Well it may not be my lottery numbers, but it is the next best thing, things start getting official when you get given your race number, well for the 2007 Marathon Des Sables (the worlds toughest foot race - your going to here me say this a lot in the coming weeks) my number will be 820.
So when you are watching out for me on Eurosport, or getting your daily update from the www.darbaroud.com website 820 is the number to keep an eye out for.
Sunday 28 January 2007
Messing about on the river
With a start point of Waltham Abbey this week i have done 52 miles of the River Lea
On Thursday i walked north up the River lea to the other side of Ware, 13 miles out and 13 miles (obviously) back again, the path itself is excellent, and apart from the industrial area around Broxbourne it is countryside all the way, plenty of ducks, swans, herons etc. and being along the river it has the added bonus of being flat.....
On Sunday i yomped (run/walk) south down the river toward the city, its industrial all the way, and to be honest in places it stinks, for whatever reason this morning was hard, my legs wern't interested in running or walking today, it was cold, windy, and although i have mentioned it already it stank.
So if you ever find yourself in Waltham Abbey and fancy walking a bit of the River Lea, take my advise and go north, if only for the sake of your nose...
On Thursday i walked north up the River lea to the other side of Ware, 13 miles out and 13 miles (obviously) back again, the path itself is excellent, and apart from the industrial area around Broxbourne it is countryside all the way, plenty of ducks, swans, herons etc. and being along the river it has the added bonus of being flat.....
On Sunday i yomped (run/walk) south down the river toward the city, its industrial all the way, and to be honest in places it stinks, for whatever reason this morning was hard, my legs wern't interested in running or walking today, it was cold, windy, and although i have mentioned it already it stank.
So if you ever find yourself in Waltham Abbey and fancy walking a bit of the River Lea, take my advise and go north, if only for the sake of your nose...
Sunday 21 January 2007
So what did you do on Saturday night.......
Well i took part in the Moonlight challenge, a 30 mile off road, overnight (start time 22:00) race near Canterbury, the course was a 6 mile loop to be completed 5 times, The plan was to run 6, walk 6, run 6, walk 6, run 6, but as with all good plans that went totally out the window.
Due to the mud and worsening weather conditions i changed the plan to run the first 3 or 4 laps and walk the last, the wind had picked up to the point that at times you were walking but just not going anywhere.
I ran the first 2 laps quite easly, the 3rd lap was quite a struggle, I ran the bits you could safely run and walked the muddy bit which was now shin deep. Lap 4 the wind was accompanied by rain, which hurts when it is being blown against you and 60+ mph, the event was starting to lose its fun factor!!!
I was just about to start the last lap when i was stopped by the event organiser, due to the dangerous conditions and the fact the course was now blocked in two places by fallen trees the rest of the race was to be abandoned, in some way this was great news, i like a bit of a challenge but another 6 miles in the mud and franky quite appalling weather didn't really appeal, so i didn't complain too much and called it a night.
I ended up with 25ish miles in 4hrs 10mins, legs, ankles etc. all intact
Due to the mud and worsening weather conditions i changed the plan to run the first 3 or 4 laps and walk the last, the wind had picked up to the point that at times you were walking but just not going anywhere.
I ran the first 2 laps quite easly, the 3rd lap was quite a struggle, I ran the bits you could safely run and walked the muddy bit which was now shin deep. Lap 4 the wind was accompanied by rain, which hurts when it is being blown against you and 60+ mph, the event was starting to lose its fun factor!!!
I was just about to start the last lap when i was stopped by the event organiser, due to the dangerous conditions and the fact the course was now blocked in two places by fallen trees the rest of the race was to be abandoned, in some way this was great news, i like a bit of a challenge but another 6 miles in the mud and franky quite appalling weather didn't really appeal, so i didn't complain too much and called it a night.
I ended up with 25ish miles in 4hrs 10mins, legs, ankles etc. all intact
Saturday 13 January 2007
Run forest run.......
If i had a pound for every time someone has shouted "Run forest run" at me then i would be a rich man (and would have coughed up the £17,000 it costs to enter The Polar challenge, a 350 miles race to the North pole www.polar-challenge.com)
Anyway, ran the 10 miles to work, did a 9hrs work, and then ran back home, pretty tired once i got back home, so treated myself to a big pizza :-)
Injury update:- left shine - fixed, back - fixed, right foot - a little sore towards the end of the run today but nothing to worry about
Anyway, ran the 10 miles to work, did a 9hrs work, and then ran back home, pretty tired once i got back home, so treated myself to a big pizza :-)
Injury update:- left shine - fixed, back - fixed, right foot - a little sore towards the end of the run today but nothing to worry about
Friday 12 January 2007
No going back......
Well i've paid my money now, so it's official i will be competing in The worlds hardest foot race
Best i get training!!!!!
Best i get training!!!!!
Wednesday 10 January 2007
A right result......
Not a big fan of needles, I have no problems with the idea of running across the desert being chased by scorpions, but the thought of that needle make me feel quite uncomfortable, so reluctantly i went to the doctors to check what jabs are required for Morocco needless to say it was the full complement, but what a result apart from Typhoid they are all up to date – YES…….
Even better news, the nurse has just stocked her sweet jar reserved for all the ‘brave little solders’ that she stabs in the backside, its goes without saying that I will qualify for some sort of ‘sweet’ reward…….
Even better news, the nurse has just stocked her sweet jar reserved for all the ‘brave little solders’ that she stabs in the backside, its goes without saying that I will qualify for some sort of ‘sweet’ reward…….
Saturday 6 January 2007
Oh my god - I’m in (subject to acceptance by the organisers)
Well the email came yesterday, subject to agreement by the organisers I’m in, if I can keep myself in one piece for the next 80 days I will be on the start line of the ‘World’s toughest foot race’, although I have done plenty of reading and research there is so much to do in so little time, there is equipment to buy, ECG's to arrange, food to organise, clothing to try out, trainers/socks/foot taping strategies for the desert, etc. etc oh and not forgetting plenty of training to be done!!
Friday 5 January 2007
An injury update....
Been out running the last couple of days managed 4 miles or so each day before the shin started to hurt a little, decided against trying to run it off so I’m resting it over the weekend and giving it plenty with the heat lamp and ultrasound machine, the pain is now only where the tendon joins the actual muscle (Tibialis anterior) so I’m hopeful the rest will clear it up.
Wednesday 3 January 2007
The world’s most dangerous sport.....
Cycling on the road, just cycled 30 miles to deliver a Christmas present (yes I know it is the 3rd of January!!) and I have been cut up on a roundabout, passed so closely by a lorry that I don’t know how he didn’t actually hit me, almost ended flat on my back again when I hit some mud left by a tractor, and beeped by a white van man who obviously though I was in the wrong even though he had just tried to overtake me and turn left in one movement….
So I have to play a game of getting miles done and staying alive, I’m going to have to stick with the road as it’s the only way to get the mileage done, but I might have to be a bit more selective on my route……
Anyway 28 miles in 2hrs 10mins, shin still a little sore but it’s getting better each day even with the mileage/duration increasing each day.
So I have to play a game of getting miles done and staying alive, I’m going to have to stick with the road as it’s the only way to get the mileage done, but I might have to be a bit more selective on my route……
Anyway 28 miles in 2hrs 10mins, shin still a little sore but it’s getting better each day even with the mileage/duration increasing each day.
Monday 1 January 2007
Where did everybody go.....
Well OK it was just before 08:00am New Years Day, but it was quite spooky, I was out for just over an hour on my bike and i didn't see anybody, no cars, dogs, nothing, in fact the only life i saw was a couple of cows, some deer, and hundreds of squirrels.
Kept the route flat, and avoided the worst of the mud, this enabled me to firstly not fall off!!, and secondly to give my shin a stress free workout.
My shin gave gave me no discomfort whatsoever while cycling, but is still a little uncomfortable when i walk, i tried a very short jog and it was also fine, so tomorrow morning its a light jog round the block and then out on the bike, fingers crossed that i have got to that point in an injury when you lay caution to the wind and just go for it, 9 times out of 10 you quite literally run the injury off, lets hope this is not the exception to the rule......
Kept the route flat, and avoided the worst of the mud, this enabled me to firstly not fall off!!, and secondly to give my shin a stress free workout.
My shin gave gave me no discomfort whatsoever while cycling, but is still a little uncomfortable when i walk, i tried a very short jog and it was also fine, so tomorrow morning its a light jog round the block and then out on the bike, fingers crossed that i have got to that point in an injury when you lay caution to the wind and just go for it, 9 times out of 10 you quite literally run the injury off, lets hope this is not the exception to the rule......
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