Doubting Thomas (dou'ting) n. a term that is used to describe someone who will refuse to believe something without direct, physical, personal evidence; a skeptic. Origin fr. Biblical account of Thomas the Apostle, who doubted the resurrection of Jesus and demanded to feel Jesus' wounds before being convinced (John 20:24-29), after seeing Jesus alive and being offered the opportunity to touch his wounds - Thomas professed his faith in Jesus; on this account he is also called Thomas the Believer. "Lawson, run 26 miles, pah!" "It's not the distance that will finish him off, it's the not drinking for 3 months!" "He's never finished anything in his life, but a marathon, not on your bloody nellie!" Not the words of my enemies ladies and gentlemen, but my family, so lord only knows what the rest of them are muttering in the aisles! Am i currently classed as overweight in medical terms? Yes. Am I currently soaring high above the clouds of recommended weekly alcohol unit allowance? I forget... Am I going to cross the finish line on April 26th? You bet my poo-filled pants I will!! (that's something us runners have to contend with, I am not being grotesque, ask radcliffe) And I challenge you doubting Thomas' to come to the finish line and eat my 'direct, physical, personal evidence! (by that I mean look at my blisters, not actually eat them) And I also challenge you to put your money where your doubt is, because when I hit that wall (mental and physicall blockage, not like, run into the London Bridge) with 10 miles still to run, apart from an ice cold beer at the hotel, the only thing dragging me on will be the thought of making a difference for children who are not as fortunate as I am, who aren't in a position to decide whether or not they want to take on a marathon, because running is not an option for them, so please dig as deep as you can, it will mean more to me and the children of the whizz kids charity than you can imagine. If you're Thomas the doubter, then donate in the name of a sneaky bet with yourself that I won't finish! If you're Thomas the Believer, donate in the knowledge that I will finish, be sure, and myself, my stinky trainers and potentially (but hopefully not!) my poo-filled pants will all do you proud! Details of the charity are below. Please give generously. See you at the Finish Line! Simon. INFO: Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Whizz-Kidz 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.