Hello there and thanks for visiting.

If you hadn't realised by now, I am running The London Marathon 2008 on April 13th. This is big ... very big.

I am doing this to raise money for Spinal Research which you can read about to your left, or by visiting www.spinal-research.org for more information.

My training schedule is hectic. I will be out running all over winter, slowly building myself up for the frankly scary distance of 26.2 miles.

I need to raise £1500 for the charity and this is where you come in! The company I work for has kindly agreed to match pound for pound - but there's still some way to go!

Anything you can give will be fantastic and remember effectively been doubled already!

You can email me on spencer.steel@gmail.com if you have questions about my run, or just want to say Hello!

Thanking you in advanced ... and I hope to see you all there in April. (Please being medical supplies)

*** update 29.02.08

My training has been marred by bad back injuries in the last month. I'm attending (painful) physiotherapy once a week and been put on some horrible anti-inflammatory pills - but I'm hanging in there. I have completed the 17 mile training run, the next big one is a 20 miler ... each sponsor means so much right now and without your support I probably would have given up after I put my back out the 2nd time ! Thanks so much - SS

*** update 17.03.08

Fantastic donations so far - thank you all! Managed to injure myself *again* about 3 weeks ago and missed another full week training but things are looking up as I write this. Managed a 22 mile 'jog/walk' last Sunday and yesterday managed a timed 20 mile run in 3:03. Still only able to run on 75% of what I think i'm capable of, but am just grateful to still be in it. One more week of 'hard training' to go, then the taper phase starts ... starting to get excited !

** update 31.03.08

Wow - that was a *horrible* two weeks ... the day after posting the above, something got 'pulled' again in my back area again. That spread out over the course of the next three or four days and left me in a very bad state for my last 'long run'. I had to pull up after 11 miles as the pain was too much. Another frustrating week followed, with me thinking that perhaps I wasn't going to make it to the Marathon starting line .... However - yesterday I managed a 16.5 mile run which was painful in places, but a bit better - and things seem to be healing again... That's it for the training now ... for the next two weeks it's just 'taper' and rest - the only issue remains that I don't 'pull' my back again between now and then. History has taught me that it can go at any time ... so, keep everything crossed for me that the next two weeks are full of healing and recovery. If I get the timing right, I am confident I will finish ... somehow. If however, I get injured again any time after next week, I am in big, big trouble ....

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Thanks so much for the huge donations ... remember that my company is going to double all of this !


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update 9/4/8

With a few days to go, I'm in a very bad way - it's looking very unlikely that I will be able to run, but I'm praying for a miracle. If I can't then I will be automatically entered next year ... but it's obviously going to be a crushing blow.

I'll make a final decision on Friday, before the registration.

Sorry :(

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update 10/4/8

Well, I've decided to run anyhow ... it's going to be a jog/walk ... or even a walk ... but I've put in too much to not have a go. I'm sure it will be an experience ! A long and painful experience ... but dammit! I want that medal

S.S.