Story
<p><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"> </span></p>
<p style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; line-height: 19px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; color: #333333;">On New Year's Day 2011 I made one of my silliest resolutions yet - to run the Picnic Marathon. </span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333;">It's 26.2 miles going up and down 6000 feet, the equivalent of 2 Scottish munros (or 858 flights of Acton council estate stairs) According to the website it's "easily the hardest marathon in Britain" (http://www.trionium.com/picnic/)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;">The question you may be asking, the one I ask myself on every training run, is why? Well, this year I'm running for another charity very close to my heart, <a title="EACS" href="http://www.eacs.org.uk/" target="_blank">EACS</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;">Ealing Abbey Counselling Service offer counselling and psychotherapy at a really affordable rate. A couple of years ago I found myself in need of counselling but couldn't afford normal rates. Eventually I was pointed in the direction of EACS and they were fantastic. I was with them for a year and would never have been able to afford that amount of counselling elsewhere. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="color: #333333;">I don't know of anywhere else that offers a service like this, so I feel very lucky they were in my area. They can only continue by operating as a charity and so rely on volunteers and donations. I can't stress how important ECAS was for me and they continue to help so many other people in need. </span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333;">Please dig deep - either to help a wonderful charity or to give me motivation round the 26.2 miles up and down hills!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;">Thank you so much for anything you can give!</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;">Rich.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333;">PS - If anyone wants to come and watch I'd love to see some encouraging faces on the day! It's at Boxhill in Surrey and, weather permitting, is a lovely day out in the countryside. Please email me and I'll let you know the details.</span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333;">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.</span></p>