Desert Marathon Training: Tips For Beginners, 2nd Edition

By Dr Phil Harley

So you want to run an ultra-marathon? And why not? Like the Marathon des Sables (MdS)? What is it like to run marathons, every day, in the Sahara, for a week?
There are sandy desert races all around the world to test your body mind and spirit. All in breathtaking scenery far away from the daily hamster wheel we usually live in.
This book is about how to go from zero to hero. By an ordinary family doctor who runs ultra marathons for fun, just to see how far and how fast an ordinary runner can go. Not an elite, but he brings medical know-how to help you prepare for your first desert marathon.
An arthritic turtle in slow motion – he surged past ...
You’ve just run, stumbled and staggered forty miles in the last couple of days and the sun is beating down. The rays seem to pierce your skin and it feels like your organs are starting to glow. Your pack chafes your shoulder and the red raw skin is somehow slippery. You wonder if it is blood.
The back of your t-shirt is a sodden wet toad. You kick yet another small black rock as it skitters away like a scarab. Cursing, you feel the stinging pain of the blood blisters under your nails. Part of you vaguely wonders if it might be a Thursday. You never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Just as you start to close in and gain ground on that old looking French chap just up ahead, his deep tan, grey hair and the wrinkles of a loosely fitting birthday suit, the slope increases. Like a leather back turtle he surges forward. You raise your eyes to chance a look. Sweat beads sting and partially obscure the path ahead winding out of sight. Meandering up and away between two alien looking outcrops of ancient orange rock.
The wind whistles down the dusty gap like a hot hand pushing you backwards. Just for malevolent fun it funnels dust eddies at your eyes to make them all gritty. You gulp another swig of water past sun baked rimy lips and vaguely wonder why you still feel thirsty despite drinking litres of the stuff. You think about chomping down a salt capsule and try to remember if it time to eat yet.
The slope gets the better of you and you lapse back into a walk. But that’s not too bad. You tell yourself that each painful footstep is taking you ever closer to a large inflatable teapot and a lovely cold shower. Actually there isn’t going to be a shower. Just a square of hot dusty carpet on a rather lumpy desert floor.
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Review:
By MarkH - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Kindle Edition
In the now infamous words of an ex US Defense Secretary "There are things we know that we know, these are 'Known Unknowns'. There are things that we now know we don't know; i.e. 'Unknown Unknowns'."
Having personally been there, let me advise you that the last place on earth you want to start discovering about 'Unknown Unknowns' is in the is in the middle of the Sahara Desert in 50c and this book is stuffed full of practical advice, tips, anecdotes and preparation wisdom that you simply don't get from other books about the Marathon Des Sables (MDS) or endurance running and you'll never find out until you actually do such a race yourself.
It's an easy and enjoyable read and the authors amusing and self-depreciating style is itself a excellent model for the mental preparation and mindset required for anyone who is aspiring to successfully compete in one of the sternest of physical and emotional tests.
I should also declare a small interest in the content as I was one of the competitors that Dr Windross helped recover from the final days race exertions and if I can pass on a small tip of my own; getting teamed up in a MDS tent with two doctors and five other positive minded people is probably one of best ways to get you through what will undoubtedly be a demanding week !

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr Phil Harley
• Release date: Jan 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311870551

Dr Phil Harley

Dr Harley has twenty years experience as a family practitioner. He has a specialist interest in weight loss. He lives and works with his young family near the New Forest in the UK. He has tried every diet out there for himself and now runs ultra-marathons (for fun!). He brings these years of detailed study to bear on his writing. Through kind good humour he loves to teach how the body and brain work together. It is through understanding these that we can start to make meaningful differences in our lives. He enjoys writing books about how to do stuff a little better. He reads more about running in his spare time than is good for him. He is often told that he should get out more, though he obviously thinks that means on the trails.

Book preview

one

A story of adventure and trauma (yours)

Starting point - what are your race goals?

Why are you doing this?

Reality check - and soul searching (you’ll do plenty on the way round, start now)

Where are you starting from and how much time do you have?

This book is for anyone thinking about running the famous marathon of the sands, Kalahari or other great races. From the novice aiming to get round, to the experienced runner having a shot at the top 100.

I cannot emphasize preparation enough.

Prepare your body, mind and spirit.

Prepare your kit.

Prepare your nipple plasters …

A unique race

So you want to run an ultra-marathon? And why not?

Have you ever wondered what it is like to run marathons, every day, in the Sahara, for a week?

There are sandy desert races all around the world to test your body mind and spirit. All in breathtaking scenery far away from the daily hamster wheel that we usually live in.

This book is about how to go from zero to hero. I’m a family practitioner and no running god. I now run ultra marathons for fun, just to see how far and how fast an ordinary runner can go. I am not an elite, but bring my medical experience to help you prepare for your first desert marathon.

The most popular desert race is the Marathon des Sables (MdS) and many examples are taken directly from this. Now well over its thirtieth year. I ran this and had an amazing time. While slanting towards the MdS in terms of detail, this is all about preparing for any multi-day, marathon and ultra-marathon distance race in a hot sandy desert. I do know there are other types of desert, but this is largely about the hot sandy type.

Desert racing is famous around the world for being tough. The heat, the sand and the challenge calls to people from all around the world. It promotes self-sufficiency which is part of the unique experience. The MdS across the sands of the Sahara has run for thirty years. There haven’t been many deaths so far. Each year it grows and brings runners from all walks of life and from all corners of the planet. Everyone comes for different reasons. Many push themselves right to their physical and mental limits. Doing so, they discover in beautiful unspoilt surroundings that pushing on these boundaries, they are capable of far more than they ever previously imagined.

There is more information available today in books and on the internet than has ever been accessible before. This is a two edged sword. While I believe the race rewards those who are better informed and prepared, some people feel that the really fine detail which you can uncover beforehand detracts a little from the mystery of the event. I chose to research widely before the event. For me, the defining and then trying to push through my limitations was the most enjoyable part of the challenge. Pushing yourself to your limits can be an immensely rewarding thing to do. Chasing the boundaries and pursuing what you are capable of, seems to be a common theme which emerges in conversations with nearly everyone that I’ve met while running ultras or adventure racing.

Some people go along to this famous race and deliberately choose not to find out too much about it in advance. I didn’t subscribe to the mindset of an unknown adventure. I felt that it was quite a magnificent adventure all on its own. This was an event for me, bigger and more ballsy than anything I had tried before. It was further than I'd ever raced, for more days than I'd ever run, in hostile conditions I'd never met, wearing a pack which I'd never raced with. All of this was against some of the world’s best runners.

Those very reasons are why I chose to attempt the Marathon des Sables (MdS). These may feel familiar and resonate. I felt that I would enjoy the race more and be able to perform to my best if I was as prepared as I could be. Being prepared as well as I could be meant finding out as much information in advance as I could. And turning up at the start line with a perfect Olympian body. With that in mind I tried (and largely failed) to prepare myself physically to be in the best shape that I could reasonably manage, while also trying to keep my job, sanity and my marriage intact. This is the book that I wish I'd held in my excited little hands, all those many long months ago.

Like a ferret on an important mission I tried to find out everything I possibly could before I went. By the time came to catch the flight to Africa, I thought that I had prepared meticulously. For the six preceding months I thought of and talked about little else. My poor family. My poor friends. My poor work colleagues and my poor patients. I thought about little else for six months, almost to the point of obsession. I learned a lot along the way. I learned a lot about the race, about preparation and about myself. I certainly came to understand quite a lot about my poor social skills. And then I discovered a whole lot more about those same things when I was out there.

If you like to be well informed, I really hope that this book will help you.

This book I could have put to good use two years before the race. I appreciate you may be reading this with less time on the clock. I will share enough throughout these pages to try and make this jolly useful at whichever point you pick it up.

Any misquotes, errors, omissions and mistakes in recollection are mine. Please send any feedback to the email address at the end. I’ve endeavoured to source my information from far and wide and although I have read extensively, there will be things I've missed. I can back up with hard science what I say - though I appreciate this will only be from a single rather over-opinionated point of view. With my medical background and experiences, my opinions and tips do carry some authority - but I urge you also to read widely and get your information from as many reputable sources as you can lay your paws on. And maybe one or two disreputable ones.

Will it be tough? Errr

Yup. It'll be hard. It will be hot. You will hurt at points. You will question your sanity. You will experience some very beautiful landscape and some stunning views will be shared with a thousand others. It will be hard but very memorable and an unforgettable experience. You will push the boundaries of what you can do and will come out of the other side bigger and better than before.

I read somewhere that during the race you may find it useful to have some things to think about in the tough times to help pull you through. Your family, your loved ones, your favourite pet. And if you get really hungry, of maybe eating your favourite pet.

There is a lot of sand. There are a lot of hills. It’s quite hot and you carry a lot of stuff. At no point during the MdS or any of the other smaller ultra-marathons I’ve competed in, have I encountered anyone who said they wish they’d done less hill work. To complete a race like this you will need strong legs for those hills but you will also require a lot of mental reserves. Digging deep into these reserves is very rewarding when you eventually come out of the other end. Bigger and better than before. James Adams (British ultrarunner and author) said that the point of an ultra may be to break you down to small pieces that are then reconstituted to become greater than the sum of the parts. Meaning it can feel pretty terrible during the event but you emerge bigger, stronger and somehow better. A philosophy reminiscent of Nietzsche

Imagine the emotions you will feel as you emerge victorious like a latter day gladiator, from the darkness of despair to the triumphant sounds and cheers of the vibrant waiting gathered throngs, assembled from far and wide to mark and celebrate your emotional journey. Winston Churchill is supposed to have said:

"When you are going through hell. Keep going."

To complete the race well and finish with a good position you will need to be in very good physical shape indeed.

You've just run, stumbled and staggered forty miles in the last couple of days and the sun is beating down. The rays seem to pierce right through your skin and it feels like your organs are starting to glow. Your pack is chafing your shoulder and the red raw skin is somehow slippery. You wonder if it is blood.

The back of your t-shirt is sodden and cold. All clammy and lightly chilled to the touch. You try to recall the physics behind the latent heat of evaporation, but your brain swims out of focus and keeps going fuzzy around the edges. You kick yet another small black rock and stumble as it scuttles and skitters away. Cursing, you feel the stinging pain of the blood blisters under your nails. Part of you vaguely wonders if it might be a Thursday. You never could get the hang of Thursdays.

Just as you start to close in and gain ground on that old looking French chap just up ahead, him with the deep tan, grey hair and the wrinkles of a loosely fitting birthday suit, the slope increases. You raise your head and glance up to see the path ahead winding out of sight as it meanders up and away between two alien looking outcrops of ancient orange rock. The wind whistles down the dusty gap between them like a hot hand harshly pushing you backwards. Just for malevolent fun it funnels dust swirls at your eyes making them all gritty. You gulp another swig of water past sun-baked rimy lips and vaguely wonder why you still feel thirsty despite drinking litres of the stuff. You think about chomping down a salt capsule and try to remember if it time to eat yet.

The slope gets the better of you and you lapse back into a walk. But that’s not too bad. You tell yourself that each painful footstep is taking you ever closer to a large inflatable teapot and a lovely cold shower. Actually there isn't going to be a shower. Just a square of hot dusty carpet on a rather lumpy desert floor.

Are you a well rounded person?

How fat are you?

I’m not being mean, I can’t see you and I don’t care. The exact answer doesn’t even matter that much. But it can matter a little bit. What does matter is, if you could be trimmer - what can you do to achieve this? How long have you got to prepare?

For every pound of fat which separates your physique from that of an elite international athlete, I invite you to think of this wobbly yellow pound (fat is sloshy, slimy and yellow under the skin) in two ways:

One - you have to carry this with you and that can become rather tiring and a little tiresome. You will carry it up and down a lot of hills, you will haul it across a lot of sand. You will probably wish at some points that you weren't carrying quite so much of it around.

Two - this pound of unnecessary flesh contains 3500 calories worth of energy. This is a lot of energy which you don't need. The food you carry is compulsory, you really don't need all these extra energy stores. If you have seven extra pounds on board, this is enough energy to power you through an entire MdS.

The number  3500 can be helpful to consider as you can then calculate realistically how much you can lose and how to do it. Having seven days in a row with a net energy deficit of 500 calories per day would do the trick nicely. That works out with a one pound loss each week. Though this would require a steady effort and no days for excuses.

Running more and only eating the same is a very efficient way of managing to lose some of our excess energy stores. By eating the same, I also hope this means swapping your snacking for more natural carbohydrates, cutting out most fatty and all processed foods, minimising the alcohol and swapping crisps and chocolate for fruit and vegetables.

If you would like to read a little more on weight losing stuff I can of course recommend my book the ‘Skinny Genes’ (a shameless plug, I know), though I will share quite enough in these few pages for you to sort yourself out (if like me there is a little sorting or streamlining that could perhaps be done as part of your MdS race preparation). You don’t have to do anything of the sort of course, the emphasis here on our curvy middles is simply because if you are trimmer, you will feel better. If we feel better, the rest of life just seems to go an awful lot more smoothly.

Sleeping under the stars

Star filled nights in a far away place, far from the pollution of the cities and away from the stresses and strains from our busy daily lives and ever growing lists of things to do. There is something very splendid about being part of an experience like the MdS. It is so far removed from most of our day jobs that it can leave a deep lasting impact on many of its competitors.

Being under canvas, lying on a small piece of carpet on the desert floor, under a sky brim-filled with milky bright twinkling starlight, is a lovely thing to be part of. A thousand or so like-minded individuals from every corner of the globe assemble after each stage in this bizarre mini-city, which appears out of nowhere and which vanishes into thin air the next day leaving no trace. This city of many different nations and tongues all sharing a common goal, is surprisingly life affirming. It is a real privilege to be part of that experience, which is dramatically unique in its way to experience part of our amazing planet.

Treading lightly on the planet

The organizers of desert marathons are very keen you should embrace an environmentally oriented approach. Tread lightly on the planet not leaving marks, is the prevailing ethos. No littering, no phones in camp and biodegradable rustling brown poop bags are the order of the day. It part of the spirit of the event that it moves towards ecological sustainability. Each year more and more of the power used in the camp is solar powered. It is a special thing to be part of an event in an area of the world which isn't very touched, mired or marred by so-called civilization.

There is a splendid feeling you get when you are atop a dune in the scorching sunshine. Summiting after a lung bursting climb, with air rushing in and out in breathy gasps. Smiling in eager anticipation of a much welcome, albeit short downhill section as get to career down the steep side. All the while, in these moments of your sandy journey with no one else in sight and being so very far from your daily life back home. In these moments you experience part of the planet which humans haven’t yet altered. The feeling is quite simply breathtaking. It is exhilarating, filling you with deep joy and an appreciation for just being alive. This can strike at you to your very core.

two

Entering

Many desert marathons outsell their places, with many applicants turned away. The Marathon des Sables, the famous race of the sands is easier to enter than to complete. To enter, you need to go online, fill out a form, pay a chunk of money and then join a long waiting list. Places often sell out in the first hour.

Most races have online applications now. Entering the MdS is different for different people depending where you live in the world. I found that some countries have shorter waiting lists than the United Kingdom (UK), which is heavily oversubscribed year after year. Each country has an allocated number of entrants The organizers are French, so the French do very well out of this arrangement. The race is very popular in the UK and there are only a couple of hundred places for us Brits. I wondered if I lived in a smaller less densely populated country, if my chances of being accepted would be higher. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have a postal address which I could use in Burkina Faso or the Solomon Islands - I like to think they would have accepted my application just out of curiosity if I had. The organizers do seem justifiably proud of the number of different nations involved each year.

Living in the UK, the entering process usually involves putting your name down for entry two or three years in advance. Sometimes during or just after some brave talk in a bar, possibly with your sound mind and sensible judgment a little impaired by the alcohol that you had just drunk. The places each year sell out in the first hour. Though do not despair of this, you can get yourself added to a waiting list for years that are already full. If you enter with a team you get an easier entry (you are a little more likely to be accepted for your chosen year), but you have to contend with the challenge of trying to coordinate a number of other people and you have to make sure that too many of the team don’t pull out.

Many pull out in the lead up to the race for a variety of reasons. Many who enter as a team change their mind. I think this is because they are put off by the rule which states that you have to run three-legged with your ankles tied to your team-mates. Actually, I made that part up. Despite not having to race three-legged it can still prove logistically challenging to coordinate more than one person, as people may change their mind about entering because their life changes - their partner may object, they may have a baby, they may change their work commitments, they may get cold feet (once you are there, cold feet seems to be less of an issue). They may find that the training commitment is too big a project to embark on.

People tend to find their life goals evolve and when the time comes to pay the hefty entry fee, it