It's eight weeks since I decided to do a Race for Life, and I can now run for 30 minutes without stopping. According to my route measuring, that's about two miles - which leaves me just 1.1 miles short of the 5km I'm running on Saturday.

I realise that being able to run for 30 minutes is not quite as impressive as running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents (like Sir Ranulph Fiennes did a few years ago) but given my fitness level eight weeks ago, I'm very pleased.

I've always hated running - even when I had to do it as part of football training for over a decade - but that's all changed. I don't know how and I don't really care, but I now find running relaxing and invigorating, plus I know it's good for me. As exercise goes, it's easy and free, and you can do it wherever you are. I was on holiday for a week of the last two months, and I ran three times along various stretches of the towpath of the Rochdale Canal, which was a lovely change of scene (plus towpaths are very flat, which helps.

How did I do it? I downloaded a six-week 0-5k training plan from the Runner's World website, which saw me through the first six weeks, and for the last two weeks I've been concentrating on running for longer times.

Last night I went to the local country park for the first time and jogged in the evening sunshine with bird song, along the well-worn dog-walkers' paths, beside the lake, and across a meadow full of clover and waving grasses. From now until Saturday, my training schedule is simple: tomorrow I'll train, and Thursday and Friday I won't!

Along the way I've acquired some special running leggings, to hold in your muscles (also do a good job on the flab!) and support your knees, and a top made of technical fabric to wick away sweat and keep you cool. I'm delighted to report that these both really work, and I'll be wearing them for future runs, starting on Monday.

Are you doing a Race for Life, or training for one? Let me know how it's going - or how it went.

Find out more about Race for Life here - with details of runs, training plans, and all the info you need.

Read my last Race for Life blog

Read 'Get fit for a good cause'