The Marathon des Sables is said to be the toughest race in the world and takes place annually in March/April. It involves running six marathons in seven days across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, where temperatures can reach 50 degrees.

Runners must carry all their food and clothing for the seven days. I am not a natural runner (I usually prefer to cycle), I don't like camping in a tent and I'm not a big fan of sand, but a friend wanted to do it and I foolishly agree to do it with him, as I had run a couple of slow marathons, which in retrospect wasn't the best of reasons.

Training has been a challenge as I came off my bike in May and broke my shoulder, and in September I developed a shin splint, but now thankfully everything is back on track.

Adopting Zara really inspired me to do this. I wanted to fundraise for Bristol Animal Rescue Centre as a small way of thanking you for rescuing and looking after Zara, and for bringing her into our lives. The world would look very different without Zara in it, so we’re very grateful and want to pass our good luck on to other animals who might still be looking for a home.