The last month has flown by. Somehow, 2026 has already become a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of year, and with race day now firmly on the horizon, I can feel that familiar mix of nerves and self-doubt creeping in. Despite doing my best to build mileage sensibly and stay healthy, there’s still that quiet voice questioning whether I’ve done enough.

Most runners know this feeling well. Often called “maranoia,” it’s the swirling mix of panic that whispers your training wasn’t sufficient, that race day will unravel, and that months of planning might somehow be wasted. I felt it strongly heading into London Marathon last year when I had a very specific time goal in mind. This year is different. I don’t have a target time, and the distance itself is one I know I can cover. That has eased the pressure slightly, but the nerves haven’t disappeared entirely.

There’s more than just the running playing on my mind. Solo travel with unfamiliar faces, the unknown of living on a ship for ten days, and the creeping sense of imposter syndrome that comes with putting myself into such a big, bold experience. I’m trying to meet each of those fears head-on by acknowledging them, talking them down, and focusing on what I can control. With departure day approaching fast, all I can do now is take care of the basics: run what’s runnable, prepare as well as possible, get on the plane, and trust that it’s enough.

Physically, though, things are encouraging.

The last couple of weeks have felt strong. I began this training block with a lingering hip and groin niggle that first appeared after an ultramarathon last year. It was the kind of issue that stayed quiet on flat runs but flared up painfully whenever hills were involved, often taking days to settle. Ironically, my running club’s recent focus on hill training seems to have been exactly what I needed. Gradually, the weakness strengthened and over the past few weeks, the pain has completely disappeared.

I’ve also had a few confidence-boosting fitness tests along the way. Earlier this week, I raced a 10km on the fast, flat loops of Battersea Park, a course known for personal bests. On a bit of a last-minute whim, I decided to really push it and ended up running my fastest 10km in more than ten years. That result was a welcome reminder that the training is working and that my fitness is in a good place. Huge thanks to RunThrough for the free entry into this race!

There’s one solid training week left before I taper and begin the journey south to Argentina, and eventually Antarctica. A key session still to come is a hilly 30km long run, which will offer a valuable glimpse into how race day might feel. If that run goes well, it’ll add another layer of reassurance going into the taper.

Away from the running, the final pieces of gear are coming together.

My fueling plan is now locked in thanks to my friend Dan and Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ll be decanting gels into a reusable flask and packing a few of their energy chews to help combat flavour and texture fatigue during the race. Of course I’ll be bringing some Percy Pigs tucked in my backpack to really help me push through those last final kilometers of the marathon.

I’ve also added a new piece of kit to the setup: an Insta360 Ace Pro 2 action camera from Insta360. It’s lightweight, tough, and delivers impressive photo and video quality which is exactly what I was looking for to document race day and the wider adventure. My upcoming long run will double as a practical test to see how intuitive it is to use while moving.

Getting into the final marathon preparations

With travel looming and marathon training nearly complete, the nerves are still there but so is the excitement. Preparation is coming together, fitness is trending in the right direction, and now it’s about trusting the process, embracing the unknown, and stepping onto the start line ready for whatever the experience brings.

Aside from the fun gadgets and fuel, it’s been extra socks, extra hats, extra recovery creams and lotions, and slowly ticking off my packing list.

It’s hard to believe that in two weeks I’ll be boarding the ship heading to the unknown and exciting in Antarctica!

As overwhelming as it can feel at times, these final stages of preparation are grounding. They’re a reminder that this marathon isn’t about a finish time or a result on paper. It’s about embracing adventure, celebrating my own personal strength, and giving myself the best possible chance to experience something truly rare.

With training nearly complete and plans falling into place, my focus now is simple: stay healthy, stay calm, and trust that the work, both physical and mental, has been enough.