When I ran my one and only London Marathon in 2000 I swore at the time that I would never do one again.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a truly amazing experience and one that I will treasure for ever.

The problem was I hadn’t trained properly. I started with good intentions, but once my training partner dropped out with a dodgy hip, I struggled to muster the motivation to get out the door and clock up the miles on my own. And let’s be honest, I can think of plenty other places I’d rather be than Brighton seafront on a February evening.

So, why am I subjecting myself to it all again? I think there are two reasons; one, I want to beat my previous time (which shouldn’t be too hard) and secondly, 10 years on from the last time, I want/need to get fitter. Therefore I plan to train properly – to put in the time and the miles to be fully prepared.

I intend to do this with as much help as possible from the wonderful world of technology and gadgetry goodness. So far I have acquired brand spanking new running shoes (more on those next time). I will also be investigating such delights as iPhone apps, websites, podcasts, mp3 players and much more.

This blog will act as a great motivator for me and hopefully you too. It might not help you shave minutes of your final time, but it will hopefully switch you on to things that will help you get out that door, and let’s face it, sometimes that is the greatest battle!