As I’m sure all the faithful readers of our blog will now know – Johnson King is currently raising money for the NSPCC as part of the Olympic Gold Challenge. Due to the superb fundraising efforts of the team here so far (who have already raised more than £2,000 so thanks to everyone who has donated!), we secured a place in one of the hundred metre heats at the Gold Challenge Event – one of the first competitive events to be held at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.
Feeling inspired by a recent read of ‘Yes Man’ I decided, alongside my colleagues Ben and Claire, to put my name forward for the opportunity. And you’ve guessed it, I was selected. Now for those of you who know me, you will know that I am probably one of the least sporty people alive. Running to me is something that you do as a very last resort, or at its very best, something you do to get to the shops a little quicker. It is definitely not an activity of pleasure. That said, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that I was incredibly excited, if a little nervous, about taking up.
Training for the event started with a few sprints down my street. My mother, visiting for the weekend (who incidentally also has no running experience to speak of) advised me that my running style left a lot to be desired, “You’re not running on the balls of your feet, dear. If you want to have any hope of winning in this thing, you need to run on the balls of your feet.” Well, that told me. The sprints, if I can call them that, were swiftly followed by a 15km bike ride round Richmond Park with fellow JK Gold Challengers Lindsey and Flora. As I’m sure they both will testify, it’s definitely a good thing that the big race itself was not going to be any such distance. It would not have been pretty.
So I was ready, I was trained (well, I’d tried) and I had my lycra neon outfit prepared, so all systems go, right? Alas, this budding athlete was struck down in her prime by the flu. And the day before the big event, decided to pull out and hand the baton over to Ben who, let’s face it, definitely knows how to run the proper way (even my discerning mother would have thought so), and may actually have a hope of not coming last.
Check back tomorrow for Ben’s thoughts on the day
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