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Hello and Happy New Year.  Resolution anyone.......?

Mine as you're asking, is to attempt the 2010 London Marathon. But I need HELP.

FOUR (!?!?!?) pairs of trainers in and it is getting tougher, not to mention colder, and the Christmas turkey hasn't helped one bit. So it is time I'm afraid, to call on some moral support to keep motivation up through the 'Big Freeze' and the mounting aches 'n pains. 

My charity is Hearing Dogs For The Deaf. Now, I had never heard of them, so I don't expect many others to have, but think Guide Dogs, which I'm sure you will agree are UTTERLY AMAZING, and your pretty much there. Hearing Dogs For The Deaf train mostly rescue dogs to live with the deaf and the hard of hearing and help them through their day to day life, alerting them to important sounds and situations and making their life less stressful.  

Love them or hate them there is no denying dogs are absolutely amazing when it comes to helping, bettering, enabling and even saving our lives. Don't get me wrong I don't preach about it from my car window and I have a dog of my own who I would rather not rely on if push came to shove (!!!!!) , but if you think about how and where we rely on well trained dogs and their brilliant trainers, it is quite an eye opener;

Guide Dogs, Police Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Dogs for the disabled, Military Service Dogs on the front line in Afganistan, dogs are now being trained and used in hospitals to help relax, re habilitate, and even cure illness, they are even being trained to sniff out cancer at a much earlier stage than we can can detect it. They change lives and they save lives around the world. They really are astonishing.

So please spare a little thought and a donation of any size, for the work of the dogs and their trainers who make the lives of so many bearable, enjoyable, and most importantly safe. 

Thank You.

Nick      

PS - Have a look at my photos taken around the Oxfordshire countryside whilst out running. I will change them regularly to document the journey and the weather (!) so keep your eyes peeled, there may be some interesting ones!

If you want any I can have them mounted on canvas of any size all proceeds to the charity of course. Price on application limited editions only!