I’m a 34 year old PR consultant and spend most of my week either sat in front of a computer or driving to meetings. And every year I watch the London Marathon - either on TV or supporting a mate - and think “I wish I could do that. Maybe I will next year.” Only I never do. So a little while ago, having a sudden urge to do something about it, I challenged a friend at work to run the Reading Half Marathon - just to get into the running groove.

Only I’d never done anything like this before. The furthest I’d run was about three and a half miles and, with short legs and a dodgy ankle, I’m hardly built for long distance running.

I fully expected to hate every minute of it and find myself reaching for the red bucket. Bizarrely I actually enjoyed the whole experience. I then went on to compete in a triathlon (the less said about that, the better) and redeemed myself at the Great North Run in September 2007.

The paranoia of slipping into my old pie-eating habits has meant that I’ve devised a new challenge, which I’ve dubbed a Septathlon. Here, I’m getting together with a few mates to try and compete in seven events before next September. This means doubling the events I’ve take part in in the last year. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? We’ll see.