You’ve probably never heard of me, but I’m hoping to change that. So here goes …

Howdy, I’m Nikki Love, 50-year-old average runner with an above-average level of grit/determination/crazy … all the necessary traits that will help me to:

Run 63 marathons in 63 days and in the process become a world record holder (most consecutive marathons by a woman) and promote my ‘CHASING EXTRAORDINARY – Think Big, Then Do’ way of life.

I’m writing this from the headquarters of Nikki Love Crazy-Assed Adventures with my crack team of adventure supporters surrounding me … okay, I’m sitting in my lounge, on my lap top with my pooch lying next to me, looking up and wondering why the hell we’re not outside running about.

Me and the pooch have hatched a plan …

On August 27th, 2017, I’ll be starting my little jolly jog through Britain which will take me from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back to Leicester with a little bit of coast to coast zig-zagging along the way.

• 63 days
• 63 marathons
• 63 different locations
• 63 opportunities to meet and run with people

WHY? I hear you asking.

First, a little background story if I may …

A little while back – well 7 years actually – I decided that I wanted to do something BIG and the idea that ran through my head was to run multiple marathons in a row.

I’d read books about other people taking on challenges, chasing their dream goals, running adventures and I wanted to be THAT person.

That person who encouraged and inspired people like me to dream big. That person who showed people like me that nothing was impossible.

My marathon experience, up until that point, included a failed first attempt (I gave up at mile 19), followed 6 months later by a 4:59:38 London marathon finish and then a couple years later a 4:39 London marathon finish.

Pretty average results really. I am an average runner.

I can honestly say that after each of those runs I did not wake up the next day and think … yep, I’ll go do that again … but when I got my 3^rd entry into the London marathon in 2010, something inside of said ‘come on kiddo … let’s do something beyond your ‘average’ status, let’s do something extraordinary’.

And so, I set a goal ‘to run 30 marathons in 30 days’.

As I trained and started telling people about it, I was constantly asked – HOW?

• How would I look after my 9-year-old child?
• How would I look after my business?
• How would a 43-year-old woman do something like that?

I wasn’t sure of the HOW’s but I knew my WHY’s.

• I wanted to know that I could deal with the HOW’s.
• I wanted to see WHAT I was capable of.
• I wanted to BELIEVE in me.

I did, however, downgrade my goal from 30 days to 7 days.  Turns out that was a pretty good call at the time. I learned a lot during those 7 days.

• I learned that I could deal with obstacles.
• I learned that I could raise a lot of money for charity.
• I learned that I could do anything I put my mind too.

Most importantly, I learned that I didn’t need to listen to negative people and that what I was doing, DID impact and inspire a lot of people.

I had people come join me and run distances that they never knew they were capable of.

And on Day 5, I ran to 6 primary schools and got the kids to join me for a little run about … hearing them squeal and laugh and say that they LOVED running brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

THING IS …

I came across this saying which really touched a nerve …

‘Don’t downgrade your dream to match your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny.’

In 2010, I did downgrade my dream, but not this time …

I am now 50 years old and I am going for it.

I am going to chase the world record of most consecutive marathons by a woman and run 63 marathons in 63 days.

The current record is 60.

So, to answer the question of WHY?

I don’t want to reach the age of 70 and say ‘I wish I had’.

I am going to hit that milestone and say:

• I’m proud that I did
• I’m proud that I followed my dreams
• I’m proud that I believed in myself
• I’m proud that I encouraged and inspired others to chase their own extraordinary.

My goal is to encourage and inspire others to Think BIG, Then DO, by showing the way and sharing my experience.

THE PITCH FOR SUPPORT

Whilst I have the drive/determination/crazy in hand, your investment into this world record attempt will help me with some of the more practical necessities.

And on that note, I’ll leave you with another of my favourite quotes …

IF YOU RISK NOTHING, YOU GAIN NOTHING