#TeamSCT - Meet Alex who is running the London Marathon for us!

Name: Alex Lindsay

From: South Benfleet

Can you tell us why you’ve chosen to run the Virgin Money London Marathon for The Sick Children’s Trust?

What are your top training tips?

• Look after your joints.
  Invest in a decent pair of running shoes - have them fitted by an expert.
• Manage your nutrition.
  Research what to eat and drink pre, during and post runs. Carb loading in advance and eating correctly during the runs will help to minimise or prevent hitting 'the wall’.
• Get rolling.
  Buy a foam roller. They're quick cheap and can help reduce recovery times from sore muscles and reducing chances of injury.
• Have a plan.
  Find a training plan and stick to it. This creates a sense of being in control and will mean you don't leave training too hard and too short a time.
• Join a running club.
  Find your local running club and see if their sessions fit with your running plan. The running club should have coaches to provide running advice. It is likely other club members will be running the marathon so you can find running buddies which will make the long runs more tolerable and there will be other club members that have run marathons themselves and they can share their hints and tips.
• Get family on side.
  This is most important if you have a spouse and children. Finding the time to run a minimum of 3 times a week can be tricky with a wife/husband and kids, because this is a big commitment. Getting them on side and diarising your runs will make planning for the long runs and getting out the house that much easier. They will also put fewer temptations in your way to distract you from your training.

What will keep you going on your way round?

I'd never run before I was given a place in the marathon through the ballot, but as with my previous fundraising challenges I’ll be thinking of my family – and all the support The Sick Children’s Trust gave us.

From everyone at The Sick Children’s Trust – we wish Alex the best of luck – support him at: http://bit.ly/2nW4mIH