At the beginning of 2015 I decided to start running. I was a bit overweight, with a well cultivated 'beer belly', and wasn't particularly fit so I thought it was time to do something about it. I'd absolutely zero running experience and my initial target was to run the Baker Hughes 10k in May in under an hour. Along with four work colleagues, we raised £1,798 for the Archie Foundation. Unfortunately I was just outside my target, finishing in 1:02, but I was still pretty pleased considering I'd started from nothing, and I managed to lose over two stone into the bargain.

A friend, and fellow novice runner, persuaded me to enter the Edinburgh Half Marathon in September 2015. I allowed myself a bit of time off after the Baker Hughes but got back on the horse with 6 weeks of intensive training and finished in 2:16. That same 'friend' then persuaded me to enter the full marathon in May 2016. It seemed like a good idea at the time but after some winter hibernation it's starting to become a very daunting prospect.

I started training in earnest at the beginning of February, and I've entered Run Balmoral in April and the Baker Hughes again in May as small training runs. I'm by no means fast - Mo Farah's place in the Rio Olympics definitely isn't in jeopardy! But it's good fun and I'm challenging myself to the extreme.

I've chosen to raise money for the AFC Community Trust as they do a lot of sterling work in the community. Their vision is "to provide support and opportunity to change lives for the better". They do this in many different ways, for example helping children and young people from all walks of life, and providing activities and events for the elderly, people with dementia and people with disabilities.

Every single donation, no matter how small, really will mean a lot to me, and the AFC Community Trust.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Martyn