Whilst some local runners may have hung up their trainers following the recent Bath Half Marathon, Liz Shuttleworth, 37, from Clapton, is still in training, as she prepares to run this year's Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, 13th April.
This is her first marathon, which she is running to raise funds for Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease. Liz chose Coeliac UK because her son, Alf, was diagnosed in 2012, when he was just four-years-old. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Damage to the gut lining occurs when gluten is eaten. There is no cure or medication for the condition, the only treatment is a lifelong, strict gluten-free diet and without this, the disease can lead to other conditions, such as malnutr ition, osteoporosis, small bowel cancer and can cause infertility problems. One in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, however, only 10–15% of those individuals have been diagnosed.
Liz said: "I am running the London Marathon because I want to raise awareness of the condition and am delighted to have a place through Coeliac UK this year. This is my first- ever marathon and training is going well. I have managed to work the extensive schedule around full-time work and two kids! I don't have a time to break, crossing the finish line is my goal."
Liz, who is Head of Geography at Chew Valley School, has been running as a hobby for the past year and has always aspired to run the London Marathon.
"The training over the wettest winter for years has not been easy, but the lighter mornings has made it much more enjoyable," she said, "on the whole, it's been going really well."
Fundraising for the marathon is still taking place, over £1,000 has already been raised with little over a month to go until the big day. Staff and pupils at Chew Valley School have been helping out by having mufti days for the students, with half the proceeds going to Sport Relief and the other to Coeliac UK.
"Coeliac UK were so incredibly helpful to us when Alf was diagnosed. The information they send out and the general support they give is second to none," continued Liz.
Following a strict gluten-free diet for life is the only way to manage coeliac disease and those with the condition often find that they need to visit numerous supermarkets in order to complete their weekly shop. This is something that the Shuttleworths have had to fit into their weekly routines to accommodate Alf's diet.
"It's amazing how much offence is caused when you have to turn down food and it's really hard for Alf, especially with cake – he gets to design all the birthday cakes because he never gets to eat them. Hopefully, by doing this, I can make people more aware of how difficult it is."
To help raise awareness of the condition, Coeliac UK's Awareness Week is taking place from 12th – 18th May and will be focussing on the availability of gluten-free food in stores. Coeliac UK is asking supermarkets to sign up to the 'Gluten-free Guarantee' and agree to stock a core range of eight gluten-free items, so that those with coeliac disease can more easily access gluten-free foods. For more information, please visit http://www.coeliac.org.uk/gfg">www.coeliac.org.uk/gfg
To sponsor Liz, go to: http://www.justgiving.com/Liz-Shuttleworth">www.justgiving.com/Liz-Shuttleworth The page is now live and will continue to accept donations after the marathon.