In my last report I was up to 15 miles with very tired legs. Well, last Sunday I ran 17.2 miles, and on the previous Sunday I ran 16.3 miles, so I have been steadily increasing the milage and by and large I have managed this quite well. I have not had any major problems to speak of.

After running the 17 miles though, I do feel very fatigued. I managed 17 miles in 2 hours 30 minutes, which is not that fast, so I'm still planning on trying to get under 4 hours in the marathon. I hope that this target is achievable.

I'd ideally have liked a much longer run last weekend, but on the day after 17 miles my legs were so tired that I thought it wise to come in after this distance rather than carry on. For my last few runs I have run from Reigate down through Horley and back, which is about 13 miles distance, and I then do loops much closer to home to make up the distance. I may try a longer run this coming weekend. My plan is to run 17 miles again, and then to see how I feel. If I feel that I can go further, I will.

Sponsorship has picked up, and I'm now on over £350 - I'm hopeful of reaching my target of £1,000.

Having run hard for the previous year or so, I'm hoping to enjoy the marathon more this year.