In late July I will be running the 135 mile Badwater Ultra. This invitational race, open to only 90 athletes a year, is recognised amongst utra runners as one of the sternest tests around. The race runs from the lowest to the highest points in the 'mainland' USA.The temperature on the startline at Furnace Creek, 280ft below sea level will be 130F (55C). The finish line is 8,300ft up Mount Whitney and there are miles of baked salt flat and desert as well as two mountain ranges in between. 13,500ft of ascent and 4,700ft of descent will be required during this non stop race.

I am grateful for the support of a local support crew headed up by Marcia Rasmussen - Marcia has a medical background and has worked on Search + Rescue teams as a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. She also happens to be hearing impaired and I am delighted to have her and her husband assist me as I raise money for Auditory Verbal UK.

Visit the race website http://www.badwater.com

LATEST NEWS: you may well have seen that I am down as "DQ" (disqualified) under the race results. Unfortunately, at around 90 miles, two of my three crew came down with food poisoning so severe that they were hopitalised - they received 11 litres of IV between them before they were discharged - and after attempting to continue wih only one crew member (two are required under the rules) I was disqualified. I had run a total of 105 miles and it was 0128hrs on Wednesday morning. Suffice it to say that I was less than impressed. I hope that those who have generously sponsored me to date, as well as potential sponsors, will not be put off by the fact that I did not get to chest that tape............