MDS training

It's now starting to dawn on me that the running of the Marathon Des Sables (MDS) is only the start. There is still more fund raising to do and even setting up a blog (something that a luddite like me has never done before) so that I can inform anyone interested in my training progress and my concerns about the race. As a bit of background to anyone who has never heard of it, the Marathon Des Sables is a 153 mile race across the Sahara desert over 6 days. If that wasn't enough, the organisers also make you carry all of your food and water, plus any other items you need to take with you (clothes for example). It was this list that really awakened me to the stupidity of the journey. One of the compulsory items is a venom pump!!!! I have never had the desire to be anywhere that this might be required. Nice hotel rooms tend not to be overun with bitey, stingey or generally crawley things but never mind. I am now around 60% of my charitable target of £10,000 with 10 weeks left to go before the race. Time is now getting tight and my training schedule is ramping up with every other activity. If you see a sweaty individual running along the Thames path at around 12.30 every day wearing a grey backpack that looks extremely heavy, please say hi, wave or at least give me a small look of sympathy. If I can say Hi back I will but that probably means that I haven't been running hard enough as I normally can't run and talk all at the same time. On the positive side, I had to pose for one of the photographers of the local Farnborough paper on Saturday. Now, I accept my limitations and a fashion model, I am not and will never be. Especially when it's freezing cold, I'm wearing very small shorts and holding a rucksack full of books to simulate the weight whilst running. Still, look out for me in the next edition, it will be amusing to say the least.......