The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and ‘Right to Play’

Dilbinder Gill, Senior Scientist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital tells her story about the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon, on Sunday 11 October 2009 starting and finishing in Hyde Park.

Dilbinder Gill, Senior Scientist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital run the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon for "Right to Play", on Sunday 11 October 2009 starting and finishing in Hyde Park.

"There was a time when I could run 14-15 miles on a Sunday with a couple of shorter runs during the week in addition to the daily 20 mile bicycle commute to work. Somehow life got in the way and I didn't run almost a year. To get myself started I signed up for the Royal Parks marathon and decided to collect money for ‘Right to Play' so everyone I knew would know that I would be running so now sloping of instead of training. Right to Play, is a really good idea, using sport and play as a tool for development of disadvantaged children and youth. 

I built up strength using the hills in Northala fields, using the man made the hills for hill training. The yellow path that circumvents Richmond Park allowed me to train for endurance and distance
Before I knew it the race was fast approaching, I wished I had prepared a little harder but felt I was up for the challenge, I knew that I would tire at some point so I had lots of pasta the night before and toast in the morning of the race. My friends left me at the start line so they could take their vantage spots. The gun went off but I resisted the urge to run fast like many runners who were overtaking me. I became the tortoise. We ran out of the park and then towards parliament square, what an amazing building our politicians get to work in. At mile 4 I spotted Sukh and tried to pose for the camera but didn't want to lose my rhythm, so a quick high five and I continued with a smile on my face. I'd already asked friends to give me a cheer at mile 9, where I felt I would need it the most, in fact I was thinking negative thoughts when I heard Pete & Billy shouting my name, it was the ego boost I needed and I knew I would finish the race running. Mile 10 was a real mental boost, I knew I could do the rest; I wanted to up the pace but wouldn't have been able to handle it. At mile 11 I knew 20 min or so to go, just after mile 12 I saw the boys again, who kindly informed me that I had been beaten by a giant hot dog. Was it that comment or the fact that the finish line became reality I gave everything I had left and ran as fast as my little legs could go. Why didn't I start that at mile 12? I saw Ruth & Sukh, then the finish line, I was done! 

As we walked back out of the park we saw some of the stragglers and cheered them on. My time arrived via text and I was ecstatic, 2 hours 13 min and 43 sec not bad for a born again runner." 

If you are interested in getting involved in "Right to Play" charity challenge, please have a look here.