TO get in shape for the London Marathon, Okehampton doctor Nick Woodall has enlisted the help of a four-legged training partner ? Frodo, his fitness-conscious cocker spaniel.
The energetic pair can be seen jogging about town preparing for the gruelling marathon on Sunday, April 13.
Last year Nick not only ran the London Marathon but also the Dublin Marathon in October ? raising a total of £1,500 for the New Okehampton Hospital Appeal.
?This year I have teamed up with TV?s Dr Mark Porter, who is heading the Team Flora campaign for the British Heart Foundation,? he said.
?The theme of the campaign is Get Britain?s Heart in Training. The British Heart Foundation and Team Flora hope to remind people that healthy living depends not only on healthy eating, but regular healthy exercise.?
Nick said the London Marathon last year was his first marathon and said it was ?an amazing experience?.
?The sense of goodwill from the crowds and fellow runners was overwhelming,? he said.
Although he was in better physical shape by the time of the Dublin Marathon, he was suffering from a cold which sapped his stamina ? and an unwise attempt at a sprint finish caused his right leg to cramp losing him valuable time.
?I hope to lay that ghost to rest this time. It?s as much a mental challenge as a physical one,? Nick said.
?Tactics are vital. It is all too easy to blow yourself out in the first 18 miles and have nothing left for the last eight.?
People who would like to sponsor him can give their donations to staff at the Medical Centre reception desk.
?When I?m two miles from the finish and my body is pleading with me to stop, it is the thought of those who have donated money which will spur me to finish. They are part of my race plan,? said Nick.
And of course there will also be a welcome home bark and tail wag for the marathon man from a delighted Frodo!