Jen ran the 2019 London Marathon
Jen was a member of our 2019 London Marathon team. Husband Peter tells the story from his perspective.
Jen was a self-confessed elite athlete at couch to couch - until she decided to enter the marathon.
So many of you will have heard of couch to 5km, and this is where the bug begins to get active and more healthy. But have any of you thought about doing couch to 42km and the Virgin London Marathon?
Well this is exactly what Jen has been doing for the past 6 months and this challenge sets her apart from so many people, and takes her from ordinary to extraordinary in my view. Jen was a self-confessed elite athlete at couch to couch – until she decided to enter the marathon. On Sunday 28th April 2019 along with 40,000 other athletes, she completed her first marathon in 6hrs 35mins, and most importantly she did it with a smile on her face.
Jen has supported me through the London Marathon twice, amongst other races, and this year it was my turn and pleasure to support her as she tackled the 26.2 miles through the streets of London.
Our story
This is our story and I have no doubt many of our friends and family will have had similar experiences and suffered the devastating experience of a miscarriage. Whenever or how it happens in your pregnancy it hurts.
On Christmas Day 2011, Jen and I unfortunately and very upsettingly suffered a miscarriage at 12 weeks into our pregnancy, As with so many people, we felt completely isolated and as though it was just us that suffered this awful loss. However, the more we looked at it and supported each other, we found that it is quite common, and that 1 in 4 pregnant women suffer a miscarriage.
We realised the big problem is that no one speaks about it, for obvious reasons. However, the more people we have both spoken with, the more we have realised that support amongst friends is vital, as well as help provided from trained people at the Miscarriage Association, a small charity which provides vital support.
Jen is too humble and didn’t quite realise the size of the challenge she had taken on, and that’s why I love her so much, as do Millie and Herbie, our gorgeous children who we are so blessed to have. Through the process of training, Jen not only got the bug for running (probably not another marathon), but continually got quicker at Parkrun and at 10kms. She joined Stratford Athletics Club and made loads of new friends, who were all supportive, encouraging, running with and supporting her. I even had the embarrassment of Jen renewing her membership before me this year.
Jennifer has now achieved the goal of completing the marathon, which is staggering and amazing given she had never run prior to October. Most importantly she has also raised awareness for the Miscarriage Association and this has helped her and our family openly discuss what is tough subject and has also got many other opening up to her.
I have never been more proud as a husband watching Jen go through the training and safely crossing the finishing line. She has inspired not only Millie and Herbie but many friends and family, to see that with a goal and some hard work anything can be achieved.
Peter