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I did it! April 29, 2010

I am delighted to confirm that I completed my first marathon in 4 hours, 36 minutes and 10 seconds – wahoo!

Although we hadn’t actually planned to, prior to the race Tilli (aka Rachael Grist, fellow DebRA runner and mum of Isla who has EB) and I met up and decided that we would set off together and see how we got on.

When the photographer snapped us on Tower Bridge we were looking very happy and strong

Not all of the 14 miles that followed were quite so cheery but we both persevered and didn’t stop running. We overtook Princess Beatrice and her crew at around 14 miles and then the man himself, Dicky Branson, at 20 miles.

Somewhere around mile 23 or 24 we lost each other in the crowd so didn’t manage to cross the line together but happily we found each other soon after we crossed the finish line. By the time the next photographer caught up with us we were looking very happy indeed!

We didn’t look quite so happy a couple of minutes later when we found we needed to walk up a load of steps from the finish area up to Waterloo Place to get to the restaurant which had been pre-arranged as the meet up point to find family and friends! In fact stairs have proved pretty challenging ever since, especially getting down them!

I would like to say a huge thanks to my Mum & Dad, Pete, Angela, Michelle and Rohit who all fought their way through the crowds to come and support me along the route, I think they should have been issued with a medal too!

But mostly THANK YOU to all of you who sponsored me, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

C x