At the start of my undergraduate degree I would have laughed at anyone who told me that by the time I was finishing my degree, I'd be running 10k. Exercise and I just weren't friends. Walking to and from uni was my daily exercise and even that took a while.

Then half way through January 2012 I decided enough was enough and I was going to improve my health. Two years on and three stone lighter, I'm determined to complete something I never thought  possible - participating in a 10k run! It may be a case of jumping in at the deep end but it'll be worth every minute.

I've been brought up with pets and a lover of wildlife, so it made sense to me that if anyone wished to donate towards my challenge, it would be towards a charity that looks after animals. We recently rehomed two adorable dogs (Mabel and Marvin) from RSPCA Newcastle/Northumberland and while we couldn't take all the animals home, I'd like to be able to support them and the staff by participating in the Liverpool Spring 10k. Without them, Mabel, Marvin and countless other animals would not be alive. The love and hope that they bring into each life is worthy of every penny that you could spare, no matter how big or small the donation, and knowing that it's not just me benefitting from this event will make me train and move that little bit harder and faster.

I'll keep you all updated on how my training is going and I thank you for just taking the time to read this. Motivation, support and advice will be equally, greatly appreciated.