The challenge of 12 marathons in 8 months is completed ............................................

It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog as it is the end of my 12 marathons in 8 months challenge.  People have asked is this it? is it the last of my fundraising for the Mercy Hospital? my answer has been who knows ???????????????

In January 2015 Pat was over in the Mercy Hospital and he had gone to theatre where Mr Tom Murphy was taking care of him,  I sat in the office of the Mercy Fundraising to discuss with Deirdre my plans to fundraise for cancer research in the hospital and to run 12 marathons in 8 months, our first meeting of many and little did I know that Deirdre was a Kerry woman and now it has come to an end,  To say that we are overwhelmed by the support that we have received from start to finish has been unbelievable, the last 8 months have definitely been a roller coaster.

12 MARATHONS IN 8 MONTHS

March - Tralee - thank you to Mikey for joining me on marathon number 1.
April - Connemara - I took on the challenge on my own.
May - Limerick - thank you to Bernie, Tina, Michelle and Anna who ran as a a relay and were great support from start to finish,  Elaine ran the 10km to support us.
June - Cork - 5 relay teams consisting of my family and friends - what an amazing experience each time I passed a relay changeover they were there to cheer me on.
June - Waterford - Thank you to Elaine who joined me for this one.
July - Killarney - a fabulous marathon, one that I started on my own but was joined by Ultan who likes to talk when he is running (he actually never stops talking)!!!!!!!!!!!
August - Donegal - 4 marathons in 4 days - the ultimate challenge - I had never even done a back2back marathon so taking on this challenge was definitely a scary experience - I met so many fabulous people over the 4 days, Barry who helped me to get to the finish line on day 4, Karen who is a truly special person, Derek who is great to motivate and Ken who runs marathon after marathon and kept me going from day 1 - day 4 and Ger who ran day 3.  A special thank you to Margaret Lafferty who kindly gave us all free accommodation for the quadrathon.
September - Dingle - I was joined by Mr Tom Murphy, Noel, Tina and Anna.  Having only ran the quadrathon in Donegal 3 weeks earlier I was really glad to finish this one.
Dublin - I was joined by Noel, Mark and Pat.  This was the most emotional 26.2 miles, I am so proud of Pat running his first marathon, 13 months cancer free....., this marathon was also for VERY special friends Joe and Breda, 26.2 miles for Joe who is now facing his own difficult challenge.

Proud to fundraise for the Mercy.

There are so many people that I need to thank. To everyone that has been there for us from start to finish, family and friends, those of you that have donated, been at the start and finish line of marathons, to Castlegregory golf club, John and Myra of Keanes in Curraheen, Derryquay National School and everyone that has been there for Pat, Gavin, Colin and Myself since May 2014.  There are two very special people that I have to mention and that is my sister Maureen and her husband Ger, they have been there to support me from marathon number 1 right through to marathon number 12 in Dublin.  To all of the journalist who have covered my story but a special thank you to Donal Nolan of the Kerryman who was the first journalist to interview me and has given us wonderful coverage over the last 8 months.  A special thank you to Deirdre, Micheal and all of the staff of the Mercy fundraising who have been such wonderful support to me, they have gone over and above to help me in anyway possible.  Una Lynch who has kept me injury free from marathon 1 to marathon 12, the pain was definitely worth it.  Ronan from Victory Fitness who worked with me on maintaining strength and endurance (anyone that wants to get fit definitely give Ronan a call)

The Doody men Pat, Gavin and Colin have been dragged from Tralee to Donegal and never once complained, the best support crew that anyone could ask for.

Even though my 12 marathon challenge has finished we have one more night of celebrations. This takes place on Saturday November 7th in Keanes of Curraheen @ 9pm.  John and Myra kick started the fundraising with a night in March and have kindly organised a party to finish the challenge. There is no charge on the night, it is a thank you to each and everyone of you for being there for us. Hope to see you all there...   A great night of fun and music is planned.........................................................

Total raised so far is 23,664.80 and with donations still coming in who knows what the total will be .......................

The money will be used to part-fund a research programme into the causes of Oesophageal cancer. In particular the project will produce a mapping of bacteria in the oesophagus in patients that are at various different stages of Oesophagitis. The project will be based in UCC. In our view research is the only way to increase the survival rates for those that are unfortunate enough to suffer from cancer at any stage in their lives.

For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons 

For now training for me is back to Ronan in Victory Fitness and improving my football skills with my new team mates in St Pat's Mothers and Others and our very talented football coach Andrea.

Until the next challenge begins .................

 HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL NOVEMBER 7TH IN KEANES BAR AND RESTAURANT

Number 12 of 12 marathons in 8 months .................................

The last of 12 in 8 months

I cannot believe that I am already at marathon number 12,  thank you to everyone that has supported me in any way, without you I would not be here.....happy.....sad........lonely.......excited................ 

For this marathon I will have the company of Pat and two very dear friends.I am so proud of Pat who will be running his first marathon, 12 months ago Pat was being fed by a feeding tube having had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove his oesophagus now he is fit and ready to run 26.2 miles. #soproud... #letsfightcancer

Noel has been there for us since Pat was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.  The most supportive friend that anyone can ask for.  First marathon for Noel in Dublin and he is guaranteed to do a super time.  

Mark has travelled from the UK to join us in Dublin, he is a pro at marathon running and we have previously ran the Dublin and Barcelona marathons together.  Started the marathons together and I managed to beat him on both occassions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry Mark)  I promise to wait for you in Dublin..............................

All of the 11 marathons that I have ran over the last 8 months were for Pat, marathon number 12 is for a very dear friend who was also treated in the Mercy hospital, he is now facing his own very difficult challenge, 26.2 miles in Dublin will be ran for you Joe.

From the very beginning in March this challenge was not about me, I do not in any way regard myself as a hero, the hero's are the cancer patients who fight this dreadful disease every day.

The money   €23104.80 to date

 that we raise will be used to part-fund a research programme into the causes of Oesophageal cancer. In particular the project will produce a mapping of bacteria in the oesophagus in patients that are at various different stages of Oesophagitis. The project will be based in UCC. In our view research is the only way to increase the survival rates for those that are unfortunate enough to suffer from cancer at any stage in their lives.

Thank you to everyone that has donated so far and for sharing and liking my facebook page and posts.

For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons 

Marthon number 12 of 8 months ..................... the countdown begins ..................................................

The last of 12 in 8 months

I cannot believe that I am already at marathon number 12,  thank you to everyone that has supported me in any way, without you I would not be here.....happy.....sad........lonely.......excited................ 

For this marathon I will have the company of Pat and two very dear friends.I am so proud of Pat who will be running his first marathon, 12 months ago Pat was being fed by a feeding tube having had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove his oesophagus now he is fit and ready to run 26.2 miles. #soproud... #letsfightcancer

Noel has been there for us since Pat was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.  The most supportive friend that anyone can ask for.  First marathon for Noel in Dublin and he is guaranteed to do a super time.  

Mark has travelled from the UK to join us in Dublin, he is a pro at marathon running and we have previously ran the Dublin and Barcelona marathons together.  Started the marathons together and I managed to beat him on both occassions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry Mark)  I promise to wait for you in Dublin..............................

All of the 11 marathons that I have ran over the last 8 months were for Pat, marathon number 12 is for a very dear friend who was also treated in the Mercy hospital, he is now facing his own very difficult challenge, 26.2 miles in Dublin will be ran for you Joe.

From the very beginning in March this challenge was not about me, I do not in any way regard myself as a hero, the hero's are the cancer patients who fight this dreadful disease every day.

The money   €23104.80 to date

 that we raise will be used to part-fund a research programme into the causes of Oesophageal cancer. In particular the project will produce a mapping of bacteria in the oesophagus in patients that are at various different stages of Oesophagitis. The project will be based in UCC. In our view research is the only way to increase the survival rates for those that are unfortunate enough to suffer from cancer at any stage in their lives.

Thank you to everyone that has donated so far and for sharing and liking my facebook page and posts.

For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons 

Marthon number 12 of 8 months ..................... the countdown begins ..................................................

Hero of the Year Award

HERO OF THE YEAR AWARD.

I had the honour of attending the Mercy Stars Awards last night and I was absolutely thrilled to receive the award for Hero of the Year.  To be among such wonderful people was fantastic.
It is only 23 days to the Dublin marathon and my last marathon of 12 in 8 months.  I was asked last night how did I feel about marathon number 12 and the answer is sad - it brings to an end a truly amazing journey.  I almost wish that Dublin wasn't number 12 so that I could continue my association with the Mercy Foundation, but you never know what the future holds .......................
I had my first meeting with Deirdre in the Foundation in January and now coming towards the end of my Mercy Marathon Challenge the support and friendship that I have received from everyone in the Foundation has been amazing.

€20850.80 is the total to date and I am hopeful and confident that we will add a lot more ........................

In Dublin I will be joined by Pat, Noel and Mark so it will be 26.2 miles of fun.  Pat and Mark have both finished their longest run so are beginning to taper, Noel plans on taking to the road this week. For Pat and Noel it is their first marathon so there will be a lot of nerves in Dublin on October 26th. Mark is travelling from the UK to support us and he is a pro at marathon running.  My only disadvantage on the day will be that I am the smallest and for every step they take I will be taking 2 or maybe 3 !!!!!!!!!!!

23 days left and we will be celebrating.  

Watch this space for details on our final night of celebrations ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 

Thank you to everyone that has donated so far and for sharing and liking my facebook page and posts.

For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons 

Counting down the days ..........

35 days to marathon number 12 in Dublin,  training is going really well, with a mixture of running and gym sessions with Ronan in Victory fitness.  Pat is all set to run Dublin with me having ran 18 miles with Noel last weekend, Mark will be travelling from the UK to join us and is a little bit ahead having done a 22 mile run.
This week I will be running the Cork Mini Marathon and if anyone would like to join Team Mercy there is still plenty of time to register.






Thank you to everyone that has made a donation in any way.  Lots of exciting things planned before this challenge finishes .....


For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

One year on ......................

Congratulations to Mr Tom Murphy who true to his word ran in Dingle on Saturday.  It was fantastic to have such support at the start and finish line.  Congratulations to Anna, Tina and Noel who also ran in Dingle.  Marathon number 12 is Dublin on October 26th, this will be the longest rest for me between marathons since I started this challenge in March and I think at this stage I probably need it. So for the next few weeks I will alter my training routine.

                                                    THE MEDAL COLLECTION...........

One year ago tomorrow Pat had surgery, it is sure to be a day of mixed emotions, happy that Pat has got this far and is doing so well and sadness that cancer came into our lives.  I will be forever grateful to the wonderful staff of the Mercy and I will always remember Mr Tom Murphy on the morning of surgery when he promised me that he would take care of Pat and that is exactly what he did.

This challenge is all about raising much needed funds for Cancer Research in the Mercy Hospital, back in February when I did my first interview I was asked what my target was and my reply was I didn't have one and with only one marathon to go the amount raised to date is a phenomenal
                                                           19,250.80 euro

 
Thank you to everyone that has donated so far and has helped in anyway.
I now have a finishing target that I would hope to reach and I am determined to push it in every possible way to the final hurdle.

For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

Almost there .................

I cannot believe that I am almost at the end of this challenge.  Saturday will be marathon number 11 in Dingle and I am looking forward to meeting some of the competitors from the quadrathon in Donegal.  Unfortunately Pat, Gavin and Colin will not be there to support me as the soccer season begins for Gavin and Colin, however Noel and some of the girls from Killarney are taking part in the half marathon so I will have company for the first few miles ......................  I also hope to be joined by another friend but not to put any pressure on him all will be revealed in next weeks blog.

I am relatively injury free with just a slight niggle on my left knee so for the last few training session I have switched from running to cycling, at this stage I definitely do not want to pick up an injury.

The plan between Dingle and Dublin is to get back in the pool (of which I used to do a lot of), keep up training with Ronan in Victory Fitness (of which he guarantees that it is going to get tougher), keep running, remain injury free and to enjoy marathon number 12 in Dublin.

12 months ago next week Pat was preparing for surgery in the Mercy, we will be forever grateful to everyone involved in Pat's care in the Mercy hospital.

The support that I  have received has been overwhelming to say the least, this has certainly been a journey and one that I have thoroughly enjoyed raising vital funds for cancer research

Total raised so far is        €18195.80


For anyone that would like to donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Please share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

I survived 4 marathons in 4 days ....................................

I can only describe the quadrathon as one of the best events that I have ever taken part in.  I arrived at the start line on day 1 and soon discovered that I was one of the few participants who had never done such an event before.............The 4 days consisted of running around the Inishowen 100.  I met the most amazing people.  Ken who had taken part in a race in Belfast only 3 weeks before (this consisted of running around a track for 24 hours)!!!!, Derek from West Limerick who just runs and runs ................., Karen from the UK who is currently on her 92nd marathon and Barry from Sligo who without his company on Day 4 it would have been an uphill struggle to the end, there were so many other amazing participants that I met over the four days that it would be impossible to name everyone.

I had given myself a target of 20 hours for the 105.80 miles and was delighted to finish at a time of 19 hours and 20 minutes.  Pat, Gavin and Colin were there every few miles, to motivate, feed me and soothe any aching muscles and by the end of day 1 they were more well known that I was !!!
Well done to Ger who took part in the marathon on Day 3.

From the minute we arrived in Donegal we were welcomed by Margaret, John Francis, JJ and Nuala and their hospitality was much appreciated.  Thank you to everyone that sent messages of support before, after and during each race, all of these helped to keep me motivated over the four days.  I never thought that I would ever be able to complete such a challenging event and now that I have you never know what lies ahead .......................

2 marathons of the 12 left, this week will be rest and then it will be back to training for Dingle on Sept 5th with an unbelievable total raised to date of 18,085.80 euro.

I cannot believe the support that I am receiving throughout this challenge.  Una is there whenever I need her to make sure that I remain injury free,  a phone call to Annie on Monday morning and it was not a problem for her to fit me in to get my feet back to normal.

I had thought that I would finish in Donegal and Pat, Gavin and Colin would be waiting for me and this is who was there to welcome me at the finish line......................

                                                          THANK YOU SO MUCH

Don't forget To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

Thank you for the good wishes .....................................

Thank you to everyone for all of the good wishes that I have received over the last number of days.  I am about to take on the biggest challenge of my life and to say that I am nervous is an understatement. I am hoping that once we set off for Donegal in the morning that the nerves will be left in Kerry ...............



Donations keep coming in and we are forever grateful, I would never have imagined that before I set off for Donegal that we would have so much raised, 16,725 euro.  Thank you to everyone that has helped and donated in any way.

Over 1,200 people from Kerry are treated at The Mercy every year.

In 2016 they need to raise half a million euro from the public to support the development of an advanced ‘Regional Centre for Gastroenterology’ that will lead the way in diagnosing and treating conditions of the Gastric system including life-saving care for patients from Kerry and Cork dealing with Oesophageal, Stomach and Bowel Cancers.

I have been asked by several people am I ready for the quadrathon? Without the help of the following there is no way that I would be as prepared as I am, I am just hoping that nothing goes wrong on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Una my physio has been brilliant and without her expertise I would not be as ready as I am, I have a list of strict instructions from her on what to do after each of the 4 marathons.

Ronan in Victory Fitness devised a plan on how to work on my strength and flexibility and even though they have been tough sessions twice a week it has been well worth it.

Eamonn in Adrenalin Sports has been very patient as always, at this stage I think that we have analysed every gel and protein bar available and finally at 6pm yesterday evening decisions were made, whatever about my legs I have enough to eat in Donegal :-)

The bags and packed and I am ready to go .........................  hopefully when I arrive back in Kerry on Sunday night I will have covered a distance of 104.80 miles !!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

And so the challenge continues .................

The last 2 weeks have been absolutely hectic and I cannot believe that in 14 days I will begin the challenge of 4 marathons in 4 days in Donegal, this sort of an event is a first or me and the nerves are starting to kick in with the thoughts of having to run 168.8 km - 104.8 miles !!!!!!!!!!
 The support that we are receiving is absolutely amazing, a huge thank you once again to Castlegregory Golf Club and to everyone that supported the golf classic in anyway.  The total raised was an amazing 4,320 euro.  Total raised so far is now 16,425.80 euro.

For the next 14 days training will be relatively light with the emphasis being put hugely on rest and nutrition.  This event will bring me to 10 marathons out of 12 so that alone will be motivation to complete all 4 marathons.
For us reality on what Pat has been through hit home once again today when we were back in the Mercy Hospital.  This is what welcomed us when we walked in the front door. It certainly was a bit strange being recognised as the person on the front cover of the Mercy Fundraising booklet.

I would never have imagined that after having done 6 of the 12 marathons that we would have raised so much money, thank you to everyone that has donated so far.

To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

Half way through the challenge .............................................

Marathon number 6 today in Killarney ....  It was an early start as we had to be at the Gleneagle to get the bus to the start line.  It was definitely the toughest marathon so far it was 26.2 miles of hills, by now it is getting easier and it is a case of just run until I finish. There was great support along the way from the other runners and it was great to meet runners that I have met in the other 5 marathons.  The roads were closed so I was missing my supporters but it was great to run with the other guys.

1.5 miles to go and Ger, Maureen and Kathleen were waiting for me and as I came close to the finish line Pat and Colin were waiting.  The support today at the finish was unbelievable, the Girls from Killarney were waiting, Noel, Jacinta, Dylan, Dan and Nuala were also there.   I was delighted to see Siobhan and Aisling who came out to support me.  Aisling is 5 weeks old she definitely qualifies as the youngest supporter of my challenge.  Six marathons done only six to go !!!!  and over 11.600 euro donated, which is an amount that I would never have imagined that we would have reached at the half way mark.

Tomorrow we have another great event which is the Captains Charity Golf Classic in Castlegregory,  a great event is promised and again we are overwhelmed by the support.  After a day of golf, the prize giving takes place tomorrow evening at 9pm in Stokers Lodge, so for anyone that fancys a night out it would be great to catch up.

           

5 out of 12 completed ............

The only way that I could describe this weekend was it was action packed.  The highlight was our U14 team from St Pat's playing in the Feile competition in Wicklow in which they reached the semi final.  We set off early on Friday morning to travel to the first 2 matches in Craanford, it was then off to Wicklow for the team to meet their host families in Newtownmount Kennedy (who were just fantastic),  we eventually got to our hotel at 9pm.
This weekend I was the proudest Mom to watch Gavin in goals for his team not the Mom running a marathon .....................

St Pats Gaa Blennerville

Over all there was huge performances from the st pats side but one that stands out is that of Gavin Doody who was St. pats goalie and pulled off save after save in all the games .He made top class saves in every game some of which you see by a professional in any sport .

It was an early start for me, I left the hotel at 5.30 to drive on my own to Waterford,  I arrived in plenty of time and met Marie had a quick coffee and she dropped me to the start line.  The start of the marathon was busy as the 10km, half marathon and full marathon went off together.  It was a very hot day but an enjoyable marathon.  Again Maureen and Ger were there to offer their support as they have for all 5 marathons.

Marathon completed, a quick shower and straight back into the car to drive back to Wicklow for the afternoon match.  I was glad to get out of the car after the 2 hour drive and to stretch my legs.  5 marathons completed, for me it is 2 weeks holiday and then the Killarney marathon.  I am looking forward to the rest and also looking forward to running in Killarney, this is always a super event.

Castlegregory Captains Charity Day in aid of Cancer Research  : 

Castlegregory Golf Club has very kindly decided to donate all the funds from the Captains (Ladies and Men’s Club) Charity Day to  Brenda's Mercy Marathon Challenge fundraising efforts. The details are as follows:

Date: Sunday July 19th 2015

Format: 4 Person AM-AM

Cost: €120 per team

Timesheet is now open and tee times can be booked by ringing 066-7139444. 

There are opportunities to sponsor tee boxes or greens on the day also. So if you can't make it for any reason and wish to donate in this way then you can do so by contacting the Golf Club at 0667139444 / Pat Doody at 0872170063 

To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

Fundraising minus the running shoes .........................

Today I was honoured to be invited to be the guest speaker at the ladies lunch in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation.  This was a fantastic event and full compliments to the staff of the Mercy foundation.  I was delighted to be joined by 5 very glamorous ladies for the event.  It was great to fundraise wearing high heels and not a pair of running shoes.

This week also saw the end of our marathon challenge with the children from Derryquay school, 18 children aged from 10 - 13 completed their 1st marathon.  They also raised funds by having a raffle and this brought the total fundraised so far to 11,085 euro.  I am so proud of these guys.  Well done.

Next weekend is marathon number 5 in Waterford.  To say that we are overwhelmed by the support so far is an understatement.  Thank you to everyone.

Our next major fundraiser was also launched this week and for anyone of you that don't like to run but prefer to golf this one is for you. Details below:

Castlegregory Captains Charity Day in aid of Cancer Research : 

Castlegregory Golf Club has very kindly decided to donate all the funds from the Captains (Ladies and Men’s Club) Charity Day to  Brenda's Mercy Marathon Challenge fundraising efforts. The details are as follows:

Date: Sunday July 19th 2015

Format: 4 Person AM-AM

Cost: €120 per team

Timesheet is now open and tee times can be booked by ringing 066-7139444. 

There are opportunities to sponsor tee boxes or greens on the day also. So if you can't make it for any reason and wish to donate in this way then you can do so by contacting the Golf Club at 0667139444 / Pat Doody at 0872170063 

_______________________________________________________________________

To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons

Fundrasing .....

13 days to marathon number 5 in Waterford,  this has been a relatively easy week as I am still carrying a slight injury, so my aim for the next 13 days is to try to recover as much as possible.  It was great to see our fundraising efforts in Waterford Today this week and also in the Connect magazine in Kerry.

Waterford Today Article: Running for Pat - Brenda is running 12 marathons in 8 months

Running 12 marathons in 8 months is Brenda Doody's way of trying to give back to the Mercy Hospital in Cork after her husband Pat was

diagnosed with Oesophageal cancer at the age of 44. Brenda is running a total of 506.34 kilometres, taking in Waterford’s Viking Marathon in June, to raise much needed funds for the Hospital as a token of her gratitude for their expert care.

"My Husband Pat age 44 was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in May 2014 in the Mercy Hospital, he was a fit, healthy 44 year old. He had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery in September to remove his oesphagus. Because of the wonderful care that he received in the Mercy I wanted to say thank you and to give something back."

And she decided to give back in a major way by completing 12 marathons in a time period that most ordinary people would think nigh on impossible "I wanted to do my first marathon in Tralee as it is home, and finish in Dublin where hopefully Pat will run with me (health permitting). As I was planning my marathons I came across the quadrathon in Donegal in August which is 4 marathons in 4 days and decided that it would add to the challenge, and so 12 marathons in 8 months was devised."

That didn't mean to say that it didn't take a lot of preparation. Brenda followed a marathon training plan for the first marathon which was running 5 days a week. There is a short space of time between each marathon so training is easier, 4-5 days. All marathons are in Ireland as she did not want to add to the expense of travel and are as follows:

Tralee- March, Connemara - April, Limerick - May, Cork and Waterford - June, Killarney - July, Donegal quadrathon - August, Dingle - September and Dublin - October.

Brenda readily admits that the support she has been given has been immense "The support that I have received has been unbelievable, Tralee, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Killarney marathons have all given me free entry to the marathons. People have ran various marathons with me to raise funds, in Limerick we had a relay team and in Cork there were 4 relay teams of friends and family.

"In Waterford Elaine Noonan is doing her first ever marathon to raise funds for the Mercy. The Mercy foundation have been excellent. Friends, family, neighbours have come together to organise various events with our total so far almost 10,000 euro. I had a call this week from a lady in Donegal who has been following my blog and she offered me free accommodation in Donegal for the quadrathon.

"I have been sponsored by Adrenalin sports store in Co Limerick, Brooks sponsored my running shoes and high five sponsored energy and recovery gels."

Most importantly Brenda’s husband is doing well and has even returned to work recently. "Pat is doing well, he is getting used to how his life has changed but he has survived and that is what counts - anything else that is thrown at us we will deal with if and when it happens. Pat returned to work after being off for exactly one year. He is a lecturer in IT Tralee."

When all the marathons are done she will be taking a short rest before taking on a new challenge "My initial plan was that I would finish in Dublin and then retire but as I am ticking off the marathons I am enjoying them more and more and getting faster with each one - Cork finishing times was 3 hours 57 mins, so I may not hang up my runners yet, I might consider 1 ultra run in Spring next year and then take a break."

To follow Brenda’s story see:

http://www.brendasmercymarathonchallenge.blogspot.com

facebook page : Brendas Mercy Marathon Challenge

To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

If anyone would like to run a marathon or to fundraise in anyway they can contact Brenda on the above or by email brenda.doody@gmail.com

Our children from Derryquay school are on the last leg of their marathon having already run 23 miles, this Friday will see them running their last 3 miles, where afterwards we have a great evening planned at our school with a barbecue where the children will be presented with medals kindly sponsored by Marie at swimheadz and t shirts kindly donated by the Mercy Foundation.

On Saturday a group of us are heading from Kerry to support the Ladies Lunch in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation.  It will be nice to wear high heels instead of a pair of running shoes ................. It promises to be a great event so I would encourage anyone that is looking for a great day out to consider supporting to raise fund for this very worthy cause.

Mercy University Hospital Foundation Cork

Fashion, music,inspirational speakers, delicious food and amazing goodie bags... a very special lunch indeed! Book your tickets for the Mercy Hospital Foundation Ladies Lunch now: http://goo.gl/nKJa1w

We are delighted to see that our fundaising total is continues to increase... Remember if anyone would like to donate 

To donate please use http://fundraise.mercyfundraising.ie/marathonbrenda

Don't forget to share my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/mercymarathons