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Leah Fletcher

Royal Parks Half Marathon 2023

I’m running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in the fight for breath!

Every minute, someone in the UK is diagnosed with lung disease. I want to make a difference.

 I'm running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Asthma + Lung UK, the only UK charity that fights for everyone’s right to breathe. I will be running firstly for my mum as she has a lung condition and to help raise more awareness for this cause. 

Every pound I'm able to raise will take us a step closer to a world where everyone has healthy lungs.

Just £22 allows one of Asthma + Lung UK's nurses to answer a call on the Helpline, offering potentially lifesaving advice. I'd be very grateful for any donations you could make!


Thank you :)

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£362 + £46.88 GiftAid

My Goal

£350

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My Achievements

My Updates

8 Oct 2023 - I RAN THE ROYAL PARKS HALF MARATHON

Friday 13th Oct
I DID IT!! I RAN THE ROYAL PARKS HALF!!
I am so proud of myself for running the entire 13.1 miles. I ran it in 2:45:02 which is a little slower than what I had aimed for but due to the fact that we had a heatwave on this day, it was not focused on my time. My focus was on pace, hydration, fuel and cooling down.

I was also focused on maintaining good running form throughout the race as I knew that when times got tough, having good form would allow for better running economy and would help me be able to continue to keep going. There were times where I felt nauseous and lightheaded but making sure I ran at a comfortable pace, chucked water over my head and hydrated with electrolytes water was a MAJOR help! 

I had a mini panic at mile 7 as I realised I did not pack one of my gels (which meant that I could not follow my fuelling strategy that I had practiced during training). Therefore, I had to make the gels that I had with me last longer. 

But all in all, I had a great time taking in the iconic city views and the atmosphere from the supports gave me so much joy and energy. I am glad that I got to run for such a wonderful charity and I am so excited for my next running venture!

Thank you to my family and friends for all your support, I love you guys!

xxx


23 Sept 2023 - LAST LONG RUN

Monday 25th Sep
THE FINAL LONG RUN BEFORE RACE DAY!!!

I am definitely a lot more comfortable with this distance and I can see that from how I am not so exhausted afterwards and I am not completely ravenous in the days following. I think this can only be a sign that my body has become more adapted to doing the distance and I think that is due to me focusing on going SLOW. 

I wanted to make my final long run a fun and enjoyable as I want to remember this distance as being fun so that I look forward to race day. I did get a little bit injured but that is why I decided to do this run 2 weeks before the race so that I have time to heal if anything happened.

I am glad that me taking me time and even walking up hills was still a faster time this week than in my previous attempts before I hit my PB. It shows how much I have improved.

17 Sept 2023 - NEW PR for HM TIME!!!

Monday 25th Sep
SO HAPPY! I can't believe I beat my previous best HM time by around 19 MINUTES!! It is amazing what you can achieve when you are patient and trust the process. I would like to have a finish time of 2:30 on the actual day so having run it in 2:40 just now, makes it seem more likely :)

In fact, I was so happy with this PB I actually decided to go for a 14th mile but that absolutely finished me.

2 Sept 2023 - Bad Run

Monday 25th Sep
This is my second attempt at going the full Half Marathon distance as all I can say is that: 'progress isn't always linear!' My second attempt was worse than my first but this has taught me about how hot weather can really slow you down. I think next time, I will be better prepared because I don't think my current rehydration and fuelling strategy is up to par at the moment.

26 August 2023 - FIRST TIME GOING THE DISTANCE (13.1 MILES)

Monday 25th Sep
It was definitely difficult and my whole body is in pain. But it feels so good to know that I can even go that far; I now feel a lot more confident in my ability to finish this Half Marathon as I have proven to myself that I am capable.

12 August 2023 - PARK RUN

Monday 25th Sep
It has been fun incorporating ParkRun into my training plan as it is nice to run with other people as most of the time I run alone. I wish that I could have included ParkRun more into my training but I need to focus on running as slow as I can and that competitive side of me finds it very difficult to do so at ParkRun.

30 July 2023 - Running Through the Pain

Monday 25th Sep
Today's long run was tough as I was running a little too fast for what was comfortable for me and so my Heart Rate was elevated through the entirety of the run. This is not great for building foundational fitness but is great for teaching my self to keep on going through the pain. 

24 July 2023 - Heart Rate Training

Monday 25th Sep
In this session, I purposefully went very slow as I learnt that "you need to run slower in order to run faster" - basically, so that you can build up your fitness levels. So, today was a VERY slow one but I am hoping that this will help me in the long run (pun definitely intended). 

18 July 2023 - Treadmill Session + New equipment!

Monday 25th Sep
Today was my first treadmill session which I recorder in the gym with my new FitBit!! I decided to start running on a treadmill as the pounding of running on pavement was too impactful on my knees and I was getting increasingly injured. Therefore, running on the treadmill will allow me to get all my runs in but will also minimise the impact on my knees.

5 July 2023 - Evening Recovery Run

Monday 25th Sep
Had a great running session this evening, running for 5 min intervals at my (what was supposed to be) 10K pace but I definitely went too fast despite trying to run slower (I definitely need to get a running watch to help me with pacing 🤔).

2 July 2023 - Recovery

Sunday 24th Sep
Last week when I went on a 9 mile run I injured my hamstring pretty bad to point I could barely walk on it. A week later, it still hurts when I run but the pain is nothing like it was (and it’s good to keep it moving and the blood flowing to it). I then went on to re-injure my calf this week as I accidentally leaned forward too much whilst I was squatting. So, today I ran for as long as I could and when the pain in my calf got too much, I took a walk break and when it calmed down I was able to run again for 10 more mins. I’m not a running expert but I found that this way of training is a good way of still training while injured without causing further injury as I’m listening to my body and when I feel like it’s getting painful then I stop. Side note - I’m happy to see that my slow/injured pace is faster than my fastest pace when I began running ☺️

21 June 2021 - INJURY HAS STRUCK

Sunday 24th Sep
Today was supposed to be a 10 Mile run but I had to cut it short about 9 Miles due to my right leg being in extreme pain. The pain first started with my calf but then spread all around my ankle and my knee and eventually to my hamstrings, which made it impossible to run or even walk. Going to work on strengthening these muscles in the Gym.

28 May 2023 - 10 Mile Run (Milestone 🎉)

Wednesday 20th Sep
Can’t believe that I went 10 Miles!! So close to being able to run the full 13.1 mile distance and it is very exciting. I am tired and it was painful but I can’t wait to be at a stage where I am fitter and this distance feels easier on me. 

14 March 2023 Todays 9 MILER

Wednesday 20th Sep
Knowing that I could do 8 miles made this run not so intimidating but every time I increase the mileage I do always get a little nervous. Doing these long runs always amazes me when I think about how long I have spent active on my feet without a break. 

15 April 2023 - First 8 Mile Run!

Wednesday 20th Sep
This was a challenge, especially due to the hills and I was a bit nervous as I have never gone this far before. At this point, I am not worried about time or pace, I just want to see if I can do it.

4 March 2023 - My Speed Is Improving XD

Wednesday 16th Aug
This morning, I went on another 5K run (3.2 miles) and I can already see improvements in my speed compared to my last attempt. Granted, I was huffing and puffing by the end of it (again) but the fact that my average pace was faster is well worth it! In this run I ran an average pace of 12"06 (per mile), whereas last time it was 12"52. Practice makes improvement.

28 Feb 2023 - First Speed Sess !!!

Wednesday 16th Aug
Even though, my main concern is not speed. It is still good to vary my running sessions so that I can train my body to run at different speeds instead of constantly running at the same pace all the time; not only does this help to build my strength up but it also makes training in general more fun - they do say "variety is the spice of life".

23 Feb 2023 - First ever 5K run!!

Wednesday 16th Aug
Today, I ran a 5K run for the first ever time. This was a milestone as not so long ago, I couldn't even make it down my road. Yes, I am a slow runner but I am a RUNNER and that is a massive achievement in itself for me as it is not something that I ever thought I could do. It's only onwards and upwards from here XD

16 Feb 2023 - First ever run session/ Ground 0

Wednesday 16th Aug
This was my first ever run to kick off my training for the Half Marathon. I decided to start my training many months in advance as I am going from never have run before (and have no cardiovascular fitness) to running a half marathon - so, I need all the time I can have to build my fitness up enough to go the 13.1 miles. 

The main purpose of this session was to see where my starting point is.

Thank you to my Sponsors

£100

Alan Fletcher

You have been training so hard to raise money for this charity. You are 100% going to smash the run .

£60

Shortie Sue

Your running for an super charity. I know with all your hard work and determination you will be able to achieve your goal. How ever much you raise will go to towards helping babies, children and adults. xxx

£52.50

Natasha Kephalas

Fantastic thing to do, enjoy every second Leah

£50

Fletch

So proud of you Leah. Going from not being able to run around the block to now running 14 miles shows a how far you have come in six months.

£25

Jelly

Amazing! Proud of you Leah! Lots of love xxx

£21

Germaine Chaudry

You're raising money for a fantastic charity. After all the hard training you have done I know you will complete your run with ease. Lots of love

£15.75

Leah

Happy Ash Wednesday! Giving to this cause is something that I know will help to benefit many people and it’s a good thing to do at this special time. X

£10

D. Chaudry

£10

Jack Moore

Well done Leah get after it and smash itt light work💪🏻👌🏻

£7.35

Hessa

£5.25

Lewis Fletcher

Good luck , your gonna smash it.

£5

Anonymous

Well done Leah

^