Hi and welcome to the Marathon Mum website.

I’m a bit of a fraud really, as I can’t count myself as a marathon mum now as I 'm not taking part in this year’s London Marathon on April 22 2007.

However, I did take part  two years ago, and I pretty much felt a fraud then too.

I have never been a runner, or remotely interested in running, and probably would have stayed that way apart from two things.

Three years ago I attended a charity ball in aid of Tadworth Court Children’s Trust, an amazing charity which looks after children with very severe disabilities. I heard Gilly Walker talking about her daughter Roxanne who was born with a condition known as arthogryposis multiplex congenital.  In her short life she has had forty-two operations and needs constant care. The Children’s Trust offer her parents some much needed respite, and her story is nothing short of inspirational.

As a mother of four healthy children I cannot imagine what it is like for parents like Gilly and her husband Keith, and hearing Gilly speak made me want to do something to raise money for the Children’s Trust.

As a procrastinator extraordinaire, I would probably have done nothing about it at all, if it weren’t for my mad twin sister, Ginia. She has always wanted to run in the London Marathon, and rang me up to say she would like to take part in 2005 the year we were forty, did I want to do it with her? I meant to say no. I should have said no. My life is quite mad enough (see my blog: http://maniacmum.blogspot.com for confirmation) Every rational fibre of my being was screaming to say no.

Which is why of course, I said yes, and I found myself hurtling down this lunatic path which meant I had committed myself to running twenty-six miles.

For pretty much the whole of my training I never ever thought I’d do it. It was only when I got to near the end, and I ran twenty miles that I thought, yup, maybe this is something I can do after all.

And so it was on April 17 2005 I had just about one of the most perfect days of my adult life, and took part in the Greatest Race on Earth, the London Marathon.

I’ve written a book about it, for wannabes like me, called: Running on Empty: Diary of a Marathon Mum. You don’t have to be super fit to run a marathon. You don’t even have to be a runner (I wasn’t!). But you do need guts, determination and commitment.

Take it from me, if a duffer like me can do it, anyone can. So go on, take that first step, pull on your running shoes and go have an adventure…

Julia Williams

A percentage of the profits from Running on Empty will be donated to the Children’s Trust.

My blog can be found at: http://maniacmum.blogspot.com

NEWS

STOP PRESS!!!

To coincide with this year's London Marathon taking place this Sunday, April 22 2007, I am running an online party at: http://RunningonEmptyLaunchParty.blogspot.com, so do come and join in! I have a competition, some inspiring running stories and a very silly drinking game...

COMPETITION TIME.

When I was marathon training some very strange things happened to me. These included: nearly being run over by some race horses, getting lost with a dog on a mountain, tripping over my shoe laces outside a hospital and getting locked out of Waterloo Station during a security alert wearing just my running gear, five minutes before I was due at another appointment.

So, I want to know, what's the strangest thing that's happened to you, when you've been out running?

The funniest story will get a signed copy of Running On Empty as well as an FLM fleece.

Send your entries to me at: jules@marathonmum.com and I'll announce the winner the week after the marathon.

*****STOP PRESS!!!******

As well as buying copies of Running on Empty: Diary of a Marathon Mum from Amazon.co.uk, via your local bookshop, or through this website (see How to Order the Book), you can now also buy them through Running4Women's excellent website.

Although my online launch party is now over, I have continued blogging there about my feeble triathlon training attempts. So if you want a laugh at my expense, do by all means go and have a look!http://RunningonEmptyLaunchParty.blogspot.com. 

I have been most remiss in not sorting out the winner of my competition to let me know either the funniest thing you've seen while out running, or the  Thing You Saw at FLM You Can't See On The Telly, but promise to do so shortly, when the kids are back at school.

Images of the London Marathon copyright © Action Photos UK, 2005. Reproduced by permission.