The time has come to cut down on the wine, eat healthily and partake in regular exercise, and I can assure you the second two are much easier to carry out than the first!!!   Yes, although you will find this hard to believe, I am running the Wilmslow half marathon on Sunday 30^th March.

As some of you may be aware my sister became extremely ill in December 2006 with a burst appendix.  After a number of operations which involved having part of her colon removed she had to have an ileostomy.  An ileostomy is where the end of the small intestine is brought out onto the surface of the skin and intestinal waste is collected in a pouch.  It is necessary when the intestine cannot process waste safely due to injury or disease and is more commonly associated with people who suffer from Crohns disease, Colitis or Colorectal cancer. 

Thankfully in late 2007, my sister had an ileostomy reversal and after a long and challenging 12 months is now on the road to recovery.

I am running the half marathon in aid of IA - the ileostomy and internal pouch support group which is a registered charity. Their primary aim is to help all people who have had to have this type of surgery whatever the cause.  I ask you to dig deep into your pockets and support this charity and subsequently me in my quest to finish 13 miles in one piece.

Many thanks