Training in freezing conditions against 100km/h winds may seem like torture, but ultramarathon runner Donna Urquhart has been looking forward to this moment for months.
She's counting down the weeks until flying to Antarctica to run 1300km in 30 days in a bid to break the world record for the longest ultramarathon in a polar region.
Until then, training sessions inside a wind tunnel in Melbourne and another inside a frozen shipping container are as close as she'll get to experiencing the real thing.
"It's extremely hard to think and it's extremely hard to function," Associate Professor Urquhart told AAP after a training run as she described the conditions.
"It's a challenge, it's about facing a level of fear but I put myself out there and give it a go".
"Once I've done it, it actually builds belief and confidence that I'm well equipped and I'm ticking the boxes for Antarctica to be a success."
The Melbourne pain scientist decided to attempt to break the world record set by Pat Farmer after listening to adventure podcasts during COVID-19.
She's set to take on the record by running 10km loops near a base camp capable of providing medical and logistical assistance.
There's a risk of developing frostbite, hypothermia and struggling to get enough sleep with 24 hours of sunlight a day in temperatures as cold as minus-20C.
Husband Rhys, a search and rescue professional, will be with her during the record attempt.
It usually takes Ms Urquhart about six hours to complete 60km but she expects to run for up to twice that in Antarctica.
Polar guide Eric Philips helped Mr Farmer complete his record-setting run in 2012 and says Donna is absolutely capable of smashing it.
He said her success could ultimately be down to whether conditions are fine enough to run, but she has as good a chance as anyone.
"It's right on the edge of human achievement, but I think she can do it," Mr Philips said.
"I suspect she won't have the luxury of lunch breaks, she's just going to have to push, push, push all the time."
There have been few doubters, but any naysayers have only provided her with extra motivation to show the world anything is possible.
"I'm going to show the people that didn't think I could do it that I can," Ms Urquhart said.
She's raising money for several charities and has also set up a foundation to empower women and girls though sport.
"I'm not a professional athlete, I'm a mum, a wife, and I work and juggle everyday life like everyone else," she explained.
"It's an exciting opportunity to showcase what females can do and really, that's the underlying 'why' behind this feat -we want to empower and educate females in sport."
Ms Urquhart is due to arrive in Antarctica on December 4 and leave on January 4.
