I'll tell you. From the Greek village where it all started, Marathon to the Panathanaikon Stadium of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, this Sunday 8th I'll be running 26.2 miles for the first time ever! This has of course been a venture entirely of my own choosing, and the delights of exploring the previously unknown hills and clifftops of Sussex have much outweighed the heavy legs... we have some beautiful spots practically on our doorstep, and several times I've had huge groups of butterflies form clouds around me as I run, like some kind of Disney movie!
However, a few things I will not miss when I stop training include:
* Lycra, sodium bicarbonate, plasters and having to pay any attention to my own nipples in general
* Newhaven. I mean, i'm sure its OK, but I'd never found a reason to go there before...
* Spending up to 20 miles driving myself slowly potty with the same chorus of the same song and coming up with random puns such as "when it comes to keeping myself hydrated for a marathon, i take any advice with a pinch of salt"... actually, who am I kidding, these particular personal afflictions will probably continue as strong as ever, running or not :)
As I probably wont be doing anything quite as hardcore for a little while after this, a few people have reminded me that it might be nice to try and raise some money for charity - if you would like to sponsor me for the race, I've chosen a charity very close to my heart, the Amani Childrens Home in Moshi, Tanzania. I went travelling here last year with my friends Mark and Lucy, and we
spent a week volunteering at the home cooking meals, helping staff and having a whale of a time playing games with the children at the home in between their lessons (see photos!)
With the number of children living on the streets of Tanzania having grown rapidly due to the effects of poverty, HIV/AIDS, breakdown of the family, and other factors, Amani started as a two-bedroom house which opened its
doors in 2001 to six children who had nowhere else to go. Thanks to continued fundraising efforts, it currently provides for nearly 100 children, as well as social workers on the street and family rehabilitation services to reunite children with relatives wherever possible. Their mission statement is as follows:
Amani Children’s Home is committed to reducing the number of children living on the streets in Tanzania by providing a nurturing place for homeless children to heal, grow, and learn. In addition to providing long-term care, Amani aims to reunite children with their relatives when possible and to equip their families with the tools they need to be self-sustainable. Amani is dedicated to creating a path for each child that leads to a future filled with hope.
More details about the brilliant work they do here can be found at http://amanikids.org/.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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Thank you very much for stopping by and checking this out - I look forward to seeing you all soon when we get back from this jaunt on the 19th!
Joe
