I dislike running. It hurts. It's boring. I'm not very good at it.

That's why I'm asking you to throw a few quid in my fund. Because April 7th, trudging round the streets of London for a couple of hours, will be rather unpleasant, despite the scenery.

I'd not be asking for cash if it was enjoyable, like a bike ride or something. This is going to hurt.

The furthest I have run so far is 10k, so I'll have to up my game next few weeks. The Parkruns have improved lately though, and the Monday lunch run with my Fusion Media crew, so it's going in the right direction.

Anyway, the reason I signed up for this Half Marathon – it seemed like a good idea back in October – was to raise money for Headway, who do fine work in the field of brain injuries, which is a subject close to my heart, having written several pieces on concussion and realised the life changing, debilitating effect head injuries can have.

Thank you xx