Last night, when I got in from my 25 miles on the run until you drop challenge, my left leg ached so badly I knew I wouldn’t get much sleep and I didn’t. The challenge is now in its last three days, thank goodness. The task is to run the number of miles in that day, every day of the month.

I went out today with a heavy heart. A couple of hours in and I was on my usual route down the pavement to the Palmeraie, the big palm tree grove which covers miles of land just on the outskirts of Marrakech. There are lots of beautiful and expensive hotels there. It is nice to run in – palm groves, camels, big skies.

Yesterday night, I had moaned about sore legs on Facebook and got wonderful support and excellent advice from friends and the wider community. But I still felt miserable and could only focus on the pain.

Then I looked up, and ahead of me, wheeling himself in his wheelchair down the main dual carriageway out to the Palmeraie, was the chap I have passed every day. He was on his way to work, smartly dressed in his suit and tie, with his briefcase strapped to his back. He looks as though he is in his fifties, with a short, neat moustache, a fine smile and always a friendly greeting for me.

He is in a very basic wheelchair and has to use the road because the pavements are all broken and have high drops. When I passed him, he was a good three miles from where I usually see him. He waved cheerfully and I waved back. I was both instantly ashamed of my self indulgent inner whingeing but also uplifted by a realisation.

I am running and walking this challenge slowly and sorely, but HOW lucky I am that I can.