Flora London Marathon

This Sunday I will be running the Flora London Marathon. I was fortunate enough to get my own place through the ballot but, given this is my first marathon, I am still hoping to raise £1000 for charity. Every pound donated will benefit Macmillan Cancer Relief, an excellent cause whose work aided my Grandma in the final months of her life. I realise that a lot of people have probably asked for sponsorship recently, but the more people that ask, the more work that all the worthy charities can carry out. Any donation you can make will be greatly appreciated and will help Macmillan lessen the challenge that UK cancer patients face each day.

Macmillan Cancer Relief helps people who are living with cancer. In the UK, over a million people are living with cancer and one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. As well as taking action today to support people with cancer, Macmillan is shaping the future of cancer care. Their increasing range of services is funded entirely through the generosity of their supporters. These services include Macmillan nurses and doctors, cancer care centres, a range of cancer information and even direct financial help for those who need it most. It is extremely likely that, at some point, one of these services will benefit someone close to you.

Although it is something I've wanted to do for a while, running 26.2 miles really does take over your life for nearly half a year. Before starting a structured 18 week training schedule I did various forms of exercise to get a reasonable base level of fitness. I read a couple of marathon books, bought some decent trainers and then set out on my challenge. My initial goal was to complete the marathon in under four hours. This is still my goal, but hopefully I will be able to surprise myself with an even quicker time. I have kept a training diary over the last five months to give people an idea of how much preparation is required. Hopefully it will make for an entertaining read, there's more detail towards the end when the runs became more interesting. Maybe it will inspire you to run a marathon sometime soon! It certainly can be done, the first major run I did since childhood was a 10k in June 2004.

It would be really great if you would like to come along and support me somewhere along the route. The more familiar faces I see, the easier it will be. I'll email out full spectator details to those that are interested on Friday night. It would also be fun if you emailed me a predicted finishing time, I shall arrange a prize for the sponsor with the closest guess.

Remember, the easiest way to pledge money is through secure online sponsorship. The main advantage is the simplified collection process and including required details for Gift Aid. If you are a UK taxpayer, for every £1 given, Macmillan will receive an extra 28p from the tax man. This is because the Government doesn't want you to pay tax on money you give to charity, so it can be claimed back through the Gift Aid scheme. This extra money won't contribute towards my target, but it will certainly contribute to many other peoples' lives!