I've sat down to write this multiple times and just feel empty. In just over a month, I'll shoot for my 17th marathon in Berlin, raising money for Alzheimer's Research UK. My training runs have been total shit, and a hip issue sidelined me for 10 days (errrrr...2 weeks in case my physio ever sees this).

Sometimes, fundraising feels like a battleground. Whose disease or cause is more worthy? Someone said to me that they thought all money should go to childhood diseases rather than an "old person's disease."

I can't fault this line of thinking. I see friends facing unfathomable mountains and steeped in unbelievable grief. My mom lived to 79 and held every one of her grandchildren, even if she didn't know it.

We've been programmed to believe that funding for research is finite. We can either fund this or that. But never both and definitely not everything. We're like junkyard dogs, fighting for scraps because the fat cats hoard money for corporations, wars and weapons.

But I also know this: they all deserve the attention and support and resources. Supporting causes, is not, nor should ever be a zero sum game.

So I'll keep in simple. I miss our Mom. Alzheimer's and dementia didn't take her from us once. It was twice, ten times, a thousand times.

And some days, I'm just scared. Scared for me. Scared for my family. Scared for the more than 50% of the population who will be affected by these diseases. And some days, I'm just downright pissed off.

I'm not a scientist or a researcher (despite TotalJobs trying to manifest that into reality) or a policy maker. But I have 2 (semi) strong legs, two strong lungs, one strong heart and a banger of a play list. So I run.

If you can support me, I'd appreciate it. From my family to yours

#CDK4DDK #Hope

PHOTO: Mom and me hiking in The Adirondacks