So how DO you ...

... train to run ten marathons in ten days?

For the pedants out there, that's one marathon a day for ten consecutive days. Specifically, it's the Brathay Windermere Marathon route once a day for ten consecutive days, with the last race on the same day as the main Brathay Windermere Marathon event, which is probably the best marathon in the UK.

Becoming a brain donor is not an option. When Leon and I discussed entering the Brathay 10-in-10 Challenge, we agreed that we wouldn't be riding on a "nutter" ticket. This is our target event for 2009. It will be the biggest test to date of our physical and mental strength. More importantly, the aim of the Challenge is to generate funds for, and raise the profile of, The Brathay Hall Trust. We are determined to justify our selection as participants.

We'll blog more about The Brathay Hall Trust and its life-transforming activities in time.

It's not entirely uncharted territory. Sixteen people have undertaken the Challenge since it was introduced in 2007. Fourteen people have completed it, two of them doing so in both 2007 and 2008. But none of the books about marathon-training (believe me, we've read most of 'em - we like books *and* we like marathons) has a chapter about how to prepare to run a marathon, then, instead of taking a month's break from hard training sessions to recover, get up the next morning and run another marathon. And another. And then another ...

In fact, the kindest comment we've read about multiple marathoning is in "Advanced Marathoning" by Pfitzinger and Douglas, in which the authors begrudgingly observe that running marathons only a few weeks apart is not in the same league as clubbing baby seals.

We trust that previous finishers will share their wisdom and experience with us. We hope that our own training record will be of help to future participants.

We have eight months to train. Eight months is a long time, and we have to ensure that our training stays interesting and enjoyable and allows us to do most of our sessions together despite the fact that Leon will run the ten marathons considerably faster than I will.

And this lady, who likes to soak in a hot bubbly bath after a long race, has eight months to get used to the idea of sitting in the chilly River Brathay instead.