Run Angus Run

23/04/2023

And it’s done!
04:03:46 - I’d hoped for a little faster, but it didn’t happen today. All good, though and a brilliant experience.
Thank you for all the support!
(I’ll post more photos in due course!!)

(With apologies to those that have already seen this elsewhere - no need to re-like or comment!)

22/04/2023

Pre-race flat-lay… don’t normally go in for these, but this seems to be a TCS London Marathon ritual - besides, having not posted on social media for several minutes, I’m sure people were starting to worry about me. Starlight Children's Foundation

21/04/2023

That’s it! Final run done - training is officially over! Just the small matter of running 42.2km on Sunday. It’s been a funny old training period - not gone as planned due to calf injury early on but feel like I’ve probably trained better due to the subsequent advice I received (and certainly spent more time in a bike than I imagined!). Anyhow - TCS London Marathon in aid of Starlight Children's Foundation, here I come!

19/04/2023

A great day out at the TCS London Marathon Running Show to collect my number - 11053 - and pose with it in front of the many backdrops! Also a great opportunity to meet the Starlight Children's Foundationteam! You can track me on the day using the official app (search 2023 TCS London on the App Store). My fundraising link is in the posts below - or you can use the app for this too!

17/04/2023

Please read… this is why I’m running for Starlight on Sunday.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/angushenderson

What is a Health Play Specialist? Our CEO Cathy shares her thoughts on the importance of this role:

End of life conversations, calming patients with serious mental health issues, providing snacks for hungry parents, using Lego to prepare children and young people for scans, raising money to make sure there are enough things to do when children are admitted to hospital and finding ways to make every hospital touchpoint with children more friendly...that's just today's to do list for Gail and her Play Worker colleague Trish at a North London Hospital.

Yet even though we all know the importance of play to mental health and wellbeing, there is something about the word "play" in their title which means their vital work to improve the experience of hospital for children and young people can easily be misunderstood, trivialised and under valued, even though they make a huge difference to the trauma experienced by children in hospital AND the efficiency of procedures.

Starlight recognises the profession with our annual awards for play professionals; we fund four Starlight Health Play Specialists; provide training, resources and toolkits; and we are co-chairing an NHS Taskforce to look at workforce development and publishing guidance and standards.

Child's play in hospital depends upon these highly experienced, highly qualified health professionals - it's time to appreciate these unsung heroes in our NHS!

15/04/2023

That’s it! The final long run (not too long, thankfully). Just a few of short training runs over the next few days to keep the legs going and then it’s the big day!! Oh - and plenty of rest and eating carbs too (shucks!). It’s of course worth remembering that all this sweat and selfies nonsense is in aid of a wonderful charity, Starlight Children's Foundation, who work tirelessly to support seriously ill children and their families by providing fun, play and happy memories while they undergo treatment. Please support if you can.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/angushenderson

10/04/2023

It’s nearly here! Less than two weeks to go…

This is my 4th attempt at running the London Marathon for Starlight:

1. April 2020 - cancelled due to COVID
2. October 2020 - cancelled due to COVID but ran the virtual London Marathon held instead
3. October 2022 - my deferred 2020 place, but withdrew before training even started due to fractured collar-bone
4. April 2023 - this is the one!

My original attempt raised £3000 for the charity - and that money will have already been spent on great causes (see below) - but, of course, more is needed in order to support their vital work.

I am loathe to rattle the collecting can again, give your generosity in the past, but…

[shakes can]

… any donations, however small, would be very gratefully received!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/angushenderson

Starlight help seriously ill children in hospital play, laugh and do the things they love. Boost Boxes, Distraction Boxes, Events and Experiences and more, Starlight help children forget their worries and feel the joy of childhood.Today, the support Starlight has never been needed more; from Isolation Packs to safely provide items to distract and delight children in hospital, to hosting virtual parties to entertain and keep children connected with others.

Your donations mean Starlight can support frontline health staff to help seriously ill children feel less alone

Help Angus Henderson raise money to support Starlight UK

03/01/2023

Here we go! First official training run for TCS London Marathon 2023 in aid of Starlight Children's Foundation . Fourth time lucky, after multiple COVID cancellations and last year’s collar-bone fracture, I’m hoping to make it to the start line, never mind the finish line.
The training plan mandated “easy pace” for today, which felt weirdly slow - but with 16 weeks to go, best to take it easy for now and do what I’m told!