Rita - a jelly baby provider who makes the Brathay10in10 the wonderful challenge it is

‘Into the streets, we're coming down
We never sleep, Never get tired
Through urban fields, and suburban life

Turn the crowd up now, We'll never back down
Shoot down a skyline, watch it in primetime
Turn up the love now, listen up now, turn up the love

Who's gonna save the world tonight?
Who's gonna bring you back to life?
We're gonna make it, you and I
We're gonna Save The World tonight’(Swedish House Mafia – Save the World tonight – dedicated to Shavaun Glen)

DAY seven of the Brathay10in10 challenge has gone better than I ever expected. Despite waking up to the bleak sight of Adrian Shandley smiling at me like a demonic cat in search of cream, and feeling as if I had been run over  by a number 9 bus, I ran pretty well.

Although I will never be more than a third-rate Matt Dunn or a fourth- rate Sally Ford (both are ace 10in10ers) I trundled along in a half decent time of 4.35. Amazingly (maybe the clocks had gone back) it was my quickest time so far. It’s incredible what the body can do when taped up expertly by the team at BodyRehab and gently massaged into a state of utopia.

Today’s run was not quite like the other seven – and it was the worse for it. Each day, until today, mile 8 has been one of the highlights of the whole 26.2 mile journey around Windermere. Why? Because there to greet you is Rita Samson, mother of Aly Knowles who has so marvellously organised this event with her loving (and down to earth husband) Mac.

Rita hands out the best jelly babies in the land – they are the best because they are from Wales. And her mere presence provides us all with a lift, especially after the ardour of climbing the hill that dominates mile 7. If you are really polite, she even lets you kiss her although you don’t take liberties with a woman from Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley.

Today, Rita was not there because she had much more important matters on her mind – she wanted to take time out and think of her late husband Bernard who died late last year. You see, it would have been their 54^th wedding anniversary and they were very much in love until Bernard suffered a fatal heart attack. Sometimes life is so bloody cruel.

Bernard, I am sure, would be proud of Rita standing out in the rain, hail and sun handing out jelly babies to 18 deranged runners. I also am sure he would be mighty proud of daughter Aly who is one of life’s givers. Nothing is too much trouble for this spicy woman – whether it’s providing pass codes to get into our sleeping quarters at 11.50 at night (sorry Aly) or hunting down lost mobiles.

And of course, Rita will be back tomorrow with a smile on her face and Welsh jelly babies aplenty. Bless you Rita. You make the Brathay 10in10 the special event it is.

Love to all. If you fancy donating some of your hard earned pay to Brathay feel free to do so via www.justgiving.com/jeff-prestridge.

If you want to catch up on events, visit www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10.

And if you want to send me a tweet, I will always take them – night or day (I will be awake come what may). www.twitter.com/jeffprestridge

God bless.