Its not to be...

Thank you all for all your words of encouragement and support as I have hobbled and limped about over the past 4 weeks, but after an MRI the knee is just not going to hold up and get me round the 26 miles this year.  

The knees and I  managed 17 miles, and trudged out round the streets in all the coldest, darkest mornings and now I feel totally robbed by not being able to run in the spring balmy weather!!

I feel like I have let everyone down who has supported me with words of encouragement and generous donations, and you are very welcome to contact me for a refund.  

BUT, your money has gone to a great cause non-the-less should you choose for Back Up to keep your generous gift... as for me I shall be cheering everyone on who is running on Sunday and hopefully doing it in 2014 (or something similar!).

So Gebrselassie, I'll not be hot on your heels this time, but there is always next year!

As for Back Up, your generous donations have helped us reach more newly injured people than ever before... we have supported over 500 people through regular wheelchair skills sessions in all the spinal centres across the UK.  Here is what one participant recently said:

“All the Back Up people are friendly and treated people with respect and understanding. I really felt secure; I tried new things because I felt safe.”  Sylvia, 75 (manual and powerchair skills, Oswestry)

And quite frankly, what have I got to complain about when others have much more to deal with than I!  

Do please let me know if you'd like to do something else with your donation, I wont be offended.

A big thank you again for all your support, I'm just sorry I wont be crossing the finish line for you.

Lou x

Will she won't she?

I have learned that doing a marathon is one part placing one foot in front of the other, one part looking after yourself (eating and sleeping well), and one BIG part all about your attitude.

I have found out the hard way too.  Since I last wrote my blog, I have had an injury to my right knee, which slowed me down considerably but in the last week I have a new injury on my left knee - this is now the size of a balloon and needs rest.  REST!!  Just when I should be upping my mileage so that body and mind can withstand 26.2 miles when it finally comes on the 13th April.

Looking back, I started my marathon training with a time in mind.  Something that I could be proud of down the pub when asked 'How did you do?', a time that perhaps rivaled Paula!! Obviously not to be too silly about things and rivaling Gabriselassie was a bit too ambitious.

But now I realise it has nothing to do with a time.  This time it really is the taking part that counts. Getting to the start line is my new goal, and that is no mean feat as I currently type this up from bed, leg elevated with more ice on it than in the Antarctic. As my friends and family concur, it will be my sheer bloody mindedness that gets me round.  But, I just think of why I'm doing this and it all comes into perspective.

And so that brings me to another story, of an amazing person who 9 years ago, had her spinal cord injury aged 11. Laura was diagnosed with a curvature of the spine (scoliosis) at the age of 10. The curvature was so severe that she needed surgery. Laura walked into operating theatre but woke up paralysed from the chest down as the surgeon had penetrated her spinal cord with a screw.


After too many months in a ward at a children's hospital with no other children in the same position around her, without a proper explanation of her condition, skin sores and unable to manage her own bladder or bowels she eventually got referred to a specialist spinal centre. There, Laura and her family got the support they needed; both emotional and medical and the future looked brighter (as the ad says!). She came on a Back Up multi-activity course and never looked back.

At Back Up we have kicked off a campaign to ensure that all children and young people with a spinal cord injury get timely access to the specialist care they need to lead a full and active life. More info is here. 

Laura is starting Uni this autumn after doing exceptionally well at A-levels and finishing a ski season in Whistler.  At Back Up she has helped developed services for children affected by spinal cord injury and acts as a role model for many others coming to terms with their spinal cord injury. Back Up is all the better for having her support.

Please please do sponsor me and help me reach my goal of £3000, that will transform the lives of people affected by spinal cord injury and help me get off my backside and at that start line!
http://www.justgiving.com/Louise-Wright17

A big fat thank you from me. I'll keep you posted when I'm back up and running.

Lou x

New year, new miles

This photo was taken of me two years ago, watching the Back Up marathon runners.  The girl in the photo is Milly, my eldest daughter and over Christmas did a training run with me. It was more tantrums than miles, but the thought was there!

Its sad to say, but I'm really rather starting to enjoy the running, which is a good thing because its taking up a awful lot of time.  Christmas was easy for friends and family, as I now have every bit of conceivable running kit known to man, and so I now look the business, even if I don't run like it!  The longest I have run is for two hours, and I'm sorry to say we have had some tears... the thought of adding another two and half hours on is quite frightening!  I can't help but take my hat of to those who have done it.

So, what we all want is another Back Up story. This month I'm going to share Ben's story.  He tells it far better than I ever could in this video which is only a few minutes long.  He is a role model to many other young people and adults alike and he's made a huge difference to the services under eighteen year old's receive from Back Up.  He was instrumental in developing our first course for teenagers looking to make those significant transitions from home to uni or work.... happy watching!

If you'd like to help me reach my target of raising £3,000 for Back Up, please sponsor me here.