<p>Next year I'm hitting the big 30 - although you probably wouldn't believe it to look at me - and in typical "slightly earlier than midlife crisis" style I've decided to cram as many BIG things into my life as I possibly can.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm getting married to Alison at the end of May.<br />We're in the process of buying a house.<br />I've decided to run the London Marathon...<strong>barefoot</strong>. &nbsp;Yes, barefoot - I'll be running in a pair of "shoes" which are little more than 3mm of rubber just to prevent getting glass in my feet.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So why am I putting myself through 26.2 miles of torture? &nbsp;Just to prove to myself that I can do this? &nbsp;Well not entirely...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm deeply passionate about doing my part in helping to eradicate some of the "stupid poverty" that we see around the world. &nbsp;You know the kind I mean, the kind that results in <strong>5000 children dying every day</strong> because they <strong>don't have access to safe drinking water, or a decent toilet</strong>, the kind that means that people living with HIV can't get access to life-giving medication and treatment on account of costs when we get them free of charge or the kind where <strong>people are bought and sold as commodities</strong> and face a life of slavery simply because they have no other choice.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>My friends I truly believe that these situations do NOT need to take place. &nbsp;These are justice issues, situations which make a mockery of our ideas of equality and I'm asking you to help<strong> change</strong> these <strong>situations</strong>, change <strong>people's lives</strong> and start to change <strong>the world</strong>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm running for <a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/what_we_do/index.html?intcmp=hp_column-2_whatwedo_280111" target="_blank">OXFAM</a> and I'm asking you to please be as generous as you can be. &nbsp;I KNOW that here in the UK times are not easy financially, but there are so many people in this world who have far less and <strong>any contribution will go a VERY LONG way</strong>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Anyways thanks for reading and I thank you in advance for your&nbsp;generosity.</p>