Hello everybody! Many of you will not yet know that last year I foolishly entered two marathons in a burst of enthusiasm for running. It all started inoccuously enough - after entering the penultimate year of my 20's and years of trying to quit smoking I finally succeeded, I enjoyed my newly unencumbered lungs with a little bit of football and gingerly jogging around Victoria Park a couple of times. The next thing I knew I'd entered the Brighton Marathon. The next next thing I knew I'd entered the Edinburgh Marathon as well after deciding lots of people run ONE marathon.

So, please make this monumental failure of judgement worthwhile and give me a little motivation to collapse over the finishing line twice. I'm raising money for Taylor Ed, a charity based in Edinburgh founded by my brother's amazing fiance Roo -  they do long-term intensive work with children with autism. As it is a small local charity you can be sure that your donations will make a real difference in helping to support their children to reach their potential.

If you have been asked for lots of donations for marathons this Spring, think of my challenge as an Ultramarathon with a six-week break in  the middle. How often do you get asked to sponsor someone running an Ultramarathon? Thank you for your generosity!