I have been going to London to watch the London Marathon for years and I’ve always said I would love to do it, so when I was coming up with a bucket list of 40 things to do before I turned 40 this year, it was one of the first things on my list!  I haven’t run a marathon before, I’ve only ever managed a 10k before now as well as the odd parkrun… and chasing my kids around! 

Sponsor Dean

I’m running for Aspire because I’ve been Centre Manager at the Aspire Leisure Centre for over seven years, and I can’t think of a better charity to raise money for.  I’ve been lucky enough to work with some wonderful people who have spinal cord injuries - Joe, Chris, Neville to name but a few - and I know how much Aspire means to them.

My fundraising is going well. My wife’s nan passed away in January when she was only a few months away from turning 100. She gave me Chris Evans’s book ‘119 Days to Go: How to train for and smash your first marathon’ which is a training plan/diary. Her family have asked for donations to go towards my fundraising instead of flowers and I am incredibly grateful for the support and sentiment. It will certainly spur me on!  To help with my fundraising I also held a quiz night which raised £450.

I love going for a run at the end of the day, with my headphones in playing some great music. Last week I managed just over 10 miles. I was so pleased and never thought I would be able to do it, but I was feeling good and kept going. I know it’s going to get tougher, but I am trying my best to keep fit and injury-free. I’ve been doing two short runs during the week and a long run on Sundays, and it seems to be working well for me.

It has been so rewarding already and I honestly look forward to my runs, although it can be a bit chilly!  For me, it’s just about getting to the start line; if I think about crossing it I will be filled with fear and emotion.  The London Marathon is such a special day, with so many incredible people, and I am just pleased to be doing it.

Sponsor Dean

Dean's experience running the London Marathon

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