Story
<p><strong>Post race update:</strong> (weather etc, see <a href="http://www.bathhalf.co.uk">www.bathhalf.co.uk</a>)</p>
<p>Yes, I survived; official chip time 2:43:30 <strong> :)</strong></p>
<p>Big shout "<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>THANK-YOU"</strong></span> to Team Macmillan people, to all those who ran (and walked) with me, and the great hospitality crew, marshalls, first-aiders etc. And to all you wonderful sponsors and run-buddies!</p>
<p>Who expected sunburn in March??</p>
<p>BTW, you can still add a sponsorship online, by phone, or in person, until the end of March. (details below) Thanks.</p>
<p>==================================================</p>
<p>"Me, run?? You've got to be kidding!"</p>
<p>I'm not kidding. I'm running for <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Macmillan, </strong><span style="color: #000000;">and getting serious about it </span></span>because cancer is no joke. <span style="color: #008000;"><span style="color: #000000;">One in three of us will get cancer. Two million of us are living with it. And it’s probably the toughest thing most of us will ever face. But nobody should have to face it alone. <strong><span style="color: #008000;">Macmillan</span></strong> are there for all of us affected by cancer: patients, friends, family, colleagues, all of us... and they need our support.</span></span></p>
<p>So, I'm here to make a difference. I'm running in Bath on March 11th, stepping up to a half marathon no less, to do my bit - raising money that will help provide a specialist <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Macmillan</strong></span> nurse who can deal with side effects, who understands, who will listen and support and walk alongside through the nightmare; money that will help to fund a <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Macmillan</strong></span> Benefits adviser, because it's a less well-known side effect of cancer that it often screws your finances. <strong><span style="color: #008000;">Macmillan</span></strong> also have a super website and online community where there's help in the wee small hours when your friends are asleep, the ones who said, "Oh, you can call me any time", but no, they didn't<em> really</em> mean 4am, <em>yet again</em>. <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Macmillan</strong></span> are there online with facts and friendship round the clock, and they don't charge a penny. Anything I raise will help keep that essential service live. And did I mention the specialist phone advisers who are available to inform and empathise, Monday to Friday 9am-8pm, all for free? When you are affected by cancer, as I have been, <span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Macmillan</strong></span> are there with you, every step of the way.</p>
<p>Somehow, 13 miles doesn't seem so far now, with friends around...</p>
<p>So what I would like, please pretty please, is two things: <span style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>running partners in North Bristol</strong></span> and <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>financial partners</strong></span>. A half marathon, you know that's 13 miles - and a bit - it's a long way, and training has re-started (yet again), and while I don't for one minute expect to run all of it, you never know. I do hope to finish before they re-open the roads, cos my oncologist went to a lot of trouble to keep me alive, so I don't want to get run over. Anyone prepared to help me run and survive it will be very welcome. Your donations will really encourage me too, as well as helping in the fight against cancer, and that's where the sponsorship comes in. Once there's money on the table, I can't really bottle out. Please support <strong><span style="color: #008000;">Macmillan</span></strong> with me. <strong><span style="color: #008000;">THANK YOU.</span></strong></p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p><strong>New: Textgiving</strong>: You can give as little as £1 and write your support here by text: Send this message to 70070: <strong>"<span style="color: #008000;">BSTH61 £1</span>" ... or <span style="color: #008000;">£2</span>, <span style="color: #008000;">£3</span>, <span style="color: #008000;">£5</span> or even <span style="color: #008000;">£10</span> :) <span style="color: #ff9900;"><em>*note changed code*</em></span></strong></p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>"I thought we did all that back in 2010?"</p>
<p>2010 was my first Run since bunking off cross-country at school, and I foolishly went straight in at 10k with a team from church called Love Running. I can't honestly say I loved it. But then 2010 was tough all round, what with cancer and all that, and I don't recommend running with surgical drains. It still beats being flooded out in Pakistan or being an orphan in Zimbabwe, and it was good to be able to help in those situations despite my own troubles. 2011 was mostly a better year (with a few spectacular exceptions) and I ended up running, yes that's actually running this time, the 10k in Manchester. Flushed with success however, the foolish gene struck again and now I seem to have signed up for the Bath Half... so please make it worth the effort and sponsor me. Your donation makes a difference!</p>
<p><span style="color: #635edd;"><em>Thanks for reading this JustGiving page Please forward it to anyone you like, and do email me any suggested page-improvements or running tips.</em></span></p>
<p><em><span style="color: #99cc00;"><standard blurb:> 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 <span style="color: #339966;"><strong>Macmillan</strong></span>, not to my holiday fund, and they will 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 guys at <strong><span style="color: #339966;">Macmillan</span></strong>. </s.b></span></em></p>
<p><strong>So please be generous, please sponsor me for the Bath Half and help <span style="color: #339966;">Macmillan</span> make the bad days a little bit better. Thank you :)</strong></p>