But this is more than a staged race. It's a real adventure taking place in the Bazau area of Romania which crosses the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains - we're going to see Dracula's castle! There will be some top class runners in the field including Mohamad Ahansal, 5 times winner of Marathon des Sables so I'm looking forward to being in their company, probably only at the start line! And to top off such an exciting race there is an important fund raising for a local Autism charity which I think is a great idea. Here's a link to an article written about the race http://bit.ly/329zvMO.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to take part in a staged race then you should seriously consider this one. You are "off the grid" for a week with little or no contact with the outside world. You feel at one with nature and mix with like minded people. By the end you have a group of friends for life which is how I met Andrei - I hope he brings his guitar and entertains us in the evening as he did at G2G!
Having decided my "A race" I have planned two other races to build up to this event. In April I'll run the Keilder 50km Ultra which I did well in this year. It's a fabulous ultra with the vast majority on trails. In May I'm going to run three trail marathons in three days around Loch Ness - another new race.
There won't be any other races in the year but I'll be busy getting over my hernia operation, regaining and building my strength as carrying a rucksack with food to last a week is exceptionally tough. I also want to race the Romanian Ultra, not just complete it. I won't be bothering Mohamad Ahansal but am looking to get the best time possible. I'm already planning the training with my coach with this goal in mind and it will be different from this year as it's a staged race. If you want to join me in Romania or have questions about entering a staged race then just let me know.
