Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm going to be running in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon soon, on the 19th February 2010. I'm really just an "early morning constitutional" plodder, so despite my advancing years its only my second attempt at this distance. The first one was a pretty brutal affair a couple of years ago without enough water or sugar in the Abu Dhabi heat - I prefer not to recall that too often...anyhow the website for this much better race is here: http://www.rakmarathon.org/

Those of you familiar with my (far too much) Biriyani, Beer, and Television lifestyle may find this decision somewhat surprising and then, perhaps, mildly alarming.

But fear not, its in a good cause: I'm hoping to raise a few pounds for charity. My charity is the hospice in Reading where my friend Sam passed away in July 2009, after a very brave fight with brain cancer. I was impressed by the way they took care of him in his final months, offering everything from a meal and a glass of wine to full time medical care.

OK, OK - it was the fact that they served free wine (in moderation I'm sure) to the patients that really impressed me, because I just know that those little extras can not be coming out of some tight-fisted government budget. So, although I'm not sure what sort of food and wine they serve, I like to think of this as an opportunity to belatedly buy Sam a pint, and maybe a nice meal for someone who finds themselves in the same unfortunate predicament.

Any donations, no matter how small, are greatly appreciated. If you have any difficulties getting the page to work then let me know and we'll sort something out via the offline donations.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Duchess of Kent House and make sure any Gift Aid is reclaimed on donations by UK taxpayers. They also promise not to ever sell on your details or send you unwanted emails

Cheers

Dorian