Running a marathon has its challenges.
Like, the running part. But one superfit woman, Laura Jones, set out to not only run one, but seven marathons, in seven different continents.
One of her toughest terrains was in Yukon, Canada where the -40 degree weather left her with frozen eyelashes.
That’s basically the same temperature as London this week.
Pictures show Laura after she ran one of the world’s toughest marathons which left her entire face mask covered in ice.
It might not be light work but Laura, from Dunvant in Swansea, is used to harsh conditions, having completed races in Everest, Patagonia, London, Rottnest Island in Australia, and Seattle.
And it’s all for a good cause. During her I Can Run Seven challenge she’s raised over £6,000 for two charities – The Jonny Wilkinson Foundation and The Scouts.
‘The pain reduced me to tears, the only way I could try and explain how it felt is when your hands are freezing and you put them under a warm tap, it’s that burning sensation’ she explained.
‘The snow gave way slightly on every footstep, which activated a lot of muscles that don’t get used very often.
‘It was impossible to prepare for the temperatures too, I’ve never felt anything like it, my entire face mask froze up – including my eyelashes.’
More: Travel
Laura completed the marathon with help from supportive husband Rhys by her side.
She said: ‘When the temperature hit -40c I found it difficult to function because I suffer from circulation problems with my hands.
‘They were dead and completely useless in those temperatures, even with my warmest mittens.
‘But my husband was on hand to look after me, lent me his spare layer and give me hot drinks and snacks and got things out of my bag.
‘There was a checkpoint in the middle where you could get a tea or coffee to warm up but if anything that made it worse when you went back outside.’
As rewarding as it may have been, Laura vows she wouldn’t do it again.
‘All of them have been challenging but I found it hard to cope with the heat in Australia. The winds in Patagonia were also horrendous’ she added.
But she’s not backing down; Laura, who runs her own adventure travel company with her husband, now has her sights set on her final race in Kilimanjaro in March.
It’ll be a tough one, but if you can brave frozen conditions and run even when your head is covered in ice, you can do anything.
MORE: Why climbing stairs is always a killer, no matter how fit you are
MORE: If you’re scared to run a marathon, take inspiration from 83-year-old great-grandmother Jean
MORE: Millennials on course to be fattest generation since records began
[contf] [contfnew] 
METRO
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
