On your marks
The last minute preparations are all done and we're on our way to Gatwick Airport this morning for our flight to Ouarzazate in Morocco.
Given the current geopolitical climate I thought I'd better check the Foreign Office travel advice web page for Morocco. "Keep a low profile" and "dress inconspicuously in public places" were some of the key nuggets of advice. So, now I feel a lot happier about hoofing it across the Saharan dunes and plains with 600 or more runners all in bright lycra and sunglasses.
And only this week the race organisation emailed all competitors to caution them against wearing or displaying any national flags during the race. In the past many Brits have patriotically sported Union Flags on their backs 'Falklands' style when racing in the MdS, so it is probably appropriate advice.
Charlotte and I have been well supported by email and telephone from enthusiastic friends and family this week, many sponsoring Charlotte for her charity, the Trinity Hospice, and generally wishing us luck. One email arrived for us late yesterday from Mr Pandey, the legendary race director of the Himalayas 100 Mile Stage Race (HSR), which we ran two years ago. "May Himalayan Goddesses provide you full energy during the race" he wrote. As there are 8 other runners who also competed in the HSR that year we expect that the Goddesses will be extremely busy and only hope they don't mind the heat. The Moroccan forecast for the next few days is sunny with temperatures about 26 degrees, actually quite pleasant by Sahara standards, but I know we may well need to be prepared for much higher temperatures. In fact in 1998 one of the checkpoint tents on the race had a midday temperature reading of 50 degrees on the 50 mile day. No joke when you're out running in those conditions.
So now there's not much more preparation we can do. The long winter months of relentless plodding around a cold, rain-soaked Richmond Park, with rucksacks brim filled with full waterbottles and dumb-bells will be put to the harshest of tests.
In Morocco we'll be meeting many of our fellow 200 Brits and will no doubt renew old friendships as well as begin bonding with some new faces. In cramped tents of nine competitors during the 7 day challenge we will all cook, eat and sleep next to one another's sweat-encrusted bodies.
And we will not shower.
Lovely.
