I have been writing these notes / posts at every milestone on my way to the Desert , but today I thought that I had to throw a little one into the mix , mainly because I awoke to the fact that its not just the big challenge of Ultrathon , Desert races and the like that keep me going , its actually the little pleasures that you encounter on the way …
I have discovered over the last year that just getting out running with friends and having a laugh and a chat is the most important part of it all and because of this fitness becomes just part of running , not the everything of running ..
When Im out on my own I enjoy it and work hard , self motivation is the key here , without it you will never be able to keep it up and ultimately you give it up , getting out with friends however, makes you look forward to it , helps you get your shorts and trainers on and get out running and in turn you get fitter , nothing surer than that … you also build friendships , you share experiences , these things will last for ever , training with Louise , Gav , dodger and the lads , my first half marathon ,being there with Murph and Elsdon for Murphs debut at Glasgow , breaking the 20 mile barrier with Gav , my memory of the Amsterdam Marathon with Darren Murphy , shaking each others hands as we crossed the finish line together they are all with me for life ..
And occasionally something crazy comes along , so last night I did a Head Torch Hill race with my Friend Kenny Short and his Triathlon club , what a night !! , it was fantastic , I was laughing all the way down from the top and I was still buzzing today thinking about it , it was FUN , really Fun , running about in the pitch black with head torches shining out in front trying to find a muddy single track path and climbing up and up to the top , 1400 feet of climbing , if I could have seen it , It probably would have psyched me out but I couldn’t so I worked hard and made the top , puffing but I was there , then it was a helter skelter ride right back down , flying through the mud and branches trying to keep on my feet , I negotiated the hardest part laughing all the way , only to have Kenny jump me out of the bushes just to add some fun … the Belses bogeyman .. strikes again ..
So what I am trying to say is that you don’t have to be super fit to do all this , you just need to get out , get involved …… and in turn you might live to be 100 .. So next time you say theres nothing to do , try something different .
In February I bought a pair of running shoes and embarked on a mission to run a 1/2 marathon in April , then I set a goal of a marathon in September and achieved this in Amsterdam with Darren Murphy , but instead of taking the foot off the gas like most sensible people would do , I upped the ante’ and embarked on a new far greater challenge , to complete “The Marathon Des Sable” , a multi stage race over 6 days ,racing 156 miles across the Sahara Desert , often called “The toughest foot race in the world”
This is a very tall order and has started to take over my life , I can think of nothing else , obviously I go about my daily life as normal but what I used to call my spare time is now Des Sable time .. Training is now totally geared to this race and my days out are all based around being fit enough for this race… so basically , yes it is consuming my life … its not all bad though as I am enjoying it , if it was feeling like a chore then it would be worthless .. , I wonder if my friends are enjoying it quite so much though , Kenny especially as I daily grill him for advice and confirmation that I’m doing ok ,Conrad with the constant barrage of Emails that I send him looking for advice and Nicky who just listens intently although this may be something to do with the fact that I’m paying him to be there .. haha
So my next step after a marathon is Ultrathon , these are super tough races above a Marathon distance and across mixed terrain ,to do these races you need to be ULTRA fit , so up went my training load again , running twice a day , back into the gym and loads of swimming for my lungs , I am really reaping the benefits of the training now , my running has improved so much in the past 8 weeks and my ability to recover from the previous days effort is almost magical .. Running over 79 miles last week and finishing it with a 4 hour marathon on Sunday…and on Monday I was ready to go again !! this amazed even me , however this week I did cut the mileage back in preparation for my first Ultrathon and I’m glad I did ..
My first Ultrathon constituted of 29 miles across the most rugged part of the West Highland way, it started in Kinlochleven and climbed 1500 feet in its first 4 miles, then dropped over the devils staircase into Glencoe and raced across Rannoch moor, over into Glen Orchy, all the way along the Glen to finish off in Tyndrum … 4000+ feet of ascent and descent, mostly over rocky and uneven terrain, a lot of it was covered in snow and ice, what a day!!
Both physically and mentally demanding in the extreme, it took me over some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Scotland, topping out after a huge climb up the back of the Devils staircase and looking down at Glencoe in all its glory, seeing its mountains topped with snow and the sun shining across the horizon was almost magical… then continuing over the hills into Rannoch and beyond , every corner of the run was jaw droppingly beautiful , this did help keep my mind off my sore legs , and oh my god they were aching , every muscle was being pounded like never before … this type of running requires a lot of strength as well as agility , it has far greater demand on your legs than of a marathon , where its just one foot in front of another , over and over again , I was really stepping up my game even attempting this race.
Accuracy of where you place your feet is also very important, the terrain is rough and uneven and a twisted ankle waits for the unwary, this keeps you occupied but also tires you mentally as the miles go by, however despite aching legs I held it together until the end and crossed the finish line just over the 6 hour mark, a very good first Ultrathon indeed.
I was glowing with self satisfaction the whole way home , I really couldn’t believe what I had just done , even now I can hardly believe what I did , this was marred slightly however by the fact that my legs required me to stop the car every half hour to stretch them out , 5 hours later I was in the bath , still dreaming of Highland mountains and the finish line .. definitely my finest hour ..
Id like to say that physically I was finally there but I am not , I need to be capable of doing 6 of these Ultrathons back to back in the Desert with temperatures of 56 C , I hope I can keep going and continue to get fitter , I do know that it is getting harder to keep up the training load and that injury just cant happen as it will knock me back weeks , I just need to keep trying to improve and on the day I will make it happen through sheer determination ………….
Challenges like this one don’t come easy .. You need to fight for them .
“It covers 243km/151 miles (in sections similar to 25, 34, 38, 82, 42, 22 km) run over 6 days – equivalent to 5 1/2 regular marathons. . . In addition to that, competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (apart from a tent) on their backs in a rucksack (food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag etc). Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint.
Marathon des Sables 2011
You will experience mid-day temperatures of up to 120°F, of running or walking on uneven rocky, stony ground as well as 15 – 20% of the distance being in sand dunes.
The heat, distance and rubbing will trash your feet and may cause severe trauma if incorrect shoes and equipment are used. Mental stamina probably constitutes at least 50% of whether you will complete the distance or not. Physical fitness is important but don’t underestimate the mental stress that you will need to endure.
On the 4th day, you will set off across the barren wilderness to complete a 45 – 50 mile stage. Few people complete this before dark that evening and some will not come in till after dark the next night. This is followed by the 42km Marathon stage!! It’s tough!! ”
That is the opening paragraph on the application form, it’s meant to put people off, yet it makes me even more intrigued.
Marathon des Sables 2011
I have followed the Marathon Des Sable for years, watched it on Eurosport, loved the footage of people running over the dunes, through mud hut villages, over dried river beds, I watched the interviews, men with sun burnt faces and dried lips barely able to talk because they are so dry, lying half dead on their backs and exclaiming that it was amazing!! , I have dreamt of being one of those guys for what seems like a lifetime, yet I was always chasing another dream, the dream of kayaking flooded gorges in far flung places or of hanging by the finger tips off of 1000 foot rock faces, but now, when the fire doesn’t burn so bright for my other pursuits there is room to try to pull off one last dream … Competing in the Marathon Des Sable…………
So I applied for a space in 2012 , plenty of time to be prepared , to train my body, to build my mental strength, but I missed the ballot and was asked to reapply in 2013, fair enough I thought , let’s see how I feel about it next year.
However the week before I flew to Amsterdam for the marathon , I received an email from the organizers offering me a place in the 2011 event , apparently the recession has even hit an event like this and there had been several cancellations , far too soon I thought , surely I can’t be ready ?? yet I was about to run Amsterdam marathon , this was as fit as I had been for years , then I thought that if I fail the ballot in 2013 I will regret not taking this chance forever , I pick up the phone with a shaky hand and accept my place .. And on the 1st of Apri 2011 I will be on the starting line of the Marathon Des Sable, a dream come true.
I ask myself what the Marathon Des Sable means to me, it’s a test of my abilities and fitness, a huge challenge to see if I can complete the journey and run over the finish line , lie on the ground half dead and tell the French camera man it was amazing.
Marathon des Sables 2011
For the past week I have asked serious questions of myself, Can I train hard enough, have I learnt enough over the years to survive until the finish, can I figure out the logistics, how good will I be at managing my food intake and hydration, all things I have learnt through either climbing or kayaking, yet I’ve never had to apply them in such an extreme and inhospitable environment as the Sahara desert…. and especially when running against the clock with limited water..If there is one good thing about a kayak expedition, it is that there is never a shortage of water!
So now reality bites , the excitement of gaining entry is replaced with nervous thoughts of the huge effort it is going to take to do this ,yet I accept the challenge , I will work harder than I ever have and because of this I won’t fail , I will build myself into a man capable of completing the Marathon Des Sable ….
I have to run 50-60 miles a week , in the winter months until xmas , then up this to over 80 in the new year , all this in the wind and rain , mental training indeed .
Marathon des Sables 2011
I need to run with a loaded pack , I need to work out my water intake, my calorific usage , I need to make sure I have all the right equipment and know how and when to use it , that I carry the correct food , that I manage my electrolytes and salts , that I don’t sit on a camelback spider .. These by the way sneak up on you at night, numb your arm and eat the flesh off it, and they are 10″ long…. scorpions are also in abundance …I hate beasties , they give me the heeby jeebies !!!!
This week has been my first week of Ultra training and already I have ran over 40 miles , swam 1500 meters and cycled 26 miles of black route …. and it is only Thursday , 16 more weeks like this to go!!!
Its now been and gone .. so what was it all about ……………
Amsterdam Marathon
Back in January , a friend , Greg from Think Fitness , asked me if I was interested in helping raise money for charity , he was organising a group to run the Edinburgh half marathon in the middle of April 2010 .. fund-raising for the Borders Holiday Group , definetely one of my favourite charities , it raises money to take seriously ill and severely handicapped kids on holiday to the continent in a specially equipped bus .. what more persuasion did I need ..
So middle of Feb I headed out on a 3 miler … Martins Bridge and back , a staple diet of the Hawick runner , I was huffing and puffing , my legs hurt and my lungs were on fire , this wasnt good , Id just volunteered for a half marathon.
The last time I had trained seriously was for a Himalayan Kayak expedition in the summer of 2009 .. Im getting lazy in my old age and keeping 2 business’s running in a recession had taken its toll with regards to my training .. Id need to get motivated !!
So I went out again , and again , and again , gradually building my miles up to the magic 10 , around this time I met up with Gav Gibbon and Louise Philbin , also running in the same event for Greg .. we started running together , much better with company and with the occasional visit from Greg , Craig Rodgerson and Ryan Stewart to speed us up a little , we all we achieved our training goals in preparation to the forth coming half marathon .. I awoke the Sunday morning of the race to storms and horizontal rain .. later standing in Meadow Bank in the freezing cold waiting for what seemed like an eternity to hear the starting whistle … I achieved 1 hour 53 minutes that day … We all finished and raised a tidy sum , I was over the moon .
I was chuffed to bits and kept running regularly just for fun , I was actually enjoying running just for the fun of it , something never heard of in my past .. I got back to some rock climbing , my usual summer pursuit and a bit of kayak training before my summer trip to the French Alps , this came quickly but I was unfortunate enough to dislocate my shoulder during a flooded river trip on the last week ! , stuck miles from nowhere and with an arm hanging out of its socket isn’t my idea of a fun time , 6 hours later , a french hospital and a bottle of laughing gas and it was back in its socket , but I was told it would 3-6 months before I would be able to get back to any normal training , and definetely no kayak/climbing at all for the next 90 days ….bummer , I still had most of the summer left !!
So I set about getting back to full strength and running was the first thing I was able to do , and if I was unable to do anything else , then running it would have to be .. I decided I would train for a marathon , it was high on my bucket list of things to do before I get any older , I had just trained for a half , yes , lets do it ……
Comrades … 26.2 miles finished !!
My good Friend Darren Murphy was also interested , so we booked ourselves in to the Amsterdam Marathon .. what better place to run our first !! . Off we went out running … more and more every week , 50 – 60 miles some weeks .. Along with Darren and Mark Elsdon we ran The Great Scottish run and The Great North run , alongside Louise Philbin and Ross Gibson I ran the Kilomathon , everything I could along the way .. we raised money this time for The Leukaemia and Lymphoma trust , this particular charity was very deserving , aparently a lot of people had an experience or knew someone who had , so the money was quick in rising , this spurred us on and we trained hard .. So last Sunday we ran 26.2 miles in amazingly perfect conditions , if a little hot in the sun , we didn’t run it fast , it was our first , we jogged along and savoured the experience , but that didn’t stop it hurting , a marathon hurts , whether your an elite runner or just out for fun , you have to pay for the privelage of joining the Marathon club , you certainly do.
So what did we learn from it all , we learnt that 26.2 miles is a long , long way , we learnt that we can still run even when our legs are screaming to stop , we learnt that we shouldnt enjoy Amsterdam BEFORE we run a marathon , we learnt that eating bananas at mile 15 will give us a sore belly until mile 20 , we learnt that Dutch birds are tall and slim , especially the ones running in the marathon 😉 , but most of all we learnt that running is about fun , not the fastest time , nor beating the competition , who cares , its all about fun !! , we made great friends and shared many rewarding experiences along the way , and we achieved something special that will last forever , the memory of Amsterdam Marathon 2010 ….
To all the people who made a donation , helped me out with advice , kept me full Of motivation or just generally kept me smiling …. Thank you all , And be proud as we were all part of raising money for a deserving cause , we even may have made a contribution towards saving a life ……
Now for the Marathon De Sable April 2011 … thats going to be a different story
