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STOP PRESS - I made it.  All ok until 70km then the wheels well and truly came off, and the last few hours were a bit of a struggle.  Thank you to everyone who supported me and this great cause.

A number of my friends, family and colleagues have had to endure the horror of cancer.  In recent years my school has lost a number of friends and this year I have witnessed how much one of our parents and one of my colleagues have suffered. It is therefore time for me to contribute in my own small way.  So, as part of my mid-life crisis, I have decided to take on my first ultramarathon of 100km in September, Putney Bridge to Henley.  Up to now, my longest race has been 10km.

I have been working hard in the gym trying to bombproof my ankles, knees and hips, and I have started putting some significant miles on the clock, mainly around Knole Park and along the Cornish coast during holidays.  I think my biggest challenge will be refuelling on the go, trying to eat (and keep down!) enough calories to keep me going.

I have run various races as warm-ups including half marathons and two marathons on consecutive days in August.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that I stay injury free. Saturday's 8 hour slog over the North Downs Way left me tired but in one piece; I now have 2 weeks of eating and resting before the "big one"!

I tell the boys to "Never, never, never give up". Now it is time to practise what I preach.

Please dig deep for this worthiest of charities fighting the causes of cancer.  Solefield School has a number of events planned to raise money for Cancer Research UK.  Only with significant investment will we get to the bottom of how this terrifying disease is able to do so much damage.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for he charity.