This blog entry describes my
training for the past 12-months, and provides an overview of where I am
in-terms of my fitness, preparation, psychological conditioning and race
readiness. It also provides a glimpse into the overall preparation that has
gone into this race.
For most of my life I had been
active, participating in running sports. However, as business, personal, and
general life responsibilities increased, less time was spent on physical
activities. The problem was exasperated by a heel injury that made it near
impossible for me to run for close to two years. All of this changes on the
15th of October 2011. After months of nursing my heels the moment arrived that
I was able to do some impact exercises with moderate pain. Unfortunately by now
I weighed in at 107 kg’s and was seriously unfit. I decided to dust-off some old
dreams, one of which is running the Marathon des Sables. I knew I had to lose
weight, get fit and build a strong health base if I was to reach these old dreams.
I immersed myself in the most up to date literature, thought hard about what
worked in the past and made a conscious decision to take small steps. I figured
that the weight I put on did not happen overnight so losing it would and can
take some time, consistency was considered better than the spectacular. I
applied the same rational to getting into shape.
This is my story.
Training History (Past 12 Months)
On the 15th
of October 2011, I tied the knot on my Nike running shoes with much anticipation.
As a 43-year old, Ex-Runner, I was still under the illusion that my fitness
could not have deteriorated that much. I was wrong!
I was able to
run about 300 meters before I realized that this was going to be a long and
hard journey. I made the decision, there and then, to take it slowly, so I
stopped running and walked the remainder of the block. For me, that first day,
saw me do 1,2 km’s walking. While walking I came up with a strategy that has
stood me in good stead, it included the following:
(1)
Take it slowly; I need to be constant, and to do
that, I need to limit stiffness, pain and injuries,
(2)
Train one day on, one day off until my fitness
allows me to train more regularly,
(3)
Actively monitor my performance and progress,
seeking to identify what I am doing right and what should be changed.
I, therefore,
decided to turn my weight loss and fitness into a science. Although I read
extensively, I knew I would have to get to something that works for me!
I immediately
limited my food intake to protein and water only, while continuing to walk
every second day. By the second week of November (a month later) my weight had
come down to 100 kg’s and I was already able to run/walk 6 km’s every second day.
My average speed was around 6,6 km/h (9:05/km). The training started to gain
momentum and by the end of November I had been able to run two 10 km distances
in the same week. By now I was able to average an 8,4 km/h run/walk pace. It was
during the first week of December that I first felt a sense of calm about my running.
It has now become a routine that I settled into with little discomfort.
The week
before Christmas I totaled 38 km’s for the week and was running four, instead
of three days a week. On the 5th of January 2012 I received the
great news that I would be participating in the Marathon des Sables during
2013. This provided the motivation and imputes I needed. I refocused my
attention and energy, and became serious about reaching those dusty dreams.
During January 2012 I ran my first 17 km road race, the Wits University run and
on the 15th of January 2012 ran my first 5 km fun-run with my
beautiful wife Tanya. Since then she
has clocked many kilometers with me and has inspired me to maintain my drive
forward. Her company during runs had broken the boredom, motivated me and gave
us a chance to be together. It felt great, not only was I losing weight and
getting fit, but I got to spend some more time with my wife.
Week after
week I increased my distance by up to 10% and by the end of March 2012, I
clocked my first 75 km week. By now my minimum distance was 10 km’s per day and I
worked in at least two 15 km runs each week. My training program now increased
to five out of seven days. I felt great, better than I have felt in years. For
the first time in my adult life my 10 km time dropped to 50 min. Then it
happened, on the 3rd of April 2012 I tore my left Soleus muscle. The
injury was a combination of stupidity and arrogance. It took until the end of
April 2012 to fully recover.
On the 1st
of May 2012, Tanya and I ran our first 10 km race, the Wally Hayward, in
Centurion. It was great; we had an absolute ball running the race. We came in
together in a time of 1:09:15. During March I started training with some weight
on my back. At first only 4 kg’s but by the end of May I was running with a 12 kg
load, clocking 5:57/km on a 10 km run. By the end of May my weight was down to
80 kg’s and I was feeling really great. Average weekly millage hovered around
the 70 km mark with at least half of the distance run with weight. I would vary
the weight in-line with what my body could manage at any given time, but
managed an average of 9 kg’s. Training continued and in early July I was a
confirmed 2012 runner in the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM). On the
8th of July 2012 training for KAEM started in all earnest. I put in
some extra effort and by the 2nd of August 2012 ran my first 120 km
week. This did not form part of my training program but was simply a test to
see if my present fitness level would be able to sustain such a distance in one
week. As the KAEM is more than double that in distance, the assessment was
important, I established a base line. I deduced that an average 50 km training
week would be sufficient for the KAEM but would be marginal, and would result
in a very difficult and unpleasant experience. I therefore opted for a weekly
training distance of 80 km’s, knowing that my body could sustain it without
major problems.
Throughout
August I maintained a high mileage building endurance, however, during the last
week I left the weight at home, shortened the distances and worked on getting
my heart rate above 140 bpm. It was an amazing week. For the first time in my
life I was able to run a 10 km in 45:46, averaging a pace of 04:34/km. This made
me feel the achievement and the hard work of the past ten months was tangible.
A week later, on the 31st of August 2012, I had the most difficult
20 km run one morning. At 14 km’s I was reduced to a walk simply because I lacked
the energy to run. It was a wake-up call. I realized that no matter how fast or
fit you may be, your body will have good and bad days.
I met Phil
Waudby, an experienced KAEM runner, for a 12 km trail run on the 1st
of September 2012. We had a great run at the Groenkloof Nature Reserve in
Pretoria. I learned a great deal from him that morning, he inspired me to work
harder at it and provided the comfort that I needed to get rid of some of the
anxiety associated with running your first Ultra Endurance race. He shared some
of his experiences, like running from Johannesburg to Augrabies (1,000 km’s),
then take one rest day before participating in the actual KAEM. He shared some
personal triumphs and hardships with me.
During
September, I met some other KAEM runners, Clint and Rob, and together with Phil
ran various races. This was the most races I had run in a single month since I
started running again. My focus, however, is no longer road racing but
exclusively Ultra Endurance and Self Sufficiency races, all road races are now
training runs, and are done with my full race kit.
I attribute
much of my fitness success and speed improvement to following the run-walk-run
strategy of Jeff Galloway. My blog entry dated 13 February 2012 provides a more
detailed explanation of the Galloway strategy together with some experimental
data (
http://theroadtomds.blogspot.com/2012/02/running-experiment.html).
However, I incorporated this strategy into my training from the start. In the
beginning it consisted of 3 min run and 1 min walk cycles, eventually this
became a 4 min run and 1 min walk cycle and today I am running 1 km and walking
100 meters. I use this strategy during training and races with great
success.
What is left
to do is one 50 km week followed by a total rest week for the 7-days before the
starting pistol sounds.
I have tried
to train as close as possible to race conditions. The majority of my runs are
off-road, with 10 kg’s of weight on my back and mostly during the warmest part
of the day. Over the past year I have run in 37 degree Celsius heat, endured
snow, rain, hail and cold. However, nothing comes close to the 40 degrees
Celsius plus temperatures that are anticipated or the amount of soft-sand river
beds that awaits us. I personally think that no training should be exactly like
race conditions, it removes the adventure, the unknown factor and in general
the surprise of its all.
By the time
that I stand at the starting line of the KAEM 2012, I would have run a total of
2,600 km’s for the year and it would have been 375 days since I tied the knot
on my running shoes the first time. It has been an amazing adventure thus far,
full of wonderful moments, great personal achievements and amazing people. I am
fitter today than I have ever been, I am 29 kg’s lighter than a year ago and am
looking towards a life full of great and amazing adventures.
Running
Injuries, Physical and Mental Condition
If there is once
certainty when you embark on a journey of extreme adventure racing it is that
you will, from time to time, experience some injuries. These injuries vary from
the minor to the really serious.
My first
encounter came in the form of a torn Soleus muscle during April. Stupidity
caused the tear when I sprinted up a steep incline, but the tear was made even
worse by my arrogance when I tried to run through the pain. Needless to say to
anyone who have ever tried fixing a torn muscle by straining it even more, it didn't work. By kilometer number 12, I came to a total standstill and had to
limp the remaining 8 kilometers home.
I learned a few
lessons from this experience; these became training rules. Rule One: never
change more than one thing in any given week. This means that you either
increase your distance or improve on your time, or work on speed, or add some
hill training but not all at the same time. My “one-thing” rule saw me remain
injury free for most of the year. My Second Rule: if your body pains, it needs
a rest. Don’t fight it; believe me your body will win. Give it some rest and
live to fight another day.
Since April these rules has stood me in
good stead.
In more recent
months a strained Flexar Muscle, some collar bone pain and some race pack
chaffing on my lower back were all managed through logical thought, rest and
basic first aid care. The RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) seems to
help with most injuries.
Besides my heels
that are still causing some discomfort and pain, even after a visit to the podiatrist, the rest of my feet has become stronger and harder. I am of the opinion that
the best foot preparation is miles. Your feet can only be prepared to handle
the miles if they are used to high millage; there are no chemical remedies that
will convert soft untrained feet into high millage endurance vehicles.
The next major
issue is race pack weight. The higher the pack weight, the higher the
bio-mechanical impact, which translates to subtle differences in ankle, knee,
hip, lower-back, shoulder and neck movement. These subtle changes have a huge
effect that translates into stiffness, pain and general discomfort. I spent a
great deal of time balancing my race pack along three primary zones. The first
is my back pack’s horizontal balance. I learned how to pack my bag in such a
way that both the left and right side of the pack weighs equal. The second zone
has to do with the towering effect. I had to repack my race pack numerous times
before I was able to balance the pack vertically ensuring an even weight
distribution as well as a height balance. The final zone was about figuring out
how much weight it takes in the front pack to distribute and balance the back
packs effect on my back and shoulders. These efforts took much of the strain of
my lower back, shoulders and neck. Eliminating race pack bounce solved the
collar bone tenderness while adjusting my stride, center of gravity and body
posture solved the remainder of the bio-mechanical issues.
In my case, the
biggest issue I had to deal with once my millage exceeded 70 km’s per week were
physical fatigue. This was exasperated by late nights and early mornings and
remains true even now. I had to learn that the only way to deal with fatigue is
to get the rest your body needs. I also found that diet plays a very important
role, but more about that later.
There are many
ways to prepare yourself mentally, for me it followed a logical process.
Firstly, I assessed my ability to run with my pack weight, over a 30 km’s
distance. My run time, fatigue level during and afterwards as well as my day to
day recovery rate gave me a clear indication of what I was capable of doing. I
then discounted additional time for terrain and environmental factors and set for
myself a realistic race goal. On the 2nd of August 2012, I discussed
this on my blog. My anticipated pace was set at 5,1 km/h given a 12 kg race pack.
My current race pack weighs in at 14,4 kg’s (wet) so I had to make a downward
adjustment. Given my new race pack weight I set my target at around 4,5 km/h.
My second step
was to learn as much about the race as possible. As I spoke to various previous
competitors, some in person and some through social media platforms such as
twitter and Facebook, the race became familiar. I came to understand the
complexity and simplicity of the race, the environment and what it would take
to succeed. This knowledge brought about a familiarity that made the race real
and obtainable.
My final step was
to link my race goals and objective (which I will discuss later) to my training
and to monitor my progress and performance daily. This reinforced the idea that
I am capable of achieving my goal. It
does, however, require a great deal of commitment and discipline with a good
measure of perseverance.
General Health
Having been able
to monitor my health throughout has been both important, as the intensity of
training in relation to the preceding two years (plus) placed a certain amount
of strain on my body, and empowering. The latter served as a gauge of how my
activities contributed to a better and healthier me.
At present my
resting heart rate (RHR) varies between 48 and 52 Beats per Minute (BPM), and
my maximum heart rate (MHR) during a normal long run (30 km’s with full back
pack) reaches 167 BPM at an average speed of 9,2 km’s per hour. My average heart
rate (AHR) over the same distance and with the same weight is 136 BPM. These
figures are important for more than simply gauging general health; they are
essential in determining my energy consumption and were used when I calculated
the calorie value of the food I am taking on the KAEM, I discuss this in more
detail below.
My blood
pressure (BP) is 110/80 and ECG is normal with no indication of any underlying
heart conditions. The ECG, Blood pressure and urine tests are compulsory as
part of the race medical so getting a clean bill of health on these were not
only comforting but essential.
Race Objectives
I believe that
every contestant in sport must have a realistic objective for participation.
Without an objective the activity loses purpose and without an objective centered in reality you will become despondent. For me the foundation of my race
objective is the fact that I am not capable of competing with the front
runners. The likes of Dirk Cloete who is able to complete the KAEM in just more
than 27-hours (9,26 km/h average) and Salameh Al Aqra, the winner of the MdS
2012, who completed the race in just under 20-hours (12,5 km/h average), is way
beyond my capability.
My long runs,
with a full race pack, in ideal circumstances, is completed at an average speed
of 8,4 km/h. Going off-road sees this speed decrease to around 6 km/h but these
runs lacks the severity and intensity of a desert environment (sand and heat)
and is not part of multiple days within such an extreme environment. It would be
unrealistic to set a race goal that falls beyond my capability. I, therefore,
set what I consider to be a realistic race goal for me, a completion time for
the KAEM of between 46 and 50 hours (anticipated race speed 5,0 to 5,4 km/h).
This places me somewhere near the middle of the field. It does not, however,
mean that I will not be challenging myself to attempt to run 40 hours if the
conditions (both environmental and physical) allow me to do so.
This brings me
back to my overall objective. Why am I out there? I believe that if you are
able to compete with the front runners you should, but every participant must
be honest enough to know where they fit into the performance scale of the
event. For me that performance scale is less competitive and more focused on
self-actualization. The ability to participate combined with the opportunity to
achieve success through both competing and completing is what drives me. This
approach reduces the performance pressure allowing me to focus on the event
differently.
I am
participating for the enjoyment that is found in being out in nature, together
with some great individuals all of whom are out there to challenge themselves.
The enjoyment of the personal challenge is completed by the shared experience
and comradely that the group brings to the mix and the ability to take a moment
to appreciate both the opportunity to be there and the unspoiled and raw beauty
that surrounds us. But, I am also there for the adventure. In a world of
routine and a certain level of comfort to move beyond my own comfort zone is
exhilarating. It speaks to the aspect that has seen the human race reach for
the stars and dive to the depths of the earth; it is the desire to explore. The
thrill of being in a place that so few humans would ever experience is what
drives the adventure; it has a somewhat romantic element that takes me back to
who I am.
In short, for me
it is the combination of enjoyment, adventure, the achievement and a personal
challenge is the reason for me doing this. I, therefore, have set my race goal
in line with my race objective. It may differ from person to person, but that
is what makes extreme adventure racing so great. It allows for each person to individualize their participation.
Race Food
Having set both
my race goal and objective, and knowing the numbers that drives my health,
guided me in my race food choices. Calorie consumption was calculated by
considering my Body Mass Index (BMI), my average heart rate and the
relationship between active and inactive hours each day, among other things.
It became clear to me that without knowing the numbers, selecting your food
becomes a very subjective process. My daily Calorie consumption averaged about
3,250 kCal per day. However, some fat reserves do allow me some movement in
this regard. Looking at comments from some MdS participants provided a minimum
base-line. Some participants on the MdS go as low as 2,000 kCal’s per day, but
seems to raise the same issues of fatigue, excessive weight-loss etc. I
interpreted this as being an excessively lean diet. Participants that seems to
cope fairly well all have a calorie count of between 2,500 and 3,000 kCal’s per
day (note: I only considered participants that weighs roughly the same as I do
– 78 to 80 kg’s – and who maintains a similar pace to that which I set as my
race goal). The KAEM website lists a recommended calorie intake of about 3,000
kCal’s per day. As this is my first self-sufficiency race I opted for a 3,000
kCal per day diet. Inexperience causes me to be careful which might mean that I
could be carrying too much food. I will be able to assess this during the race.
My race food,
therefore, comes to roughly 21,000 kCal’s and weighs in at around 5,3 kg’s. My
calorie to weight ratio is in the order of 3,96 kCal’s per gram (16,6 kJ/gram)
and seems to be close to the average.
My food choices
are based upon (1) sustenance, (2) taste and (3) a feel good factor. Additional
requirements included ease of preparation, ability of the food to remain
unspoiled in +40 degree Celsius temperatures and the balance between savory and sweet options. I avoided gels and powders as some of my previous experiments concluded that this is not an optimal choice for me (see my article
dated 4 March 2012 -
http://theroadtomds.blogspot.com/2012/03/eating-strategy-experiment.html).
Although many runners would swear by gels and powders these didn't work for me.
This stresses the point of testing your kit, including your food, prior to a
race.
The following is an example of my daily
food selection for the race:
Breakfast
Jungle
Oats (50g) 820kJ
White
Sugar (16g) 272kJ
Butter
(24g) 729kJ
32GI
Endurance Drink (50g) 791kJ
Mixed
Nuts (100g) 2,419kJ
TOTAL 5,031kJ
In-Race
Biltong
(50g) 670kJ
Condensed
Milk (50g) 695kJ
Fruit
Dainties (120g) 1,806kJ
TOTAL 3,171kJ
Post
Race / Dinner
Noodles
(75g) 1,445kJ
Butter
(16g) 486kJ
32GI
Endurance Drink (50g) 791kJ
Pro-Vita’a
(69g) 1,104kJ
TOTAL 3,826kJ
Extra
Energy
Bar
767,7kJ
This is typical for most days. For the long
run day and to supplement the overall taste I have the following extra items:
Nick
Nacks x 1
Guava
Rolls x 2
Biltong
(50g) x 1
Dried
Bananas (250g) x 1
Equipment
I found one of
the most difficult things to do is to identify, select and test all of your
equipment. There are a multitude of choices out there all of which has both
merit and are endorsed by prominent runners. The temptation is there to simply
make a surrogate decision by acquiring those items that are presented as the
“best” or most suited for a particular race. I decided to follow a different
approach. I started by identifying what would make my life a little easier and
improve my race experience.
Mandatory Equipment
For me there is,
therefore, a strong correlation between my race objectives, race goal, and running
philosophy (more about this latter point a little later). I started by
identifying what equipment were mandatory. In this regard I selected the
“best”. For me this meant the most durable and light weight products, with
durability taking center stage. My though on this was the following: If it is
mandatory, then (1) my life might at some point depend upon its use and (2) as
I am planning to participate for years to come durability played an important
role. Once I selected this I repackaged it by getting rid of the “fancy” cases
and pockets and packed it into a durable but lightweight pouch.
Race Pack
I then set out
to identify and acquire a race pack. Here the focus was on light weight,
comfort and volume. I knew I was going to take greater bulk so needed a large
pack. Airflow across my back and the ability of my back to “breath” and “cool
down” while the pack was on my back was paramount as it would increase my
comfort level while ensuring that I don’t overheat. An additional requirement
was for a “large” front pack with water bottle holders. I opted for front pack
water bottle holders as a counter balance, together with the pack. This allowed
for a reasonable weight distribution. As I am carrying a camera the front pouch
had to be relatively large and accessible.
As with shoes
the logic is that the lighter the material the less durable. Within adventure
racing, pack and shoe durability is relative. Adventure racers, especially
those participating in multi-stage endurance events, places their race packs
and shoes under far greater “stress” than what the normal runner would. The
reality is that if you both train and race with your race pack, as I do, its
usable life is maybe two to three races. This was acceptable to me. As race
packs goes, the one that suited my preferences and requirements was the
Raidlight.
Shoes and Clothing
My clothing for
the KAEM consists of the following: Two Running Shorts, two underpants and two
running tops. One set to run in and one set in my race pack. I have four pairs
of socks, one pair to run in and three pairs in my race pack. As the condition
of my feet is of paramount importance I like to change my socks every 20 km’s or
so. This ritual airs my feet, allowing it to dry, and affords me the
opportunity to do whatever feet maintenance is required. Four pairs of socks
are sufficient to see me through the long run day.
The idea is that
I wash my running clothes after each days run and that I start the next day
with a clean and dry running set.
Additional
clothing includes, gaiters a pair of shorts and fleece with sandals for in the
camp and at night, with an additional light weight wind / rain top, and of
course a desert hat with a long neck flap.
Shoes like
clothing are personal and very dependent upon individual preference. My shoe of
choice is the Nike Air Pegasus+ 28. The shoe is relatively light weight but
with excellent absorption properties and is built for trail running.
Domestic Kit
On the domestic
side I have a light weight sleeping bag with a +5 to +20 degree Celsius comfort
rating. I also have a sleeping mat to add the additional comfort and surface
cold insulation. My philosophy is that a “good” night’s rest, followed by a
tasty and nutritional meal has both a physiological and psychological benefit
that enables me to deal far better with the pain and discomfort that comes from
exhaustion and injury.
I take no pillow
as some of my clothing, rolled up, can fulfill the same function.
Medical & Hygiene
I confess; I
like to be clean. I like a shower after a run, I like to wash my hair and to
smell and feel fresh. Unfortunately extreme endurance races don’t allow for the
comforts of home but that doesn't mean that I can’t for the most part achieve
the same end result. To aid me in this I packed a number of personal hygiene
items that I will discuss during my post-race report.
My medical kit
is aimed at dealing with all of the primary anticipated issues both
pro-actively and re-actively On the reactive side it is aimed at dealing with
conditions such as headaches, inflammation, sunburn, chaffing, dehydration and
blisters. On the pro-active side it is aimed at preventing chaffing,
dehydration, sunburn and blisters. The effectiveness and usability of my first
aid-kit will be discussed during my post-race report as well.
Repair Kit
I still believe
in the old saying, rather safe than sorry, so I have a repair kit consisting of
a Leatherman, silver Duct tape, belts, additional clips, some extra laces and
S-Carb clips with an 11 kg rating and some cable ties.
Not-Negotiable Equipment
Then I have some
equipment that is not-negotiable, even although it may save some weight. The
first of these are my camera a Nikon V1 with a 30 to 110 lens (70 mm to 300 mm
equivalent) with an additional battery. My justification for this is that I am
not a front runner running for a place; I am running for the experience,
enjoyment and the memories that is associated with the event.
Another piece of equipment is my iPod Nano.
Although I don’t run with an iPod it goes with as I sometimes use it for
relaxation. My playlist only contains the music that I really like and is a
great way for me to keep my sanity, or at least, what is left of it.
I also take a Garmin GPS watch with its
charging cradle with plus a charger consisting of four pre-charged AA
batteries. This keeps my iPod and Watch working throughout the race.
Pack,
Run, Repack
I took the
advice of some of most of the more experience adventure racers out there; don’t
run with anything you have not tested over a distance of at least 30 km’s. This
included my race pack. The advantage was that I soon found the weight that I
could manage which meant that I had to make some tough decisions as to what
needed to be left out. It also resulted in me packing and repacking my pack
until it was optimally balances. I also identified where I chafe and found ways
of dealing with this. It took weeks to find the correct way to tape my lower
back, the correct plasters to use and the correct clothes to wear.
General
To
understand many of the choices I made I will share my running philosophy. As a
43 year old runner who loves running I had to come to the point that I accepted
the reality that there are faster, stronger and often younger runners to
compete against. This meant that I had to accept that I will not have a podium
finish during a race. As a matter of fact I doubt if I will ever finish in the
top 20 or even 30%, so I made a mental shift. I am there to enjoy every second
of every race. I don’t mind where I place, although the number seems to
indicate a middle of the field finish. Due to this mind shift I am taking with
a camera to capture those once in a life time moments, and to build a bank of
great memories that will hopefully sustain me over time while serving as
inspiration for others.
I
decided to Run for a Cause, the charity of my choosing is JAG (Jointly
Achieving Growth). The JAG Foundation is a charity that I feel extremely
passionate about. This organization is headed by South Africa's Elana Meyer and
endorsed by athletes such as Makhaya Ntini, Ryk Neethling, Jean De Villiers,
and Ashwin Willemse. The aim is the development of a healthy attitude and
lifestyle of all South African children, presenting an alternative to an
environment of gangsterism, alcohol and drugs abuse. Raising money for the
foundation goes a long way in creating a better South Africa, a new generation
of disciplined, focused and determined leaders that are cultivated through
sport. My personal aim is to be an example of grit and determination to the
children of South Africa.
For
me this journey meant collecting as much information as possible. As I read
more and more my knowledge of training options, race strategies, nutrition,
kit, and other aspects increased. My preparation became more focused and
efficient. I tried various training philosophies and ended up with a basket of
tried and tested training, racing and kit options that is suited to me.
I
also tapped into the Internet, finding blogs with quality information. Besides
training and kit related information I was looking for blogs with content that
describe the specific races that have entered. Another great source of
information is YouTube. There are many videos that gave me some insight into
race conditions etc.
I
personally found Facebook to be one of the greatest social media platforms to
use. The ability to interact with fellow participants, get advice from past
runners and build virtual relationships before a race is worthwhile. However,
the greatest benefit comes when fellow participants get together to do some
training runs etc. It was due to this that I met Phil and some of the other
KAEM runners. This has helped me gain confidence, identify some of my training
shortcomings and form a bond that motivates and kept me focused.
Every
experience, both good and bad I had over the past year has been used for
learning. I looked at everything critically, my distance, my running time, how
I felt before and after a run, my injuries etc. All of this contributed to my
knowledge base, I identified what worked, what I needed to change and where I
needed to improve. On the 30th of September 2012 I ran the City 2
City, a 50 km race from Johannesburg to Pretoria. I opted to run it with a
reduced pack, weighing in at 8 kg’s and completed the distance in 05:58:48.
Although this is only three and a half weeks prior to the KAEM I learned that
my body prefers sweet snacks up to 30 km’s (3-3 ½ hours) and salty snacks
thereafter. For me the experimentation doesn't end and I hope to learn even
more during the KAEM.
This
brings me to my race strategy during the KAEM. My aim is to run the distance
within a total time of between 46 and 50 hours which mean an average of speed
of 5 km’s per hour (12:00/km pace). This will place me somewhere in the middle
of the group. My strategy for achieving this is to run slowly but consistently,
to use a combination of walking and running and to take enough breaks to ensure
that I remain fueled hydrated and injury free (including blisters for as long
as possible). Beside these simple points I have no cast in stone rules and will
adapt my running to the environment, and my own capabilities on the day.
Team Support
The reality is
that although Adventure Racing is an individual activity, it requires a strong
team support. My team consist of my wonderful wife that supports me
unconditionally, who listens to me talking non-stop about my preparation, my
kit, the race and a host of ultimately boring stuff. She helps me to remain
focused by showing an interest, runs with me on occasion to help me stay
committed to my training program and gives me a sense of worth by sharing my
achievements with everyone she knows.
The second
member of my team is my daughter that proudly broadcast her dad’s achievements
and madness to everyone that is willing to listen. This gives me a sense of
achievement that says I am doing something my family can be proud of.
The third
members of my team are my two dogs, a Basset and a Bull Terrier that protects
the family during my absence. When I return from an hour or two running they are
always happy to see me. Although my team consist primarily of my family, it doesn't end there. Ever friend, business associate and work colleague makes
their individual contribution that makes Ultra Endurance Racing a reality for
me. And finally, the race directors and support teams of each and every race
allows me to live my dream.
Closing
In closing, I
found that Ultra Endurance Racing entails everything that appeals to my
personality. It challenges, it requires commitment and tests me mentally,
physically, and intellectually. I am of the opinion that neither the distance,
environment or strength that is required is beyond the capability of any person
if they decide to participate. It is, however, critically important that a
decision to participate is backed up by a firm commitment to the training and
preparation without which the pleasure and achievement that stems from such
races turns into pain and displeasure.
My next post will be after the
KAEM and will be in the form of a post-race briefing.
Thank you for reading my blog.
Genis
