Can't run or can I? Help me raise money for UNICEF

I've never been good at running. I keep fairly fit by walking a lot but I never believed in myself that I could actually run 'properly'. One Friday night, just eight weeks ago, I read a piece by Dave Hill in the Guardian on my phone about the Royal Parks Half Marathon and thought "why not?"

So eight weeks later, a very good pair of well engineered running shoes and a commitment to practice - running three times a week - and I'm just two weeks and two days from the big day. http://fundraise.unicef.org.uk/MyPage/drsimondavey

I'm doing this for a number of reasons:

1. I run a Saturday school intervention programme which is all about raising young people's aspirations, resilience and achievement. We work together so they believe in themselves, tackle challenges and get better and better at the things they thought they couldn't do. Running is something I thought I couldn't do. So I chose to try, made a plan and got on with it. A half marathon is a big scary but achieveable target. If my twelve year old students can take a risk and try 'impossible' things I damn well should.

2. I am committed to supporting children to have a better life wherever they are both through my work and sponsorship. Raising money for UNICEF feels like a good thing to do.

3. My mum died at the beginning of this year. It made me realise more than ever that life is too short for excuses and that I should stop saying I'm rubbish at things and either do them properly or forget about them.

So this is me doing 'running' properly. It's not hard. It took a goal, practice, the right tools (running shoes) and here we are. I've already run 13.25 miles in training in 2 hours 5 minutes so the distance holds no fears.

If you would like to support UNICEF (and I will run 13.1 miles two weeks on Sunday on their behalf), please donate at http://fundraise.unicef.org.uk/MyPage/drsimondavey