I've been training through lockdown to run the Richmond Marathon on Sunday 13 September, however it was cancelled a couple of weeks ago due to COVID19. I've decided to go ahead and run the distance (26.2 miles / 42.2 km) by myself on that day anyway to raise money for NHS Charities Together. It would be great if you could donate a fiver to support me, and this great charity. If I can achieve 100 x £5 donations I'd  reach my target of £500. Of course, if you want to donate £5 per family member (and you can include pets), that would also be cool :-)

Why is this a challenge?

This will be my 20th marathon in 15 years, so I know what's required to make the distance. However, this one won't be easier for a few reasons: 

1. This isn't a normal marathon: There will be no spectators to cheer me on, no other athletes to run alongside, no road closures, no water/nutrition stations. I've made up my own route, and it will just me, my watch and I.
2. I've struggled to find time to train: since lockdown, in addition to working full time (often into the evening on calls with our U.S. friends), we've also been looking after our kids full time until childcare restarted a couple of weeks ago. Training has been hard to fit in. So I've had to sacrifice pleasures like binging Selling Sunset in order to be able to join in our team chat, just so I could get those miles in.
3. My body is knackered: for the past two years I've struggled with a calf injury, treading a fine balence between pain and injury trying to run 45-50 miles a week. Oh and I also need to have hernia repair surgery, which I've managed to delay until after I've completed this challenge (TMI?). This is what happens to your body when you hit 40 apparently....

Why support NHS Charities Together?

Having had children, I didn't think I could be more impressed by the devotion and skills of the brilliant people within the NHS. I'm proud that our nation funds such a world leading healthcare system that is free at the point of delivery, for all. Then COVID19 happened. As someone who can barely wear a mask for 2 mins without feeling claustrophobic, I am in awe of the healthcare professionals working umpteen hour shifts in full PPE to care for those suffering this terrible virus. NHS Charities Together is funding grants to help NHS staff, volunteers and patients in ways above and beyond what NHS funding can ordinarily provide. The initial wave of funding has been used to meet the immediate and urgent needs of staff, volunteers and patients through COVID19 – providing somewhere comfortable so they can take a break, nutritious food and drink, use of electronic-tablets so patients, staff and volunteers can stay in contact with loved ones, counselling support to protect mental health and help staff and volunteers process what they are dealing with. They are also working to identify where additional support is most urgently needed by NHS staff, volunteers and patients in their area, with a particular focus on support for people who are disproportionately affected by the Covid crisis, such as patients and staff from the BAME communities and high-risk groups like those living with disabilities. In the longer term the money they have raised will also fund programmes to help staff and families recover fully once the crisis has abated, reducing the long-term impact on them and the people they care about. 

Come watch me suffer

My route is going to begin and end at The Last Drop, under the ArcelorMittal Orbit (between the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium) in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - a place that feels like home. I'll likely run north along the River Lea for 13 miles and then back. If you're around east London on the morning of Sunday 13 September, why not come down for a coffee and a croissant to watch me stumble over the finish line (there isn't a line), at some point between 11am-12noon hopefully. You can park in Westfield Stratford or tube/train into Stratford, and it's a short walk into the Olympic Park. Do let me know if you can make it, and I'll send you a tracking link on the morning so you can monitor my progress.

• https://www.thelastdrop.london/
• https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/The+Last+Drop/@51.5412277,-0.0134028,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48761d686172986d:0x3a3202d7e51d46c7!8m2!3d51.538516!4d-0.0120505
  

The bit about Gift Aid...

If you are a UK taxpayer, please remember to tick the Gift Aid box when donating so that an extra 25%, plus a 3% supplement, can be added to the donation, at no cost to you. 

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 the charity.