On September 16th this year, I’ll be running 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields. Well, I’ve said I will anyway. Me, two of my sisters, their partners and a cousin are all doing the Great North Run 2012 in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Ah, the roar of the Geordie crowd, the smell of the Tyne…the promise of a stotty cake and pint of Newcastle Brown at the end. It’s gonna be great!

Actually, I’m bricking it. I’ve rarely run further than 10K and there’s a nasty rumour that the Great North Run route is full of hills. Eek.

BUT, I guess it’s going to be a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and getting to the finish line. We’re all running in memory of our mum, Pam, who we lost to breast cancer in April 2004, and her sister, our aunty Jill, who passed away from the same disease in May 2009. Mum was 55, Jill just 52 – both of them too young.

All charities are good causes, but when something affects you personally, it inevitably galvanises you into action to try and do something about it. We know that there are a lot of charities, and a lot of people out there raising money, but women around the world continue to die of breast cancer every day, which is why we want to try and do our bit to help fight it.

Those of you who know me will know that running a half marathon isn’t going to be an easy task for me. I can’t say I particularly enjoy trotting round the streets, my knees make funny noises when I bend down and I still haven’t quite worked out how to fit in training around work, kids and writing projects, but I guess where there’s a will there’s a way.

Times are of course tough, but really, even if you’re able to donate just a couple of quid towards my fundraising target of £350, that would be wonderful and hugely appreciated. Every little bit helps (big bits help too so don’t hold back if you’re feeling generous).

Now that I’ve told everyone, and asked for money and stuff, I guess this is it. So, while I grin and bear it up in the North East, you can be satisfied that your money is going to a very worthy cause. And I can just spend the following week in bed.

Thanks for reading and hopefully thanks for giving!