I’ve run 235 training miles this year. 235!! And with just 3.1 more to go before the big day, I’ve spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks giving in to the maranoia, and questioning whether I trained often enough, ran far enough, pushed myself as hard as I should have, whether my fuelling strategy will work and whether I should have done more cross training, more foam rolling, more strength work…

Realistically though, whilst my times have been a bit slower than last year, I’ve managed to stick to 3-4 runs a week, along with a weekly 2k swim, pilates, personal training sessions, spinning, cycle commutes, and even a few threshold and progression runs here and there. My recovery times are improving, and my body feels stronger, with none of the niggles I had to deal with last time round. It’s been a pretty epic few months!

There have been frosty run commutes:

Cold, dark, wet cycle commutes and muddy river runs:

Some of the long runs were TERRIBLE – torrential rain, strong winds, thunder and lightening during one – but some of them were also epic fun (with medals at the end!)

Lots of miles were run alongside my favourite people, and were full of smiles, chatting and laughter:

There were moments I asked myself why on earth I was running at all, and moments that made me wish I could run every day:

There were plenty of early-morning gym sessions where I desperately wanted to just crash out afterwards – and evening sessions where I did just that!

It’s been a bit of a mixed bag, and just like last year, a roller-coaster of emotions! But I can honestly say that I feel fairly well prepared for my marathon on Sunday. As for whether I get my target time, who knows? But I can definitely give it a good shot!

And at the end of the day, it’s PARIS – and the forecast is for glorious sunshine! If all else fails, I’ll stash a few macarons in my belt, enjoy the sights and have a bloody good time.

Who else is marathoning this weekend? Good luck, and ENJOY!