Great North Run: Heavy Spoilers raises £6,000 for a shelter

I ran the Great North Run half marathon, and together we raised over £6,000 for a cat and dog shelter in Newcastle. I know it will make a huge difference there. They do amazing work, so thank you if you donated.

My Great North Run fundraiser raised over £6,000 after last year's withdrawal

Last year I had to pull out with conjunctivitis a week before the race. Because of that, I didn't think people would donate this year. I could imagine them saying: we gave you money last year and you didn't take part.

That isn't what happened. The support was bigger than I expected, and I'm amazed by it. The money is going to people doing wonderful work, and I'm grateful to everyone who gave.

Race day adrenaline, the crowds and the Rocky IV soundtrack

I wasn't sure I could finish under two hours, because my fastest time in training was two hours and 13 minutes. On race day, though, the adrenaline keeps you going.

I want to thank the crowds who cheered me on too. I say the crowds were there for me. They weren't. They were just there. Still, plenty of wonderful people were cheering.

I also had the Rocky IV soundtrack on repeat. When "Hearts on Fire" hits its big moment while you're running, I felt an incredible rush. I did get very bad sunburn, but I felt very good, and I'm grateful for all of it.

Why I'm excited to talk about Carrie

I've had early access to the new Carrie series and to the second season of Dark Matter. I think all the Carrie episodes will be released on the same day. I'm a big Stephen King fan, and I reread the book ahead of the show. I don't know what I can say about the series yet. I'm up to around episode five. There's a lot to talk about, I'll say that, and I'm excited to discuss it. I also think the Carrie film is great.

The Thing is one of my favorite films of all time. Who Goes There is another book I've just read, and it adds a lot to the story. I think it solves one of the film's big mysteries, one I haven't seen anyone talk about before.