SO it's three months since I signed up for Bolton UK Ironman 2015 and the training has well and truly begun.

I guess you could say it officially started when I joined a local running club, MK Lakeside Runners.

I was dreading the first session as I knew I'd be a lot slower than everyone else and as my wife, Natalie is a well established club member, I already knew the members so therefore knew I would be mocked to pieces if I couldn't take the pain!

I rocked up to the first session only to find it was a bleep test (great!).

After struggling through the bleep test (having achieved a pitiful 6.4), a few six mile runs and tempo runs, and I gradually started to see an improvement in my running.

I decided to sign up to the Oxford half marathon which Natalie was also running.

The first and last time I ran a half marathon was at Bolton Arena and completed it in 1 hour 36 minutes - 12 years ago.

Natalie was in good fitness and training for a marathon so I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with her sub 1 hour 45min target.

Along with that, my dad Joe "Pieman" Settle Senior gave me a pep talk saying that if I got beaten by my wife I'd be a disgrace to the family and if I didn't beat his time of 1 hour 50mins which he achieved at the Great North Run six years ago then I would be a double disgrace.

I made my way through the 13.1 miles running through the sites of Oxford and I eventually got through the finish line in 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Whilst my wife did her race in 1 hour 43 minutes I managed to beat my dads time and most importantly far exceeded my own target. I was also awarded club runner of the week!

The support, advice and encouragement I get from the club will be a huge contributing factor to my performance over the next nine months to Bolton Ironman UK 2015.

With standards for running, triathlons and Ironmen being so high, I think it's important to remember personal gain as it's easy to lose sight of your own goals and down play achievements.

You can sponsor Andy raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, simply text SETT £5 to 70070.