But when she sets off to run a combined 80km with two friends she says she's going to take it 1km at a time.
Kim Dodds, Tracey Hancox and Mrs Stephens, all from the Catlins, are running from Owaka to Curio Bay to raise awareness of epilepsy and to help the Epilepsy Foundation of New Zealand establish an epilepsy support trust for Otago.
This year, the foundation is setting up 16 regional support networks so that the 90,000 New Zealanders living with the condition - the most suffering any neurological condition - and their families can better find support.
When marketing and funding manager Brian Barnett joined the Epilepsy Foundation two years ago, he was struck by the fact there was not a lot of groundswell of support for people living with epilepsy, he said.
When the neurons misfire in a person's brain causing confusion, it could affect their lives in many different ways, he said.
The planned Epilepsy Otago Support Trust would create a network of people living in the area to bounce concerns ''off people who know,'' to receive the moral support from people who have been there before.
''Their sole task is to implement activities for people with epilepsy: this would be in addition to anything they might get from the neurologist, a GP or from an epilepsy service field officer,'' Mr Barnett said.
There is good evidence creative and physical pursuits are beneficial for improving neurological conditions, he said.
Mrs Stephens' son, Jack Stephens, is much the same as any boy, but he was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 2.
He ''dazes out'' from time to time during seizures.
He has spent a lot of time in the hospital and the family has not found the ''right recipe'' of medication to control his seizures.
On September 13, at 7am, the first of the three runners will take the first 25km leg and at the 75km mark Mrs Stephens has asked members of the community to join her for the final 5km into Curio Bay.
In Dunedin, on September 15, Epilepsy Foundation chief executive Murray Tracy will join Mr Barnett to speak about the foundation's plans.
The run is being treated as the first fundraiser by the Epilepsy Otago Support Trust.
• If you live in Otago, have epilepsy and would like to be involved in the trust, email Mr Barnett at: brian@epilepsyfoundation.org.nz.
