Thursday 16 August 2012

Stan Prepares for the Great North Run

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Stan hard at work in training[/caption]

Exactly one month from today Stan Wilkinson will be putting on his running shoes to take part in The Great North Run to raise money for Shrewsbury House's chosen charity, Care For Casualties.

Stan will be joining the likes of double Olympic champion Mo Farrah, in running the UK's most well-known half marathon event, which begins with a mass start of the participants running over the iconic Tyne Bridge in Newcastle.

Stan says he decided to run the half marathon way back at the start of January, and explains:

This was easier said than done as I was overweight (17 stone) and I had to be accepted in the ballot for the Great North Run so I had to come up with a strategy.

First of all I had to put in place a self-imposed diet with the intention of losing a minimum of 3 stone and I am glad to say I have now lost 3 and a half stone.

Secondly I had to start and get myself fit so I can run and complete the Great North Run. It has not been easy. From starting my training In January by power walking 4 miles a day and then gradually upping it to running the 13 miles, I am glad to say I now run 13 miles twice a week, so I should be fine.

He started his diet and training not knowing if he'd be successful in the ballot which is held each year for the run. At first his hopes were dashed, but happily he was accepted in February's second ballot. Stan added:

Now it is August and I have had my 60th birthday, it is full speed ahead.

Care for Casualties is a charity in aid of servicemen and women of The Rifles Regiment who have been and still are being wounded and badly injured in combat zones around the world. The Rifles Regiment is the UK's largest Regiment and has borne a significant number of the 5,500 casualties the armed services have seen in recent years.

In 2007 The Rifles became the county regiment of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Durham, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Yorkshire and Wiltshire.  Therefore it's likely that many Smiths News employees have friends, relatives or know someone who has friends and relatives who've been wounded and badly injured.

In conclusion Stan says:

These servicemen and women and not forgetting their families need as much help as we can give them, so please be generous and sponsor me what you can afford for Care for Casualties.

You can make your donation on Stan's Just Giving page.

1 comment:

  1. Mark Cashmore, Chief Executive21 August 2012 at 09:39

    Impressive preparations - good luck with the actual run.

    ReplyDelete