UPDATE: I am inspired and amazed by the generosity shown by everyone – we’ve broken through the revised target already, and there are still 2 weeks before the event. Thank you so much. Targets are however there to be beaten, so to those still pondering support, please don’t be put off. PAH is an extremely worthy cause indeed. Thanks again, Jonathan

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26.2 miles around London – it can’t be that difficult, right?? So went the conversation in the summer of 2023, and it seemed like a good idea in August. Training started whilst on holiday in France, and it wasn’t really a hardship to walk/run/walk around the Burgundy region.

Fast forward to April and with the long 21 mile training run now under my belt, it has all got rather real. My legs know their own way to, from and around Bushy Park, the sight of vineyards is a distant memory and there has been a whirlwind learning curve of energy gels, anti-chafe running clothing (who knew?!?) and Compeed products. It therefore seems the right time to go public and think about using the event to raise some important sponsorship.

As many of you know, I’ve recently lost both Mum and Dad to cancer. During that difficult journey, two particular things became apparent:

- Local hospice facilities are an imperative part of the care regime

- You should never get ill at a weekend

Whilst on one hand it is humorous, the second point is a problem encountered time and again; critical support out of hours and at weekends is frequently lacking. This was demonstrated numerous times with Mum and Dad, and more recently when I attempted to access palliative care on behalf of my elderly neighbour late on a Friday afternoon. Aged 96, he sadly passed away on the Sunday and whilst care was ultimately forthcoming, he did not receive the immediate support he really needed.

To that end, any support from this fundraising activity will go Princess Alice Hospice and they have welcomed it being specifically directed towards their education discipline to help them be better prepared to respond to requests for out of hours and weekend assistance. Princess Alice provide such a vital service in my local area, and I have sadly known too many people in recent years (both young and not so young) who have needed their services. They provide the most amazing support to patients and families at the most difficult of times.

Please dig deep and give what you can; any amount is very much appreciated. I reached 75% of my initial target within 3 hours of going live; I clearly have hugely generous friends, and I’m incredibly grateful. I’ve lifted the target; let’s see if we can break through the revised number. Knowing we’ve done that will give me huge motivation when I’m hitting the wall somewhere in central London!

Lastly, there are many who have supported me to get to this point, but I should mention three people without whom this would never be possible:

- My first PT, Lucy, for starting me off on the running malarky and helping me get into shape for ParkRun back in 2015

- Chris Legg, runner and IronMan extraordinaire who will run with me and be responsible for pacing (aka not letting me go mad in the first 3 miles!). As you can see, he's somewhat taller than me, and he takes 1 step for my every 2...

- My current PT, Kirsty, who has trained, coached, motivated, inspired and frequently cajoled me to get to this point. Her support and commitment to keeping me sane over the last 2.5 years has been nothing short of remarkable, and without her I wouldn’t even be contemplating the start line on 21 April. As well as being an “in-person” PT, Kirsty also runs online training focussing on health for women. Those who might be interested can find more at www.strengthandbloom.com.

Thank you all very much for your support.

Jonathan

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.