James Gwinnett and the Thames Path 100 2020

On 5th September 2020, James Gwinnett will set off on the Thames Path 100, a 100-mile running event which follows the towpath of the River Thames from Richmond in west London to the city of Oxford. A sportsman throughout his life, James Gwinnett, 36, has taken on many running and other challenges, including Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins Series 4, screened in 2019. Here he looks forward extending his endurance running to 100 miles.

See more about the Thames Path 100. You can follow James Gwinnett @jamesgwinnett

First a bit of Form
Exercise (and adventure) has always been a huge part of my life. Through school and university I played as many different sports as I could. Rugby was always my passion and I wasn’t too bad at it either, playing at a semi-professional level in my late 20s. I say ‘always’, but there was a three-year period when I lost my way a bit and forgot the importance of exercise to my physical and mental health. I suffered a bad neck injury during a rugby game and when I was told I could no longer play the game, I let depression – and alcoholism – get the better of me. But there’s a happy ending as I found my way out of this ‘dark period’ and committed to getting my fitness back on track.

Since then I have constantly sought to push my limits, by running marathons on several continents, a number of ultramarathons - including The Wall, a 69 mile single-day race following the course of Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle to Newcastle – and taking on other mad endurance challenges like carrying a 40kg barbell up Snowdon! I was also lucky to be selected as a ‘recruit’ on the fourth series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, the acclaimed Channel 4 show fronted by Ant Middleton, which puts civilians through a condensed version of Special Forces selection. Although the brutal course in South America pushed us all to our physical and mental limits, I was one of the last eight and ‘survived’ till the final day.

You mention ‘pushing your limits’. What does that mean for you?
Since my neck injury – or since I sobered up after my neck injury and was properly able to assess my thoughts on it! – I’ve been fascinated by what I think of as a spectrum of human capability. On the one hand, as humans, we are very fragile and can be knocked back when we sustain serious injury, but on the other we are capable of incredible things if we’re willing to push ourselves. That might be running a marathon, free diving to a great depth, climbing Everest, etc, etc. It doesn’t really matter what the challenge is, it’s the idea of taking ourselves outside our physical comfort zone and showing ourselves what we can achieve.

Related to this is the concept of homeostasis, where the body maintains a healthy, stable state of equilibrium, which in turn enables the optimal function of our organs and the right body temperature etc. However, it turns out the brain is a bit of a hypochondriac and that when we exert ourselves too much, it tells our body to shut down to protect this state – by making us feel pain and fatigue. But the truth is that it’s possible to train yourself to push through this barrier. The result is that a key element of completing any endurance challenge lies in your mental stamina rather than your physical fitness. So, having injured myself so seriously (a broken neck), I want to see what I’m still capable of. I want to push myself into this zone, train myself beyond it and keep challenging my limits.

Why the Thames Path 100? Why now?
One hundred miles represents the next milestone in my running journey and TP100 is a perfect opportunity. I’ve run all sorts of marathons, ultramarathons and multi-day races, but never 100 miles in a single day. There’s something sacred about that three-digit figure.

Also it’s the chance to do the event in the current circumstances. With so many events being cancelled due to Covid-19, the Centurion Running team (the organisers) have done well to put measures in place that will allow TP100 to go ahead. It has already been postponed from May 2020. I did all the training to be ready for that date, so it was a struggle to overcome the frustration and a test of willpower to keep myself fit over the lockdown period.

Training
Fortunately the global pandemic has helped me clock up a lot of the necessary training miles. Lockdown – and its related restrictions – has given me the time to put in place a pretty structured training plan that has seen me running progressively longer distances each week. I am also focusing on resistance training (jumps, lunges and squats, often with a 10kg dumbbell), though with the gyms closed it’s been hard, and I’ve had to do them in the park. I give myself the odd recovery day after a long run. I’m no expert but for the last couple of months I’ve been able to run a marathon or further every other weekend.

That said, it hasn’t all gone to plan. I went on holiday to France in mid-June and abandoned my (very supportive and understanding) girlfriend one Sunday morning to plod out one of these long runs. The route was glorious, cutting through the countryside around the picturesque town of Uzès and I was humbled to run over the Pont du Gard, a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct that’s a World Heritage site. All was going well! What I hadn’t taken into account was the 35°C heat… my girlfriend had to leave the comfort of her sun-lounger shortly after this to drive out and rescue me as I had run out of water!

Are you ready for it?
There or thereabouts. I still have to get a couple of long runs (60km-80km) under my belt as final preparation and then I have to work out some tactics about fuel and rest over such an long period of time. But a concept called the ‘art of acquiescence’ teaches us that there will be uncontrollable events on the day of the race and that it’s the ability to cope with these and adapt to the situation that often separates those who cross the finish line from those who don’t.

It may seem like a strange thing to say, given what I’m about to take on, but I don’t see myself as a runner. I’m certainly not ‘built for running’. At 6ft 5 and around 100kg, I still have a rugby player’s frame, and lugging that kind of weight around for (what I hope will be) just under 24 hours means I’m never going to be close to a podium finish. However this makes my motivation more intrinsic, by which I mean that I’m in it for the personal reward of completing it; for the satisfaction, rather than the prospect of a medal at the finish line.

What’s the most daunting thing as you approach the race?
The distance. The furthest I’ve run up to now is 69 miles and I managed to do this all in daylight, starting at 7am and finishing 14 hours later, just before 9pm. But at the pace I run, the extra 31 miles of the Thames Path 100 means I will be forced to carry on into the night. The scheduled start time is 9:30am (though this will now be staggered because of Covid-19), so even if I manage to run four back-to-back, five-hour marathons, that will still mean finishing at 5:30am. I’m sure the lack of sleep will be a real test in those early hours.

And what are you most looking forward to?
My girlfriend and parents have promised me that whatever the time of day or night I arrive they’ll be there to greet me at the end. I can only imagine how much pain I’ll be in at that point, so a celebratory hug on the finish line will go a long way to making me feel better!

What is success?
I’m very much in the ‘compete to complete’ bracket; getting over the finish line will be enough for me. But doing it in less than 24 hours would be the icing on the cake.

Debbie Martin-Consani and the Montane Spine Race 2020

Debbie Martin-Consani, 45, from Glasgow, placed second woman and eighth overall in a field of 150 at the fearsome Montane Spine Race shortly before lockdown in January 2020. An exceptional long-distance runner who has represented Scotland and Great Britain in 100km and 24-hours events, Debbie talks through her race, which lasted 118 hours and pushed her through a snowstorm and winter Storm Brendan.

The Montane Spine Race is a fearsome mountain run: 268 miles along the Pennine Way through northern England and into Scotland, non-stop and with more than 40,000 feet of climbing (and equivalent descent) often in extremely rough terrain. Most importantly it is held in the depths of the British winter, so the weather is extremely unpredictable and of course can include snow and ice. In 2020 more than half the field failed to finish the course.

Debbie is an Ambassador for outdoor clothing company Montane (which also sponsors of the Spine Race) and is a member of the Centurion Running Ultra Team. See more about the Montane Spine Race. Follow Debbie on Twitter or Instragram, @UltraRunDMC.  Photographs ©Jimmy Hyland Montane®Spine except where indicated.

First a bit of form
I started running in 2002, when I was 27 and entered a local women’s 10k - some of the gals I was working with were doing it and I was intrigued. When I began training I couldn’t even run for a whole minute without stopping, but my endurance and fitness improved pretty quickly. I definitely caught the running bug and moved on to half marathons and then ran my first marathon in London in 2004.  I joined my local running club, Garscube Harriers, in 2005 and started to train with more structure.  

I discovered endurance and ultra-running in 2007. I have always loved adventure and being out in the hills, bagging Munros and running in the mountains - it’s all right there, where I live.  So in 2007, after I’d run a few big city marathons, I looked for an event that combined my love of running with trails and hills.    I stumbled across the website for the Devil o’ the Highland, which is 43 miles on the northern part of the West Highland Way.  I intended this to be my one and only ultra… Somehow, I’ve completed more than 50 to date.

Since then I’ve been really fortunate to experience some of the world’s best events, including the Tor des Géants, Spartathlon, UTMB, West Highland Way, Lakeland 100, all the Centurion 100s, Transgrancanaria and the Bob Graham Round. I also represented Scotland and Great Britain for five years, racing at 100km and 24-hour Championships in Poland, Italy, France, Holland and Ireland. I still hold the Scottish record for 100 miles, at 15 hours 48 minutes

I love the camaraderie of endurance events. It’s all about meeting people you wouldn’t normally come across and sharing something special with them. The circumstances may appear horrible – in a storm or unforgiving heat – but when you’re out there doing it you realise that you’re part of something amazing. People say ultra-running is a brutal sport.  And it definitiely can push you right to the edge, but it’s simple and raw. And hey, I like races where you can be lazy. In events this long it’s fine to walk up hills and eat jam sandwiches.

Why the Montane Spine race? Why 2020?
If I’m honest, I always said the Spine was something I wouldn’t even consider.  It looked like pure misery to me, just slogging out the miles in such hard terrain and awful weather.  But years of dot watching got me intrigued. And anyway I like events that are a good test: in fact the higher the drop-out rate of a race, the more I want to do it. And the Spine certainly has a high possibility of failure.  That said, quite often I get so highly strung with fear before a race that I question my motives.  But I still keep doing them.

I was a late sign up for the Spine, in maybe October 2019, as I got my place through Montane, but I don’t think it’s a race that you can ever be fully prepared for anyway. There are so many factors completely out-with your control, so it’s sort of ‘now or never’, and when the opportunity came up, I just went for it. I am glad I did: it might be the only race I do in 2020.

What makes the Spine Race different?
So many factors make the Spine ‘Britain’s most brutal’ race – the distance, terrain, fatigue, constant wet feet, all in the most terrible weather.  For me though, the worst part is the 16 hours of darkness each day.

I’m glad I had an opportunity to recce the route as the Pennine Way is a special kind of crazy: endless bogs, farmland, pathless moorland, slippery slabs and hundreds of gates and stiles. Navigation is pretty tricky too. I have huge respect for anyone who completes the Spine without going over the course in advance!  They must have no idea what they are letting themselves in for.

Training and Planning
I work full-time for a newspaper, which is pretty much 24/7, so fitting in training around that and my family is sometimes tricky. I don’t find time for training, but somehow I make time, which includes run-commuting to work, speed sessions at lunchtimes and early morning runs at the weekend. Pre-lockdown, I’d squeeze in extra miles or a gym class when my son Cairn is at one of his many clubs.  There’s not much time for rest and relaxation, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

©Mick Kenyon / Montane®Spine

In the months leading up to the event, I started training with a heavier pack, which goes against the grain for trail runners, where the focus is usually fast and light.  I even ran commutes to work in Glasgow with a big pack, which raised a few eyebrows: I must have looked like Dora the Explorer.  As a Montane athlete, I was lucky enough to get a sponsors’ place in the race – 2021 sold out in a few hours - so I signed up quite late. It meant I didn’t have too much time to overthink the enormity of it all, though I did spend an inordinate amount of time – and money – on the very extensive and specific kit list.

I recce-ed as much of the Pennine Way as I could over a couple of months. I don’t like surprises.  Knowledge is power when it comes to races.  In the end I had five full days on the Pennine Way, covering most sections from Hawes (100 km) to the end in Kirk Yetholm. A few bits of the course were so hairy they kept me awake at night. The climb up Cauldron Snout was very icy in the recce; one slip would be life-threatening.  Even crossing then A69 gave me the fear.  Strangely though, the things that worried me the most didn’t bother me one bit in the race.

My first recce was an absolute riot.  It was minus 4 when I started out from Dufton and my plan was to run 37 miles to Greenhead. What I hadn’t taken into account was that nobody goes anywhere quickly on the Pennine Way and it took me way longer than expected.  Towards the end I got lost in the dark in water-logged fields and didn’t eat or drink anything. I ended up running up and down the A69 with a head torch trying to find the bus-stop. I hadn’t put on any extra layers, so by the time the bus stopped I was a shaking, incoherent, soaked and muddy mess.  The bingo ladies on the bus kept staring at me! I was already mentally withdrawing at that moment. I was convinced there was no way I could do the race.  I’d let myself get into a state. Self-care is not my forte.

Thereafter the recces went much better. Actually I had some of the best weather conditions you can imagine; sunny and crisp with stunning sunrises.  I took that as an omen that I only bring good weather to the Pennine Way.  I was so, so wrong.

How did the race go?
Before I signed up, my overriding goal was to finish, maybe by midnight on the Thurs. But as I thought about it more, I decided I wanted to finish in the top 10, which I reckoned I could do if I didn’t spend too much time in aid stations. In the end I finished at 6 on the Friday morning, which in Spine time, is not too far out.

Below is a detailed account of the ups, downs (sometimes pitching full-length into the mud), highs and lows of Debbie’s Spine race 2020:

Start at Edale to CP1 at Hebden Bridge – 74km, over the Peak District
The race starts at 9 am, in rain but happily enough: I am getting used to the rhythm and the weight of my pack. At Jacob’s Ladder mist closes in, adding to the rain. The rocks are wet, but the ground is still firm for running. My first mistake: I let my clothes get wet and my hands become cold in my gloves, so cold I can’t get my rucksack off, then I can’t get my gloves back on again. I take myself aside for a stern talking to; must do better…

Read more…

How did you manage your race?
Badly. I ate mostly in the checkpoints, which isn’t a great idea, and I definitely didn’t eat enough.  I find it hard to eat out on the trail, when you’re wearing two pairs of gloves and using poles. Plus you forget to eat when you’re just concentrating on foot placement had navigation. I think I mostly just carried my mandatory 3000 calorie pack unopened.

My plan was to sleep at checkpoints, but after the second CP I kept arriving during the daylight, so I skipped sleep to maximise the light, which probably wasn’t the best plan. The fatigue just made me slower in the long term. I think I had about 7 hours in total, so just over an hour a night. 

In terms of race strategies. I just try to stay positive, which is hard when your brain is functioning on another level.  I count a lot to stop the crazy in my head.  And I sing. Loudly. I did save music for the hours of funk, but I ended up losing one of my Airpods, so that was an end of that.  There is so much to think about – navigation, foot placement – that distraction is not really an option.  Not like a road race when you can stick on some music and tune out for a while.

What were the hardest, best and most memorable moments in of the race?
Storm Brendan on Monday night.  It’s hard to put into words how horrific that was; there were storm force winds and torrential rain. The path was like wading up a river. The harsh reality was there was nothing I could do about it apart from suck it up and get on with it – and I got lost and totally hysterical at one point.  Then my head-torch went out and I couldn’t get my frozen hands to work well enough to change the battery, so I ended up running 3 miles into Hawes with a small handheld torch between my teeth! I was an absolute wreck at the checkpoint, but the volunteers there were angels.  I wouldn’t have got through it without them.  I think this CP had the biggest drop outs.  It’s ‘only’ 100 kilometres in and that’s just a warm up for what lies ahead.

The snow on Tuesday night was another low point; though mainly because I let myself go and got into a state again.  I was freezing and hungry and hadn’t eaten for hours, because I didn’t want to stop, and so had kept pushing forward.  I got lost and was so exhausted I couldn’t stay on my feet, so I kept falling in the mud. It was the closest I came to throwing in the towel! The idea of going up Cross Fell in the dark, by myself in a snow storm terrified me.

In some ways for me the hardest part of the Spine is the darkness. To keep going through 16+ hours in the dark each day is tough.  Especially when most outdoorsy types do it for the views.  The Pennine Way is actually really pretty (really, it is!), but of course you cover most of it in the dark.

Most memorable?  The most memorable bits are also the hardest parts. The full-on effects of Mother Nature: the storm, the rivers, footprints in the snow, sounds of the waterfalls.

And the best? Coming off Cross Fell (the section I was most worried about) by myself in the snow.  The reward was an amazing – a tin pot of spicy noodles at Greg’s Hut.  Nothing will ever taste as good as that.

Were you happy with your performance?
I’m never happy!  I made so many errors; I wasted way too much time at checkpoints, though who didn’t? In the end though, I’m really happy I got to experience it. I know I hit some massive lows, but now I only remember the good bits. In fact, being out there never even really felt like a race, more of a personal adventure, with lots of amazing people helping me on my way. Next year though, I’ll be quite happy to be back to my screen watching other people’s dots making their way slowly and painfully along the course.

Just back from… Hemisphere Crossing 2020 in São Tomé

Kevin Webber has just returned from Global Limits’ 200km, six stage Hemisphere Crossing 2020, which was held in São Tomé and Principe in the Bight of Africa. As a terminal cancer sufferer who in 2014 was given just two years to live, he never imagined he would be here, celebrating his 55th birthday during a run among the deep jungle and beaches of this tropical island country. It’s heartening tale of determination and defeating the odds. As he says, what seems impossible is often possible. See more about his story here.

The Hemisphere Crossing in São Tomé was a supplementary run organised by Global Limits, for runners who have completed at least two in their three-race series. Their runs in 2020 will include Bhutan (late May), Albania (September) and Cambodia in late November. See more about Global Limits.

Kevin has been raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, the biggest cancer affecting men. See Kevin’s website and his JustGiving page.

What was the Hemisphere Crossing São Tomé 2020 like?
São Tomé was an incredible place to visit and to compete in a running event. The island was amazingly beautiful, the running was hot and hard work and unlike anything I’ve done before. 

We got right into the heart of the island, occasionally on roads made of stone or tarmac, but mainly on vehicle tracks that linked the villages and plantations. They were dusty to begin with, but they soon turned to mud when it rained. And we ran deep into the jungle too, on very narrow single track, running over rocks, which was painful, and sometimes clambering under fallen trees. There were a few river crossings and near the end we even ran on a carpet of coconut husks, which was incredibly difficult… Still, it’s not often you get the chance to jump into a warm sea at the end of a run, clothes and all…

São Tomé was really humid, already hot and sticky by the time the stages began at 7 am. The humidity and heat made sure our clothes were soaked right from the off. And then there was the tropical rain - at least that made it a bit cooler…. for a while… When the sun came out, it was hot and humid again immediately. There was no way of drying out.

It was interesting camping out on the beaches and up country, where all the old colonial plantation buildings are being reclaimed by the jungle. São Tomé is an incredibly poor country - most people haven’t even heard of it - so it was quite a big thing for them to stage the Hemisphere Crossing. At the start the national anthem was sung by some school kids and then there was a speech from the president. It was the first ever ultramarathon to take place there, and put it on the map in a way.

We were a novelty too. The locals look quizzically at us, running in the heat down the main street of the capital, which is a mixture of old run down Portuguese colonial grandeur and shacks. We passed memorials to those who died in the struggle for independence and democracy in 1975, a reminder that the country has not had it easy.

Credit to Stefan, who organises exceptional runs. The course explored the natural beauty of the island while giving all of us a great run. The local team were awesome, too.

How did it go?
The race went pretty well. I was lucky I didn’t get any blisters – most people did because they constantly had wet feet and shoes from the mud and the rivers, and then no opportunity to get them dry. And the running went well too – I did my usual cat and mouse act, overtaking runners up the hills where I can walk quickly but being overtaken downhill where others run faster than I do. 

Amazingly I finished 26th out of 58. Usually I end up about 70% down the field, so to be in the top half was satisfying, not because I am competitive but because it proves I can still get fitter despite being a year older and a year further into my cancer journey... It was really touching when they celebrated my birthday with a cake at the end of Day 5.

Running in the jungle was amazing, though it had its moments. At one point on Day 1 something black fell on the track in front of me. I jumped to the side in time to realise it was a black cobra, a deadly snake, which after the shock of falling then reared up at me. After that I was paranoid about every sound and rustle of a bush.

The 58 runners included two local boys who can run sub 2hr 30 marathons, so very fast. Needless to say, I didn’t see them again after the first 100 yards each day! 


What was the most painful moment?
I always feel I have an unfair advantage over other runners in these races – having been through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and living with a very short life prognosis, there isn’t much that can make me not love living. I guess the only thing I hate is when things are unorganised, but any race staged by Stefan has oodles of German efficiency and Sao Tome was no exception.

The most difficult thing was psychological because I am nervous of local food – I don’t want not to finish due to an upset stomach, so when we were eating local food I had to pick carefully what to eat. It clearly worked for me, but others did have issues for a lot of the week, including my tent-mate, Simon, though he finished despite it all.

And your favourite moment?
This race had more unforgettable positive memories than most I have done as it was so different. However, I will never forget the first time we finished a stage on the beach and we just jumped into the waves with all the local kids to watch the sunset over the sea. The contrast of a hard day’s running in the jungle and the relaxed beach life is almost impossible to describe.

The other thing about these races is the strength of the connection you make with people you meet; the fact that you know everyone is suffering out there makes the feeling all the stronger. Obviously I have my issue, but it was incredible to meet Mark, who has leukaemia and is effectively operating on half of one lung, though you would not know it by looking at him. He knows himself and although he completed several stages, he knew he wouldn’t do the Long Day. A brave guy, the epitome of having a go. He used to run loads of these types of races before he got ill and now he wants to just have a go, to be there one more time, for the feeling that these races bring. Amazing man.

It felt more spiritual than other races I have done – it was a combination of being there with the other runners, in a new and exotic country, while also missing my family. It made me think over what's important in life. I love these races and at my demise I won't have to say I wish I had done this thing, or run in that race. I have managed to do so many. I did realise that my kids, particularly Ollie, might say they wish Dad had been around more for them, so when I get home I will be making more time for them - as far as they want me to!

What did you learn?
I don’t do these races to learn anything as such, but I always come away with things I can do better next time. I have definitely cracked my food: breakfast is a dehydrated main meal, usually Shepherd’s Pie or Chicken Teriyaki (yes, people think I am mad); lunch is peanuts and dates on the go; dinner another dehydrated main meal.

My kit choice is also spot on, now, too: I wear Injinji toe socks under a pair of X-Socks. I wear shorts by SAXX that have a unique liner to keep the crown jewels in place, and I always wear a top made by Raidlight. For a backpack I use a Salomon 12-litre race vest, which has loads of pockets for bits and compulsory gear. None of these have let me down, which is key as gear failure on a race can spell disaster!

I think I avoided the blisters and chafing that others got because I always use 2Toms foot powder and 2Toms sports shield. My tent-mate Simon had all sorts of issues, so I gave him some part way through the race and he didn’t have a problem after that.

The contentious item of kit is walking poles, which are shunned by many, but unless you’re an elite runner, poles will add 0.5 mph to your speed in the moments when you have to walk. Also they make going up hills so much easier. I take Black Diamond carbon poles. I am on my 7th pair now as I wear them out, but I swear by them.

My best tip, though, is attitude. When it’s tough – and it always will be at some stage – you have a choice. You can either think “Why am I doing this?” or you can say to yourself “I am so privileged to be in this place, with the chance to prove that I have the toughness required to get through, no matter what”. I also like to show other people living with cancer, or any kind of challenge, that they should never give up, because what seems impossible turns out to be possible most of the time.

Kevin Webber and Global Limits Hemisphere Crossing in Sao Tome

Kevin Webber is an ultra-runner with a tragic but truly inspiring story. After an active youth brought to an end by injury, he took up running again in his 40s. But then at 49 he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. He was expected to live for two years.

Kevin has used his two years – and to date three more years beyond that - to enter as many endurance running events as he can, and he has notched up a record far exceeding that of most healthy runners. While he would never have wished the cancer diagnosis on himself, it changed his life by opening up an amazing appetite and opportunity for adventure.

By his own estimation, Kevin could reach the end of the road at any moment. However, each event is something to aim for, to keep the flame alight, and this week, he has made it to the start of Global Limits’ ‘Hemisphere Crossing’ in Sao Tome and Principe*, a 200km ultra in six stages that starts on Saturday.

Kevin has been raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, the biggest cancer affecting men. See his website here and his JustGiving page here.

See more about Global Limits races around the world.

*Sao Tome and where? It’s a tropical country formed of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa, about 150 miles west of Gabon and 300 south of Nigeria. The national language is Portuguese and it has around 200,000 inhabitants.

First a bit of form
Kevin Webber: I have been a runner off and on since my early 20s. Originally it was a means to stay fit for rugby, lots of half marathons and 10ks, but I found a love for running in its own right. Sadly in my early 30s I was injured playing rugby and that stopped my running too.

I was always healthy as a kid and I loved sport, though I was never quite good enough to get in the team at school. Separately I joined the Sea Scouts, which got me into rowing whaler-type boats called gigs, canoeing and particularly sailing, which my main thing in my teenage years - I raced small dinghies and then crewed a 43ft yacht based at Hamble for five years. We were quite good too, coming third in the European championships and in my final year winning 7 out of 9 races at Cowes Week.

Roll on 15 years and after an untimely death of one of my wife’s friends, my wife Sarah said: “You always wanted to run a marathon. Perhaps you should have a go now, as you never know…“

So in around 2012 I started running again; two marathons a year to start with. I kept getting niggly injuries and then decided that running faster might not be good for me, but perhaps running further was. In May 2014 I ran/walked/crawled 100k London to Brighton. Tactically I got it all wrong, but I did finish, in around 15 hours. I lined up another ultra for 2015, with the Brighton marathon as a training run (ha ha).

Then in November 2014 I was diagnosed with metastatic incurable, terminal prostate cancer. I was told I should have two years to live.

I took a decision, on the day after my first chemo session, that I was going to go for a run. It was a beautiful, crisp, cold day, and the week before I had run 20 miles, so how different could it be?  And I just kept at it, running during the chemo. I had an entry the Brighton marathon, so I asked my oncologist if I could run the race. He laughed and said “Nobody runs marathons on my chemo…”. Then he saw my face and that I was serious. “OK, if you can train for it, then you can run it.” So I did, during Week 13 of chemo. And then I then did London in Week 15 of chemo. I just wanted to keep going. I didn’t want to let the cancer take everything away.

I have always loved being outside, but I guess cancer made me realise that I needed to get out there every moment that I can. It gave me the push to step up to some scary races. Challenging myself is a short term way of feeling alive, a reason to stay fit and to do once in a lifetime events.  I went on to run some longer UK Ultras - Race to the stones 100k (twice), Pilgrims challenge 66 miles (5 times, most recently in February 2020).

I also got to run my ultimate race, Marathon de Sables. It was the only mega ultra I had heard of in my 20s and it became the only thing on my bucket list. I have now run the MdS four times, with a fifth (hopefully) in April 2020. I am the only person with any T4 cancer to have run the race 4 times.

I continued to look for challenging events that 1) pushed me, 2) gave me an excuse to get more people to sponsor me - I have been raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK for 5 years now - and 3) allowed me to see places in the world that I never thought I would get to.

I have run a number of other ultra-marathons, most of them 200-250k over 5/6 days, including :- Fire and Ice 2017 (Iceland, similar style to the MdS, carrying all your kit for the week, food, sleeping bag etc), Al Andalus 2017/8 (in July in the mountains of Andalucia, very hot, I was timed out on the long day 2017 but finished 2018), 6633 Arctic Ultra 2018, 2019 (120 miles across the Yukon in Northern Canada pulling a sledge, in -40c, did not complete in 2019), Global Limits Albania 2018, Global Limits Cambodia 2018, Ultra X Wadi Rum Jordan 2019, Ultra Trail Ibiza 2019. And in 2019 I walked the 600-mile Camino de Santiago, from St Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre, with my brother in memory of our father.

Why Hemisphere Crossing in Sao Tome? Why now?
Having finished Global Limits races in Cambodia and Albania, I knew that Stefan organised fantastic events. Not just the running course itself, but the support and equally importantly, the fact the races go to all these off the beaten track places – you stay in castles, temples, people’s houses, dried up lakes etc. There is no way that I would have ever done any of that, even if I had managed to visit the countries independently.

I then saw that Stefan was organising this race in Sao Tome as a one off. In theory, to qualify you had to have done all three of his races and I had only done two, but looking at the itinerary and learning about Sao Tome I was hooked. I sent Stefan several begging letters as in reality, the way my health is, this could be the last year I can ever attempt such things. I live in monthly blood test windows, and in any month my bloods could go bad. It will happen, it just depends when - most of my peers, the men diagnosed at the same time as me, are now dead.

Luckily there were a few spaces left, so he squeezed me in. I was over the moon to make the cut. The country looks amazing, beautiful and unspoiled, but scary in some respects – the sort of place Stefan is great at finding. Going somewhere that I had never heard of, but which on discovery looks amazing, means so much. It has given me a reason to keep going. I talk to people about my plans and they, like me, have never heard of Sao Tome. And then once I tell them they too sound hooked (if only they could run !!)

Sao Tome means two more things as well: it has been a goal to get to the start line. Now that it is less than two weeks away I probably will make it. Secondly, like every race, it is potentially the last race I will ever run, so right now, today, it is THE race in my life, my “A” race if you like.

Training and Preparation
I run so many races that my training is often the previous race. The problem is that I run so much that I do sometimes get injured, which then can stop me running for months. For example I was injured in April 2019 and ended up walking the whole Marathon des Sables. Whilst that’s fine - I still came about 550th out of 800 - I would still rather have run a bit at least.

August 2019 was a defining moment. I realised that in order to do everything I wanted in 2020 I needed some radical change, so I lost weight, from 96kg to 84kg. I significantly reduced alcohol consumption and have tried to be vegan, plus avoid fatty snacks – I have always been a sucker for crisps!

Running wise, my training plan includes the gym, mainly off road running (pavement does my knees and ankles in), diet and now heat training. Sao Tome may not be as hot as the Sahara, but it is hot and humid, so I have been going to the sauna and steam room most days. I’ll do this right up to the race as I know from other events that it makes a real difference. I have also been running hills as this is a past failing of mine

At the end of 2019, a running app sowed a seed in my head about running every day. They have a programme called ‘RED (running every day) January’, so on 23rd December I started my “streak”. As of yesterday that’s 42 days, with a total of 511k and an average of 12.1k per day. Running every day has been excellent training.

The race I did last weekend I have done five times, my total time this year was 16 hrs 7 minutes, my fastest ever (the others were 19h 12 m, 18h 16m, 17h 16m and 17h 32m). I point that out because that shows how much fitter I am now 5 years into terminal cancer and 5 years older. I am 54 now - you can go faster and further in your 50s!

A significant change in the last 6 months has been running to a heart rate. Most of my training is deliberately slow, 125 bpm for my heart as this trains my body to eat fat (of which I have lots) as opposed to sugar (which we have less of). It helps you avoid the marathon runners’ wall at 17 miles, when the body runs out of sugar, which is particularly painful if your body is not trained to burn fat when going fast.

Are you ready?
I am more ready for this race than any I have entered over the last 5 years, assuming my minor niggles calm down before the start. I feel fit, confident and excited about the journey, the people, the country and the whole experience.

Most daunting aspect?
Whenever I do a Global Limits race I buy a travel guide and usually a history book on some aspect of the country, as I want to understand a bit of what I am seeing. It also helps me respect the right things in the country, like the Killing Fields in Cambodia and the bunkers in Albania. Sao Tome has a slave history which I find sad: colonial rule by the Portuguese will have left its mark although the people appear to be very welcoming.

What I fear from the guides is malaria; despite going brown easily, mosquitoes love me and I always get bitten. I will of course put on spray and take anti-malarials, however any pills worry me as they could stop my cancer drugs working and I might have an unpleasant reaction. The other fear is black cobras: they sound like they are in abundance and whilst snakes usually move away when they hear noise, I am a bit paranoid about finding one in the toilet or running through a sunny patch in the jungle where one is sleeping or basking in the heat. That said, I will be near the back of the field, so the faster runners have more of a worry than me!!

And what are you most looking forward to?
It’s hard to explain, but for the past 5 years every day has been a gift for me: at home, work, hospital or racing, it is just wonderful to be alive still. Of course I wish I never had had cancer, but cancer has given me opportunities that I would never have had if I had stayed healthy and lived to 100!

Also, going to a place where few people go, which is unspoilt and beautiful, makes me feel privileged. It’s going to be a hard race: the heat and humidity, plus jungle terrain and some big climbs will take it out of us all I am sure, but that’s what makes the race special. It sounds like Stefan has done a great job of exciting the islanders about our arrival, I guess it’s probably the first ever multi day ultra marathon there. I think we are doing a casual run with the islanders before the race starts. That will be very special indeed.

I expect to come back home with a head and heart in love with the place, but also a trashed body!!

I understand that it also is a poor and uneducated country generally, whenever I see poverty it makes me sad and feel privileged. The money I spend on having fun racing could change the lives of many I know.

What does success look like?
Success for me is about putting my foot on the start line - every time I do that it’s an achievement. Sometimes dropping out of a race gives one more chance to really experience things, in the Arctic I went dog sledding for example, watched the local Inuits play ice hockey and had a coffee with the Mounted Police.

I do want to finish, it’s all about the bling you know! But also it means I can come home and inspire others to chase dreams, no matter what life throws at them.

Finally, I want to bring home memories that I can feel proud of. Morbid as this may sound, on my death bed I want to be able to look back at the time I had cancer and say that I did so much, saw so much and did good for so many others.

Alex Cook on Nutrition and Lavaredo Ultra Trail event

Alex Cook, 38, is a sports nutritionist, dietician and running coach who competes in endurance running events herself. Here she describes her training and diet for the Lavaredo Ultra Trail race 2018. Held in the spectacular Dolomite mountains of north-eastern Italy, the 120 km run starts and finishes in Cortina and is notorious for its tough and technical rocky terrain. It has a maximum permitted time of 30 hours and includes 5800 metres of climbing. Over 1000 competitors enter each year. The 14th Lavaredo Ultra Trail will take place 26-7th June 2020.

Alex Cook is a nutritionist for Lift, a range of glucose chews and shots designed for ultra-runners; they come in four flavours and are free of artificial sweeteners, colouring and flavouring, caffeine and gluten. See www.liftglucose.com.

See more about Alex Cook at TheSportsDietician.co.uk and @thesportsdietitian. She tweets at @diet360_

Images courtesy Lavaredo - Jordi Saragossa/Alexis Berg

First a bit of form
Alex Cook: Nutrition and endurance exercise have been part of my adult life right from the start, since I was a student. I began training as a nurse, but I decided on a change and instead went to Birmingham to study Sport and Exercise Science. And in the gap between the two courses I did my first marathon. I have been running ever since, 20 years now. I have worked clinically with the NHS and in dietetics in the Army, both for the troops and for the Army’s many athletes, so my interests have come together. And I am also a coach.

Moving from road running, where you’re watching the clock and your times, to off-road ultras filled a need in facing all the side-pressures of life - the chance just to put on a backpack and go is an amazing escape. And at 20 hours in the mountains, that’s what Lavaredo is all about. It’s incredible.

In the winter I tend to do shorter events, cross country races, for instance. This keeps up my speed work and strength, which is important for the longer runs – particularly in the descents in an ultra.  In the spring I often do a road marathon and then over the summer I try to do an ultra run, though it doesn’t always happen. With kids it’s hard to take the time to train. It’s quite a selfish sport and despite all the physical effort it feels a bit indulgent. Still, I am pretty sure that I’ll manage to do a long ultra in summer 2020.

Lavaredo wasn’t my first ultra, but it was certainly my longest mountain race. I have built up gradually over the years since I started running off-road in 2105 – first a 50km race, then 100km over two days, then longer. I know I could just go out and run 100 miles and see how I get on, but I want to do well at what I choose to do, so I structure it carefully.

Training
I maintain my fitness all year round and I have good base endurance - I have been running for 20 years - so training is mostly about strength and hills. But the winter before Lavaredo was terrible. I got flu at the end of December and it put me out of action for a whole month. My weakness is my immune system. I’m lucky in that I don’t really get injuries much, but in the winter-time I’m susceptible to illness. So I came out of the winter without the consistent training and without enough time out on my feet.

The longest run I did was about 40 miles, but this isn’t a problem. Training for an ultra is about running back to back runs, running on tired legs. I coach ultra distance runners and in a weekend I may suggest two 4-hour runs on consecutive days rather than one long run, which requires too much recovery. I live in the Chilterns so I cannot replicate the two-hour climbs of the race. Instead I did continuous hill reps to condition the body to ascent and descent. My maximum weekly distance was about 60 miles.

My training doesn’t involve a huge change in diet - I don’t eat perfectly, of course, even though people imagine that I probably do. I just paid attention to recovery, ensuring that I was eating enough carbohydrate each day to maintain my training levels.

I did practice one important thing - Lavaredo is 20 hours long and therefore your body has to be accustomed to eating while on the run. I started my runs sooner after eating than usual, about 45 minutes, intentionally setting off with breakfast still inside my stomach. I would also eat on my runs. My parents live not far away and I would stop by for a cup of tea and toast and then set off straight away. It’s what you need to do in the checkpoints and so it gets you used to stopping, eating and getting moving again.

I say to my athletes to try to keep moving. If they are eating a bowl of pasta then obviously they will need to stop, but for cold food you don’t have to. I take plastic bags with me and then eat from them as I leave the checkpoint. I’ll walk for a minute rather than run immediately. It keeps the body moving as much as you can.

Planning?
It’s important to have a race nutrition strategy, but also to know that in an ultra it’s more likely to go out of the window, so you need to plan for it going wrong too. My plan for Lavaredo was to take in between 30-50 grams of carbs per hour for as long as I could - and then to have some protein as well. You get hungry in a race that long. I managed to stick to it for the first two checkpoints, about a third of the race, and then I just ate what I could.

Lavaredo had an 11pm start, which slightly blew my mind. I hadn’t run through the night before. I decided I couldn’t actually train for it, so I could only hope for the best. On the day before the start I was really nervous and found it hard to eat anything, so I drank a lot of shakes that contained carbohydrate and protein.  It wasn’t perfect, but it amazed me how resilient my body was.

What was Lavaredo 2018 like ?
Oh my God, that race… the vast blue sky, and the mountains… huge rockfaces all around us… and just what an escape it is from the rest of life. The Dolomites are incredible and we were really lucky with the weather. In fact the whole thing was so perfect that it’s hard to imagine ever doing an event that good again.

The race went well and I was competitive, finishing 30th female runner in a field of 150. It was hard, of course. I had a niggle in the run up to the event, and so I hadn’t managed to do anything for a full eight days beforehand – and then as soon as I started the pain returned, which was worrying. But it eased as the race got going. After that everything went well till about half way through, when I suddenly got an incredible pain in my right knee. I have no idea what it was. I’d never had it before and it has never come back again. But it meant that I was using my poles as crutches and navigating the decents with straight legs. My progress was affected – people who I was passing going uphill then passed me on the way down.

Towards the end, I did get a bit delirious. Ideally I wanted to finish in 20 hours, and at the last checkpoint, with 10km to go, all downhill to the finish line, I looked at my watch and saw 19 - but I couldn’t work out if this meant 19 hours had passed, or it was 1900, ie seven pm. So I just went for it and made it to the finish in 20 hours and 9 minutes.

How did race nutrition go?
The race went ok. I didn’t have stomach problems, luckily. Or at least the only moment when I did was some small stomach cramps. They happened in the night, not long after the start – my body’s way of saying “What the hell do you think you are doing…?!”  But they weren’t that bad and I did what I tell my athletes to do, which is to keep sipping at their drink and keep taking the carbs in. I was able to take on carbs throughout the race.

Lack of coffee was an issue, though. It’s my rocket fuel for an event like this, but there was none in the checkpoints and I really needed it. Instead I had to use Coke, which I never have before. It was a risk, but if you’re starting to fall asleep you have to do something.

What were the lowest and best moments?
There was no real down point: the most challenging moment was probably when the injury kicked in. I had to try and run without bending the leg much and put more weight on the other leg. Even so, I never questioned myself. There was no point where I said to myself this is terrible, or I can’t make it.

My highest point was as dawn arrived. It hadn’t been easy, first running at night and second because my headtorch didn’t work and I had been running the whole time in the light of other people’s torches, usually into my own shadow. But then the sun came up and I could hear the birds singing and the mountains’ incredible beauty was revealed all around us. The sun coming out made a real difference. I was off, and managed to leave lots of people behind.

Can your diet affect state of mind?
Yes, absolutely. I say to my athletes to make sure that they have something with them that will give them a boost. Mine’s a Snickers Bar. And of course warm food makes a real difference. I reached a checkpoint at the top of a climb at 7am and it was incredibly cold, and I found that the only warm food they were offering was a stew with meat stock and pasta. It wasn’t ideal - because I’m a vegetarian - but needs must… and it was a real lift.

What did you learn?
Even though I have been running for over 20 years, I still get things wrong. I think we’re always on the path of learning about our body and what it’s capable of.  Never think you know it all as there will always be surprises!

Just back from... Oman by UTMB 2018

Alfie Pearce-Higgins, 31, competed in the inaugural Oman by UTMB race in November 2018, a trail race of 137 kilometres through the heart-pounding and jaw-droppingly spectacular landscape of Jebel Akhdar at the eastern edge of the Arabian peninsular. The course covered rock-strewn wadis (dry river beds), fertile clefts filled with date palms, massive stretches of bare rock and even cliffsides, where runners clipped in to a via ferrata. He completed the non-stop event in around 23 hours.

Oman by UTMB is one of a series of ultra-distance trail runs organised by UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc – their original race is approx 170km around Mont Blanc) and the 2019 edition of Oman by UTMB will take place in late November (this year with 50km, 140km and 160km courses). In 2020 they will also stage runs in Yunnan in China (March), Ushuaia in Argentina (April) and Val D’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees.

See more about UTMB by Oman, and more about UTMB World. Alfie Pearce-Higgins, CFO of a motorbike-hailing company in Uganda, SafeBoda, can be followed on Instagram @jogonalfie. Photos courtesy of Sail Oman / Franck Oddoux and /Anthony Lloyd

What was Oman by UTMB 2019 like?
Alfie Pearce-Higgins: Any inaugural race is a journey into the unknown. There are no veterans to ask for advice, results for reference or photos for inspiration. And as my plane touched down in Muscat I realised that it wasn’t just the race that was novel – my knowledge of the Sultanate of Oman itself was embarrassingly limited. On both counts I was in for a treat.

We had heard rumours that the course would be tough, but surely this was just pre-race hype? In truth nothing could have prepared us for this unforgiving terrain of the Jebel Akhdar. From the first ascent (of more than 7500m in total), it became clear that the race would be a battle of attrition – for 137km we scrambled in and out of wadis , over rocky mountains and around precarious cliff edges.

Fortunately the evening start meant that we tackled most of the more terrifying sections in darkness; innocuous luminous red dots being the only indication of potentially fatal precipices. As a nervous and clumsy runner, I was barely conscious of time as I searched for secure footing on the ever-changing ground in front of me.

c SailOmanFranck Oddoux

By the time the sun came up we had been running for nearly 12 hours and my muscles were past the point of aching, but even in that state my mind could appreciate the panoramic views of jagged mountains bathed in golden light. It turned out to be a temporary relief - soon it was replaced by a desperate desire for shade as the midday sun beat down on us. It came as no surprise to discover that many runners didn’t last through the night.

In fact, the only reliable feature of the race was the organisation. UTMB’s proven formula of world-class race management intertwined with local culture was evident from the start. In Oman we were waved off by villagers in ankle-length white dishdasha with a combination of dancing and sword-fighting, along the way we were sustained by delicious local dates, and at the finish line we were welcomed home by an entire community of recently converted ultramarathon fans.

How did it go?
My own race was something of an experiment. Inspired by Professor Tim Noakes, the controversial South African sports scientist, I had spent two months before the event minimising carbs and attempting to switch my body to ‘fat-burning mode’. I enjoyed the experience and was surprised by the ease with which I ditched my sugar-heavy diet, but would it be enough to see me through a real physical challenge…?

I spent much of the race waiting for an energy ‘bonk’ that never came. Eating a fraction of my usual race fuel I was amazed to discover that I could sustain a steady pace. As the race wore on I had the satisfying experience of gradually reeling in many better, more qualified runners. I ended up around 23 hours as I recall, in 5th position, but a couple of hours behind the joint winners (Schlarb and Pazos).

C SailOman/Franck Oddoux

Were you as well prepared as you could be?
UTMB Oman turned out to be even more of a psychological battle than other mountain ultramarathons I have done. The unparalleled difficulty of the terrain meant that Oman by UTMB was particularly brutal as a mental challenge and any forward planning was a mistake. Physical preparation was the easy part – the tough bit was learning to take one step at a time as the terrain is constantly surprising and punishes anyone who get carries away with planning the future. I fared well when I focussed in the moment. The time I nearly came unstuck was when I start calculating potential speeds, arrival times and final positions.

c SailOman/Lloyd Images

What was the most painful moment?
There are few places where one can fit 1100 metres of climbing into just three kilometres. Add to this the fact that we were more than 100km into the race and that the afternoon sun was merciless – well, you can imagine how it felt as I dragged my wretched legs up the cliff-face. The intermittent sight of a solitary runner ahead was all that kept me going.

And your favourite moment?
Set at more than 2000m above sea level and with superb views over spectacular cliffs, the Alila Hotel in Jabal Akhdar is a magnificent blend of architecture, luxury and nature. It also marks the 80km point in the race. We had been privileged to spend the night before the race as guests of the hotel, indulging ourselves and wondering if this running thing was really necessary.

Fast forward 24 hours and I was hooking in to a via ferrata to shimmy up the final sections of the very same cliffs. Much to the amusement of the staff I doused my head in the hotel’s ornate fountains before tucking into coffee and breakfast, and then heading back out onto the trail.

c Sail/Oman Lloyd Images

And for more details about via ferratas (used for pleasure rather than under race circumstances), see here.

c SailOman/ Franck Oddoux

Just back from… MdS 2019, Paul and Hector Skipworth

Father and son Paul and Hector Skipworth have just returned from Marathon des Sables 2019 in southern Morocco. Paul, 51, a businessman from Edinburgh, has now run 10 desert ultras (including the MdS 1999 and several Racing the Planet races). Hector celebrated his 17th birthday a few weeks before the event, making him one of the youngest people to enter the race. This was his first desert ultra.

The Marathon des Sables is the original desert ultra and competitors cover six stages over seven days, totalling roughly 250km. Runners must be self-sufficient in their food, bedding and other equipment – limited shelter, drinking water and medical care are provided at checkpoints. The course includes the full spectrum of desert terrain, from bedrock to gravel plain and mirage-inducing oases. And of course, ranges and ranges of energy-sapping sand dunes.

The Skipworths were running in aid of Overcoming MS and during the course of the event they managed to raise more than £3000 via their justgiving page. The Martha Thom Trust were particularly generous in their support. See more about the Marathon des Sables and see a photo essay about MdS 2019, and how it unfolded, including the appearance of Cactus the Dog.

What was MdS 2019 like?
MdS 2019 was as hot as ever, though in fact it wasn’t quite as hot as it could have been. Temperatures reached around 35 degrees in the day (40 deg in the dunes). 

Doing the dunes on Day 2 was tough (as is sapped our strength early in the race), though it was good to know ‘Dune Day’ was done... until we discovered that there were more dunes to come. In all there were 13km of dunes on the Dune Day and quite a lot more on later stages. As brutal as they were in the heat of the day though, the dunes are also very scenic.

In fact there was more sand and less hard ground than in some of the other ultras and running over so much sand made it painful on the calves, especially in the dunes. Mentally it was also very tough, to crest a dune expecting to see a checkpoint coming up…. only to find miles and miles of dunes ahead, and not a checkpoint in sight.

How did it go for you?
Our objectives were to finish the race, give Hector the experience of a desert ultra and to enjoy ourselves.  We didn’t plan to run together all the time, though we did on the long day and it helped us both.

Hector was very young and this was his first ultra run, so I had no idea how he would find it - good runners sometimes find the heat very hard and many good road runners can’t run with the weight of a backpack. Or they find the endurance hard – keeping going day after day as the effect of the difficult sleeping conditions and hygiene/food begins to tell. 

So it was all new for him, but he thrived and he was pleased to finish in the middle of the field, placing around 440th in the 800 or so competitors, and beating his Dad!  He will go back again armed with this experience and will go for a higher place next time. 

My objective was to get round well, ensuring I didn’t do anything silly, like get heat stroke or an injury, and be there if he needed me – which he didn’t at all. In 1999 I placed 199th… Perhaps I have aged a bit - although some ultra-runners peak in their early 50s! The next ambition!

Were you as well prepared as you could be?
Based on previous race experience, we had the right kit and knew how to manage our body salts and look after our feet.  We could, as ever, have done more training, especially running with backpacks.  The temptation always is to get running fit first and only to run with your pack towards the end of your training, and even that is often neglected as time runs out...  It is totally different running with a pack.

We had lightweight sleeping mats to save weight, but I would recommend a light blow-up mattress as our weight-saving compromised our sleep on the stony ground.

In the MdS you need to use local twigs to cook with and these can become scarce as you have to search further and further from camp.  Some people avoided cooking and had dry food on some days, which saved time and weight, though of course you do need a cup of tea at the end of the day! I would probaby alternate dry and “wet” days next time.

With Cactus the Dog

What did you learn?
Hector learned patience in facing a challenge, and that there are no short cuts.  You have to get from A to B and it takes time.  He also learned what real determination means, that it is possible to keep going despite the many difficulties that you know are ahead – the many kilometres to run over several days, with feet in pain and injuries flaring.

He also saw the value in getting ready early (enough). The experienced runners got up at the right time before the start, not three hours too early, nor too late!  Quite a few people were up hours early, waking others in the process, and other runners still had kit spread all over the place as the Berber tents were lifted around us and taken off to the next campsite. They ended up hurrying to the start line shoving their gear into their packs at the last minute.

What was the toughest moment?
Hector, like almost everyone, found the long day tough, especially during the night - we were on our feet for 17 ½ hours. Time passed very slowly and near the end his legs went a bit wobbly on him.  Before the MdS he said he was expecting a tough physical challenge, but during the race he kept saying how it was more a mental challenge.  He had audio books to pass time and engage his brain.

And your favourite moment?
My favourite moment was crossing the start line of the long day with Hector as I knew that if we just pushed through the 75km it meant that we would basically have conquered the course, with just the marathon day to go - and whatever happened we could do that! As the sky turned red at sunset that day we were alone together in the desert and moving well. I won’t forget that.

Hector’s favourite moment was on Stage 4, when he found himself completely alone in the desert, without a single other person in sight – a surreal experience for a teenager on his first race.

Alan Wilson and Ultra X Sri Lanka

Alan Wilson will be entering the Ultra X Sri Lanka in April 2019. He is a regular runner who has competed in marathons for many years, but made the switch to ultra-running relatively recently. He entered the Ultra X event in Wadi Rum Jordan and is now headed to their event in Sri Lanka. 

Ultra X Sri Lanka is a five-day, 250km ultra-run with five stages generally between 30 and 80 kilometres, one of a series organised by Ultra X. Races are partly supported: competitors must be self-sufficient for the event, but while they are actually running they carry only the gear needed for the stage. Luggage is carried forward by the organisers. Other races in the series are held in the Azores, Mexico and Jordan. See more about the Ultra X series. All images courtesy Ultra X.

First a bit of form
Alan Wilson: I have always tried to take care of myself. My father died of diabetes and related issues and if he had looked after himself better he might have had a much longer life.  Also I find that time spent running helps with work and life. It gives me a chance to reflect on issues and make plans.

I didn’t really like running at school – certainly not cross country - though I did do ok at the 1500m.  But running is my main form of exercise now. After starting work I found I needed to do something physical, so I took it up again. This led to me taking part in the London and the British marathons a long time ago. Since then I have done the occasional Bath Marathon and a few others.

The impetus to start ultra running was a walk across Crete, where I have a house.  I was following the escape route of some of the British Forces during their retreat in May 1941.  It was 60 miles over two days and I felt good after it, even if my feet were a little damaged!  I decided: if I can walk it, then why can’t I run it?  Sri Lanka will make 11 ultra runs in all now.

To me running is freedom, fresh air and thinking time. If I won the lottery I’d be flying all over the world running. It’s just that life and work get in the way. 

Why Ultra X Sri Lanka? Why now?
Being half Scottish, I am always open to a good offer... and I was a previous contestant.

Sri Lanka came off the back of Ultra X in Wadi-Rum, which I loved. I find that in the afterglow of competing and finishing we forget the pain and anguish that’s involved in the taking part. It’s funny how you remember all the good things – the people, the landscape and the nature that surrounds you - and yet the sore feet and exhaustion, you don’t remember them at all. 

In the background, I am conscious of my drive to live life to the full now. There will be plenty of opportunity to watch others getting the best out of life later on! 

Training
I have been getting in better shape to run rather than walk more of the event, by doing miles and miles of running, day after day, to get the body used to consecutive days. Also, it helps to get the weight off a bit.  I have a “running wife” who comes over to help me do some long distance slow running. I have slowed the speed I train at as its important to reflect the actual pace that I’ll be running during the race.  

I had a cold before Christmas and then another one after Christmas, so after that I did around 30 miles, up to 40 miles per week. I fitted in a few long runs and then tapered down. I have done more core strength training. Not that it was an issue in Wadi Rum, but I know it will help!  Generally the fitness feels in a better place - but ask me in late April!

Planning
I’ll be taking less kit this time, only one of each item. Last time I overthought it.

I have also been working on nutrition and my body is now tuned to use fat as much as possible. Hitting the wall is about the change from using carbs to using body-fat, so if you haven’t been eating carbs and your body is used to training on protein and fat then you’re not going to go through the painful transition. It’s been lots of pulses, beans and plenty of meat… I just don’t eat the custards and puddings any more. 

Most daunting aspect?
As it gets closer, I have been thinking about the terrain and what the climate will feel like. It’ll be hot humid rather than hot dry like Jordan, which I liked. It may rain. I hope it doesn’t as I am not too fond of running in the rain.

 And what are you most looking forward to?
Taking part in a challenging event with a load of like-minded people in a beautiful country.  Also the atmosphere of the event; we’re not so much competitors out there as people defeating a course together.

What constitutes success?
Completing the race and enjoying the memories, and crossing the finish line with a smile only face. And then, when I have finished, seeing how many days it takes before my mind starts thinking “what next…?” or “On to the next one… ”.

John Mayock and the Marathon des Sables

John Mayock, an extremely accomplished middle-distance runner who competed at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and several Athletics World Championships, will be running in the Marathon des Sables 2019. The race gathers in Morocco Friday 5th April, before heading out into the Sahara. The running stages start on Sunday 7th April.

Created by Patrick Bauer in 1984 after he walked across the Sahara, the Marathon des Sables is now in its 34th year. It is a 250km, six stage running race held over seven days. Medical care, (rationed) water and shelter from the sun are provided by the organisers, but otherwise participants must be self-sufficient, carrying their own bedding, equipment and food for the race. There will be around 1000 participants in 2019. See the Marathon des Sables website.

Image: Erik Sampers / Marathon des Sables

First a bit of form
John Mayock competed at the highest level as a middle-distance runner in the 1990s and early 2000s. He represented Britain at three Olympic Games (Atlanta, Sydney and Athens). Since then he has kept fit, but this is the first time that he has entered an endurance event like the Marathon des Sables. Read more about John Mayock.

As Head of Sport/Charities at Ineos, the British chemicals company, John Mayock deals with many events and activities. Particularly close to his heart, however, is The Daily Mile, a programme designed to improve physical, emotional, social health and well-being among primary school-children.  The campaign encourages children to run for 15 minutes in the fresh air each day, during which time they cover approximately a mile. Started by Elaine Wyllie in 2016, it has reached 8,000 schools in 64 countries. See more about The Daily Mile.
 

How different will the MdS be from what you’ve done before?
John Mayock: It’s different, an event like this, there’s no doubt. However, I know some things will remain from my sporting career. I’ve still got the determination and endurance isn’t something you lose – as long as you respect your body and the conditions. I channel my competitive energy through business nowadays, mostly, but I haven’t lost that part of my nature.

I know that if I push myself too hard then my body breaks down a bit, so I will need to slow the pace and the heart rate in order to sustain over the longer distance. However, I also know how far I can push my body in different conditions, and I know I still have mental ability to push myself through the difficult moments where others with less experience might fade.

Why the Marathon des Sables? Why now?
I work at Ineos, where we have an active culture (I am also trustee of a number of charities concerned with exercise and activity), and anyway I like challenges in my own life.

The idea of the Marathon des Sables came from colleagues in the company. It has been on their bucket list for a while and they asked if I would like to join them. I have known about the event for a long time, and seen films about it. I wasn’t sure about going at first, but they badgered me and six months ago I found myself signing up without really thinking it through. Obviously I knew that it would be fun, meeting people and pushing boundaries out in the desert. We’re only on the earth once, so you should be prepared to do these things.

I like the fact that it’s a race for all sorts too, with high achievers from the sports world running with people who you would never think would make it.

Image - Josuefphoto / Marathon des Sables

Training
My time has been limited with everything going on at home and at work, where I have been super-busy, so I have had to fit the training in around that. I have been going out two or three times during the week, but then I have made sure to get out for two good runs at the weekend, once over marathon distance and the other a shorter run. I have been careful not to injure myself by overtraining.

I follow the same principles as I always have in my training, which is all about consistency, keeping the right speed, not too fast or too slow, and respecting the conditions. It’s all about not getting injured.

Image - Josuefphoto / Marathon des Sables

Planning
Planning has been the most difficult thing, deciding what to take and not to take, particularly when it comes to food. This is where there’s a real difference between middle-distance running and ultra-running; my calorie intake is a worry. I have spoken to plenty of people, and while they all have good advice, it is often conflicting…

Is there anything daunting about the event?
I have always been a free runner, getting out there in just a t-shirt and shorts, so I am slightly concerned about having to run with a backpack with all my gear in it. Back-packing and camping are not really my favourite things in life.

What constitutes success?
First completing it, and then enjoying it every step of the way. This is completely unknown to me, so there is a sense of discovery. Also, I know I will feel competitive, so I am sorry not to be a bit younger, as I would love to have been able to go out there and win it.

John Mayock in the Rome Marathon

Ragna Debats enters the Marathon des Sables

Ragna Debats, from the Netherlands, will be entering the 34th Marathon des Sables in Morocco in April 2019. She is an extremely accomplished ultra-runner who in the past few years has won a number of world and other championship titles in trail running and sky running. She is also a champion snow-shoe runner. This is her first multi-day race in a desert.

The Marathon des Sables, the original multi-day desert run, has been staged since 1984. Set in the south of Morocco, the race sees six stages over seven days, including a full marathon of 42 kilometres and a ‘long day’ of around 75km, covering approximately 250 kilometres in total. This year the event will be held from 5th-15th April. There will be approximately 1000 runners.

You can follow Ragna - @ragnadebats See more information about the Marathon des Sables.

Ragna Debats - photo: Jose Miguel Munoz

First a bit of form
Ragna Debats has a crop of world and other ultra-running championship titles to her name. In 2017 she won the European ultra distance Skyrunning champion, at Val d’Isere’s Ultra SkyRace, and in 2018 she took the International Skyrunning Federation world championship at the Ben Nevis Ultra. As a trail runner she won gold at the Trail Running World Championships in Penyalogosa in 2018 in Spain, which involved an 85km course with nearly 5000 metres of elevation gain, and the overall World Series. She has made a change for this year in entering the a staged desert run.

She did not take up running seriously until 2009. She was a sportswoman, but grew up with horses and became a professional horse trainer. Running began as a hobby, but then in 2009 she ran her first real race. Some mates offered her the bib number and the rest is history.

Why the Marathon des Sables? Why now?
Ragna Debats: I like changes and new things. I have known about the MdS for a long time and I’ve always wanted to participate. And then in 2018 I achieved everything that I set out to accomplish in my running and so I began to look around for something else. I can only imagine what it’ll be like out in the Sahara, but it is definitely exciting to be involved.

Photo: tucutunfotografia

Usually I run something around marathon distance, or marathon plus, say 30 to 60 kilometres, so the distances are not dissimilar.  There are other similarities too, in that the MdS is run off-road, over stony and sandy terrain, and of course I am used to being out in nature, exposed to the weather and climate.

But there are many differences too. I am used to running up and downhill, whereas the MdS will be flatter and faster. And another big difference is that normally I do not have to carry all my gear, so I am not used to running with weight on my back.

 
Will there be a compound effect in racing over many days?
It may not make a difference, so I don’t think it will be a problem, though it can suit all types of runners anyway. I have run plenty of stage races and I’ll be ready for it.

Training
I wanted to turn my focus to the Marathon des Sables right at the beginning of the year, but then I had flu and an infection, so I wasn’t able to get going as early as I wanted. In February I raced the Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica (230km over six days with nearly 9000 metres of elevation and a similar amount of descent). It was great, and not too dissimilar to the Marathon des Sables, although I wasn’t as race fit as I needed to be.

Photo: Kameliya Atanasova

In the last three weeks I have been doing fast training sessions and have started to train in specific terrain, which I hope will be similar to what we will find in the desert: I have been running along rocky beaches and a sandy dry riverbed.

I have also been working on my strength, so I have been running with a 5kg weight, which I will increase before the event.  I was expecting it to be harder to run with weight, but in fact it hasn’t been too bad.

And Planning?
Nutrition for multi-stage events of this sort is new to me, so I have been discovering a lot. I haven’t tested my food fully yet or made my final decisions – that’s the job for the next few days – but I am confident that I am close to the final plan.

What is the most daunting aspect?
The only thing I hope is that I won’t end up with a back problem. I have been training with weight, but I have not run with the full equipment that I’ll need for the whole six stages. And I can’t run the equivalent of the whole 7 days to test it.

 
And what are you most looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to running and camping out in the desert, exploring it, and being with other people in the tents in the evening. I am sure it’s going to be a really good experience.

What constitutes success?
Ultimately I am looking for a win. Of course there will be other people out there thinking the same thing, but that’s competition, and if you want to be competitive you have to want first place, not 3rd or 4th. 

The other thing that counts as success is if I am happy with my race. I hope that when I arrive I will feel prepared, and that during the run I turn out to do as well as I have prepared for. Hopefully both of these things will happen, both a win and that I am satisfied with my race.

Just back from.... Cambodia

Kirsty Oliver has just returned from The Ancient Khmer Path, a 220km stage race held each November in Cambodia. Organised by GlobalLimits, the race has six stages between 29 and 62 kilometres long and it has a very strong local character. There is lots of contact with the Cambodian people and the nightly camping locations are often near sites of cultural interest, including Buddhist temples. The race finishes at the heritage site of Angkor Wat.

The Ancient Khmer Path is a partially supported race, in that the runners, while they are out on the course, carry only mandatory gear and what they need for that stage. Water is supplied at checkpoints. Competitors’ equipment and food is transported forward by the race organisation to the next night’s camp. GlobalLimits also stages races in Albania and Bhutan. See more information about their races.

Why Cambodia? Why now?
Kirsty Oliver: Why did I enter? Well, I entered with a friend who subsequently pulled out and left me to go alone, but it was around the time I got divorced and I wanted to do something for myself, so I went anyway. At that stage my ideal was to run the Global Limits race in Bhutan - it’s been a dream to be over there and climb the Crow’s Nest and it’s on my 50th Birthday bucket list for 2019 - but Cambodia fitted the diary for 2018 and so I entered. I was in the race… I was on my way to achieving a goal.

What were Cambodia and the race like?
Cambodia is an amazing place, truly stunning, with very changeable scenery, jungly, dusty, dry… When I entered I didn’t really think much about how it would feel to be there, but honestly I can gush about it now I’m home. I didn’t research the country much either, so there were many things I hadn’t expected: I hadn’t expected my feet to be on fire most of the day. Nor that I would be soaked all day… the heat was so intense and the humidity so intense... sweat just dripped off us day and night. It was 38 degrees and the sun was relentless – does Cambodia not have trees? Hell no, no cover, no respite, and on some days there were just dusty orange roads that went on and on and on...

On other days the race took us through paddy fields, flat lands and small communities, where children lined the streets and called “Hello” – they are adorable and they love you taking their photos. They want for nothing and I think they are amazed by us: Who are these crazy crazy people running!? I do have one thought on a slightly negative side: although it is so beautiful, Cambodia is a scruffy place. And by that I mean do they drop litter…?! It’s filthy! Such a stunning place and just littered with plastic...

Stefan (the race organiser) and his crew were amazing and really did look after us. We started running early each day and therefore finished early, so we had time to really get to know them all and they just couldn’t do enough. In bigger races it’s easy to get lost in the numbers, it’s easy to not eat properly, not look after yourself, not hydrate, not sleep etc. But Stefan and his crew would get you water, help you to your bed, and make sure you wanted to get up in the morning and continue. They added the wow factor, the family friendly factor and that meant a lot to me. Their website can be a tad annoying to navigate, but the organisation is very professional and well organised.

Stefan was also very funny. On the pre-race briefing he introduced us to the team, who was who etc. He became our Pied Piper - we followed him wherever he told us to go... And then he mentioned the ‘Red Box… ‘ What on earth was that? And what was in it? You could see runners crossing the road to have a look. It made me chuckle, but it kept us all sane in the incredible heat. The box contained, each for 1 dollar, cold drinks - water, beer and cola. And for me it contained ice, which became part of my race kit. I used to put a chunk down my sports bra and let is slowly melt, to keep my core cool, though I did look pretty odd with lumps sticking out of my top.

The night stops were amazing. Staying in local houses was an eye opener, you realise how poor the people are, with no electricity, no running water, certainly no internet! What would the kids do if the UK was like that? The toilets were holes in the ground and we used rain water to wash, fully clothed, from a bucket. We didn’t mind, it was how they lived; so how could we object? They had moved out so we could move in. We also stayed by waterfalls and historic sites – some truly outstanding places of natural beauty. The whole thing was really well thought out, exclusive and remote. For me it was simply perfect, my little family for 6 days of running.

Again, I chuckle, Stefan was very strict on water... “Do Not… don’t even think about drinking the water or get anywhere near to the point of ingesting it!” Of course it was so hot that water was the one thing that everyone craved... And honestly, I didn’t go near it, but I dreamed about nothing else!!

There was some… interesting… wildlife. Mosquitoes we saw only on the last day, but spiders….? Yup, there was a massive one - and I mean massive - in the toilet! Funny thing was, next day when we were getting our water, we found we had a stowaway - the very same spider was in among the water bottles. It jumped across the floor towards the tents, landed in a rucksack before being tempted out and shown the door! Oooh, that was creepy. You know the ones in “I’m a Celebrity”. Ha ha, that’s the sort we had.

Finally I can’t leave this section without talking about dogs… You move, they bark… and once one barks the rest start, and keep going until the entire village is barking. So if you can, please, don’t pee at night or you will awaken the dog. The demon barking dog.

What training did you do?
In 2016 I had a crazy New Year resolution of running a minimum two miles every day, so after each day at work I would change shoes and get out for a run. I even kept it up while I cycled LEJOG (Lands End to John O’Groats), so after cycling 100 miles each day I made myself get out there and run the two miles…

I don’t run half as much as I know others do, which makes me look a bit of a lazy runner... Instead I spend a lot of time on low impact training, keeping the pressure off my legs by not pounding the streets. I prefer to do Spin, Combat and Weights, with running thrown in. It hasn’t held me back as I’m more than capable of sitting in the rankings of some races. In Cambodia I was happy to be 4th Lady home and 9th overall, which for a ‘lazy’ runner is not a bad effort - I jest though, as I train two hours each evening.

Were you as prepared as you needed to be?
If you buy good quality, lightweight kit it means you can get more running kit in your 10kg weight limit. I had new running clothes for each day and I really needed it. Definitely take a silk liner as it was way too hot to use a sleeping bag. On the other hand, do take a sleeping bag as each year the weather is different. Take snacks for along the route, as you can’t get any in country. Take thin socks as your feet will burn in the heat. Otherwise, I followed the kit list to the letter and it was spot on - there wasn’t anything I needed. Do take some US Dollars in the smallest notes you can get. Everything is priced at one dollar in the race and in the villages: anything over a 5 dollar note and they can’t change it.

What was the course like?
The race course is well thought out and we were never far from a check point, 12k being the longest one. It meant that in the heat you shouldn’t ever run out of water, though I do know some of us were pretty close on many occasions, which kind of shows how hot it was. The course was well marked, with signs literally every 100 metres, so you shouldn’t/couldn’t miss anything (although I did rescue 2 runners at one point – how on earth they missed the signage I will never know… perhaps they were drawn in by the shade and passed the obvious signs on the ground. Luckily I was within sight and got them back on track). It’s a very safe race – and as a female I was very much at ease on my own. The locals were all friendly and very welcoming and I never felt I should be concerned, even on the forest climbs. In fact, my main concern on the climbs were the pesky ants! Boy they can bite and they stick to you like glue.

What was the lowest moment?
Highs and lows? Now that’s really difficult to answer as I don’t like to think of things as lows, just challenging moments, and I had so many highs and so many laughs with the guys, even when the medic stuck a pin in my blister and almost got a kick in the face! Aargh! Yes that hurt. Three millilitres later and all the fluid was out. I did get lazy though as I got tired, starting on Day 4 and 5 - school girl error? I didn’t hydrate properly before going to bed and hence I think I suffered on the later days, feeling sick, and weak. So reminder to myself, make sure you hydrate at night as it goes a long way in extreme heat and humidity.

And the best?
I survived it, yes, I survived and loved it!! With my feet in tatters, tearful, emotional and exhilarated… It was an amazing experience! It’s a bizarre thing to write about the race when you look back at photos of running down dusty paths, the children, the barking (annoying barking dogs), the houses and people we stayed with. I would say to anyone – yes, it’s great to run in bigger races but you know what? - stay small, you can’t beat the smaller race whether it be running, cycling or anything sporty. I simply loved the whole experience and can’t wait to go run with them all in Albania in 2019.

How did you get on in the race?
The long day was my initial nemesis…  And it was only Day 3 of 6… I ran really well the first 2 days, but 20km in on Day 3 and I was in trouble! We were told that we just had to get to 30km as there was no way to get us out: we were running through plantations and access for vehicles was restricted. So it was very much “man up and run on”. I walked the last 5km of this stretch as it was way too hot in the midday sun, and bless, then there’s a heart wrenching moment when three young boys about one kilometres from the check point came up and gave me a cuddle.. ! Totally off the wall and totally unexpected – though I did wonder “Why on earth would you want to cuddle my sweaty, stinky body!” But hey, they made me cry and I stumbled in to the check point. Day 3 was a long day, 11 hours of running and boy, did I know it. It came down to a stomp in the end. Days 4 and 5 were also hard days… Very different terrain! Hill climbs, long dusty roads, water crossings. The climbs were really interesting and one led us to the Elephant ruins, such a beautiful sight to see after a very technical climb in the forest.

The last day was a real highlight. Not just because it was the last day, but because we were running through the most beautiful places, temple after temple. The finish at Angkor Wat Temple was a real tear jerker. It is the most amazing place.

One last thing to mention: when we were in the temples we had to walk. It’s not often you are told to walk in a race. We even had to walk to the finish line, about ½ mile through the Angkor Wat grounds! It made it so funny, but hey, it’s their culture, so we all walked. We were only allowed to run the last 20/10m metres to the finish line and then it had to be a silent cheer, almost like a silent disco! We had literally 20 seconds to take a photo with the banner at the finish line? So we all lined up for a group photo before the Police came over to ask what we were doing. The rules seem to be getting stricter and stricter, so if you do want to run the Ancient Khmer Path then I would sign up now. Stefan is limited to 30 runners each year because of the hoops he has to jump through to put the race on.

Final thoughts?
I loved the race. I achieved everything I wanted to and it more than filled my expectations. I really miss the people I met – race blues kicked in - but I’m pleased I’m going back this year to Albania, besides all the other races I have booked in.

Just Back from.... Wadi Rum Ultra 2018

C Benedict Tufnell, Ultra X

Charlie Henson, Julien Anani-isaac and Toby Free have just returned from the Wadi Rum Ultra in Jordan. The 5-day running race covers some 250km over the gravel, compacted earth and sand of the famous Wadi Rum, which is known for its spectacular landscape of vast granite and sandstone outcrops.

The race has a slightly different format from many of the other multi-day staged runs in that it is partly supported. Runners are required to carry their gear for the day’s run – energy bars and basic medical and emergency equipment (water and medical care is provided in checkpoints) - however organisers move other equipment (bedding, general food, spare clothes) forward to the next camp.

The three ran as a Team, The Royal Lancers, in aid of Help for Heroes, the military charity that works to help injured servicemen and their families – if you would like to donate, you can do so through his link here. They were also supported by Ember Biltong.

The Wadi Rum Ultra has been rebranded as the Ultra X Jordan and in 2019 it will take place from 5th-13th October. To find out more about Ultra X Jordan and other races in their calendar, see their website. Photorgaphs credit Benedict Tufnell.

What is the Wadi Rum Ultra like?
Charlie Henson: What makes the Wadi Rum Ultra so special is the scale. There are less than 50 runners, which makes it so intimate and very quickly you feel like a family.  The group that run it are wonderful people and they really make it special.  There is a Bedouin feeling to the event which is both charming and welcoming.  

Temperatures were between 30-40 degrees and the course is run over flat open plains among stunning rock formations and features.  The terrain underfoot is mixed; about half and half between shifting loose sand and firmer, gritty terrain.  Stages vary from 70km at the half way point, to 30km on the final day. 

Another variation from other similar events is that you do not have to carry all of your equipment, only what you require for the day.  This is offset however by comparatively faster cut-off times.

How did it go?
The race went really well, a lot better than expected, in fact.  I was just hoping I had done enough to complete the course.  My main priorities were to not get injured and to finish, in that order.  My teammates Julien, Toby and I were fortunate to be living in Cyprus in the build-up to the event, so during training  we managed to get some good miles in with high temperatures. 

We started off very naively in terms of strategy, setting off far too quickly on the first two days.  We let the excitement and competition cloud our better judgement – which then made for very painful final stages and probably slower times overall.  Over the course of the race I found that the best way for me was to find a nice slow rhythm that I felt I could maintain all day.  I would relax and enjoy the view until the last 10km.  At that point I would put my headphones in, play my Heavy Metal playlist and see what was left in the tank.  We were delighted to finish 2nd, 5th and 13th, something we would never have believed it possible at the start.

Did the race organisation live up to expectations?
Absolutely.  The race organisation was slick and professional.  The routes had been selected really well to give a balance of different terrain and to take us through the most stunning scenery.  The fourth day in particular was incredible, taking us through an amazing ravine that you almost had to climb down to proceed.  In terms of route selection, I found the second day particularly tough.  It was almost exclusively on soft, shifting sand which sapped so much energy - and it was one of the hottest days. 

The real-life support was also excellent.  There were three doctors and two physios, all working to keep us in the best shape possible.  There was even a study being conducted by a Cambridge University PHD student, his data making very interesting reading on the energetics of prolonged physical exertion in stressful conditions.

Were you as well prepared as you could be?
With hindsight I feel that I was about as well prepared as I could have been, though this was due more to blind luck and circumstance than anything! I started training about 6 months out.  I was not particularly scientific about it but just followed a few golden rules.  I always ran at least 53 miles a week (10 miles, 10 miles, 20 miles, 13 miles), rising to around 60 in the last few weeks.  This distance was chosen fairly arbitrarily; it was just what I was able to fit in around my work schedule at that time.  I ran during the hottest part of the day wherever possible, and was lucky to be living in a hot country at the time.  I stretched and foam-rolled for 30 minutes every morning and evening. 

I took nutrition seriously for the first time in my life, eating as healthily as I could.  I actually did a ketosis type plan with low carbs and high levels of healthy fat.  I found this worked well but would urge others just to find what works and makes you feel strong and healthy to go and run week in week out, whatever that might be.  Two weeks before the event I ran a 50K Ultra Marathon in the mountains in Cyprus with my teammates Julien and Toby.  This was a great way to see how far we had come and to focus our minds for the big event.  For the two weeks before the race I did very little, just a couple of short runs, stretching and eating plenty.

During the race I found nutrition to be highly important too. I had learnt in training that I really do not like gels.  I nibbled on Droewars and Ember biltong in the early miles and that kept me feeling strong.  Then later I would have Bounce Protein Balls and Velaforte Energy Cubes.  Everything was pretty natural and that prevented me feeling unwell or having to ride an energy rollercoaster. Electrolyte solution and salt tablets throughout seemed to keep me feeling relatively human.

In terms of kit I found that poles worked really well for me.  They allowed me to take the weight and strain off my legs and helped me through the more painful periods.  My trainers and gaiters (Hoka One One Challenger ATRs, Raidlight Desert Gaiters) were awesome throughout.  I did not get a single grain of sand inside and only a couple of blisters.  One thing I would change would be to get the longer straw attachments for my water bottles.  They looked much easier and comfortable to use than the normal lower ones.

What was the most painful moment?
Physically the hardest part was the last 10km of the 70km day.  This was a long run home down a dried-up riverbed in the full heat of the midday sun.  We had been running for 7 hours by that point and the legs and engine were really starting to feel the strain.  For the study mentioned above we had swallowed thermometer pills to record our bodies core temperature that day.  Mine recorded a (thankfully brief) peak of 40.1 degrees.  This was the only time that I felt truly awful, slowing down to a walk (or drunken-like stumble!) to take on some water and cool down.  Thankfully this worked and I was then able to continue a bit more strongly.

And your favourite moment?
The long day as mentioned above was particularly really special.  It starts at 4am under the stars.  It is cold and clear and there is a real buzz among the runners.  You run as the sun comes up and it was just stunning.  Finishing that day was probably my favourite moment, the sense of achievement and relief combined with the fun of sleeping out in the open on an amazing shelf of rock overlooking the valley.  Julien, Toby and I also huddled around an iPad to watch a couple of episodes of Friends.  While not at all the sort of thing we were there to enjoy, howling with laughter at some 90s humour is a strong tonic for sore legs.

Overall impressions?
A very special event that is entirely achievable and 100% the best way to see one of the most stunning places on the planet.

Just back from… the Grand to Grand 2018

Jax Mariash took part in the Grand to Grand Ultra 2018, a 270km stage run held among the mesas and canyons of Arizona and Utah. An accomplished ultra-runner, she had an exceptional race, finishing as first woman and seventh overall in a field of 135. She was also first American overall.

The Grand to Grand has six stages over seven days and in 2018 included two full marathons and a double marathon. It is unsupported except in water and medical care, so competitors must carry all the own food, bedding and other equipment for the week of the race. In 2018 there was a lot of sand on the course and temperatures were high, making the race even tougher the usual. See more about the Grand to Grand Ultra here.

The illustration above is by Diane Shearer, an artist from South Africa who specialises in the outdoors. She is an adventure racer herself, having competed in Expedition Africa 2018. She is available for commissions. See more of her paintings here.

Photos courtesy of Grand to Grand Ultra

What was the Grand to Grand like?
Jax Mariash: Grand To Grand Ultra was the most difficult self-supported ultra running race I have accomplished to date - with eight now on my record and five victories. It tested all my physical and mental limits.

The 171 mile course was a great mix of terrain and very challenging, and it never gave you a break. Every single stage had difficult terrain. We crossed rugged desert, sand dunes, rocky washes, slot canyons, sandy roads and a couple of trails. Also, the temperature was 90+ degrees, so the high heat and lack of moisture along with the most sand ever, made for significantly slower times than usual.

Although the terrain was brutal throughout, it was also spectacular. The views in southern Utah are mind blowing. So when it really hurts, you can just look around and enjoy the scenery.

How did it go?
Very early on I slipped away from the women and as my lead over them grew I decided to start racing the men, and with a 7th overall finish and first American of either gender, I am stoked with the accomplishment. This is even more exciting due to adversity during this year’s training. Medical issues leading to inconsistent bouts and an ankle sprain just three weeks prior to the race made it extra special to take the victory by 3 hours and 20 minutes. 

The hardest day of the race was the long stage, which took me took me two hours longer than in other stage races. It was held on the third day, so we still had quite a load on our backs still. In addition, the race was heavily front loaded, so we had already completed 58 miles with heavy packs before the start of the long day. Then add the 53 miles on the long day. IT was exhausting. The top ten did start 2 hours later, which made it a hot start, but also fun to chase down the entire field. 

Personally I was thrilled to jump out of the gate and feel strong and hustle with the boys – it was a strong pack to run with and stay motivated. I had an extremely hard 4th and 5th stage due to an error in my calorie planning. I felt bonky and struggled to recover. I kept eating at my accidentally saved food, but it just never bounced back fully.

Beyond that, I smashed my toe on day two and that caused a huge blood blister and a nagging issue through the entire race. There are always equipment failures too, such as blown sleeping pads etc, but it is funny when you write a recap they seem very minimal compared to the daunting terrain and your body literally falling apart more and more each day as you race. 

Did the race organisation live up to expectations?
You know you’re in a really well run event when you don’t ever think about the race structure and you can just run and focus on your race. Colin and Tess did an incredible job as race directors and I cannot wait to participate in the Mauna to Mauna stage race next year with them. Every element of the organization was seamless, from volunteers through the camp crew, course marshals and medics to the course directors.

Were you as well prepared as you could be?
Due to a really hard year with figuring out some nausea and chronic fatigue, I was really nervous about whether I had what I needed. We didn’t dial in the issue health wise until July, so my final preparations were a hustle. Then to top it all, I sprained my ankle at UMTB three weeks before the race, so I had an obsessive recovery schedule. I was so excited when it all worked out. In a perfect world my training would have been super spot on and consistent, but in this case I had to dig a lot deeper into my grit, thousands of miles on my feet through history and my veteran know-how mentally for these races. It was a massive relief when it all worked out. 

What was the most painful moment?
The most painful moment of Grand To Grand was my toe. Smashing it on day two lead to a massive blood blister that was out of control on the long stage. My toe nail was literally floating around. At Checkpoint 3 we taped it and I screamed in pain and then I just strapped my shoes on and pushed on. Shortly after that I smashed my leg in a cactus. And to finish up the painful set of three issues, I fell into a thorny bush and spent the horrendous climb to follow pulling hundreds of thorns out of my arm and legs. At this point the physical bouts discontinued and it became a new project to deal with the rugged terrain and long hours out there.

Day 4 was really hard because I didn’t eat and drink enough on the rest day, so I became bonky and malnourished. You are already starving out there but you need to know your limit and I was so afraid of not having enough calories left during bag checks that I accidentally miscalculated and paid the price. I kept falling apart emotionally at every checkpoint and struggled to continue. Thanks to the volunteers for pushing me. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and pushed through. 

And your favourite moment?
My favorite moment always seems to be the tent life, camp life, seeing folks achieve their daily goals and enjoying the epic views. My tent was particularly fun, with old friends from the 4 Deserts race series and new friends. We had a blast which always makes the racing portion easier. 

What did you learn?
You learn something about yourself on every stage. You can learn new tricks every time with your pack, food etc, but you have a lot of time alone to think out there and the real fun in stage racing comes in the life lessons you dig through. I tend to evaluate my life and strategize new goals for my business STOKED ROASTERS®. I always strive to try to be the best that I can be and in the Grand to Grand I spent a lot of time thinking about my personal life, looking at my past and relationships and how can I be the best boss, wife, friend and family member to others, working to really open up my mind, body and spirit for a new gentleman to step on into my life.

The Wave rock formation, Arizona by Diane Shearer. See more outdoors illustrations by Diane Shearer.

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Just back from... Albania Hidden Treasure ultra 2018

Oliver Waugh has just returned from the 220km Albania Hidden Treasure 2018, a six-day, staged ultra-run through Albania’s rural and mountainous countryside. The race is supported, with overnight gear and food transported between nightly camps, but with temperatures of 35 degrees and higher, daily stages of between 38 and 55 kilometres and a total 8000m of ascent, it is hot and hard work. The event was organised by GlobalLimits, who also stage running events in Cambodia and Bhutan. See more about GlobalLimits. 

Here Oliver Waugh gives his impressions of the event.

Why Albania Hidden Treasure? Why now?
A number of things drew me to the event.  First I was keen to do a first multi stage race.  Going supported would gently introduce me into the disciplines of administering myself over the week. I have also wanted to visit Albania and the reviews of the past GlobalLimits events were all very positive.

I am not an experienced or frequent ultra runner.  I am 55 and completed a few long single stage events (100km to 100 miles) in the early 2000s, after which I stopped running. I started again in 2016, so Hidden Treasure Albania was my first multi stage event.

What is the race like?
The race uses the best of the Albanian countryside: we started in Berat, the UNESCO world heritage site, and finished in an amphitheatre in Butrint, another UNESCO site. Evidence of Roman occupation was frequent, from amphitheatres to bridges, and most overnight camps were in interesting places too: one night we stayed with an Albanian family in a mountain village. The scenery was spectacular throughout - mountainous and unspoilt. The Albanian people were extremely friendly and supportive, though no-one spoke any English or indeed a language that one could interpret.  It is a very rural economy, almost subsistence in places, and aggressive sheep dogs were a notable hazard, causing frequent detours.  Infrastructure is very basic, whether it is the roads, electricity or plumbing.  Yet everyone we met was very friendly, happy and smiling.

Oliver Waugh pounding the path

There were 48 runners, half of whom had run a previous GlobalLimits event.  Some knew one another already and clearly enjoyed catching up. Many also had experience of Racing the Planet events (which allowed me some useful comparisons for the future). 

The run itself was split into 6 stages, mostly between 38 and 45km, with one day of 55km and the last day of 15km, and all, except the final day, were very hilly and of similar intensity.  Water was provided at the checkpoints every 10-15 kilometres and the route was well marked, so there was no need for a map and compass or GPS, though the trails were always rocky underfoot and most people took a nasty tumble at some stage.  There was also very little shade, which was an issue as the temperature averaged 35 c in the middle of the day.  Everyone agreed that this was the toughest race that GlobalLimits stages. It was a challenge even for the hardened racers.

Were you as well prepared as you needed to be?
As I trained for the race I was reminded of the challenge that Londoners face in preparing for overseas ultras.  It is easy to get the miles in: we have parks, rivers and canals.  It was quite easy, by combining runs with travelling to and from work, to run 40 to 60 miles a week.  The problem is that we have few hills, and those we have are not steep nor long enough - hill reps are no substitute for a steep 6km non-stop, uphill stretch.  Running with a weighted pack went some way to building the strength in my legs, but in retrospect I should have trained in some mountains as well as doing my long flat runs.

I also wish I had entered a couple more races before Albania. I only ran a couple of 60km races in the preceding 12 months. I should have done a 100km race and maybe some more 60km races.

The other racers?
We were a complete mix of abilities, experience and ambitions.  There were a group of serious athletes who live and breathe ultra running; others enter one or two races each year; and then there was me, the newbie.  The youngest runner was 25 and the oldest 67.  Racers came from all over the globe.  France was well represented, as was Asia.  There were teams from both Albania and Kosovo, representing the Balkans; their live podcasts during and post each run seemed to be enthusiastically followed at home.  

Notable personalities included Dan, a veteran ultra runner (more about him later), Kev who was running to raise awareness for prostate cancer whilst slowly dying of the condition – a truly inspirational person - and there was Joe, who drank beer before, during and after each stage. He even wore a beer belt, like Duffman from the Simpsons. I was fortunate to be teamed up with Dan from the US as my room and tent mate.  He is 67 and started ultra running at 50.  In the last eighteen years he seems to have run an event about every two weeks, specialising in 100 mile runs.  He has run two Trans 333s, one Trans 555 and Badwater, and he holds the record for the most Grand Slam 100s ever.  His support and advice was invaluable.

Did the race organisation live up to expectations?
The organisation was better than expected.  GlobalLimits is run by Stefan, a German, so everything was very efficient, right from the initial application to post race debriefs and photos. Stefan is very relaxed about the race itself.  You can stop and have a can of coke en route and use social media in the evening.  If you cannot do a day, due to injury or sickness, there is no walk of shame.  You can rejoin the race the next day, though you do not receive a placing at the end.

The overnight camps supplied tents, hot water, medical support, toilets and electricity for recharging phones.  There was a communal dining area and this, along with the layout of the tents, encouraged people to mix and chat.  I got to know everyone on the event and the socialising and subsequent friendships were an unexpected benefit of the trip.

Each participant was restricted to one overnight bag weighing no more than 10kgs, which may sound spartan, but in reality was quite generous.  Indeed most runners finished the event with meals and snacks left over.

The staff were excellent and I should make special mention of the medical team, whose administration, advice and care was of the highest order.  They were selected for their experience in hot weather and mountains and I do not think that I could have been better cared for. 

How did you get on?
I did better than I thought I would.  The alpha male in me came out a bit and I found myself racing.  I teamed up with a great Frenchman called Damien who was a bit fitter than me and we helped each other around the course.  I finished between 6th and 9th place each day.  However I was quite sick after the longest day from electrolyte imbalance and needed to take it easy on the subsequent day, which impacted my overall place.  My final position was 9th. 

What was the most painful moment?
For me the most painful moment was on the shortest leg at the end.  We finished on a long uphill stretch on a very hot day.  The route twisted around the contours of the hillside and I hoped and expected the finish line to appear around each corner.  Six long corners later it finally arrived….

And your favourite moment?
I think the best moments were when you found a runner going at your pace, allowing you to talk as you ran.  I enjoyed some great chats with so many different people from so many different countries and backgrounds.  They were the best moments.

Preparation and tip top tips
A lot has changed in the ultra world in the 15 years since I last ran.  Firstly there are so many more events, but there is also lots of specialist, expensive kit nowadays. The winners are a lot faster too.  

I would use poles for this event.  There was so much steep uphill that it made it worthwhile.  I managed to get some poles for one day and it made all the difference.

Get a good vest, especially one that is breathable and has straps for poles.  It was so hot that a vest does heat you up. Get a smaller vest, say 5l, with good breathability.

Use trail shoes with a good grip. I went for grip over cushioning and it stood me in good stead.

I would rethink my strategy on food and calories.  I would take less freeze dried food and then only Lyo, which is the only company I have found who make edible freeze dried meals.  I also took cous cous premixed with stock powder, raisins, cut up dried apricots, crushed garlic clove and some ginger - add hot water, a squeeze of a lemon quarter, a small tin of sardines in olive oil and you have calorie heaven.  Some runners were sceptical of my slightly extravagant food choice at the start, but by day three were very envious, especially those who were only eating freeze dried food.  Other ideas, take raitha bread or tortillas with peanut butter already spread on it.  Also go to a Japanese store and get high quality rice and egg noodles pre-cooked and vacuum packed, then just add a sachet of miso soup

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Just back from the Grand to Grand Ultra - Jeremy Goddard

Jeremy Goddard has just returned from the Grand to Grand Ultra, a seven-day, 270 kilometre running race from the lip of the Grand Canyon in Arizona to a section of the Grand Staircase, a mountain range in Utah. Competitors are self-supporting over the six stages in their food and equipment - water and medical care are provided by the organisers. Stages very from 12km to 85 km, a full double marathon and the ‘Long Day’.

He did well and despite a low moment on Day 2, he placed 20th overall and managed to fulfil his goals. Here he describes the pleasures and the pain of the race.

See more about the Grand to Grand Ultra here.

At the start on the lip of the Grand Canyon, photo courtesy Grand to Grand Ultra

What was Grand to Grand 2018 like?
From registration to race-end the G2G is well organised and very welcoming, and this really makes the race. The welcome dinner on the Friday evening and then the great meal on the Saturday evening at Camp One on the rim of the Grand Canyon really help you to get to know your fellow runners and it develops a great spirit in the camp. Also it’s your last chance to stock up on real food!

In 2018 there was really good weather, which for me meant that it was warm, despite all the training I did in the great UK summer. I hadn’t managed to arrive early and acclimatise, so I felt myself overheating and had to slow down Day One; thankfully there was some cloud cover as it was really hot in direct sun.

There was a lot more sand than I anticipated, though apart from the dunes on the long day the majority wasn’t deep enough to sink into -  just soft enough to make running hard.

Photo courtesy Grand to Grand Ultra

How did it go?
I have several goals going into any race, and with something like G2G, my primary goal is to finish. Further ambitions were to do well in my age group, and ultimately to see if I could finish within the top 20. With Day One being slower for me and then also a slower Day Two aswell because of some hip pain /ITB issues, I did wonder if I would achieve my goals. However, I knew that if I had a good run on the long day, it was still possible.

I managed to stretch and recover after Day Two, so I was able to perform well on the long day, and I was really pleased to finished it in 11th place. After that I felt I was running and pacing myself well, finishing strongly each day. In the end I managed to finish in 20th place overall which I was so happy with. And in my age group I placed 4th, which just shows how competitive the V50 category is!

Did the race organisation live up to expectations? 
The organisation and course really did live up to expectations. The scenery is as impressive as you could hope for. There is a good mix of terrain and although sometimes it did feel like there was too much on sandy tracks, that is just a necessity of getting from A to B. There were so many great spots – the Grand Canyon, Grand Staircase, slot canyons - too many to list, really. There wasn’t a day when I didn’t stop and take in the view.

The long stage was the hardest day – not just because of distance but also the variety of terrain. There were steep climbs and some technical descents. And then the sand dunes (twenty four of them!), which started around mile forty. They were big, steep and the sand was really soft! It was a case of crawl up as best you could, catch your breath at the top, jog down and repeat! As hard as that section was, I went through it in the dark with the stars out and the moon rising, so it was incredibly inspiring.

Photo courtesy Grand to Grand Ultra

Were you as well prepared as you could be?
The only slight change I would make would be to carry slightly more food because by the end of the week as I was starving! I had about 2700 calories a day which was mostly fine but an extra meal and a treat near the end of the week would have been fantastic! Everything else I planned, practised and prepared for in great detail.

The big difference for me in this race was that I also included my feet and blister prevention/care in my training and I practised taping my feet from the start – my toes and the balls of both feet. This worked really well and I finished the race with one small blister on one toe. Not only did it mean I could run with no issues, but after each stage I could rest and recover instead of having to queue for the medical tent with feet issues. 

One worry I had before heading out to the race was snakes, but this was needless. I did see a few, but it was generally their tails disappearing (thankfully none with rattles on!). It still got your heart beat up though! More concerning was coming across the remains of a deer and wondering whether something big enough to eat a deer would be interested in a runner!

What was the most painful moment?
The most painful thing for me was the second half of Day Two when I was experiencing hip/ITB pain. Psychologically you start to have doubts as to whether you will be able to finish the whole race. Thankfully, for the last part of the stage I had some great company; Neil, another runner from the UK. It really helps to take your mind off things while you’re out there. Once I was back in camp I focussed on rest and recovery and I was relieved it didn’t develop into a major issue.

Photo courtesy Grand to Grand Ultra

And your favourite moment?
My favourite moment is always crossing the finish line! During the long training and preparation this is something I visualise, so when the reality arrives it is a really emotional moment. However, there were special moments throughout the week. They make great memories and I will treasure them for years.

What did you learn?
I learnt a lot about what I am capable of on a personal level, but also what we are all capable of. It was inspiring to see everyone else and the way that all the different nationalities and backgrounds come together to support one another, all with the same goal of finishing the race.

In a slot canyon - Photo courtesy Grand to Grand Ultra

Jax Mariash and the Grand to Grand Ultra

Jax Mariash will be competing in the Grand to Grand Ultra 2018, a staged running race that takes place in  the US states of Arizona and Utah. She has been very successful in the discipline since she started ultra running in 2013 and in 2016 she became the 4 Deserts female champion, winning all four of the main events and placing second in an additional fifth race in Sri Lanka. This is her first Grand to Grand Ultra. 

The Grand to Grand Ultra is a 270km ultra run, which starts at the rim of the Grand Canyon and culminates at the Grand Staircase, a mountain range in Utah. There are six stages over seven days, including a double marathon, and the race is self-supported in terms of food, equipment and bedding.

© Omni Cao / 4 Deserts

First a bit of form
I have been a runner since I was five years old, but I got into ultra running in 2013 when I was living in Hood River and looking for a new purpose for my running. I signed up for an ultra to jump into trail running and exploring and I placed 2nd in my first race. I was hooked on a new adventure.

I am the first woman in the world to complete the 4 Deserts Race Series Grand Slam Plus. I won all four of the main 4 Deserts races - Sahara/Namibia, the Gobi March, the Atacama Crossing and The Last Desert in Antarctica - and then I placed second in their roving fifth race in Sri Lanka. This led to being crowned the 2016 4 Deserts Female World Champion.

See more about Jax Mariash and see more about the Grand to Grand Ultra here.

How did you come across the Grand to Grand? Why now?
A group of us that ran the 4 Deserts races in 2016 have chosen to meet up for a reunion at the G2G in 2018. We are really excited to participate in a stage race again and to have the support of our 4 Deserts family – the camaraderie is one of the best parts of these races.  

© Myke Hemsmeyer /4 Deserts ©

Why the G2G? Why now?
My passion is to inspire people to get into the outdoors. I love stage racing because it takes you to the depths of your mental core, showing you your potential as you touch your limits in mind, body and spirit. I love seeing how I and the other runners evolve from the experience, so if I can show this to people outside the sport it might inspire them to get outside and explore.

Secondly I would like to raise awareness of self-supported stage racing in the United States, where it is not as well known as elsewhere in the world. Finally, I hope to win the race.

Training
Training for self-supported stage races is its own recipe compared to a single day ultra. It involves enduring multiple days of long mileage with 18+ pounds on your back. A perfect recipe of strength and endurance. During my work, where I walk around a lot, I wear a 40lb vest for general strength training.

In a big volume week, my running program would look like this:

Monday: rest / strength training
Tuesday: interval session am / easy pack run PM
Wednesday: medium long day (15+ miles) / strength training
Thursday: interval session am / easy pack run PM
Friday: easy day / strength train
Saturday: long run on trail or road (20-40mi)
Sunday: long run on trail or road with pack (16-25mi)

©  Zandy Mangold / 4 Deserts

My race schedule for this year is a major one. I have already completed the Marathon Des Sables and finished 6th female. Then I worked on a project to inspire the next generation by training and pacing a girl named Hannah Lutzker to become the first female in her group to run 42.2 miles. She is now the youngest female ultra runner. Next up for me is Leadville 100, UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc) in Chamonix and then G2G. 

Planning
Planning for a stage race is a bit of a project. Unlike a single day race, it involves many steps to get everything just right. Before the specific training starts, I wear my weighted vest at work and I run in another weighted vest a few times a week. The next big step in my preparation is strength training, which is often overlooked in high volume running programs. However, it is essential if you are to stay to stay strong, fast and injury free.

If I am on a mission to win, then I get super picky with everything about three months out. That means nutrition, hydration, strength, massage, run schedule etc. You have to do everything perfectly if you want to be on the top of the podium. 

A month before the event I start to build the pack and I train with it as I intend to race. That way any pack runs in the last month are done with the actual pack – with a little extra weight- helping my back muscles to get used to it.

©  Zandy Mangold / 4 Deserts

Most daunting aspect?
Consistency and staying injury free are critical in the few months before a race. This is why strength training is essential. Also I have to have a perfect life balance to get all of my work done for my coffee business at the same time as training. In a nut shell, my personal life begins to suffer. This year I am actually taking my time after an off year to get back in that regimented routine, so I am a little nervous as I go into this race.

And what are you most looking forward to?
I am looking forward to seeing my friends from all over the world who participated in the 4 Deserts Grand Slam or Grand Slam Plus. We will be staying in the same tent together.

It is also a really neat opportunity to be at one with nature and to check out of the real world. For me, it becomes a place of peace and simplicity because at home I am so busy, connected to social media and working so much. Life in the race becomes simple and reduces to - race fast, survive, recover – those three things and spending quality time with friends. In a messed up way, it feels like a vacation of sorts.

I am so excited also that my friends will be there to meet me at the finish line of the G2G. I live in Park City, so my friends are driving to the finish to cheer me in. It makes me want to win that much more. From there our 4 Deserts family is all meeting up for a reunion in Vegas to celebrate. 

What does success look like?
Success is about inspiring folks to get outside and move their bodies and explore. When you see folks fall in love with sport or running because of something you did it is amazing. I love to inspire. 

Winning the race is the icing on the cake. I hope I can place first woman in the G2G. Also to get as close as I can to the top guys. In Chile I was 2nd overall up until the long day and ended up in 4th place. I was right up there with them in all of the 4 deserts races. It was fun. 

©  Omni Cao / 4 Deserts