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Dear all

As hopefully the photo(s) on my page clearly show, I was not built for running. Look at me in my photo there, look at fatty, greedily tucking into those Vietnamese Spring Rolls!!! The salad there was just a token effort, and I probably didn't end up eating it.

So, whilst it isn't the same as running a full marathon, running a half-marathon for me is something of an achievement. I have been training sporadically for a month or so, though in the last few weeks I have not had much of a chance to practice, meaning this half-marathon for me will be something of a challenge.

THE CAUSE

I am running on behalf of Reprieve, who will be passing on my donation to one of their affiliate organisations - A Fighting Chance. 

As some of you may know (!!!!), I spent just over three months in early 2008 in New Orleans, volunteering with A Fighting Chance. Their role is to provide investigative services and support to those on Death Row in Louisiana, all of whom have received prior woefully inadequate representation, and many of whom either have a history of having been subject to psychological or physical trauma. I also have very strong doubts as to whether those people A Fighting Chance represent would have been found guilty in England, given the strength of the evidence on which their convictions were secured.

So, I intend to run this half-marathon to raise money for A Fighting Chance, where I know not a penny of it will be mis-spent, and I know the people who will be receiving it are all worthy of it, and I know the people who choose how the money is spent are wonderful and inspirational people.

THE EVENT - Saturday 3rd October

I will be running an unofficial half-marathon, in its inaugural year. The "Adam & Teddy Parliament Hill Running Track Half-Marathon" will consist of two runners, who are called Adam and Teddy. The run will take place at Parliament Hill Running Track, the distance will be half-marathon. This means I will be running in a circle 52 times. Given that I risk delirium performing this feat, I believe it makes it all the more courageous. It should be fun.

Running in circles in the middle of one of London's most-picturesque parks also gives you all the opportunity (weather-permitting) to come down, play in the park, grab an ice cream, and maybe watch me waddle round for a few minutes.

Most half-marathons will only let you enter if you are running for a specific cause, and considering that by the time I got round, roughly four weeks' ago, to looking for a September half-marathon, most of them were booked out unless you ran for a specific cause. I had always wanted to run for my friends in New Orleans, and I've therefore decided to perform this (arguably) ridiculous half-marathon.

Despite the bizareness of the event, it is still a half-marathon, and it is still a cause I feel very strongly about. So please dig deep, and give generously.

I leave you now with a small quote from ex Supreme Court Justice Brennar Jr., one of the great reformers of the Supreme Court under Earl Warren's stewardship. 

Perhaps the bleakest fact of all is that the death penalty is imposed not only in a freakish and discriminatory manner, but also in some cases upon defendants who are actually innocent.
--Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., 1994