My Brighton Marathon team needs YOU!

So I am running the 2014 Brighton Marathon... and this is only just starting to sink in. Since September 2011 I have been working as a fundraiser for the Bromley by Bow Centre, a community organisation based in Tower Hamlets... and that's where this whole "running a marathon" idea began...

I can remember the moment I first decided to try running – I was cheering on a group of five 2012 Brighton Marathon runners who had spent months training and fundraising on behalf of the Centre. The atmosphere of everyone cheering, the positivity and camaraderie of all of the runners really captured my imagination. That evening, despite having never gone for a run and not owning a pair of trainers, I bought a place on my first ever half marathon taking place that autumn.

I was excited about getting out there for my first run, pulled on my plimsolls and went for an ambitious 3 mile run. Less than 10 minutes into the run I was exhausted, out of breath and panicking about the task I had set myself. But, I persevered and completed my half marathon, and another a few months later. Running for me has become more than just training for a race, it is how I unwind after a day at work and having moved to a new area recently it has given me the opportunity to explore where I live. Friends from school who remember me in PE lessons regularly comment on their surprise at my new found love of running – they can remember me hiding in the changing rooms when Cross Country was on the cards!

Running the Brighton Marathon in 2014 will mean a huge amount for me – not only because it is the race that inspired me to try running but also because I will be raising money for the Centre. The Centre is an incredibly special place and somewhere I regularly feel privileged to work. Walking through the park is guaranteed to brighten even the gloomiest Monday morning as you bump into Francis and Maria tending the plants in the flower garden or pass a classroom full of learners talking excitedly to one another. I regularly get talking to someone in the café and hear just a snippet of what the Centre means to them and it is that which will keep me going for 26.2 miles.

Which brings me onto the second part of my challenge – I am looking for five enthusiastic fundraisers to join my Brighton Marathon team for 2014! As a team we will support each other through the training, share our top tips and keep each other motivated. It is going to be fun, we will explore London together, our neighbourhoods and discover new places. We will put our mental and physical strength to the test and we will realise that we can do so much more than we thought possible.

A marathon is more than 26.2miles – it is a bringing together of people of different backgrounds, abilities and ages. It is sharing an experience with 1000's of people you have never met and who are undertaking the same challenge for all different reasons. This is what makes a marathon amazing!

Together we will take on the Brighton Marathon on behalf of the Bromley by Bow Centre!

If you are interested in joining my Brighton Marathon team let me know by commenting below or emailing me on:Jasmine.Morris@bbbc.org.uk

Blog Every Day in May

I am new to the blogging world... very new. Although the process of writing my blog began primarily for myself, a way to chart my journey into the world of running and share the things that inspire me it would sometimes be nice to feel like someone out there was reading it.

And that is where I hit a snag... what is the point of writing if no one is reading? It is like shouting at the top of your voice into an empty room... pointless... or is it? Sometimes it is really refreshing just to shout about something, to get it out there so it is no longer circulating unspoken in your head... and this is how, on a good day, I view my blog.

So, as soon as I saw that Rosalilium had a Blog Every Day in May challenge with topics provided I jumped on board - I am hoping it will be a great opportunity to think about something specific every day, to share those musings and, hopefully, discover something about myself and the other bloggers along the way.

Roll on May!

"Some things are easier said than run"

Today was the iconic London Marathon and I couldn't help but get out there to cheer on the runners.

The perk of living in London means that the route passed directly by my flat with mile 20 (notoriously short of spectators) being just a minutes walk away.

It was amazing to be able to see, in person, the elite runners pass by but as always with these races my favourite bit was the arrival of the "normal" runners. As the "normal" runners start to pass by this is when you are reminded of the amazing things people are capable of.

It really is humbling to see people of all different shapes, sizes and ages taking on a challenge together. Everyone joined together in a unified goal... not competing against each other but instead fighting their own demons and working to their own PB. It is also overwhelming to see the amount of runners taking part for charity - the range of charities is amazing and a reminder of the lengths some people will go to for a cause close to their heart.

Runner's sense of humour and creativity was on display as people donned fancy dress outfits such as the Hulk and a Gingerbread man but my favourite was the lady running with a balloon reading: "Some things are easier said than run"... ain't that the truth!

But it isn't just the runners who leave me swollen with pride at my fellow man but also the spectators. Today I saw families stop and cheer together, shouting the names and words of support for people they have never met before and are unlikely to ever see again. But the most touching sight? A group of children with bags of jelly babies handing them to runners as they struggled on the approach to mile 20.

There really is nothing like the race day feeling whether you are a runner or spectator... roll on Brighton Marathon 2014 so that I can see it from the other side!

Brighton Marathon 2014

So last night I had a moment of madness... or was it a moment of bravery? Whatever it was, it is certainly the biggest challenge I have ever set myself...

Last night I signed up to take part in the 2014 Brighton Marathon!

Have you run a marathon for the first time? What are your top tips?