A belated thank you.

First I better come clean....My motivation to compete in the Marathon Des Sables was a selfish desire rather than anything philanthropic. The drive to run 250 kilometres across some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world came from wanting to test myself, wanting to push myself to see if I could find my limit.

The good news is that I didn’t find it. It was tough but, with the exception of a few brief moments where the heat and relentless miles conspired against me, it wasn’t so tough that it stopped being fun.

Accepting that, the opportunity to raise money for a cause I believe passionately in was too good to miss. I hadn’t understood the significance of the fundraising until I was racing. Knowing that so many friends and family had taken the time to support me was powerful motivation. I have learned from experience that everyone goes through tough patches when racing long distances. When I feel good I try to press on as quickly as I can and when the inevitable tough times come I just try to keep moving forwards. Over the 6 days of racing I had my share of tough miles, one of my tactics for getting through them is to count my steps to 100 then push to run again. I’d also worked out early on those 100 steps, thanks entirely to your generosity, equated to another pound earned for the charity! (Great motivation when you have to dig that deep just to keep moving forwards).

At the start line I was daunted by what lay ahead but my main thought was of how privileged I was to be there. Privileged to get a place, privileged to be fit enough to contemplate starting the race and privileged to have the support at home that gives me the confidence and time to indulge myself in such a fantastic adventure.

The race lived up to my expectations. Yes it was tough but the experience of living in the desert overwhelmed my senses and made the pain manageable. The camaraderie was fantastic. The desert was a great leveller, no phone calls or credit cards to solve your problems and lifes complications replaced by absolute simplicity.... move forwards or fail.

I did move forwards and after a sticky patch on the 3^rd day when I lost an hour to heat and nausea I managed a good result on the 4^th day. Known simply as ‘the long day’ we had 82.2 kilometres of sand, rocks and hills to cover in temperatures that reached 49 degrees. The confidence that came from finishing that stage carried me to the end. A strong marathon on the 5^th stage and a big effort to drag myself through the final day saw me finish 339^th, just inside the top 3^rd overall.
I started the race with one goal, to finish it. Not only did I manage that but I loved every minute of the experience.

Now I’m home, rested and physically recovered I’ve had time to reflect on the experience.
Being forced to carry everything you need for 250 kilometres does make you realise how little you really need; how unimportant material possessions are when compared to the friendship and support of the people around you. As the race progressed the physical test was eclipsed by the mental challenge. I met ordinary people who turned into heroes, who got up in the morning to tape up macerated feet and then instead of join a queue at A & E they stood in line at the start to run another marathon. It’s amazing what we can do if we want something enough.

I love the simplicity of running and although I have no immediate desire to repeat the Marathon Des Sables I will certainly continue competing in other ultra distance races. The Marathon Des Sables is billed as the toughest footrace in the world... but I’ve heard there are a few contenders for that crown that I may need to investigate!

But that’s for another day. For now I’m playing domestique to Becky who’s taken on her own challenge. Come September she’s off to China to cycle 450km across Beijing province! If I didn’t absorb all your goodwill Becky is supporting a great cause ... www.justgiving.com/beckysbeijingorbust  

Once again thank you for the generosity and support you have shown me, it meant a lot.

Russell

 

 

On the 1^st of April I fly to to take part in the 25^th running of the Marathon Des Sables. This is a 6 day 250km self-supported ultra marathon across the desert. It is considered the toughest foot race on earth.

I will have to carry all my kit and food for the entire event in a backpack with only water and tents supplied by the organizers.

Daytime temperatures can touch 50 degrees whilst night time temperatures of only 1 or 2 degrees are common. If that wasn’t enough to put you off a venom pump is on the mandatory kit list! (Although nothing’s going to bite me after 6 days running and no showers)  

As preparation I’ve run hundreds of miles, completing many ultra marathon distance races from single day 50 mile events to multi-day stage races. Clearly all these events have been carried out in either rain, mud, snow or the dark and sometimes all four at once. So I can say with confidence I’m fit for the run but not exactly acclimatized!

Given the scale of the challenge (I’ve been told it’s a once in a lifetime experience, no really don’t even think about signing up for it again!) I’m keen to use the opportunity to raise some money for charity.

The charity I’ve selected is Right to Play.

This is an athlete driven humanitarian organisation that uses sport to help children learn important life skills like fair-play, teamwork and respect. Typically the charity operates in environments where children have been the victims of conflict and extreme poverty.

I believe sport is a hugely important part of all children’s development, helping them to have fun and build confidence. Where children have had their childhood taken away from them by war and poverty it plays an even more crucial role by giving them hope beyond just survival.

There’s a video here that helps explain the charity’s story, it’s quite long (9 minutes) but explains the organisations aims better than I can.

I have paid for my place and covered all my expenses (you wouldn’t believe how much kit you need to do this, and how many times you have to buy it to get it just right) so every penny you donate will go to the charity.

If you’ve got this far then you might be interested in knowing that daily results are posted onto the main race site so you can track my suffering and make sure you’re getting value for money.

15 years ago I watched some footage of the MdesS on tv and wondered how anyone could be stupid enough to try something like this (that was just before I got in the car to drive to the corner shop for more cigarettes). Now with thousands of miles of training and races under my feet and the unquestioning, and seemingly limitless (although I think I’m testing it this time) support of my family, I can’t wait to get to the start line!

Thank you for your support

Russell