I’ve never completed an official half marathon but I’ve completed the distance a few times in training.

I received a phone call from my brother over the weekend. He’s attempting his first half down at Chester in a few weeks time. Andrew will be running with a guide Michelle as his eyesight has deteriorated over the years. So much so, that he’s relied on guide dogs for many years.

Here’s Andrew trying on running trainers and his training is going great. Not bad for nearly 50! His friend was supposed to be running it too but has had to withdraw. I could tell where this conversation was going, haha! So here I am running my first official Half Marathon.

If you click on this JustGiving link, you’ll notice our surnames are different. This is because my family is unfortunately a little bit disjointed. I wish it wasn’t but it is what it is. I really hope that one day we can all pull together and at least sit down for one family meal. I’m not sure if that will ever happen though.

Andrew and I hadn’t seen each other for over a decade. We hadn’t fallen out or anything. Our other brother’s wedding brought us back together. I have three brother’s, something which a lot of people don’t realise. It was great to catch up and meet his Wife. That moment brought us closer together. We are now always messaging each other, mainly about Newcastle United!

Image captured by Deano Moore Photography.

When Andrew asked me if I would run the Chester Half Marathon with him, I felt really honoured. I went out for my first run last night and I managed three miles. My legs ache a little today but I bet they’re worse tomorrow! I’ve really missed running. I mainly chuck weights around the gym now so it felt great to get out in the fresh air and run. I will of course be turning to David Lloyd Clubs to help me with this running challenge.

Andrew’s JustGiving page is here and we’d really appreciate it if you could donate a pound or two to Guide Dogs. This charity has changed Andrew’s life forever. Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. Of those, around 180,000 rarely leave their homes alone and lead lonely, isolated lives.

I’m really proud of Andrew for attempting this challenge and it will be great to run the Chester Half Marathon together.