3:54:58
10116th
Result.

Update, 9pm, 23rd April 2006:
Womble 0-1 Blackburn

Hello everyone

I've been trying to come up with a word to describe today and I do not think I can. Partly this is because I am very weary, but mostly it is because I do not think it's possible to sum up everything that's happened today in just one word. Some of the highlights were:

- The crowd. This is obviously what it feels like to be a professional sportsperson - nearly constant encouragement and support. The only thing that comes close in my experience (and some of yours) is rowing in the First Division on the Cam in a really sunny bumps week and you come round Grassy Corner into a wall of noise - but in this case it just mile after mile of noise. I guess a close race at Henley must be similar.

- The people at the start and the finish - just so nice to all the runners when we were probably all being nervous/exhausted.

- Spotting Chris and Raf in the crowd, and being spotted by Catherine who somehow made herself heard at Cutty Sark, and Jon who cheered me when I really needed it at Tower. Apologies if I didn't see you, or if you didn't see me. Thanks everyone.

- Sarah for cycling around after me to give me water bottles and encouragement, and Jackie & Kieran for sorting out emergency supplies of drink after Sarah couldn't get through the Rotherhithe tunnel.

- Not stopping. I really wanted to, but didn't.

- The fact that in the 25th mile someone was running next to me with the name "Simon" written on his vest, thus meaning that all of a sudden people were shouting my name at me. Very strange, particularly as it took me a while to work out how all these people suddenly knew my name.

- Over-taking Jade Goodey (from Big Brother) (around 2 miles), the two people who were going to stop half way and get married (around 4 miles), Matt Pinsent (who looked very red, around 21 miles).

- Lots of other small things which I won't go into here.

- Not being over-taken by a rhino or a womble (two pre-race fears) - and in fact over-taking a womble at Cutty Sark, along with Tigger (9 miles).

Apparently I was on tv, possibly twice, so if anyone's got the thing videoed then I'd be interested... Thanks.

Your donations add up to over £1000, which is astonishing for something I chose to do for fairly selfish reasons. That's enough to kit out a member of lifeboat crew for an offshore lifeboat. I've also now put a nicer photo on www.justgiving.com/sjb92

Finally I really urge any of you who are vaguely sporty to do this race. It is great (I suppose some training will also help here). If you're not sporty then volunteer because there's a great vibe at the start and finish. Or just come and watch. But if you do enter, then your time to beat is 3:54.58.

PS for statistics lovers - I ran 51 hours, 8 minutes, 25 seconds in training. That's 13 minutes and 3 seconds for every minute I took in the race.

Also, my unofficial position in the race was 10113th; right now my official position is horizontal on the sofa...

Original message: Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.

OK, so many of you are thinking something along the lines of "Simon does a lot of sport, he's quite fit, he should be able to knock out a marathon with no problems." Let me reassure you that this is not the case. First, there's about 90kg of me to get round the 26 miles so I'm not exactly a whippet. Second (and some of the First & Third crews who I rowed with may remember this), my heart rate goes ridiculously high when I run: I find it very hard work. Third, the furthest I've ever run is a half marathon and I couldn't walk down stairs for a week after that.

In essence, this will hurt me - a lot - and I will most definitely be earning your money.

However, some people who do not earn any money for what they do are lifeboat men and women across the UK. The RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - is a charity that provides a 24-hour lifesaving service around the UK and Republic of Ireland. Their volunteer crews give up their time and comfort to carry out rescues in difficult and often dangerous conditions. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboats have saved more than 137,000 lives - in 2004 alone RNLI lifeboats rescued 7,507 people - an average of 21 people per day. RNLI Beach Lifeguards assisted a further 9,041 people.

As well as paying for equipment, money raised will go towards the RNLI's education (of the public) and training (of its volunteers) schemes. I chose to support them because I do a lot of watersports, and while I hope that I will never have to call on their services, it's always reassuring to know that they're there - including a station on the Thames Tideway at Chiswick. I also grew up near to, and once rowed from, Shoreham Harbour and often heard the maroons going up on the nastiest of winter nights when all sensible people would be tucked up indoors...

If you donate, either through the site or when I badger you face-to-face, then you can rest assured that I'll give you the full lowdown on how my training's going, and will also have a little competition to encourage you to come and watch me in London on 23rd April, rather than just sitting at home watching the BBC coverage...

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me. The RNLI will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support.

*** Update, 6 April 2006:

With not very long left until the London Marathon on 23 April, I thought I would give all of my kind sponsors a quick update on how things are going.

First, I've been slightly worried by the number of you using Just Giving who have "sponsored" me rather than "pledging" the money on condition of completion - you are obviously assuming that I'm going to get round the course and not withdraw! Given that since I sent my optimistic e-mail last month asking for sponsorship I have had a heavy cold and suffered pains in my left knee and right calf, that's an assumption which I myself am still not sure that I want to make. Luckily the cold has (more or less) gone and I have found a very good sports masseuse at the gym next to my office who has got rid of all of the niggles in my legs.

Despite all of the above I've managed to do nearly all of my planned training until this week when it's gone horribly wrong. For my birthday I had received a pair of "1000 mile socks" which guarantee no blisters for those 1000 miles. Thus far only rugby socks had stopped me from getting blisters on my feet when running, so these looked intriguing. I had tried them out on a short run and they seemed to work. I then wore them for the 16 mile Kingston Run last Sunday and you can see the results above. The socks will be going back for a refund...

So unfortunately my plan to do one last long run today and then taper for the race has gone out of the window. Instead it's been a week of limping with a short treadmill session scheduled for tomorrow. Oh well!

What this does mean is that the last 5.2 miles of the race will be uncharted territory for me. Apparently they're the most unpleasant bit so I'll be needing your help and support if at all possible. Here's the deal: if you come and watch and take a photo of me.and send it to me in the week after the race, then I'll put your name in a draw. The winner gets double the average amount I have been sponsored (currently about £32) paid by me to a charity of their choice. Multiple entries are allowed with the condition that the photos must be taken at least 5 minutes apart. I'll be running in an RNLI vest and my number is 4813; a map and other details are at http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/spectators/

Everything else is on track - I think I've worked out what to eat before the race and when to drink during it to avoid Radcliffe-esque moments. People wishing to make money out of my misfortune are advised to buy shares in Savlon, addidas and Lucozade, as they're all doing quite nicely out of me right now.

I'm almost looking forward to it!

Hope to see you on the 23rd April.
Best wishes
Simon