And so it was done - The Bob had entered the London Marathon (much to Linda's horror & though she won't admit it, admiration!)

Hush that laugh my good man, I say hush that laugh because The Bob is going to do it - & raise some money for Kidney Research along the way (a cause that is very personal given the immediate impact this has had on someone very dear to me & so my motivation will be sky-high.) It's estimated that kidney failure & disease affects up to 10% of the population & around 13,000 die each year in the UK alone & so your money will be going to a very good cause.

This page is the easiest & most secure way to sponsor me, meaning all monies donated go straight to where they're needed. And, if you are a UK taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box will mean an extra 28% in tax breaks will be able to be claimed on top of your sponsorship at no added cost to you.

So The Bob's gonna put away the pizza & the pies, give-up the Guinness & say sayonara to the saveloys (not that you can find them in the UK, but you know what I mean). A strict exercise regime will be developed (and more importantly, mostly stuck to), & along with my training partner, the now experienced marathoner Ms Susanne Dansey (back for another year, well done Suze!), we'll be hitting the roads, paths & tracks of the UK to prepare for the big day on Sunday, April 22nd.

So, please dig deep & help out with this worthy cause (and, through your kind donation, provide the kind of guilt that only money can buy, meaning that there's no way I'll be able to pull out if I have all your sponsorship dollars resting on the outcome.)

Check here for regular updates (or to see if I've died during one of my many training sessions) & thanks in advance to all my family, friends & colleagues for your support.

The Bob