Thank you for giving me the time to read this and hopefully sponsoring me.

I know it's a way off but I have signed up to run the Marathon Des Sables in April 2017 with a warm up marathon in Yorkshire this October. For those of you who know me, I'm not a natural runner and I will have a few kg's to lose over the next 18 months to get down to an optimum weight.

If you are unsure what the race entails, the Marathon Des Sables is known as the toughest footrace on earth and I will be joining a group of elite runners to complete it. It involves six competitive stages totalling something close to 250 kilometres/155 miles, held over 7 days in the Sahara Desert. The race is a self-sufficiency stage race meaning I will be carrying what I need for a week of running and camping, including food, clothing, toiletries, and personal medical supplies.  Race administration provides runners with a daily allotment of water, shade structures under which they can rest and sleep, and emergency medical care. Think the Tour De France without the wheels and the support cars. If you are interested please watch James Cracknell's documentary on the race - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Qak8e4vYA 

I will be running this for Mencap, who were founded in 1946 and have been helping to change society for the better, fighting for equality for people with a learning disability.

There vision is a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, listened to and included in life. A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities, this can include household tasks, socialising, managing money - everyday activities that we all take for granted.

From December 2016, I will be keeping you all updated with a weekly video diary of my progress, training, diet, and my motivation.

Thank you very much for any donation that you choose to make.

Much Love

Alasdair & Mencap