<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p><!--StartFragment--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Having a family history of hypertension, I have long been aware of the perils of being unaware of ones numbers and at 49 when I was diagnosed as being mildly hypertensive I decided to investigate how I could best bring down my blood pressure before it required medication. I had always enjoyed fitness, and decided to change emphasis to aerobic fitness to counteract my raised blood pressure. This coincided with a ballot place for the London Marathon and it seemed natural to use it help the Blood Pressure Association and help raise awareness of the silent killer. I&rsquo;ve surprised myself in enjoying the training and challenging myself to run further, faster and more frequently whilst reducing my blood pressure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">5 months of training, covering covering 800 km, nursing 2 injuries in the cold and dark all culminated in 3 hours 56 minutes of glorious sunshine and personal achievement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Know your numbers and help me to help others know theirs, thanks in advance - Mark</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>