Back in March 2012, I stepped on to the bathroom scales and discovered that after a lifetime of being the “skinny guy” it seemed I was now 15.5 stone and more like the fat guy and realised it was time to do something about my predicament.

Sure my biggest weaknesses in life are beer, chocolate, biscuits and cakes, but more worryingly I couldn’t even run for a bus, so what could I do and where do I start? Especially as I have a distinct hatred for gym culture.

However after reading about a new iPhone app called “Get Running” that promised to turn you from a couch potato to running 5k in 8 weeks, I thought what the hell of I got to lose? At the start of this new regime I could not run for longer than 30 seconds but by the end, I was running over 5k comfortably so no matter how unfit you are, I am living proof that it works.

For me the beauty of running, is it allows me to listen to combine my main interests of music and photography and best of all, all you need is a pair of trainers, no expensive hippy bullshit, just good old fashioned eat less and move more.

Nearly two years on and I am still amazed that I have completed two half marathons and my biggest issue now is staying motivated, so I have signed up to the Martin Lewis How Far Can You Run in 2014 challenge hoping this will keep me running

My first ever pair of running shoes were a pair of Saucony Pro Grid Ignition 2 for £25, and these will always have a special place in my heart but after 500 miles on the road they have seen better days so have purchased a new pair of Saucony Power Grid Triumph 9 that were £99 on the high street but found for £55 online.

Designed with a 8mm heel-to-toe offset that maximizes muscle power by allowing for a more efficient stride and apparently ideal for the heavier neutral runner, they will take a little getting used to but I will let you know how I get on.

I still find it hard to believe that this self confessed couch potato has now notched up 674 miles or over 1,000 kilometres since I first started this running malarkey nearly 2 years ago but hopefully I can add to these miles in 2014.

It’s going to be tough but I will also aim for the Martin Lewis target of running a total of 434 miles (700km) in 2014. I am hoping that signing up to this challenge will be just what I need to keep me motivated for another 12 months.

So after nearly 2 years of this running malarkey, I have once again done the easy part by talking the talk and saying “I will will run for over 400 miles in 2014” but I guess its time to stop talking about it and do some running, so I’m off to do just that.