Marathon Des Sables 2019: tent life, Forrest Gump & earning my Ultra Running stripes

MARATHON DES SABLES - 34TH EDITION

1200 people signed up and 800 thrill seeking adventurers from 52 countries made it to the start line for the 34th edition of Marathon Des Sables. I was lucky enough to be one of them. Billed the toughest footrace on the planet, the 250km race attracts elite athletes, marathon & ultra runners and walkers - many with inspiring stories and ages that range from 17 to 83 years old! I’m writing this from a boutique hotel in Ouarzazate - the gateway city to the Sahara desert in Morocco - decompressing after 7 of the most challenging but rewarding days of my life.

Team photo on day 1 celebrating the 34th Edition of Marathon Des Sables

I first heard about Marathon Des Sables (MDS for short) when Rufus, a uni friend completed it after we’d been training together for a UK based 100km ultra run in 2009 - at that time I thought he was mad putting his body through a 250km multi-stage event in the desert! Since then, the MDS has cropped up time and time again - normally with ex military, adventurers and people looking to take themselves away from the daily grind or have a fitness itch to scratch.

I finally decided it was ‘my time’ in 2017 when Oli, another good friend, said he was doing the 33rd edition. So I tried to get a place…. Sold out! I watched in awe and envy as he smashed the MDS in 37th place. After a celebratory dinner and viewing of fellow rower James Cracknell’s documentary, I was signed up for 2019. Just 355 days to go!

I didn’t really give it much more thought during 2018, other than the regular payments I needed to make as part of the entry fee (I now know why the cost is high - the organisation and athlete care is world class).

MY TRAINING

Training officially started on the 27th December when I flew to Fuerteventura for a 1-man warm weather training camp - this provided the perfect platform to detox from a boozy December, focus my mind and fully appreciate the size of this challenge. I set myself a personal goal of top 50 with a stretch goal of matching Oli’s 37th - his experience from last year turned out to by one of my best sources of advice and motivation!

The 2 things I was most concerned about - the 40+ degree heat (a burnt Brit in the desert is never a good look) and recurring injuries, so I decided to put together a training plan that could set me up for success.

I also booked Pilgrims Challenge - a 2 day 106km race along the North Downs in early Feb as a mini milestone to focus my training. Not only was it great to see where my fitness was (I came 8th), but more importantly I met James, a fellow MDS’er who become my long run training buddy during the tough months of February and March!

Below is a typical week’s training in the run up to MDS:

• 2 x long(ish) runs (with backpack for last 6 weeks)
• 1 x Hot Yoga (90mins)
• 3 x HIIT, Yoga and Mobility classes (25-40 mins)....on Fiit naturally!
• Regular stretching (again with Fiit) and a monthly session with my Osteopath
• During the last month I also hit the gym for more strength training and calisthenics
• 1 x 60min heat chamber (last few weeks) and regular steam room/sauna sessions

To help with my training and nutrition strategy I also conducted a DNA test with DNAFit. You can read my results and their recommendations here. In short, it was super useful to understand my body better - in particular how it reacted to different training methods and food groups (an abnormally high reaction to caffeine and alcohol I already knew!).

7 DAYS IN THE DESERT

My MDS got off to a bumpy start. I left some last minute shopping (food & kit) in a kebab shop (carbo-loading of course), nearly went to the wrong airport and lost my medical form just before registration, meaning I nearly incurred a 3 hour penalty before I even got to the start line. I later found out that my sleeping bag was too small (try before you buy) and I hadn’t packed my spare running socks. Luckily just cold evenings and blisters were my punishment!

The setbacks didn’t dampen my spirits and the first thing that blew me away about “tent life” was the camaraderie that existed between relative strangers - most people do MDS by themselves, but we were each others support system for a week in the desert. On the eve of the race there was of course a natural level of peacocking among the elite athletes - fastest marathon and other endurance honours - but the MDS is a real leveller so as of 8.30am on Sunday 7th April the form book was thrown out the window.

Tent 54. From left to right - Me, Bert, Paul, James, Gov, Jay and Nick

The first three days were all shy of marathon distance. I’d been told on countless occasions not to overcook it on these days.. “it’s a marathon, not a sprint - it’s all about day 4 - the long day”. During these days we got acclimatised to the heat, how to run on large dunes and rocky terrain and I started to get to know the athletes who were pacing the race similar to me.

The fourth day is regarded by most as the toughest day. It’s nearly 80km and most athletes have to run through the night - getting your hydration and nutrition strategy spot on during this day is key. Early in the race I found a group of runners from UK, NZL and AUS to run with - we called ourselves “team commonwealth”. Finishing in just over 9hr 30mins, we were given a ‘Rest Day’ the following day. For some who jogged/walked through the night they didn’t finish until the following day- Brutal!

The final race on day 6 was the classic marathon distance, over some very technical and challenging terrain. Food was running low, tent life was starting to become a strain and blisters were beginning to get infected (falling into a river in the night run didn’t help). I finished the race with energy batteries at an emergency low, side by side with my running and tent buddy James - a great way to end the last competitive run of MDS 2019.

The final day, the ‘Fun Run’ which was a 6KM run for charity and we walked this united as a tent.

WHAT I LEARNED?

Don’t starve yourself - Everyone was telling me to pack light and aim for 2.5k calories a day. You know your body better than anyone else and for me I knew this would massively impact my running, so I went for closer to 4.5k calories per day. Here is an example day:

Get a long run in the bank - Make sure you get close to doing the long run distance at least once in training. This mentally prepares you for that day. Putting in regular back to back runs will also help you get used to running day after day (but nothing fully prepares you for the desert unless you are Moroccan) .

Must packs - 50+ Electrolytes tablets, 750ml water bottles, pork scratchings, biltong, peanut M&Ms, toilet paper, tea/coffee, compression tights, lightweight stove (for hot food), roll mat (which doubles up as yoga mat) and tingerlaat or P20 sun cream and spare socks!

Luxury items (i’d consider taking next time) - Flip flops, playing cards, Floss and velcro cover for Gaiter velcro on running shoes.

WHAT PEOPLE DON’T TELL YOU

Tent management - first night we left both sides of our tent open as we knew no different. Coupled with one of the coldest nights of the year it meant we weren’t prepared at all. We soon learnt to gather large rocks to close the tent fully on the cold nights.

Shoulders and back spasms - although i trained with a heavy(ish) backpack I found my upper body took a serious beating in the heat and terrain. Most people had pretty extensive tapping by the end. Luckily I did a lot of core and upper body work, but be warned.

The medical staff are amazing! I used the Doc Trotters a couple of times to ensure my feet would last the distance and I was blown away by the level of care. They are single handedly the reason only 30 people had to pull out of race this year!

Bladder and bowel pains - Your diet fundamentally changes for your week in the desert - a dried food and energy bar diet does not give you the fibre you need so your bodily functions do change. Expect it. Don’t freak out!

HOW TO BREAK INTO THE TOP TWENTY

I came 23rd overall and was the 2nd Brit home, behind the inspiring Rob Pope who has ran 5X across USA totalling 15,607+miles in 422 days. I’m a fierce competitor, so it would be out of character if I didn’t do a full race post mortem on what I could have done better. Here are some of the things I would change to get amongst the elite athletes - should there ever to be a sequel.

Me and Rob Pope (aka Forrest Gump) at the finish

Sand dune, fell and night running - the only time I was overtaken in the race was during these sections. My tall frame (aka lanky legs) struggles with this type of terrain. Monthly lake/peak district trips and more time at my mothers in Spain running on the sand dunes with a full backpack would have helped massively. Also learning to run on tough terrain during the night (with head torch) is also vital as you have to run through the night during the 78km long run stage (unless you’re top 10 and finish before sunset).

Optimise bag and nutrition - Although I don’t regret taking north of 4.5k calories per day I do think I could have packed smarter to get my bag weight down as the elite athletes are carrying about 8-9.5kg - I was carrying close to 12kg.

Go as a team - The top 4 brits could have come 3rd in the team competition this year but we all arrived as individuals. Running these distances and conditions with people has a huge advantage - pacing, aerodynamics during strong headwinds and they can pull you out of ‘the hole’ if you ever fall foul of any one of the causes - extreme heat, dehydration or bad nutrition management.

Checkpoints - Going through checkpoints smoothly can save you several minutes and it probably took me until the final Marathon stage before I felt like a Formula 1 team during a Pitstop.

Top 50 athletes lining up for the long run on day 4. I’m the tall guy (about 20 from the left)

WHAT NEXT?

I didn’t really go into MDS with any expectation of how I’d feel afterwards, but there was definitely a bittersweet feeling leaving the desert and coming back to reality.

I absolutely loved disconnecting from the world for a week. Tent life was a breath of fresh air - no internet, no digital comms (just good old fashioned conversation), no money, no Brexit. Getting to know tent mates, helping each other out and chatting about our adventure more than occupied our time!

Most of us are lucky enough to live in the “comfort zone” - but without pain and suffering it’s sometimes difficult to appreciate the things we have in life. The common thread that I think runs through the 800 people who joined me at the start line is that this isn’t enough for them - in my tent we called it going into the “hurt locker”! We all agreed we’re officially addicted! I feel truly privileged to have 2 legs, 2 eyes and a good bill of health. I was running alongside people who aren’t so lucky - they are the real heroes of the MDS.

I’m not sure what the next challenge will be, but I plan to do something similar to the MDS every year going forward. For now though - A shower, clean clothes, a soft bed and a cold beer are the only things I can think off before I plot my next adventure!

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PS - A big thank you to the Hackney Milers - Sammi, Cri, Jack, Pat, Pete, Burt (the dog) and James my MDS run partner for making the training so much more fun; to Ben and Olly for their words of wisdom from previous MDS adventures; and to everyone who sent me messages through the 6 days - you can’t believe how motivating they were!