Welcome to my marathon for a meal page!!

Yes, despite last year being my very last marathon for a while, somehow here I am again not preparing for the up and coming Brighton marathon on April 14th 2013. True to form my approach has been to demonstrate just how little traning the human body needs to do to complete the event without any serious medical complications excluding the obvoius mental scars that will be with me forever. This year, however, I have been running with an ex elite athelete or sir as he makes us call him (only kidding Adrian!) and he has out of the goodness of his heart dragged myself and fellow trainee, Wendy, through ice bath ponds, mud swamps, gales force siberian winds not to mention a variety of farm yard animal waste produce, which has been a most delightful way to spend 2 hours every Sunday.  In all seriousness, thank you Adrian for the training and navigation (private joke), it is and was very much appreciated!! Spiderpigs rule, another in joke!

This year I am running for the charity in many ways is closest to my heart, Off the Fence. The guys who work at the trust help the most needy in the area from the homeless to the abused, giving all refuge, sustenance, and a shoulder. They are out in all weathers and never shy away from a situation to help someone vunerable.  It is ironic that running and training for the marathon puts me and my fellow runners in direct contact with some of their clients that try and find some respite under the pier or on a bench or in a doorway. They need money to buy food, pay for shelter and counsel the needy, so my £1000 will pay for a 1000 cups of tea or 100 sleeping bags or a counsellor for a month or a stay in a safe house for an abused women.  I understand that we are all skint at the moment, but even £1 (you can text TEAS47 £1 to 70070 anonymously) helps save a life.  

I am keen to smash my target ideally raising closer to £2,000 than £1,000 and have recruited my campaign manager, Evie (my daughter) to help raise the dosh. With this in mind, I am willing, within reason, to do almost anything to raise more money, so if you have an ideas whether run with your company on my shirt, shaved head, whatever it is I will consider as long as it doesn't get me arrested and I can still run. I am also happy to donate my medal to the highest individual donator, whether for you, your child etc...

Wish me luck and please donate whatever you can. We (myself and my daughter) will be tweeting and facebooking and sending updates in the lead up to the race. PLEASE retweet and spread the word so we can raise as much as we can.

Thanks and love

Mark and Evie