I’m running the London Marathon. I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words. The London Marathon holds such a special place in my heart; every year as a child my whole family would stand at my Granddaddy’s back gates in Charlton and cheer on the runners before going inside and watching the rest on TV. They are such an emotional and happy memories, which sadly came to an end when my Granddaddy had a stroke and was moved to a nursing home. Honestly, it is an absolute dream come true to actually be running, just hearing the music gives me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes!
I never thought I would be fit enough to run a marathon. One good thing to have come out of the Coronavirus was that it got me out and pounding the pavements, initially it was to catch up with friends but I soon realised the benefits to my body and mental health and my love of running began… having watched three of my best friends run last year was totally inspiring and I decided that this was the time to apply.
I wanted to run for a charity close to my heart. In 2019 my good friend’s baby girl was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer at just 14 weeks old. They were told that her chances of surviving any treatment were poor and that perhaps the kindest thing would be to take her home and spend Christmas with her knowing her first Christmas would be her last. Absolutely heartbreaking. They didn’t do that. They couldn’t do that. They wanted to at least give her a chance to fight, and fight she did. The pain that family have gone through is unimaginable and nearly three and a half years on Emmie is in remission, but the shadow they now live under and everything that has happened has impacted them like no-one who hasn’t been through this could ever comprehend. This is why I have chosen to run for our amazing local charity, Demelza Children’s Hospice in Eltham. As a charity they do the most wonderful work for families who are going through such challenging times. The have supported Emmie and her family and will continue to support them in the months and years to come. They are an incredible charity and it is an honour to run and fundraise for them.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sarah-Hamilton46
The training is going well so far. I’m taking it one week at a time and trying not to look too far ahead. I’m lucky to have supportive friends who are keeping me company and so far the weather has been my friend, especially on Fridays when I do my longest run of the week. Fitting in painting around my training is proving to be a little challenging as my paintings are usually painted in one sitting as the paint needs to stay wet in order for me to capture the essence of movement and flow that underpin most of my work. It means that the amount of time I’m able to paint in a week has reduced, but it also means I’m having to be stricter with my time (which is no bad thing). But as anyone who does a creative job knows these things can’t be forced, so again I’m just having to relax into a routine and listen to my body and mind. After all come April 23rd life will return to some kind of normality or as my husband suspects I may have been bitten by the marathon bug! Who knows!!
I would appreciate ANY support in my marathon journey in the form of sponsorship, hi-fives if you see me out and about on the pavements of Chislehurst and surrounding areas (!) and of course if you happen to be heading to watch on the day please look out for the red Demelza top and swinging blonde ponytail…if I’m feeling brave I may even have some boppers on my head! If you would like to follow my marathon/art journey then please follow me on instagram or facebook @sjhamiltonart. But, first things first, carb loading and a hell of a lot of miles of training to go….
Sarah
S J Hamilton Art
