I guess it's about time I came out with it. I have started running.

As some of you will know I have dabbled with running before. I did about no more than an hour's training in the run up to the Leeds Abbey Dash 10k in 2004, and then ran the race itself in 54:46. I ran the same event the following year (pictured above), without any real training, finishing in about 1:05:00. And then that was it as far as running was concerned.

Having put on several stone in last few years, I decided late last year that enough was quite enough and that running would be the best way to do something about it. So I'd try again, starting from scratch, but actually take it seriously this time. Having lost so much fitness and added so much weight, it's clearly a big challenge.

On a rather cold, dark Sunday evening in the middle of January I went for a trial run with the aim of seeing if I could make 5k, and make it without dying. I made 5k, without dying, in 36:16. A very slow (compared with the 10k times) but encouraging start (as I did make the distance, and I didn't die either). Since then I've been running, with a bit of cycling, several times a week. I've been taking part in the Hyde Park Time Trial each week, and after six events I've got my 5k time down 30:41. It's going really well, but I'm still miles behind my previous pace.

The Leeds 10k Jane Tomlinson's 'Run For All' is a 10k road race around Leeds that was first held in 2007. And I've decided that I'm going to run it for the first time this year. I'll be running to raise funds for the RFL Benevolent Fund, which aims to support players whose lives are affected by serious injuries sustained while playing rugby league. So if you'd like to support me and encourage me, and help a really worthy cause, head on over to my page at Justgiving.com titled Paul runs the Leeds 10k.

I'll be blogging more about how things are going as things progress. So, stay tuned.