The Final Countdown

It is now just over a month short of 3 years since I got my entry to MdS, a timespan that has seemingly zoomd by this significant point in time. Today it is now a mere 100 days until Steph and I line up at the start. I can now officially start bricking it!!

In all seriousness, there is no fear of what is to come just a great deal of nervous excitement. All that needs to be considered has been and other than a couple of final purchases, all kit has been procured and is ready to go. Foot strategy, which has needed the greatest consideration has been decided on and there is to be no deviation on this now, no matter how many "experts" come along to steer me otherwise.

Mental fortitude has been the element that has been tested the most in the last year, sometimes I have been found wanting and other times I have risen to the challenge. Deciding to put this to the test once more, I entered the annual Llandudno Boxing Day Dip. I had always thought that this consisted of half a dozen nutty pensioners dipping their toes in the water but after a spot of internet study realised this was quite a big affair with more than a smattering of fancy dress around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91xeU2E09Qw. Surrounded by men in mankinis, santas, elves and even a Bactrian camel (!) I legged it into the water, which the guy on the PA reckoned was minus 11 degrees! I reckon this was for the benefit of sensationalising the event a bit more than the actual water temperature but it was still pretty cold. 



Soggy but strangely warm!



The view from afar!



Most of the entrants were out of the water as soon as they were in but a few of us foolhardy souls stayed in for a while and actually had a swim, which after the initial shock was quite nice. Even better was getting out of the water to be greeted by a better ambient temperature than when I went in.

So now mental fortitude is not in any doubt the 100 day countdown can begin in earnest. Off out in a short while to do extreme shopping - a run down to Tesco with empty daysack and return with one laden with goodies for the next round of Christmas related shenanigans. Ah yes, Christmas. Well I'm happy to say that my body has not been a temple over the last couple of days, especially with an offer on Leffe that I couldn't refuse. In fact the photo above left lends a bit of testimony to that. Not unduly fussed though!

On a totally random note, watched the Inbetweeners movie last night, which was brilliant! Thanks Santa.

Take Me Down to the Paradox City

Apologies for lateness of entry; I typed this at work and then kept forgetting to send it home. The following is an account of training day 27th Nov,

As I woke to the strains of Homer Simpson singing Spiderpig, a more ominous sound was threatening to drown him out. The wind was howling down Moel Y Ci and the rain was lashing against the patio doors (I had slept in the lounge so as not to disturb Emma and the kids when getting up). I was filled with an overwhelming desire to snuggle further down inside my sleeping bag and wait it out, probably 'til about June! I couldn't think of conditions so far removed from those I am expecting come April. I am training for a desert multi stage event in hot dry conditions and here I was planning to go out in cold, wet and windy! Go figure. Fortunately the mental fortitude so sadly lacking last Saturday had returned and I hauled myself to an upright position.

A peculiar breakfast of a Complan chocolate shake and a carefully weighed portion of instant noodles was readily scoffed and I set off to my start point at Llanfairpwll. The trepidation of setting out was still simmering as I switched off the engine but after a dose of MTFU I jumped out of the car, threw on my pack and set off in the rain towards Newborough. I had come up with this route plan a couple of days ago as I really want and need to train in Newborough but no way am I doing it in the dark again. So I thought of using the dark hours to get there, spend a good session on the trails, dunes and beach and then run back to the car. A cursory look on Google maps told me the distance to Newborough was just over 9 miles plus I’d estimated that a circuit of the beach and forest was probably about 6 miles giving a total of 24 miles or in other words a good long run. As it turned out, Google was pretty accurate but Crookesie was way off as, by the time I’d got back to the car, I’d covered 27 miles.

The extra miles in and around the forest were certainly welcome training albeit tough on the pins. As the tide was in I was forced to spend more time in the dunes than on the beach but, again this was all good conditioning and not something to be shied away from. The only downer was that I didn’t really know a path through the dunes and spent a lot of time meandering in a vague direction.

The wind was harsh in exposed areas and I found myself wiping sand as well as sweat from my brow but even with all this hardship, I found myself running with a smile on my face. The backdrop provided by the waves surging towards the beach and crashing on the shore was worth the admission alone.

As I headed away from Newborough back to the car, the sun decided to appear and I had the previously cursed wind to my rear so, although my legs were feeling the effects of sand related exertions, I was feeling pretty good about myself and got back to the car mainly in one piece. As I sit typing these words there are no significant aches and pains and have decided that this run will be a regular event. I may park nearer on the next one and get more sand time under my belt but I’m certainly going back again and again.

Likeys Beacons Ultra 19th Nov 2011

Rogers' Rangers Standing Order #1 - Don't Forget Nothing.

As a big fan of the aforementioned Major Rogers, this should not have caused me any issues but as I neared Rhayader on my Friday night journey to Talybont on Usk for the Likeys Beacons Ultra a horrible thought entered my head - "had I packed my trainers?" A look in the back of the car confirmed my fears and I was left with no alternative but to turn round and head back to Bangor. As I cursed my way home, I then realised that I had in fact neglected to pack my entire running kit! Lesson number 1 - Don't Forget Nothing

Other lessons I learned today 

1. If you're doing an Ultra, get some sleep beforehand.
2. If you have a plan, stick to it and don't get carried away
3. Treat a challenging course with the respect it deserves
4. Don't use a feeble excuse along the lines of "I have to drive back to Bangor" as, although the marshalls will feign sympathy, they'll just think you're a spineless d***h***.

Anyhoo, the race (interspersed with excuses for which I apologise)

As I had plenty of time in between curses I managed to come up with a contingency plan to get my head down at home (after I'm a Celebrity) set the alarm for 02:15 and make the return journey. This plan worked and I arrived to register shortly after 05:30 after a hindrance free journey down the A470 full of beans (well noodles actually, cooked in the car park) and ready to take on the Beacons.

The Start - lots of shiny daysacks

The climb to Tor Y Foel

For the uninitiated, the Beacons Ultra is in its 4th year of running and covers 45 miles of some of Wales' finest scenery. The race is over 2 laps, which is good because it gives the weak a get out option after 22.5 miles. This is also bad because it gives the weak a get out option after 22.5 miles. As I soaked in the shower before writing this I became annoyed with myself for taking the easy option. Yes, I did have a 3 hour drive home but even at a worst case scenario, I would have finished the race by 19:00 in a half respectable 11.5 hours leaving me plenty of time to get home before midnight. I could even have put my tent up at Pencelli and set off tomorrow morning. But, no; I managed to convince myself that, yes, I could complete the course but did I really want to? That last thought worries me greatly.

This is all quite a shame because the course is very pleasing to run on. The first 3-4 miles are along the towpath of the Brecon and Monmouth canal, which is nice and flat. After that it does start to show its teeth with a tasty climb of 400m over 2.5km to the peak of Tor Y Foel (551m). The course is then a mixture of ups and downs meandering through forests, along rocky paths, leafy glades, metalled roads and then more towpath. Then do it all again.

It is hard after days like today to feel confident about a decent performance in Morocco in less than 140 days time but more lessons have been learned and some plusses have emerged in the fact that I know I could have completed the course in a reasonable time, I sit here typing with the confidence that I can get out tomorrow and do the other 22.5 without any trouble and even after a soggy course over very uneven terrain, I did not suffer a single blister.

So now it's back to training hard, keep taking the "Man Up" pills and, for the love of Cliff, Don't Forget Nothing!

Training Update

Typical! 2 days before my first proper test and I've been suffering all night with what the doctor once told me was a trapezius spasm or a stiff neck to you and me. Likelihood is that it will wear off by Saturday but if not I'm going to have to take a few MTFU pills and tough it out. As Chris Martin once sang, "Nobody said it was easy but no-one ever said it would be this hard"

Capel Curig

Llyn Ogwen

Anyhoo, aches and pains aside, training has been going pretty well. Pulled out 51km on 6th Nov in 5.5 hours without any undue discomfort. The scenery on the way round made the run all the more enjoyable, especially around Llyn Ogwen and past Capel Curig. I almost had a mad urge to nip up Snowdon and down the other side into Llanberis but that urge was quickly repressed. Felt a bit stiff at the end but the really good news is that I'd recovered well enough the next day to cut about work with no aches and whacked out 14km on Tuesday. So all in all I'm feeling pretty confident about a half decent performance on Saturday. If I can manage to achieve exactly 40th place 'll win a spot prize of a pair of Bloc sunglasses. 40th place last year was not far short of 10 hours so that'll do me nicely.

Last Friday saw my first session with Adrian and Ed at Bangor Uni Sports Science department. This consisted of a lactate threshold and VO2 Max test. No offence to Sam who tested us a couple of months back but it was far more comfortable doing this sort of thing on a treadmill rather than exercise bike. Felt that I did OK and performed as hard as I could, even getting my MHR up to 182 at one point. Saw a few graphs at the end that meant nothing to me but they looked impressive!! Results to follow.

Next post will be due on Sunday assuming that I've made it home in one piece.

Fame!!

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2011/10/25/anglesey-runners-take-on-world-s-toughest-footrace-55578-29654461/

Now We've Got a Gunn

Adrian Gunn that is! Adrian is an MSc candidate who has taken Steph and I on as clients for one of his modules. For the princely sum of bugger all we get bespoke training programmes based on our VO2 max and lactate thresholds, nutrition advice and best of all use of the heat chamber for acclimation sessions in the week before the event. Brilliant!!



Sunrise Over Benllech Bay

This morning I revisited the site of some discomfort. Avid blog readers will recall my account of the Anglesey Trail Marathon back in May and how much I suffered on that. Anyhoo, I chose to run part of that route again this morning prior to picking up daughter Georgie from Benllech. The trail was far muddier than in May, which made it challenging but the late October sunshine made it more pleasurable.

Strong winds are forecast for tomorrow so the 3-4 hour session is going to be a toughie but working on the train hard, race easy concept, should be a worthwhile run.

Son of a Beach

Prior to all the sporting contests that had me glued to TV and internet for the best part of Saturday, I made the effort to get over to Newborough and get some time in on the beach, dunes and forest trails. How glad I was that I did as it really is the perfect training location. I'd made the decision to get out as early as possible so it was dark for most of the time which wasn't really helpful and, because it was the first time I'd been, I spent a lot of time stopping for map checks. I'll definitely be back there next week but will aim to get there around daybreak this time. Could go during the day but then I'd miss out on the bonus of belting sunrises.

Llanddwyn Beach at Dawn

The photo here is a bit hard to see unless you get the light right but you have my assurance that it was a great sunrise and gave the beach a slightly eerie look.

Managed to get back in time to do a spot of shopping for breakfast, get home, have a shower and be settled down for Wales v France. Have to admit to being a bit gutted for them to go out like that but rules is rules as they say.

The Daily Post thing is a bit weird at the minute. They've done the interview and we've posed for crap photos but nothing has appeared in the paper yet. They're probably trying to eke every last 50p out of us that they can!! The photographer said that they might put it in to co-incide with Steph running Chicago marathon, which he did last Sunday but nothing then or since.

More good news on the acclimation front. Jonathan from Bangor Uni has been in touch again to let us know he has a student who is keen to work with us right through to the event including a week's worth of sessions in the chamber the week before the start. RESULT!!

Time to Get Serious

Yesterday was a landmark date in MdS preparations - exactly 6 months till we fly out to Morocco. With that in mind a structured training programme is now underway. Previously it had been fitting in a training run whenever I had a spot of spare time plus the odd marathon here and there. Now I must make time so it's a lot of early rises with training having to take place before work and weekend mornings so that I can still devote enough time to family life.

Although the race itself will be 150 miles in a week, I don't intend to go anywhere near that in training. 10 hours a week has been allocated for running and an hour for upper body weights. Only the long Sunday session will be with a pack. With early mornings over the next 6 months lacking in daylight and abundant in un-Sahara like weather, some running will be on the treadmill in the work's gym. I've provisionally been given permission to put heaters in there as well to get some form of acclimation training done.

Kit and menu wise I am now settled on what will be going so that is one less thing to take up time. A bit of fine tuning in the packing process is all that remains there.

The Marrakech trip at the beginning of March has now been booked so we are looking forward to 2 good, long training days there in the sort of environment we can expect one month later. The heat still won't be up in the 30s and 40s but we'll get a good idea of some of the kind of running surfaces we can expect to encounter in the event.

An article is due in The Daily Post in the next couple of days. We met up with their photographer yesterday who put us in all manner of embarrassing poses so it's with some trepidation that I look forward to seeing the article. If there's a web link I'll stick that on here in due course.

Fundraising is going well for the charity. I've almost made it to £700, which is 14% of the target. Corporate support on the other hand is still at £0. I'm very disappointed in the lack of interest in what is a global event. I'll have a good, hard look at the marketing techniques I've used and work out how I can do better and hopefully nail something before Christmas. Otherwise I'm going to have to get a paper round.

So now it's train, train, train and count down the days to the start. I'm looking forward to the training even if it is going to be cold and dark a lot of the time. It's unlikely that anyone will see me at that time in the morning but if you do, give us a wave!

Some Like it Hot

Another good session in the heat chamber today. Whether it was the water that I was allowed this week, getting used to cycling again, having a better technique on the bike, being free of the head cold I had last week or something else, my performance was significantly better than last week.

I've now got that feeling of wanting to exercise all of the time now, which is good in itself as I'm more likely to be able to push it on sessions. Just wary of doing to much or, even worse, getting grumpy when I can't get out and about.

On the media front, we're both soon to be plastered all over the Daily Post and affiliates. Hopefully this will generate some desperately needed interest from potential corporate sponsors.

The Heat is Most Definitely On!

Hurrah! One of the possibilities I wrote of in the last post has now become an actual. No sooner had I published the post than I received an email from a chap at Bangor Uni who said that he had a masters student who was looking for test subjects almost immediately and, come the new term, there would soon be a whole host more.

Anyway, Steph and I hooked up with Sam the student and agreed to take part in his research. Stage 1 consisted of measuring our V02 max, which basically tells you how efficient your body is at taking on oxygen. We both made our way to Bangor Normal Site on Bank Holiday Monday (see how dedicated we are) and proceeded to thrash ourselves on an exercise bike.



Steph piling it on whilst Sam makes
sure he's not about to cark it!

 Sam emailed us the results the next day and I was pleased to learn that my result was 48 something or others, which is apparently high for my age, although nowhere near Lance Armstrong who is said to have a V02 max of 95! Steph had achieved 38, which, again was good for age but as he's been suffering with a cold, Sam told him to come back and have another go. Meanwile I rocked up again on Thursday to be dressed in all manner of wires and thermometers, including the ominously sounding rectal thermister! After 40 mins of pre tests I then entered the heat chamber for my first eagely awaited session.

Not being a cyclist by nature I found the going pretty tough, having to pedal non stop for an hour. I can only describe this as cycling up a never ending incline, not being able to stop pedalling as the bike would grind to a halt. After conceding that I would have to drop the resistance a bit for the last 20 mins, I managed to complete the hour. The good news was that I didn't feel that the heat had affected me too much other than an horrendous taste of salt in my mouth due to not hydrating (all part of the research).

Another 90 mins of observations followed, which I found most uncomfortable due to my aching saddle sore bottom, before the final test of thrashing to exhaustion on the bike at 105% of my V02 max.

All in all I was pretty happy with the session, especially as I had coped with 30 degrees of hard exercise with no apparent discomfort. I had even forgotten about the cable thermometer that I had inserted over 3 hours earlier. Good job Sam had asked me to remove and wash it or it might still have been there now!!

So we're back this Thursday for another session and then hopefully there will be a few more gigs like this as more masters students turn up in the new term. I can honestly say that I have never had such preparation for an event and am now more confident than ever of a worthwhile and enjoyable performance. Top 50 is still an achievable dream.

Hotting Up!

In my last post I mentioned a chap called Tobias Mews who had been the top British finisher in 2011. Well, since then I've been in comms with the man himself who was good enough to take a look at my kit list and offer some advice on how I could get the weight down. He says that if I have serious ambitions for a top 50 spot then every ounce counts. With that thought in mind, I have taken on board some of the tips and my starting weight is now below 9kg.

A thought occurred as I was realigning my kit list that the weight would naturally lessen each day as I worked my way through a mountain of food. I have worked out that by the start of the long stage on day 4, my pack weight should be down to around 7kg, which is well manageable - assuming I've been resting well and taking care of the tootsies!

Things have been progressing well on the heat acclimation (yes, that is the right word) side of things. This has been the one thing that I have not been entirely certain of. In the past I've been on summer exercise in Cyprus (phew!) and competed in Italy in temperatures approaching 40deg C but I keep getting the impression that desert heat is different. Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the words of others again instead of trusting to my own abilities. Anyhoow, I've been in touch with various universities who have heat chambers and have a couple of options there. Plus my lovely lady wife has given the OK to spending 4 days in Marrakech exactly 4 weeks before I travel back there for the real thing. Throw in the plan to put halogen heaters in the gym at work and reckon I'll have the heat thing squared away.

Less than 8 months to go now and all the questions above will have been answered!

Training Update, 4th August 2011

I have, in the last couple of months, been starting to get a bit doubtful of my potential performance in April. I had studied the results from this year's race quite stringently and had considered that I could match the required pace to achieve a top 50 finish. In the time that has passed I've had many hints that this may be beyond my reach. Some of these have been verbal and others from reading accounts.

Most recently I have finally got round to watching the James Cracknell programme charting his performance in the 2010 event. I watched this with family members who were amazed that I was still eager to compete in this toughest and most harrowing of competitive events. I don't think for one moment that I could become the highest placed Briton ever but I know that I am certainly capable of pushing myself to extremes. Someone once said "If you don't know your limits, how can you ever hope to exceed them"

So how pleased was I to come across an article in Runners World by Tobias Mews who was this year's highest placed Briton in 21st place.

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/event-editorial/10-ways-to-survive-the-marathon-des-sables/6994.html

This is a man after my own heart and some of the things he said have renewed my belief that I can perform very well come April. I may or may not make the top 50 but it won't be because anyone has told me that I can't.

Following competition in Germany, training is progressing well. On Sat 30th July I put 14kg into a daysack and set off from Llandudno Junction for 2 laps of the Great Orme totalling 20km. On Tuesday I had quite an odd hotch potch of training - did 10km at lunchtime carrying 7.5kg and then in the evening did 2 x 8km with approx 4kg sandwiched around an hour of 8-a-side footy.

On the fundraising front I have now hit the first significant milestone. 10% of the targeted £5000 has now been raised, which is fairly good going. I'm hoping that many people are waiting for closer to the event before making a pledge; I have had a  few fairly substantial verbal pledges for the event itself so a few more of those won't go amiss. In the meantime I'll keep plodding away with training and throw the odd mad event into the mix to maintain interest.

I've recently had a thought about running the Anglesey Coastal Path. This is a distance of 125miles and I'm looking to do it over 3 days. Once the logistics and timings are firmer then I'll go public on those.

Cheers

Best Fussen Forward, Koenigsschloesse Romantik Marathon, 24th July 2011

For afficionados of the traffic jam, I have the perfect spot for you. Get yourself on the A7 from Fussen, Germany to Innsbruck, Austria and you'll be in hogs heaven. This was the sort of jam that never really has an obvious cause but results in tailbacks as far as the eye can see. We had only decided to use that road to go to the nearest Lidl to stock up on goodies for the duration of the stay and, as soon as we joined the road, we knew we had made a mistake. Our planned distance was less than 10km but it took us over an hour to make it; I could have run there quicker!

So what does your average UK family do in such a situation? Extreme I Spy? Rounds of "Row, row, row your boat (throwing in the odd Blackadder Goes Forth verse - Corporal Punishment episode)? Not for this lot. We became experts in the use of the in-car computer system of the Audi A4 Avant as hired not one day earlier from Munich Airport. We managed to get it to speak English, we managed to program lots of radio channels and we even sussed out how to use the SatNav system which promptly told us to stay away from the A7 from Fussen to Innsbruck!

So what brought the Crookes clan to the German Southern border with Austria? Well, I'd been tipped off about this race that looked a pretty good event and, with Morocco in mind, a race in 30 degrees centigrade was certainly a good benchmark to see how I could perform at higher temperatures. It was also promised as a flat course with a good deal of forest trails, again good prepartion conditions.The race is the grandly titled Koenigsschloesse Romantik Marathon in the historical town of Fussen.

Fussen is where the "Lonely King" Ludwig II was born, raised, lived and died and has been the seat of Bavarian monarchs throughout the ages. Ludwig was a romantic soul who devoted much of his life to the works of Wagner, whom he patronised for many years. When I say Wagner, I mean the composer Richard and not the useless, yet curiously entertaining X-Factor nutter and when I say patronised I mean "Here Richard, have another large wodge of cash" and not "Richard, you do realise that all the best songs are composed in A minor?"

Ludwig also had a penchant for building castles, one of which is the very splendid Neuschwanstein, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Walt Disney's logo.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

He drowned in mysterious circumstances at the age of 42 only a few days after a committee from Munich had passed him unfit to rule. Anyway, it was this castle and the promise of lakeside relaxation that convinced the family to join me in this latest marathon venture.

So, we had the scenery - check, we had the lakeside retreat - check, we had the flat marathon course - check, we had the 30 degree sunshine - erm, no! It was rainy and cloudy and pretty cold to say the
least. We'd also had a wee drama where I'd scraped the aforementioned Audi on the lip of someone's steep drive and had confused the smell of clutch plates burning with a possible disaster underneath the car. A subsequent visit from a local mechanic confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the car and gave me a patronising lecture on how to manage the clutch. At least I thought that was the general gist. He may have just been elaborating on how much of a d**k***d I'd been!

The one crumb of consolation was that ironically we had pretty perfect marathon running conditions but not the conditions that were the reason I'd blown a good chunk of the family fortune on getting and staying here.

Our view

As we Brits do, we adapted to the situation and settled down to our few days of peace and quiet, which is no mean feat with 2 lickle 'uns both under 2 years old. The lakeside panorama was indeed spectacular and worth the admission fare alone. Plus the hotel had free wifi so I didn't have to miss out on a moment of Facebook time! The one remaining concern we had was how were we going to pay for it all. The hotel had a cash only policy and HSBC had kindly put a stop on my debit card because I'd had the audacity to go on holiday without telling them and had - get this - used a cashpoint to get some money. Fortunately the wifi availability meant we could move some money around onto another card from a bank who realises it's customers want to get the hell out of the UK from time to time.

The Start - where did all these people come from?

Right, there is a danger of me rattling on for ever and not getting to the point of the blog which is the race itself. The instructions said that it would start at 07:30, early but certainly not unachievable. I set the alarm in plenty of time and had a decent breakfast of chocolate brioche and bananas and then set off for the start area. I arrived at 06:35 to feel quite lonely; there were not that many people knocking about and I was beginning to think that 07:30 was the start of a series of proceedings and that the race would start later in the morning. I'm used to races like London where people turn up days before just to "sample the atmosphere". Anyway, I needn't have worried as German efficiency meant that everyone suddenly turned up, assembled themselves in the start pen and then set off to complete 42.195km.

Bavarian Iron Maiden

The race itself was all it had promised to be. The first km in the town allowed the runners to string out and consequently there were no bottlenecks when we hit the trails. The scenery was fantastic all the way round and even when this was restricted by trees, the trails were soothing and peaceful. The organisers had even managed to convince local rock bands to turn out and perform.

I'd positioned myself towards the back 1/3 of the field so that my 10kg pack wouldn't get in the way of anyone trying to push through. As it was it seemed I'd chosen the perfect start position as not many runners passed me en route and I managed to push my way through a significant number of bodies. My target time was between 4:30 and 5:00 but the pace I'd set off at projected a finishing time of 4:10. I decided to stick with it as it felt comfortable and to see how far I'd get before the natural slow down from fatigue kicked in. As it was, it never really did and the projected 4:10 was hit almost to the second. I even managed a bit of a sprint finish as the official photos will (may) testify. Click on the link below and enter 88 in the field "Startnummer" to view a fine athlete in action. This saves me paying to download photos just to upload one on here. If you really want you can have the photos put on a T-shirt to show your hero worship for me!! Can't see that offer being taken up too readily though.

http://www.firstfotofactory.org/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=showrub&rubnum=events.fuess11&artnum=&file=&&wkid=1311848258-14385&ls=d&nocache=1311848258-14385

Hey guys! I've just puked!! Rock 'n' roll!

So that is the story of a short but eventful trip to Germany. The final challenge to our sanity came when Maisie decided to drench the rented Audi in child vomit. We managed to scrub it down with baby wipes sufficiently so that the guys at the airport didn't back away with that "OMG, someone's been sick!" look on their faces. Or maybe they were just being polite. You've got to love the Germans!

The good news training wise is that I recovered sufficiently that I could have gone out the following day for another decent run if I could've been ar$ed and if the family would have allowed me. Next competitive event is in November when I'll be trogging 45miles across the Brecon Beacons. I'll keep the blog ticking over in the meantime though to keep the interest.

As always, please take the time to visit my Just Giving page and pledge a few pee or pass the link on to others you may know via your Facebooks and Twitters.

Schmeckt, es so richtig gut!

Deutschland Uber Alles

I alluded in my initial effort at blogging that I would make a vast improvement in standards by the time this one came around. Not so!! I am still struggling with the basics so you will all have to bear with me a tad longer whilst I get a small child to help me out. Obviously one I know and not some random urchin!

In the meantime i hope you'll be entertained with words alone, or at least vaguely interested in what's been happening MdS-wise. The honest truth is not a great deal. I still have the daily effort of going to work and then helping Emma deal with 2 little monkeys when I get home. I had a week away with the TA at the end of June when I managed to get a bit of training in but for the most part it's a case of fitting it in when I can. I can foresee some very early mornings come September when training really ramps up.

Next on the horizon is a trip to Germany to take part in the very grand sounding Koenigschlosse Romantik Marathon, which is run round Die Weissensee in Southern Bavaria. It all looks very picturesque so we are making a family holiday out of it and very much looking forward to the whole thing.

http://www.koenigludwigmarathon.de/facts.0.html

I will definitely be up to speed with photo posting by the time I get back so the next blog will be singing and dancing!!

Please take the time to follow the Just Giving link at the top of the page and help me reach the £5k target for The Army Benevolent Fund.

In the meantime here are a couple of write ups that I did for the first 2 work up events I took part in. The originals look really good but as before all you'll get here are words.

With My Knapsack on my Back...
Welsh Coastal Marathon, 14th May 2011

Today I shared a coastal path with ramblers, dog walkers and, by their own admission, a couple of bimblers. That we were on the same stretch of Anglesey coastline is where the association ends. The AdventureHub Welsh Coastal Marathon was a brutal 26.2 miles only made tolerable by the fantastic scenery “the Mother of Wales” has to offer.

A few hardy souls had opted to do the full 100km ultra race and it truly is hats (plus scarves, gloves, boots and pretty much everything else) off to them for their endeavours.

For reasons which the organisers will come to understand in time, this was not the biggest field ever assembled but this should not detract from the fact that this was a very well organised and worthwhile event, which should grow in stature in the future.

It had rained pretty much constantly in the week leading up to the event and I was expecting a lot of mud, however these fears proved unfounded and the running surface was pretty solid throughout, with the exception of short shuffles across a sand path by Lligwy and about 300 metres of ploughed field.

It was not quite the Sahara but the effect of the sand on my legs on the return leg certainly opened my eyes to how essential dune training will be in the coming months. The sun came out before the start and the rain stayed away for the duration of the race, only starting again as I got back in the car to drive home (the organisers really can’t claim the credit for that one!)

Starting in the popular holiday village of Benllech, the route meandered, gained and lost height along the Anglesey Coastal Path into a pretty stiff headwind as far as the church at Llaneilian. I was a bit perturbed to find the half way point at 22km instead of the expected 21.1km but after a short whinge to self and a spot of mental readjustment set off on the return to Benllech.

Our hero at half way, not yet broken!

Having not trained much in the preceding weeks due to recovery from the “Gentlemen’s Operation” I have to say I suffered during the second half of the race but managed to get over the finish line with a smile on my face.

My target for the marathon stage at MdS is 6 hours and I achieved 5:39 for marathon distance here (5:55 for the overall race). With 10 months of good training still ahead of me, I reckon today forms a good baseline and all things taken in to consideration, think 6 hours is still a reasonable target.

The low numbers in the race had the benefit of being able to have a cup of tea and a chat with Race Director, Ian and partner (sorry, I never did get your name!) which gave a nice family feel to the day. With that sort of feeling, I will definitely be back here next year and am now looking at entering the Yorkshire Ultra leg of the series instead of Pilgrim’s Challenge just so I can stay part of this “family”.

To find out more about this and other races in the series visit http://www.adventurehub.com/

Wakey, wakey
Welsh 1000 Summits Marathon, 4th June 2011

Until around 12:30 on 4^th June I had been quietly confident that come April 2012 I would quite happily jog around the Sahara leaving 95% of the field in my wake. I have read countless horror stories from previous MdS competitors and have still yet to read one blog which says how much of a fun time they had. Yet still I held this belief that I would be that one jolly blogger! After 7hrs and 54mins (look at Page 11) competing on the hills of Snowdonia followed by a 80 min stagger down to Llanberis, I am now fully awake to the task that lies ahead if I am just to complete MdS, never mind achieve a high position.

Having taken part and completed the infamous W1K event in 2009, when the decision was made to close the Pen y Pass checkpoint to a vast number of the field, I was confident that I would perform very well this year as the forecast was for fine weather throughout. With this at the back of my mind, a good deal of complacency slowly and surely crept in, which sowed the seeds for a poor performance. I won’t go into detail but suffice to say beer and Maccie D’s aren’t the best pre-race nutrients!

I lined up at the start line with my team mates from D Company under a fair amount of low lying fog. Confident that this would clear, the map stayed in my daysack. I’m not recommending that people should venture out on the hills without map and compass but this is familiar territory to me having completed the race on three previous occasions and trained in the area many times before.

The hooter sounded and off I went, comfortably placed in the first 5 runners. As the field stretched out there seemed to be no sign of anyone behind us so I settled into a rhythm which would achieve the split times I was aiming for with a high field placing being a bonus.

Carneddau came and went and I made it to the A5 bang on schedule. Fluid management had been good and all was looking good. I hooked up with our replen guy and, having topped up all my bottles, set off still full of confidence.

Around 90 minutes later, halfway down the Miners track towards Pen y Pass, that confidence had been blown away. The track is never an easy descent at the best of times but I had not experienced the feeling I now had before. Progress was slow but deliberate, determined that I would not be taken out of the race by a stupid injury. Eventually I decided an admin stop was needed and sat down for 5 minutes to stretch and take on some carbs by way of fruit flakes and yoghurt bars. This break and top up seemed to do the trick as I managed to make it to Pen y Pass without too much further distress. Again, I met up with the support guy for another fluid top up and to find that 2 of the team had pulled out of the race shortly after the A5 checkpoint.

The next 2 hours were as full a test of my physical and mental capabilities as I have endured. Snowdon’s Pyg Track by itself does not represent the greatest of challenges to the experienced hill walker but with 5.5 hours of arduous tabbing behind you, it certainly has the ability to bring you to your knees! I took small comfort that I was not alone seeing many racers in the same state (and worse) than me. I stopped for many short rests on the way up, many of those forced by the legions of charity walkers who, for some reason, seemed to be everywhere on the mountain.

I arrived at the summit just inside 8hrs, which was my slowest time in the event, but very happy to have completed the race. I found that the other 2 in my team had missed the close off time at Pen y Pass by 10 minutes so were withdrawn from the race. On my way down to Llanberis I reflected on the efforts of the day and slow realisation dawned that, in Morocco, this was an effort I would have to repeat 6 times! As I said at the start, based on this performance, I will be lucky to finish MdS, never mind achieve the top 50 place that is my ultimate goal. Oscar Wilde said that experience is the name people give to their mistakes. After today I am vastly more experienced!!!

First Post - and about time too!!

Feb 2009, the following conversation took place at work:
Steph - "Have you ever heard of the Marathon des Sables?"
Me - "Yes, it's a mad race in the Sahara"
Steph - "Fancy doing it?"
Me - "OK then!"

So that was the start of it. A couple of weeks later we each coughed up £500 deposit and entered an event we would have to wait a further 3 years to compete in.

The 28 months between then and now have passed in a blur and preparations are being ramped up at a fair rate of knots. The kit list has been scrutinised and ticked off slowly, a calendar of lead up events has been planned of which I have already completed 2. As soon as I've worked out how to do it on this page I'll publish details of those.

I've even gone so far to have worked out my menu for the week down to the last gram and calorie, both of which will be vital to how I perform. Again watch this space for details on the minutae of that (if anyone's really interested!).

So now the objective is clear. Steph and I will line up at the start of the 27th Marathon des Sables in April 2012. There will be tears along the way no doubt but it's all in a good cause - 2 good causes actually. I'm raising funds and awareness for the Army Benevolent Fund and Steph is doing the same for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Right, that's the first post out of the way. A spot of learning now required on how to get more stuff on there and the I'll post some more meaningful gubbins.

Please take time to visit my Just Giving page and donate what you can or even just pass it on to others you know. my just giving page