Hi all,
 
I thought that being in the ring trying to stop sombody beating the daylights out of you was 1 of the most difficult things to do. Then I had a meeting with ....... The marathon, The egyptian Marathon.
 
I arrived in egypt on the 6th Feb and the next day went for a 4 mile run, by the time i finished I knew that the heat was gona be a problem. I had a week to prepare.
 
On the 15th of February with my running partner Sofian who had challanged me to run it with him we went off at 7.30am with all the other runners. In a crowd of cheers, claps and whistles we all started pretty slow and just went along seeing all the sights. Children running next too us bare foot asking our names or asking for sweets or money, people sitting in a opening of land or next to there houses cooking on a wooden fire on the floor waving us along with a smille. Road sweepers clapping as we went pass them. All sorts of people I encountered along the way. They did not have much but there smiles and waves were enough to keep you motivated too keep going.
 
As I got too 20 miles I looked at my watch and it read 4 hours. I was on course too finish at around 4.45. Then it happened,the dreaded wall. The legs started too get heavy and tired. Like lead weights a dragged them every step but every step seemed harder and longer.
 
I kept thinking why the hell was I doing this apart too try and fill my ego. Then I started to thing positive and recalled why The Fundraising for the maggies centres who deal with poeple with cancer.

Also the other reason my two little girls who I promised too finish and bring back a runners medal.
 
As I got closed to the finishing line the journey became or seemed longer.
 
Then it happened I turned a corner and saw the finish line. Some how I got a sudden shot of enery as I saw the finish line and my running partner who had arrived 10 minutes earlier I raced too the line with a japanese runner who I had made friends along the and we both crossed the line togehter.
 
26.2 miles and 5hours and 31 minutes later I had crossed that line and fullfilled 2 promises and a lot more people were gona get the help they need.
 
I would like to thank and congratulate Sofian Al Shariff my running partner in egypt who 2 years before had been in a coma for 3 weeks and made a full recovery both physically and mentally and for running the marathon.
 
Also Janette for getting up all those early morning for running with me in london.
 
Special thank you to Amiral Company for making this possible and Michel, Cyril and Tiziana for being there at the point of pain.
 
Thank you all and keep you update with my next challange.
 
Carlos " Lionheart " Andrade