AB2U Blog

4 years in a row and more fun every time!

The Asics British 10k London Run, at 09:35am on Sunday 12th July 2009.

At 06:00am I am always undecided whether a 09.35am start to a race is a good idea. At 10:20am running across Westminster Bridge staring up at Big Ben with the sun beaming down behind it I have my answer. An early start wins every time. London always looks so beautiful.

It was the perfect weather for running, a mixture of clouds, sunshine and cool breezes. The time just whizzed by and in no time I was at the finish. I was absolutely shattered with nothing else to give, so no dynamic finish, just a stagger down the Mall and across the line to the claps and cheers of crowds of onlookers and off course the daffodil volunteers standing at the barrier waiting to say ‘thank you’ for my support.

I have been suffering with a shoulder injury so I left Kathryn to enjoy the after party and headed off to my local gym for a steam and soak in the hot tub, where I sat and recalled the race with a big smile on my face. There really is nothing like the adrenalin of racing and the satisfaction of completing an event.

The photograph above is me looking a lot worse for wear at the finish with my medal and a smile.

The results of the race have not yet been posted so I have no idea of my real time, but according to my trusty old wrist watch it was circa fifty minutes – yet again! I just cannot seem to break that fifty minute mark, but not bad for a veteran in the 40+ bracket.

Breaking the fifty mark to raise money for charity was not a problem this year, in fact because of all your very kind and generous sponsorship pledges Abenefit2u have raised £167.00 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
So all that is left for me to say is a VERY BIG THANK YOU to everyone for your donations, well wishes and support.

Until next time…

Dianne

Dear All

Just 4 days and counting down until The Asics British 10k London Run, at 09:35am on Sunday 12th July 2009.
I am running to raise money for one of my favourite charities again, Marie Curie Cancer Care, if I can find my T-Shirt! When it comes to storing things I have a box and a label for every object and occasion. I have squirreled it away somewhere, but where I am not quite sure yet. Well the last event was a year ago! At this rate it may take me another year to find my T-shirt.

This is the fourth year Kathryn and I have competed in this event, which gets bigger and bigger. It is televised so if you fancy cheering us on from your sofa or bed, then get your Sunday morning coffee and croissants at the ready and press that remote at 09:35am and start scanning the 1000’s of little figures all bobbing along the mall. Kathryn and I will be there at 8.30am warming up, so I shall be having a very early night on Saturday.
There is an after party as always, this year being held at Walkers of Whitehall, which is located near to the finish just off Whitehall, and close to Trafalgar Square. Last year we bumped into a very lost Nicky Graham who we escorted to the after party with us. She was a real sweetie!

The Marie Curie Cancer Care is a super cause and they are a very well organised charity who really do all they can to make if ‘fun for fundraisers’. The bright yellow daffodil T-shirts are designed so you can write your name on the front and back and then all the daffodil supporters along the route are able to shout out your name and really encourage and spur you to the end… and I will need all the cheers I can get this year to finish the course in a respectable time.

Well all that is left to say is “Good Luck to Kathryn and I” and “Thank you to those of you lovely people who are kind enough to throw a few pennies at our Just Giving Page.”

http://www.justgiving.com/diannebeer9/

Until the finish…

Dianne

X

p.s. Abenefit2u managed to collect 342 Tesco for Schools and Club Vouchers this year.
Which makes me think I am either eating or drinking far too much!

I cannot believe another year has flown by. This year has gone faster than most (never time to get bored), although very slow in other ways (6-7 day working weeks!). Trying to set up a new company is hard enough, trying to keep it afloat even harder and trying to survive in a time of global economic downtime the hardest of all. Kathryn and I are exhausted, but we have not quite lost our running legs, although with less time to train we have only entered the one event so far this year, our favourite, the Asics British 10k London Run. This will be the third year in a row we have run it together.

I do hope the sun shines on us this year, but even if it is pouring with rain the cheering crowds lift our spirits, and the race always seem over in a blink. Last year I finished in fifty minutes, but I am not quite so optimistic this year. At 41 I am finally starting to slow down and concede I am not actually going to get faster, but slower as the years go on, so if I do a similar time I will be happy. Kathryn is threatening to compete in two half marathons this year, but needs to work out if she can fit her training plan around an exciting next six months… (more news on this in future blogs)

Kathryn and I poised for the starters gun… or errrr chatting again!

We are supporting the same charity again this year, one as you may know by now close to our heart, Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Daffodil Team! It is a super cause and they are a very well organised charity who really do all they can to make if ‘fun for fundraisers’. The bright yellow daffodil T-Shirts are designed so you can write your name on the front and back and then all the daffodil supporters along the route are able to shout out your name and really encourage and spur you on to the end…

If you would like to sponsor us for this race please click here for the link to our special sponsor page.

If you would like to run with us, you will need to register soon, 05, 06, 07, 08 places totally sold out before the event, it really is very popular and great fun! Please click here for the organisers website.

Date: Sunday 12th July 2009
Time: 09.35 am start (no lie in this Sunday!)
Start: Hyde Park Corner. Finish: Buckingham Palace

By Dianne Beer

To view all the photos from this event, please click here.

Note to self: You were extremely lucky with the weather this year, think twice about the time of year before you hold the next ‘Thank you’ party for all your clients, candidates, family and friends for all their help and loyalty each year.

On Saturday 29th November 2008 a very sweet friend of mine, Jean-Paul, and I began assembling the roof top gazebo in preparation for the following Saturday’s Roof Top Santa Party. If anyone can remember back to this date or keeps a diary you will note that it was not only freezing cold in London, but it poured with rain. I am not one to ever let my spirits be dampened by any event, but my heart did sink at the prospect of similar weather the following weekend on the actual day of the event. Someone somewhere took great pity on me, and on Saturday 6th December 2008, the day of the Great Santa Fun Run for SnowSport Disability and the Roof Top Santa Party the sun shone all day long, to the extent that Kathryn and I could have been mistaken for Rudolf the red nosed reindeer on Sunday morning. Perhaps being out in the sun on the roof terrace the day before, erecting the final parts of the tent and hanging tinsel and beads from every possible space gave us just enough base coat to get an winter sun glow!

The fun started at 12:00pm, just enough time for all the running Santas to travel back from Battersea Park and have gained a thirst and appetite after their gruelling 6k run, and enough time for Dianne to recruit some very jolly Santa Helpers to help finish off making and heating the mulled wine. By the smile on Kathryn’s face I think she was drinking it as fast as she was making it.

Abenefit2u sent out open invites to as many of our clients and candidates as we were able to in the time available between deciding to host this event and organising it. If you did not receive an invite, it will not be because you were forgotten, simply because of time restrictions and just not enough hours in the day to call everyone. We promise if you have been working with us during 2008 or will be working with us in 2009 you will be on the summer bbq list, but in the meantime, what a fantabulous festive fun filled party it was.

Thank you all so much for attending and making it such an enjoyable event. And just in case you have not had enough mince pies and mulled wine, there is still a sky high pile of pies and a vat full of mulled wine to finish! Oh and quite a few tins of roses, quality street…

A Very Merry Christmas everyone from
Abenefit2u Occupational Pension & Benefit Recruitment Specialist

By Dianne Beer

To see all the photos for this event, please click here.

When I competed in this event last year the heavens opened on me and I was a very soggy little Santa at the finish, so this year when I awoke at 6.00am to finish the last of the after party arrangements I was very relieved to see beautiful clear winter skies out of my bedroom window. If someone had bet me that Kathryn and I would both have little red faces on Saturday evening from a day of running and partying in beautiful English December sunshine I would have laughed and said “No, keep your money safe”, but that is exactly what happened – what a perfect day!

(Left to right) Leanne, Tim, Kathryn, Marissa, Dianne, Clare 1 having successfully finished the race and all adorning our medals (Claire 2 not in this photograph).

I adore this event, and this year it signalled the end of a very busy year of fundraising and fun runs for Abenefit2u. Although we opened a just giving page for this event, we have not broadcast this as we feel all our friends, family, clients and candidates have given quite enough. Our target was £1,000 through competing in ten separate races and instead we have achieved over £1,300. So for this race all we asked was for you all to come and join the fun and by doing so your £20 entry fee covers the cost of your Santa outfit and organising the event, with a little to spare for a super charity, Disability Snowsport. www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk

There were nearly 2,000 Santas running this year, far more than last year, so when I arrived at 09:30am there were long queues for the registration area and to collect Santa suits. Kathryn had already rounded up the troops and they were all ready and changed and raring to go, seven of us in total waiting for the starter’s gun….

… Three storming Abenefit2u Santessa’s speed off…

And afterwards we were all enjoying the after event Santa Sillyness so much that we almost forgot we needed to be back at the Elgin offices by 12:00pm for the after race party. The invite to this was open not only to runners and supporters but to friends, family, candidates and clients, as well as all the lovely people who have been so helpful this year in assisting us to successfully get Abenefit2u off the ground. For example, the super team at REC, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.*
(*Please see a different blog page for more on their story…)

I have no idea how but at 11.15am we were all in Battersea Park and by 12.00pm we were back at the Elgin Offices putting the mulled wine on the stove and the mince pies in the oven, and eagerly awaiting LOTS OF VERY HUNGRY & THIRSTY SANTAS…**
(** For what happened next and photographs of the After Race Roof Top Santa Party you will have to wait for our next blog posting).

In closing, I would like to say a special thank you to Matt, our Abenefit2u team photographer for the day, and to Dmitry and Brent (who was cycling around the park trying to find us) for their cheers of support along the way.

A Very Merry Christmas everyone, from Abenefit2u Occupational Pension & Benefit Recruitment Specialists.

There are very few of us that have not been affected by the current economic climate in one way or another, whether at work or just by the cost of living, but this has not stopped the great British public’s generosity, or to be even more specific, the generosity of friends, family, clients and candidates of Abenefit2u who have been donating on a regular basis to a our various Fun Runs for Charity throughout 2008.

In January 2008 Kathryn and I decided to raise £1,000 for charity by December 2008, by competing in fun runs every month for different charities. For each fun run we raised a ‘Just Giving’ on-line donation page and emailed all our friends, family, clients and candidates (who also fall into the first category) asking if they would like to donate. There have been many different charities, to allow people to chose those close to their hearts or give when they are able (we all have strict monthly budgets these days). Abenefit2u’s aim was to run 10 races, each with a fund raising target of £100 making a final total of £1,000 raised by December 2008. To our delight we have not only hit £1,000 but exceeded it and already achieved over £1,300 in donations and gift aid.

This total does not include other fund raising events and causes such as Jeans for Genes, Wear it Pink, Stamp collecting for guide dogs for the blind, RNLI and many more…

Abenefit2u still have two more races to compete in this year:

• 10K Rainforest Run, Finsbury Park, London, Sunday 2nd November 2008
• Disability Snow Sport UK London Santa Run, Battersea Park, Saturday 6th December 2008

We do not wish to exhaust people’s generosity, so please, if you have already donated to one or more of our previous runs, do not do so again, you have been kind enough. Save those pennies for Santa Claus, or next year, when we will be aiming to do exactly the same all over again…

In the meantime, a BIG AB2U running bugs THANK YOU to everyone who has been kind enough to support us throughout 2008.

It has been a very special year for Kathryn and I (although far from over yet…) who wanted to create a recruitment consultancy that not only offers the pinnacle of service but also makes a difference to the world around us.

1% of every placement made with Abenefit2u Occupational Pension & Benefit Recruitment Specialist is donated to a charity of our clients choice.

By: Kathryn Rees

After entering this race at the beginning of the year, it did seem to creep up on me rather quickly! This was my first half marathon and what had seemed an almost impossible task only 6 weeks ago when I was struggling with a tendon problem in my ankle, luckily somehow managed to come together as my ankle started to heal and allowed me to spend the last month getting in some training.

Despite the fact that 13.1 miles seemed rather daunting I was really looking forward to the race, especially since live music was meant to be playing throughout the course to help spur us on. The event started at the o2 and then took in the sites of Greenwich and Woolwich as the course snaked around South East London.

Unfortunately these sights and sounds were somewhat dampened by the awful weather. All the spectators and runners were absolutely amazing, which helped to keep spirits up despite the pouring rain. One of my favourite parts of the run (at about mile 10) was running through some army barracks where there was a band playing YMCA. The site of all of us runners trying to dance and run at the same time in the rain was quite a spectacle and I think did help to lift the mood!

The event was also hit by transport problems. My journey to the race had taken over 2 hours (when it should usually take less than an hour). Unfortunately there was a defective train at North Greenwich tube station and that was where everyone was trying to get to! So with the jubilee line part suspended, thousands of runners were stuck trying to get a bus to the o2. Another slight problem was the fact that it was a rather long walk from the bus stop to the o2 and consequently many of us had got an extra warm-up by undertaking a 2 mile walk (again in the rain) just to get to the start! Luckily the organisers delayed the start by 45 minutes which meant we did not miss the beginning of the race.

Despite all these problems, I still had a great day and was very pleased to finish in under 2 ½ hours. I am looking forward to taking on another half marathon next year and will be looking to improve on my time!

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me, you helped me to raise £182.50 for Leukaemia Research which is absolutely fantastic. I would also like to say a special thank you to Ed who showed up in the rain to meet me at the end and take me out for a much needed lunch!

If anyone is interested in learning more about this event and possibly entering next year, please click here to visit their website.

I will be back running again with Dianne in our next race together which will the Rainforest Foundation 10k on 2nd November, so I do get a month off before the next one!

Kathryn at Abenefit2u

By Dianne Beer

“Why?” was a word that popped into my head about a 100 times as I staggered around the 7k City of London Great Gorilla Run course, in a rubber gorilla suit, in 20 degrees of sunshine, at 11.00am last Saturday morning.
The next time I watch the London marathon I will take great pity and have the utmost respect for anyone running in full fancy dress.

This was the one run of the year I had been looking forward to the most, finally a fun run that was just that, no racing the clock and chasing PB’s (Personal Best Times), just jogging along slowly laughing at everyone else around me in gorilla costumes; how wrong I was! Half a mile into the race I was forced to break the one challenge I had set myself for the race; not to take my mask off. I am not sure anyone would have noticed the difference, but it was either that or falling over with heat exhaustion and one less gorilla in the race. How some runners kept their masks on I do not know. I thought my head was going to explode. Luckily as soon as I did take my mask off I quickly recovered and was able to jog along again and continue to leave a trail of dripping sweat behind me, what a charming vision.

All the runners were absolutely amazing, with lots of male runners really playing their part and making screeching and whopping noises at the crowd as they lurched along. The screams of delight (or fear) from the little children along the way were lovely to hear, and four London bridges later the finish line was finally in site and probably the most welcome it has ever been to me. I put my mask back on for the last 100 metre dash and then proudly took it off again to let Bill Oddie put a medal around my neck.

This is not me in the photograph below, but it is a super shot of Bill Oddie, who must have been exhausted by the end of the day, after congratulating 700+ gorillas.

This years race saw the biggest turn out of runners yet, just under 800 people crazy enough to compete, and make it a ‘World Record’ gathering of people in gorilla suits. As every gorilla has to raise £400, this meant that the minimum funds raised by this lovely event will be £320,000.

Bill Oddie gave a lovely speech and reminded everyone just why we were competing. There were more runners in the race than there are gorillas left in the world. What a sad thought; there are now less than 800 of these beautiful creatures left in the world. I was really proud to be doing my bit to prevent their extinction and ensure their habitats are preserved and breeding continues to allow future generations to thrive. However, all I did was run the race, it is thanks to all my friends, family, and even one of my lovely clients, Colin, (who very generously donated £25.00) that I was able to raise the £400 required to compete in this event. I must on this occasion give an extra special BIG THANK YOU to Andy, who donated £330 to this event and a further thank you for Remzi for being ‘Fun Run Photographer Extraordinaire’ yet again!

I really hope you enjoy the photographs but do not expect to see gorillas like these in the wild… especially the crazy female gorilla wearing a naughty nurses outfit!

By Dianne Beer

I think natures way of saying ‘Thank you’ to all the Tree-Athletes running on Saturday to raise money to plant more trees in our lovely cities was to blow away all those nasty rain clouds and ensure the sun shone down on us all day long. Perfect conditions to run in because most of Battersea Park pathways are lined with trees which shadow the running route and allowed shade to the 2,000 runners who took part in the Tree-athlon 5k fun run.

The 10.15am start was a treat for Kathryn and I, and allowed us a small lie in compared to many of the 10k runs which can start as early as 09:00am in the morning. With such glorious weather how could anyone want to stay indoors, it was the perfect day for running around the park, which was full of people doing all sorts of activities. A few rays of sunshine and London springs into life. Thankfully Kathryn and I were feeling full of life too, and almost felt the race was over all too soon, but if the race was over quickly the after race entertainment most certainly was not, ensuring everyone from runners to friends and family had a superb morning.

The Trees for Cities charity had created a tree-athlon village especially for the event, complete with picnic area, massage tent, stage (for comedian, warm up aerobics specialist, and after race presentations). There was a band playing after the race, a drum area for groups of people to all participate at the same time in group drumming sessions, free goodie bags, free finishing photos, free health drinks, water, fruit and of course a free sapling (either Birch or Oak) for everyone to take home, nurture and grow until big enough to plant in the ground. Kathryn and I had purchased the optional picnic which was the right decision on such a glorious day. After our massage we sat and had lunch with lots of other jubilant runners, medals around their necks and little saplings all around. After lunch we lay out on the grass for an hour and enjoyed taking in all the activity around us.

To see our pictures from Saturday, please click here.

We were down on our fund raising target on this occasion, but as I mentioned in our last blog we are very much on target for our end of year target of £1,000. Thank you as always to those who did very kindly donate to this particular charity, and if anyone would like a new oak or birch tree in their back garden then I have two little saplings being carefully looked after in a large pot on my roof terrace. They will stay here until they grow too big, when their next new home will be a very large garden square in Notting Hill. They most definitely will be Trees for Cities, what a wonderful thought, our run this weekend will mean two more trees in London for many many many years to come…

By Dianne Beer

Fund Raising Update

With just three and a half months to go until the end of 2008 (where has this year gone, it has flown by for us!) it seemed the perfect time to check we are going to achieve our target of raising £1,000 for a variety of charities through competing in Fun Runs and other Charity Events (e.g. Jeans for Genes day on Friday 3rd October 2008, for Funds for research and support services for Genetic Disorders or Birth Defects, and Wear it Pink on Friday 31st October 2008 for Breast Cancer Campaign.)

Total Raised So Far
The really great news is we have raised £751.02 for charity this year.

Charities Abenefit2u has raised funds for:

• Breast Cancer Campaign
• Cancer Research UK
• Disability Snowsport
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
• Help a London Child
• Jeans for Genes
• Leukaemia Research
• Marie Curie Cancer Care
• The Gorilla Organisation
• The Rainforest Foundation
• RNLI, Royal National Lifeboat Institute
• Sports Relief
• Trees for Cities
• World Wildlife Foundation

AB2U’s Runathon Schedule up until the end of 2008
Mid September through to Mid October is most definitely our busiest period of fun runs yet, with Kathryn and I competing in no less than 4 different runs.

This coming Saturday, 20th September 2008, Kathryn and I are both competing in the Tree-athon 5k, at Battersea Park. We are not doing very well with our target for this race, but I can understand this. Many of my friends have said they feel far more strongly about charities for humans than they do for wildlife, and further down their list comes the environment. I strongly believe that you should only give money to charity because you want to and to causes you care about.

Saturday 27th September 2008 is the day I compete in The Great Gorilla Run, City of London, in a Gorilla Suit and Bikini (how else will you know it is me!). This race is 7k, which originally I thought ‘No sweat’ but now I have tested wearing my gorilla suit around the house I am thinking ‘Lots of sweat’ and itching! The gorilla suit arrived with a list of safety precautions, including cutting large eye holes so you can see where you are running – hmmmmm slightly worrying. 1,000 gorillas all running around the city on a Saturday morning, it will be totally hilarious from start to finish – I cannot wait.

Sunday 5th October 2008 is THE BIG DAY for Kathryn, the climax of all her training and hard work! She will be competing in the Run to the Beat Half Marathon, commencing from the O2 stadium, for Leukaemia Research, a very good cause. I have never competed in this distance and have total admiration for her and have no doubt she will do brilliantly!

On Sunday 12th October 2008 I am heading back to my home town of Rayleigh for the weekend (yes before anyone says it, I am an Essex girl by birth, and only a Notting Hill Lass by current home residence), to compete in the Tesco Cancer Research 10k race, at Hylands Park, with the best fan club in the world, my lovely parents and baby sister.

Towards the end of the year we are competing in The Rainforest Foundation 10k, at Finsbury Park, and the Santa Run at Battersea Park. Equally as entertaining as the gorilla run, thousands of Santas’s all charging around the park. The little children’s faces are a delight to watch.

With just £248.98 to raise by the end of the year, and six Fun Runs left we are optimistic that the two AB2U running bugs, Dianne and Kathryn, will achieve their year long runathon target, but only because of all are extremely kind and generous friends and family who keep sponsoring us.

A BIG THANK YOU once again! Roll on Saturday’s run, when we will be very green AB2U Running Bugs, saving the environment!