As those of you who know me well will know, I'm not particularly known for my high fitness levels or athletic prowess.

So while a 10-mile run may not seem like too much of a challenge for some people (I've actually held off on sending this round until some friends had ran the London Marathon!), it is a significant challenge for me and will be the furthest that I have ever ran by a very long way.

The charity that I am running for is the Alzheimer's Society, a cause that is particularly close to my heart.  

My fiancée's late father, David, suffered with Alzheimer's and I saw at first hand not only the (relatively fast) deterioration in his own health, but also the wider impact and strain that this put on family members and those that were close to him.  

Alzheimer's Society are a truly fantastic charity who provide support, advice and guidance for those diagnosed with Alzheimer's / Dementia and also for their friends and family. They also invest money into actual medical research, which is particularly crucial as advances are constantly being made in Dementia research that will lead to advances in treatment and hopefully, ultimately, a cure.

This is why there was never any doubt in my mind that Alzeimer's Society were the charity that I wanted to run for, especially with the Great South Run, fittingly, taking place in Portsmouth which was David's hometown.

In terms of the run itself, my starting point is that I turn 40 this year and I'm probably the most unfit/heavy that I've been in my life.  So I'm fully aware that I've got some hard work ahead of me.  

When I told my Dad that I had entered this race his reaction was "You'll have to lose some weight first, you're a prime candidate for a heart attack...".  

So with those inspirational words of encouragement ringing in my ears, I'll soon embark on my training and will provide some updates on this page as I go along.

I'm targeted to raise at least £200 to run for the Alzheimer's Society but to be honest I'm aiming for a lot more than that, so I will hopefully be able to raise the target a few times as I go.

I will be extremely grateful for ANY sponsorships, regardless of how big or small.  Every pound can make a difference.

Cheers

Gav