"I could bloody walk it in that"

I have always been dead set against running a marathon.  If you want to run one, good for you!  I'll support you, offer encouragement, train with you, and even let a few moths have some fresh air and sponsor you; but I've always felt that I didn't want to put in the the training time required.  So for years, it's been a big fat "NO"!  And for clarification, you did read it right; that wasn't "couldn't" put the time in, it was "didn't want to".  I like to vary my training because I get bored easilly (no shit Sherlock!), and, with the help and encouragement of my friend and amazing Personal Trainer, Paul Woods, I have slowly brought my fitness and running up to a level whereby I can run 10 miles fairly comfortably (albeit pretty slowly) without medical intervention.  So the thought of doing almost nothing but run has never appealed.  So "Marathon, NO!".
But both Paul and my neighbour Alex Boryslawsky were training for the London Marathon, and Alex's wife Sam was training for Edinburgh so almost daily, I got to hear all about all of their preparation, and, as they got closer, got caught up in the detail and the excitement for all of them.  Whether it was how Paul was going to beat his previous best time, if Alex's injured groin (oooerrrr) would hold up or how Sam was going to have her hair so that she didn't look like Rod Stewart at the end of her race (her words not mine!), I was completely involved!  
At that time back in April, I was training for the 10 mile Bluebell run in Halifax, so on the morning of the London Marathon, I had a big bowl of porridge (any excuse to shovel down vast quantities of food!), sent "good luck" texts to Paul and Alex, grabbed a bottle of Powerade Zero because it was hot, and headed out for a 9 mile wobble around Batley, Birstall, Gomersal & Birkenshaw in beautiful blazing sunshine. As I plodded around at my normal steady pace, thoroughly enjoying ACDC, the day and the route (and nosy-ing into people's gardens and houses if I'm honest.....) I couldn't even begin to imagine doing 3 times that distance.  With every step of my short journey, my respect and awe for marathon runners grew.  How the hell did anyone do that distance?
Both Paul and Alex did really well (Paul about 4 1/4 hours and Alex about 4 1/2) , so early the next week, we all went out for a celebratory dinner and swap of Marathon stories.  For the 400th time, both of them tried to talk me into training for a marathon, and for the 400th time I said no. But I did enjoy their yarns, and it sounded like an amazing experience.  Then Paul (who won't take "no" for an answer in matters of physical challenge) told me about another of his clients who had done brilliantly and completed this, her first marathon, in 7 1/2 hours and how proud he was of her.  My immediate response in my head was "I could bloody walk it in that!".  Happily, with age, I do now occasionally manage to keep my mouth from instantly spouting out everything that occurs to my brain, so am pleased to report that I didn't actually say anything out loud because I didn't want to take anything away from this lady's amazing achievement, and believe me, I really do think that it's an amazing achievement. 
But the seed was sown.  "I bet I bloody could you know", I said to long-suffering husband Graham on the way home later, "I bet I could do 26 miles in 7 1/2 hours.......".  His unexpected response (knowing my historical reluctance to commit to such training) was "well bloody well do it then!".   At the best of times I am completely unable to resist an adventure and a challenge, but now with the support & encouragement of the person who knows my personality and capabilities better than anyone else in the world, I instantly began planning my new journey.