Vincent Billings
Having never even thought of running a marathon before, when the opportunity arose to run the Florence marathon, I was initially a bit hesitant.
What really made me agree to the run the marathon was the thought of doing so for the NSPCC and the achievement of actually running a marathon which I never planned on doing.
Florence is also a special place for me as it is the city where I asked my wife to marry me, so I thought that it must be fate for the marathon to take place in Florence, which is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been.
I enjoy playing competitive sport such as football, tennis and cricket and I used to think that running was just for those who could not play sport competitively. Not any more. I have come to find that runners are uber fit, whereas footballers are not even in the same league.
With football, whilst it can be intense periodically, you will generally get a rest at some stage. However, with running there is no rest just the continuous sound of your feet hitting the ground for the duration of the distance you are running (it sounds monotonous but when you actually run, it is very enjoyable).
I started my training around March 2009 and I found running very different to sports I had played previously. I initially found this difficult to get to grips with, however the more you run the more you get into it and enjoy it. Especially when running with others which we at Bolt Burdon have been doing.
At this stage and for the foreseeable future I am really enjoying my running (so is my waistline). As it is my first marathon I am just looking to complete the course in a respectable time.
Knowing that we are running for the NSPCC gives me that further extra motivation to do the best that I can. All donations to this worthwhile cause are very much appreciated to help us make a difference.