Oops. A while since I last blogged - just too busy getting the combined December/January together before having a lovely long break over Christmas, then getting the February issue off to the printers. So, my New Year's Resolution is to blog more regularly!

As I've mentioned on facebook and twitter, I'm running the London Marathon on 17th April in aid of the local branch of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research - a great charity which helps families with a child suffering from this disease, the most common form of cancer in children. I've been training since early November, running four times a week - just regular small runs before Christmas, but I've now really stepped up the pace.

Saturday was a 5 mile circuit - ran really well (for me!) - 50 minutes, so 10 minute miles. Sunday was a whole different story! Tired legs from Saturday's run and 10 miles to go. Started off late in the afternoon, deliberately going slowly because of aching legs and got back home 2 hrs and 9 minutes later, exhausted, barely standing up and even wimpering a little... Literally couldn't move for the next hour.

Training for a marathon is a strange thing. You feel full of enthusiasm and excitement at taking on such a massive challenge and yet at the same time the commitment is huge - not only the running time itself, which will get longer and longer as each week goes on, but the thinking about eating the right foods at the right time to make sure you have enough carbs, the aching muscles after the runs, the planning the running times to fit in with everything else in life, including publishing two magazines, and spending time on the fundraising so you are actually doing something that helps a charity, too.

Do I regret taking this on? The hours of running, the painful knees, the sore toes, the boring pasta? NOT AT ALL!