If you’re looking for something to spice up your training then this may be an interesting event to take part in.

On 4th March 2012, hundreds of runners will be racing up London’s iconic Gherkin building to raise money for the NSPCC’s ChildLine.

Mother of 3 and Olympic Gold Medallist, Sally Gunnell, OBE, is backing the Step Change 2012 event and wants you to make every step count .. all 1,037 of them! This is a fantastic opportunity to earn a birds eye view of London when you reach the top of the Gherkin and raise vital funds for a tremendous charity!  What a great way to boost your training and push yourself to compete in an exciting challenge!

The NSPCC have been granted exclusive access to ’30 St.Mary Axe’ to host the event, which is open to corporate teams, individuals, groups of friends and, for the first time, families.  The challenge is for Gherkineers to run up 38 flights of stairs to reach the bar at the top and enjoy a well deserved glass of champagne and a panoramic view of the city.

The NSPCC runs the ChildLine service to help protect vulnerable children and young people.  This is the third year that Step Change has been staged and it’s hoped that the event will raise £200,000 for ChildLine during it’s 25th Anniversary year.

Sally Gunnell’s athletics career was full of mental and physical determination to reach the top.  She achieved

• Golds for both the 4x400m Relay and the 400m Hurdles in the Commonwealth Games in 1990
• Gold Medal in the 400m Hurdles in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
• Another Gold and a new World Record for the 400m Hurdles in the 1993 World Championships
• And Gold again in the 1994 400m Hurdles at the European Championships

Proud to be involved with ChildLine, Sally said “Step Change is a great opportunity to take part in a unique event at one of London’s most iconic buildings and at the same time raise vital funds for ChildLine.  Please enter today and do your bit to help protect vulnerable children and young people.”

Throughout February there is a 2 for 1 deal on individual and team registrations for Step Change, making it even easier to get involved than ever.

So, if you fancy a rather unusual challenge to push your training to the next level then go to www.nspcc.org.uk/stepchange for the full registration details.

With 12 weeks to go until the Virgin London Marathon and thousands of people running marathons around the world, there’s a lot of focus on marathon training at the moment.  But if you’re also trying to raise money for charity, it can be easy to overlook some simple and effective ways to get friends to sponsor you.

So, here are my Top Tips For Using Video to help raise money for your charity.

Video really is a very strong medium to get your message out and tell your friends and family how they can support you in running your Marathon.

Be Creative:
It’s never been easier to create, upload and share a video .. so what’s stopping you?  Need an idea of what to do/say? Well, take a look at this super-simple but very effective video that my friend Ray Wise made when he ran the London Marathon in 2010.

In his videos, Ray (who is also an amazing photographer) decided instead of simply just asking for money, he’d give something back in return.

Have a look at his fundraising video for the Meningitis Trust below:

1. Feature your online fundraising details prominently.  In Ray’s video he’s just used a simple piece of cardboard with the details clearly written and visible throughout his demonstration.
2. Wear your Charity T Shirt!  Use other visual props from your charity, such as balloons and posters,  as a constant visual reminder of who you are running your marathon for.
3. Tell viewers about your Charity – why is it important for them to sponsor you? Who does your charity help?  Do you have a personal reason for supporting your charity?
4. Give something back to your fans in return for watching your video and making a donation.  In Ray’s video, he gives a recipe for how to make a smoothie.  What else could you do?
5. Keep it short and sweet – the length of your video should be between 2 and 5 minutes maximum.
6. Write out what you want to say so you don’t get tongue-tied.. and practice it!
7. Using music in your video can create atmosphere and emotion – choose your soundtrack carefully, are the lyrics suitable?
8. Don’t be shy – you look and sound better than you think you do and, anyway, it’s all for a good cause.
9. Speak clearly, don’t mumble and look straight into the camera.
10. Tell your story – the good, the bad and the funny!

Another friend, known to many others as ‘Sir Jog A Lot‘ made a great video that not only featured his JustGiving online fundraising page, but also captured his London Marathon preparations in a quirky and light-hearted way.

Be Generous, Share!
Don’t forget to share your video link with family and friends.  Post the link on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkedin and any other social networks that you use.  Remember to add the video to your online fundraising page too!  Send an email out to all your contacts with your video link and tell them all what you’re up to.

If you’re feeling really clever, use a QR code generator to capture the link to your YouTube video.  Then print the QR code on business cards, T shirts, leaflets and posters – tell everyone you know to ‘zap’ the code with their mobile phone barcode reader (I use RedLaser code reader free from iTunes) which will take them straight to your video.

So, those are a few of my ideas .. what have you come up with?

Share your fundraising videos in the comments section below or hop over to our Facebook fan page ‘Just One More Mile’ and share them with all our friends!

…one of my fundraising videos is located on the ‘Videos’ tab

‘Just One More Mile‘ is about everyday, ‘normal’ folk who like to run and do something to help other people.  It’s not really about being the fastest thing on two legs it’s more about the extraordinary physical and mental challenges that runners, in particular marathon runners, endure to reach their goal.  It’s about people with ‘day jobs’, with responsibilities, coping with the ups and downs of life who want to make a difference and help someone else.  Some have been running since childhood, some have taken up running in later life but all are magnificent because they’re out there in all weathers, doing their best, raising money for their charities and they never give up.

Jemima and I have never met (..we have got to remedy this Jem!) but she has been tremendously supportive of my own marathon training and particularly helpful whilst I’ve been bemoaning my latest set of injuries.  Very sadly and not long ago, Jemima lost her Mum to Pancreatic Cancer. Her Mum clearly brought her up to be kind and caring, quick to smile and always able to go just one more mile to help others.  This is Jemima’s review of the Virgin London Marathon 2011 …

Jemima Gee

After running the London Marathon in 2010, I thought ‘run a marathon’ could be ticked off my ‘to do’ list. However, with a time of 5hrs and 44 annoying seconds, I had an urge to do it again to get rid of the seconds.

I applied through the public ballot and got rejected, so thought “Oh well, at least I tried” but was secretly quite relieved.  However, my triathlon group PACTRAC were given 2 places for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon and all our names were put into the hat for the lucky (?!) runners to be chosen.  My name was drawn out!

So, the 4 month training plan was printed off and being a stickler for following the rules, I ticked off all of my training runs up to week 14 of a 16 week plan.  Then the injury occurred.

It started as a dull ache in the top of my foot and then got worse as I carried on running (I know, I should have stopped).  Anyway, it soon came to light that the injury had probably occurred when I turned my ankle on a long run and carried on running.  After an X-ray to check it wasn’t fractured, a visit to a sports injury clinic and a sports massage therapist and endless Google searches ‘Can I run a marathon with a sprained ankle after not running for 2 weeks?’ I decided I could.  Well, no professional I saw actually said I couldn’t!

Virgin London Marathon weekend is a very nerve wracking but exciting time. I am obsessive about lists and organisation, so I had checklists for various things: what to take to London, what I would be wearing and carrying throughout the race, a timings plan for race morning, etc. etc.  I even had all my kit laid out in the hotel room the previous evening in a slightly OCD manner.

Race morning came and I had my porridge, although it was rather forced down through nerves.  I went to the toilet, went to the toilet again and then just once more to be sure.  Bags packed and ready to go and run the marathon, my husband Max and I went to leave the hotel foyer to go to catch the tube to the start of the race.  My plans were slightly thrown when a very friendly Australian lady offered us a lift in the cab she had hailed.  On the way to the start amongst all the bodies moving towards the marathon starts, I spotted quite a sad sight of a man staggering through the streets of London, obviously inebriated, with blood dripping down his head.  It was quite a contrast.

The Tube was jam packed with excited, nervous folk, some silently contemplating what was ahead, whilst some were chattering nervously to fellow passengers.

I was heading for the Blue start. Last year I went from the Red start.  There was a really different feel to the start this year.  The Blue start is a lot less busy and is mainly for the club runners. Although I was officially a club runner, I did feel slightly intimidated to be amongst what I saw as professionals.  It was a less busy and calmer start, although in hindsight I would have preferred to be amongst the mass of fun runners, carrying fridges, dressed as superman, or the guys in the camel suit. I get back to the camel later!

The weather was slightly overcast at the start but almost as soon as the start gun went off, the sun decided to shine down on us.  The first 3 miles of the run were great. I felt good, my splits were good and a PB looked likely.  However, the first 3 miles are downhill!  I carried on at an OK pace until I realised at about 9 miles that the toilet beckoned.  Luckily I spotted a loo with just one person in the queue.  Result!  After my brief break, I realised that I was now behind time which wasn’t good for morale.  The sun was beating down and I was already starting to feel weary.  I was taking lots of fluids on board and devouring any sustenance I could get hold of.  Thank you so much to the lady who handed me the banana!

Tower Bridge was a highlight, as was seeing my husband Max at 2 cheering points (mile 8 & mile 16).  I even stopped to give him a quick peck.  He rather rudely asked me, at mile 16, whether I had walked most of it so far (I hadn’t)!

The crowds were just amazing, cheering us all on. The camaraderie amongst the runners was great. People were asking each other if they were ok and offering words of encouragement.

The second half of the marathon was tough.  Lots of people were walking and I had to takewalk breaks to cool down and rest my weary legs.  I also had to stop another time to put some blister plasters on.  I was so pleased to get to the last few miles, seeing the London Eye, knowing I was nearly home.

The camel overtook me again this year.  I will beat him one day.

Seeing the finishing line was so amazing.  It felt like I sprinted at the end.  It probably didn’t look like that at all.  I crossed the finish line in 5.37.  Not a PB but I finished. After injury, blisters and heat I was pleased. I also raised £2000 in the process for Pancreatic Cancer UK.  Running the marathon was worth it.

I ate and drank and made my way home after the London Marathon.  Only realising later that I had been on my feet a full 12 hours before I sat down on the train home. The next couple of days were bad – stomach upsets, extremely aching limbs, blisters and missing toenails to contend with.
“Never again!” I repeated to everyone who asked me about the London Marathon.

Nearly a week has gone by and I can now say I’ve completed 2 London Marathons.  To me, running the London Marathon is like giving birth and I have 3 children… so perhaps there is another marathon in me yet

Jemima Gee – 36 year old Marathon Mum to 3!

Here’s to every single person who is running the Virgin London Marathon 2011 today.

You’re a fabulous lot and you’re taking part in something that is absolutely extraordinary.
Your personal achievement in accomplishing the gruelling training and the
millions that you raise for charity is nothing short of spectacular!

Every good wish for a safe, happy and successful
Virgin London Marathon.

Joanna

Graphics made especially for Just One More Mile by Phil Aitkens .. thanks Phil!

The fantastic Brighton Marathon is TOMORROW!!

Please note the WARM WEATHER WARNING for Sunday April 10th 2011 – this is especially important for all the wonderful runners taking part but also important for spectators to take note as well, particularly those taking children to the event.

Apparently there will be over 10,000 people running the Brighton Marathon tomorrow which is up from around 7,500 at last year’s race.  The crowds will be huge too – there were around 85,000 people last year who came to cheer on all the runners and significantly bigger crowds are expected tomorrow.  Lots of good causes will be represented by runners from all ‘walks’ of life fundraising for their charities.  The legendary Steve Cram will be firing the starter’s gun at 9am on Sunday morning and whether you’re running the marathon or going along to cheer, I’m sure everyone will have a great day.

Good Luck Everyone!!

…and for those of you running the Virgin London Marathon…there’s only one more week to go!!!

You have to watch the video .. look out for the chap in the red top, race number 2700 ..

With the Virgin London Marathon 2011 fast approaching, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine who has run thirteen London Marathons since 1997.  With his 14th London Marathon just around the corner, Marc Jenner has become one of the many regular marathon runners who helps to raise millions of pounds for charity by running the historic 26.2 mile course.  At 6’4 he cuts quite a figure, particularly when dressed as Tinkerbell or St.George.  Last year, he came up with the idea of being the very last person to start the London Marathon .. and in his Pyjamas!  The idea was born from one of those horrid dreams we all experience at one time or another.. being late and arriving somewhere in your PJs in a desperate panic. Marc obtained special permission from the London Marathon organisers to be officially the very last person to start running and then aimed to overtake as many runners as he could before reaching the finish. (For the record he overtook 9,000 other runners in 4hours and 20minutes!)

Marc, an avid Fulham FC fan, currently lives in Bucharest, having moved there last year to act as Fundraising Director for Hospice Casa Sperantei.  He and his team aim to provide free palliative care for anyone in Romania that needs it, whilst working closely with their parent charity Hospices of Hope based in Otford, Kent.

I had the chance to catch up with Marc last week and thought I’d share with you our chat about his London Marathon experiences.

Marc’s London Marathon career started quite by accident after a big night out in London with his cousin, Pete.  Having fallen asleep waiting for the morning train home, he woke to find himself at London Bridge Station surrounded by hundreds of brightly coloured, lycra clad runners on their way to the start of the 1996 Flora London Marathon.  He was inspired by the crowds and the atmosphere, “I realised I was jealous and pledged to join them the next year” … although he sheepishly admits “I also slept for the whole of that Sunday if I remember rightly, never even watched it on TV!”

Marc was a keen rugby and basketball player so was clearly fit but running was something completely new and starting from scratch was hard work.  I asked him how he found the motivation to start training for his first London Marathon “Literally by feeling embarrassed in front of all those fit looking runners the year before.  I wanted to be one of them, not the slob sleeping on a waiting room bench waiting for the first train home!”  His running didn’t really take off until the London Marathon News magazine was sent out which contained the form for applying for the 1997 marathon. “You couldn’t apply online back in the olden days!” he adds with a wink.

In order to motivate himself and to try to look the part, a little retail therapy was in order, “I went to a great little specialist running store, who fitted me out with a perfect pair of running shoes.  I then proceeded to buy half the stock of the shop.  If it was shiny and fluro, I wanted it!!  I think I ran less than 1km on my first running attempt to be honest…. but I looked the part!”

With a wardrobe full of new kit and a few kms in his new running shoes, Marc obtained a Golden Bond place with his local Hospice in Kent; Hospice in the Weald.  Golden Bond places are the cherished entries that allow someone to run the London Marathon in return for raising a set amount for a specific charity. Marc’s fundraising got off to a good start as his friends and family were amazed that he really was going to go through with it.  He also utilised his rugby club to hold a few functions and his local snooker club held a couple of charity competitions.
Marc explained that “This was long before online fundraising pages and I had to go through the awful job of trying to recoup pledges on old fashioned sponsor forms… an absolute nightmare!”

Describing the morning of his first London Marathon, Marc recalled “There was the usual mix of apprehension, nerves and excitement.  I stayed with friends in Hither Green, so didn’t have too far to travel to get to the start.  I remember walking to the station and just feeling ‘special’.  Complete strangers walking their dogs or getting Sunday papers would make a point of wishing me luck.  It just empowers you and drives home how special what you’re about to undertake actually is.”

All the hard training clearly paid off and after successfully completing his first London Marathon, Marc was inspired to get a place for the following year.  Over the years, Marc has helped to raise thousands of pounds for a variety of charities that have included Hospice in the Weald, Imperial Cancer, Cancer Research UK, Children in Crisis, Parkinsons Disease Society, Children’s Wish, Hospices of Hope, Employment Action and The Lord’s Taverners.  His younger sister, Lynsey, has also run the London Marathon twice, once on her own and once as Peter Pan to Marc’s Tinkerbell!  This year he is running for Save the Rhino International.. and he has quite a task on his hands!

Running the London Marathon is no mean feat but running dressed in a 22 kilo Rhino suit will be Marc’s toughest running challenge ever!  The Save the Rhino runners have become quite a sight and due to the challenge of running in such a cumbersome costume, Marc has said that it will be more like running in a giant, heavy and noisy, hot crisp packet.

Although Rhinos have been around for 50 million years, due to humans killing them for their horns and destroying their natural habitat there are only 24,500 rhinos surviving in the wild.  Marc is hoping to raise £2,500 so that Save the Rhino can continue their conservation work to help save this endangered species.

I asked Marc how he would sum up the London Marathon atmosphere to someone who is going to run their first London Marathon this year.
“It’s like a mix of playing in a World Cup Final, whist receiving an Oscar!  As though half a million people come out on the day to cheer for you.  And quite simply, every spectator would do anything to BE you!!”

The London Marathon route has many highlights and we chatted about our favourites.  Marc’s included “The first few miles, the point where the two starts come together, Cutty Sark, half way going over Tower Bridge, the bowl effect of running through mass crowds in Canary Wharf and that wonderful feeling when you spot Big Ben for the first time.  Nothing however, beats that feeling of coming past Buckingham Palace, and hearing the commentator giving shout-outs for people finishing.”

Marc’s training this year has had to be tougher than usual.  Wearing the Rhino costume and running the 26.2 miles is going to be really tough.  ”I have kept up the training since the Bucharest Marathon last October and I started running with weights from January.  I also gave up alcohol back then as well.”  Although Marc has run the London Marathon in 3 hours 58 before (and a half marathon in 1 hour 38) he’s not likely to break any speed records this year “I know it will take longer, but if I can beat 7 hours I will be very happy.”

Marc has set up an online fundraising page with JustGiving.com and I asked him how this has changed the way he raises money for the London Marathon. “It’s completely changed the way I fundraise.  I no longer have to worry about where sponsor forms may have ended up, or if donors are actually going to give the money they’ve promised.  With it being secure online, the charity gets the money quicker, it’s tax efficient and your supporters can have a browse through photos, updates and messages from other donors. JustGiving is frankly brilliant!”  Having tried other online donation sites Marc says “I prefer JustGiving.  I find it far more user friendly … however, they still haven’t launched in Romania which is a shame as I’d love to be able to promote it to our fundraisers for the Bucharest International Marathon .. they’re all being forced to use paper sponsor forms still.”

Marc is still finalising his checklist for the London Marathon and is hoping to find someone kind enough to help provide some bluetooth communication equipment, heart rate monitor and ‘Skins’ style top and leggings.  The Rhino costume is so bulky and awkward that talking to his ‘Ranger’, who will help guide him through the course, is going to be an additional challenge and it’s imperative that Marc is able to say when he needs additional fluids and energy gels.

It’s going to be a very long, hard marathon for Marc this year but I’m quite sure that he will do amazingly well and have an incredible story to go with his finishers medal.

You can sponsor Marc at http://www.justgiving.com/runningrhino and even keep in touch with him via Twitter whilst he’s running @marcjenner

Here’s wishing Marc Jenner a fabulous 14th London Marathon!!

Well you didn’t honestly think I’d be happy to run the Virgin London Marathon just once did you?? …

I’m very pleased and proud to announce that, due to a last minute place suddenly becoming available, I shall be running in this year’s Virgin London Marathon on the 17th April 2011 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

If you’re a regular visitor here, you’ll know all about my training highs and lows for last year’s marathon.  You’ll also know that I ended up running the VLM five weeks after coming off crutches and ..yes.. I made every second look painful and unglamorous!

This year I have the opportunity to wipe the slate clean, stay fit and healthy, avoid injury and impress you all by running a faster London Marathon … do you think I can do it?

With your support, I hope very much to be able to raise lots of money for Macmillan who offer essential help for people living with cancer.

As usual, I will be posting regular updates here with all my news, photos and videos as well as writing about some of the other super chaps and chapesses that I’ll be running alongside in April.

If you’d like to sponsor me by making a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support you can click the JustGiving logos dotted around the site…ooh look, there’s one below

So, please.. Join me on another London Marathon journey – you’re a fantastic support crew and I couldn’t do it without you!

(c) Artwork by kind permission of Philip Aitkens

I can’t believe that the Virgin London Marathon was three weeks ago.  It really has been the most amazing experience for so many different reasons.

I’ve raised a massive £3,157.00 for Macmillan Cancer Support and, while I haven’t reached my target of £5,000, I’m immensely pleased to have raised so much money for such a wonderful charity.

This is the first time that I’ve used social media to help me with my fundraising.  Initially, I wasn’t so sure that Facebook and Twitter really had anything to add to what I was doing.  Yes, I’ve been using Facebook for quite a few years but, other than contacting existing friends, it didn’t obviously offer anything new. …. oh, how wrong I was!

Twitter took me a while to feel comfortable with – shrinking my life into 140 characters or less in each ‘tweet’, initially, was a challenge.  I’m the sort of girl who likes to chatter and I’ve been accused of talking in really, really long sentences..rarely pausing for breath!  But now that I’ve got used to it, Tweeting has become second nature!  My Twitter profile name is ‘Mysitcomlife‘ and this may give you an indication that I like to talk about the funnier aspects of my life.  I use Tweetdeck to keep track of all the people I follow, and who follows me, plus it’s allowed me to keep an eye out for anyone tweeting about the London Marathon.

Talking online about how training has been going, countless injuries, amusing physiotherapy sessions and fundraising progress has brought me into contact with some truly wonderful people.  The biggest surprise is that complete strangers, people I have never met and may never meet, have offered advice, support and encouragement.  These same people have been tremendously generous in sponsoring me too.  Fundraising, as some of you will know if you’ve tried it, is incredibly hard work.  I don’t find it easy to ask people for money and the downturn in the economy hasn’t exactly helped.  I think people liked my story.  I was honest about the highs and lows of training and boy were there some lows.  Every time I felt lonely, suffered an injury or thought that I was ridiculous to attempt running a marathon, my online Twitter and Facebook friends came to the rescue and have continued to donate hundreds of pounds to my fundraising target.

I learned to set up a Fan Page on Facebook and looked on in surprise as I gathered yet more support.  The conversations flowed – the enthusiasm and kindness from people all over the world was tangible.  It has offered a great platform for old friends to mingle with new ones.  Click here to take a peek.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me and helped me to run my first marathon.  I’ve learned that when the going gets tough, there are some very caring, big hearted folk who rally to the call of a good cause – they don’t judge, they don’t question, they hear a cry for help and spring into action.  Twitter and Facebook may seem frivolous and banal to some but I know that the power of social media has helped me to raise a lot of money for Macmillan Cancer Support and people living with cancer today.

If you’re already on Twitter come and say hi and if you have a Facebook account, pop over to Joanna’s Marathon and click ‘Like’.

If you have any questions about using social media to boost your next fundraising project, please feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below.

In the meantime, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all my Twitter and Facebook friends around the world – you’re a great support crew!

Dear Friends,

I want to just pause for a moment and say a big THANK YOU!

To all of you who have sponsored me and parted with your hard earned cash, I salute you all.  You probably won’t realise how much your support means, not just to me but to people living today with Cancer.

Yesterday morning, my fundraising total sat at £1,922.00 .. still some way to go before clearing my first fundraising milestone of £2,000. As you may remember, I have to raise a minimum of £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support or I have to personally make up the difference.

Training has been very slow as I begin to heal from the torn calf muscle I had a few weeks back. There’s still a niggle and running is painful. The mental pain is tougher to overcome. The pressure to do well and raise £2,000, let alone my ultimate target of £5,000, has been unbearable at times.

But there is something that never ceases to amaze me on this London Marathon journey.  When I’m at my lowest and feeling absolutely dreadful … something happens. It’s different every time.  But something always happens. Quite often it’s someone totally unexpected getting in touch: kindness from strangers has been a source of constant amazement.  There are some very special people out there who have quietly gone to my fundraising page and made an online donation..some big, some smaller but each with the same intention of giving what they can to help others.

Yesterday, it happened again. Towards the end of a dreadful day, someone came and gave me a cheque to put towards my fundraising target. They had kind words of support and they probably didn’t know how much it all meant to me. They want to remain anonymous.

So, today I can announce a milestone has been reached! I have reached 40% of my final target and today’s fundraising total is £2,022.00 !!!!

To you all: Thank You – for your support, for your emails, for your donations, kind words and love .. you are truly amazing and I couldn’t do this without you.

With all my love

Joanna

x

I must tell you all about the wonderful Ladies of Empingham and Beyond.

Last Thursday, the great and the good came out in force to offer their enthusiastic and generous support and help me march towards my fundraising target for Macmillan Cancer Support.  Cakes were baked, raffle prizes donated, pots of tea brewed, biscuits nibbled – Hostess with the mostest was Judy … aka my Mum!

The word had gone out, the flag raised and I was absolutely amazed to see so many wonderful women arrive .. each with a special message of support and their own personal stories of how cancer had affected the lives of those they love dearly.

To be on the receiving end of so much support was overwhelming and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for what they did that morning.

In the space of two hours, these magnificent girls raised £300.00!!