Only 2 weeks to go before my first ultramarathon, be it an entry level 30 mile all trail race I can't wait. Training started in July 2008 and during that time my weekly miles at their peak 46 miles, since that lowly starting date I have 1) Run in a 20 mile endurance Fell run, 2) A fell marathon (26.2 miles) 3) Got heat stroke running in Croatia in 37 degree C heat 4) Run 20 miles in sub zero temperatures 5) Lost 3 toenails 6) Run 16 miles with a twisted ankle 7) Shed a tear when I crossed a finish line 8) Raised over £1500 in charity 9) By the time of the ultra will have run 800 miles in training 10) Met 6 RAers and raced with all of them in different races 11) Ran up downland hills and vomited at the top The race is to start in a lovely town called Arundel in south England and will take us around a great circle through great swathes of muddy and pitted woodland sections . Up to and across Downland on hard chalk surfaces with significant hill sections then into lowland marshland . It is a very hilly, very muddy and arduous course, after all, this is England in December we have been informed that the incremental rise of the whole run is 2732 feet. I honestly can't wait, the tapering has begun with my last arduous, sub-zero, snow and wind driven downland taining run which took me about 18 miles over an incremental rise of 2000 feet. My mileage drops this week with a further sharp drop next week when the carb loading starts I'll give you a race report after the race but I am getting really excited now, don't you feel like celebrating at the end of the training and the tapering begins?

Jerry, Congratulations on all the hard work. Now is time to try to enjoy the taper, and definitely time to enjoy the race. When it gets hard, and it will, remember all the training you've put in, remember why you are doing it, remember the feeling of satisfaction you will get when you cross the finish line. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that you will finish this race well. It just remains to see how well. Good luck friend. I will be thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts! I presume you will be wearing your trademark bandana? Tom

Damn, you only lost 3 toenails? All different or the same one more than once? Great training-I'm sure you will do well and finish. Sounds pretty neat to be racing in England-I think I'll have to put "race in Europe" on my list of things to do. Let us know how it goes and keep running, Kelly

Damn, you only lost 3 toenails? All different or the same one more than once? Great training-I'm sure you will do well and finish. Sounds pretty neat to be racing in England-I think I'll have to put "race in Europe" on my list of things to do. Let us know how it goes and keep running, Kelly

Kelly, the UK is great for different races and you really have to choose where you go. In the southern regions you can have some great downland running, in which you run across which Downs ( undulating and gently rolling plains mainly on chalk) the hill rises are up to about 600 feet. There are a mixture of runs from 10km to the 56 mile London to Brighton. The latter is a brilliant race taking you through some beautiful countryside, I ran a 10 mile section of the latter on Sunday in the snow and wind and it was brilliant. Move up towards the north of England and into Scotland you have fell runs, big steep lovely hills, mountains and valleys, a really beautiful place, tough but spectacular, you can see from my list that I did a 20 mile race across fells, really low key event but really tough. The northern runs tend to ask you to carry waterproofs, survival bags, compass map, whistle and enough water and food for the duration of the race. As Purdey mentions, there are some fine ultras here, ranging from entry level 30 miles to the multi stage races over a few days. I am seeing if I can get a group together to run the London Outer Orbital Path (LOOP) which is a 24 hour 4 stage race. As for the toenails, 2 from the same toe and then my big toe caused by stubbing in on a humungous rock, the whole thing went balck and blue to the joint