British adventurer Sarah Outen is now on countdown, with only one week left in the UK before she travels to Japan to embark on her second attempt at rowing solo across the North Pacific Ocean from Japan to Canada, Sarah has a very short space of time to get some serious training in before she leaves for 'part 2' of her challenge.

"February was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Exciting to be sealing sponsor deals, packing the boat off to Japan and getting closer to launch day, but a bit of a downer having two weeks of illness. I had every sort of 'itis' imaginable, courtesy of an overworked immune system and bad luck. Cough, cold, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis... Needless to say I am very grateful for antibiotics in helping me shift the various infections. I am still not fighting fit, but certainly getting there.

Up to that point, training was going well, really well. I particularly enjoyed the sessions at Core Cambridge - where activities followed a familiar pattern of getting broken in functional training (strength and power) and then getting fixed on the couch of the phsyio as he massaged and manipulated various body parts back into being. Peppered with circuit training (lots of plyometrics and core work) and some more time on the Concept 2 and I was feeling fit and strong and fat. And all three of these things are good - I need to be fat for the ocean so I have bulk enough to be robust.

And with that I turn to final farewells and last-minute admin. I am hoping to be healthy enough to have one last day of training on Monday, which will be three strength sessions interspersed with three erg sessions and a final pummelling by the physio.

Then to Japan. I hope to go on standby from April 1st, ready to launch across the North Pacific.

I am excited and raring to go."

For more information on Sarah see her blog and follow her updates on Twitter @SarahOuten