A nice lie in until 0830 was had on day 59. That gave me a couple of hours before I had to set off for the match. I didn't feel particularly energised going into this one and it showed with a slow first mile. I say slow but it was quicker than average at 14 minutes. After that, I just seemed to get quicker. I had to stuff my hat and gloves inside my jacket such was the warm conditions. It was made even warmer by the effort I was putting in.
Other than mile 4 (also 14 minutes) the rest were between 11 and 13 minutes each. I felt really good. I also felt like a runner again!
I knew I was on for a campaign best time and that really helped to keep me focussed. Miles 7 and 8 around Seaton Burn and Wideopen were the quickest. One eye witness said "You were making some pace". No, seriously they did. Check the Run Geordie Run Facebook page if you don't believe me.
I made it to the finish line at St. Andrews Cemetery in 02:48:43. That was 1 minute 26 seconds quicker than my previous best this year. That was also on this route back on February 7th. The really pleasing thing about day 59 was that the total for St. Benedict's Hospice had reached £1,263.23.
I decided to enjoy a bit of life on day 60. It was Sunday after all. Once I'd done the big shop, time was spent with Órlaith and Donna. The run itself didn't start until 20:00. It took until then for my Sunday dinner to settle! It was a treadmill run done in 03:27:08.
I managed to get away from work at a reasonable time meaning that I set off on day 61 in broad daylight. That's unheard of for a Monday. It was a slow start yet again. The slight incline up to Nedderton probably didn't help matters.
Once I got to Stannington I felt pretty good. It was a nice change to be able to see where I was running on this route without a head torch. The miles to the outskirts of Morpeth ticked by nicely and after a loop around County Hall I turned back towards home.
I was only getting stronger and quicker as I reached Stannington Station Road. Not even a brief wait at the railway crossing was enough to upset my rhythm.
By the time I got to Bedlington I took my foot right off the gas. Rightly or wrongly, this was intentional. The final time of 03:19:54 was just over 5 minutes quicker than the 365 campaign average so far.
As good as the running is going on an upwards trajectory, the most pleasing thing about this campaign is the kindness being shown towards St. Benedict's Hospice. £123 has been donated today (day 61) giving a total so far of £1,386.23. The funds are vital for the hospice. They also serve to remind me that people care about what I'm doing and why. When there are so many dark, cold and lonely miles (799.1 so far), it's amazing to see a donation alert appear on my watch. It's like having virtual road side support.
The generosity shown last year put Run Geordie Run in the top 0.25% of fundraising pages on Justgiving. I received a similar email today from them to say that the 365 Justgiving page was in the top 10% on their site. My dream of raising half a million pounds for local good causes in memoey of my Mam and Dad is very much alive and kicking. I refuse to rest until that target has been hit. It may take a few years yet but I'm sure that we will get there.
Thanks once again to everyone who has donated and continues to do so. It is at this time of year especially that I think of my Mam spending the final 2 weeks of her life in St. Benedict's Hospice back in 1995. She was taken in by the hospice on 20/02/1995 and lost her brave battle against cancer on 09/03/1995.
As a 23 year old carer, I don't know what I would have done without the palliative care offered by St. Benedict's Hospice. As I write this, I'm thinking back to those final weeks of my Mam's life. The cancer had spread to her brain and she had began to hallucinate. I remember driving her to the hospice. I think it was the following day when the staff told me that she only had a couple of weeks left to live.
My Mam was quite alert during the first week. Sadly, the cancer really took hold after that. She spent a lot of time asleep. Possibly sedated. I don't really remember. She never regained consciousness 3 days before she died. I could tell that she was fighting for each breath. I went to visit her after work on 08/03/1995. I then went to the match but returned afterwards to see her one final time. I returned home around midnight only to be called by the hospice that she'd passed away. I returned to see her. She was lying still. She had fought until she could fight no more.
My immediate thoughts were of gratitude towards the hospice. Her final weeks were dignified and I believe as pain free and comfortable as they possibly could have been.
When I returned home, with my head in my hands, I cried out loud "What am I supposed to do now?". I remember it vividly. Little did I know that I'd be spending the next 31 years repaying the debt of gratitude to St. Benedict's Hospice. That's what I was supposed to do.
With your help, dear reader, we continue to make a real difference to the lives of people in a similar situation to my Mam and their families. Together with other fundraisers, numerous volunteers, the trustees and the brilliant staff at St. Benedict's Hospice it's a formidable force for good.
If you've made a donation this year or any year, then I hope you feel as proud as I do. You absolutely should.
I often think about what my Mam, and of course my Dad, would have made of it all. I was brought up to make them proud. That's the answer to that question I reckon.
If you'd like to sponsor my efforts to run 365 half marathons in 2026 by making a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice then please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.
