Read this to read why I'm running, then scroll to the bottom to see my diary to let you how I'm getting on...

Running for Streetwise Opera
I'm really excited to be the first person to run the London Marathon on behalf of Streetwise Opera. The training and the run are going to be a lot of work, but with your help to inspire me and the Streetwise team, it's going to be a breeze! Please dig deep and give generously. Every penny we raise will go to help their excellent work.

I'm really excited to be the first person to run the London Marathon on behalf of Streetwise Opera. The training and the run are going to be a lot of work, but with your help to inspire me and the Streetwise team, it's going to be a breeze! Please dig deep and give generously. Every penny we raise will go to help their excellent work.

£2,000 will fund 20 homeless participants to go through a Work Placement in an arts organisation such as The Sage Gateshead or the Southbank;
£2,500 will fund a 10-week music residency in a homeless centre benefiting 50 participants;
£3,000 will fund an intensive week of workshops for all our participants in Newcastle and Middlesbrough to work alongside a team of professional artists to create our next production

Singing for Streetwise Opera!
To add a little extra spice to the challenge, Streetwise Opera has agreed to give me my first opera education by teaching me three opera arias. I will then sing one of these arias during the marathon at a cheering point along the course... and you get to vote which one I sing!
Have a look at the three arias below, let me know which one you vote for in your sponsorship message and I will sing the aria with the most votes:
Puccini's 'Nessun Dorma', Verdi's 'La donna è mobile' or Bizet's 'Toreador'.

Many thanks for your support

Andrew

My Running Diary
Sunday 17th February
Hi there. Thanks for visiting my page. I've been training hard for the big day on April  13th. So far I've run 287 miles in my training which started back on December 3rd. I've been following a vesion of a New York marathon programme given to me by a friend before my first marathon two years ago.

This week was my last before my five "peak weeks" where I run 40 miles a week. I'm feeling in pretty good shape so far. I ran my second consecutive 18 mile Sunday. Last Sunday was in Glasgow (keeping Claire company at her yoga workshop). I ran from the city centre along the River Kelvin to a a village just past the border in East Dumbartonshire. I did it in 2 hours 38 mins.

Today, I ran a pretty regular route - mine to Alexandra Park, then through Highgate Wood. Up to Kenwood House and through Hampstead Heath to South End Green. From there to Primrose Hill and down to Regents Park where I turned round. I took it easy, but still did it in 2 hours 42. I'll keep you posted how I get on!

Saturday 23rd February
So in the last four weekends I've ran 17 miles in Bournemouth (to Hengistbury Head and back), 17 miles in Glasgow, 18 miles in London and tomorrow, 17 miles in Paris. I'm here with Claire keeping her company while she's at a Yoga workshop. I ran from our hotel (in Vavin) to Gare D'Austerlitz and back today (4 miles) to check how I get to the Seine. Tomorrow, I plan to run that route, then run along the river for the following 6 1/2 miles so I'll have the 8 1/2 I need for the trip out. I can't wait!!! It's going to be beautiful. The weather's really nice here. Not warm, but bright and clear. This week was my first 40 miler and I feel like I'm really getting into my stride now. It's good to have done a couple of marathons in the past because now I pretty much know what I've got to do. It's strange when you get to this point in the training, because 17 miles feels like nothing! I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

Sunday 24th February
Well the run through Paris was absolutely beautiful! Like I said I would yesterday, I ran from Vavin to Gare D'Austerlitz and joined the path along the Seine. Ran past Notre Dame (Flying Buttresses ahoy!) under Pont Neuf, past Musee D'Orsay and at Pont FDR, I went up onto street level so I could see the whole Eiffel Tower as I went by. I then went back down to join the river. Things got a bit industrial from there (I didn't know there were so many cement works so close to the city centre!!) and I eventually ran out of scenic riverside path, and found myself running along a dual carriageway (this always seems to happen) so I crossed the river to the rive droite and ran back. Really good fun. I'm sitting in a bar, writing this, doing some work and following Spurs vs. Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. Who said blokes can't multi-task??!!

Thursday 28th February
Don't know why, but I'm feeling massively un-inspired today. I haven't felt like running at all. It's the first day I've had off my programme since I started. I suppose there'll always be days like these...

Saturday 1st March
Been in Manchester with Claire. She was doing a workshop in Trafford, so I ran at the local David Lloyd. Dunno how anyone can run on a running machine. It's SO boring. Makes one mile seem like ten.

Sunday 3rd March
Did my first 20 miler of training. My mum's in Homerton (well, it was Mother's Day!) to Battersea Power Station and back. Ran through Victoria Park, along the Regent's Canal to Limehouse, followed the North embankment to Tower Bridge, then crossed the river and ran the South Bank to Battersea. I've uploaded the run to MapMyRun.com. To see the full route in all its glory, click HERE

Wednesday 5th March
Did 7 miles in 55 minutes today. Sun was out. Felt great.

Oh, and a quick note to Axel and Michael (and anyone else who was concerned); In the picture, IT'S A BLACK T-SHIRT WITH BLACK SHORTS. I'm wearing grey tracksuit bottoms under the shorts. No, it's not a "fashion statement" and no, it's not a Salwar Kameez and DEFINITELY not a Chador!!
 

Saturday 8th March
So I did my first workshop with Streetwise Opera yesterday and tried to sing Nessum Dorma. It's amazing, I got more breathless in an hour of singing than I did running 20 miles! The workshop started with Rowan talking to everyone about the Opera that the participants had seen the night before (they'd gone to see Tosca). There's was some interesting critique of the acting, the choices that the director made - even the casting! I've had very little to do with homeless people. so I wasn't sure what to expect. What struck me was that some of the people in the workshop looked like they'd find it hard to get on in mainstream society, so without support, it would be easy to see how they'd slip into bad times and find it difficult to escape. Others looked like anyone you'd see in any situation in life: people I've worked with on a building site; people I've been taught by; people I've been employed by. On the way home I started thinking about Nessum Dorma as a choice for my singing interval from my marathon for Streetwise - "none shall sleep".(especially if you're trying to get a night's sleep in a noisy shelter or a doorway) and the idea of Calaf having a secret (his name) really resonated with the idea of the nameless people who we walk past daily on the street. People who have a life and a story and a value behind that unknown name.

I got Seth from Streetwise to play the accompaniment into my mobile phone, and I sang along aloud as I walked through Old Street Station (I walked down the 100 step spiral staircase especially!). I can hit the notes, but it's the breathing that's worrying me... I think I'll put the accompaniment onto my iPod and practice singing while I'm running. That should help out.

Rowan's a great workshop leader. Firm, but with lots of patience (she only had to tell me off once). But someone needs to teach classical people how to snap their fingers on the upbeat - it's just not in their vocabulary.

Anyway, 20 miles tomorrow. I've already logged it on MapMyRun. I'll upload it after I've got round. Wish me luck!

Sunday 9th March
Mine in Hornsey, via Highgate Wood, Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill to Regents Park and back. 2 hours 51 minutes. Check the route HERE

Monday 17th March
Greetings from Nairobi. I'm here for a few days doing some work. I've still managed to get a couple of runs in though! I ran in the gym at the hotel the first day I was here (only five miles - like I said earlier, it's SO boring! even with Lewis Taylor to keep my ears company). The altitude makes each mile feel like two. By the end of the five miles I was really sweating. The next day I ran from the hotel in the centre of town, along Uhuru highway to the Arboretum then up the hill of Riverside Drive past all the embassies. I did eight miles. Again, I was sweating buckets! I'll try and run again tomorrow (probably eight miles again) after my morning meetings. That should make me sleep on my overnight flight home!

Sunday 6th April
So, one week to go. I've ran over 500 miles in training, and gone to three Streetwise workshops at Crisis on Commercial Street. All I've got to do now is keep fit, make sure my clothes don't chafe and raise the remaining £700!

If you've sponsored me, thanks so much. If you haven't, there's still time and if you want to cheer me on and sing "Nessun Dorma" along with Streetwise Opera, they're meeting at 12 midday at Poplar DLR station. they'll have a big banner, so you won't be able to miss them...

Wednesday 16th April
Well, what a fantastic day we had on Sunday! I finished the marathon in a time of 3 hours 52 minutes (and that included the stop to sing Nessun Dorma). The sight of the Streetwise banner ahead of me as I arrived at Poplar High Street after 20 long miles was great, and the throng of Streetwise members, supporters and staff to sing along with me (or cover up my pretty ropey singing!) buoyed me up for my final six miles. Ever resourceful, Streetwise even managed to get the local fire brigade involved, as we used their P.A. system and microphone to amplify our presence to the crowds watching on the street.

Anyway, thank you everyone who's supported and sponsored me. it's been a wonderful experience - by far the most enjoyable marathon I've run so far. There should be photos of the event available soon, which will be posted on this page and on the Streetwise website, so keep visiting. If you haven't sponsored me yet, the site will be open until July 4th. It would be great if we could reach £4,000 - we're only about £400 short, so one or two generous donations should do it!

Thanks again, and see you next year(!?)

Andrew