Ready or not here I come!

The 2013 MdS starts just one week from now on Sunday 7 April and this is my final post before the race. Au revoir!

Last minute preparations

I have a lot to do still before flying to Morocco on Thursday 4 April. I'll feel more relaxed when I've done these various tasks, my bags are packed and are ready to go:

• Preparing my food bags for each of the race days (detailing calories etc. per race regulations) - this is probably the thing that will take longest to ensure that my calorie intake for each day is broadly in proportion to the expected stage length;
• Finalising my kit list as I am still undecided as to whether to take certain items;
• Packing my rucksack to see if all my kit and food will actually fit (nothing like leaving this critical task to the last minute!);
• Streamlined, aerodynamic race haircut;
• Last heat chamber session;
• Last sport massage; and
• Washing my race and tent kit after my last heat chamber session!

This may not seem like much but it's enough to be causing me a bit of stress! If I forget something I will have to make do without it in the race. Organisation is therefore important and, unfortunately, not my greatest strength!

A big thank you to...

I am extremely grateful, and would like to give a massive thanks, to a various people without whom my preparations would have undoubtedly been even more arduous!

• Family - without your support this would not have been possible. Thank you Aoife for looking after the kids on all those Sunday mornings when I was doing my long run and on several weekends when I was away racing;
• Friends and colleagues - who have listened patiently over the last year as I have bored them with details of my training, injuries, etc;
• MdS 2013 Richmond Park runners - all those with whom I have run endless laps of Richmond park over a year or so including my fantastic MdS tentmates;
• Ioan Jones (orthopaedic surgeon specialising in foot and ankle problems) - diagnosed my ankle injury and advised on its management in order that I would be on the MdS start line.
• Natasha Fernandes (physiotherapist) - assisted my rehabilitation. Natasha treated me intensively over several months, including ultrasound and acupuncture, and advised me on my training regime;
• Colin Towey (physiologist - St. Mary's University College, Twickenham) - monitored and assisted me during my 8 heat acclimitisation sessions in the heat chamber at the Centre for Health, Applied Sport and Exercise Science (CHASES) at St. Mary's;
• Katriona Macklin (podiatrist - Podiatric Management) - facilitated the urgent order of running orthotics to replace my previous ones which were old, on borrowed time and, due to the reduced arch support, possibly contributed to my ankle injury;
• Simon Lamb (sports masseur - Six Seconds High) - provided much needed body management to keep my weary limbs fresh and strong;
• Pools on the Park (Spring Health Leisure Club) - kindly offered free membership of the Leisure Club facilities to assist my MdS training; and
• Philanthropists - everyone who has donated, or will donate, to Alzheimer's Research UK. Donations can be made at VirginMoneyGiving.

Follow my progress 'live' during the race

I am competitor number 754.

During the race it will be possible to track my progress in a couple of different ways:

• Track me on the Internet in near real time from Sunday 7 April - click on the tab towards the top, right hand side of the screen marked "satellite"; and
• Check my race position each day during the race.

Send me an e-mail please!

From 6-12 April inclusive competitors can receive emails from friends and family. I would really appreciate emails of moral support please to help me through the tough moments during the race. Many thanks.

To send an email please go to the MdS website to the section "write to competitors" or "écrire aux concurrents". When writing an email you will need to detail my surname, first name and race ID/competitor number: 754. Please do not send attachments as emails containing attachments will not be delivered.

Au revoir!

I will be keeping a diary during the race so that on my return I can write a post sharing the highs and lows of the race as I experienced it. I will also post photos of the race including life in camp, scenery and me too!

2 weeks and counting!

Only two weeks or so now until the start of the 2013 MdS on 7 April. Over recent weeks the reality has really hit home that I'll soon be in the Sahara. Training has been going well and I think I'm more or less ready although I've got serious butterflies!

Injury rehab - progressing nicely

I have continued to have a couple of sessions of physio each week. Some combination of the physio (including ultrasound and acupuncture), specific ankle strengthening exercises, new running orthotics and a significantly reduced running volume (down from about 80k per week in early January to a meagre 10k for a few weeks) has been paying dividends.

Over the past few weeks the tendon swelling and tenderness appear to have improved substantially. This is great news as it has meant that I've been able to increase the number runs each week and also do a proper long run again on Sundays with my Richmond Park MdS tentmates.

What state will my body be in after the race?

The short answer is "Who knows"!

I'm of course hoping to return from the MdS injury free but I honestly don't know how I'll hold up. There are many unknowns including the impact the race will have on my recent ankle tendon injury. As a purely precautionary measure (!) I have booked several physio sessions and also a sports massage for my return.

Even more uncertain at this point is when I'll be able to run again regularly after the race. Anyone fancy running a book?! My best guess, assuming no serious injuries, is that I'll be able to train lightly a few to several weeks later. Watch this space...

What will I eat during the race?

I have given a lot of thought to what I should eat, and also how much, on each day. As I must carry all my food for the race and I will be using a resaonable amount of calories per day, the food needs to have a high calorie to weight ratio.

Nevertheless I expect that I will likely lose weight during the race as I will have a relatively significant calorie deficit. I have a cunning plan though - replace calories lost with post race celebratory beers!

In addition to the food detailed each day when I arrive in camp I will have a Power Bar Protein Plus 80% coconut drink. Very tasty!

My daily treat is Kettle Chips - alternating Sweet Chilli and Smoky Barbeque flavours. I absolutely love crisps and this will be something that I can look forward to when the going get tough!

Follow my progress 'live' during the race

How exciting is that?! In my next post I will include details of how to:

• Track me on the internet in near real time;
• Check my race position each day during the race; and
• Send me emails of greatly appreciated moral support during the race (between 7-12 April).

What else?

In my next post I will also list the people without whom my preparations would have undoubtedly been even more arduous! Until next time...