At last we have made the £2,000 mark with donations, so just another £18,000 to go in the fortnight remaining before the race: the last big push. Many thanks to all the individuals who have made donations, many I suspect endo sufferers, many whom I don’t know at all – a big thanks!!
So just two weeks. At least the Easter break has given me some time to slow down, to begin, what I understand in technical terms is the “taper” before the final race. I rather think my tapering off might have started too soon after my 20 mile effort. Anyway the week based at home has given me the chance to get in a number of short runs - more than normal. Shame the Easter weather in this part of Yorkshire has been so rotten.
My most interesting run was actually before I came home. I had a speaking engagement in Helsinki, sharing a platform with Swedish Commissioner Margot Wallström and Finnish President Halonen in a sort of question time format for women’s organisations and NGOs. It turned out to be great fun. I think there has to be something about an all woman panel of politicians, because even given our political differences, the event was somehow non-aggressive and as such I hope informative.
Anyway, with the speaking engagement over, the following morning I hit the streets. It was still quite cold up there and snow still hid in corners on the roadside. It was very impressive to run by the imposing steps of the Finnish Parliament building. Then on to the Finlandia Opera Hall by the still frozen lake. Then I ran round the lake, the very lake in the Michael Caine film, Billion Dollar Brain, where he walks across the ice to the old villa – a building which is still there. Anyway all much less threatening than in the film but still evocative. Then, finally back through the city centre. I don’t often run when away in places I don’t know so well, but this gave me encouragement to try it more often.
Back to Brussels tomorrow early, last chance to really try for some donations from my colleagues - be warned!
Diana Wallis
PLEASE SPONSOR DIANA IN THE LONDON MARATHON:
www.justgiving.com/dianawallisendowerf
Tags: diana wallis, endometriosis, european parliament, london marathon, werf, world endometriosis research foundation