Thanks for looking at my fundraising page. I know that I've publicised quite a few pages on here previoulsy, and I do like to raise money for charity so this isn't the first time I've asked you for some of your hard earned pennies. But his year, it's slightly different for me and is far more personal.

I have never been a runner. Ever. But doing a marathon has always been on my bucket list and while I'm young and able, I've decided to go for it and get it out of the way!

The reasoning behind choosing Diabetes UK as my charity is quite apt. My Grandad suffered with Diabetes. We didn't quite realise the effect that it had had on his life - and death - until after he'd passed away. He'd always suffered with awful psioriasis and had heart problems at various points too. We didn't realise that there was so much of a correlation between these conditions and Diabetes until after his death. He'd tried lots of various treatments to try to combat the psioriasis, which, in his final years, caused huge sores and pains on his legs (so much so that they were painful to put pressure on, or even to touch).

It wasn't until after he died (of heart disease) that we were made aware of some studies which had been done in relation to the link between Diabetes and psioriasis/heart disease. Had we realised that his Diabetes was more of a contributing factor, he probably would have made better efforts to control his sugar intake. Had that happened, I would probably be running the marathon with my Grandad spectating and cheering me on, along with the rest of my family.

I'm going to be running 26.2 miles. That's a long, long way. The aches and pains that will create in my legs will be nothing compared to the aches and pains that my Grandad's leg sores caused him. So, I'm running to raise awareness of Diabetes. And to raise money for Diabetes UK so that more research and studies can be done into the correlation between these conditions, and to provide more information to people so that they can take more preventative and controlling methods.

Please, if you can, spare a couple of pounds and donate to this worthy cause.

Thank you,

Lara.