Winning the (running) lottery

On my way home from work on Thursday, I quickly checked my emails on the tram whilst on the way to meet my top notch running buddy Ellie. If you read this blog, you should probably get to know Ellie, we tend to run together (and of course celebrate said running in the pub together), a LOT.

Among the usual daily emails was one from SCC Events. Having run the Berlin marathon last year, I didn't think much of this as I often get generic updates from them...until I noticed the heading 'Herzlichen Gluckwunsch! - Congratulations!' Then I remembered - I'd entered the ballot earlier this month to run Berlin Marathon 2014.

I tentatively opened it to find:

The running lottery ticket

YEAH!! Having missed out on the Virgin London Marathon ballot for 2014 I was over the moon. With these two major world marathons proving to me in the space of just a few weeks that in this running world, you do in fact win some, lose some.

Like many lottery winners, (well I imagine, I've clearly never won the actual lottery) excitement soon turned to disbelief followed by panic. Sure I didn't have a ballot place for London in April 2014, but I am still running it for charity. So that's two marathons next year in the space of 6 months?! Wow, that's a whole lot of running all year....

Is that something I really wanted to do?!

But then, how often do you ever get a ballot place in life? Not often that's for sure. And yes it will be loads (and loads and then loads more) running next year, but hell I love a challenge. And its certainly not as crazy as other people who run two marathons in two weeks, or twelve marathons in twelve months. I can do this. I can sleep some other time....AND on the plus side I get to eat like I'm in training for almost a whole year! Because I will be. YES, I can eat ALL the food in 2014! Hurrah!

I didn't really ever think I wouldn't take up this opportunity, I just had the fear! It IS an undertaking and I'm sure the fear will be back many times before I actually do it, but that's fine!

So as of today I'm all paid up and raring to go.....I've just got to get London out of the way first I guess.

Watch out Berlin, we're coming back for you.

We're coming BACK.