I have never hidden from the fact that I was a very difficult person to live with during my competitive days, especially when training for an important marathon.

However, and whilst I don’t want to say that the boot is now on the other foot by implying that my other half Steph Jones, who is training for the London marathon, is difficult to live with, the reality of just how close we are getting to race day is really hitting home.

During the long drive back to Felthorpe after our recent holiday in Scotland, she didn’t stop talking about it and asking questions which was something she hadn’t really done up until then.

Also bear in mind that running a marathon had not been on her radar until June when being offered the chance to run in London after Sportlink won a free entry from New Balance due to praise from customers with regards to a first-class in-store service.

Whilst it would have been more ideal if she had planned to run a marathon at the start of year and yes indeed had more miles under her belt at this stage, it is what it is and I know she will be fine come the big day.

All the usual questions, thoughts and even self-doubt at times are perfectly normal ie “I struggled to run just eight miles today so how on earth can I run 26.2?”

Or of course how any small niggle can suddenly become a borderline injury.

These thoughts and fears along the way are applicable to just about everyone who wants to do well.

I can remember plenty of sessions where I struggled to hit marathon pace over short reps or even struggled to do a 10-mile training run at six-minute mile pace, never mind run the full marathon distance at just over five minutes a mile. Before anyone says anything, my best marathon averaged 5:14 per mile.

Last Sunday, we went out for a two hours, 30 minutes run and whereas Steph would normally be chatting all the way round, I don’t think she said more than a dozen words, despite running through what really is a beautiful and unspoilt setting across the Wensum Valley and Ringland Hills.

Our friend Jason was with us for which I joked to him when saying “next week's EDP column is already written.”

I broke the run down for her in parts too, but the real crunch came during the last mile after we had dropped Jason off. Suddenly from having hardly said a word, I was hit with a barrage of moaning whilst also saying can we go home now?

“We are on the way home,” I replied, “but let’s just add this small loop on.”

Lots of people over the years will know all about the ‘let’s just do another loop’ at the end of a long run with me.

She flatly refused for which I just said: “Okay, I will leave that one with you to think about.”

“What do you mean?” she said as we ran back down the lane to our house.

I didn’t say a word until after finishing the run where Steph threw herself on the floor in our garden when saying to her: “That was your call, but the likelihood is that during the marathon there will be times when you need to grit your teeth whilst keeping your mind set on not only telling yourself you can do this but also remembering those tough training sessions where it was just as much of a mental battle as it was physical.”

I could see her mind whirring as she lay there only for her to then jump up and take off again running back up the lane only to return after doing another mile.

“I thought you said you couldn’t run any further?” I said with a big smile on my face.

She just gave me a look as if to say, ‘at times you do my head in, but thank you.’

Running a marathon really is such an experience, but the journey and all-round experience is so much more than just the 26.2 miles on the day.

On another note... whilst running with Jason (Wright) last Sunday, what with him being a huge F1 fan, he was telling me about a special running shoe which McClaren have now produced retailing at £545. I have been predicting a £300 shoe within the next year, but a running shoe for over £500 is pretty mind blowing irrespective of it being designed around F1 precision engineeering.

Watch this space!