JOB DONE

Crossed the finishing line today having run the classical marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Hard going and took nearly 7 hours but beautiful day, very hot, spectacular scenery and of course lots of sand, stone trails, hills and on this occasion a river bed that was not dry, so had to wade through it.

Looking forward to getting back home and boring everyone with tales from the desert. It is quite difficult to take it all in at the moment but a huge sense of achievement, loads of memories and a bag full of emotions.

Tonight in the desert with a provided meal, wine and beer followed by an opera concert under the stars, so not a bad finale. Back to hotel tomorrow for a much needed shower and shave and a proper bed. Not home until Monday night.

Hopefully my achievement will raise more money for The Happy House Project in Watamu.

DAY 4

Brutal! Not just the distance - at 57 miles the longest MdS stage ever, but also the terrain. Sand, sand dunes, climbing up rocky crevasses in the dark, hills, trails littered with large rocks to trip you up. Full details later, but have never been more focused or determined in a race. Set off at 9.20 and finished 17 hours and 56 mins later at 3.16 this morning. People still coming in at 11.50; including 4 of my tent mates - hope they are OK.Ended up 362nd out of 800, beyond my wildest dreams.
Could not face the thought of any food, even though important for recovery. Straight into sleeping bag although could not sleep as it's not just the trails that are littered with stones and rocks.
Recovering today for marathon and a bit tomorrow, including some really tough hill climbs. Saturday cancelled - but will still have done over 125 miles - and in 4, not 6 days and including the longest stage ever.

DAY 3

The training, planning and tactics appear to be paying dividends. Long way to go but another good day today. 22 tough miles, strong wind, hot and hills, sand dunes and rocky trails. Just for fun the last 2 miles was in really difficult dunes - like climbing a summit, the last one never wanted to materialise.
Today took only 22 minutes longer than yesterday at 6hours 40, despite being 2.5 miles longer and tougher. Did over 1 minute per mile quicker. Have moved up rankings by about 40 places.
Some serious hobbling going on around the camp, but at present my feet are in pretty good condition.
Big day tomorrow; still don't have details. No e mail until Thursday but my time will be posted on darbaroud web site during day on Thursday.

DAY 2

Wow. What a fantastic day! We are eventually are up and running. It has been worth the wait. Won't go into too many details as time limited on computer.

Got to start line about 9 am and stood around shivering although temperature was 18 but a strong wind. I t was 10 before we set off. I don' think I have ev er felt so nervous as on the way to the start. We had been told that they were expecting more dropouts thyan any previous day. We were also told that when we saw the sand hills it would be frightening. Wrong on both counts.

I set off slowly but at 8.5 miles check point I speeded up as on flat ground like Tenerife. The last few miles were back in sand hills and quite tough b ut I felt really good and pushed on. Finished the 19.5 miles in 6 hours 17 and was 2nd back from our tent. Had a brew and cheesy cream pasta. Due to cook spag bol soon! Not sure what tomorrow will bring but feeling confident.

DAY MINUS 1

After sending last e mail headed bqck to hotel and got soaked with claps of thunder all around. Had some lunch and as we came out sun was starting to shine. We all headed outdoors but after a while I had to go for a walk to get away from the rumours and moans. After a wander headed to market and bought 8 sheets of plastic for each of our tent - who would have imagined we would need ground sheets. Bumped into 2 the guys from our tent group. We had to dive into a bar - not for a drink but to escape the hailstones which were thumping down.

As a result when we got back to the hotel we had missed the announcement - the 24th MdS is due to start on Monday, missing out day 1. Rumours at this stage that the course will still be 242 K but over 5 / 6 days which would make it very tough.

Had to leave hotel at 8.30 this morning to head to another hotel which has been taken over for registration. Set alarm for 7 and got washed and dressed to discover it was only 6.30. I had set alarm on phone which automatically adjusts for BST which has not caught on in Morocco! We arrived about 8.30 for registration which started about 9. As we were at the front of the queue we were all sorted before 10. Then discovered we had to stay where we were until everyone else was registered and official announcements made! They did not start until 4.30 and then with weather deteriorating again we had to queue in very cold windy conditions for a coach and eventually arrived back at hotel at 6.30, some 10 hours after leaving!

Have just got had time to head to pharmacy. Have had a cold for last week and for the second time in my life am developing a cold sore. 6 days without shaving will be bad enough without a massive cold sore on my upper lip.

So what is happening. After all that we have been advised that the event will start tomorrow and day 2 and 3 will take place although the route may turn out to be different to that planned. We know that tomorrow will be in the sand hills so will be tough. After days 2 and 3 we are not sure what will happen. Hopefully there will be some further stages but exactly what and where will depend upon the weather.

Certainly this is nothing like expected. We are all trying to keep positive and get our minds in gear for tomorrow, but this is not ideal preparation. Will try to keep in touch but with all the problems the organisers have faced there could well be technological problems which make e mailing impossible.

Rain stops play in the desert!!!

It is almost impossible to put into words the experiences of the last 24 hours. If there is a sense of frustration as you read this, then if you read on you will understand where it comes from.

The coach was due to leave the hotel at 9 yesterday morning. Russel (who I was sharing a room with) and I arrived at the coach at just after 8.30 to be told that the coaches had ben rescheduled for 8a.m. - we had not received the telephone call! The coaches eventually left at 9 for what was meant to be a 6 hour journey. We had only just set off when the rain started. To call it rain is an understatement and does not do it justice. For the whole journey there was a torrential downpour. Dried out river beds where in full flow. It was almost impossible to see out of the window, which was probably useful. Our coqch driver considered himself to be the Lewis Hamilton of the coach driving world. He obviously thought it was compulsory to drive in the boot of the car in front, and believed that single solid white lines down the centre of the road where an indication to overtake. He also thought his coach had a 4 wheel drive facility as he kept trying a bit of off road driving.

Eventually at about 4 pm we came to a halt. We had had to travel a different route as one of the road bridges was not passable. (The French and German competitotrs had flown into Ouzarzate in the morning and left a couple of hours after us and were not able to get more than a short distance before the roads became unpassable due to the amount of rain.) At about 4.15 we transferred to a lorry for a very bumpy 25 minutes to the camp, with a lorry driver aho also had been watching too much of Lewis Hamilton. Even when we arrived it was already a quagmire. Russel and I were the first from our tent of 8 to arrive so we struggled across the mud field to get a tent. The tents are made of hessian with sides but no front or back, and a tarpaulin cover. The rain was dripping through the hessian and onto the sleeping area and we were digging channels in the ground to try to divert the water.

I had put sun cream on before we left the hotel. Grease or whatever it is cross channel swimmers use would have been better as we were shivering with cold. I put on 2 pullovers and the jacket and jeans I had travelled in from UK and got a bin bag liner to keep some rain off. When we heard that the French and Germans would not make it we pinched their tarpaulins to make a front to our tent. By this time we had been joined by Ant and Nick.

At about 7 we headed across to the organisers area for some food. I put flip flops on as the mud would have ruined any shoes. Within a few yards my flip flops had been sucked off my feet and disappeared into 2 or 3 inches of mud, to be rescued by hand. Eventually gave up and for much of the time went bare footed. By this time the ground made Glastonbury on a bad day look like a picnic during a drought.

As we reached the organisers tents we were informed that the camp was being evacuated and that we were going back by lorry to a hotel. Several of the other coaches had been held back in the nearest town and where also heading to the hotel without going out to the camp at all.

Had to head back to our tent and get luggage and back to organisers tents before eating. By this time the first group had gone back by lorry and we had to wait an hour for their return. As we eventually arrived back at the nearest town at about 10 pm we crossed a bridge and the water was flowing rapidly and almost up to the bridge, until we got half way across and found the water flowing over the bridge. Got into hotel and were allocated our room - with one double bed - and I only met Russel 2 weeks ago to do his ECG as a favour - hope I don't get struck off!

Apparently at abouit 4 this morning there was a further downpour with thunder and lightening. Headed down to breakfast at just after 7 and eventually at about 8.30 the announcement we had been dreading, but expecting was made. Day 1 has been cancelled. So no matter what happens I cannot say I have ever really done the Marathon des Sables. We are staying at the hotel tonight and further information later today. At present they are not able to dismantle the camp site, as tents to wet, and as it has rained most of the morning they have no chance to start to dry.

We are trying to have a good laugh but everyone is thoroughly pissed off and feeling totally frustrated. The unspoken fear is that the next announcement will be the cancellation of Day 2. To be absolutely honest I am not entirely sure at present that the event will take place. The ground is now mud and the dried out river beds we were meant to run on will now be full flowing rivers. The sheer logistics of getting the show on the road may proof too much.

I first thought about entering this event 20 yeas ago. I wrote my first cheque on 20th April 2006 to enter and for the last 12 months it has dominaed my life. Hours of training and planning and a large expense. The thought that it may not happen is difficult to take on board. In addition it will impact on my fundraising for those kids in Watamu who so desperately need support. Psychologically it will prove difficult to prepare myself again even if we do get informed that we are starting albeit on a reduced course. That is why I am frustrated, and as I sit in an internet cafe in a town whose name I don't even know it is difficult to fight back a few justifiable tears.

I can only hope and wait and see what transpires over the next 24 hours - I will try to keep everyone informed.

PACKED, READY FOR OFF BUT ...COLD

Bags packed, everything organised and just filling in final few hours before getting on first of 4 trains to get me to Gatwick. When I laid out all my food and kit I wondered how they would all go into the rucksack. Have repackaged all the food, as this makes it lighter and more compact. The new bags have then been rolled up to expel all air and then wrapped in cling film to keep them compressed. All the food has been put into bags for each day and have between 2600 and 3100 calories per day. Would love to take more but that just adds to the weight and am just over 10kgs, so don't want any more. Have made up one extra bag with a few deserts and cereal bars which I can dip into if necessary. Whatever I do I mustn't start to raid bags for future days.

Somehow with everything compressed I have managed to squeeze all my food and kit into my 30 litre bag. Will have to get fuel tablets and distress flare in as well - pick those up when get to Sahara. Fortunately the bag will become lighter and less densely packed on each consecutive day.

Have done no real training since last Friday - all my time and effort has been spent packing, repacking and compiling food and kit list on Excel to produce on Saturday on the admin. day.

Had a great time at weekend with a farewell party for family and some friends. Really enjoyable and I will definitely be recalling the memories when I hit some low points next week.

I can't believe it has happened but developed a sore throat over weekend and now have a streaming cold. I can't remember when I last had a cold and am not impressed by the timing! Feel OK in myself and so should not stop me from going ahead but would prefer it not to have arrived just now - although better than starting next weekend as the event starts.

Hopefully while I am away Cherith will be updating my blog. I am also hoping lots of people will e mail me - need to go to www.darbaroud.com and click on "ecrire aux concurrents / write to competitors" and add my name (entered as Stephen not Steve) and my race number which is 599.

Well almost 3 years of planning, thought, training etc. are now complete - all that is left is to get out there and come what may get to the finishing line.

(HEAT) TRAINING FINISHED AND GAITERS SORTED

Had my 4th and final session in heat chamber yesterday - and training now complete. Not planning anything more than a few walks during next week - will get no further benefit from training and need to rest as much as possible so that I am fresh and ready to go in 8 days time. The only thing I can achieve from more training at this stage is an injury - which is the last thing I want.

The last 2 sessions in the heat chamber saw the temperature increased to about 40 C and then yesterday 43 C at the maximum. Did 50 minute sessions and did just over 3 miles each time. I had packed my rucksack with everything I will be taking with me - somehow it all goes in - so it was a good test mimicking as far as possible what I will face when we get out there.

Have also got my shoes back - and what a difference. Sent them to Cobblers and Keys in Pontefract (www.shoehealer.co.uk). A really professional outfit. I sent the shoes on Monday and they were back with me on Thursday and I have every confidence the velcro will stay on and hopefully the gaiters will keep the sand out of my shoes.

The tickets have arrived for my flight - this is becoming very real!

PUBLICITY AND SPONSORSHIP

Have managed to get some good publicity over the last few days which hopefully will help the sponsorship. The interview I did in Tenerife has resulted in an article on the front page and continued on page 11 of Island Connections

www.islandconnections.eu/1000003/1000017/0/96/pdf-edition.html

At the beginning of the week Blackpool Gazette also ran a good article and a photograph (no guesses as to who took the excellent picture!)

At the moment I am not able to find link but will add it when available.

Finally this morning I did a live interview with BBC Radio Lancashire and pre-recorded an interview to be used as part of a longer programme about Sue and David's work with the children of Watamu. There is an interview for approximately 6 minutes starting at 1 hour and 37 minutes into the programme at the following link.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p002f0wb/Tony_Livesey_19_03_2009/

Sponsorship is continuing to go well. The Maya restaurant in Poulton, which produces consistently excellent food and which we visit most weeks, is running a competition with a prize of a meal for 4 and a second prize of a meal for two. Entry fee is £1 and the winner is the person who predicts my finishing time - I have given a guide of between 40 hours and 60 hours. Am not sure what we will do if I don't finish!

In addition Staining Lodge Golf Course whose golf course runs just by my house is running a similar competition with the prize a round of golf for four.

All adds to the total I hope to raise.

HEAT CHAMBER AND GAITERS

Well, I've had two sessions this week in the heat chamber at Liverpool University. Interesting and also physically and psychologically helpful. The first session on Wednesday was at a modest 31 C and carrying about 7kgs, and the second one yesterday was with the temperature cranked up to 38 C and carrying nearer 10kgs. Did 40 minutes on the treadmill both days and my aim was to keep my pulse at my endurance level - between 130 and 140. Managed to do that fairly well and did around 5K (3 miles) each day.

Had been advised I would have to stop if core temp reached 39.5C. Didn't happen, although wouldn't have been absolutely sure during the run as the probe fell out (thank God!). However checked at end of session and had only gone up very slightly to 38.3 C. The other good feature was that my weight at the end of the run was exactly the same as at the start, so although I was sweating a lot I was also managing to replace my fluids adequately.

Two more sessions planned for next week and am on Friday am meeting up with two other guys who are using the heat chamber and going out to the Sahara for the MdS in 2 weeks. It will be good to have met up with some of the other people I will be with before arriving at Gatwick. Met Russel, who is running, today to do an ECG for him. (Stress as it was reported as abnormal, although changes were due to being very fit and thin, but managed to get ECHO cardiogram for him this morning so he is OK to continue. Not sure he slept very well last night.)

Have had a frustrating week trying to sort out the gaiters for my shoes. The gaiters have velcro sown in at the lower border and the matching strip of velcro has to be attached to the shoe. I approached Timpsons in Tesco store a few weeks ago and was told there would be no problem in glueing and sewing the velcro to the shoe. So while in Tenerife I ran in the shoes to break them in. Didn't want to attach velcro before I went out there as dirt on it would make the seal less secure. Dropped the shoes of on Sunday, and when I phoned up on Monday realised they were not as confident as they had made out. I spoke to a shoe repairer in Yorkshire who has done shoes for others who are taking part in MdS and then explained to Timpsons what I wanted doing. Checked on Thursday and found they had sent them to another store where there was someone with more experience. Spoke to them and put them in touch with the guy in Yorkshire. Was told "no problem" and shoes would be ready after 4pm on Friday.

When I collected the shoes it was obvious they had made a mess of the job. It isn't possible to sew the velcro all the way round, so the trick is to glue it all the way round and sew it where possible for additional adherence. The young bloke who did it decided he would just attach the velcro where it needed sewing (see photos) and a s a result the gaiter will not fit tightly all around the shoe and will let sand in where it is not secured! The point is to keep all the sand out (as far as possible) as the sand will trash my feet.

Having had a good look at the shoes have decided to add another strip off velcro to run the whole way round the shoe, but just glued. Will then be able to attach the gaiter to the glued and sewn velcro where possible and to the additional strip in the other areas. Hope it works, as this is critical. It just shows that no matter how much forward planning you do and how thorough you are, it is always possible to be messed about when you are relying on someone else who proves to be incompetent.

As well as the above have done some training - tapered down to about 25 miles plus a few weight and core muscle sessions. Have also done two talks about my Antarctic Marathon and raised about £300 for my charity, The Happy House Project for the Children of Watamu.

Last week coming up.

WARM("ISH") WEATHER TRAINING IN TENERIFE

Just back from 9 days in Tenerife where I was hoping for some warm weather training. Well in comparison with the rain, wind, hail and snow at home I guess it has been warm, although not as warm as I was hoping for. However, still managed to get some good training in and should help a bit with adapting to heat in Sahara.

Had a gentle 9 mile run on first day without carrying a bag with me. Then had 2 days back to back running of 20 miles each day and carrying about 9kgs. On the first day it was quite warm and the temperature outside the pharmacy as I went through Las Galletas was 25C. - I think that was as hot as it got. Both days went well and I didn't feel as if they had taken anything out of me and could have done it all again for a third day. In addition I got in 2 quality runs - a 5 mile tempo in sub 8 minute pace and 8 half mile intervals all at about 3mins 45 sec pace. Total for the week was just over 50 miles and also got in one gym session and 3 sessions of core muscle training.

Tried out my camera for the first time using the video with self recording. Hopefully will add finished result to this blog (it's worked and at the end of this post)- reasonably pleased although sound not brilliant at times - think I had finger over microphone as difficult to hold and record myself - so another lesson learned.

While out in Palm Mar have made arrangements with Ian and Tracey to have a fund raising charity night in Palm Bar on 8th May when we next go out to the apartment. They have been really supportive - we already have a weeks stay in a luxury apartment in Los Cristianos offered as one of the auction items. In addition The Corner Shop and Clouseau's Bar have sponsorship forms on display - and 90 Euros raised so far.

In order to promote the Charity Night I did 2 interviews - one with a magazine which will be out in a couple of weeks and one with Island Connections - a newspaper which covers the Canary Islands - who are doing the article on the front page this week! (www.islandconnections.eu) I will try to add a link in a later blog when it is published with the links to the PDFs.

This week I have my first two sessions in the heat chamber at Liverpool University. They forgot to tell me until the last e mail that they constantly monitor my core temperature while in the chamber and pull me out if it goes above 39C. I will leave it to your imagination which orifice they use to monitor my temperature - but it is below my neck! If I can survive that I can survive anything the Sahara throws at me!

ENVIRONMENT CHAMBER

Good news today as I have received a phone call from one of the lecturers at Liverpool John Moore University confirming that I will be able to use their environment chamber before setting off for the Sahara Desert. I had contacted them last week and wasn't sure if it would be possible. The call today was from an environmental physiologist - but even better he did the Marathon des Sables himself in 2005, so has real experience of what I will be facing.

The plan is for 4 sessions (March 11th, 13th, 18th and 20th) wearing the same kit as I will be running in and carrying rucksack etc and taking fluids on board as expected for the event. The temperature will be between 30 and 35 C and I will do 1 hour sessions. This will push up my core temperature and should help acclimatising to the temperatures I will face in the MdS. I will also have weight checked before and after each run and will monitor my pulse rate and this should give me a good idea about fluid replacement strategies.

Last week was a very gentle recovery week - did just under 30 miles and also managed 3 gym sessions and 3 core muscle sessions. I also actually played golf for the first time in about 6 months as well as getting out with my camera for a couple of hours. It made a good change from churning out the miles.

Have started this week with a 10 mile sand dune run on Sunday. I have decided to take trekking poles with me - what a difference they made when working my way up and down the steeper sand dunes. Followed up with an 8 mile run yesterday with the middle 4 as a tempo run and have just had a gym session for an hour tonight. Am planning 9 miles intervals tomorrow and if time permits a gym session on Thursday morning before heading to the airport and out to the apartment in Tenerife. Will be good to run in some warmer weather - predicted to be low 20s on Friday and Saturday - and hopefully will help a little with acclimatising.

Next blog entry will be written either in Tenerife or when I get back!

DEFLATED AGAIN - AND VERY TIRED

I hope I am getting all my bad luck out of the way before I go out to the Sahara! On Thursday I was heading into Preston to do a talk about my Antarctic Marathon when once again my tyre pressure low sign came on. Another flat tyre and another bill for nearly £270!

In addition it reduced my mileage for Thursday - although possibly a good thing as have been very tired at the end of this week. Started off with a good tempo run on Monday and a good interval session on Wednesday, with faster mile split times. Also managed 2 gym sessions at beginning of week.

However, I really struggled on Friday and Saturday. Went to Lakes again on Friday and a much nicer day. Did just over 21 miles with a full rucksack and lots of hills, which was what I was looking for. Struggled and felt very tired at the end.

I was going to do a training session of 15 to 20 miles in sand dunes on Saturday, but wimped out when I saw the rain. Did treadmill session in gym, with a gradually increasing gradient each mile, but stopped after 8 miles as felt drained. Felt very tired and generally aching by Saturday night. Cherith has had some sort of viral infection so not sure if I have picked something up or just tired from high mileage and intensity training.

Fortunately after many years of running I know my body fairly well and also know that a few days of reduced mileage or complete rest wont make any difference. Feel a bit better today and am starting a "quiet week" - will do no more than 30 to 40 miles. Following that 10 days in the next 2 weeks will be in Tenerife, with some warmer weather and a change of scenery and lots of recovery time lazing round the pool with a book or two. Then tapering for the final 3 weeks, so feel as if training is coming to an end.

Sponsorship going well. It was really encouraging to get back on Friday feeling a bit low and tired and find 3 people had gone on line and sponsored me. With the gift aid added I have now got to nearly £3000-00 - and that will make such a difference to the Happy House Project.

SNOW, SNOW....WHAT SNOW?

While most of the country has been brought to a standstill by unprecedented amounts of snow, and training for many of those running in the MdS has been seriously curtailed, hardly any snow has fallen in Blackpool and training has continued unaltered. In fact apart from an odd flurry and a superficial covering lasting for a few hours only, we have been snow free and the last two days have seen clear blue skies and lots of sunshine.

The training has followed a similar pattern to last week. The intention was to head to the Lakes again on Friday but in view of the weather and the resultant tragic deaths of two climbers I decided to use some common sense. I changed my plans to two long local training sessions. The intention was to spend about 10 hours on the go on Friday with a full rucksack and to cover probably about 40 miles while leaving enough energy in the tank for an 8 hour session on Saturday covering about 30 miles.

Set off about 7.30 on Friday and went via Weeton, Plumpton, Westby and Ballam to the front at Lytham. Turned and headed north along the beach for about 14 miles until I got to Rossall. Unfortunately while heading of the beach had to walk through a lot of water which was deeper than I realised. Even my excellent waterproof shoes can't cope when the water is past my ankles. My feet were soaking and I stopped and changed my socks (which I could wring out) for a dry pair from my bag. My shoes were wet through and I was concerned about blisters, but had no need to worry as no blisters after two hard days of training. Headed back along the River Wyre where I saw the boat in the picture. I am sure it was aptly named "Good Hope" at one stage, but the dreams have now turned into a wreck. Hope that's not some sort of omen! Returned home via Poulton and then finished off by taking the dogs for a 4 mile walk.

I was walking / running for 9hours and 57 minutes and covered 38.5 miles. Slower average pace than I expected. However, when I got home I thought my bag was rather heavy and so weighed it. I had obviously made a mistake before setting off. I thought my bag was underweight and had put another 2 kg weight in. However, the actual weight when I set off, with water, must have been about 13kgs. As I expect to be no more than 11.5 kgs with water on day 1, and as this will drop to about 9.5 kgs by the time of the 50 mile day, I was obviously training with a heavier rucksack than I will be carrying. So actually felt very pleased.

Was the third intended outcome achieved - that is to be able to do another long day on Saturday. Again delighted that I was able to do 30.2 miles in 7 hours 32 minutes. Bag weight was reduced to about 8kgs, and felt really good at the end, and have recovered well by today (Sunday), and feel could do it all again. Training well on course.

Last week was the highest mileage at 105 miles that I will be doing. Although I will still be doing high mileage for another 3 to 4 weeks I will drop it and concentrate on quality (tempo and intervals) along with gym sessions. The back to back sessions last week have confirmed my training is on course and was psychologically important, but I don't feel I will gain anything by more similar sessions at this stage - apart from an unwanted injury.

The itinerary has arrived this week, along with a request for the final payment of a security deposit - to be cashed if I don't finish or if I infringe the rules! Not sure if it pays for the body bag if I need alternative transport home, or if that's already payed for!

DEFLATED AND COLD

I am not personally deflated. On Friday night as we headed out to meet friends for an Indian my "tyre pressure low" warning came on. Fortunately I have "run flat tyres" so didn't have to stop and got home OK. Unfortunately run flat tyres are not cheap and so having contacted garage next day I started my run yesterday 2 hours later than planned and £270 lighter! Ouch! And it was certainly cold with that bitter wind.

In fact as far as the training goes I am far from deflated. It is going very well. Ran a little less in total than planned last week at 89 miles (although still pleased with this) but total distance although important is not everything. Very pleased, however, with the quality and variety of my training. Have managed gym sessions, tempo runs, interval runs as well as long slow sessions. Again my main effort was on Friday when I did 26 very hilly miles in Lake District with a 10kg rucksack, followed by 21 miles running yesterday.

Friday morning and the alarm was going off at 6.15. Pitch black, wind howling around the house and peeing down! The delights of training! By the time I got to Coniston at 8.30 it was raining in a way that it can only do in the Lakes. Very tempting to stay in the car. On with full waterproofs and set of on Cumbria Way. By the time I had been going for an hour my gloves could quite literally be rung out. The photo looking towards Elterwater doesn't really show it but the weather was absolutely horrible. My route took me via Tarn Howes and Colwith Force to Skelwith Bridge and then via Elterwater and Chapel Stile to Dungeon Ghyll. I set off up the track at the back of Dungeon Ghyll to go to Stickle Tarn. It took me over 30 minutes to do the next 0.6 miles as it was very steep and very slippy with all the rain. Climbed about 900 feet during this time. Didn't make it to Stickle Tarn as was concerned about doing return journey in time before it got dark. Got back to car just before 5, having had a few hours with very little rain. However, just as I got back it started up again and so my "dry clothes" which I changed into for journey back where wet by the time I was back in the car.

Despite the exertion of Friday I also managed a slow 21 mile run yesterday - and felt fine at the end. Must be getting it right in time for MdS - 8 weeks today.

My full training week was as follows:

SUNDAY Gym - 10 minutes on bike and weights
MONDAY 7am - 5 miles slow - 46mins 33secs
1pm - 8 miles tempo - 2 miles warm up and warm down with 4 miles in
31.15 (average 7.49 per mile)
TUESDAY Gym - 10 minutes bike and weights
WEDNESDAY 7am - 5 miles slow - 48 mins 46 secs
4pm - 9 miles interval - 2 miles warm up and down with 4 miles
intervals and 1/2 mile recovery jog (mile times 7.40; 7.33; 7.33 and
7.55)
THURSDAY 12.30 - 15 miles slow 2 hours 37 mins 21 (average 10.25 per mile)
FRIDAY 8.45 - 26 miles with 7,500 feet elevation in 7 hours 55 minutes
SATURDAY 11.30 - 21 miles slow - 4 hours 10 minutes (average 12 minutes per mile)

Finally some good news from Sue in Kenya. BBC are showing a programme this Wednesday and next at 7.30 about the Children of Watamu (Inside Out - BBC1 North West). Hopefully will raise awareness of the charity I am supporting.

RUNNING NAKED

I downloaded my kit list to the forum used by a lot of us who are running the MdS yesterday and quickly got a reply from someone who wanted to know if I was running naked! I certainly don't want to get sunburn on previously unexposed parts of my anatomy and it wouldn't be a pretty sight, so the answer was no. My list had only included what was in my rucksack and not what I was wearing! I had however forgotten to include the spare clothes that I will be carrying with me - although there are very few of these - 1 pair of leggings, 1 Tyvek suit (looks like those used by crime scene investigators and used at night to keep warm), possibly 1 long sleeve top for night time and 1 extra pair of socks. Have managed to keep my total weight to about 9.5kgs. There are a few additions before I have finished so should manage to meet my target of no more than 10kgs - before water.

Have enjoyed a low mileage week of running - just over 30 miles and 2 gym sessions. This is my planned reduced week which allows me to recover physically and mentally. I start my last high mileage full 3 week period next week. After that there is another low mileage week, before building up the mileage again. However there will only be 2 weeks - with the second one in Tenerife - before I start a 3 week taper which should hopefully see me ready for the start of the MdS 2009 which is 9 weeks tomorrow.

The dogs have enjoyed the fact that I have done less miles as they are able to run with me a bit more. Unfortunately Della who has been my running companion for 8 years is starting to age and is really not up to anything more than a very short run. BB is just getting old enough now to be able to increase the miles without damaging her young bones and soft tissues, so she is taking over, leaving Della (the one lagging behind in the picture) a bit long in the face when I set off.

Good week - bad breakfast!

Was really pleased with my last run of the week yesterday. It was 18.5 miles with no back pack and running very slowly. Odd to say was pleased as a relatively short distance and often run with pack and often at a faster pace. However, the run followed 34.5 miles the previous day in 8 hours with a pack weighing slightly more than I will be carrying at the start of the MdS and probably about 2.5 kgs more than I will be carrying for the long run. In addition I only had just over 3 hours to recover before heading out to a Sportsman's dinner at my golf club. Didn't get back until nearly 1a.m. and slept badly. Was just about nodding off when disturbed by a text message (my brother Dave had just arrived in Shanghai and seems to have quickly forgotten there is a time difference!) Couldn't get back to sleep as my legs were uncomfortable after the long session that day and eventually got up at 4a.m, having not sleep, and had a cup of tea and a Brufen! So the night mimicked nights in Sahara as I understand sleep is often disturbed due to discomfort, wind and unstable tents and tent mates snoring (not to mention other of their less desirable noises!).

The run was also good because on Thursday I was exhausted after a 13 mile run - had planned 15. Felt completely drained and was seriously considering a couple of days rest. Was contemplating a glass or two of wine on Thursday night when I decided I would plan for a run and get things ready for an early start - although still not convinced I would be up for it. Alarm set at 6.45 and pitch black and very tempted to roll over and have a lie in. Am glad I didn't as I will look back to these few days when I am struggling during MdS, as there are bound to be days when I am tired out and wonder how I will manage a run the following day. And what was the most encouraging part of the 18.5 mile run was that it felt effortless and at the end I felt I could have carried on, or gone for a further run later that day!

Have now planned my provisional menu for the week. Already been altered as on Saturday I had the Expedition Hot Cereal and Mango breakfast - it may be nice for some but not for me, so will have to find alternative.

So that's another week of high volume (93 miles) and high quality training (a tempo run and an interval session), as well as two weights sessions in the gym, and a week closer to the start. Am looking forward to a much quieter week now as part of my programme of 3 heavy training weeks and then a lighter week. Am glad have gone for this approach as it is not only a good idea to avoid injury and illness but is psychologically important to have a planned lighter week and a chance to ease off.

Rewarded myself last night for the 3 heavy weeks of training with a Jameson and then some red wine with my take away Indian meal!

ITV 4 PROGRAMME - REALITY CHECK - BRING IT ON!

Was just settling down to a quiet evening on Wednesday when Alistair phoned to let me know ITV4 was about to show programme re last year's Marathon des Sables. Left quick message on MdS forum site, texted a few friends and family and sat down to watch. Cherith also watched it with me - not sure it did a lot for her apprehension about what I am about to take on. Good reality check but above everything else made me want to get out there and experience it and do it.

101 lessons to be learned from the programme:-

1. It is going to be very tough
2. Good cameraderie with plenty of banter and support
3. It is going to be very tough
4. Good cameraderie with plenty of banter and support
.
.
93. Prepare - a number of those featured admitted that they had not prepared properly and had underestimated the event. Has spurred me on to continue my high mileage, high quality training
94. Organise - some of those taking part seemed to have no method in their packing of the bags with food just shoved in any old how. Need to make absolutely sure that everything is packed so that it can easily be found.
95. Reduce weight - one of the competitors had a pack weight of 15.5 kgs - seems totally over the top. One of those on the programme had the same type of food that I will be taking but had it in its original packaging - by putting it into zip-lock bags each pack is reduced by about 20g in weight. With 6 breakfasts, 6 main course and 6 pudding that adds up to 360g - lots of other ways to reduce weight and determined to be less than 10kgs when I start.
96. Pace - one of the main guys featured was running up the sand hills on the first day. I intend to walk uphill throughout the event. However, based on what I saw I realise it will be important to take it steady on first day particularly to get used to the heat, the terrain and planning water intake etc.
97. It's not just about cardiovascular fitness - getting up and down those sand dunes will take a lot out of the legs - need to get into gym more and do lots of squats!
98. It's not just about cardiovascular fitness and leg strength - toughness - physical and mental will be essential.
99. It is going to be very tough
100.Good cameraderie with plenty of banter and support
101. I am determined to cross that finishing line and pick up my medal - not sure about the kiss from the French ex foreign legion race director!

That has all spared me on with my training. Slightly lower mileage this week than planned (about 81) although some good quality sessions and the back to back sessions were slightly shorter but a lot tougher.

On Friday I trained along the Ribble Way Walk. My plan was walking only with a full weight backpack. Good job I hadn't planned to run as it would have been difficult most of the time. Lot of the way was walking through thick wet mud in cow and horse churned fields on uneven ground. It was like walking through treacle and the squelching sound as my feet came out of the mud made me think I was about to loose my shoes! As well as this thick treacly mud there were long stretches where there was a superficial layer of mud which made it like an ice skating rink and my feet were sliding in all directions. Didn't appear on Dancing on Ice last night as my inelegant performance on the mud would have certainly ruled me out.

Yesterday was a training session on the beach. Did not work out quite as planned. The first thing when setting off from Lytham was an inability to get onto the beach due to sheets of ice - not sure I can ever remember seeing so much ice on a beach. After just over 8.5 miles the tide had not gone out far enough and had to turn round. Decided to head back with intention of doing a few more miles once I got back to the car if I wanted to do the planned 22 miles. As I turned round it was like walking into a brick wall as the wind was so strong! It was almost as quick to walk as to run and so decided to conserve some energy and walked most of the way back.

Managed to do about 6.5 miles of my eventual 17 miles in sand dunes. I know not as steep or as long as in Sahara and totally different sand texture - but at least it was better than those taking part who live in the Midlands or London will have on their doorstep. Deliberately picked the steepest and longest sections and at times had to use all fours to get up. Actually quite enjoyed it - made a change from same pace running - and on the way back protected me from the wind a bit.

The weather was freezing cold and made worse by the wind. Three years ago to the day I was in Antarctica waiting for the weather to improve to make it safe to fly out. Ironic to think that while training for Sahara I was wearing some of the clothing that I was wearing when I ran the Ice Marathon! Got back to the car after 17 miles and although I felt OK as far as legs etc were concerned decided to call it a day as what I really needed was to get warm, get a hot drink and a good hot shower!

11 weeks today - will be doing 1st stage - bring it on!

BACK TO BACK TRAINING SESSIONS

Have just completed my first high mileage back to back sessions in preparation for MdS. Last did some back to back sessions - albeit lower mileage three years ago when training for Antarctic Marathon.

The first session was in the Lake District on The Dales Way. In the car and on the way by 7.15 - temperature hovering around zero, although much better than New Years eve. As I got nearer to Crook and the start of the Dales Way I became increasingly reluctant to get out of the warm cocoon of my car into the cold and dark outside. Turned heater down and car seat heater off to make it less of a problem!

What a great place to train. Good weather, despite the cold, lovely scenery and challenging terrain to run / walk on. The Dales way is a well marked route, making it very easy for someone like me with no navigation skills. Unfortunately when I got to Burneside the route markers disappeared and I ended up doing a detour round Kendal and on to the A6 Shap Road before rejoining The Dales Way. Learned another lesson as having had a look at my map, I decided to keep it out of my bag and set off without fastening my front pack. A few yards further on and the contents hit the road - my phone and camera appear to be able to bounce quite well without any damage!

Turned round after just over 14 miles and thought finding my way back would be easy - just follow the way I came. Towards the end of the session I suddenly realised that I was heading in the wrong direction and appear to have gone round in a circle and was heading back the way I had set off in the morning! Rather than risk getting it all wrong again I decided to keep to the roads and headed into Crook and then along the main road towards Bowness in the fading light. Fortunately I had my head torch with me so that traffic could see me.

Got back to car after 29 miles in 7.5 hours. Had set off with a backpack weighing 11kgs (about 24 lbs) including 3.5 litres of water - so probably at upper limit of what I will be carrying in MdS. My aim was to walk uphill and run the level sections and downhill. Managed to do this apart from some sections where there were sheets of ice and common sense indicated walking was a better option! Tired but OK at end - and enjoyed a great flask of soup before heading home.

Would loved to have stayed in bed this morning - but won't have that luxury in March, and as I was planning a beach run had to get off so that I could run before the tide came in. The plan was a 20 mile session on the beach and the aim was to keep running the whole way. Reduced backpack weight to about 8kgs. Legs felt very heavy initially but then got into some sort of rhythm and kept plodding along at a slow pace. Left the car in Lytham and ran to Red Bank Road in Bispham, which was exactly 10 miles. Turned round and had to keep resisting temptation to walk - I think if I had stopped running I would not have got going again. Reached South Pier at 14 miles and had rest of run broken down in my head to short manageable distances. However, I had not taken into account the incoming tide. Although there was lots of beach to run on there was a channel right across my path which had filled with water, and so I had the option of wading through cold water 12 inches high or heading back to South Pier and then running along the prom! A no brainer, although again very tempting to start walking because of the excuse of the extra distance. As a result I ended up doing 20.7 miles in 4hrs 40mins - a very slow run but very satisfying.

Got back from my run and opened post to find a cheque for £100 - that's £125 with gift aid - as sponsorship. That will make a big difference to the Children of Watamu - and makes a big difference to me, acting as a huge encouragement to put myself through some tough training sessions in preparation for my biggest challenge to date.

So that's 49.7 miles in 2 days with a total running time of about 12 hours, and I feel really good tonight. Could happily go for another run tomorrow, but the plan is a rest day and so am looking forward to a lie in and a lazy day!

END OF YEAR AND NOW FOR MDS YEAR

That's another year gone - and now it's getting seriously close to MdS.

Despite the weather I was pleased with my last run off the year. Did a 10 miler in sub zero temperatures and freezing fog, carrying 8kgs at an average pace of 11mins 40 per mile. Seemed ironic to be dressed in some of the gear I wore for Antarctica and the Arctic Circle when I am trying to prepare for a race in the Sahara! I really didn't want to set out for this last run of the year in such horrible conditions - but have to put the training in if I am going to fulfill my ambition of finishing MdS.

The year also ended on a reasonably good note in regard to injuries. Don't want to say too much and tempt fate but relatively injury free. Have been troubled for the last 2 or 3 months with relatively severe pain in my left foot. At first I was really concerned in case it was the beginning of a stress fracture, which would probably have been the end of my hopes of running in 2009. Kept training without any deterioration and eventually realised I had a Morton's neuroma. That's a swelling of the nerve between two toes giving localised pain and pain into the adjacent two toes. Was very painful if I walked on hard surface in bare feet and could feel the swelling between the toes. Decided I would just have to ignore the pain and get on with my training as I was not keen on an injection and again knew that if I went for surgery I would not be able to recover and get the training in in time for March. Fortunately for some reason it has started to improve a little over the last two weeks - so hope it will be OK.

Have booked my hotel at Gatwick now for 25th March (night before we fly out) and actually leave Gatwick 12 weeks today! Almost all my kit sorted apart from first aid kit and wet wipes etc. Have still to make final decision about which socks to run in and what shoe size to go for. It is all feeling very close and real.

Couple of days of hard training tomorrow and Saturday - am planning to head to Lakes and do part of The Dales Way tomorrow to get some hills in and a change of scenery and then a beach run on Saturday. Just hope the weather is not as tough as yesterday!