Age UK 10K Fun Run - The full report

Lucy, Rog and Hayley at the finish line in the cold, wearing our medals with pride !

Earlier today our little team completed a 10K fun run for Age UK and Age UK Barnet. Myself and Lucy Nowell ran for Age UK Barnet and Hayley Brown ran for the Age UK national charity (Hayley lives outside of the Borough, but wanted to join our team, because it was the team to join !). It was bitterly cold and our times were

Hayley - Time - 52:15 - Position - 232
Rog - Time 1:01:53 - Position - 503
Lucy - Time 1:14:17 - Position 646

A special congratulations to all runners. Having run 10K, it is not easy and it hurts ! I was a tad disappointed to miss my target time of under 1 hour, but it has given me a reason to do it again and train a bit harder !  I had to stop to get a stone out of my shoe, which had a bigger significance than I realised at the time ! Oh well, never mind. The most important thing was the money we raised and to take part in the experience.

A very special thanks to everyone who sponsored and supported Lucy, Hayley and myself. It was a tremendous effort to raise so much money and I am humbled that people have put their faith in us to raise an amount that will make a diffrence to many people who need it.

Rog keeping pace at the 5km mark

So we all made our way to Crystal Palace for a 10am start. After all of the training and efforts, the big day was here. Between us all we have so far raised just under £1,500 for the charities and I'm proud of our team. Age UK Barnet Chair, Dr Julia Hines was the team manager and organised the activities, acted as photographer and drove myself and Lucy down to the event.

Lucy on the home stretch

Today was mothers day and I dedicated my run to the memory of my dear mum, who passed away in 2008. She was 83 when she died and without her love and support, I would be nothing. She sufffered a stroke in December 2000 and made me realise the challenges many elderly locally and nationally face. She was lucky to have a large family to support her. Age UK step in when there is no network. Here is a brief description from Julia of the work Age UK Barnet do and why we should all support them.

Age UK Barnet supports and cares for older people throughout the London Borough of Barnet.
Last year they helped 3,300 people with the support of staff and our 120 volunteers.
Age UK Barnet offers practical support like information and advice, benefits advice, healthy living advice including nutritional advice, toe-nail cutting, personal grants and their handyperson service, doing odd jobs for older people like installing grab rails or even changing a light bulb (so that no-one wobbles around on a chair, falls off and breaks their hip).
Just as important are the social activities – lunch clubs, exercise classes, day trips, befriending, art and music appreciation groups, day centres, bridge, art classes, volunteering opportunities, and computer classes.
Age UK Barnet puts quality at the heart of everything they do, and works with clients to design services which they want.
Here is what one client said to us this year
“The day centres are a lifeline for us elderly people. We meet our friends, talk, discuss various things, laugh, we give birthday Christmas cards, buy cakes for our day, we keep active, we have talks, visiting choirs, tea dances, on Thursday we have Tai Chi, some raffles. We have transport to and from the centres. It’s something to look forward to. If I don’t have Thursday out it means there is nothing, everyday the same.”

The national charity does similar work across the UK helping people who are vulnerable, lonely and isolated. We did our bit today, you can do yours by adding your donation to the coffers. Please click here to donate

https://www.justgiving.com/RogT

Here is  Lucy's race report :-

By Lucy Nowell, 
 
10km? - easy I thought, having run 3 marathons in the last decade.
I was asked to do a charity run for Age UK Barnet, and registered with JustGiving a month ago.  Unfortunately, my training regime did not consist of any running; though I did take the stairs everywhere. I was always going to start running tomorrow, but, 4 weeks on, and I still hadn't bought the trainers. As I was driven to and from Crystal Palace today,  by the lovely Julia Hines, I jotted the things one should not do in preparing for a run......


1) Having a free blood pressure test at Tesco's pharmacy just the day before, and not taking their advice - after 3 scary readings - to go to a walk-in medical centre.
2) Misplacing the running number - finding it hours before setting off.
3) Buying track suit bottoms and new trainers on the day before the run - and breaking them in for the first time, on the race day!
4) No programmed training - just relying on my day to day lifestyle

and experiences on the run itself...
5) Stepping into a puddle, soiling my bright white new trainers instantly, and soaking the extra long tracksuit bottoms.  This ensured I was carrying extra weight whilst squelching my way round the park.
6) Stopping to take 120 photographs and texting my progress, or lack of it.



Would I go through all this again? yes, of course I would. The event was well organised by Age UK; the volunteers and marshals were all very encouraging, and funny. Chocolate bars, water and energy drinks after the race was most welcomed. The money Rog T and I raised for Age UK Barnet was over £1000 with gift aid, so far, and fellow runner Hayley Brown has raised over £300 Age UK. My health most certainly has benefited, by lowering blood pressure. I have also invested in my future; I found out that next year, I will qualify for being helped by Age UK!  This was not the reason for taking the challenge of the race; it is my belief,  the way we treat our elderly is a measure of society itself, and I am more than happy to have helped this worthwhile charity.