(From the author of "Eighty Kilos of Shame")

Running is hard.

42,2 km is far.

For most runners running 42,2 km is a bucket list event. For Mart-Mari Breedt it was as well. This 41 year old software engineer, author and mother of four had already achieved a lot in her life: She lost 80 kg, became a runner, and authored and published her memoir. She loves writing and running and embraces the gifts that overcoming obesity has brought her. It is now time for her next goal: Running a marathon.

My First Marathon Training is a tale of grit. It is the story of how an unlikely marathon runner perservered through a challenging training program to achieve a goal she thought herself incapable of achieving. There were days when her responsiblities made it unrealistic to fit training into her life. Many days she was tired, sore and doubted herself.

Physical discomfort was inevitable - nothing about Mart-Mari's story was ever comfortable. But mental discomfort - for someone as headstrong and determined as Mart-Mari - was surprising.

Mart-Mari's story might appear to be about her journey to the marathon finishing line - it is not. It is about how she made her way to the start line. She only realized this herself the day before race day.

42,2 km is far. 0 km is sometimes further.