The final chapter of the book (see the previous post) gives a taste, but you can find out more and pick up from where the book Running from Shadows finishes at www.runningfromshadows.com.
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
BUY THE BOOK!
It's been a long time coming but finally, yesterday, I received the news that Running from Shadows has hit the presses!
Many viewers of the blog commented "Great blog! What about a book?" (thank you all!), particularly as there's little to read about competitors' actual experiences of the Marathon des Sables itself.
So the next project, after the blog, was to produce a book. After 18 months or so of piecing together lots of memories, notes and research Running from Shadows went to the publishers and now I'm delighted to say its gone into print, available to purchase from mid-March 2014 in both paperback and e-book.
The book explains why I was motivated to enter the Marathon des Sables and explains how I went from a 16-stone unfit former mid- to back-of-the-pack runner to finally crossing the finish line of that event in April 2012. Much of the book recounts my experiences of each stage of the race and ends with my returning to the UK with a new perspective on what I wanted to do. The book contains lots of helpful tips with appendices detailing the kit I carried, weights, food and calories taken.
With a Foreword by highly-regarded ultra-running performance coach Rory Coleman, himself a multiple times finisher of the MdS, the book is both entertaining and informative for those who have run or aspire to compete in the Marathon des Sables as well those who would never consider it but wonder what all the fuss is about!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did putting it together.
Many viewers of the blog commented "Great blog! What about a book?" (thank you all!), particularly as there's little to read about competitors' actual experiences of the Marathon des Sables itself.
So the next project, after the blog, was to produce a book. After 18 months or so of piecing together lots of memories, notes and research Running from Shadows went to the publishers and now I'm delighted to say its gone into print, available to purchase from mid-March 2014 in both paperback and e-book.
The book explains why I was motivated to enter the Marathon des Sables and explains how I went from a 16-stone unfit former mid- to back-of-the-pack runner to finally crossing the finish line of that event in April 2012. Much of the book recounts my experiences of each stage of the race and ends with my returning to the UK with a new perspective on what I wanted to do. The book contains lots of helpful tips with appendices detailing the kit I carried, weights, food and calories taken.
With a Foreword by highly-regarded ultra-running performance coach Rory Coleman, himself a multiple times finisher of the MdS, the book is both entertaining and informative for those who have run or aspire to compete in the Marathon des Sables as well those who would never consider it but wonder what all the fuss is about!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did putting it together.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
The end
I'm now back in the UK and it's been four days since I finished the Marathon des Sables.
Various memories start coming back, including the mild hallucinations I had during the night stage. Having had a very poor week of sleep (and sleep just doesn't really happen when in the bivouac) it was during the night of Stage 4 in the sand dunes that I saw a white Berber tent complete with guy ropes and folds in the cotton of the tent. I started moving softly and taking a wider berth around it, keen not to disturb its sleeping occupants . . . until my brain reinterpeted what I saw for what it really was: just a large collection of clumps of grass on top of a mound of sand. The lamb I saw also wasn't a lamb. There were other weird "sightings".
Back at the hotel it took an hour and 3 showers to get off a week's worth of sand and all the detritus of human existence but I felt amazing afterwards.
It had been over a week since I'd seen myself in a mirror and I was really surprised at what I saw after a good shower and a shave: there was very little body fat left on me, it having been consumed in place of calories from food that I didn't have.
On the morning I left the UK (4 April) I weighed in at bang-on 14st and this morning (18 April) I weighed in at 13st 12lb. Bearing in mind I've absolutely stuffed myself for the last 3 days (I and my tent mates were having 3 main meals and 3 breakfasts for the day or two after the MdS, and lots of snacks in between!) I'm guessing I must have lost between 7lb and a stone during the week. When my wife first showed me after the finish a picture of a runner on her camera I asked who it was, not recognising that in fact it was me.
Would I do the MdS again? After Stage 1 one of our tent mates, Tony, decided to abandon (he completed the MdS last year) with the ominous words "I know what's coming and I realise I'm just not motivated to do it a second time." We all gulped at that.
It's unlikely. Once the "toughest footrace on earth" has been completed I'm not sure what my personal motivation would be for trying to complete the MdS a second time.
But having said that we were shown a few videos of the event in the hotel the day after the finish at the British presentation ceremony (see gadget top right: MdS 2012 videos). The videos (there are more on YouTube) show lots of smiles, uplifting music, inspirational interviews . . . and the pain has all been forgotten by then. Was it really that bad and uncomfortable? Wouldn't it be great fun to come back and do it again? When I see these videos it brings a lump to my throat and I'm itching to get my cheque book out!!
To get a faster time might be a motivation but it wouldn't be enough for me as so many external factors beyond one's control can put paid to that.
What the MdS does do is break you down both physically and mentally and it's up to you to build it all back up again, or quit. I was very lucky to have been a part of Tent 78 during the MdS with the best tent mates you could hope for (Tony, Paul, Ashley, Mark, Richard, Dean and Wayne) and we all variously agreed that the MdS also teaches you what is most valuable in life: the simple things and family. The day we were told we were going to get a cold can of Coke, for example, we were all like giddy kippers, kids at Christmas! During the night stage I suddenly became overwhelmed with excitement at the idea of getting home to simply sit and read a few pages of my book; in the dark painful moments I covered a few hundred metres with memories of cuddling up with my wife watching TV, or of my nephew recently explaining to me over a pub lunch how his Lego toy and beer mat invention would help me defeat camel spiders and scorpions in the desert.
I've certainly got the bug back from my 4 year hiatus from keeping fit and doing mad events and this time I don't intend stopping. The world is full of other ultra-events that are similarly tough and I guess I'll aim for them (one or all of the 4 deserts? the Fire and Ice Ultra?) . . . and the goal of joining The 100 Marathon Club one day seems a good one to aim for.
So I'll crack on with that then for now: just another 83 to go!
Various memories start coming back, including the mild hallucinations I had during the night stage. Having had a very poor week of sleep (and sleep just doesn't really happen when in the bivouac) it was during the night of Stage 4 in the sand dunes that I saw a white Berber tent complete with guy ropes and folds in the cotton of the tent. I started moving softly and taking a wider berth around it, keen not to disturb its sleeping occupants . . . until my brain reinterpeted what I saw for what it really was: just a large collection of clumps of grass on top of a mound of sand. The lamb I saw also wasn't a lamb. There were other weird "sightings".
Back at the hotel it took an hour and 3 showers to get off a week's worth of sand and all the detritus of human existence but I felt amazing afterwards.
It had been over a week since I'd seen myself in a mirror and I was really surprised at what I saw after a good shower and a shave: there was very little body fat left on me, it having been consumed in place of calories from food that I didn't have.
On the morning I left the UK (4 April) I weighed in at bang-on 14st and this morning (18 April) I weighed in at 13st 12lb. Bearing in mind I've absolutely stuffed myself for the last 3 days (I and my tent mates were having 3 main meals and 3 breakfasts for the day or two after the MdS, and lots of snacks in between!) I'm guessing I must have lost between 7lb and a stone during the week. When my wife first showed me after the finish a picture of a runner on her camera I asked who it was, not recognising that in fact it was me.
Would I do the MdS again? After Stage 1 one of our tent mates, Tony, decided to abandon (he completed the MdS last year) with the ominous words "I know what's coming and I realise I'm just not motivated to do it a second time." We all gulped at that.
It's unlikely. Once the "toughest footrace on earth" has been completed I'm not sure what my personal motivation would be for trying to complete the MdS a second time.
But having said that we were shown a few videos of the event in the hotel the day after the finish at the British presentation ceremony (see gadget top right: MdS 2012 videos). The videos (there are more on YouTube) show lots of smiles, uplifting music, inspirational interviews . . . and the pain has all been forgotten by then. Was it really that bad and uncomfortable? Wouldn't it be great fun to come back and do it again? When I see these videos it brings a lump to my throat and I'm itching to get my cheque book out!!
To get a faster time might be a motivation but it wouldn't be enough for me as so many external factors beyond one's control can put paid to that.
What the MdS does do is break you down both physically and mentally and it's up to you to build it all back up again, or quit. I was very lucky to have been a part of Tent 78 during the MdS with the best tent mates you could hope for (Tony, Paul, Ashley, Mark, Richard, Dean and Wayne) and we all variously agreed that the MdS also teaches you what is most valuable in life: the simple things and family. The day we were told we were going to get a cold can of Coke, for example, we were all like giddy kippers, kids at Christmas! During the night stage I suddenly became overwhelmed with excitement at the idea of getting home to simply sit and read a few pages of my book; in the dark painful moments I covered a few hundred metres with memories of cuddling up with my wife watching TV, or of my nephew recently explaining to me over a pub lunch how his Lego toy and beer mat invention would help me defeat camel spiders and scorpions in the desert.
I've certainly got the bug back from my 4 year hiatus from keeping fit and doing mad events and this time I don't intend stopping. The world is full of other ultra-events that are similarly tough and I guess I'll aim for them (one or all of the 4 deserts? the Fire and Ice Ultra?) . . . and the goal of joining The 100 Marathon Club one day seems a good one to aim for.
So I'll crack on with that then for now: just another 83 to go!
Saturday, 14 April 2012
14 April 2012 Stage 6 - MERDANI/MERZOUGA: 15,5km
The final stage: a short distance of 15.5km but with a sting in the tail. It's Dunes Day for the last day: cruel. 9km (just over 5.5 miles) of tough sand dunes (the Chebbi Erg dunes, the highest in Morocco) with the last one a couple of hundred metres from the finish.
Decided to push it harder for this last day.
Ran most of the first 6.5km to CP1, managing my water as none was being given out at CP1. Kept going through the CP. Took a 234 degree compass bearing per the road book and kept to it, mostly, passing dozens who'd decided instead to take what deceptively appeared to be an easier route.
Some of these dunes were steep enough to need me on all fours to get over them but my leg strength, surprisingly intact after 144 miles in the last 6 days, powered me up and over most of the dunes. I saw a lone Berber sat atop a high orange-yellow sand dune with the bright blue background of the sky making a great photo, and we came across a few Berber camps sat in the middle of the dunes. Amazing to see.
Finally I saw the white finish-line inflatables in the near distance at the outskirts of the town of Merzouga, signalling the end of my 153 mile journey. Here I knew my wife, Mum- and Dad-in-law were waiting and this gave me a terrific boost.
From where I've no idea but I summoned enough energy to run hard over the last few dunes, powering down the other side and across the sparse stony flats. At last I summited the last sandy dune and ran my heart out towards the finish line, various friends and families of other competitors and other spectators around me clapping and cheering this group of stinking, ragged runners stumbling towards the end.
I heard the final "Bleep" as my GPS transponder crossed the finish line and I was done, 246.5km or 153 miles and 7 days from the start. I could see my wife and family and I was beaming: no pain, no sickness. Just utter relief and joy that it was all finished and a tremendous amount of satisfaction at having completed the toughest footrace on earth.
I joined the queue to receive my medal, hug and kiss from the Directeur Patrick Bauer, the creator of this event, and then funneled through to give my wife the biggest hug!
Too shortly later I was on the bus with my packed lunch for the 5 hour trip back to Ouarzazate and the comforts of real food, a shower and cotton towels, bedsheets and pillows, a journey that began in 2009 now almost over.
And believe me, that bus really stank!
Decided to push it harder for this last day.
Ran most of the first 6.5km to CP1, managing my water as none was being given out at CP1. Kept going through the CP. Took a 234 degree compass bearing per the road book and kept to it, mostly, passing dozens who'd decided instead to take what deceptively appeared to be an easier route.
Some of these dunes were steep enough to need me on all fours to get over them but my leg strength, surprisingly intact after 144 miles in the last 6 days, powered me up and over most of the dunes. I saw a lone Berber sat atop a high orange-yellow sand dune with the bright blue background of the sky making a great photo, and we came across a few Berber camps sat in the middle of the dunes. Amazing to see.
Finally I saw the white finish-line inflatables in the near distance at the outskirts of the town of Merzouga, signalling the end of my 153 mile journey. Here I knew my wife, Mum- and Dad-in-law were waiting and this gave me a terrific boost.
From where I've no idea but I summoned enough energy to run hard over the last few dunes, powering down the other side and across the sparse stony flats. At last I summited the last sandy dune and ran my heart out towards the finish line, various friends and families of other competitors and other spectators around me clapping and cheering this group of stinking, ragged runners stumbling towards the end.
I heard the final "Bleep" as my GPS transponder crossed the finish line and I was done, 246.5km or 153 miles and 7 days from the start. I could see my wife and family and I was beaming: no pain, no sickness. Just utter relief and joy that it was all finished and a tremendous amount of satisfaction at having completed the toughest footrace on earth.
I joined the queue to receive my medal, hug and kiss from the Directeur Patrick Bauer, the creator of this event, and then funneled through to give my wife the biggest hug!
Too shortly later I was on the bus with my packed lunch for the 5 hour trip back to Ouarzazate and the comforts of real food, a shower and cotton towels, bedsheets and pillows, a journey that began in 2009 now almost over.
And believe me, that bus really stank!
Friday, 13 April 2012
13 April 2012 Stage 5 - JEBEL EL MRAIER/MERDANI: 42.2km
After a day's rest feel OK. Not fully recovered though from collapse and IV drip: can't get fully hydrated on rationed water so have to manage effort and water intake. Sore chest and bloody nose: shot-blasted from too many sandstorms.
A marathon today. After the 51 mile long stage we all feel like we've cracked it but today still has to be treated with respect. [It was later confirmed a number of people still dropped out today, including a leading competitor who suffered a heart attack out on the course and has been put into a medically-induced coma].
Mix of stony tracks, sand dunes and dried river beds. Seem to be getting stronger as each day passes but the sandy tracks and seemingly endless sand dunes just absorb all energy. Passed old abandoned village near end and started running more. Incredibly hot. Decided to put on iPod: tapping screen but couldn't see what was on it as too bright in the sun. Ended up in "Shuffle" mode: sad music saw me blubbing like a baby in my pained state; more uplifting music saw me smiling and bounding along seconds later. Decided to switch off iPod and play uplifting music to myself in my head.
Powered past dozens of people to finish feeling nauseous in a reasonable 7h2m for the marathon.
The organisers have flown in the Paris Opera for our evening entertainment! Classical music and opera under the stars: magical atmosphere.
A marathon today. After the 51 mile long stage we all feel like we've cracked it but today still has to be treated with respect. [It was later confirmed a number of people still dropped out today, including a leading competitor who suffered a heart attack out on the course and has been put into a medically-induced coma].
Mix of stony tracks, sand dunes and dried river beds. Seem to be getting stronger as each day passes but the sandy tracks and seemingly endless sand dunes just absorb all energy. Passed old abandoned village near end and started running more. Incredibly hot. Decided to put on iPod: tapping screen but couldn't see what was on it as too bright in the sun. Ended up in "Shuffle" mode: sad music saw me blubbing like a baby in my pained state; more uplifting music saw me smiling and bounding along seconds later. Decided to switch off iPod and play uplifting music to myself in my head.
Powered past dozens of people to finish feeling nauseous in a reasonable 7h2m for the marathon.
The organisers have flown in the Paris Opera for our evening entertainment! Classical music and opera under the stars: magical atmosphere.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
11 & 12 April 2012 Stage 4 - EL MAHARCH / JEBEL EL MRAÏER : 81,5 Km
An ultra-marathon of just under 51 miles. This was the tough bit. Huge amount of sand. Included a hard mountain climb and steep sandy descent, then miles upon miles of soft sand: completely draining on legs. Miles of high sand dunes before Checkpoint 4.
Got to Checkpoint 4 just after dark and had a meal: headtorch on and fluorescent stick on back of rucksack. Intended to plough on through night to the finish. Complete darkness now so took 70deg compass bearing to follow dim light sticks and laser beam in sky to next checkpoint. Got my second wind. Pressed on hard for last 30km and passed dozens resting. Felt completely free of pain after 12 hours; had problems but felt I was gliding along. Runner's high!
Finished at about 3am Thursday morning and crashed into rucksack. Because I've ploughed on through the night I get a rest day (Thurs 12 April).
Rest day: sandstorm. Dust everywhere in everything. Then thunder and hail storm. Then scorching again! Feel good. Rumour: cold can Coke for all later!
Got to Checkpoint 4 just after dark and had a meal: headtorch on and fluorescent stick on back of rucksack. Intended to plough on through night to the finish. Complete darkness now so took 70deg compass bearing to follow dim light sticks and laser beam in sky to next checkpoint. Got my second wind. Pressed on hard for last 30km and passed dozens resting. Felt completely free of pain after 12 hours; had problems but felt I was gliding along. Runner's high!
Finished at about 3am Thursday morning and crashed into rucksack. Because I've ploughed on through the night I get a rest day (Thurs 12 April).
Rest day: sandstorm. Dust everywhere in everything. Then thunder and hail storm. Then scorching again! Feel good. Rumour: cold can Coke for all later!
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
10 April 2012 Stage 3 - TAOURIRT MOUCHANNE / EL MAHARCH : 35 Km
Made it to the start line! Felt better as day progressed. Very hot between 12 noon and 2pm when ascending hill and descending into sand plain: like running into an oven.
5km to finish: don't know what happened! Felt fantastic. Managed to overtake another 25 places in 5km. Huge smile to finish: ready for tomorrow's 51 miles!
Bad sand storms continually filling the lungs and have sandblasted my nostrils!
5km to finish: don't know what happened! Felt fantastic. Managed to overtake another 25 places in 5km. Huge smile to finish: ready for tomorrow's 51 miles!
Bad sand storms continually filling the lungs and have sandblasted my nostrils!
9 April 2012 Stage 2 - OUED EL AATCHANA / TAOURIRT MOUCHANNE : 38,5 Km
Tony from our bivouac abandoned today. Hard terrain to start with sand dunes. Huge salt flat: ran across for 6.25 miles in worst heat of day:52C. This was followed by an oasis full of wild camels which stank. Wheels fell off at 25km:no energy at all;hard to put one foot in front of the other.
Long way to reach 38km finish. Crossed line. Vomited lots; keeled over.
Next thing I knew I was being carried by Berber and medic to tent for stats, then jeep to medic tent. Given water with salts: vomited lots again. Put onto another bed and strung up for IV drip: 5 bags x 500ml. 2 hour penalty.
Wondered what's that flashing? Found myself surrounded by 3 photographers and videographer. Annoying. After 4 hours felt much better.
Back to our bivouac tent, but I had diarrhoea late into the night. Tried to sleep. Decided to abandon.
Long way to reach 38km finish. Crossed line. Vomited lots; keeled over.
Next thing I knew I was being carried by Berber and medic to tent for stats, then jeep to medic tent. Given water with salts: vomited lots again. Put onto another bed and strung up for IV drip: 5 bags x 500ml. 2 hour penalty.
Wondered what's that flashing? Found myself surrounded by 3 photographers and videographer. Annoying. After 4 hours felt much better.
Back to our bivouac tent, but I had diarrhoea late into the night. Tried to sleep. Decided to abandon.
Sunday, 8 April 2012
8 April 2012 Stage 1 - AMMOUGUER/OUED EL AATCHANA: 33,8km
French organisers wake us up at 5.30 driving around in Land Rover with speaker blaring sound of cockerel crowing. Funny.
3 minutes before we set off to the rhythm of AC/DC's Highway to Hell (doubly funny) a competitor passed out and was dragged off. Don't know if he started. 32C at 9am according to tent mate Wayne's watch.
Finally got running. Sand and dried river beds. Steep climb up a jebel for 200m with 15% gradient: rucksack feels heavy. People wobbling all over the place. At bottom of descent wave of heat very noticeable. [Later learnt temperature hit 48C today.]
Passed French competitor projectile vomiting at side of track. Looked in a bad way. "Ca va?" I asked. He nodded at me with hamster-like full cheeks and concern in his eyes . . . and projectile vomited everywhere again. Further up the track another competitor was in a bad way being overseen by Doc Trotters who'd arrived in their Land Rover.
Through CP2. Ahead started 1.3km sandy track to top of Tibert Jebel. Steep. Ensured I stopped every few steps once heart rate hit 160. Incredibly hot in the windless cover of the jebel. Finally saw finish bivouac 4.5km away. Took an absolute age to get there.
Back at bivouac heard rumour of an old desert well few 100 metres away. Tent mate Mark and I went to investigate. Sure enough, people luxuriating in cold waters drawn from well. We took turns dragging old leather bucket from the depths and pouring it over each other: freezing cold but felt fantastic. Felt much better after that. Also washed our kit. Not likely to have this opportunity again.
Dawning on us what we've let ourselves in for.
[Original Stage 1 email postings not sent from bivouac. This entry submitted later.]
3 minutes before we set off to the rhythm of AC/DC's Highway to Hell (doubly funny) a competitor passed out and was dragged off. Don't know if he started. 32C at 9am according to tent mate Wayne's watch.
Finally got running. Sand and dried river beds. Steep climb up a jebel for 200m with 15% gradient: rucksack feels heavy. People wobbling all over the place. At bottom of descent wave of heat very noticeable. [Later learnt temperature hit 48C today.]
Passed French competitor projectile vomiting at side of track. Looked in a bad way. "Ca va?" I asked. He nodded at me with hamster-like full cheeks and concern in his eyes . . . and projectile vomited everywhere again. Further up the track another competitor was in a bad way being overseen by Doc Trotters who'd arrived in their Land Rover.
Through CP2. Ahead started 1.3km sandy track to top of Tibert Jebel. Steep. Ensured I stopped every few steps once heart rate hit 160. Incredibly hot in the windless cover of the jebel. Finally saw finish bivouac 4.5km away. Took an absolute age to get there.
Back at bivouac heard rumour of an old desert well few 100 metres away. Tent mate Mark and I went to investigate. Sure enough, people luxuriating in cold waters drawn from well. We took turns dragging old leather bucket from the depths and pouring it over each other: freezing cold but felt fantastic. Felt much better after that. Also washed our kit. Not likely to have this opportunity again.
Dawning on us what we've let ourselves in for.
[Original Stage 1 email postings not sent from bivouac. This entry submitted later.]
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
At last!
Done: all packed and ready to go. Well, except for my hotel bag . . . I'm bound to have forgotten something.
The ambitious plan is for me to try and briefly update this blog after each stage but that depends on how shattered I am.
Best laid plans and all that!
Can't wait and itching to get on with it . . .
The ambitious plan is for me to try and briefly update this blog after each stage but that depends on how shattered I am.
Best laid plans and all that!
Can't wait and itching to get on with it . . .
Rucksack weight
Today I finally packed up my rucksack and waist pouch and I'm really pleased to have got the weight for both down to 8.6kg in total: 4.1kg for my food supplies over 7 days (a total of 16,740 calories), and which will drop by about 600 grammes per day, and 4.5kg for everything else.
That's before adding water to my water bottles (about 1.4kg: unavoidable), and the other stuff the MdS organisers will issue on arrival: the compulsory distress flare (about 350 grammes), salt tablets, the road book (containing sketch maps and compass bearings) and 8 bags for the "toilets" which, although I don't intend to use them, are a compulsory item to be carried.
It's been a fascinating exercise in cutting down weight!
For example, I need to take some topical disinfectant as a compulsory item and once I finally got hold of iodine (off the internet, unbelievably, rather than Boots or my local chemist) I decanted the 25ml glass bottle contents into an emptied plastic bottle of Simple Eye Make-up Remover (which my research in Superdrug showed had the same bottle top design as the original iodine bottle), saving 33 grammes!
And yes I have cut off excess straps and unused buckles and togs off my rucksack, saving between 10-20 grammes.
I've also decanted my various freeze-dried foods out of their original foil bags into Poly-Lina Pour and Store bags which can take boiling water, meaning I save between 7 and 15 grammes per bag dependent on the freeze-dried brand. For 5 meals that weight saving allows me to take my Garmin GPS watch without too much guilt!
In total, by thinking about every little bit of my kit and foods (which themselves had all been bought with weight considerations in mind) I've saved up to 1kg in unnecessary weight.
This does mean though I'm travelling with little: just one spare pair of socks and one spare pair of shorts for camp in the evening to allow things to, er, freshen up as best they can. And I've ditched a 67 gramme pillow: it was too uncomfortable and I'll have to rely on putting my head on my rucksack.
Every gramme will count!
That's before adding water to my water bottles (about 1.4kg: unavoidable), and the other stuff the MdS organisers will issue on arrival: the compulsory distress flare (about 350 grammes), salt tablets, the road book (containing sketch maps and compass bearings) and 8 bags for the "toilets" which, although I don't intend to use them, are a compulsory item to be carried.
 |
| The packing jigsaw begins. No, the bed's not coming. |
For example, I need to take some topical disinfectant as a compulsory item and once I finally got hold of iodine (off the internet, unbelievably, rather than Boots or my local chemist) I decanted the 25ml glass bottle contents into an emptied plastic bottle of Simple Eye Make-up Remover (which my research in Superdrug showed had the same bottle top design as the original iodine bottle), saving 33 grammes!
And yes I have cut off excess straps and unused buckles and togs off my rucksack, saving between 10-20 grammes.
I've also decanted my various freeze-dried foods out of their original foil bags into Poly-Lina Pour and Store bags which can take boiling water, meaning I save between 7 and 15 grammes per bag dependent on the freeze-dried brand. For 5 meals that weight saving allows me to take my Garmin GPS watch without too much guilt!
In total, by thinking about every little bit of my kit and foods (which themselves had all been bought with weight considerations in mind) I've saved up to 1kg in unnecessary weight.
 |
| And it all fits! |
Every gramme will count!
Heat acclimatisation
I'm fortunate to live close to the Harrogate Turkish Baths which have three rooms with three different temperatures (45C, 55C, 70C) which are also a dry rather than humid heat, so ideal for getting used to some desert-like conditions.
Today was my last day in these and I've had 12 days of one hour sessions. I started straight into the 70C room and felt a little unwell after 45 minutes but managed to stick with it. I really noticed the taste of salt in the sweat pouring down my face (which started after about 3 minutes).
For the last couple of days I've sat for an hour in the 55C room. Over the last week or so I've really noticed a significantly reduced salty taste in my sweat (part of the body's heat acclimatisation process is apparently reabsorbing a significant percentage of the body's salts rather than excreting it: see Mike Stroud's book Survival of the Fittest) and it's taken an increasingly longer time before I'm dripping buckets.
Initially too my heart rate monitor (yes, I wore it!) showed a higher than normal heart rate as it sought to cope with the stress of 70C, getting up to 110-120 beats per minute just from very gentle leg stretching. During a spa weekend away last week I sat in a room which was at 85C: very uncomfortable and I didn't last more than 15 minutes before a 5 minute break (then back in for another 10!).
But today's last session felt fine and gave me some confidence I'll be a little more comfortable when I arrive in the Sahara on Friday.
As the highest temperature I'm likely to experience on the MdS shouldn't be more than 50-55C (though some of last year competitors recorded 56C) I sat in the 55C room yesterday and today. This felt far easier than the 70C room and it took a lot longer before I was dripping. My heart rate also didn't exceed 95 beats per minute during some stretches.
I'll be fascinated to see whether this heat acclimatisation exercise will have achieved anything once I'm in the desert on Friday!
Today was my last day in these and I've had 12 days of one hour sessions. I started straight into the 70C room and felt a little unwell after 45 minutes but managed to stick with it. I really noticed the taste of salt in the sweat pouring down my face (which started after about 3 minutes).
For the last couple of days I've sat for an hour in the 55C room. Over the last week or so I've really noticed a significantly reduced salty taste in my sweat (part of the body's heat acclimatisation process is apparently reabsorbing a significant percentage of the body's salts rather than excreting it: see Mike Stroud's book Survival of the Fittest) and it's taken an increasingly longer time before I'm dripping buckets.
Initially too my heart rate monitor (yes, I wore it!) showed a higher than normal heart rate as it sought to cope with the stress of 70C, getting up to 110-120 beats per minute just from very gentle leg stretching. During a spa weekend away last week I sat in a room which was at 85C: very uncomfortable and I didn't last more than 15 minutes before a 5 minute break (then back in for another 10!).
But today's last session felt fine and gave me some confidence I'll be a little more comfortable when I arrive in the Sahara on Friday.
As the highest temperature I'm likely to experience on the MdS shouldn't be more than 50-55C (though some of last year competitors recorded 56C) I sat in the 55C room yesterday and today. This felt far easier than the 70C room and it took a lot longer before I was dripping. My heart rate also didn't exceed 95 beats per minute during some stretches.
I'll be fascinated to see whether this heat acclimatisation exercise will have achieved anything once I'm in the desert on Friday!
Desert hygiene
The desert is a sterile environment but hygiene problems will be created from the usual suspects: hand-to-mouth contact, the toilets (a hole in the ground in a small tarpaulin make-shift cubicle) and cooking.
Inevitably I'll finish the week absolutely stinking as washing is not really an option with a limited water supply. I'll give myself a token daily wipe down using Wemmi Wipes, a tablet the size and depth of a couple of £1 coins which, when a drop of water is added, expands to a damp towel about 20cm x 20cm. Very clever!
But that realistically won't do that much and it's still possible I'll end up binning them just before the off. If I'm going to stink then I may as well really stink!
Every other bit if hygiene risk I've thought about carefully. You could be the fittest person in the world but once the D&V take a hold (as, historically, it has done to the majority) there's a very real risk of DNF (Did Not Finish).
So my hygiene thoughts are as follows:
- using a toothbrush and toothpaste is a risk from hand-to-mouth contact so I won't be using them for a week and instead I'll be using Orbit Spearmint chewing gum;
- I don't intend using the provided "toilets" and will instead head off a few yards into the desert to dig a hole, taking care to stamp around loudly to ward off inquisitive desert nasties like scorpions and camel spiders, and incinerate with my lighter the paper left behind (apparently in years past some competitors haven't done this, creating interesting wind-borne items in sand storms!);
- in a similar vein is the issue of how much toilet roll to take and how? Best tip I've heard is bagging up a day's ration into a sandwich bag so I now have 7 such bags with a guesstimate of a daily supply and a glove; in this way I reduce the risk of transporting around my person and taking back to the bivouac a contaminated single roll of toilet paper;
- cooking: I'll be boiling my spork before each meal and afterwards applying alcohol gel; all my meals will be eaten out of disposable bags, reducing the risk of contaminated pots etc;
- water bottles: I can't change my water bottles on a daily basis but after a few day's use they'll become a bacterial breeding ground without some attention, so I will add half a Boots Micropur chlorine-based sterilising tablet to some water in my bottles and leaving them for a few hours.
Bet I still end up with problems!
Inevitably I'll finish the week absolutely stinking as washing is not really an option with a limited water supply. I'll give myself a token daily wipe down using Wemmi Wipes, a tablet the size and depth of a couple of £1 coins which, when a drop of water is added, expands to a damp towel about 20cm x 20cm. Very clever!
But that realistically won't do that much and it's still possible I'll end up binning them just before the off. If I'm going to stink then I may as well really stink!
Every other bit if hygiene risk I've thought about carefully. You could be the fittest person in the world but once the D&V take a hold (as, historically, it has done to the majority) there's a very real risk of DNF (Did Not Finish).
So my hygiene thoughts are as follows:
- using a toothbrush and toothpaste is a risk from hand-to-mouth contact so I won't be using them for a week and instead I'll be using Orbit Spearmint chewing gum;
- I don't intend using the provided "toilets" and will instead head off a few yards into the desert to dig a hole, taking care to stamp around loudly to ward off inquisitive desert nasties like scorpions and camel spiders, and incinerate with my lighter the paper left behind (apparently in years past some competitors haven't done this, creating interesting wind-borne items in sand storms!);
- in a similar vein is the issue of how much toilet roll to take and how? Best tip I've heard is bagging up a day's ration into a sandwich bag so I now have 7 such bags with a guesstimate of a daily supply and a glove; in this way I reduce the risk of transporting around my person and taking back to the bivouac a contaminated single roll of toilet paper;
- cooking: I'll be boiling my spork before each meal and afterwards applying alcohol gel; all my meals will be eaten out of disposable bags, reducing the risk of contaminated pots etc;
- water bottles: I can't change my water bottles on a daily basis but after a few day's use they'll become a bacterial breeding ground without some attention, so I will add half a Boots Micropur chlorine-based sterilising tablet to some water in my bottles and leaving them for a few hours.
Bet I still end up with problems!
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Technical: kit and stuff Part 2
Part 1 was posted 6 February 2012.
The remaining key kit choices are:
Sleeping bag and mat
Down sleeping bags are more expensive than synthetic but deliver the lowest weight. I've gone for the Mammut Ajungilak, a down bag giving me that red caterpillar look. It feels very warm and the packaging says it should perform to as low as 5C.
The Thermarest NeoAir XLite is my choice of mat. I'm not sure I fancy a cold and rock stony floor to start with. I'll be interested to see how this performs as it's really a large inflatable crisp packet. If I so much as cough I'm in danger of rolling off it! Not sure it will last a couple of nights on top of sharp stony plains and a couple of thin blankets.
Cooking equipment
I've gone for titanium for all of the cooking pot, stove and spork, making this a very strong but lightweight set of key cooking utensils. I'll collect my hexamine cooking tablets once I get to Morocco.
Sunglasses
My eyesight isn't that great once dusk arrives, nor for long distance. For the night stage this could be a problem as it's pitch black in the middle of the desert save for the minimal amount of light from other competitors' head torches. And I'd like to get an accurate idea of just how far that checkpoint is once it comes into view!
The strength of the sun means I've also had to consider a high strength sunglass.
So I've gone for the Adidas Evil Eye sunglasses: this has my prescription as an insert (solving long distance and poor light problems) and Cat 4 "Space" lenses for the sun. I can pop these out and replace them with a clear lens for the night stage.
The arms are also interchangeable with a headband. This in combination with my Buff and Frillneck desert hat should make any sandstorms less of a problem.
Solar charger
I love my Garmin Forerunner 310XT, giving me heart rate readings, distance covered and speed. While this is considered a luxury for the MdS I'll find it invaluable information on-the-go. The problem is charging. This watch has a 20 hour battery life so I've had to research how to recharge at the end of each day and hope I do the 50-54 mile long stage in less than 20 hours!
The PowerMonkey Explorer is my choice: a pair of solar panels attach to my rucksack and connect to the PowerMonkey battery (which sits in a zipped pocket) for charging. Apparently though it might take 7 hours to fully charge the battery. I'll then connect it to the Garmin watch using the relevant connector to charge up the Garmin.
I'm also taking my iPod Nano which will be my "Break Glass In Case Of Emergency"! A PowerMonkey nut allows me to use the PowerMonkey battery to charge the iPod though with 25 hours of battery life in the iPod I'll hopefully not need to.
Gaiters
The Sandbaggers gaiters have a great reputation for keeping the sand out. I sent them my trainers and got them back within 3 days, complete with the parachute silk knee-length gaiters sewn onto the shoe. Shorter length Raidlight gaiters seem to have had mixed reviews.
Packing all this stuff is something else!
The remaining key kit choices are:
Sleeping bag and mat
Down sleeping bags are more expensive than synthetic but deliver the lowest weight. I've gone for the Mammut Ajungilak, a down bag giving me that red caterpillar look. It feels very warm and the packaging says it should perform to as low as 5C.
The Thermarest NeoAir XLite is my choice of mat. I'm not sure I fancy a cold and rock stony floor to start with. I'll be interested to see how this performs as it's really a large inflatable crisp packet. If I so much as cough I'm in danger of rolling off it! Not sure it will last a couple of nights on top of sharp stony plains and a couple of thin blankets.
Cooking equipment
I've gone for titanium for all of the cooking pot, stove and spork, making this a very strong but lightweight set of key cooking utensils. I'll collect my hexamine cooking tablets once I get to Morocco.
Sunglasses
My eyesight isn't that great once dusk arrives, nor for long distance. For the night stage this could be a problem as it's pitch black in the middle of the desert save for the minimal amount of light from other competitors' head torches. And I'd like to get an accurate idea of just how far that checkpoint is once it comes into view!
The strength of the sun means I've also had to consider a high strength sunglass.
So I've gone for the Adidas Evil Eye sunglasses: this has my prescription as an insert (solving long distance and poor light problems) and Cat 4 "Space" lenses for the sun. I can pop these out and replace them with a clear lens for the night stage.
The arms are also interchangeable with a headband. This in combination with my Buff and Frillneck desert hat should make any sandstorms less of a problem.
Solar charger
I love my Garmin Forerunner 310XT, giving me heart rate readings, distance covered and speed. While this is considered a luxury for the MdS I'll find it invaluable information on-the-go. The problem is charging. This watch has a 20 hour battery life so I've had to research how to recharge at the end of each day and hope I do the 50-54 mile long stage in less than 20 hours!
The PowerMonkey Explorer is my choice: a pair of solar panels attach to my rucksack and connect to the PowerMonkey battery (which sits in a zipped pocket) for charging. Apparently though it might take 7 hours to fully charge the battery. I'll then connect it to the Garmin watch using the relevant connector to charge up the Garmin.
I'm also taking my iPod Nano which will be my "Break Glass In Case Of Emergency"! A PowerMonkey nut allows me to use the PowerMonkey battery to charge the iPod though with 25 hours of battery life in the iPod I'll hopefully not need to.
Gaiters
The Sandbaggers gaiters have a great reputation for keeping the sand out. I sent them my trainers and got them back within 3 days, complete with the parachute silk knee-length gaiters sewn onto the shoe. Shorter length Raidlight gaiters seem to have had mixed reviews.
Packing all this stuff is something else!
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Taper period
There are various opinions on the MdS taper period, the amount of time needed to recover from months of hard training effort and arrive at the beginning of Stage 1 fully refreshed.
Tapering is important from both a physical as well as mental perspective, to arrive physically topped up and mentally raring to go. It's so tempting to keep pushing the distances right up to a week or two before the event but risk arriving stale and tired.
Personally the peak of my training was last week's total of 63 miles, including the 58.6 miles back-to-back. As that was the end of an extended 4 week training cycle with several 20+ mile outings my own taper period will in effect be 4 weeks.
This week has been very light: a "speed play" session of 4 miles (sprinting and resting between lamp posts) and a consistent running speed over a cross-country 18 miles with some ascent where I only walked a total of 10 minutes.
My remaining taper period will be similar. My longest outing this coming week will be about 14 miles and I'll be doing several shorter but fast runs carrying a rucksack not exceeding 5kg. I'll also add in a few swims and weights sessions. The plan is not to go over 30 miles a week over the next couple of weeks.
My final taper week will include Stage 1 of the MdS starting on Sunday 8 April and will be very easy: lots of stretching, a couple of 5 mile runs or walks.
And that's it. The physical training for MdS 2012, which began in January 2011, will be finished.
Tapering is important from both a physical as well as mental perspective, to arrive physically topped up and mentally raring to go. It's so tempting to keep pushing the distances right up to a week or two before the event but risk arriving stale and tired.
Personally the peak of my training was last week's total of 63 miles, including the 58.6 miles back-to-back. As that was the end of an extended 4 week training cycle with several 20+ mile outings my own taper period will in effect be 4 weeks.
This week has been very light: a "speed play" session of 4 miles (sprinting and resting between lamp posts) and a consistent running speed over a cross-country 18 miles with some ascent where I only walked a total of 10 minutes.
My remaining taper period will be similar. My longest outing this coming week will be about 14 miles and I'll be doing several shorter but fast runs carrying a rucksack not exceeding 5kg. I'll also add in a few swims and weights sessions. The plan is not to go over 30 miles a week over the next couple of weeks.
My final taper week will include Stage 1 of the MdS starting on Sunday 8 April and will be very easy: lots of stretching, a couple of 5 mile runs or walks.
And that's it. The physical training for MdS 2012, which began in January 2011, will be finished.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Lessons learnt
The Grantham Ultra weekend has been invaluable in teaching me a few more lessons.
Body weight
I had been intending to put on a few pounds in the taper period to the MdS start line on the basis (i) I'd need it during the race and (ii) some comments I've seen elsewhere.
But this is of course extra weight that has to be carried. If instead I don't put on a few pounds I'll still arrive in Morocco with fat reserves to use up anyway.
So I'll be looking to keep off the pounds and hopefully shed a few more in my taper period to ensure I start the MdS at my lightest possible weight.
Rucksack weight
The muggy day 2 of the Grantham Ultra wouldn't have been pleasant carrying a heavy rucksack. While I've got used to going out with between 8-11kg I have been trying to convince myself there isn't any real difference between carrying, say, 9.5kg and 10kg.
But over time I really begin to feel every additional gramme with every footstep. Add desert heat and the demands of a multi-stage race and any weight being carried is likely to become uncomfortable as the days progress.
It sounds obvious but my MdS will be easier the lighter the weight of my rucksack: a starting rucksack weight of 10kg which becomes 8kg by the Stage 4 50+ miler will feel harder than a starting weight of 9kg which becomes 7kg by the same time.
So I'm on a mission over the remaining few weeks to shave off as many grammes from everything I carry, including considering whether I really need to carry certain things at all.
Salt
Training through the UK winter I hadn't seen or felt any signs of salt loss but day 2 at Grantham reminded me I do suffer on the salt loss front in warmer weather.
Salt tablets are issued to competitors at the MdS (equal to 20 0.5g salt tablets per day) and the organisers note that "perspiration can make competitors lose up to 15g of salt per day . . ." The NHS recommends 6g of salt is the daily maximum that adults should consume.
Many argue why start taking something you haven't used in training? Others seek to rely solely on electrolytes added to water bottles. For me, I know I will need them and plan to take 2 0.5g salt tablets per hour and see how I go from there.
I'd also noticed during day 2 at Grantham that by the finish I'd hardly touched my sweet foods in my rucksack but had devoured my salty Peperami and salted nuts, so I'll also be changing most of my sweet foods I'd planned for each stage for saltier goodies (peanuts, pretzels, etc.).
Body weight
I had been intending to put on a few pounds in the taper period to the MdS start line on the basis (i) I'd need it during the race and (ii) some comments I've seen elsewhere.
But this is of course extra weight that has to be carried. If instead I don't put on a few pounds I'll still arrive in Morocco with fat reserves to use up anyway.
So I'll be looking to keep off the pounds and hopefully shed a few more in my taper period to ensure I start the MdS at my lightest possible weight.
Rucksack weight
The muggy day 2 of the Grantham Ultra wouldn't have been pleasant carrying a heavy rucksack. While I've got used to going out with between 8-11kg I have been trying to convince myself there isn't any real difference between carrying, say, 9.5kg and 10kg.
But over time I really begin to feel every additional gramme with every footstep. Add desert heat and the demands of a multi-stage race and any weight being carried is likely to become uncomfortable as the days progress.
It sounds obvious but my MdS will be easier the lighter the weight of my rucksack: a starting rucksack weight of 10kg which becomes 8kg by the Stage 4 50+ miler will feel harder than a starting weight of 9kg which becomes 7kg by the same time.
So I'm on a mission over the remaining few weeks to shave off as many grammes from everything I carry, including considering whether I really need to carry certain things at all.
Salt
Training through the UK winter I hadn't seen or felt any signs of salt loss but day 2 at Grantham reminded me I do suffer on the salt loss front in warmer weather.
Salt tablets are issued to competitors at the MdS (equal to 20 0.5g salt tablets per day) and the organisers note that "perspiration can make competitors lose up to 15g of salt per day . . ." The NHS recommends 6g of salt is the daily maximum that adults should consume.
Many argue why start taking something you haven't used in training? Others seek to rely solely on electrolytes added to water bottles. For me, I know I will need them and plan to take 2 0.5g salt tablets per hour and see how I go from there.
I'd also noticed during day 2 at Grantham that by the finish I'd hardly touched my sweet foods in my rucksack but had devoured my salty Peperami and salted nuts, so I'll also be changing most of my sweet foods I'd planned for each stage for saltier goodies (peanuts, pretzels, etc.).
Monday, 12 March 2012
ULTRArace Grantham weekend
What a cracking weekend!
My final event for my MdS build up was the ULTRArace Grantham, a double ultra-marathon: 29.3 miles on the Saturday and the same canal route in reverse on the Sunday for another 29.3 miles. Only a few weeks ago I was seriously contemplating pulling out of day 2 and I'm glad I didn't.
Aside from being a great event it was also the first time I've run with other people since the New Hangover Hike on New Year's Day so it made a real difference being able to chat and run with others after so long running and walking alone in the Yorkshire wilderness!
Saturday's 29.3 miles
An early rise to travel to the start after my pre-prepared MdS breakfast: Jordan's Crunchy Oat Cereal with skimmed milk powder and a couple of tablespoons of sugar (just add water).
At the last minute I ditched most of the contents of my rucksack: I had intended to be running with 5.5-7kg but thought better of it, particularly after last week's 11.8kg 23 mile effort. Instead I ended up starting with about 4.5kg in the rucksack.
It was great to be travelling over a completely flat and dry course for a change. My strategy from the off was to run 5 minutes and walk 10 minutes. This meant that within a mile I was all alone and very last! The route and way-markers were very easy to follow though and over the coming hours I passed 9 people to finish 63rd of the 73 starters (I'm never going to set the world alight in this game . . .).
I kept the run/walk strategy going for about 4.5 hours when I then mixed it up while ensuring I still ran for 5 minutes in every 15. I also stuck to the plan of eating something every 45 minutes/1 hour and ensuring I reached each of the three checkpoints and the finish having got through the majority of my fluids: one 710ml bottle with electrolyte tablets and the other 710ml bottle with plain water.
I finished the 29.3 miles in 5h45m, so quite pleased with that, and collected my medal. Conveniently the finish line was the door of the hotel!
A quick check-in and the first thing I did was have my ForGoodnessShakes recovery drink, followed by sitting in freezing cold bath water for 15 minutes (this water must have been pumped directly from the Arctic). Once my hands were going blue, which weren't in the water, I figured it was time to get out.
My legs feeling incredibly recovered I then wallowed in a hot bath for an hour or so then made up my Expedition Foods freeze-dried Chicken Korma with Rice: delicious.
ECG and medical certificate
It's a compulsory MdS requirement to turn up on Administration Day (the day before Stage 1 starts) to hand in a medical certificate signed off by a doctor along with a satisfactory ECG test print-out. This ECG can't be dated more than 30 days before the start of the race. As part of this race weekend a doctor was on site to do the necessary.
The ECG, taken a couple of hours after I finished today's effort, confirmed I'm still alive and all the squiggly lines are in the right places. I also now have squiggly lines over my hairy chest too where it had to be shaved in the right parts before the test.
Ultra-running/MdS evening talk
The majority of runners will have heard of Rory Coleman, the ultra-running legend. In a different lifetime in the 1990s Rory had got used to being an overweight alcoholic smoking 40 a day until realising there was no fun in it. After a breathless 100 metre jog in 1994 Rory was appalled at the state of his body and decided to change things.
Rory has since completed 714 marathons, has 9 Guinness World Records to his name and has completed 180 ultra-marathons (i.e., races that exceed the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles), including running from London to Lisbon . . . just the small matter of 1,275 miles. And 2012 should see Rory complete his 9th MdS . . .
So what Rory has to say about ultra-running is worth listening to.
Rory and his partner Jen Salter are the team behind ULTRArace which organises the Grantham Ultra and other similar events as well as providing coaching and personal training. I picked up lots of useful tips from Rory's talk, some of which challenge the plans and thinking I'd already decided upon for the MdS . . . so back to the drawing board on one or two points.
It was great meeting a few other MdS 2012 entrants and other ultra-runners with other plans, including one guy being trained by Rory for next year's MdS who's so far lost 20 kilos (over 3 stone) . . . in 1 year.
Sunday's 29.3 miles
I woke early for a freeze-dried breakfast (Expedition Foods Fruity Muesli with Milk Powder) and then back to bed for another hour or so before getting up and thoroughly stretching off. I just don't think my body likes hot breakfasts so maybe I'll stick to Jordan's Crunchy Oat cereal during the MdS!
I cleared out some more of my rucksack and went with 4kg.
Emerging from my darkened hotel room into the hotel reception the weather was a surprise: barely a breeze, not a cloud in sight and full sunshine before 9am. A quick change meant I ditched my running longs to just run in shorts but I kept two layers on my top half. I was as unprepared for unseasonably warm weather as most of the field with no hat, sunglasses or sunscreen. I just had one Buff with me to wear as a headband to stop the sweat dripping in my eyes which also meant everything else was exposed to the sun.
I found out today that the race finish in Cotgrave was about 10 miles away from the officially recorded hottest place in the United Kingdom (Watnall, Nottinghamshire: 18.6C). Last week I was running around in temperatures barely reaching 4C.
It was certainly a humid day. I started out more aggressively than the previous day with a 5 minute run/5 minute walk strategy but after about 3 hours this was getting too tiring: in the humid heat and after yesterday's effort my heart rate was spiking too much. I really wished I could dump my rucksack as even with just 4kg I knew that wouldn't help.
So after 3 hours passed I ran what I could, which was little, and mostly walked fast instead. I could tell from the dried salt marks on my clothing that I was sweating out a lot of salts. I had no reason to think I'd need to bring salt tablets with me and the electrolytes I was taking on board weren't helping as much as I needed in the sodium department.
With a couple of hours to the finish I found I couldn't run more than a minute or so without wanting to be sick, my appetite had switched off, my upper leg muscles were cramping up and my hands had swollen a little: all classic signs of low salt! To top it off I found I couldn't turn my head much to the left without a locking back muscle and pain: I've no idea why that started.
With the finish markers in sight I ran the last half mile and finally finished the second day's 29.3 miles just 31 minutes slower than the previous day's in 6h16m, with a combined time of 12h1m27s for the 58.6 miles. A good result and a real confidence booster for the MdS.
I sat down and struggled to get up again without my wife's assistance as my legs were cramping. I still didn't feel like eating though so didn't (a mistake) and instead went straight for a shower.
After a quick chat with Ray McCurdy (who's completed over 160 marathons and will complete his 100th ultra-marathon in the next few weeks) we began the journey home. I knew I badly needed salt so stopped at a service station for some Burger King salty fries: I really didn't feel well standing in a queue in a warm building!
Armed with a Whopper and salty fries I got out of the building sharpish and sat down in the cold shade feeling quite hot, dizzy and sick before I got the hot and cold sweats. The chap emptying the bins looked quite alarmed at the sweating mess sat in front of him and asked if I needed sugar. My long-suffering wife wasn't quite so alarmed: she got used to this on one of our first dates years ago (i.e., me repeatedly throwing up on the hard shoulder of the M1 after carrying on through some pain through a 6 hour track race).
That first salty chip was absolute heaven and I finished off the rest and half the Whopper in double-quick time and felt 100% better! Another bag of salty chips on the way home and I was ready to run again . . . well, sort of . . .
A quick check-in and the first thing I did was have my ForGoodnessShakes recovery drink, followed by sitting in freezing cold bath water for 15 minutes (this water must have been pumped directly from the Arctic). Once my hands were going blue, which weren't in the water, I figured it was time to get out.
My legs feeling incredibly recovered I then wallowed in a hot bath for an hour or so then made up my Expedition Foods freeze-dried Chicken Korma with Rice: delicious.
ECG and medical certificate
It's a compulsory MdS requirement to turn up on Administration Day (the day before Stage 1 starts) to hand in a medical certificate signed off by a doctor along with a satisfactory ECG test print-out. This ECG can't be dated more than 30 days before the start of the race. As part of this race weekend a doctor was on site to do the necessary.
The ECG, taken a couple of hours after I finished today's effort, confirmed I'm still alive and all the squiggly lines are in the right places. I also now have squiggly lines over my hairy chest too where it had to be shaved in the right parts before the test.
Ultra-running/MdS evening talk
The majority of runners will have heard of Rory Coleman, the ultra-running legend. In a different lifetime in the 1990s Rory had got used to being an overweight alcoholic smoking 40 a day until realising there was no fun in it. After a breathless 100 metre jog in 1994 Rory was appalled at the state of his body and decided to change things.
Rory has since completed 714 marathons, has 9 Guinness World Records to his name and has completed 180 ultra-marathons (i.e., races that exceed the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles), including running from London to Lisbon . . . just the small matter of 1,275 miles. And 2012 should see Rory complete his 9th MdS . . .
So what Rory has to say about ultra-running is worth listening to.
Rory and his partner Jen Salter are the team behind ULTRArace which organises the Grantham Ultra and other similar events as well as providing coaching and personal training. I picked up lots of useful tips from Rory's talk, some of which challenge the plans and thinking I'd already decided upon for the MdS . . . so back to the drawing board on one or two points.
It was great meeting a few other MdS 2012 entrants and other ultra-runners with other plans, including one guy being trained by Rory for next year's MdS who's so far lost 20 kilos (over 3 stone) . . . in 1 year.
Sunday's 29.3 miles
I woke early for a freeze-dried breakfast (Expedition Foods Fruity Muesli with Milk Powder) and then back to bed for another hour or so before getting up and thoroughly stretching off. I just don't think my body likes hot breakfasts so maybe I'll stick to Jordan's Crunchy Oat cereal during the MdS!
I cleared out some more of my rucksack and went with 4kg.
Emerging from my darkened hotel room into the hotel reception the weather was a surprise: barely a breeze, not a cloud in sight and full sunshine before 9am. A quick change meant I ditched my running longs to just run in shorts but I kept two layers on my top half. I was as unprepared for unseasonably warm weather as most of the field with no hat, sunglasses or sunscreen. I just had one Buff with me to wear as a headband to stop the sweat dripping in my eyes which also meant everything else was exposed to the sun.
I found out today that the race finish in Cotgrave was about 10 miles away from the officially recorded hottest place in the United Kingdom (Watnall, Nottinghamshire: 18.6C). Last week I was running around in temperatures barely reaching 4C.
It was certainly a humid day. I started out more aggressively than the previous day with a 5 minute run/5 minute walk strategy but after about 3 hours this was getting too tiring: in the humid heat and after yesterday's effort my heart rate was spiking too much. I really wished I could dump my rucksack as even with just 4kg I knew that wouldn't help.
So after 3 hours passed I ran what I could, which was little, and mostly walked fast instead. I could tell from the dried salt marks on my clothing that I was sweating out a lot of salts. I had no reason to think I'd need to bring salt tablets with me and the electrolytes I was taking on board weren't helping as much as I needed in the sodium department.
With a couple of hours to the finish I found I couldn't run more than a minute or so without wanting to be sick, my appetite had switched off, my upper leg muscles were cramping up and my hands had swollen a little: all classic signs of low salt! To top it off I found I couldn't turn my head much to the left without a locking back muscle and pain: I've no idea why that started.
 |
| Where's that Whopper and salty fries?!? |
I sat down and struggled to get up again without my wife's assistance as my legs were cramping. I still didn't feel like eating though so didn't (a mistake) and instead went straight for a shower.
After a quick chat with Ray McCurdy (who's completed over 160 marathons and will complete his 100th ultra-marathon in the next few weeks) we began the journey home. I knew I badly needed salt so stopped at a service station for some Burger King salty fries: I really didn't feel well standing in a queue in a warm building!
Armed with a Whopper and salty fries I got out of the building sharpish and sat down in the cold shade feeling quite hot, dizzy and sick before I got the hot and cold sweats. The chap emptying the bins looked quite alarmed at the sweating mess sat in front of him and asked if I needed sugar. My long-suffering wife wasn't quite so alarmed: she got used to this on one of our first dates years ago (i.e., me repeatedly throwing up on the hard shoulder of the M1 after carrying on through some pain through a 6 hour track race).
That first salty chip was absolute heaven and I finished off the rest and half the Whopper in double-quick time and felt 100% better! Another bag of salty chips on the way home and I was ready to run again . . . well, sort of . . .
Friday, 9 March 2012
Official: excitement has arrived!!
This weekend sees the pinnacle of my Marathon des Sables training when I'll be "competing" in the Grantham Ultra: 29.3 miles on the Saturday, an overnight stop, then running Saturday's route in reverse to complete another 29.3 miles on the Sunday.
Assuming I complete both days this final build-up period will have included the following:
w/e 12 Feb: off week to recover for upcoming cycle;
w/e 19 Feb: 20 miler (8.5kg rucksack)/20 miler (6.6kg rucksack) back-to-back;
w/e 26 Feb: full 26.2 mile marathon with 6.5kg rucksack;
w/e 4 Mar: 23 miles (11.8kg rucksack), day off, 20 miles;
w/e 11 Mar: 29.3 miler/29.3 miler back-to-back.
Which also means I have just 2 hard days to come and my training preparation, which began in earnest in January 2011, is pretty much finished. I'd aim for another 20 miler or so next week and then my 3 week taper period will begin.
So with just 4 weeks to go before I travel to the Sahara I can officially declare that THE EXCITEMENT HAS ARRIVED!
Assuming I complete both days this final build-up period will have included the following:
w/e 12 Feb: off week to recover for upcoming cycle;
w/e 19 Feb: 20 miler (8.5kg rucksack)/20 miler (6.6kg rucksack) back-to-back;
w/e 26 Feb: full 26.2 mile marathon with 6.5kg rucksack;
w/e 4 Mar: 23 miles (11.8kg rucksack), day off, 20 miles;
w/e 11 Mar: 29.3 miler/29.3 miler back-to-back.
Which also means I have just 2 hard days to come and my training preparation, which began in earnest in January 2011, is pretty much finished. I'd aim for another 20 miler or so next week and then my 3 week taper period will begin.
So with just 4 weeks to go before I travel to the Sahara I can officially declare that THE EXCITEMENT HAS ARRIVED!
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Heaviest weight to date
Another 50 mile week. I forced myself to solely walk 23 miles on Wednesday with my heaviest rucksack weight to date at 11.8kg (OK, I confess I couldn't resist running the last 10 minutes home . . .).
To add to the difficulty I did this walk over some tough terrain over the moors: stony, rocky, boggy, grassy, taking in over 2,700 foot of ascent. This felt fine and I covered the hilly distance in 6h44m.
The rucksack weight started to take its toll though after about 4 hours, when the muscles of my upper back really started to ache. I also really felt it in the legs as I began to tire from the weight on my back, particularly when descending off the high moors.
What this shows is that it will be critical to try and get my MdS rucksack weight as low as I can get away with: the heavier the weight the slower the run, the more energy being burnt (which isn't being properly replaced) and the longer I'll be out in the desert heat.
I'd intended the next day to go out for a 20 miler but when I woke up I realised I may have pushed it a bit with the previous day's weight. And considering what I've done over the last few weeks I'm really noticing how much more tired I'm feeling generally: injury beckons if I'm not careful.
So it seemed sensible to instead take the day off and I went out for my 20 miler on the Friday.
My intention for this outing was to go out with a far lower weight (just 2kg) but increase the running time along a flat route. It took a good 3-4 miles before the various pains in my overworked hip and buttock muscles eased off.
Other than a 20 minute walking period (waiting for 100g of jelly beans to kick in and do their stuff!) I maintained 8 minute run/2 minute walk for about 3 hours then changed this to a 4 minute run/1 minute walk to finish the 20 miles in 3h58m.
From the off it was a beautifully sunny early spring day. I wanted to give myself a bit of a boiling in the warmth and refused to take off my woolly hat and three layers including a windproof/waterproof jacket which doesn't breath. A few runners I passed were looking at me as if I'd lost the plot (Why's he dressed for the depths of winter when it's dry, sunny and in the mid-teens?!?).
Unsurprisingly I'd used up the 1.5l of water I had with me within 2.5 hours and suffered the rest of the way, but I was not going to remove my woolly hat and three layers!
 |
| It's a long way up, which means a long way back down again with 11.8kgs |
The rucksack weight started to take its toll though after about 4 hours, when the muscles of my upper back really started to ache. I also really felt it in the legs as I began to tire from the weight on my back, particularly when descending off the high moors.
What this shows is that it will be critical to try and get my MdS rucksack weight as low as I can get away with: the heavier the weight the slower the run, the more energy being burnt (which isn't being properly replaced) and the longer I'll be out in the desert heat.
I'd intended the next day to go out for a 20 miler but when I woke up I realised I may have pushed it a bit with the previous day's weight. And considering what I've done over the last few weeks I'm really noticing how much more tired I'm feeling generally: injury beckons if I'm not careful.
So it seemed sensible to instead take the day off and I went out for my 20 miler on the Friday.
My intention for this outing was to go out with a far lower weight (just 2kg) but increase the running time along a flat route. It took a good 3-4 miles before the various pains in my overworked hip and buttock muscles eased off.
Other than a 20 minute walking period (waiting for 100g of jelly beans to kick in and do their stuff!) I maintained 8 minute run/2 minute walk for about 3 hours then changed this to a 4 minute run/1 minute walk to finish the 20 miles in 3h58m.
From the off it was a beautifully sunny early spring day. I wanted to give myself a bit of a boiling in the warmth and refused to take off my woolly hat and three layers including a windproof/waterproof jacket which doesn't breath. A few runners I passed were looking at me as if I'd lost the plot (Why's he dressed for the depths of winter when it's dry, sunny and in the mid-teens?!?).
Unsurprisingly I'd used up the 1.5l of water I had with me within 2.5 hours and suffered the rest of the way, but I was not going to remove my woolly hat and three layers!
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
What size shoe for the MdS?
Being on the feet for so many days in the desert heat invariably leads to swelling which in turn can lead to serious foot battering.
Hence the old lore that MdS competitors should consider taking a pair of shoes which are larger than normal, which leads to the inevitable question: how much larger?
The official MdS guidance bizarrely suggests two sizes larger than normal but most accounts suggest this is crazy: going too large simply means the foot has a lot more room to slosh about in the shoe, which then causes the serious foot blistering that's sought to be avoided.
Being a normal size 10 I ordered in to my local running shop a wider fitting size 10.5 and size 11 (I've decided to go with the very comfortable Asics Gel Nimbus road shoe rather than a less cushioned trail shoe). Stupidly I forgot to go for my shop test with my orthotics!
Still, with the standard insoles in place and two pairs of socks it was obvious the size 10.5 isn't going to work after a couple of days of MdS swelling and/or bandaging of cuts and blisters.
So I've gone for a full size bigger than normal. This feels odd because there is so much room in the toe box of the shoe. I now plan to break in these new size 11s with the following combination in the shoe:
- the standard insoles,
- together with my orthotics,
- one pair of Injinji toe socks, and
- one pair of Thorlos running socks.
With this combination filling out some of the space in the shoe I'll then have a variety of possibilities during the MdS for stripping out some of these dependent on how bad any swelling or foot damage gets.
Hence the old lore that MdS competitors should consider taking a pair of shoes which are larger than normal, which leads to the inevitable question: how much larger?
The official MdS guidance bizarrely suggests two sizes larger than normal but most accounts suggest this is crazy: going too large simply means the foot has a lot more room to slosh about in the shoe, which then causes the serious foot blistering that's sought to be avoided.
Being a normal size 10 I ordered in to my local running shop a wider fitting size 10.5 and size 11 (I've decided to go with the very comfortable Asics Gel Nimbus road shoe rather than a less cushioned trail shoe). Stupidly I forgot to go for my shop test with my orthotics!
Still, with the standard insoles in place and two pairs of socks it was obvious the size 10.5 isn't going to work after a couple of days of MdS swelling and/or bandaging of cuts and blisters.
So I've gone for a full size bigger than normal. This feels odd because there is so much room in the toe box of the shoe. I now plan to break in these new size 11s with the following combination in the shoe:
- the standard insoles,
- together with my orthotics,
- one pair of Injinji toe socks, and
- one pair of Thorlos running socks.
With this combination filling out some of the space in the shoe I'll then have a variety of possibilities during the MdS for stripping out some of these dependent on how bad any swelling or foot damage gets.
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