over the last 5 months i’ve been working towards a wee personal goal i’ve had for myself over the past few years. but finally took the leap this year and decided to begin training for a marathon. have to confess that i would never have done this alone, but needed someone to spur me on, keep me accountable to the challenge and do the training with.

so in just over 4 weeks, phil and i are running the Dublin Marathon together.

not going to lie, the training has been hard. building up the miles, going out running 3-4 times a week and pounding my joints on the hard roads have been a tough challenge.

however, it’s been an enjoyable challenge. and i believe this experience will stand me in good stead for the future. i don’t want this to beat me and so when the pain or tiredness has kicked in, i’ve gritted my teeth and kept going. it’s teaching me perseverance and the pain is temporary.

but that pain is nothing compared to the children and young people we are running for. a few hours pain while running fades to insignificance in the light of a life threatening illness. and we would love your help in this.

we are running to raise money for NI Cancer Fund for Children. i was completely oblivious to the amazing work of this charity but have recently become more aware of what they do. the vastness of their work means they need support, but i’ve been more impressed by their ethos and approach. this charity seeks to provide support for children and their families affected by cancer. they meet one on one with young people who are ill, integrate them into groups, set up programmes to help them deal with their new situations, provide highlights and days away, lead them through residentials. check them out here

phil has recently started working for this charity and so as we run side by side, i want to stand with him in this vital work. it seems to me that in every encounter with an ill child and every conversation with an affected parent he is being the hands and feet of Jesus. i want to support this charity by raising lots of money to go towards the work with these chldren and young people.

will you join with us in this? if you would like to pledge some money to donate to this cause then please just comment on this post or email me at rickhill45@hotmail.com – would be great to have your support.