First chance to test running in cold conditions. Join me for a cold run on Sat 30 June in Northamptonshire. With the kind support of Eddie Stobart, we have access to one of their refrigerated trucks for the morning.

Ideas for things to do in a freezer are gratefully received. apparently it is great for fat burn...

3 runs this week plus 2 cross training sessions focusing on core and leg strength. Total distance of 43.1km, short of the plan of 53km.

Next week's goal is higher with a total of 58km to be covered.

i have also invested in a new gadget, the latest offering from Garmin the Forerunner 910xt a multisport GPS running computer - computer being the operative word - it is certainly not a watch and offers a whole load of data, stats and analysis - it will satisfy my geek appetite for some time!

17 weeks to go...

(Pic: running down from the Chiltern Hills at mile 14)


Three runs this week totalling 40km. This included one of my longest and hilliest runs ever, 25km up and down the Chilterns. Muddy, but sunny and a beautiful day out in the countryside, running with Dr David Taylor.

I am now 18 weeks away from the marathon and it is time to start a proper training programme. Several people have recommended Advanced Marathoning and I have bought the book. It is a little bewildering, not least for two points that i picked up from flicking through a few pages!

Firstly, there are three training programmes based on running 88km, 113km and 137km per week. The most basic one involves doing up to twice the distance i did this week!

Second, it is advised that you are consistently running at least 40km per week before starting one of the schedules. 

Despite stepping up my running significantly and including some cross-training, cycling and occasional swimming, i have struggled to do more than 30km a week.

Time to step up the training programme.

In my mind, this is more than a marathon. It is a project. Since committing to the race, I have immersed myself into a community of committed athletes, studying an array technical kit and researching the physiology of cold climate running.

I have been humbled by the extraordinary feats undertaken by people I had come across recently which make this marathon look like a walk in the park - races such as the Yukon Arctic Ultra (430 miles), the Iditasport in Alaska (1,100 miles), or other arctic and antarctic polar expeditions. These feat truly test the human condition in the harshest of environments.

The bug has been in me for a while. I have competed in triathlons for 10 years, developed a passion for ski touring and trail running and always had a desire for adventure. When one of my brothers ran the fabled Marathon des Sables I could not just sit out the next challenge. So with both brothers we completed the Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland. Now, the polar marathon.

But what I enjoy most is the preparation for each race. Hundreds of hours training with friends and family, fine tuning equipment and participating in a community of other highly motivated and passionate people.

If this strikes a chord with you, I invite you to join me. Run, Sponsor, Tweet or just keep an eye on this website from time to time.