The Marafun Team: Ashleigh Bilodeaux

As you’ll have seen from previous posts, Huddle has a team running this year’s London Marathon in aid of IT 4 Children in Hospital (IT4CH).

The aim of IT4CH is to provide all children who are sick, disabled or underprivileged with access to ICT. This is a very worthy cause, so please get giving – every penny helps! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HuddleMarathon

The team member in the spotlight this week is Ashleigh Bilodeaux.

Previous running experience (races, PBs etc)?

I have been running on and off for years. However, last year I decided to take it more seriously. I participated in various 5K and 10K races in the US and UK. My personal best (PB) was recently set at the Windsor 10k, for a total time of 49:44! This was a massive achievement for me as my previous 10k time was 54:24.

What training have you done so far?

July – December 2010, averaging 20 miles per week. Starting this month, I am following the Runners World sub 4 hour marathon. This incorporates 5 days of running with 1 day of speed work and, of course, 1 long run, between 9 – 22 miles, each week.

Reason for entering the marathon?

I have always been an outdoors person. Having moved to London last April, running has given me a great excuse to explore the city. When I heard that Huddle wanted to raise money for IT4CH  by running the London Marathon, I jumped on the opportunity. While I have never run a marathon before, I think it will be an amazing experience. I know it will take both mental and physical dedication; I am up for the challenge!

Training plans or tips?

I am a first time marathon runner so my goal is to stay healthy and have fun! Ignore the other runners, I have quickly learnt that the race is only with yourself.

Target time for the marathon?

My target time is between 4:00 – 4:30 hours. I am hopeful that I can reach this target, but just finishing will be a great achievement as well 

What do you eat before / after training?

The night before: Chilli con Carne, pasta, or anything with a good amount of carbs. Before the race: yogurt or oatmeal.

Thoughts on it4ch?

There are more than 240,000 children who are in need of continuing education during their stay at hospitals or long-term sick homes while battling their illnesses. IT4CH helps them keep up with their curriculum and continue their education during a very stressful time in their lives. I am eager to help and make these courageous kids’ lives a little bit easier by supporting IT4CH’s mission.

Any fun or interesting facts?

I have a growing track record of dressing up as large red children’s TV characters’ such as Sesame Street’s Elmo and Po the Teletubbe for fancy dress parties. I enjoy a good laugh and believe that anyone is capable of achieving their goals if they have a solid ‘can do’ attitude.