Kate’s ultimate challenge to date

Cotswold Allrunner, Kate McEvoy, a practice nurse in Stroud has made the biggest decision of her life, well other than giving birth to her little stars, Ewan and Lara, by joining the Higgy’s Heroes Team at the Virgin 2010 London Marathon.  After the Stroud Half Marathon 2008, her coach asked her about future running goals, the answer was ‘London Marathon 2010‘.

   After a tough year in my personal life, the marathon seems an obvious progression  

Kate started running just over 18 months ago after completing a 5k ‘Race for Life’, which her cousin had asked her to do following her successful battle against breast cancer.  “I loved the sense of enjoying a sport with others, but also achieving a personal achievement”, explains Kate.

Before running Kate used to go the the gym or do aerobics, but following the birth of her daughter in 2006, suffered from sciatica, but she soon realised that running kept her sciatica away, by helping strengthening the core muscles.

  Enjoy exercise 

Kate regularly tells her patients,

   there is no point being told what exercise to do  
    you have to find something you enjoy  
    because you will then WANT to keep doing it  

“Personally, I get withdrawal symptoms if I can’t get out for a run, it has to be outdoors, the treadmill is just not for me, so joining Cotswold Allrunners gives me enthusiasm to run and the friendly group of people, who enjoy running as much as I do, encouraging me as well.”

   I also want my family,   
   my two little stars,  
    Ewan and Lara   
    to be proud of me!   

Kate completed the Stroud half marathon in October 2008, in 2hr 17mins, but just one year later ran 30 minutes quicker to finish in 1hr47mins.

“My new found confidence means each time I run in a race, although I am push myself to my uncomfortable limit, I also enjoy the adrenaline rush and sense of my own success, so the London Marathon it is!”

“This is it my ultimate challenge to date. For years having watched the London marathon on BBC television, and afterwards saying, I will do that before I am 40, this is it!

•    I can’t wait  
•    I know I will have to put the miles in my legs to train  
•    I am sure there will be times ahead, when I question what I am doing  

I am running to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre, but this is also a personal goal, something I HAVE to do, and when I set myself a goal, I always see it through.

Follow my progress on this website and to donate visit www.msrc.co.uk