed the London Marathon finish line and now, here I was just three weeks on, about to run another marathon. I felt safe and reassured with Mark to keep me company and knew that laughter would get us around the next few hours, whatever it had in store for us. 

We left our amazing support crew (sans-Meg) and joined the other runners on the start line. Without any real warning we were shuffling forwards before breaking in to a gentle run. The first few miles were loops of the same road, and up several enjoyable hills (yes, I am a bit sadistic). Disaster tried to make an appearance just three miles in when Mark asked to stop quickly to check his foot. We sat down on some steps, he whipped his sock off and peeled the tape from his foot, taking a 50 pence piece size of skin with it. I honestly have no idea how he managed to power through, seemingly at ease, with an enormous hole in the bottom of his foot! 

Weird Things Runners Do: Hear a beep, look at their wrist, even if they're not wearing a GPS.
As I waited for Mark to redress his feet Kate ran past us, waving and smiling. Kate has been a huge supporter of Team Run 12 from day one and I'm very grateful that she was inspired to take part in the marathon - she was a great support on the day and spent a lot of her time selflessly telling people about what we're doing. Kate disappeared over the brow of this HUGE hill as Mark stood back up 'you want to catch her don't you?', I nodded and replied 'hill sprints?' before charging up the hill, my Garmin hit  a 7:30 min p/mile pace before Mark yelled at me to slow down a bit, I was trying to run 3 minutes ahead of our target pace up a massive hill - never a good idea with 23.2 miles to go. 

The next few miles blur together. It was a relief to see Mum, Allie and the rest of the team waiting for us at Mile 9. 'Do you want a drink?' Mum asked, 'water would be great' I said, 'well I don't have any' CHEERS MUM. A handful of red jelly babies (thanks Els) would keep me moving until the next water station several miles down the road. 

Reach For The Stars; Climb Every Mountain 
Around 14 miles in my quads started to tighten up, another half a mile  and my knee began to scream at me, not long before my IT band in my other leg started giving me grief. Stopping to stretch I had a moment of panic, we had to get through another 12 miles and I was in a lot of pain. I took to singing to Mark to keep me distracted; after several stunning renditions of The Spice Girls I unplugged my headphones so he could hear the actual tune of the songs I was listening to. Reach by S Club 7 came on and we started a miniature flash mob through the thinning crowd of runners. Distracted by our singing and frankly bizarre dancing we got back up to a respectable running pace and I  was actually having a great time. 

As we darted through a water station, arms in the area, one of the marshals declared us the 'happiest marathon runners ever'. I was happy; I had a moment of realisation that this isn't about breaking personal bests every time I run but about having fun and spreading the message on Team Run 12. 

We later caught back up with Kate who was having a pretty miserable time, having thrown up twice. I put S Club 7 back on to my phone and shared our dance routine with her to distract her. It had the same effect it had had on me just 20 minutes earlier; she was soon dancing, smiling and eventually finished before me and Mark! Well done Kate, you star x

By mile 20 I'd lost my happy place and was pretty miserable. The final six miles were hideous. Putting one foot in front of the other was a struggle, physically and mentally. I was having difficulty getting in to any kind of rhythm and the volume of hills was just cruel - because of my knee, going down hill was worse than going up meaning we had to walk/crawl 80% of those miles, occasionally picking the pace up in to a gentle shuffle. 

We decided to store energy up for the finish line. As the Milton Keynes stadium came in to view (along with the KFC and McDonalds next door -cruel) I knew we'd made the right decision - we could have a magical moment when we entered the stadium. And that's exactly what it was. As soon as we got to the tunnel entrance Mark told me to GO GO GO and I did. Somehow, my legs were moving, pretty well. I could hear Mum, Ellie, Karen, Darren, Emily, Jason, Allie and Beth cheering before I could see them; clapping hands as we ran past, something in me came alive and I managed to really pick up the pace. My arms dragging me forwards, the fastest I'd managed to run all day. 

Before I knew it, we were done, the finish line was behind us and I had another lump of heavy, cold metal being hung around my neck. Marathon number five, complete. 

I am SO grateful to Mark for sticking by me; he could have achieved an incredible time if he'd been alone but the Team Run 12 family stick together. Mark was a lucky find on the Runners World forum late last July and has been such an integral part of the team since. I know I have a true friend for life in Mark, and his amazing family. I'm really sorry for singing and swearing so much Mark, but so glad we got to share those 26 miles, and have more to come together this year! 

A Closing Thought... 
Recently, I've been called a hero, an inspiration and told that I'm selfless to give up a year of my life to this challenge. If you've said any of these things to me, thank you, it's really very overwhelming to know people see me in this light, and very very surreal. 

I do not see what I am doing as selfless, it is something I do without really thinking. I do it for those who live with cancer, for those who live with someone with cancer, for those who have loved and lost someone to cancer. But I also do it because I want to. This is one of many challenges I will face in my life and I am eternally grateful that this challenging year of my life can be so rewarding, so uplifting and full of so many incredible experiences. The opportunities in front of me are insane, and given that I've only been running for 16 months, I know this is just the start of a life-long hobby (sorry legs). 

Whatever challenges you are facing in your life can be changed by challenging yourself in a positive way. Too often we allow 'challenges' to be things that upset us and cause us pain, often, things we wish to forget about. It doesn't have to be that way. Challenge yourself to learn, to grow as a person and to achieve what you currently believe to be impossible - you'll be amazed at what you can do if you want it enough.

I really hope that each and every one of you reading this will gain as much reward from your personal fights as I am in mine. I am not selfless, nor am I a hero, just a girl with a dream that I am, day-by-day, turning in to my reality. 

For the whole week in the lead up to the Brighton Marathon on 6th April 2014 I was a bag of nerves, I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous before a race. My running hadn’t been going very well lately and I didn’t know where I was. How well would I do? I so wanted to beat last year’s time of 3:46:51 which earned me a “good for age” place in the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon, but I didn’t know if I could be anywhere near it. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to perform. 

By the time I was walking to the start, the nerves had completely vanished and I was raring to go. I couldn’t wait to get moving, lining up at the start line, I started chatting to people around me. For one lady it was her first marathon and I could tell she was excited but nervous at the same time. Another guy was also hoping to get under 3:45 and he was doing London the next week as well. Ten minutes before the start, the heavens opened but luckily it only lasted five minutes – it’s not great being wet before the start of a long race!

Finally the claxon went and we were on our way. Everyone is always chatting and laughing at the start of a race, when they’re fresh, but it doesn’t take long before you settle down and get into a steady rhythm, focussing on the task ahead. From the start my legs felt heavy, like lead, and I though “oh, this isn’t good!” It continued for a few miles but I was making good time so I carried on trying to put the heavy feeling out of my mind.

There are a lot of out and backs on the Brighton Marathon route and at mile 8 we could see the cavalcade of minis, scooters and mods all hooting and cheering which were leading the elites. They soon came into view and it gave us an opportunity to clap and cheer, and almost marvel at how amazing these athletes are. 

Go on Helley!
At the half way point disaster struck - my hips started to hurt, really hurt, so that each step was agony. My muscles then started to knot and cramp up as well. I carried on but by mile 15 I had to stop, stretch out my muscles, then walk for a bit before carrying on running. The negative thoughts were really creeping in and by mile 17 I was in such pain I didn’t know if I would be able continue beyond the 18 mile mark where I knew Mark was going to be waiting to see me. When I did see him, I stopped for a hug, almost in tears saying things like “I can’t tell you how much pain I’m in!” He gave me the encouragement I needed and practically pushed me away to keep going. 

As I carried on I started looking at all the other runners around me, thinking about them, the reasons they were taking part and their charities, about the charity I was running for, my reason for running that day. It was a real turning point for me and I realised I had to carry on and cross that finish line. I couldn’t let anyone down. I had to finish! For the charities, everyone running, the spectators. When someone is struggling during a race, I find they get the most cheers and encouragement, especially if you have your name on your running vest. Brighton was no exception. I couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support and encouragement from all the spectators – yelling at me to carry on, “Go on Shelley, you can do it, you’re nearly there!” Over and over I was hearing that and it really spurred me on. I had to smile to myself a couple of times when spectators couldn’t see the ‘S’ on my running vest – “Go on Helley!” Hilarious!

It's not always about getting a good time... 
I carried on in a run/walk mode for the rest of the race. At around mile 21/22 I caught up with the guy I was chatting to at the start of the race. He was also walking, his knee had gone at mile 7! I said to him, “So your sub 3:45 has gone as well then?” I really felt for him, being in trouble from such an early stage in the race. At this point, we both knew the sub 4 hour time had passed for us. But I didn’t care. The last 8 or 9 miles had taught me so much. I realised that it’s not just about getting a good time, it’s about taking part, being part of something so incredible, all for such good causes. Yes, we all want to do well but sometimes it just doesn’t happen, and it’s not the end of the world. For me it was a battle to finish and I was going to do it! At mile 23 a lady with a Breast Cancer Care baton starting running along side me, cheering me on, “Come on Shelley, you’re nearly there, you can do it!” Well, that was my undoing! From then on not only was it run/walk, but it was cry/don’t cry as well!

I finally limped over the finish line in 4:03:30 but I couldn’t have been prouder of myself. I’d done one of the hardest things ever, and I hadn’t given up.

"Have you run THE marathon?" 
Five days later, I was on my way to ExCel for the London Marathon Expo to pick up my race number for Sunday. My first marathon was Edinburgh in 2010. It’s always difficult to get a place in the London Marathon and I had wanted to do a marathon so I picked Edinburgh. In reality I had no great desire to run London. As a runner, people ask “Have you run the marathon?” As if there’s only one. London. None of the others count. So I wanted to do a different one. When I walked in I was amazed at the number of registration desks, the line spanned the whole length of the room. I was starting to feel excited. After getting my number and timing chip I then walked into the Expo. The atmosphere in there was buzzing, almost electric with excitement. And I got it! I finally understood why everyone wanted to do London, why it’s considered THE marathon. 

Sunday morning was an early train ride to Maze Hill Station with Mark, Becky, Meg and Ali. The nerves were back and I had to keep taking deep breathes to calm myself but once I got off the train the nerves were replaced with excitement. Having a “good for age” place meant I was on the Green Start. This one is very small, only around 3,700 runners. On one hand that’s good because it meant we crossed the start line very quickly, but on the other hand we didn’t have the same buzz as at the red and blue starts.

London Marathon Spectators: Beer and Jaffa Cakes 
The race got under way, and I felt good, really good. The first few miles everyone is really packed in and you spend most of the time looking down to avoid water bottles and the heels in front of you so it’s difficult to take in the atmosphere around you. It was a lovely day and the sun was out, but it was starting to get a bit warm. I was doing a good time, around 8:20 minutes per mile pace which would have given me a PB, but around 9 miles my legs suddenly decided they were tired, it was like a switch had been flicked and they had nothing in them. It wasn’t painful like last week, my legs were just tired, and obviously I wasn’t fully recovered from Brighton. “Here we go again” I thought! I soldiered on but by mile 14 I was in run/walk mode again. But again, I didn’t care. For me, London had never really been about a good time – I knew I would be tired from the previous week and I had heard that it’s difficult to get a good time because there are so many runners. I was just so happy to be a part of this huge, iconic race. And the crowds! I have never seen so many spectators making so much noise. It was truly incredible. Everyone offering encouragement, cheers, jelly babies, Jaffa cakes, bananas, you name it. One guy even offered me his beer. “I wish I could” I said.

Around half way you come to the point were you start an out and back section. My side of the road, the out part, was full of runners while the other side was still clear. The lead runners hadn’t started to reach that point opposite us yet. Then all of a sudden we could hear hooting, and even more cheering. As we looked two motorbikes came into view on the other side of the road, leading none other than Mo Farah! I saw him! He was amazing. The effort on his face, sheer grit determination. We all started cheering and clapping, “Go on Mo!!” We were half way but he had nearly finished, just 4 miles to go. 

Around 17 miles I saw Phil Jones from the BBC, holding a microphone and standing next to a camera man. I caught his eye and he asked me if I wanted to stop and chat. “Why not?” I thought. I was ready for a rest. So I was interviewed live on the TV!

Ten Miles is a Long Way... 
The London spectators are even more encouraging than Brighton, if that’s possible. As a run/walker it feels like everyone is shouting your name and it almost felt like being bullied (in the nicest possible way) into running, there was so much shouting and cheering at you. One lady, at 16 miles, shouted “Go on Shelley, you’re nearly there!” Er, well actually I’m not, I’ve still got 10 miles to go but thank you. Ha ha! 

A mile or so down the line after being interviewed, I heard my name being called again and I happened to look, and saw two of my friends waving frantically at me. Tony Giles, one of the greatest supporters of Team Run 12, and Liz Vassell. I stopped, went back and gave them both a hug and started to get a bit emotional but excited to tell them my news of seeing Mo and being interviewed. I carried on. Then another half mile or so I heard my name again. I looked. And saw 2 more friends – Jill and Gary Oxland. I stopped again, went over, gave them a hug and told them my news. They all said how good I was looking which was fantastic to hear at that stage. I needed every boost.

It wasn’t long before I was at the Tower of London and only had 4 miles to go. I knew I was going to make it. From this point, the crowds were incredible – 4, 5, 6 deep, every inch of pavement was covered with people cheering and shouting. At the Embankment I looked out for the Breast Cancer Care cheering point at mile 24.5, gave them a wave and a smile. Then I was running down Bird Cage Walk, I had less than half a mile to go. I rounded the corner by Buckingham Palace onto The Mall. There’s no way I was going to walk any of that bit! I dug deep, gritted my teeth and ran as fast as I could to that finish line, holding my arms up high and with as big of a smile on my face as I could manage. I’d done it. I’d completed the London Marathon in 4:11:52. Whoo hoo! I can now say I’ve done THE  marathon.

The marathon is just the parade at the end of months of hard work. 
My fourth 26.2 mile race of 2014 was the iconic Virgin Money London Marathon and I was buzzing for it. London 2013 was my first ever marathon and where my love for running and fundraising began. Given some of the circumstances of the other races I’ve completed this year (a solo race around a 17-lap course, a 30-mile cross country race with just Brian and a cross-country race alone and very unwell) I knew London would be something else. 

I spent the week pre-race in Manchester, driving all of my lovely colleagues mad with race talk and at one point making them all gag as they watched me pour a banana protein drink (that allegedly resembled a bodily fluid) down my neck. By the time Friday came around I was bouncing of the walls with nervous energy.

I jumped on a train from Manchester Piccadilly early on Friday morning and had a second interview with BBC Radio Kent (click to listen – thank you Ben Croucher!) as I stood up to get off the train a man behind me grabbed my shoulder ‘YOU’RE RUNNING HOW MANY MARATHONS?!’ he asked, I looked a bit puzzled before remembering that the back of my t-shirt read ’12 marathons, 12 months. Call me crazy!’. I was stopped over 15 times en route from other runners, wishing me well and asking for advice, it made me begin to appreciate the volume of the challenge I’ve taken on. 

Picking up my race number I wandered around the expo alone anxiously; I had a brief interview with BBC London and scoffed a few to many protein bar samples (peanut butter Clif Bars are AMAZING) before calling it a day and heading home.  

Race day came around quickly, I was carbed-up and extremely over excited for the race. Standing outside Greenwich train station I inflated two banger sticks and was having a little bit of a party on my own, it was only as we walked in to the park, following the enormous crowds that the nerves started to kick in.

After getting in to my start pen, I directed Meg, Ali, Mark and Emily to where I was so they could stay with me until I had to move to the start line. We stood together until the whistle blew for the race to begin, the crowd started to move forward and the 30,000 people surrounding me erupted in to cheers and applause. From the word go, the streets were lined with spectators, clapping, cheering and wanting high fives. I like to play showman in these kind of races and darted along, clapping hands with children and applauding and thanking those watching. The atmosphere really is something special. 

I hit 5km in 31 minutes, a pretty steady speed and bang on target for my desired 4:30 goal. Everything was feeling strong, my legs were moving like clockwork, nothing hurt. Result! 

Hitting 10km in 1:01, I had remained perfectly on target; aside from being a little bit sweaty I was feeling good. A quick hug with Meg and a jelly baby stuffed in my mouth by Emily, along with the goose-bump inducing cheers of the BCC supporters gave me a boost and I powered on. 

At around 10 miles I noticed that I was over-heating pretty badly and taking on too much water. I ran up to someone who was walking and asked her to help me. She looked at me like I was crazy as I threw my armband and phone at her, then my vest, pulling my base layer over my head and discarding it on the side of the road. I redressed myself, thanked her and ran on. 

I called mum quickly to find out which side of the road they were on. Right hand side at the entrance of tower bridge... 'I'm not going to see you' I told her. As you arrive at Tower Bridge, the wall of noise hits you, it's like nothing else on the course. SOMEHOW I spotted my amazing Team Run 12 entourage screaming and waving on the side of the road, I had a quick cuddle, another handful of jelly babies and felt giddy with excitement at the prospect of actually achieving the time I wanted so badly. 

No two marathons will ever be the same. A split second can change everything. 
I felt like I was flying as I powered across Tower Bridge. Then it all went wrong. Tower Bridge is VERY uneven, I misplaced my footing and twisted my knee as the road dipped underneath me. I hit the ground pretty hard, the crowd around me went 'OOOOOO' (luckily the BBC didn't capture that for the live TV stream). A kind runner picked me back up and I smiled it off, brushing myself down and waving to the crowds to let them know I was okay. As soon as I was off the bridge I stopped. I wasn't alright. My knee wasn't alright at all. 

For the next mile I was very stop/start, passing under the half way marker at 2:26. My time was slipping away from me and my inability to run more than 500metres meant my goal, that had been just in sight, was now a dream. Tears welled in my eyes. I'd worked SO hard for this, this was MY race, I was doing it for ME. Frustration really took over and I contemplated pulling out. 

As I continued to limp on, trying to run half a kilometre at a time, I spotted the Sun Newspaper bus covered in Coppafeel banners. Coppafeel is a breast cancer awareness charity, founded by Kris Hallenga, a young woman who was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer aged just 23. Kris was RAVING on top of her bus with her twin sister. That moment changed my disaster race in to something special.

But this race was for me... 
I said before the race, in a multitude of interviews, that this race was for me, to prove to myself that I can do this and to satisfy my desire to be proud of myself for once. Looking at Kris dancing, waving and cheering the runners, with a huge smile one her face, I remembered why I'm putting my body through this gruelling challenge. It's not because I need to prove anything nor do I need anything to be proud of; I'm running 12 marathons to give people like Kris a chance, to find cures, to find more treatments, to prolong people's lives, in a comfortable way, to allow them to LIVE. Whilst Kris's cancer will not be cured, it WILL continue to be treated and in that time, she will not have to suffer, she can just enjoy the time she has. This wasn't about me, and will never be about me. A little bit of pain in my knee wasn't going to stop me, I was going to finish this marathon, and I was going to finish it smiling.

I powered on, setting myself small challenges to try and distract my mind. A man in a 7ft womble costume overtook me at one point, 'I can't have that' I mumbled outloud, breaking out of my walk, I sprinted past him as fast as I could singing 'The Wombles of Wimbledon' in my head as I went.

The delight of  seeing the ENORMOUS Breast Cancer Care cheer team is obvious in this picture (mile 18). I'd managed to pick up my pace slightly and threw my arms in the air as I passed them, waving at Charlotte from the PR team as I went. 

By Mile 20 I was struggling pretty badly again; 4:20 hours passed I felt pretty low and was struggling to hold back tears. I was trying to convince myself that I was over my unachieved goal but the truth is I'm still pretty sore about it now. As mile 26 appeared, tears started to well in my eyes again, the volume of people shouting 'COME ON BEXX YOU CAN DO THIS' just pushed me over the edge, a lady ran past me and grabbed my hand, dragging me along with her, as I struggled to keep my pathetic sobs in. She left me with about 600 metres to go, I crawled for a little while before picking my pace up again encouraging a man to run with me, I waved at mum and Meg as they cheered from the grand stands. The man high-fived me as we crossed the finish line.

Relentless Forward Progress 
Feeling the weight of the iconic London Marathon medal around my neck set me off again. The lady who gave it to me hugged me and congratulated me on my achievement. I was disappointed with my time but relieved to have finally finished. I collapsed in to a chair at the St Johns ambulance tent, needing some nasty blisters bandaged up and waited for hugs from my amazing support crew. 

It's taken me a few days to pick myself up - worrying and beating myself up over it won't change the outcome. Whilst I cannot change the result of the 2014 London Marathon with determination and hard work I can power through the remaining eight marathons (and other races I've added to my list) and achieve an even better time result in the 2015 London Marathon - yes, I really am thinking that 13 marathons aren't enough for one little person!

For now, I've thrown myself in to recovery mode and am adjusting my training plan and resting to ensure I am in the best possible condition I can be for Race Five. I will complete this challenge. I will succeed and I hope you will all continue to stand  by me as I cross the remaining eight finish lines. 

This challenge isn't for me. This is for each and every one of you and every person you have ever loved who has been affected by cancer. Together, we can win. 

In the past 15 hours, I can count 37 make up less selfies on my personal Facebook newsfeed. Each person has 'nominated' at least FOUR people to take a picture of themselves, sans make up, by my calculations (excuse my maths) this means that roughly 180 people will have participated, and potentially nominated another handful of people to get involved.

This would be GREAT if they were each donating £1. 

Did you know that with £180 Breast Cancer Care could pay for 36 people to learn how to be breast aware or it could pay for 18 women who've just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer to have access to an information pack. Better still, £180 would allow 7 women to have access to a confidential support line, to speak about their diagnosis and treatment. If you've already taken your 'make-up less selfie' I urge you to donate a minimum of £1 to a cancer charity - this will make a real difference.

As someone with a significant family history of breast cancer, I regularly check my breasts for changes. In fact, I do this every Wednesday morning before I get in the shower. Today, I am going to do something different - something which bizarrely seems to be considered taboo to talk about.

After checking my breasts, I am going to contact as many women as possible to NOMINATE them to check their breasts for changes. I hope that the people nominated will do the same for their family and friends.

Please click the image above for more information on the changes you should be looking for when checking yourselves. Image from Breast Cancer Care. 

It has taken me just ten minutes to write this blog post, but in that time two women will have received the devastating news that they have breast cancer. Early detection is critical to survival rates. 

Do something positive today, put down your phones and make a real difference by donating £1 to a charity of your choice and encourage those around you to check their boobies :) 

On Saturday 15th March whilst driving home from the gym, Becky received a phone call from a withheld number. Upon answering the phone, she was greeted by 'HI IT'S BBC RADIO ONE, WE'D LIKE TO FEATURE YOU ON SING FOR THE MOMENT'. 

Becky had been sending the same picture of her first marathon finish line in for several weeks, with little expectation to be selected from the thousands of listeners. 

Here, Becky explains a little bit more about her 12 marathon challenge...