All the recent bad weather has not deterred Marquita Thorne from her training in the Argus 400 Challenge.

The Argus 400 Challenge is a training programme that offers ordinary people the chance to compete in the 2009 Bermuda Day Half-Marathon.

In January, The Royal Gazette began following two participants, Marquita Thorne and Charmaine Thomas.

This week, Mrs. Thorne said training has been going so well, she took part in the Bermuda International 10 K Walk and Run in January where she came 314 overall, and 14th amongst women ages 50 to 59 with a time of one hour and 15 seconds.

"It rained from the moment I got up in the morning," she said. "But it is the time of the year I like to run, because it is cool. My plan was to run ten minute miles, so it was under that. I was pleased with it.

"I think for my age group I did okay."

She said so far, she hasn't missed a training session.

"Last Sunday I was running along Harrington Sound and going up the North Shore, it was so tough going up, because of the wind. I am quite lightweight."

She said it is not necessarily getting easier, because as she becomes more fit her challenges increase.

"Now I am going longer distances," she said, "but I am stronger."

She is now running eight miles and needs to be able to run 13 miles to complete the Bermuda Half-Marathon coming up in May.

"I am still basically at the same programme I was doing but this week my coach and massage therapist want to revamp my schedule. They want me to do more. They feel I am capable and want to make sure I am going to be able to do the half marathon."

She said in training, she is still holding back some energy reserves.

"My coach thinks I reserve myself a little bit more than he would like," he said. "That's probably because I can't envision the distance until once I have done it."

She said as a kid, she was a very good sprinter, so her coach now wants her to take advantage of that.

"I am encouraged to sprint," she said. "He wants me to feel it. Generally, when I finish I am still feeling pretty good."

In January Mrs. Thorne told The Royal Gazette that her two daughters, her husband and sons-in-law would be running or walking with her in the half marathon.

Since then, the family participation has grown.

"All of my brothers-in-law are going to do the marathon," said Mrs. Thorne. "I seem to be inspiring the family, but I just want to keep it together"

Mrs. Thorne said nutrition has also been a challenge during training.

"It is about making sure that I eat when I need to eat," she said. "Eating the right things is part of a healthy lifestyle.

"I eat my three square meals a day, but I need to step up more fruits and a few extra carbs. I am never hungry so it is a challenge. to push it all in."

Dietician Sarah McKittrick is helping her with the nutrition aspect.

"People that prepare to run this race, make such major sacrifices," said Mrs. Thorne. "My whole life is around this run."

During the training she has taken part in many shorter runs and competitions. After the half marathon she hopes to concentrate on just a few races that she likes.

Participant Charmaine Thomas said that things had not gone as smoothly for her.

"My training is going well, but I have developed all kinds of ailments," she said. "The biggest one is my knee so now I am wearing a brace."

She said her knee issue actually started a year ago.

"I could not run for months and I had to strength train (spin) until I could run again," she said. "This time it is the other knee so I was worried, but not dissappointed."

But she said she is still running on it and playing tennis, but it does slow her down a bit.

She said the bad weather in Bermuda has not effected her training because she was in Jamaica on vacation for much of it.

"Training in Jamaica is not difficult except getting out of bed when you are on vacation. Once I am up then I am good."

She said she is still highly motivated to run the half-marathon in May.

In a previous update on her progress, she said that she wanted to run the half-marathon as a special birthday gift to Bermuda.

"My motivation for doing it has not changed," she said this week. " I am looking forward to meeting up with my next training group for power hour next month as I was not able to attend the last one."