You can also donate via text by texting SLOW95 £3 to 70070. (You can donate £1 - £5 or £10 via text)

"So, how will you celebrate 10 years of the work of Lifespace with young people?" someone asked me.

The response was out my mouth before my brain had vetted it: "How about 10 marathons in 10 days to raise £10,000?" Oooh, the numerical symmetry was just sumptuous. It just...flowed.

I started training. Sleeping in running kit. Scoffing cake. Up at 6.00am for runs of 2 hours, on consecutive days, in the cold blusters of winter. Then things went wrong. As in, EVERYTHING went wrong. A twisted knee. A cracked bone in my foot. I ripped up plan A. Then plan B. Then plan W. I hoped to run 200 miles in March...I managed 24. Not due to lack of desire, but the onslaught of injuries that.

So - I decided to resize the challenge: 3 marathons in 3 days.

Deflated? Yes, but not defeated.

Gutted? Yes, but I've not given up. "Life is full of setbacks" says ultra-runner Dean Karnazes, "living is overcoming them."

I'm not super human. I can't put up shelves straight, plait my daughter's hair or find my way out of car parks on the first attempt. But I know the team of mentors at Lifespace Trust, many of whom are volunteers, and who do incredible work with young people facing disadvantage and difficulty. Since 2004, Lifespace has helped over 1,000 young people individually. That's over 1,000 stories of not giving up.

Mentoring helps reduce the distress young people feel, build their resilience and inspire possibility. This is such a talented and beautiful generation, they deserve to be listened to and reminded to not give up.

Basically, they are worth running a silly pile of miles for.

The NEW plan? Fri 24th - Sun 26th April.

I will start in Stratford on Avon on Friday 24th April and run 26.2 miles on my own: Starting from the Swan Fountain on Waterside in Stratford, to Alveston Primary School for an assembly, then to Shipston High School for an assembly, and back to Stratford-on-Avon - finishing about 4pm.

Day 2, Sat 25th April, I'll pop out (or limp, hobble & skip) for another 26.2 miles from Bidford-on-Avon to Evesham Parkrun (see some other happy faces!) then run home...

And day 3, Sun 26th April, I will be joined by a team of runners to complete the Rotary Shakespeare Marathon, starting from within Stratford on Avon. I'll enjoy the journey with thousands of others.

My reason for running remains in tact - so please, if you can, text SLOW95 and £amount to 70070 to donate! Thank you - it's an awesome feeling giving to something so very very worthwhile.

Thanks for reading this far - there's more of the story at www.lifespacetrust.blogspot.com which contains other confessions.

What follows is the standard bit they always have at the end of pages like this:

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