Running to catch up

Angela Jarratt (left) & Joanne Goodwin proudly show off their medals after finishing the Great North Run 2005 [CAFOD]

Three friends who used their training for the Great North Run as a good excuse for catching up on the latest gossip, completed the distance despite the unexpected heat

Helen Patrick, 39, and Angela Jarratt, 42 from Pontefract, West Yorkshire and Jo Goodwin, 22, from Featherstone have been friends since meeting at St Wilfrid’s RC High School in Featherstone.

Speaking after the race, Angela said she was delighted that they all finished, despite the fact that their longest run prior to the race had been just two miles.

Angela said: "I finished and I really enjoyed it but it was tough. I was just relieved when it was over. The weather didn’t help – I hadn’t expected it to be so hot. There were points when I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to do it.

"But I kept thinking about all the people who had sponsored me and about what CAFOD would be able to do with the money and that kept me going. It was a great experience, the atmosphere was fantastic with all the locals cheering us on. We’re already talking about doing it next year but might think about training a bit more seriously for it!"

Jo, a Sports Sciences graduate, was persuaded to do the run as her friends wanted the benefit of her expertise in their training.

“I only agreed to do it as Angela and Helen nagged me to death as they needed a trainer. Because of my sports degree and I know something about muscles, stretches and training schedules, although neither of them take any notice of what I tell them to do or not do!” Jo explained.

Tackling the challenge

Angela, a mother of four, who now works at Minsthorpe Community College, South Elmsall said she wanted a challenge for the year.

“I have found that as I get older I have a desire to achieve more in my life and a desire to improve not just how I feel about myself and my life but also to improve life for others.”

The trio aim to raise a total of £900 for CAFOD as both Helen and Angela had a good knowledge of and a strong commitment to CAFOD’s work.

Making a difference

Helen, a mother of one, said: “CAFOD is about providing the essentials, water, food and shelter, in an emergency which will make the difference between life and death for our fellow human beings. We didn't want to just be raising money to save donkeys or something.”

Angela said: “Despite Jo's best attempts to get Helen and I on a training plan, we didn't have a training schedule as such. Helen and I are not 'natural born' runners in the slightest so we found the challenge to be harder work than we expected!

“We also both have very busy lives and young children to look after so training was done when we could fit it in even if it meant bringing the kids with us. We have found that they tended to show us up a bit as they can run better than we can!

“I tried to go to the gym at least once a week to do some cardio and strength work but, again, it is finding the time which is the hardest thing.”

Keeping motivated

Helen’s main aim was just to keep motivated without losing her sense of humour.

She added: “For me personally I enjoy the fact that we did it as a team and I like the social aspect of it. I would not have stuck at it otherwise... pressure within the group is what keeps us all going.

“Also, many of my family and friends have made comments such as "I'll believe it when I see it". That made me determined to show them that I could do it!”

Angela added: “It is the fact that I can feel I have made a difference to someone’s life. People who sponsored us are also part of that.

“If someone had told me this time last year that I would be doing a half marathon I would have laughed in their faces! If I can take up a challenge such as this then anyone can.

Angela added: “Every three seconds somebody in this world dies from poverty. Living my nice comfortable life I find that to be an obscene statistic and we in the West should be ashamed that in this world of plenty we still allow people to die.

> Support Angela, Helen, and Jo online now

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