Our Man is getting his running shoes on again to run the Abiko half-marathon round the cesspit lake five minutes from his house in what is misleadingly called "The Teganuma Eco Marathon."

No matter. What's important is you could help him on his way by helping others, specifically journalists in need. 

Look, Our Man knows journos are among the most hated folk on the planet. But consider this. Without journos the cheating, conniving EVEN NASTIER pieces of work that are politicians would keep getting away with it. 

Now, you might say that journos just sit around on their backsides making fun of celebrities and thinking up punny headlines. On a good day they do, but on a bad day (especially in some god awful place where they don't get Pop Idol and The Sun don't shine) people actually need to know what is going on, which schools are open, which hospitals are operating, and who's shooting who.

That's where good journalists come in. People who care, people who want to share what little knowledge they can glean to help others. And get freebies and hang around swanky hotel bars. They are people like you, in other words.

Only, unlike you, they may have to risk their lives in shitty parts of the world doing what you can do at the click of a mouse in your living room.

So, before you turn away, click on that mouse, send a little something to a charity that helps teach people to tell their own stories.

The charity is The Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Check them out here. Then put your wallet where my mouth is. Or something.

That's my bit done, now here's the corporate blurb:

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.