A couple of years ago I was clinically obese, weighing in at a whopping 19 stone (266lbs/121 kgs). According to the doctor I had the blood pressure of a 60 year old man - an unhealthy one at that - and was uncomfortable nearly every minute of every day.

Around the same time my grandmother developed the first signs of Alzheimer’s, and while I set about a rigid regime to improve my health and shift my weight, her condition has grown steadily worse to the present day. In the last 18 months I’ve taken my weight down to 14 stone (196lbs/89 kgs) and by September I want to be the fittest I’ve ever been. In stark contrast my grandmother has gone from repeating the same questions in conversation to forgetting who those closest to her actually are.

This year presented an opportunity to do something for both of us by running the Great North Run in September. I’ve never done anything like it and having never been an avid runner before, I was slightly tentative about applying for a half-marathon (13.2 miles). Having said that, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do in a determination not to waste my youth. Whilst sadly I can’t do anything about the health of my grandmother, I can support Alzheimer’s Society in everything they do to make the often painful slip into dementia as comfortable as possible.

Being a totally amateur runner, I want this blog to be about my training from start to finish. I’d like to detail running routes around London, recipes to lose fat and build energy and hopefully provide some insight as to how easy or difficult it is for someone to go from obesity to endurance running.

I eagerly await my ‘runners pack’ in readiness for 19th September, and with it the fundraising kit. Hopefully you will enjoy my efforts and anecdotes about training for such a feat and in doing so perhaps you’ll be kind enough to donate whatever you can spare to Alzheimer’s in exchange for my blood sweat and (maybe) tears.