Over the next couple of months I persevered come rain or shine and increased the distance I was able to run comfortably by a huge amount. Being based in the Lake District I was lucky to be able to train in the hills and around the lakes. While struggling up some of the steep ascents I tried to reassure myself by thinking about the fact that the marathon is mainly downhill… although I knew it wasn't quite as straightforward as that!

It was great to be able to train in springtime – I was out training most days and really enjoyed seeing the trees get greener, the lambs playing and the bluebells coming out. I usually ran in the evenings after work and found there was no better feeling than standing on top of one of the hills looking back down towards Keswick as the sun went down.

I knew that running at altitude would be the part of the marathon I would find the hardest as I had been training at the low levels of the UK. However, I had been to high altitude trekking and mountaineering several times before so I knew what to expect. Running at high altitude was going to be an exciting challenge and I felt ready and raring to go!

Read my next blog to hear how I got on! 

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