Just over a year ago I realised that years of too much indulgence in my favourite diet - a pie and a pint - had finally caught up with me and resolved to do something about it. I had no idea just how painful this would turn out to be!

Realising I had become seriously unfit had serious consequences, I could no longer jog the 250 yards to my local for a start, but what to do about it? I've always needed a goal to motivate me, so I decided that in the year I turned 50 I would take part in a 10k event every month.

What followed was a long and occasionally painful road to improved fitness leading to the completion of my first 10k in a cold and windy Cleethorpes on January 1st of this year. Ok, the mild hangover didn't help, but I was actually quite pleased with the 63 minutes 31 seconds this took me to complete. I was on my way!

Things slowed down a little in Catterick in February - North Yorkshire is really hilly - but have improved slightly since with events in Gainsborough (really flat, my kind of course), Wakefield and Chatsworth, but I still hadn't broken the hour barrier.

Today I took part in my 6th event in Woodhall Spa and finally managed to complete the distance in 59 minutes 17 seconds. Result! I have also lost a total of 33 lbs, more than half way to my goal.

That's the good news. The bad is that some part of me, usually my legs, always seems to ache and my motivation is seriously flagging. To provide some added incentive (and keep me away from the pies for a little longer) I have decided to try and raise some money for Meningitis Now by asking people to sponsor me for completing the remaining 6 events. This is a cause close to my heart since my eldest brother tragically lost his young son Oliver to the illness some years ago.

Next one is in Newark on July 13th so if you could visit my just giving page and contribute to this great charity while also encouraging me that would be great.