I'm doing this to raise awareness of mental health not just in the UK but also through my wider network of friends and colleagues online in Europe and Asia Pacific.

Mental health problems are very common – affecting around one in four people in Britain – stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems is still very common and there are a lot of myths about what different diagnoses mean.

The impact on your well being or even your family can be devasting without support networks. Having had first hand experience of this, I am fully supporting of organisations like Mind UK and the difference they can make.

Please help me support and raise awareness for Mind UK by sponsoring my race in April 2014. All the money I raise through Just Giving will be donated to them.

Running the Marathon des Sables Barefoot!

Well not literally, but thanks to the wonderful chaps at ViVoBarefoot – I’ll be using their shoe technology to run, walk and march my way across the 250k of Saharan landscape in April 2014.

I’m spending the next 15 months training using the barefoot running shoes to prepare my feet and body to for challenge. Over the next few months, I’ll be posting videos, blog updates and pictures of my antics as I start with earnest my training programme.

So as all of you get ready for Christmas with you turkey, pressies and log fires – I’ll be hauling myself around Richmond Park, up and down the Thames tow paths and up too many hills to mention trying to keep warm and get fit.

I've started my own personal blog to document my experience before, during and after the race - www.acrossthesahara.com

You can get in touch with me at ande@acrossthesahara.com