It's a long, long road

I've been doing a bit of running, proper running I mean, not just a trot out once in a blue moon, since January this year. I'm now realising that I've got a lot of work to do to get into "ultra" shape. The mainstay of my training currently is a 5km run to and/or from work. On the way there it's more or less all downhill. Which of course means the way home is up up up. I've seen some great improvements since the start of the year - I've taken 3 mins 30 secs off my time in both directions - I'm now clocking in regular 22 mins 30 secs in and 26 mins and a bit home (that may give you some idea of the hill involved in getting home!).
However, despite these improvements, I'm still battered at the end of the 5km run. Now I've done enough running to know that I will always pace according to the distance to be covered - it's no use running a 10km and finishing thinking "I could do that all again", you should be tired. That's not to say you couldn't run another 10km and complete a half marathon, you just couldn't do it at that pace. I'm trying to introduce some longer runs - very steady ones, no heroics and doubling up a run in and home on a couple of days a week. I'm really going to stick with this pattern for the next 2-3 months until I feel ready to build things up a bit more. I've also done enough running to know that too much too soon leads to fatigue, loss of motivation and often injury - all of which I expect to encounter in the next 3 years, but I'm trying to minimise the risk of any of them.
Running 5km uphill has also made me realise that I'm carrying a bit too much weight - and I'm not talking about the pack on my back. Rather the tyres around my waist. A few kgs off my belly will mean a lot less energy expenditure over 150 miles on the MdS. Shedding a bit of excess baggage may prove as difficult as the running as I do love my food. Currently clocking in at a "stocky" 80kg (12 stone 7lb if you're that way inclined) I'm a good 6kg heavier than when I did the London to Brighton 55 mile race - 10 years ago (makes me feel old - and fat!) so there's definite room for improvement.
Thankfully I have 3 years - around 1,065 days currently to get ready for the desert so I'm not too concerned just yet. I'm looking forward to all those miles. Well, most of them.

Who are you then?

For those of you that don't know me, I'm a recovering lardoholic. I used to be fat and lazy, but after a beer induced epiphany in 1997 I started running. Now I'm fat and not so lazy. It's an amazing transformation!
Not long after I started running I realised I'm no racing snake. I'm very much your 'middle-of-the-pack' kind of athlete (term used loosely). Undeterred by the fact that I was unlikely to ever win anything, I soon found that in most races you don't have to be on the podium to get a medal - you just have to finish. I've just tended to err towards those events where the finish is quite a long way away.
I'm now a veteran of over 25 marathons, probably more half marathons, and the odd excursion into ultra-distance running - the London to Brighton (55 miles) and High Peak 40 (40 miles - obviously).
I've branched out a little over the years into adventure racing and latterly triathlons, completing, amongst others, the 5-day non-stop 'Adrenalin Rush' adventure race, the OMM and Ironman UK.
All of that seems a long way in the past however, as I've been focusing my energies on my kids since they first arrived on the scene in mid-2006 and training has taken a back seat somewhat. With the MdS, I'm returning to my roots as it were and will be focusing on running for the next 3 years. As well as my wife and kids, obviously.

What's it all about then?

Well then, what is this event I’ve entered? All sounds a bit foreign. And it is. It’s the creation of a Frenchman, Patrick Bauer, an ex-French Foreign Legionnaire who developed a seemingly unhealthy love of the desert and exercise. Whether this was what caused him to join the French Foreign Legion, or was as a result of being in it, I’m not sure. It’s probably not that important either. I'm still confused over how a frenchman can be in the French Foreign Legion - if he's French, wouldn't he join the French Legion and leave the other one to the foreigners?
Anyway some 24 years ago he organised the first Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands for the linguistically challenged amongst us) in Morocco. And it appears he’s done little else since then as every year he’s back there doing it again.
All very well I suspect you’re thinking, but what actually IS the Marathon des Sables? Well if you believe Mr Bauer, it’s “the toughest footrace on earth”. It covers about 250km (150miles) across the Moroccan Sahara on foot carrying a pack with all your personal items including food, sleeping gear and emergency first aid type stuff. Everything you need to survive in the desert with the exception of a tent and the 10 or so litres of water you’re likely to drink each day. It is a staged event held over 7 days with 6 stages. It varies each year, but generally those stages are around 25km, 35km, 40km, 80km, 42.2km (this stage is always a proper measured marathon) and 25km. At night you sleep in the desert in basic bedouin bivouac tents - big black shelters made out of sack cloth.
It’s in the desert so it will be hot. This is not totally ideal for me as I’m not too great in the heat. It will also be quite sandy. This is not totally ideal for me as I have been prone to blisters in the past.
Other than that, it’ll be great.

3 years and counting....

So, as another Marathon des Sables comes to an end, my journey begins. In 3 years' time I hope to be one of those exhausted but jubilant finishers crossing the line and looking forward to a nice cool beer. It's a long way off (the finish line, not the beer) but I hope to keep a record of my journey to the desert, as well as a record of my time there.
It's been a long term ambition of mine to enter the race and after a few years of relative inactivity thanks to the arrival of my kids, I'm glad I've got a few years to get into shape for what promises to be a pretty tough challenge.