On Friday, 5th April, I board a plane for Ouarzazate, Morocco. Then, after a 6-hour coach ride into the Sahara desert, I will find a spot in an 8-person tent. With me will be a backpack weighing in around 9kg containing 7 days worth of food, a sleeping bag, clothes, toilet paper, salt tablets and anything else I might need… as long as it’s extremely light. Then, after 36 hours of admin and sitting around, I strap on that backpack and start running; roughly a marathon a day plus a double marathon on the fourth day. 250km in total. There have been a number of documentaries about this race — the Marathon des Sables or MdS for short — and you might have seen one of them. The weather forecast is for 40C/105F by 11am. Generally, it’s called the “toughest footrace on earth”. And while I’ve developed a love for running across places over multiple days, this is a whole other level. I’m a little terrified but mainly excited. The running begins on 7-April and ends on the 13th.

A few more numbers:

11.5 months preparing for this, during which time:

~2,000km of training runs

8 pairs of shoes destroyed

11 pairs of socks tested

0 hangovers

100 people who have asked what charity I am running for

It was the 101st who convinced me that this inherently selfish activity should be a little less so by raising money for important causes. And there are two extremely important things, close to my heart: Heidi’s goddaughter, Gabriella and the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Trust. 

Gabriella is an amazing, strong little girl with cerebral palsy who will require a tremendous amount of specialist care in order to better bring out her charming, smiley personality. And, of course, while Bo is as healthy — perhaps more-so — as any 8-year-old, there are thousands of CF sufferers who are not as lucky. The CF Trust in the UK is an advocate for girls like Bo and that advocacy might end up saving her life one day.