MdS - post race analysis

A long post, perhaps only for keen MDSers.

After finishing the MDS, some reflection after a week in a soft bed and out of the bio-hazard that was my running kit - seven days running and sleeping in the same clothes kinda does that.

I'm missing the desert of course, and the camp and trail comradery which sees you striking up conversations with complete strangers on first name terms (first names on the race bibs front and back is brilliant). I'm even missing the effort of fixing up my stove to boil water before rehydrating my evening meal. Definitely not cordon bleu, but surprisingly satisfying after a long day on the legs.

My food I got just right, for me anyway: high calorie muesli, trail mix (nuts/dried fruits/M&Ms), Peronin, recovery drink, a beef salami snack, a dehydrated meal and my secret weapons, a small block of super intense Parmesan cheese and a sachet of vinegar to ward off cramps (didn't get a single cramp!)

I don't miss the blisters, which are the single biggest medical issue of the event. Tape your toes and you reduce the risk, but you'll be lucky not to develop any, I had four and lost at least one toenail, the jury's still out on a second one; time will tell. Despite this, you run through that pain as other pains compete for your attention. Shoulders perhaps, because of the 10kg load, or maybe a sore ligament behind the knee. Pain is good, more pain is better.

Surprisingly, I miss the camp loos: toilet seats on legs behind a screen - just fit your brown compostable bag over the top (don't forget the small stone to keep if from flapping) and enjoy the view of the sky above! Very hygienic and smell-free, just be patient in the queue.... As for liquid relief, over the course of the week any sense of embarrassment you had soon departs and 100 paces from the tents soon becomes 50 and then ten, day or especially night - just make sure you take account of the wind direction!

The queue for the loo (photo: Ian Corless)

When you gotta go, ya gotta go!

What makes people do such a crazy thing as running across the Sahara desert, deliberately exposing themselves to pain, suffering and discomfort? The personal challenge is key for most, getting to push yourself beyond whatever limits you imagined your body might have, especially for the 86km long stage. Mentally preparing to go the distance, feeling fatigued but carrying on, 'digging deep', when you think you've reached that limit, finding that there's more on the other side and realising that you can do it. Somewhere past half way is where it starts, pass through that and the last few kms are still tough, but you know you've done the hardest part. When things go beyond difficult, survival mode kicks in, but fortunately I never got there. Ultimately, I think I didn't push hard enough; I was often afraid to run or push, for fear of running out of steam later. That never happened and perhaps my lack of race competition meant I couldn't set a suitable pace. I could have gone faster.

Post race euphoria makes you feel like you can do anything, I was searching for new races to sign up for as soon as I could. Some runners are doing the London Marathon on Sunday, including BBC journalist and newsreader Sophie Raworth (who is a damn fine runner, having beaten me on every stage) and my tent mate Colin Haylock, a nutter who will be attempting to break the marathon world record... in ski boots! Six hours is his target. Go Colin!!!

He did it! World Record holder, Colin. 
A marathon in ski boots, in under 6 hours!

Lastly, throw 1000 like-minded people together and good things will happen; fund raising for charity is a big MDS thing. I raised around €1000, but a quick survey of just the UK contingent reveals that £1.18M was raised for charity during the event. 1.18 million pounds! Awesome!

The Marathon des Sables: a brilliant event that I would recommend to anyone seeking a high level challenge. You know who you are, and you can do it! #mds2018