<p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As most of you may have gathered by now, I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough, depending on whether you think running is as enjoyable as I do), to win myself a place on this year's Virgin London Marathon, through entering a competition at work.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Since realising my fate just over 2 months ago, I have since found myself training rigorously in an attempt to achieve the 26 mile distance in a sub-3 hours 40 minutes time, and channelling all my efforts into this rather than looking at the bigger picture of being gifted with an amazing opportunity to take-part in such a worthwhile event...</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I hadn't planned on raising any funds for charity, given the nature of my surprise involvement in the event, but having been recently inspired by a group of friends who are making an assault on the Paris Marathon, in memory of one of an old friend, David Williams, who was tragically killed cycling from Los Angeles<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to&nbsp;</span></span>New York on a charity bike ride last summer, I have now decided that my efforts should not be in vein!</span></p> <p style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">I will therefore be raising money for<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span>charity David was riding for when the tragic accident so cruelly took his life... 'Find<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;you</span>r Feet' - a charity for which his mum Betty also works.<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;The</span>y have projects in India and Malawi, where<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the</span>y support long-term sustainable rural development projects.<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"> To&nbsp;</span>find out more about<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span>charity, please visit their site&nbsp;</span><a style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" href="http://www.find-your-feet.org/"><span style="color: #73645d;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">http://www.find-<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">you</span>r-feet.org</span></span></a><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">I feel this is a fitting tribute<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to&nbsp;</span>David, who always<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to</span>ok on new challenges for good causes and has truly been an inspiration<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to&nbsp;</span>not only myself, but to so many of his friends. And so, I take on this challenge in an attempt&nbsp;<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">to&nbsp;</span>try<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span>live-up<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to&nbsp;</span>some of his past achievements, and in hope of making-up some of the mileage which David had set-out to achieve on his charity cycle ride last summer.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #73645d;"></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #73645d;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">All money donated will go straight<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to</span><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span>charity and if<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;you&nbsp;</span>are a UK Tax Payer please remember<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;to&nbsp;</span>tick<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span>Gift Aid tab; this will not cost<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;you&nbsp;</span>any more money but will get<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span>charity a little more money. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">Many Thanks for all<span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">&nbsp;you</span>r support.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm; margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: justify; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm; border: 1pt none windowtext;">Luke =)</span></p> </p> <p> <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 1.3em; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #73645d; line-height: 1.3; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #000000; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: small; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></span></span></p> </p>