So, at the end of the last half-marathon I ran, as the blood poured from my heavily chafed nipples and my lungs tore the oxygen out of each pained breath, I made a decision that to turn around and run the same distance again, ever, was straightforward idiocy.

 

Two years, one knee operation, a (very) light spattering of exercise and countless roast dinners later and here I am all booked in for the Brighton Marathon in April.

 

Whilst the Lady is very rarely for turning there's a good reason for this particular volte-face. As many who read this will know a very wonderful member of the family, my sister-in-law Carlie, is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and seeing the fortitude with which she is taking on this immense fight makes the once daunting prospect of 26 miles seem a literal walk in the park. Carlie writes more eloquently and powerfully about the impact of cancer than I ever could, and her blog can be accessed here:

 

http://seaofattention12.blogspot.co.uk/

 

for those who haven't read it or are interested in the personal insights of an incredibly brave woman's experience of fighting cancer. Suffice to say we are all immensely proud of her and, in the time honoured tradition of sane demonstrations of emotion, I've elected to show this by giving myself shin splints and making my toes bleed.

 

Nothing says love like bleeding toes and shin splints…

 

I'm also fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support and hope you will consider supporting me in reaching my target of £1,000. You can read more about Macmillan on their website, and I've no doubt that many reading this will have their own experiences of them.  

 

Macmillan provide a wide and growing range of vital services to cancer sufferers and their support networks, and do so almost entirely through the voluntary donations that make up 98% of their funding, so if you can I'd be very grateful if you could donate whatever you can afford to help this amazing charity support more individuals and families in the way they have done for Carlie and those around her.

 

And anyone who wants a dollop of sadistic pleasure for their contribution is of course welcome to join the 'point and laugh' party on April 14th in Brighton. I can't promise to be anything but a jibbering mess on the day but I can at least promise that I won't pull a Radcliffe, at least not until the afterparty…