My Fund Raising Event

 Hi All

I have returned from the Sahara Desert having complete the event.

First and foremost....Thankyou, for the support and encouragement I was given throughout my preperation for this event, and the encouraging e-mails I received whilst out there. Your kindness and contributions where what made the difficult times more bearable.

We have managed to raise in excess of £25,000.00. Originally an ambitious target, which was only reached thanks to you digging deep and making your contributions.

Contributions made after 22nd May will be detailed on my next event http://www.justgiving.com/Yukon-Ultra  However all proceeds for both events are paid immediately to the NSE.

The Event

The event on this occasion did not go as I would have expected. Although my training and mental/physical approach was no no different from before, there where a few climate differences which had an extremely nasty consequence.

The temperature was a little cooler than before and reached approximately 115 to 125oF. However it was the humidity which I was unprepared for.

In 2005 humidity was around 4%. This year it was in the region of 18%, causing me to expire a great deal more than I had anticipated. Therefore causing my feet to sweat, after day one I had developed six blisters, evenly placed I might add, nature had been kind enough to give me three on each foot.

Although in 2005 I had blisters and was taken to my mental and physical limits, the blisters where in manageable places, which allowed my to work through the expected pain barriers with some ease.

This time they where in other areas which made running an impossible scenario. Day four the 55 mile stage left me with covering the first 7 miles in 3 hours. I had a mind to quit due to each step being so painful, a decission had to be made as continuation would mean stepping up to speed walking and covering the distance non stop.

Quit, not an option, I was running for £129.00 per mile which was increasing all the time,  and all for charity. I continued on and only stopped to take care of my feet and eat when hungry. I completed this stage in 25 hours without sleep, still nine hours in front of the clock.

The rest of the event was pretty much the same, a painful and exhausting experience. However I am home now being pampered and making most of my remaining leave period.

Is it over:

No... I am already making plans to attempt

'The  Yukon  Ultra'     Claimed to be:   'The Coldest Extreme Ultra Marathon on the Planet'