Marathon des Sables 2010

[andy_s]

Anyone from here doing it this year?

[Gargamel]

Couldn't get a place, would love to have a crack at this.

If you are doing it, then hats off sir!

(and watch out for the camel spiders)

[andy_s]

Yes, I've got to do it again because my wife decided she wanted a go. If you get the chance do go for it - it's a great week. (Apart from all the running about of course!)

[Iceman82]

Andy,

This is something I have wanted to do and I am considering applying for 2012's race.

What type of training have you done for it? Were you a serious runner beforehand or was it more of a "I'm going to do that" type of thought?

[W66OCH]

Where can you get entry?, one site I looked at was full for 2011/2! quite fancy giving it a go, although my longest run to date is only a paltry 33 miles!

[andy_s]

Iceman82 said:

Andy,

This is something I have wanted to do and I am considering applying for 2012's race.

What type of training have you done for it? Were you a serious runner beforehand or was it more of a "I'm going to do that" type of thought?

Stick your name down now (or when they open up entries); we applied in 2003 and I think the list closed very quickly.

I'd definitely rec'd it as a major challenge. How hard it is depends to a large degree on how hard you make it and how lucky you are with your feet. I'm very much a participant rather than a competitor but run an average of 30-40 miles a week, I've done a fair few things like Mountain Marathons and a few Caledonian Challenges (54mile) and the like. The MdS is probably more about just keeping one foot in front of the other (if you're not after a specific time or anything) and is definitely 80% mental, 20% fitness. The guys who run at it a bit more seriously obviously go and to 70-100 miles a week and take the whole thing very seriously indeed but theses guys are about 20% of the field. If that makes sense?

The first time I did it I think the longest run I'd done in training was about 12 miles and I carried my roll-ups, a bottle of wine (while enjoying the Paris Opera who were flown in one night) and half a paperback, so certainly no Ran Fynnes (or no Eddie Izzard for that matter!). I did do lots and lots of hill walking though, getting some time on the hills was the most useful training I thought. If you're hill fit, there's not much you can't do when you put your mind to it.

Good luck in applying, it's a great week.

[escort90]

id love to do something like that, luckily im only 19 so have long enough to get fit and do it.

are there any similiar events here in the uk?

[andy_s]

There was an 18yr old doing it when I did my first so you're never too young!

Have a look at the Scottish Ultra (same sort of format but you're self-sufficient in clothing rather than food but the weight you carry is about the same).

http://www.scottishultra.com/

[escort90]

that looks quite good, will have to wait a few years before i can do it because thats near my uni exams. will get the chance to improve my shocking fitness lol

[andy_s]

275 Brits doing it, incl. 27 women who will all be slightly behind James Cracknell.
Lets hope there are no TV crews or there'll be 27 sets of straighteners and lippy tucked away in rucsacs...

[anonymous-user]

andy_s said:

275 Brits doing it, incl. 27 women who will all be slightly behind James Cracknell.
Lets hope there are no TV crews or there'll be 27 sets of straighteners and lippy tucked away in rucsacs...

i have a female colleague who ran hard and finished well last year and who may well take offence at your comments!...

[andy_s]

pablo said:

andy_s said:

275 Brits doing it, incl. 27 women who will all be slightly behind James Cracknell.
Lets hope there are no TV crews or there'll be 27 sets of straighteners and lippy tucked away in rucsacs...

i have a female colleague who ran hard and finished well last year and who may well take offence at your comments!...

It was originaly my wifes comments that she'd have to get some gas-powered straighteners - she would have been quite happy being in the same tent, even if I wasn't....what fickle creatures...!

[ewenm]

Have you ultra-distance guys seen this series: http://www.runfurther.com/

[andy_s]

ewenm said:

Have you ultra-distance guys seen this series: http://www.runfurther.com/

Serious stuff - we're doing the Lakeland 50 too this year and if it's good may do the 100 another year, these things are becoming more and more popular but I have to say my favourites are the Mountain Marathons (there's 4 or 5 in the UK now) as they have a variety of classes, you need to be a good navigator and are self supporting, great fun. (As I've said before though, I'm a mere participant rather than a competitor - they make a nice change from running along a road with hundreds of others though).

[ewenm]

I've been known to dabble in fell running but prefer the shorter, faster stuff. Hope the Lakeland 50 goes well. There's a new offroad marathon this year around Kielder Water too.