It's happening again. The trainers are back on, my feet are already hurting, but me and my pal, Zoe, have signed up to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon to raise money for our respective charities.

I will be raising money for Alzheimer's Research because, as many of you will know, my Dad has advanced dementia and many of my close friends have lost loved ones to this brutal disease. Watching my Dad who was once the life and soul become such a quiet, almost ghost-like, figure wandering from room to room has been heart-breaking. Not least the impact it has had on my Mum as his carer, who never knows what each day will be like. I intend to use the training runs to try and remember what my big daft Dad was like before he became ill, and hopefully that will get me through.

I still have hope that there will be a cure and raising money is the only thing I can do to make that happen. If you have a couple of quid, can share this for me or send some words of encouragement, it all helps tremendously.