Packing to go

I can't believe how long packing has taken. It started with preparing my food for 6 days in the Marathon des Sables. The key is getting the amount of calories right but at the same time trying to reduce the weight. This is critical because on Saturday the race administrators will be checking our rucksacks to make sure we can are carrying what we need to survive. I have no idea how many calories we will be going through a day, but it will certainly be more than the 2,500 - 3,000 I'm taking. This will result in weight loss of perhaps half a stone but I'll enjoy putting it back on when I get back. I have made one attempt to get everything in my rucksack and it failed. I've got most of it in but not everything. Tomorrow I'll try and pack it smarter but there isn't much room for error. Getting the balance between the weight and how much I'll need to eat is tricky as I am entering new territory. The diet isn't particularly appealing but it's what I need to get me through the toughest physical and mental challenge of my life. Only a few more days of normal life left!

Close call

At 9am I went out for probably my last run before I leave for the Marathon des Sables on Wednesday - actually fly our from London on Thursday. There was a light snow flurry and all I was doing was a 10k with no rucksack. It was a good pace but then I hit black ice. Bloth feet left the ground but somehow I managed to land on one and not do any damage. That could have been the end before I had started. After 10 months of preparation it could have been all over. When I got back home I noticed I had recorded a fast time for me and felt fantastic. Only then did the sun decide to come out! I have also been trying my MdS breakfast. Wheetabix, powdered milk, nuts and raisins. It was surpriringly nice so that's another thing off my diminishing list. Last night my eldest son got in very late and I couldn't get back to sleep. Thoughts of the desert, my food, hydration etc were going round in my head so I think I'll need a wee nap this afternoon to make up for it - all part of my recovery plan. It feels strange not to be training hard and I almost feel I'm not doing enough. But as 3 times MdS female winner Laurence Klein said to me, you should not run within a week of the event. So who am I to argue. Rest, yoga, massage, sauna's (to get used to the heat) and good food (plenty of it) seems to be the plan for the next week as the following week couldn't be more different: Sleeping in a tent with 7 other smelly mates, no showers, no toilets, freeze dried food, gels, 40 degrees plus dropping to 5 degrees at night, drinking warm water all day and running 5.5 marathons in 7 (although technically 6) days. Can't wait.

Technical stuff

I enjoyed a restful day today and had the pleasure of picking up a new car. A convertible for when the summer or even spring eventually arrives! But I needed to go shoping for certain foods I need for the Marathon des Sables. They have a strict minimum 2,000 calories per day and the carboydrate drinks and powders do not count. So this afternoon I measured all the food items and their calorific value to finalise my food for the week. When I weighed the food I realised it was too heavy as it would have been almost 6 kilos of weight for the food alone. So I swapped some of the gels and drop a sports bar a day which managed to lose a kilo but I can't see it getting any lighter. Tomorrow I will go for my 2nd last run just to keep my body ticking over but I can already tell it's getting stronger with the rest and all the good food I am shoveling in at the moment. I need to test a "foot pod" with a different watch as this will mean I don't need to carry a solar charger which of course would mean more weight. The problem is that a foot pod works on roads but where the length of your stride alters due to different terrain it will throw out the accuracy of the data. However it will be better than nothing. If you can picture looking for miles across a flat plain you can imagine how it will be difficult to know how far you've come and how far you have to go. It's important especially in relation to rationing your water so tomorrows test is important. Unfortunately I have a late night as I have to pick my son up and an early morning start as I have to drop my daughter off at horse riding! After that I can head out for my run. Then more rest and more food!

Preparing my body

Early morning yoga was a great start to the day. Then to a full on day of one deadline after another - I just love the end of a tax year! Then to the main session of the day - a sports massage. Grant "went in deep" as I am far enough away from the event to recover. As I haven't been doing big miles in the last few weeks my legs weren't too bad. My back was ok but my shoulders were tight - I put that down to the pressure of work. But I'll be back on his bench on Tuesday for my final massage. He's booked me in for 1.5 hours as he will be making sure everything is in order. So tonight I am relaxing, chilling with some good food. My race food has arrived and tomorrow I will start preparing my rucksack and drawing up the final list, including toilet roll. Mustn't forget that!

Inspirational young people

Tonight I was giving a "Mission Ironman" speach meant to inspire a group of young people who had completed a leadership qualification. I was the fifth speaker, the first four being young people presenting what they had done during their course. They were a hard act to follow as their stories were truelly inspirational. I had built my presentation specifically aimed at how with the right mindset you could achieve whatever you wanted. To demonstrate this at the end I invited two young people up to break 3/4 of an inch piece of wood with their bare hand. This is a daunting task but Alan was right up for it and confidently smashed the wood. Jenna on the other hand wasn't quite so sure and one her first attempt her hand bounced off the wood. "I knew I couldn't do it" she said - and she was right. But after a wee pep talk from me she smashed the wood on her second attempt to loud applause from the audience which included the Lord Provist of Glasgow. It was the perfect example of how your mindset determines the outcome and both volunteers who were brave enough to step forward, not knowing what I was going to ask them to do, will never forget the experience. The teachers and parents should be so proud of these young people who have got a head start on other pupils who haven't gone through this leadership course. I just hope that some of my messages will help them on their journey. It certainly was the highlight of my day which started with a yoga session and then a 10 km run in the snow. Now for bed to recover!

Active rest

This morning started with an early morning yoga session. It's the same every time. Stiff as a board at the start and by the end feeling more flexible and refreshed. I cannot imagine what my legs and lower back would be like if I didn't practise my yoga. It may not be perfect but it works. What followed was a hectic day and I didn't get home till late so I binned the proposed run as it was dark. My throat has also been sore and with the temperature at 1 degree I decided to take the rest. That doesn't sit well with me but I am so close I can't take any chances. I'll run tomorrow morning and hope this will keep me ticking over till I do some more miles at the weekend. Tapering is frustrating and niggles and feeling crap come with it. The negative thoughts also creep in so I've some work to do getting prepared.

Eating an elephant

On reading the rules for the third time I realised my doctor had signed the medical certificate but not the ECG graphs. Lucky I spotted that or else it could have been a catastrophy in the desert! Fortunately he was happy to sign them so I can breath a sigh of relief. Not everyone is so lucky and a number of athletes are having to go to a specialist to get signed off. I ordered my food today so that's another major one off the list. I will start laying out my kit this week and checking it off against the manditory items just to make sure, again! Someone posted the weather forecast in Morocco and on Saturday it will be a nice 31 degrees. However an MdS vet posted we should add another 15 degrees for the desert - that is going to be extremely tough. The advice I have been given is to start slow and walk before you think you need to walk - don't think that will be a problem as my rucksack will weigh 10kg on day 1. Day 2 I suspect has some big dunes and when you consider the shock to the system from day 1 and the fatigue as you are repeating a marathon from the day before, pacing will be essential. As I go to sleep at night my last thought is about the MdS and my first thought is the same when I wake up. I've been here before with Ironman but this is different, it's a 6 day event so I need to ignore the enormity of the event and remember you eat an elephant in slices!

Ice Station Zebra

It was an old film, 1968, but I remember the cold the extreme cold. I ran through the Whitlee Wind Farm (the largest in Europe) at 9.15am this morning with a bunch of mates. The snow almost came up to your knees at times and the drifting snow was forced into our faces by the almost gale force wind. As I tried to think of something nice to keep the negative thoughts out, the film Ice Station Zebra came into my mind. But that didn't warm me up. So I thought of what my surroundings will be like in 2 weeks time. The snow will be replaced by sand and -4 degrees by 40 degrees. A slight contrast. That was my last long run, although quite short at 17km, before I leave on 3rd April. So my training now reduces and I've booked a couple of sports massage. I will keep my yoga up, but not 108 Sun Salutations, to stay supple and will be eating well to get my body ready. The journey continues.

Race food sorted

Winter to continues to play havoc with my training plans. Snow and a strong chilling wind meant my run on the beach was cancelled. Tomorrow I hope the overnight temperature won't create a risk of a twisted ankle due to the frozen snow. It's not ideal when I am meant to be tapering so I turned the fire on in the TV room and had a sweat fest on my turbo trainer. I need to keep the fitness level up and spinning my legs was good following yesterday's mega yoga session which had left me tired and with some protesting muscles. The heat won't do me any harm as I'll be heading into temperatures of at least 30 degrees - a bit of a step up from todays zero degrees! My freeze dried food had also arrived so I had the pleasure of testing it. Fortunately it was much better than the first batch so I spent a few hours pulling together my diet for the 6 days that require a minimum of 2,000 calories a day. I feel a lot more comfortable about this now although I need to go shopping for gels and powders next week.and rechecking So it's getting close and the planning is all important as any small detail missed could spell disaster. A lot of checking to be done!

Sun Salutation A

Last night I was at a black tie awards dinner for the IOD but I behaved myself, stayed off the booze and left early but that meant getting home at 11.30pm. I had a 5.40am start this morning and an appointment with my yoga teacher on my mat at 6.15am. I didn't know what to expect today and she certainly didn't disappoint by trying something I had never done before - 108 Sun Salutation A's. The Sun Salutation A is a warm up exercise and I normally do 5! But 108 in a row - OMG sweat fest plus! It took me 1hr and 4 minutes and she had 3 heaters on in the room. At one stage a towel had to go on my mat as it was so slippy! I had decided not to wear a top and the sweat just pored off me. It's an exercise in breathing rather than a physical one although I think I am already beginning to feel muscles protesting from this mornings exertions! Pam filmed some of the workout and hopefully it will encourage steckies like me to give it a go. The benefits are incredible even if you can't fold in half - which I can't. The exercise emphasises the importance of breathing in your well being. Now in case you think I am going to be wearing Jesus sandles and a robe next, think again. But how often do you take the time out of your day to focus on your breathing. Try it now. Breath in and out through your nose. Concentrate on the breath and it won't be long before you'll notice a difference. I think we should all take time out to do this in our stressful lives. In less than 2 weeks I'll be in the Sahara Desert about to start the journey of a lifetime in the Marathon des Sables. The air will be like a furnace but I'll be practising my breathing as this, along with a strong mental approach, is what will get me through the toughest challenge of my life (so far!).

Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre

Last night was a special night as I had a wee get together of 30 friends at Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Glasgow. The idea was to connect people with Maggie's so that they didn't just see it as a cause I supported. It was a magical night as the architecture of the building is designed to create a wonderul atmosphere. This was added to be Mark Russell and his band who played for us, the Maggie's staff who explained what they did and 30 inspirational people who came along to listed to my journey to MdS. Thank you to everyone who came along. It had been a busy day with a 6am 10k run. Not a long run but an important one as it's keeping me ticking over, fit and more importantly injury free. Despite getting back late last night, with no dinner, I made sure I repeated the same run this morning as I have a black tie business dinner tonight and won't be able to train this evening. It will be another late night but stictly no booze as I am back on my yoga mat with Pam at 6.15am tomorrow morning. My fund raising has been slower than usual which is a sign of the economic times we are in but the online total with tax credit plus the offline donations brings my total to £3,000. That's a good start and I am hoping with 16 days to go we will be able to get this higher. If you can sponsor me then go to https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/derekstewart. Thank you for all your support to date.

Blizzard conditions

Call me a wimp but I wasn't heading out into that blizzard this morning. My risk assessment was that if I didn't end up on my arse with a twisted ankle or pulled muscle, I'd catch a cold so I stayed in. However I had a good yoga session which got me mobile before getting on the turbo trainer for a sweat fest - I got complaints from the family because of the smell. I couldn't smell a thing! I tested out my MdS breakfast of 3 wheetabix served with grated macademia nuts and raisins. I had the luxury of milk but it will be powdered milk in the desert. It wasn't too bad although I am sure I'll be craving for solid food after a few days! I've spent tonight getting my presentation finalised for tomorrow night's talk at the Maggie's Centre at Gartnavel Hospital. I don't know how many people will turn up but it could be between 20 - 40 we'll see. They're in for a treat as not only will they learn about the essential work Maggie's does but they will hear a live band whose claim to fame is they supported Snow Patrol - how appropriate for the current weather conditions! I am going to give an insight into my journey but those of you who have followed the blog already know that. The only difference will be you won't get to see the wonderful pictures I have of the Sahara. I'm not making any predictions about tomorrows weather but the forecast isn't good. My plan B will be more yoga and smelly turbo! Till tomorrow goodnight - I'm knackered.

More bloody snow!

This is getting tedious. More bloody snow. Fortunately today is a rest day but tomorrow morning I was going to be up early for a 10 mile run and the forecast isn't looking good. I've always got to weight up the risk v the reward of running in the snow. If it's really bad I'll jump on my turbo trainer. But in the meantime I will work on my presentation for Wednesday night. I always take these occassions seriously because you never know who might be inspired with the message and go on to achieve something they had always though impossible. I'm lucky that I am surrounded by people who have a "can do" attitude. In order to complete the MdS I need to continually challenge myself in training so that when the going gets tough I can see through the pain and keep going. That means tomorrow morning, snow or no snow I'll be putting in 10 miles before breakfast. Take care out there.

Winter wonderland

It's a busy day today which meant an early morning run. I headed out at 7am into a winter wonderland. Not a sole in sight. The crunch every time my foot landed was reasuring as I was worried about ice. It was as much a mental exercise as anything. Running on your own in freezing conditions when you'd rather be having a long lie is the type of sacrifice you have to make on a regular basis if you want to succeed in the Marathon des Sables. I ran 16 miles at a reasonable pace aad it felt good. This is my last long run and that was another important factor especially as I missed my run yesterday. So now my taperring starts. My mileage will reduce as I let my body repaid and I'll have to get the niggle in my back checked out. I still haven't finalised my food for the race although am having a few different types delivered next week. These final preparations can make the difference between success and failure so it will have my full attention. I am speaking at Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre at Gartnavel Hospital on Wednesday evening this week starting at 7pm. I would love it if you could join me and a whol load of supporters, friends and family as we raise awareness of the amazing work Maggie's does and hopefully some money along the way. Now off to the footie with Ali - busy day.

Frozen balls!

Today I played my first game of golf of the season - this is two months earlier than normal but I'd been invited to play in a competition. It didn't start well as we headed out in the snow. It fell lightly at first but as time went on it started to lie so much so that the golf ball almost doubled in size as it rolled on the ground. Picking it up made me realise that the ball was frozen which transferred to my hands. After 12 holes I couldn't feel my hands and almost couldn't hold onto the club. But it was fun not being dressed in lycra and breathing heavily - I still had a heavy object on my back! I was due to head off to the beach for some sand running but the snow got heavier and I decided to bail out. It was not a great idea to be out in a blizzard and freezing conditions, especially twice on the same day. So I went to another extreme. I watched the rugby with the fire on while working out on my turbo trainer -it was a sweat fest. Turbo training is tough but it involves no impact and I got the chance to train in heat rather than the freezing cold. Result. Hopefully tomorrow will be better as I need a long run. Fingers crossed.

Long shadows

After a busy week at work I headed out for a 10 mile run. The sun was starting to retreat and my shadow looked long on the road as I ran along. I was running with my rucksack weighing 6k and kept the pace nice and easy. It was a beautiful night and I felt so priviledged to be running pain free in stunning countryside. We take our health for granted until something happens. So my message tonight is try and appreciate the current moment when you can walk, run, breath and enjoy your life. It can change or even end all to soon. In 3 weeks time my long shadowns will be in a completely different environment. Something I've spent 2 years preparing for. It has tought me loads of lessons and I am so greatful to have taken this journey. Thanks to everyone who has supported Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres on my behalf and supported me in my challenges. As I keep getting told, I'm MAD - Making A Difference. Last couple of days with tough miles before my tapering starts. Looking forward to a little bit more rest and recovery in the next three weeks before the adventure comes into it's final chapter.

My secret weapon

In the last 4 years of endurance training I have found a secret weapon that keeps me moving - a sports massage. The punishment my legs have taken over those years has been severe. They changed shape by gaining muscle for the Ironman bike courses but now I've dropped the cycling for MdS they have changed again gaining more muscle. But you can't have these changes without requiring maintenance on a regular basis and Grant at The Treatment Hub is first class. Today he worked on my legs as usual but also treated my niggly back. There were two pressure points that needed some attention and while it wasn't nice it should mean that I don't suffer to much this weekend while running with the rucksack. Unfortunately my 1:1 yoga session tomorrow had to be cancelled due to my work commitments, sorry Pam, but this will also give my back a wee rest. I'll still do my own practice before I leave for work and another fast run on Friday night. This keeps my legs "expecting" exercise rather than shutting down. Some big miles over the weekend and then training will reduce in the lead up to my departure to the desert. On Wednesday 20th March I am hosting a party at Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre at Gartnavel Hospital, next to the Beatson. It starts at 7pm through to 8.30pm. I have a special band playing four tracks, someone from Maggie's giving a quick presentation followed by my presentation on the journey to MdS and what I am expecting in the Sahara Desert. My daughter will also be making a short video of the event to capture this special event. Other than raising money for Maggie's I hope everyone who turns up tells 10 people about what they thought of the centre. It's a really special place and I hope it spreads the word that if you or somone you know has caner, get them along to Maggie's for support and help. In a way Maggie's is my other secret weapon as it makes me keep on going knowing that they are benefiting from the funds raised.

More of the same

Another night time training session before the light disappeared. The snow was almost gone as I climbed the hills and as the sun went down the snow on the hills seemed to stand out. It was cold but fresh. Again a fast run, even faster than yesterday, with no rucksack but I'm feeling fit. Tomorrow morning I will be on my yoga mat at 6am and then on for a sports massage. My back has a wee niggle so I expect that this will let me know whether I have a problem to be worried about or not. I'll rest after that with no more training. Friday will involve my 1:1 yoga lesson (the hardest session of the week) and another late run subject to the weather.

Fast hill training

I had to travel through to Edinburgh this morning so it wasn't possible to train before I went. This meant I had the dread of training when I got home when all I wanted to do was rest. As I approached home I saw the pavements still had snow on them which would make running difficult so I decided to turbo train instead. However when I got in the room my bike is in was occupied so back to running again. I really couldn't be bothered but I knew I had to go out. Gear on and out the door for a fast route around four hill climbs. I'm so glad I did it. I felt great and was running fast. Not having the rucksack on makes a difference but I kept the fast pace up for 11.4km at 4:53 min per km. Being able to run at this pace gives me an indication of my fitness and I was pleased with the result. Back home, showered and straight into a protein and carbohydrate loaded dinner - perfection. My runs for the rest of the week will be up to 10 miles and without the rucksack. I hope to get a sports massage on my back as it's still niggling a bit but am sure it will be fine. This will be the last weekend of long training runs before the tapering starts.

Taking precautions

Today was a day off which was just as well. 4 inches of snow fell last night so I had an unscheduled workout of clearing the driveway - certainly got my heart rate up! But today was a rest day after some tough miles at the weekend - I was feeling tired. Later on in the day I visited the doctors to get two vacanations to protect against infection from food or water. Hygene is extremely important when you have 800 people in 100 tents and the toilet facilities are minimal - you are given a bag for your "no. 2's"! Your water is rationed to 9 litres a day and if you choose to wash with it, then that's up to you. To keep the weight down I will be wearing the same clothes for the full race but will make every effort to wash the salt off them every day. You must always use hand sanitising liquid to minimise the risk so getting the injections was important. My back is ok but I will be arranging a sports massage to see how it is holding up. Hopefully it will just be muscle strain and with reduction in my training starting next week it will be fine for April. Tomorrow if the snow is still lying then my training will switch to the turbo trainer to keep up my fitness levels.

Blizzard conditions

Building on yesterdays 15 mile trail run I headed out today for another 14 miles but this would be on the roads. What I wasn't expecting was the blizzard conditions I found myself in. Fortunately I had company with ultra runner (and West Highland Way winner) Rosie Bell. The first hour was faster than I had budgeted for but we were joined by 2 other runners after an hour and things settled down. The snow however was horrendous. I just imagined it was a sandstorm and pressed on. The snow got thick on the ground so again I imagined it was snow. My rucksack did hurt my back a little so I'll be icing it this afternoon. My yoga teacher pointed out some swelling on my back on Friday so I'll need to get this checked out. This week I'll skip the rucksack and do some fast interval training instead. At this stage it's about keeping my fitness without getting injured. So an afternoon of recovery ahead (watching the footie)and I'll take tomorrow off.

Wind, rain & sleet

In less than 4 weeks time I will be taking part in the "toughest footrace on the planet" - the Marathon Des Sables. I have to keep repeating this as it's been a dream for the last 2 years while I have been preparing for it and now it is just around the corner. So when running with my friend on the trails of Chatelherault Country Park, I gave some thought to the contrast in conditions. It was 3 degrees, windy, rainy and by the time the end was approaching it had turned to sleet! In 4 weeks it will be 40 degrees - like stepping into a furnace, and then running in it with 10kg on my back. I'll need to spend more time in the sauna to see if I can extend the time beyond 15 minutes. I've layered up with clothing but nothing can really prepare me for what I am about to go through. So a few long runs interupted by shorter runs to keep me ticking over as MDS is just around the corner. This afternoon I am going food shopping with my wife to see if I can finally get the food I want for the desert. Watch this space.

Sweat fest

It's Friday. It's been a long week but the training goes on. At 6.15am I was on my yoga mat going through my paces with my yoga teacher Pamela Young (www.pamelayoung.co.uk). She pushes me beyond what I think is possible. I'm usually a "can do" person but sometimes the yoga is scary, especially when I can't breath or I'm upside down and canto't work out what's going on. But she pushes, gently, and pushes and tries to get my brain to let go of it's thoughts and to keep breathing - when you do this amazing things happen. After an hour I was drowning in a pool of sweat which I lay in to recover. Great start to the day. Then for a full on day at the office. When I got home I needed to go for a run but I knew from this morning that I still has some swelling in my back from the previous weekend and as I was going on a big run on Saturday I should give it a rest. So I jumped on my turbo trainer - sweat fest no. 2. It's been a while and it felt like it but in such a short period of time you can get a great workout, and another pool of sweat. Now I'm relaxing. Tomorrow is another, training, day. Have a great weekend.

Past the test!

It was big day today in that I needed my GP to sign off on my ECG. He was very thorough and went through 3 different methods of assessing the data. The good news is I don NOT have "athlete's heart". Part of me feels disappointed but actually it is better not to have an enlarged left ventrical. He signed off on my pulse and blood pressure so all that remains is for the medical team in the Sahara to agree. Tomorrow I will be seeing the nurse for some jabs in case I pick something up in the desert. My training was restricted to yoga in the morning but I will be repeating this tomorrow when I have my 1:1 lession with my teacher - the toughest workout of the week. I'll have a run tomorrow night before some big miles at the weekend. My wife has found some protein pasta and we're going shopping for good instant soup on Saturday. My food plan will be complete by Sunday night which is one more, important, thing off my list. It's getting closer.

Head chattering

I didn't have a good nights sleep last night. A voice in my head kept chattering to me; what about your nutrition strategy for the mds, have you done enough training, you've peaked too soon! Aargh. It's common when big events are approaching to have doubts but the volume seems to have turned up recently in my head. So I needed to silence the voice and there was only one way to do that - have a good workout. At 6.15am I was on my yoga mat for a warm up. I felt a bit stiff but after 20 minutes felt the benefit of it. Then I headed out for a 10 mile run with 5kg on my rucksack. I wanted to make sure I didn't have a re-occurance of my back problem, and I didn't. The 10 miler was easy and I was pleased with the pace that I kept up. It was cold, grey and windy but I needed to get this run done so the voice in my head would say "ok you're in reasonable shape"! Then off to work for a full on day. This evening my paramedic pal Chris called round and set me up with a resting and an exercising ECG. You require this if you are to cross the start line. All readings were normal although normal on the exercising one shows I have an "athlete's heart" i.e. an enlarged left ventrical. Tomorrow at 8.30am my GP will review the results and hopefully sign it off or refer me to a cardioligist. Without this there is no MDS but it should be ok. As for the voice in my head hopefully it will be quiet tonight but I do need to get my food sorted and hope to make progress this weekend as it is vital. I could probably have done more training but you need to get a balance and make sure you don't pick up an injury - especially at this stage. So I'm relaxed, nervous, excited and can't wait to get out there so the second part of the adventure can begin (the first part was the training). Isn't it just great setting stretching goals and working towards them taking yourself into new, unchartered territory?

Sunset running

I love the month of March. The crap months of Jan & Feb are out of the way, the temperature starts to register as positive and there are more hours of daylight. As my back had been sore yesterday and I rested it, I decided to leave my 10 mile run to late afternoon giving me an extra 9 hours of rest before running. I also decided to leave my rucksack off to see how I got on. It was a lovely spring late afternoon and I watched as the sun was going down while I put in a fast run. Having no rucksack meant I had the opportunity of running freely and increasing the pace. This was therefore a good, intense workout and although my pace will be much slower in the desert, it gave me the opportunity of a different type of workout. It also allowed me time to think through my food which is now becoming more urgent. I need a diet that will give me enough calories to sustain me throught the 7 day ordeal - there's no point in thinking it will be anything else. Running 232km in 7 days (225km in the first 6 days), in 40 degrees, in sand, with no showers, making your own food and some huge dunes to climb - it's not going to be a picnic! I need to expect pain and be prepared to deal with it. There will be plenty of times when I will want to give up, but that's not an option. That's where you come in. Knowing you'll be following my every step and that you've supported Maggie's with your sponsorship means I will drag myself up any dune in my way. So thank you for your interest and support. As the sun settled below the horizon tonight I was on the home straight. In just over 4 weeks time I'll be watching the sun setting in a completely different world - I can't wait.

Counting calories

After yesterdays trail running my back was protesting from the pressure from my rucksack. Perhaps I had't taken enough care to make sure it was sitting properly when I started or maybe having it loaded with 7kg for the first time in a week was asking a bit much. So today I "listened to my body" and decided to rest. But that doesn't mean do nothing, I went for a sauna. Now I know you are thinking that isn't training but I only lasted 15 minutes in the heat, and it was only 80 degrees! In the next 5 weeks I will be having a lot of sauna's to get used to the intense heat as temperatures in the desert will be higher than anything I've ever experienced. I am now turning my attention to my food plan. It's changed in that I am trying to find suitable alternatives to freeze dried food which I didn't enjoy in Morocco. This afternoon I am starting a spreadsheet for my meals over the 7 days, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks & hydration. I need to make sure I have a minimum of 2,000 calories per day which is manditory and will be checked. It's not something I have done before but I am sure it will be an interesting exercise. So although I am not out running, I am still working and it is the minute detail that could mean the difference between success and failure.

Back on the trail

20 miles of trail running with the rucksack this morning in beautiful sunshine. A nice steady pace for 3.5 hours got some miles in my legs which is necessary as there are only 5 weeks to go before I head off for the adventure of a lifetime. I ran with a pal who is training for Ironman and it was good to have company of somoene who understands what I am going through at this stage in the training. The start line is so close yet there is hard work to be done before the tapering starts. At the same time you are trying to avoid injury but need to put in the miles. Tomorrow will be a recovery run and I think I'll leave off the rucksack as my back is feeling the pressure. Time for rest and recovery.