Steven's desert dash

4 Weeks today I will be stood on the start line of the ‘Worlds toughest foot race’ ready to put myself through what is likely to be one of the most difficult physical and mental challenge I will face. No amount of running or time in the sauna will prepare me for what I am going to embark on, which is a good job really as training has not exactly gone to plan as you have probably picked up by now. Injury has leant itself more too time in the sauna than running. But there is still plenty of time before the Marathon Des Sables to get lots more distance in my legs and with a good base fitness I can hope it will be enough physical to get me though. On the mental side, most people think I am a bit mental so no problems there.

Yesterday (Saturday) I jumped on a train to Stevenage to attend a seminar on the MDS, about 40 of this year’s entrants turned up, one thing that struck me walking into the room was it was not yuppies running this because they where board at work as someone had told me, but people of all ages and sizes, taking to them over lunch, one thing they all had in common was they had put there entries in 3 years ago when entries first opened and have been planning for even longer. It also became clear that for most people, this is not about position but about finishing, just getting though the Marathon Des Sables will be a lifetime achievement and getting wrapped up in positions will just get in the way of the experience.  This is something that I do really need to take on board, I entered for position, to be one of the top UK finishers and in the top 20%, something that may have been possible if I had got through with 4 months of solid training, if I now continue down the position route I will undervalue the experience and possibly not even finish.

I have talked in previous posts why I am so competitive, and maybe why rowing appealed so much. Every outing whatever level in the squad was about fighting for a place in a boat higher than you were in last outing, land training was all recorded and erg tests are about beating your friends, crewmates, to secure that position, once you were in a set crew, it was then about beating the crews around you. Taking part for fun was rear, competitive sport is not about finishing but where you finish, I need to break this mentality for the MDS and just concentrate on finishing, if I get a good position, what a bonus.  It is rear to walk into a room of athletes and talk about just finishing, it feels odd, but when you look at the size of the challenge ahead it does start to make more sense.  I am sure most people in the room at Stevenage just thought I was an arrogant prick who won’t make it past the second day never mind finish in the top 20%; signing up only 3 months ago looking back was a mistake, to do this justice I should have given myself at least a year to prepare, I am a month away, £4,500 worse off and really starting to get excited, there is no turning back now.

In addition to being shown very gory pictures of mangled feet, which I was told will be inevitable and nothing you can really do about it apart from cut my toe nails, I had my medical and ECG which was part of the requirements of entry. I passed the ECG although it is not normal; I have a few abnormalities, Sinus  Bradycardia and right bundle branch block, typically seen in about 40% of elite athletes (despite never being an elite athlete, the computer said so, so it must be true).

Its now time for bed, hopefully I don’t have any more injuries or sickness and I can really pack in the training this week.

P.S keep your eyes peeled for my debuted appearance in a news papers over the coming weeks and don’t forget to donate online at www.justgiving.com/steven-artistMdS