The Countdown to Marathon des Sables has begun…

I was in NZ for most of Feb, so missed the last of the dark and cold evening training, and instead enjoyed a couple of weeks of lovely sunny 25c days. A good start to some heat acclimatisation and a lot of running done on sand, hills and trails in preparation for the Sahara. A slight niggle with the Achilles meant a few days rest, but a massage sorted that out and the tendons are now better than ever. Have reached 50km for my longest run, so the aim for the last month of training is to keep healthy and free of injuries; a couple more long runs, 10 hrs of heat acclimatisation at Kingston University and make some final preparations to my kit.

The course seems to have been leaked, as usually it’s kept secret until just before raceday, with some saying it’s going to be the longest Marathon des Sables ever at 260km and the long stage over 90km! Whatever it is, it’s going to be tough and a great adventure.