It’s official! I’ve registered my place to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon on 1st August 2021! I’ll be running to raise donations for Cancer Research UK with my Grandpa in mind who has Basal Skin Cancer, and to also help raise awareness for Cervical Cancer in women.
Why Run a Half-Marathon?
Last year I set a goal for myself to run 10km. This felt like a huge long-shot dream that was achievable, but still a challenge for someone who had a love-hate relationship at the time with running. Roll forward to today, and I’m proud to say I’ve achieved 10km AND love running that distance! I want to go after a bigger challenge, and being able to raise awareness and donations for a fantastic charity will be the drive I need to stay even more motivated.
My Half-Marathon Training Plan
To run a half-marathon, you need a training plan. So far, I’ve been using the free Nike Run Club App alongside their Half-Marathon Training Plan which has been great for keeping me on track to progress and keeping me motivated with new types of running.
Over 14 weeks the training plan sets out Speed Runs, Tempo Runs, Recovery Runs and Long-Distance Runs. All have their place and are designed to improve endurance, form and recovery – perfect for when we’re taking on a new challenge to complete a half-marathon!
Personally, I love using the Nike Run Club App and the training plan. I’ve tried other training programmes before that I’ve downloaded and then had to use another app to set the interval times myself. My phone would often struggle though and I would have to keep it unlocked while running just so it would continue to track my time correctly.
With the Nike Run Club App though I haven’t had this problem. You can download the runs in the app beforehand, freeing up the need for using any data while you’re running. So far, it’s always managed to track my distance and speed whether I’ve been running along the coast, in the city or in the park, which is pretty good going when I can run out of signal.
Raising Donations for Cancer Research UK
As I mentioned, I’m running the London Landmarks Half Marathon 2021 to raise donations to Cancer Research UK.
Cancer Research UK is the largest independent research charity into prevention and treatment of cancer. While it is close to my heart, I also know that there are so many people who have either gone through treatment or know someone else who has. This is why I’m running. To help make a difference in any way I can. To help bring forward the day when a cancer diagnosis is no longer as frightening to hear.
I’m hoping to raise £350 for Cancer Research UK before the Half Marathon in August. This is what the donations could cover:
- £5 could cover the essential chemicals needed in the research labs.
- £15 could cover the cost for someone visiting a mobile awareness unit, which could mean an early diagnosis is found.
- £50 could contribute to buying a research tool.
My Fundraising Page
Every single penny makes a difference. If you’d like to make a donation, please visit my Fundraising Page where you can also take a look at how I’m getting on with my training so far, and find out how much I’ve raised towards Cancer Research UK.
