The big push begins

Fifty three days to go. I still want to try and hit the big 2-0 mark before the end of the month - that's my goal. I'm planning to run after work (weather be damned!) and hoping to reach a minimum of thirteen miles tonight, more if I can. It'll be tough if the weather is as poor as the forecast suggests, but I have to do it. What if it rains on the big day? Can't call off the entire marathon because the British summer arrived early.

Pictured: summer in the capital.

My fundraising is going really well, too! I'm so thrilled to have raised just under half of my goal - almost one thousand pounds! Absolutely incredible. A massive, massive, massive THANK YOU to all the wonderfully generous people who have chipped in so far. You're going to make a huge difference in the lives of people who really need our support.

Look at that! We're smashing it!

I've never done anything like this before. Not the run, not the fundraising - none of it. I sometimes throw a bit of change into a charity pot if I can, but that's about it. The was a challenge I set myself - to do something right, to give something back, to try and help people who really, truly need it.

And, of course, I'd be lying if I said that the opportunity to run the biggest and most popular long-distance event in the world had nothing to do with it. I want to push myself to the limit and beyond. Some people ask me why I chose to put myself up for this. The answer is pretty simple. I want to know if I can. I want to see what I can do. The chance to run this event is simply too tempting to ignore.

A lot has changed in my life over the past few months. I wonder where I'll be a short few weeks from now..?