Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Pre-run Message 15 Feb

I always thought running was a bit boring (and I still do on cold dark evenings after work) and so never imagined I would run a half marathon.  This has come about because a) Cec has gone running-crazy, so to get time to speak to her I have to jog alongside, and b) to try to minimise the effects of diabetes I need to exercise fairly often.  My training for this half marathon has not gone entirely smoothly however.  I have missed two 10 kilometre runs due to injury (I tore a calf muscle on our summer holiday and then had knee cartilage problems in November) and then, only 4 weeks ago, badly bruised or broke some ribs in the curious incident of the dog on the path.  If people tell you that 50 is the new 40, don't believe them!

My first thought on sponsorship was to help fellow diabetics.  However, to be perfectly honest, we get enormous help from the NHS and it is then up to us to make life-choices.  So, I have nominated a small charity that helps people with few or no choices in life. 

HELP - Helping East Lanka Progress is a charity set up by a good friend of mine after the tsunami.  Over the last few years it has made a huge difference to many children's lives as it has provided shelter, equipment and education to orphans of the disaster and the civil war.  I receive an annual newsletter from the charity and it is very uplifting to read of the great ways that the charity helps these unfortunate children.  HELP has very few overheads as it is being run by a group of concerned individuals who all have their own day-jobs (even when visiting the schools and orphanages, the trustees pay their own airfares to get out there).  If you do donate, rest assured that all of your money will be used very wisely.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Post-run Message  23 Feb

Blimey that was very difficult.  It was torrential rain for some of the time but consistently windy off the sea which made miles 2-8 hellish.  However, Cec and I managed to pull each other through and much credit for that goes to you, our sponsors, as we felt that we couldn't just give up, we had to earn your money.  So, a heartfelt thanks to you all for your generosity.

If you are reading this as a prospective sponsor, having only just got the time to think about my initial email, please still pledge some money, as it will still go to the charity it just won't be used as a spur to make me run even more miles!

Regards,

Neil