Dear Visitors to my page,

I'm doing the London Marathon!

I must say that if you had said to me 'early morning runs' last year, I would have replied, 'immodium?'

'Early morning runs' now takes on an entirely different meaning for me, one which whilst thoroughly daunting and even horrifying at certain times of the day (ie 5.45am) is at the same time exciting. It's going to be hard, but I'm reliably told that as long as I wear the anti-chafing tights I'll be fine.

Why PHAB? Here are two separate experiences/insights which have motivated me:

My daughter Tess, now aged 4,  was born with a condition called Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome and as a result  the whole family went through many a worrying time before she had successful corrective surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital when she was around 1 year old. The aim of the operation was to release her tethered spinal cord and thereby encourage it to grow normally. She has since been signed off by the neurosurgeon and we all feel very grateful for this.

My cousin Debbie, who is the same age as me suffers from Spina Bifida. We spent a lot of time together as children and I was witness to the restrictions this placed on her. Although I must say as a child it didn't stop her from joining in all of the activities we did as kids and it definitely hasn't prevented her from leading a thoroughly normal and fulfilling life as an adult.

These were my reasons for wanting to run the marathon for PHAB.

If you would like to track my progress check out my blog : http://ianwilliams4phab.blogspot.com/

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Phab gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

Thank you!

Ian