When the impossible becomes the possible!

Here goes…. My husband Trevor and daughter Abbie introduced me to Ossy Joggers in February 2018 after they had completed their C25K. I had quit smoking in 2016 and had never completed fitness tasks in my life as I was never encouraged or had the determination. After my mother being diagnosed initially with a stroke I realised at 46 I needed to act on my own health and joined Ossy joggers. My first run was with the gentle joggers, I was a bit apprehensive at first as I thought I will be rubbish, I won’t be able to keep up, everybody will run off and I will be at the back. How wrong was I, what a welcome and how kind everybody was, my first run in the bag with plenty more to come? After a few weeks, and with further encouragement I took the plunge again with apprehension and moved up to the joggers, I need not have worried I felt like Julie Andrews running up all them Hills, little steps, one foot in front of the other, breathe. Then it came, that fateful day when I was told Mum had not had a stroke, Mum was terminally ill with a debilitating brain disease that could not be treated. How do I go on? how do I cope with this? my family, my children. I had to go on for my family and my children I had to keep strong for my Mum, and I did…running with the group is one of the best therapies I could have taken on, a sense of achievement when your world has been turned upside down, sometimes it was my place to think as I run, let off some steam, have a laugh when you could, challenge my inner strength release them feel good endorphins if I could ever feel good. I completed my first 10k Padiham 22nd September, that canal was the longest stretch of canal I have ever ran, on and on and on, heart pounding, legs wobbly with adrenaline, I have never run a race in my life, I did it though I got there. It was fabulous all the OJs waiting at the end to cheer you through, friends and family too, I did it, I can do it. That was it, totally hooked. In 2018 I took on the challenge of a test half marathon, we ran and ran through all the different towns, it was not easy, my feet hurt, the back of my thighs ached, my brain told me over and over stop you need to stop, my heart said keep going you have got this. I did it and that is when my best friend Kaz and I decide let’s do this. Liverpool half it is. I carried on with the weekly runs and achieved some more 10k runs, however my beautiful Mum passed on the 17th December 2018, the hardest and saddest day of my life. 26th May 2019 – Liverpool Rock and Roll half marathon, oh my days what have I done? Can I do this? No going back, four hours sleep, up at 5.30 to pick up Tracy and Kaz at 6.30 oh my days, its raining YESSSS god is watching, Nervous is not the word. Arrived at Liverpool at 7.40 parked up, walked to the Enterprise Centre, hey there’s Jackie and Paul, there was that many people it was pandemonium, WhatsApp was going like the clappers, there was noooo way we would see another Ossy Jogger before the run. We went to our post number 16, oh dear another nervous toilet needed, quick hurry up, waiting to go, waiting, waiting 9.20 we start to walk to the start line, there is that many of us it takes 10 minutes 9.30 we are off, pace yourself Jayne, pace yourself. Running, Running, Running 1 mile marker, 2 mile marker all the way to the 10k marker running through Sefton or Otterspool Park one of them ha-ha, out of the park on to the never ending River front, you can do this, no you can’t, your feet hurt, your legs ache…you can do this, you can do this……SAAAALLLLLYYYY, SSSSIIIIIMMMMMOOONN big hug, did not see the children at all, keep going, keep going, my feet are hurting real bad, stop for a sock adjustment, quick, quick get back on it….you need to stop again no I don’t, yes you do NO keep going 12 mile marker YYYYEEEESSSSS I CAN do this keep going, people cheering, shouting go on keep going. Trevor and Abbie screaming keep going…. finished done, sort of numbness, completeness, where is everybody? There they are Where is Kaz…. Well done Jayne hug from Suzanne, well done everybody hugs and kisses all round, well done my bestie Kaz couldn’t have got through all of this without you. My advice, do train before your marathon, do invest in goods shoes and socks, most importantly when things get tough as they sometimes do keep going, keep exercising, keep running and keep talking. OJ run leaders and buddies a big thank you XXX and a big thank you to all you OJS just for being you XX