What is it they say about ‘Mad dogs and English men’? …Oh yes, midday sun. Well I’m neither a mad dog nor an English man then, but I must be barking, as this week I have only been running in the torrential rain/sleet/hail and freezing cold north wind!

The schedule said it was a week to ‘practice pacing’ and Sunday's long run of 18 miles would be the perfect opportunity for this. We drove out to run 18 miles through the villages and countryside around Bredon hill. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was quite warm, the birds were singing, the lambs were bleating, villagers were out wishing us a ‘good morning’. . . ah, to be in England now that spring is here!

We passed several other joggers, cyclists and walkers, all making light hearted chit chat with us…. yes, it was too good to be true!

Thirty-five minutes later I thought I felt a drop of rain. Within a very short space of time we were knocked sideways by horizontal precipitation of nearly every variety, rain, sleet, and then hail. I was only wearing a running vest and knee length running tights, luckily Ron had a T shirt for me in his back pack, which was difficult to put on as at this point I could not feel my hands. I also had a ‘Buff’ (www.buffwear.com) around my neck, which I pulled up over my ears and head.

I left my sunglasses on for protection to stop the hail from gouging out my eyeballs. I’d like to think that I looked like a slightly damp Grace Kelly but Ron tells me that a bedraggled Hilda Ogden is nearer the truth!

I felt a blister starting on the back of my right heel, so I stopped to tighten my shoe laces as I have heard this is the thing to do if you get a blister whilst running. It did help, but In my desperation to get back to the warm, dry car I ran the last four miles faster than my suggested pace and finished the 18-mile route in 2 hours 30 minutes, 7 minutes inside the schedule, Phew!

Earlier in the week I had some sprint sessions to do – 200m fast, 100m jog x 14. Both Ron and I had Tuesday afternoon free so we took the opportunity of using the running track at Hereford Leisure Centre. This was great fun from my point of view! I felt athletic and even more serious about what I was doing! I don’t think I have run on a track since I was about 15 years old – some time ago! It felt completely different underfoot from any other training I have done so far. However, weather conditions were pretty much the same as Sunday’s session with wintry downpours and bitterly cold, gusty winds. Porto beach seems a long time ago. It cost us £3 to use the track for as long as we wanted it for. It is available on a daily basis and the Centre has good changing rooms with showers and a café. It only takes about half an hour to get there and you don’t have to go through Hereford town centre, it’s right next to Hereford racecourse. (There is a track at Nunnery Wood school in Worcester but this is not available during the daytime).

I’m really starting to feel fitter and stronger from my regular training but I am aware of little ‘niggles’ around my body for which I make sure I see a physiotherapist on a regular basis to hopefully ‘nip things in the bud’. I’m doing all my long runs now in the kit I intend to wear on the day of the Flora London Marathon, (alternating 2 pairs of identical running shoes) and still experimenting with carbohydrate gels and sweets.

If you would like to sponsor me in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospices please go to www.justgiving.com/vikkisivertsen. Thanks once again to those of you who have already donated. This means a great deal to the charity.