4hrs 45mins. Straight back to reality today.

A very tough day. Just in case I'm a bit flippant one should stress how wearing this ever present challenge is. This was one of the windiest days yet, running into this north-easterly which I have a suspicion is a prevailing one. Most of the day was straight into a headwind - you try to lean into it but it's very difficult to get a rhythm, the effort made not reflected in the distance travelled. In short, this was in Hugh's top ten of stinkers.

Hugh and I ran eighteen miles together and I did not envy him continuing with the last eight after a brief lunch break at which point I stopped to get on with my support duties (whatever). This was not a day for flouncing about, describing how lovely everything is but just 'grind it out' to use Hugh's words.

It's probably useful at this point to describe the average day in order to give a fuller picture of what happens on the road. Hugh has a massage first thing (if he has not had one the previous evening) and then breakfast during which he attempts to get hot milk for his porridge - not always an easy process - but necessary for slow release energy .

Next, we troop out to the campervan, load it up and drive out to the start point. This is anything from on our doorstep to 20km away. We have tried to get hotels (oganised by Media Tree, a sponsor) as near as we can to the next day's start point but this has not always possible. If they are too far away or closed up when we arrive(it's happened) we'll find something elsewhere. Generally I'll navigate (don't panic; with gps and map on laptop) and Samia will drive. At the start we park where we can find to give a large enough warm up area where we do dynamic stretching which takes ten minutes.

Then Hugh (with me when I've not been injured) runs. My role when fit is to set an easy pace for the first half marathon or so. This has generally been longer in order that he breaks the back before a ten minute break. We are on a new programme for the Brighton marathon (where there will be no stops) to extend the distance until the first break, gradually until the full marathon distance. Today it was 18 miles(including a one mile walk warm up), tomorrow it will be 21. Hugh has a quick lunch, generally of pasta of some description but always with fresh veg which we cook up on the hob in the van. He then continues, walking the last mile or so with Samia, conceivably munching on a Snickers (why are they not a sponsor?).

Having George here really helps - he can use the bike to check on Hugh, particularly in the confusing tricky road junctions where the campervan cannot always turn round. This also means Samia can nip off on the bike, particularly now I'm running again in the mornings so everyone has some downtime in the afternoons.

After the day's run Hugh sits in the back of our divan of our salubrious vehicle, looks at emails involving the event, calls Jonny PR, family members or deals with anything else pressing, then often has a doze whilst we navigate our way to the next hotel, generally about 15-20km from the finish point. This makes it a long day by the time we arrive.

We then move all the kit back out of the van - laptops, clothes, medical kit, massage table etc. (I have not yet required my brogues, sadly) then check in. We have a quick end of day drink then it's time for Hugh's massage. We generally meet for dinner then deal with event emails and often video diaries and separate sponsor pieces. This is all at the mercy of internet connectivity and speed, either or both frustratingly obstructive at times. Often we're not done until 1 or 2 am until which time I'm writing this rubbish and Hugh is trying to upload videos on Youtube. I often find Hugh 'tapping one out'at 6am and it is a relief to find this is on his Blackberry.

Tonight Hugh's father, Michael and uncle, Patrick have been here to entertain us. Relatively tame compared with what these chaps are capable of but they were up at 4am yesterday morning. I have a shorter day tomorrow, probably a mere half (Achilles flaring up again, damned convenient excuse), Hugh does not. We are hoping for a fairer wind.

We have been quite reticent on sonsorship as so many people have been willing to donate unprompted. Heart felt thanks for this. With the last nine days we now need to raise all we can for Marie Curie - we know how much it means to nurses at the charity and relatives of former patients and as we have received touching messages from them. So please donate anything you can if you have not yet had the time or opportunity to do so. Hugh has undertaken a challenge worthy of any support you can give. Many thanks for your continued interest in our venture and please also continue to send messages of support - it makes an enormous difference to Hugh and us all.