Christine Bibby - from Couch to 5Km to 26 miles and completing the London Marathon

Christine Bibby is the Librarian at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and I had the opportunity to bump into Christine at the Gloucester Sports shop when she was picking up her shirt for the London Marathon.  Bright pink with "BIBBY" printed on the shirt.  Who could miss Christine who has submitted her journey.  This is Christine's story:

I wanted to get healthier and lose weight so I joined the Health and Hustle a few years ago now, and from using the challenges to up my daily and weekly step count I decided I was in a good place to start my couch to 5k journey. I chose to use the NHS Couch to 5K app so I could train at times convenient for me and I went with Michael Johnson as my coach. I loved it, I had tried running on my own for years but was never very good and always gave up as it was too much hard work. The app made me realise I had to slow my running pace right down and not try to run continuously.  At the end of my Couch to 5K I took part in my local Parkrun, I did 5k in about 36 minutes. This spurred me on to keep running and I have been getting out running twice to three times a week in the last couple of years. I entered the ballot for the London Marathon in 2020 but failed to get in, so I reapplied for the 2021 London Marathon and got my place. In preparation I decided to take part in the virtual Vitality London 10k this year where I managed to do 5k in 30 minutes and 10k in 1 hour and 1 minute which is fast for me. I also took part in the Cheltenham half marathon and completed that in 2 hours 47 minutes. I had always dreamed of running the London Marathon since watching it as a young child growing up in London and seeing runners on the tube with their space blankets but never thought I’d be able to because I had always approached running in the wrong way and never thought I’d be good enough. This week though I am proud to say I completed the London Marathon 2021 in 6 hours and 27 minutes. The support leading up to it and on the day by my fabulous husband Paul has meant the world to me. I loved everything about the day from all the fabulous volunteers, the people in London shouting encouragement, the random wonderful strangers on the course handing out amongst other things bananas, Ritz cheese crackers, Opal fruits, the amazing silly signs that people had made that kept me smiling like “you run better than the government” or the one my husband saw that said “this paint runs faster than you”. I loved running past Cutty Sark and over Tower Bridge and seeing the “Only 385 yards to go!” sign. I ran over the finish line screaming with happiness, I collected my kitbag and the volunteer marshal wouldn’t let me go without the special ceremony of putting my medal around my neck. I went to meet my support crew of my husband, my sister and a family friend afterwards and sobbed in my husband’s arms “I did it”.