Running4Rwanda

Blackpool in February was as I expected it to be - bracing ! And deserted, apart from the 1500 hardy souls who'd made the trip for a flat, and sometimes fast, half-marathon. The course is not inspirational - 2 laps of what is basically an 'out and back' cours e: the 'out' leg is pancake flat, along the Lower Walk - the sea wall (see picture - that's me on the far right); the 'back' leg is along the Middle Walk - higher, and more undulating. As it turned out, times were good - lots of PB's and season's bests - helped by the cool conditions, and the breeze which was from the side rather than being head-on. I had a target of 1:38, aiming for 7:30/mile, so was a bit shocked to go through 1m in 7:07, but feeling good. There were RW pacers, but not at my pace, so ran with the 7min pacer in sight, but at a distance. I kept as steady as possible, but half expected to blow up in the 2nd half. However, I managed to keep it together, averaging 7:10 - 7:15 f...

Six things you may see in Blackpool, that you won't see in Shyira: The Tower (obviously). Trams - or any transport, come to that. There may be a hospital vehicle or 2, or you may see a wooden scooter/cycle (pictured right), but apart from that, everyone walks. The illuminations - in fact you'll be hard-pressed to see anything electric - the only electricity is from the hospital generator, which only fires up for 2 or 3 hours a night. The sea - Shyira is 600 miles from the nearest sea. Holidaymakers - you may see visitors, but they are usually visiting the hospital, or one of the projects being undertaken. The zoo - the only animals you see are for food, or for lugging heavy loads (pictured left). Pets ? What are they ? In Shyira, you will see rampant poverty and extreme hardship, but you will also find smiling children, and kind-hearted adults. Even if someone has next-to-nothing, they will still invite you into their home, and share a meal with you. You can help fund the pr...

After going 2 years without running a half-marathon, the next race on the horizon is another half - the GNW half-marathon at Blackpool on 22nd February. This is another big event, with over 1200 entries, and attracts runners from all over the country. I will be using the event to raise funds for the Shyira Trust, and also to raise awareness of this website, and its fund-raising objectives. As always, every penny raised goes to Shyira in Rwanda, and is used to help fund the training of a midwife for Shyira maternity hospital. My fund-raising pages can be found at www.bmycharity.com/petermorganGNW09 or by using the 'my appeal' widget on the right of this page. Thank you for your support