In April 2013, I ran Worcester Marathon and swore I'd never run another... Three weeks later, I signed up for Brighton Marathon. This time I'm looking for a sub-3:45 time, hence the fundraising target (£345). I'm raising money for Arthritis Research UK in honour of my amazing mum who has suffered with rheumatoid arthritis most of her life and remains a pillar of strength in so many ways, despite how the disease has weakened her body.

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Want to see how hard I'm training? Check out my Strava profile. You can also stalk me on Twitter, where I tweet about sciencey stuff and occasionally running.

THE EARNEST BIT

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, debilitating condition affecting the joints, making it difficult to do things that the rest of us take for granted, like walking, sleeping comfortably and sitting at a desk to work. For my mum, at least, it has meant coping with constant pain over many years, taking a daily cocktail of drugs, having a knee replacement and becoming increasingly limited in her range of movement.

Your donations will go towards advancing treatments for rheumatoid and other types of arthritis. I'm aiming to collect £345. As a guide to what your donations will fund:

£15 could help fund materials for a clinical study involving up to 500 people

£50 could pay for an X-ray of arthritic joints and an expert's analysis for study in research

£75 could help fund research to check the safety of new drugs

£100 could help fund the preparation of DNA when carrying out genetic research

£150 could pay for a whole body 'DEXA' scan for assessing bones and muscles

£250 could help pay for a research nurse in a clinical trial

Arthritis UK does not receive any government funding and relies on donations from the public to fund their vital work. Money donated via JustGiving is sent directly to the charity. Your details are safe – they’ll never sell them on or use them to send unwanted emails.