Marathon de sables anyone ?

[Deleted User]

I could be wrong but I think monique did this little adventure

2002mds

Extreme Muzzy

Mr Blackford tells tales of this run so eloquaintly.

[Deleted User]

I'd love to do this event...
This is the seond year where I find myself looking at the MdS websites and wanting to be pushed into it !

[Deleted User]

just do it - you know you want to!

seriously though - it is very achievable so dont be put off by is extremity and you will regret it if you never get to do it.

many people do it without ever running a marathon, and the medic support is excellent

[Deleted User]

Agree with Casper - the MdS is a brilliant event (albeit costly), well run in all aspects. It is also very achievable and not beyond the means of most people.

[Deleted User]

What event you planning for next year LFW or are you back out to the Yukon?

[Deleted User]

I have got to go back to the Yukon at some stage to make ammends for this years result. But unfortunately that wont be in 2005 as I have missed my daughters birthday for the last 3 years going away to either the Yukon or Alaska. Might possibly do Augrabies this October if the funds are available and apart from that I have my eye on the 6 day race in Canterbury in Sept 2005.
Typically there is also a million other races I would love to do - but my frail aged body is just starting to complain. Way in the distance (April 2009) provided we havent been nuked I want to go back to the MdS with my daughter who will be 16 (just). I know this is very young - but it is her idea and she has been going on about since I did the race in 2000 when she was only 7.

[Deleted User]

Doing the MDS with your daughter sounds amazing if it pulls off

I remember seeing a footage (BBC2) a climber doing the oldman of hoy with his daugter on her eighteenth and it was an amazing experience for them both having to pull through together.

Thought you might head back to the Yukon.

I notice that the organisers sell a 'weekend winter skills' weekend before the event, how important is this knowledge to competing?

[Deleted User]

The winter training is mandatory if you intend doing the 300 and haven't got any former knowledge of racing in such conditions. From what I understand (as I haven't participated in the training camps), the training is also extremely useful if you intend doing just the 100.
I would strongly recommend it as it is surprising how you body and equipment reacts differently in potentially such extreme temperatures and failure of either is seriously life threatening. You might have heard about my friend who won this years 300 mile race and is very capable in temps down as low as -50, he has since coming back to the UK lost part of 1 finger due to frostbite and is still suffering with a number of very sensitive other digits. The moral being that we can all learn and in the likely conditions you might encounter in the Yukon it is folly to be complacent.

[Deleted User]

BTW - Photos of the above referred frostbite and subsequent removal of part of the finger will be on my website within the next 24-48 hours. The pics form part of a section called suffering. I will try to make a link...here goes...

www.littlefatwelshman.com

The site is not up yet but should be over the weekend.

[Deleted User]

Cheers

I'll check it over the weekend

[Deleted User]

Good luck Guys

I am doing the jungle ultramarathon in Sept in Brazil.
Guess the levels of training similar- if not the diff types of conditions will meet.
Good luck to all in anything like this- incl me- we must be mad !