When it comes to words to describe me, sporty has not traditionally been one of them.

But here I am asking you to donate money to support me running 13.1 miles.

How did that happen?

Until May last year the last running I had done was the bleep test (always the worse day in PE) and I had resigned myself to being one of those people who just didn't run.

Then in May I watched my friend Eve run the Great Manchester Run and I knew I wanted to do that. I wanted to do something brilliant for charity. I wanted to do something that would make me proud.

I signed up for the 2014 race the next day.

I started Couch to 5K in June and by August I had run my first 5K race. Followed in September by my first 10K. I'd hit my goal 8 months before the race.

The idea of a half marathon was banded around but I always thought it was something I would never do. There's a big difference between a casual 6 miles and running a long 13. 

But luckily I didn't give it too much thought before I signed up.

My training began in November and the last four months have involved Sunday runs of over 2 hours, injuries, exhaustion, getting up to run at 4.45am before work after changing my job, and days when I just REALLY REALLY DONT WANT TO RUN.

But I'm here and I'm ready. I just need your support.

This race is for my Nana, Beenie Crowley, who died in May 2012 after a fight with dementia. I'm running to raise money in the hope that one day people won't have their loved ones robbed of everything they are by Alzheimer's and won't have to suffer the heart break of someone they love not knowing who they are anymore.

Any donations, great or small, are hugely appreciated by myself and my family, so please give what you can.