Sunday evening has arrived all too soon this week. My anticipations not realised, my goals not achieved. In fact, I honestly feel the sands of time are truly running away from me, but not without a fight.

So, just what can I do about this feeling of under achievement? Simple, try harder I guess. In fact, all I need to do is just push on a bit and ensure I don't miss the target, which is so close.

Monday morning will see me with half the remaining distance I have left to cover. So far, during this last week I have managed to complete 57 Kilometres running and 92 Kilometres rowing. After work I hope to complete a 'quick' jog covering 10 kilometres, taking about 55 minutes, around part of the airfield in the late afternoon sunshine. This will leave me with just 10 Kilometres on Tuesday morning to row and finally complete my goal of 2100 Kilometres. This last stretch will, as I say in my just giving web page, www.justgiving.com/bernie-heaysman be the last leg to getting home. I have not given up on a single row of 50 Kilometres in under four hours. The time and date have been set. My work will have almost concluded, allowing me time on Wednesday 1st Feb at 10:30 outside the dining hall to achieve this last, almost separate challenge. I shall of course let you know just how it goes.

At times I never thought I would get this far, it really does seem a long time ago since I first put on a pair of trainers and accompanied my roommate of three months, Scott, for a short run around part of the camp. This initial interest in setting a challenge really sowed a seed in my head that perhaps I needed to try something out of my comfort zone. Various people also were of the same belief I would not stick to it. After all, three months, without a day off from some form of training is not really the done thing. Maybe it was my sheer naivety which allowed me to 'just go for it'. I knew nothing about which foods to eat in order to aid training, let alone which muscle groups I have been working. Add in to the mix we are at nearly three thousand feet and the difference that makes to a person's fitness and perhaps I would have thought twice before starting such a challenge. Especially given that my fitness was not that great before getting here. Scott often laughs at me when we finish a run, or I step off the rower. I literally stop. That's it. No warm down, no stretching off, no extra water being drank. I simply clean down the rower or the running machine, with the cloths provided, and walk out of the gym. If running outside, again, I just stop. Back into the room, (or tent as we are now in), and straight off for a shower. I understand now this may not be the best approach to adopt, however it works for me. Perhaps once I get back home and the training slows once more, I shall be afforded the 'luxury' of needing to stretch off and cool down properly. I will say that with just a couple of day's effort left, I shall stay as I am.

Any advice most welcome with regard to Wednesday and how I should go about it. Please feel free to be in touch.

Bernie Heaysman www.justgiving.com/bernie-heaysman