Supporter Mark is counting down the days until he heads from his hometown of Hoddesdon to Helsinki to complete the Half Marathon in aid of Teens Unite. Read all about his training progress as he prepares for race day.
"The Helsinki Half Marathon clock is ticking. As I write my latest blog I have 63 days, 10 hours, 29 minutes and 02 seconds until race day! Not that I’m counting!
This last week has been very productive as far as training is concerned. I’m still following the training plan and sticking to it religiously, in fact I’ve only missed one day of training since I’ve started following the plan.
Saturday was my longest run of the week with a 10 mile run, 5 miles out to and beyond Ware and back. Made me feel less guilty about the Easter egg I devoured the following day!
I have to say this is possibly the most serious I’ve taken my training leading up to a race for a long long time and I’m feeling good both physically and mentally, maybe it’s the added responsibility of being an ambassador or maybe it’s the fact I’m running for Teens Unite.
I’ve shed 3.5kg in weight since starting training and this has helped me pick up my pace when hitting the streets.
I’m really buzzing about this race, I’ve wanted to visit Helsinki for quite a while and I’ve wanted to run a race abroad, so I’m actually killing two birds with one stone!
Fundraising has again gone extremely well with an anonymous donation of £150 on my JustGiving page and Sunday I spent a couple of hours at Van Hage’s taking part in a bucket collection to raise additional funds for Teens Unite.
The start line is in sight!"
Volunteering with Teens Unite has changed my personality and outlook on life. When I hear all the amazing things the teens say about Teens Unite, I can tell they mean every word.
Nathan, 23, VolunteerTeens Unite isn't just a charity to me, it was the beginning of restarting my life.
Jess, 22, Teen, Acute Myeloid LeukaemiaWhen Elliot started receiving the support of Teens Unite, I could see a change in him straightaway. His outlook on life was becoming positive again and I gained strength from seeing my little boy accepting what had happened and starting to move forward.
David, Parent to Elliot, 18, Non-Hodgkins LymphomaI needed help and that's where Teens Unite came in. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and the reason I met Teens Unite was to save my life.
Harry, 20, Teen, Testicular CancerWith Teens Unite, I finally realised that I could climb out of this massive hole that I had been digging because I wasn't alone anymore.
Leanne, 21, Teen, Acute Lymphoblastic LeukaemiaIf it wasn't for Teens Unite, I wouldn't be where I am now. They have been really supportive and given me the strength to push myself and not give up.
Derry, 20, Teen, Brain TumourMy wife inspired me to volunteer following her fight against cancer. I wanted to help others carry on living their lives the way she did. And that's exactly what Teens Unite does.
John, 64, Volunteer