Reporting State side!

If I thought the last months training was hard, the journey to Las Vegas wasn't much fun starting with the flight being delayed 3 hours and 20 minutes.  Some communication from Thomas Cook would have been nice but it gave me a chance to practice my breathing and patience.  When that didn't work it gave me plenty of time to worry about how I was going to get my bus from the airport to Kanab which was leaving 3 hours after my plane was originally scheduled to get in.  If I missed the bus I'd have to stay in Vegas and come back to the airport 24 hours later.
I was also unaware that there was a comedians conference in LV with a plane full of contestants who were practising their acts after a few too many drinks on the plane.  One guy got stuck in the toilet door twice and had to be "freed" - now that was funny!  I put my head phones on and zoned out for 10 hours - good practice for the race.  With 35 minutes to spare I sprinted off the plane, managed to persuade some good people to allow me to skip some of the massive queue and then found myself in the slowest possible queue for customs. Tick tock.  Several phone calls to the bus operator, and a big than you to them as the bus diverted to my terminal and picked me up.  Kanab here I come. Only one other competitor on the bus so we spent the next 3 hours comparing race food, hydration tips and experiences so the coach trip flew in.  Got to the hotel and wondered why I was tired - it was 4am back home!
I got 6 hours sleep but jet lag meant I was wide awake at 4 am local time.  I decided to go through my itinerary for the rest of the week before the race begins on Sunday morning 9am.  All of a sudden the reality is kicking in and the excitement is building which will continue all week as more competitors start to arrive.   I'm picking up my race goodie bag this morning and can't wait to see what's in it.  Probably buy some G2G merchandise and take in Kanab while acclimatising.  Tomorrow I have a massage, on Thursday a flight in a plane to see the local area (OMG the mountains are stunning!) and a yoga session.  Friday's when it really hits home and race check-in is at 3pm.  Unlikely though it is, this is where the doctors can put an end to your race so fingers crossed.
I will be writing a daily blog up till the race starts, that I can guarantee.  Subject to how I'm feeling at the end of a race day I intent to either blog directly or Fiona will blog and or post my message on Facebook.  Remember that due to time difference it will be a day behind.  If you want to send me a message during the race then these get delivered to me in my tent at night.  If you go to www.grand2grand.com and go to the "race coverage" section then there is an email a competitor facility - my bib number is 252.  You will also get race updates here or you can like them on Facebook and get updates.  There is no tracking facility.
I'm heading down for breakfast shortly and will then go out and explore Kanab.  I hope you enjoy the excitement of following this amazing adventure with me.  Remember I'm raising money for Maggie's so if you want to support an unbelievable charity then go to www.justgiving.com/derek-stewart6 . Catch up tomorrow.

Stripped naked

Well I'm almost there.  I leave tomorrow morning and fly to Las Vegas arriving at my hotel in Kanab around 3am UK time on Tuesday.  Registration for the race starts on Friday, we move out to the start campsite on Saturday and 8am local time we start with 31 miles on Sunday.  This is followed by 26 miles/53/day off if you've completed the 53/26/26 & 7.  But the mileage, altitude, terrain and temperature is just half the battle.  It's the mental side that will determine whether you finish or not.
Having completed MdS 4 years ago I have had an insight into what lies ahead.  You're carrying everything you need and Im still trying to squeeze it into a bigger rucksack than I'd anticipated.  I've seen posts with people somehow managing to get into smaller rucksacks but at the cost of calories which could be the difference between finishing and not.
I'll be stripped naked in this race - not literally but there is nowhere to hide.  The morning will start with breakfast. Poring cold water into a plastic bag eating wheetabix, nuts and raisins gives me what I need.  Run/walk and get acclimatised while paying close attention to my core body temperature.  Get that wrong and good night.  Chase down check points - it's the only way to survive as eating an elephant in one go isn't advisable.
And when I finish my 31 miles I'll tend to my feet, rehydrate, eat and then head over to the media tent to stand in a queue to send my blog.  You'll be receiving it a day behind but I want to capture the essence of the race for you so you can share the experience with me.
As I sit here on the couch after a cooked dinner and looking forward to a bath later followed by a comfy bed it's hard to imagine what it will be like.  Basically running a marathon a day carrying 12 kg on my back in hot conditions at altitude and when you finish, there are no showers or change of clothes.  No washing for a week, boiled in the bag food.  Sleeping with 9 strangers a night in a space no wider than your sleeping bag.  6 days.  This is what makes it special.  No FB or IPhone and the only contact with the outside world is the messages that you might send to race control - I'll post details later.  This is my reference to stripped naked - all home comforts are removed and believe it or not, this is the attraction.  Pushing a pen and driving a desk doesn't compare.  Life starts beyond your comfort zone, so get out there and enjoy.
And hopefully you'll support Maggie's www.justgiving.com/derek-stewart6 - apparently there was a BBC programme on Maggies tonight so it will be worth checking it out on iPlayer.
From Tuesday I'll be blogging daily from Kanab, where they filmed the Outlay Josie Wales.  I'm excited, nervous and can't wait till I'm standing on the start line but at the same time I know it will be over too soon.  I might not think that on a daily basis when my feet are "on fire" or my muscles are screaming for me to give up - but that's the challenge.  I'm so privileged to be taking on this challenge I aim to enjoy every moment, no matter how tough.  Catch up on Tuesday from Kanab.

Equipment failure

Enjoy the journey to the start line as sometimes you won't make it.  That was advice I was given early in my "going long" days and it's so true.  Last weeks wee scare could have been the end of G2G but with some physio it's getting better but is still sore - bruises take time to clear.  I was very worried that it was my shoes that caused it and this would have meant going back to the drawing board which would have been a disaster.  I put my Inov8s under the toughest conditions in the last 2 days and they have passed the test.  This means they can go off tomorrow to get my gators stiched in - another box ticked.
Testing your equipment before a race, especially one over 7 days, is essential.  I tried out my new compression sock with toes and they are brilliant.  I wasn't so lucky with my Raidlight bottle holders when one ripped when I was putting it on - not happy but a reminder to take duck tape.  Hopefully I'll have a replacement by the time I leave on Monday 18th.
It's been a great weeks training and on Friday I ran 19k without a twinge in either foot. On Saturday I went out with three athletes to climb/run/walk Beinn a Ghlo - a group of 3 munro's with some stunning ridges (22k).  Graham Kelly had helped me before MdS with the Great Glen Run and Lorna Stanger was also part of that group and joined us as well.  Alex Berry made up the group and they didn't hang around. Graham & Alex are taking part in a mega tough race next week so this was ideal training for them and Lorna was coming back from running 100 miles in under 24 hours only 2 weeks ago - fit buggers.  The first climb was brutal with the weighted rucksack (weighed 10% of my body weight) adding to the challenge.  I managed to hang onto their coat tails and didn't fall too far behind!  The final descent was dodgy with the stones giving way under my feet and I caught myself a few time with the poles.
400 m from the finish somehow my pole clashed with Lorna and came out second best.  She did a slow mo dive and the graphite pole sheared!  Lorna was ok but the pole was screwed and an essential piece of equipment.  On the way down the road we stopped into Tiso in Perth and they gave me a new set - no questions asked.  Thank you Tiso that is customer service at it's best.  I was worried they would offer to repair it and I only have a week!  Let's hope I don't repeat that move in the G2G!
Today I went out with my wonderful coach Genevieve.  She has juggled the training schedule with my injuries and I'm amazed to have got this far.  She ran the first half of my 3 hour run.  Again I had the weighted rucksack but her company and encouragement helped as the second half was boring.  But it was a good finish to my week.
Next week I am tapering which will involve 4 one hour runs to allow my body to recover but not to forget we've still got a big challenge coming up.  I'll be buying my final few items but none that need tested.
This journey has been the hardest yet.  In January I was injured and over weight with my heart rate through the roof.  Now I'm a racing snake (under weight but I'll soon sort that when I get back) and my heart rate is behaving itself.  It's been tough but I've proved to myself that if you have a "why" it makes all the difference.  With your support I have raised £2,390 for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres  (my why) and hopefully we will raise more www.justgiving.com/derek-stewart6.  Thank you.  1 more blog next Sunday before I step on the plane!  Can't wait. :-)

Late scare

My blog is meant to be a journal following my journey over the last 8 years.  However in the last two years it's become more of a medical journal which is disappointing.  I have promised myself that after my recovery from G2G I will be rebuilding my body to reduce the chance of injury going forward.  As you know I "weaned" myself off my Hoka's on advice of my physio.  I was always worried about the toe box being too narrow which would have caused a problem with my feet expanding in the heat of the desert.  I switched to Brooks which were wider but caused blisters and the shoes fell to pieces - certainly wouldn't last 170 miles.  So onto Inov8 which I was enjoying running in. Till Friday.
My pal Derek Boyd took me for a 28km run/walk, my longest yet, along a trail which didn't involve boggy ground.  My left foot (my good one!) felt uncomfortable across the top and on three occasions I stopped and checked the shoe and my sock - nothing.  But towards the end of the trail my foot was in a lot of discomfort.  I woke in the morning with a bruise on my foot and when I tried to run I stopped after 50 yards - extremely painful.  Was it the shoes, the socks, the hard trail or the length of the trail (I hope not or I'm really screwed!).  I agreed with my coach to take a two day break which was ideal as we were taking my daughter to university so it was a welcome break.
My foot has felt fine since but we'll see what happens tomorrow when I pull the shoes on and go a run.  I might have to find myself another pair of trail shoes which wouldn't give me enough time to get used to them plus I need to get gaiters stitched into them which will take a couple of days.  Time's running out, tick tock.
I've also got to finalise my food and get the rest of my gear.  The food tasting is next weekend which I'm not looking forward to - it tastes completely different sitting in the comfort of your kitchen in comparison to sitting in the middle of a dust bowl!  I'll be posting a link to my JustGiving page tomorrow and hope if you can spare some cash you will donate to Maggies - the charity I have been raising funds for in the last 8 years.  If you know someone affected by cancer, please visit a Maggies centre.

Every waking moment

It's not quite "squeaky bum time" but its getting close.  The training continues to go well with my hill walking/running into cloud base continuing and longer Chatelherault runs confirming my progress.  But I thought I'd share what's going on between my ears as this has happened in all the major events I've taken part in from Ironman to MdS, Ultra runs to ultra swims.
Every training session I'm visualising being in the Grand Canyon and how the session relates to the event - even if I'm in the pool.  So today I enjoyed company on the first two laps of Chatelherault but was on my own for the third lap.  I had to dig deep because I wanted to maintain the pace and was running on tired legs which is deliberate as that will be what it is like in the race.  So I channeled my thinking into race mode.  I also have to be mentally prepared for sleeping in a 10 man tent, there's bound to be a snorer, with a bunch of smelly people - you don't waste your water supply on washing and I'll only have one set of running clothes.  Sleeping in a sleeping bag while balancing on a small inflatable mat isn't easy.  The temperature will swing from bloody hot to bloody cold in 24 hours and I need to make sure I am adequately prepared for those conditions without taking a wardrobe of clothes which would make my rucksack to heavy.
On the subject of a rucksack I am hoping to have that one resolved this week and I'll need to be walking/running with it filled with clothes and water to get the weight up so I'm used to running with about 12kg.
My new shoes were confirmed this weekend based on two successful training sessions as the last pair fell to bits in less than 4 weeks, so I changed brand - they wouldn't have survived 170 miles.  I still need to agree what food I'm taking so a food tasting session is required.  And all these thoughts are going on whenever there is space in my head from life & work.  The worst time is just before I nod off to sleep as my mind is still processing the information.
My diary is planned as much as possible around my training and with so little time left, 27 days to the start line or 22 before I step on the plane, every session counts. For my friends who compete in Ironman and Ultra events, they will get this way of thinking but not everyone who reads this blog is involved in this madness.  Getting to the start line is always the first priority but you also have to enjoy the journey.  The excitement is building to this adventure of a lifetime.  The opportunity of living in the canyon with a group of likeminded individuals.  Shut off from the outside world with the exception of messages coming through on email which are handed to us at night.  I remember how emotional everyone got at MdS around those messages - our only contact with the outside world.  You are literally stripped of everything you are used to and you have to survive while running in the desert carrying everything you need in your rucksack - if it's not in your rucksack then your stuffed.  This means the preparation / logistics are essential.  I have lists of lists and am slowly ticking the items off.  So every waking moment, this is what's going through my mind.  Just thought I'd give you an insight into the mental side!

When the cats away.........

So the boss and mini boss (wife and daughter) were away in Palma for 4 days so it was decided this would be a good time to get 4 consequitive days on the hills - quad crunching!  Thursday I couldn't get any accommodation so took a tent.  More of that later but the weather was fowl.  As I was on my own and decide to play it safe having been given a route by an experienced friend which avoided the summits.  After an hour in clouds with the rain pissing down and the trail getting worse I decided to cut my losses and headed back.  Off to the campsite.  I chose a spot under a tree thinking it would offer some shelter.  The instructions said the tent would be set up in 15 mins - try 45 mins.  Then I discovered a big rock in the centre of the ground - rookie error.  The ground was saturated so I got a rubber liner out the boot of my car.  Checked the weather forecast for the following day, and packed up and went home.  I think I'd have been under a foot of water by the morning.
On Friday I ran three laps of Chatelherault- can't remember the last time I did that. It felt good and my legs knew they had been through a work out but at the cost of two big blisters on the inside of my big toes.  This is not good news but at least I'll get to practice my repair skills on them.  But as I had just visited my friend Davy Arthur who was recovering from a bad bike accident with a broken back, broken neck and many other life threatening injuries, I decided to man up - he's an inspiration.
As a novice on the hills I was delighted that Michael Martin was taking me up two munro's at Bridge of Orkey.  We were soaked before we left the car park. 400m up and we were at cloud base.  Then the hailstones came crashing in on a gale force wind.  At the summit the conditions were brutal.  We had to skirt round the summit with a big drop while trying not to be blow off.  My hands were numb and I put them through the loops of my poles in case they fell out my hands.  On the descent we ran down the stream rather than go through the bog and I ended up doing a somersault bruising my hip.  We had to wade through the bog and twice was up to my knees - summer in Scotland!  We went for lunch at a hotel in the middle of nowhere as I had a room for the night.  After lunch I binned that and headed home for a good nights sleeep and I wasn't convinced the forecast of good weather would come true.  It did!
Another experienced hill / ultra runner friend, Derek Fish, had invited me up to Comrie near Crieff to climb Ben Chonzie with his pals.  What he didn't tell me was there was a 8 mile warm up run with 1,000 ft of climbing!  Then we tackled Ben Chozie (3,000 ft) and these guys were keen to run up it!  There is a dry (for a change) 3 mile track before you get into a small amount of bog then running across rocks and grass.  I was tired but did my best to keep up and was delighted with the views at the top.  We ran all the way down but the blisters didn't appreciate it.
Mission accomplished - quads were well bashed.  I've done more running in the last 4 days than I have in the last 9 months.  Running on tired legs is all part of the training and although the weather reduced the number of hours I was supposed to be out, it's building nicely.  In 34 days time I will be running/ walking with 12kg on my back, in heat, sand and at altitude.  It may be 6-8 hours a day with the exception of the double marathon stage.  It's certainly a challenge and I can't wait for it to start - although another month of training would help.
The cat was away so this mouse did play but it will definitely be an early night tonight.  I'm bust!

Spend spend spend!

41 days till I line up at the startline in the Grand Cayon but in 35 days time I get on the plane!  Therefore I have to have all my gear and food purchased and tested.  Yes tested.  I can't turn up without having tested my equipment.  So a few major purchases were made during the week.  A sleeping bag that can take minus temperatures (I'll be sleeping at altitude), a down jacket and a set of graphite foldaway poles.  The poles failed on their first outing and will be going back to the shop tomorrow - very disappointed as they are so light.  Minimising the weigh of everything is essential and every item I am carrying is on a spreadsheet and will be weighed.
This was a busy week and I would normally have a day off on Monday but it was switched to Thursday as I would be in London that day.  Therefore it was an extended weeks training and while I felt tired, I managed two walk runs without any issues and then a 90 minute run at Chatelherault- I loved it!
On Saturday I climbed The Cobbler 884m, Beinn Narnian 926m and Beinn Ime 1,011m.  My friend Graham Harvey had sent me a map with instructions and I headed off on my own (I can get lost in a car park).  The Cobbler was a bit scary as it was windy and clouds were covering part of the summit.  I don't know if this helped me manage a very narrow ledge as I couldn't see the drop but at the very top I couldn't stand up.  Beinn Narnian had amazing views but I came off the summit at the wrong point and had to scramble up and down rocks to make my way round to the path - eventually got there.  The last summit had incredible views but my foot was protesting on the way down with the terrain.
When I got off the mountain I decided to run down the path to the car and I managed that without too much pain.  I feel as though I am actually training my head to cope with the pain which I know will be the case in the Canyon as it was in MdS.  In total I was out for 5 hours and when I got back I headed out for a meal and then the Edinburgh Tattoo - got back at 2am - a long day which had started 21 hours earlier.
Today was swimming and for a change it was an evening session.  I'm feeling great and tomorrow is a day off training although I'll be at the chiropractor followed by the physio the following day.
I have 4 days of hill walking / running coming up so I hope I have more exciting tales to tell you next week.  These injuries have meant my training schedule has required to be adapted and I think it's working in my favour.  Back to spending more money this week as I buy the last of the items I need and then to decide on the food I'm going to be carrying with me.  This approach underlines my mantra of the 7Ps; piss poor preparation precipitates piss poor performance!  Once I step on that plane I will need to have everything with me to succeed and it will need to have been tested. So preparation is essential and it's not just about running.