Over the Christmas break, I think that I've run too much, and I've now keep feeling tight achilles tendons. Sometimes they have a burning hot feeling. I trying to stretch a few times a day to stave off this injury. During the break, I ran a number of ten mile plus runs, and I think that it was just too much.

From now on, my plan is to run three or four times a week, with runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with the running club, which will be fairly short, and a compulsary long run on a Sunday which at the moment is eleven miles long, but this will be gradually increased in the coming couple of months.

A number of running collegues will be joining me on the Sunday runs. They are all also in the London Marathon, and these Sunday morning distances are in fact part of the training plan to obtain a three and a half hour marathon time which one of the runners is following. I don't intend to follow this training plan though, because it'd be too much for my legs, and anyway I don't feel I have the time.

I ran the Tadworth 10 ten mile race on Sunday 6th January, and I completed the two lap course in 71 minutes 54 seconds, which beats my last personal best by over three minutes. I am really pleased with this acheivement, and shows me that I am running better than I ever have done in my life. You can see details of the Tadworth 10 at www.tadworth.org.uk.

I have hardly collected any more money towards my collection in the last month. I can't sell old computer equipment on the internet towards my appeal for the time being, as there is currently no space in our house to do the testing, storing and packing of the equipment. When we've had a clear-out of some furniture, things will be easier. I do not get any sponsors through the internet web site at all, but I get plenty of hits, so if you are reading this, please consider sending me an email to paul@waltersfamily.org pledging an amount towards my sponsorship should I complete the marathon.

I bought three pairs of running shoes from our local sports shop, Simply Sports. They gave me the shoes with a total of £50 discount, on the understanding that I pass this saving on to my fund. A big thank you to Simply Sports then. You can see their website at www.simplysports.co.uk

I don't feel that my mental health has been as good as it can be of late. My mood has been down, and always tired, as well as other things. There are some new drugs that are in trail that are called "aripiprazoles", which could be a really effective and "clean" new psychiatric drug. I hope to give this new type of drug a try when it comes to market, since there is little else for me to take.