My Website

and here is my updated website. http://sarahstracks.webplus.net/

Thanks for visiting xxx

Liverpool Half Marathon 2013

Well, truly no rest for the wicked it would seem. On Saturday 16th March, I discovered early, thankfully, that there were no early morning trains from Manchester to Liverpool Sunday! So I booked a hotel, The Adelphi which is pretty central, and not too far from the run start at pier head Albert dock. We were on the top floor and we’d paid for a continental breakfast which was fine but the full english looked pretty spectacular. It was raining rather heavily but fortunately Sunday was dry and we found the start/finish area easily enough. No warm up on this half marathon but I found out that in this half marathons 20 year history this was the biggest with 8400 runners. I am used to more than that but the route was never devoid of runners. The run started at 9am and I didn’t get across the timed starting line until about 9.10am. Weatherwise it was good but still cool and I could see that the other runners were taking it gently too so as to avoid any injuries. I thought about Amsterdam last year. I also thought about Starfish, Rutger and all my friends and lovely people who have continued to sponsor me, making this all the more worthwhile. There were plenty of water stations but no sweets and not many portaloo’s. I was surprised to see these loo’s never had anybody queuing up to use them as one normally see’s. I developed a few blisters but they didn’t hurt or affect my performance. I ran across the finish line at 2 hours 43 minutes which I am happy with but I can certainly improve. I want to get it between 2 and 2 half hours b4 I consider stepping up to a marathon again. We have to challenge ourselves don’t we? I’m considering being more physically active even when no officially training for a run, that should help. I collected my medal and a kind soul gave me his last banana.  We went to a cafe for a drink and to the hotel to collect our stuff before jumping on a train. I was very perky and happy shall we say, for a few days. Thats what I call an endorphin high! Loved it, would do it again. Certainly felt like I could keep on running and that I would sleep well. Oddly not much aches in calf muscles. Enjoy the photos.....

Sunday 17th March  

Info and race details can be found here: URL: http://www.btrliverpool.com/event/half-marathon/

My t-shirt this year was designed by my friend Tori Ratcliffe who has a splendid online shop and is a fantastic artist. Go and look for yourself to see what I mean.

http://www.cafepress.com/domesticblend  If you visit my website and/or Starfish's official site, you will see what a truly magnificent job she did of my t-shirt ;D .

I can now tell you that this year we raised £300 and Starfish of course have these funds now.This is definitely the most important and most rewarding part, so thank you all so very much for your faith in me and your constant sponsorship. I have plans for next year's run and will let you know as soon as its all official.Take care, and run well <3 br="">

Run for your life, but not too far...

I have just stumbled accross this great TED talk about running. It is fascinating to a runner like me and I am relieved to know I am doing it right. Its just like everything in life though, moderation is the key. This has always been my personal philosophy anyway. I just thought I would share this video for other runners who are reading this and perhaps don't realise that extreme running in the long term can be a very bad thing for your heart. I hope you enjoy watching this TED talk though :)




Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks xxx

Not long now...

Well I cannot believe it. My Half Marathon is now only 2 weeks away! I am excited and feeling fit enough. I have had good days and bad days when out training but that is how it goes. I have updated my website, please take a look in at it, the link is on the right. There will be video's there in future too. Here is a link to my Liverpool Half Marathon Facebook page.

 https://www.facebook.com/SarahsLiverpoolHalfMarathon2013

As they do every year now the wonderful Rutger Hauer Starfish Association has a webpage for me. Truly honoured by this.

http://www.rutgerhauer.org/rutgerhauer.org/sarahmarathons.php

I cannot tell you enough how much each sponsorship means to me and to the women and children whom Starfish ultimately help. Please do consider sponsoring my run. If you have any questions at all about this please just ask.

Also for Rutger's fans, a new discussion forum has just been set up where we can have fun discussing his work and his career. I am not a moderator but I appear to be the first person to have joined so just wanted to clarify that. I am knowm as Minty there. I hope to see you there!

http://www.rutgerhauerforum.net/


Lots of Love Sarah xxx

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I am optimistic about this new year. I hope it is a good one for us all. I wish you much happiness and good health. May your plans and dreams come true xxx
I am also very pleased to tell you that I have now registered for a half marathon. It takes place in Liverpool on Sunday 17th March. So I am now accepting sponsorship and hope to raise some funds to help Starfish. I am currently enjoying the xmas break and have only been for one swimming session and haven't been out running at all. No excuse really but I had a nasty virus and am still sniffling abit. Didn't want to go out in the mancunian weather and get worse again. I shall start my training very soon though and will go out to run whatever the weather. Good luck in 2013 to my fellow runners and of course non runners alike ;) xxx

World AIDS Day2012

There are many wonderful charities and non-profits doing wonderful things in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The non-profit closest to my heart is The Rutger Hauer Association. They have done some fantastic things in the passed 12 years and will continue to do so in the future I'm sure. Please checkout this organisation if you haven't done so already and consider making a donation. Every little helps. Thank you.

I am also delighted to inform my supporters that Starfish now have the funds we raised from my Amsterdam marathon. The final total this year was £600! (Approx. 715 euros) Thank you to each and every one of you. I can't express my appreciation of your sponsorship deeply enough. I am now looking for a local-ish half marathon to do next year. Stay healthy and have a fab day xxx

Amsterdam Marathon 2012

Doesn't time fly when you are having too much fun?! I can't believe that this time last Sunday I was in Amsterdam very happy and starting to recover from the marathon. First of all it was fantastic to meet 2 of my dutch friends whom thus far I have only known online. Thank you Beja and Suzanne for travelling to meet me. You are both great supporters and friends and Glynn and I really enjoyed our steak dinner with you on Saturday night. Beja came with her family from Friesland and her sweet youngest Monique gave me an envelop of her pocket money as sponsor money. Bless her heart x.
The marathon started in the Olympic stadium (9.30am) which was fantastic and I hadn't even thought about having many eyes watching. It got about half full and I was able to spot Glynn so he took a few pix. Did all those people make me nervous or anything? Nah, I didn't care, I was too excited and pumped up raring to go and loved running in there. The weather was wet, windy and cold which for me is lovely It was a little too cold to keep muscles warm and I saw alot of injuries and a few poor souls who were hurt after just 1km. I had drank 0.5 litres of a fruity sugar/salt drink and hour before the start, also I had another with me to sip. The wind was a challenge lol. I managed 30km without and problems then my right kneecap started to ache and become sore. This didn't bother me but shortly after that it caused me to pull my right thigh muscle. Painful, but I didn't stop. So it took me a bit longer than I would've liked but finish I did. I saved my energy to run in the stadium again across the finish line. I think my body is telling that the leap from 10k to 42k is too great and so next year I shall go for the Manchester half marathon as last year saw the return of my local marathon after an 11 year hiatus. What an awesome event this Amsterdam gig is! It was very well organised and the marshals were all very friendly and funny. A huge thank you to them for looking after the runners as well as they did. I was stopped three times by some of them wanting to take photo's of my t-shirt. Also I frequently heard runners close behind me saying 'ah its Rutger!' So in a way he was there. Due to time constraints and the way this event was set up there really wasn't any opportunity to collect money in my bucket as I hoped. As I ran it occurred to me that Starfish is 12 years old this very month. I thought about all the great things they've achieved in helping people over that period of time. They've done alot of wonderful things and continue to do so and I'm sure they always will. I love helping and I will for as long as I can if you'll let me It also occurred to me that there is a bright star twinkling off the shoulder of Orion bearing the name Rutger Hauer which is now 10 years old. Twinkling right along next to it is 10 year old DD So it has been a fantastic weekend a great way to celebrate a decade of running and supporting Starfish. 10 years and 11 runs. I like to think I know what is important if life and having friends willing to travel to meet and support you is definitely up there! Thank you for your generosity. Gosh, finally I want to say a massive, heartfelt, stupendous, thank you to all my amazing friends who have supported me each and every year. I know I say that every year, but I so so mean and appreciate it. I can't do it without you, we are a team and I love you After a week my body has fully recovered and I can't wait to go out and run again. It will take a few weeks I think before my thigh is back to normal though. In the meantime I will go for gentle swims.  I am still so thrilled to be able to say that I have ran around an Olympic stadium! I am now in the process of collecting together funds and will be back when I have the grand total. My running event maybe done for this year but it is never ever too late to sponsor me ;) Take good care of yourselves Love Sarah xxx