<p>Some say there are mad dogs and Englishmen. I say there are mad runners of marathons, and I have become one of them! At an age where I should probably be thinking about more sedate hobbies, such as knitting and crochet, I have been lucky enough to gain a place in the London Marathon this year! So while many of you have been enjoying the luxury of duvet days at the weekend, I have been pounding the pavements with a good friend, hoping to stack those miles into our legs ready for this challenge! 26.2 miles, all told, and believe me, the final 0.2 of a mile matters!</p> <p>Are we scared? Yes! Are we up for it? Yes! Are we going to do it? Yes!!</p> <p>Armed with gel paste, jellybeans, lucozade sport and sheer determination, we hope to cross the line at Buckingham Palace and wave at the Queen!</p> <p>So, I would be really grateful if you would sponsor me for such a good cause. Whilst we have been running our 20mile jaunts we have seen so much of the beautiful countryside where we live but would not be able to appreciate this without the sounds that go with it - the warble of the birds in the trees, the barking dogs, children playing in the park and even the screech of the breaks of the impatient car drivers annoyed by runners on the road! It is hard to imagine a world without sound. So please help me to raise money for those who cannot hear the roar of the modern world.</p> <p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> <p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>