In May 2013, I finished my first marathon in Belfast in 4hr 4mins. 

I wasn't able to complete the challenge by running the Dublin marathon due to a stress fracture.  

I trained for the Stockholm Marathon in May 2014 but two weeks before the race Aer Lingus announced a strike on the day of our flight so we were grounded.

So, I then decided to give Dublin another crack.  

Training had been going well up until about a month ago but I've struggled to get much past 15 miles, my legs are in bits and I seem to be gradually falling apart.  I'm hoping several physio sessions this week will patch me up sufficiently to get round the course.

There'll be no records broken but I'm determined to finish Dublin whether running, walking or hopping.  And then I'm looking forward to hanging up my running shoes for some considerable time!

The money you've all kindly donated has already been received by the charity so thank you!  If anyone now wants a refund on account of the non-completion of the challenge, come see me ;)

My nominated charity is The Miscarriage Association.  As some of you may know from personal experience, miscarriage is an unhappy and traumatic experience.  When it happened to us The Miscarriage Association’s support and information made a real difference.

Income from event sponsorship makes up more than a quarter of The M.A.’s £200,000 annual budget, so every penny of your sponsorship will really make a difference.  

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.  Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. 

So, if you can donate to my page to help this great cause, I'd be very grateful.