The Sartorial Doll Goes The Distance... | No comments:

Yeah so... that happened, I totally ran my first ever marathon at the age of 20 and with my Dad..Cute!!!!! This is a much delayed and needed blog post, completely un-fashion related and in more ways a diary entry if such. On the 19th March I travelled to Israel to run one of the toughest Marathon trails in the World, with lets say around 60-70% of the course being UPHILL...literally death. With 20 degree heat, porcelain skin and the absence of suncream, I pretty much became a lobster in the space of 4 hours and well I looked like an idiot, but lets call it a mark of my victory!



Where's Bea?

 

Running 26.2 miles in the searing heat was honestly the toughest challenge I have EVER had to overcome in my life, and trust me there's been a few in the past. The gradient differential at the London Marathon is minus 36 metres (you finish 36 metres below where you start - it is effectively a downhill run), however, the Jerusalem marathon has 26 hills giving a differential gradient of 538 metres, making the Jerusalem Marathon the extreme City Marathon. WANNA TRY? The first half for me was fine until I reached 18K where I suddenly felt dizzy and unwell which lead to me hitting 'the wall' far earlier than I had ever anticipated. As disorientation and tears kicked in I felt so lost - however this was not a battle I was ever going to let myself lose. Lesson taught - Mind over Matter. At around 22k I pushed through the wall and refused to stop, as the 10K race merged, I started running faster and faster as they sprinted through the old city of Jerusalem. Much of this is a blur as you genuinely become so disorientated at times...

After hours of despair I reached the blue carpet leading up to the finish line, I hadn't looked at a clock or stopped in what felt like forever and as I reached the finish line, the clock read 4hours 18 minutes... and oh my was that the most overwhelmed I think I have ever been. I was so proud, yet shocked and just relieved that this torturous event was over. The emotions running through me exceeded what I could handle and I just couldn't stop crying! Even to this day I can't believe I did it!! I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't run another marathon, but as an hour passed I was already planning my next event, starting with the Polar half-marathon in Norway, a race in the dead of the night beneath the Northern lights - now that would be breathtakingly fabulous wouldn't it? That feeling you get when you finish, is a feeling no Chanel bag nor Valentino shoe could ever give you - it's priceless (although I did run in my Bvlgari sunglasses...staying stylish even when running a marathon)

I DID IT! I RAN MY FIRST EVER MARATHON! YAY

The best part about it? My father and I raised over £3000 for Shalva, a children's charity in Israel helping change the lives of physically and mentally challenged children. I visited Shalva the day before the marathon and saw just how amazing the home is, creating a place for mentally and physically challenged children to play and smile and love. Their passion and love for life through their difficulties is beyond inspiring and I feel blessed to have been able to raise enough money to help make more changes. When I felt like giving up, I remembered how inspirational the children of Shalva are and I know that they would never give up so why would I?

Bea {x}