My competitive spirit appears to have raised its head this year as I am running the London Parks Half Marathon on 12th October in an attempt to beat Paul's half marathon time... (I won't disclose the time on here though as it may embarrass him!), and even though I have joined a gym and am pounding away on the running machine, I think I need more motivation and raising money for a charity may just be the ticket.

As many of you know, one of my best friends died suddenly in May last year of a brain haemorrhage. I remember being told that  Katie had gone to hospital on Sunday with a headache; which she apparently thought was 'just' a hangover after her previous night's exploits (!), and then being told on the Tuesday that she had died at Charing Cross Hospital.

The shock and sadness of her death was coupled with the fact that neither I, nor the majority of her friends that I spoke to had any idea of the potential causes and consequences of brain haemorrhages and the charity I am running for helps promote the research of the neuroscience department at Charing Cross Hospital.

So please sponsor me as 13 miles is a bloomin' long way and I'll need something apart from my ipod to keep me going! Thanks