I have never run a full marathon before, and I'm frankly terrified!

Many of you will know me, not as a runner, but as a road cyclist. Many of you may have supported me on cycling challenges such as Land's End to John O'Groats or cycling to London from Cannes in Southern France.

But as it happens, I have occasionally strayed into running, and have actually completed two half  marathons in my past (Greenwich - 2013 & Berlin - 2019).

At the end of those events I mused over what it would feel like to be told that I had just finished Lap 1 and now needed to do it all again.  At the time, those thoughts put me off ever considering the full 26 miles. Unfortunately, those sort of memories fade, and I have crazily decided that, before I get any older, I must complete a full marathon. 

The Covid pandemic pushing the London Marathon back to October created the perfect reason for 2022 being the year (who really wants to train in January and February for the normal April slot???)

My thoughts then turned to who I would run for. 

I have been blessed with a role in the UK music industry for the past 11 years, and in all of those years I have had the privilege of attending at least one fundraising event for Nordoff Robbins, the music therapy charity. If you are not from the music industry, you may never have heard of Nordoff Robbins. They are the most amazing charity that can routinely bring an entire room to tears when they talk of the life changing work they do, day in and day out. 

Through the power of music therapy, Nordoff Robbins enrich the lives of people with life-limiting illness, disabilities or feelings of isolation. 

As they say on their website (https://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/):

We can all relate to the way music moves us – it can lift our mood, it can calm us, it can motivate us and comfort us. But in the hands of expertly trained therapists, music can bring added benefits, breaking through where words can’t:

• When you hear your 5-yr-old child, who’s severely autistic, speak for the first time.
• When you see a familiar light in the eyes of your mother, who’s been isolated by dementia.
• When your son, whose life has been devastated by a road accident, moves to the rhythm of a song he loves.
• When a loved one, who’s dealing with severe depression, experiences moments of peace and genuine joy.

By supporting me during my few hours of pain and suffering, you will be helping Nordoff Robbins to continue doing the amazing work they do.