Before I do each training plan I create an assessment like this. It’s worked well as it gets saved on the dashboard and the team can then check back and compare their goals and ratings as they continue to make progress.

Welcome to the Team (probably should have started with that). So we have 17 weeks until Brighton Marathon. We need to get from 6 miles to 26 miles. Were it not for your impressive background in fitness and your clear determination I would be worried, but I think this is definitely achievable. Easy? No. Do-able? Most certainly.

1 mile extra per week (with a few weeks reserved for races) gets us up to 18 miles, 3 weeks out before the marathon. Most plans would recommend 20 and depending on progress we might try and hit that number. Anymore than that in training and we simply need too much time to recover to make it worthwhile, hence why you never cover marathon distance before the race.

Each week there will be 3 runs, the long run, another easy run (which will get progressively longer) and some speed work. I’ve kept the speed work fairly simple so you’ll be able to do it on the treadmill if need be.

That comes in during week 4. It starts off with some 10k sessions. I’ve put a 10k race in there. The Chichester 10K. This is a big event, a bit of a trek but hopefully given the size quite easy to arrange a guide runner. It’s on the Goodwood Motor Circuit and the adjacent road. A few of us, including myself and my partner Jacqueline have already entered and will probably head down the evening before. I’m not sure if this is possible in regards to your carer duties but if it possible, you’d be welcome to travel down with us. If not I can look for an alternative 10k closer to home.

Speed sessions post 10k will then focus on half marathon pace with Eastbourne Half the provisional race in the plan. Then after that we’ll look to focus on doing some simply tempo session at marathon pace to see what time is achievable on the day.

Given the limited window, my advice would be to ignore a time goal on this occasion. Given your ambitions go beyond this Marathon, just getting this done, regardless of the pace would be an excellent achievement and a good learning curve. Then afterwards would be the time to start looking at aiming for specific times.

I think keeping the two swims per week in is a great idea. Also 2 strength and conditioning sessions. It might take a few attempts to get them at the right level, but they will really help with your running.

I will also look to get the WhatsApp group up and running soon where we can look to arrange a guide runner for you once a week during this plan. We do actually run as a group on Sunday mornings at 8am. If that is when you plan to do your long runs, that might be another opportunity to pair up with a guide and run outside.