I know what you're thinking...'How do you find the time and energy to train for and complete a marathon, whilst juggling a busy(ish) working week and the rollercoaster ride that is fatherhood?'

Well I'll tell you for how. By thinking about raising money for an excellent cause - Whittington Babies. When little Noah was born, he was a chunky little monkey. So chunky, in fact, that he initially had difficulties feeding effectively. Although this irony was completely lost on him, it did mean that he needed a little extra help to get him through those tricky early days of life.

Which is how he ended up in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at the Whittington Hospital, where he was born. The staff there do an amazing job of providing round-the-clock care to babies as tiny as those born at 30 weeks, to those as big as, well, Noah. Alongside the SCBU is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which cares for even tinier babies, nursing them until they are strong enough to go home.

Having a baby on the NICU/SCBU is a difficult, uncertain time for parents, fraught with anxiety. Whittington Babies provides a networking and support facility for parents via the Parent Support Group. This is made up of volunteers from the Charity who provide a family support network to parents with babies in the NICU/SCBU.

Although Noah was only on the SCBU for a few days, it gave us a very small insight into what life can be like for those with little ones whose start in life isn't quite as straightforward as it should be. Those parents whose babies require special care for an extended period show amazing courage and fortitude, and deserve the very best support that can be provided for them.

So please, dig deep to support a really important cause.

Thanks for visiting (and donating, hopefully), and remember to GiftAid where possible.

Alex