Power Women

So , Dr. John Hardy was instrumental in fixing my knee and returning it back to the state 'as God had created it' , announcing on the way : "You will be running marathons!"....

A prophetic doctor, I should say.

But, there is also a 'but'.

I was also instrumental in the speedy and successful recovery, because of my healthy lifestyle (healthy body), strong mind and optimistic attitude (spirit).

Being a vegetarian also helps. No smoking, no drinking, also helps.

The nurse, who was taking care of me, after the operation, a great nurse from the Phillipines, was laughing her head off. I asked her WHY was she laughing each time she entered my hospital room?

She told me that she couldn't believe the difference.

Apparently, there was a woman of my age, who was also operated right after me, and recovering in a room across the hall, who was still completely out of it. Sleeping all the time.......while I was munching my 3 course meal, flicking through TV channels, getting up onto the wheel chair to travel by myself to the bathroom and generally speaking, restless and ready to go home!

Lifestyle is important and the way you take care of yourself. I used to scowl at that when I was young. But when I was young, I was also stupid. So there you go...

Life is not a playground, it is a classroom.

Dr. Hardy did mention to me, this last time when I went for the check up, that he is lucky to have 'good patients' and that it is basically - TEAM WORK!

And then there is also : GORDANA.

Gordana entered my life on a flight to Madeira. She and Zack, her husband, were travelling to Madeira's famous golf course. They are both avid golf players.

FATE seated them next to my husband and after one thing led to another... we became friends.

And I was the one who initially muttered something about 'maybe power walking the London Marathon at night' - to raise some money for the breast cancer research?

Maybe....

I was still toying with that thought.

Gordana took that 'toying' right out of my thoughts, crumpled it, threw it into the bin basket and announced: WE ARE DOING IT!

You don't cross a Serbian strong woman. Oh no!

So.... we registered. And we started training in February 2015!

The first time I power walked some distance, without going out of breath, I was sooo bloody proud of myself. Until I realized, later, that my achievment was not even close to Gordana's "warm up" session.

The first time Gordana saw me "power walking" towards her, on the street, she asked: "You can walk faster, can you?"........and so the kick ass training sessions started.

We were walking in the Spring, my favourite time of the year in London.

We power walked from Manor House to Richmond and beyond....to Kingston-on-Thames! I have never wanted to see a bridge, this much, as I wanted to see that one in Kingston. Just to realize, when we approached it, that it is a short toilet break and we are power walking right back, exactly the same distance. I was weeping internally.

In the rain, in the mud, along the cannals, in the streets - pounding, pounding, pounding and also : talking, talking, talking. That was a big part of our trainings!

Gordana showed me how much I can stretch myself. The first time I covered 37km ON FOOT, arriving at her house in one piece, not even panting , I had to pinch myself.

That was already a marathon, less 5km!

It was 2 weeks before the main event and after that, I knew that I had it in me.

By that time London parks were full of ladies in white and pink T-shirts, wearing pink baseball hats, who were: pounding, pounding, pounding and waving to each other.

I would have never dared to do it without Gordana. She was my power horse, my motivator, my kick ass coach.

She already had 4 running marathons under her belt, before she power walked the night marathon with me and Michelle. And it was Gordana who made me hungry for MORE....

So now it's going to be the Real Deal and nobody will tell me that 'I only walked a marathon'.

Gordana also saved my Moonwalk Marathon. She was experienced and well equiped. She was a marathon veteran.

For me, it was my first time and I was walking , wearing a knee support on the operated knee. Just in case. BAD MOVE on my behalf.

This thing is made out of thick, black foam and has an opening for the knee cap.

During the fast power walk, the edges of that foam opening were digging into my knee and on the 13th mile of the marathon, smack bang in the middle of it, right by the Houses of Parliament, right under the Big Ben, I was ready to die from excruciating pain!

And I stopped. I could not make one more move. I thought it was OVER !

There is a deal with the organizers of that particular Marathon, that if you give up for any reason, you can wave down their van, and ask to be driven back to the HQ, or to the hospital...

But Gordana was there!

She suggested that I rip off that dreaded knee support and she gave me an Ibuprofen and some Vitamin power drink. And I started walking again, after a moment...

One more Ibuprofen later, plus 13 miles later, and I was crossing THE FINISHING LINE of my first ever marathon, with a smile on my face.

Thank you Dr. John Hardy and your Team ; thank you Gordana, for making it possible to get into a rocket and start shooting for the stars...

I am attaching the official fund raising website of The Virgin Marathon 2016!

Please give generously or if you cannot - share it with those who can support me.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MagdaD