I have met some of the finest endurance athletes on the planet, the winners of the races I was in were; Ray Zahab who won the Sahara in 2005, Mark Tamminger who won Atacama 2006 and Gobi 2007 (greedy), and Paul Liebenberg The Last Desert today, I also met Ryan Sandes when I was a volunteer for Sahara 2008. When else would you get an opportunity to get so close and see these guys in action and you know what? To a man they are all outstanding people, humble and interesting to talk to and all totally driven, truly inspirational.

I have also seen some amazing feats, whilst I’m able bodied (well almost) it is awe inspiring to watch a blind athlete finish these races, it beggars believe that it would be possible, I can see perfectly and I trip and fall every day. So before anybody who has never been in one of these races even attempts to make comment about finishing behind KT trust me it’s an honour. In Atacama I saw a bunch guys take turns completing the race in a Rhino costume, through rivers and across tracks you wouldn’t take a goat across.

To all the people who I have shared a tent with, I apologise for the snoring and the f*!$ing bad language when I eventually turned up at the end of each stage. To the guy I have spent more time with through these races, we’ve walked for hours through some of the most beautiful and brutal landscapes in the world, John Barratt, thanks for all the support mate. To everybody who has donated money to my Charity SAFE@Last thank you, but don’t stop just because I am, they need your money.

To all you people who had read my blogs, you’ll be pleased to know it’s the end, there is no more I’ve had enough, I quit, I’m not a hero, I’m not amazing and definitely not an athlete, I’m an overweight ninja, I was a man on a mission; The 4 Deserts Challenge, correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve done 4; so I’m done.

To Mary Gaddams, thank you for setting up this race series, they are everything they’re billed, without your foresight I would have never known what I was capable of. To all the volunteers who have put up with my incessant moaning at every check point, you were all a huge help

To my wife; honey I’m home, I’m back, no more deserts.

So I know what you’re all thinking, “he’s said this before” remember the “never ever never again” after the Sahara Race 2005, I know things change but I need a new challenge, I’m thinking about  sky diving’ Jesus can you imagine me falling out of the sky at terminal velocity towards you, I bet you’d move out of the way.

So from the Absolutely average guy who’s finished this extraordinary challenge…………………………………………… good bye.

I’ve had a lot more e mails today, mainly telling me that United beat City and Arsenal beat Chelsea, what a great day.

The boat is rocking all over the place and it’s difficult to type without starting to feel and bit Pat and Mick. I don’t care what is thrown at me today, it’s deal with it time, suck it up and be happy at being of one of the most amazing life changing experiences you could possibly imagine and to share that with such a great bunch of people. The good thing for me in this race is that the laps are so short that I get to see everybody frequently as they go by, there are some great athletes here, I’m not, I’m just here to get a job done with no pretences of being one of them, but you do what you can.

Today is about fun and enjoyment and the culmination of four hard years for me and everybody around me, thanks for the patience and the support and when four hours of racing is done I will think about what might be next. Having seen the rough  seas it’s putting me off rowing the Atlantic, but may be it would be calmer there.

Well I’m off to see the doc to get my bed sores looked at, even slept through breakfast this morning.

Once again I find myself with one day to go to finish a race, but this time it’s not just any race it’s The Last Desert, the finale of the 4 Deserts Challenge, the toughest foot race series in the world. How the hell did I find myself here, I’m absolutely average and every race has only stood to reinforce that fact, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here there’s still a tough day to come and this thing still needs knocking out.

You get a bit blasé about being in this place, an announcement over the tannoy this morning “sorry we are late departing we are just moving a couple of icebergs away from the boat” how cool is that? I also noticed a sign on the out board motor on the zodiac “this way up” it’s an engine with a propeller, who doesn’t know which way up it should be, pillocks.

So ‘til tomorrow when I will have stories of heroics and amazing feats or is that feets.

I would like to mention Nicole at SNOW & ROCK Didsbury Manchester (large font and in bold, that’s got be worth something) the kit is working great, I’m cold at the  end of the day but that’s down to putting cold wellies on to get back to the boat. Great choice of kit Nicole.

I would also like to thank all those people who have been sending me e mails they are much appreciated, I’ve had some dubious offers of favours if I win the race, I think they know they are safe with that outcome. I cannot send e mails back, well actually that’s a lie, they are just too expensive, so in answer to the e mails I’ve had:

Bev I miss you, who’s going to pack my bag to get home?

Rob Fahey, get the girls lined up but don’t tell Bev.

Rob James give me a ring when you’re in Manchester may be we can meet outside Old Trafford so you can get me in.

Unknown, normal I think, I didn’t realize they came in different sizes

Gloria, please send picture and then I will decide

Want a rock, I don’t need those kind of medication, I only use it for peeing

The enlargement company, please deliver to my office address so Bev does not find out
 

Well it’s off to bed for another nap before this afternoons fun begins.

Another day at sea, they is nothing in site anywhere, so it was a great thrill when somebody shouts Wales, now clearly the captain must have taken a wrong turn we should have seen Ireland before we got to Wales. I’ve been to Wales before so I paid little attention to the shout. Then I heard a huge blow of air, I looked for John but he wasn’t there’ I checked myself but it wasn’t me, I decided to play it safe and go on deck and there they were 3 huge hump back whales, they came up to the boat and played up for us, it’s a once in a life time experience for a guy who lives in Manchester, a truly awe inspiring site, and we think we rule the world, if they could talk and tell us about their undying love for Manchester United they’re rise to number one on the ecological scale would be complete.

Today we continue to talk the talk but tomorrow it’s time to walk the walk. We had check in and kit check today, I passed again, I’m bib number 7, my lucky number as worn by the many United greats, Robbo, Eric, Becks and Chritiano.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the weather has been glorious here a little chilly but wall to wall sunshine. The sea has been at rest and we’ve just been gently tossed as we lie in our bunks. It’s interesting to watch people walk around the boat, there would appear to be no dignified way of doing it, you take a little step and weight yourself on one foot only to see the boat slip the other way as you crash into the wall on the other side, its hilarious.

Just come back from a talk on penguins and another on how to behave whilst on the Antarctic continent, I’m not big on rules but they all seem very sensible and worthwhile.

It’s starting to dawn on me what a privilege it is to be here doing what we’re doing. Of course once we start I’ll put my baby ed on and start whinging about the cold and the distance, keep the e mails coming and remind me how lucky I am.

The next time I write I will have done some running, walking or crawling or possibly all three. Many thanks to all of you who have donated whilst I have been away the Charity is really grateful.  

And they’re off, despite a delay due to hole in the boat which the divers completed after 24 hours work. The boat sailed down the Beagle Channel, the place is magnificent. The trip so far has been relatively calm, a few swells but I feel great. No talking too Huey or Ralf on the porcelain telephone but that could change at any minute.  Had a shower this morning, with the ship rolling it’s like trying to shower on a skate board down hill on a cobbled road, missed some bits will complete the task tomorrow.

When woke up this morning we are sea and in the middle of nowhere, seen one wave seen them all, seen one wandering albatross seen them all. I napped for 4 hours during the day as it is so calm, I woke up for meals and the occasional chats with my fellow competitors, we’re all getting a little excited now with anticipation of what we are about to.

Great bunch of people in both the volunteers and racers, the whole thing is getting a little surreal, and totally different from the other race formats, we’re all just sitting around eating, drinking and sleeping with those with a little more energy chucking up.

I’m sat here in the bar typing a blog it’s hard to express what this means, try thinking of something on the top shelf that you are trying to reach, (12 years old and a short arse, I could never reach the Playboy on the top shelf) then somebody gives you a buncup and your almost there, that’s where I am today..

I would like to thank all of you who have sent me e mails, they mean a lot when your out here, and those who haven’t sent me one yet….get on with it.

Please don’t forget to send money to the charity SAFE@Last just go to Just Giving search for Tony Brammer and pledge what you can.

We get our kits checked tomorrow, a bit late if I’ve got something missing its getting time to change into my Ninja suit and blaze a trail.

Well ust had dinner nearly time for a quick walk round the deck and then off to bed.

It´s Sunday 23rd November and tomorrow we get on the vomit comet, but tonight we sing and dance.

We all met up for a brefing to learn a little of what lies ahead. Apparently 2 days of producung pavement pizzas and then 5 days of unknown activity, the weather being the biggest dictator of the event. We also went to get measured up for our special boots for transiting the boat and the islands onboard the zodiac boats. They may refer to them as special boots here but where I come from we call them wellies. So I now have a pair of wellies, I´m in Antarctica, I´ve paid thousands of pounds on technical equipment and I have to wear bloody wellies, and they´re hired so they´re somebody elses bloody wellies, it´s like going to a wierd bowling alley, maybe they´re going to line up ten penguins while we bowl bottles of water at them.

The atmosphere here is one of nervous trepidation, some of the guys went for a run this morning but I don´t want to peak to early so I went for a hot chocolate and a piece of cake, you never know when you wll see another piece of cake so you have to grab it while you can.

My next blog will be from the ship so I may be on a bit of downer and be cursing the whole event as I liquid laugh my way across the Drake´s Passage, I apologise in advance for a negativity you may sense.

Just so you are aware I typed this blog without my glasses on so if it makes less sense han usual that´s the reason, so for now gid boy.

Well I´m here at last. There were times over the past four years that I thought I would never make it. I´m in Ushuaia, the most southern based city in the world, I thought Londoners were as far south as you could get, it would appear that if you go really far south the people become nice again.

Nine hours from Manchester to Atlanta, ten hours from Atlanta to Buenos Airies and then four and a half hours from Buenos Airies to Ushuaia. My bags were tagged from Manchester to Ushuaia so it was some what of a surprise to see them going round the baggage carrousel at Buenos Airies, good job I checked other wise I would have been doing the race naked, cold but some great photo opportunities.

I met up with my long suffering mate and race "athelete" John Barratt at Atlanta, since being in Ushuaia we´ve done nothing but eat and sleep, it´s great. The place is fantastic, we just finished the all you can eat buffet, John eat a whole sheep and then we had some hugemungous ice creams, he´s gone to bed to give birth to a new species.

And as I wend my way off to the land of nod I look forward to keeping you entertained over the coming days, see you soon with tails off my technicolour yawns over the side of the ship.

Well here we are again as promised another blog.

Almost from the moment I pressed return to upload last month's blog which described how fit and healthy I was I got an injury. The irony of it all was I was injured lying on the settee watching the X Factor. It's not worth trying to explain what actually happened, suffice to say I have a sore calf and it has restricted my running a little over the last few weeks. It hasn't stopped me training though, I have been training twice a day; 60 mins swimming in the morning (I really am worried about that boat trip across the Drakes passage) and 45 to 60 mins cardio and weights in the evening, basically training every 12 hours, 3 days on one day off. I've dropped a dress size and I am alert and buzzing.

I went back to Snow & Rock today to start buying my kit, despite last month's skit I got some really good advice from Nicole Roe (I don't think she has read the blog yet). Apparently it's all about layers. I'm using Icebreaker BODYFIT, sadly for me it was designed to fit somebody else's body. It's made of 100% pure merino and is guaranteed stinkt nicht, as the Germans would say. I have bought the first layer and a balaclava, I look like a cross between an overweight ninja and a bank robber. (see evidence below).

Nicole assures me that this is the best base layer in the world. On top of this will go another Icebreaker level and then a fleece then a wind proof jacket and pants. I will also need a down jacket for when it gets really cold. I'm hoping to test this layer out in the coming weeks before I add the remaining layers so that I understand the benefits of each layer.

I had a really painful experience this month when the bill for my flights came through, I guess Nirvana costs. Thankfully I have a great friend and benefactor, Mike Massarella without whose his help this dream would not have become a reality, so for now Mike whilst it's still a dream I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but be assured though, when the race starts and the dream becomes a reality and the pain kicks in, I will curse you every day.

I've been promising myself that I would learn Italian over the last few years, the problem is that I'm British and we expect everybody else to speak English so we're lazy. Mike who speaks fluent Italian recommended a course form Michel Thomas, duly advised I downloaded the course to my ipod and set off round Macclesfield Forest listening and repeating as I trudge up and down the steep hills. My Italian is getting better but I can only do it when I'm out of breath.

Well enough for now, more pictures next time.

I know I'm late, I have no excuse I'm just lazy. I should have done this two weeks ago, I've been sitting around trying to think of clever thinks to say and I'm all dried up, sorry.

As the title suggests it's getting to that time when everything should be coming together and I guess it is. I've ramped my training up another notch and as yet had no adverse reaction, still fit and healthy. The more I do the more I want to. My problem is I don't have the luxury of starting all these races with a tremendous physique, I'm not what you would describe as a lean mean running machine, more of a fat git with an ambition. I have to hope that the ambition takes over when the body gets weak (which is pretty much all the time). I had to fill out a questionnaire for racing the planet that covered all topics but specifically questions about how you stay motivated when it gets tough. The question I get asked more than any other is "how do you keep going when it hurts?" The simple answer is I have no idea, I like the luxury things in life, I wouldn't go camping if you paid me, and I used to watch others jogging in all weathers and think "prat, go home". I don't like little tests; I've never run a marathon. I see people achieving great things and I wondererd if I can do that. I've now stopped wondering I realised that I can, I just have to commit to it, the key is that with challenges this tough I have to really want it. I've never tried to do one of these races; I've always just gone out there to do it. All that said I personally think the reason I can carry on where others might give up because I'm a stubborn bastard with no brains, I'm like one of those wind up dolls that when it gets to a wall, the legs just keep on walking. I'm also afraid of failure, what if I get injured? what if I can't cope? what if I don't finish? there's a simple answer to all these, just get on with it, take what it throws at you, adapt and deal with it, and if it gets really tough, cry to yourself at the end of every day, because nobody else cares.

In the race you have a tremendous support group around you, the racing the planet organisation, the volunteers and your fellow competitors. I don't use the word  athletes to describe any group of people that I'm in; because I'm not, as I said before, I'm a fat git with an ambition. The races last one week, the training seems to go on for an eternity. If I could just bottle up all the motivation that's around during the race and drink a little from that each week I would find the training a lot easier. I rely on exchanging e mails with my mate John Barratt (he's another lean mean running machine), writing this blog and the many conversations that I have with poor innocent people who sometimes before having a business meeting with me google my name and then foolishly say "you've done one of those desert races haven't you?" Two hours later, me having only stopped only once to take a sip of water, they sit there open mouthed wishing they'd have kept it shut in the first place. I talk a great race. But they'll never understand, they may gasp at the 51 degrees in the Sahara, the altitude in the Atacama or the brutality of the Gobi, but let's face it, it's like a woman trying to explain child birth to a man, we just assume you're exaggerating for effect.

I haven't bought my clothes yet, I have no idea what to get, I really must ask people who have done this before; so here goes, WHAT CLOTHES SHOULD I WEAR? I went to Snow & Rock, an outdoors adventure store her in the UK. It's funny, I walk in and the assistant strolls over assuming I'm either in the wrong store or I'm buying a present for my son (bastards). They look at me and say "can I help you?" trying hard not to make it sound like "what the hell are you doing in here fatty?" I tell them I need some clothing as I'm going to Antarctica, again they assume I'm going on a nice little boat trip with some other old buggers and start to recommend big puffer jackets and long johns. When I explain what I'm actually doing there's a look of total amazement and a twinge of "yeah right, of course you are sir" they busily shuffle around hoping the phone will go so they can quickly pass me on to their "cold weather specialist" who has spent too much time at altitude and therefore not phased by strange requests as he does not quite understand what you're talking about as he's one husky short of a team. So the long and short of it is, they can kit me out if I want to climb Everest or pull a sledge to the north pole but have no idea what I should wear to do six marathons a day and two on Thursday. A bit like the training, I need to do more work, well there's always next month, if I'm still saying that in November I'm in the shit.

As I was late with this blog I will commit to do another one before the end of the month and I will be ready and togged up. You lucky people. Till then farewell.

Having busted my buns last month I have continued to remain injury free and enjoyed the training. Before I went away I trained hard in Macc Forest with my mate Rob, he plays rugby (that's American football with out the pads) at a high level and is ultra competitive, he can eat two breakfast buns to my one, I hoping to do better this month.

I've been on holiday in California and had a great time, some training and a good rest. My wife was 50 and it was our 25th wedding anniversary, we stayed at the Beverley Willshire at the end of Rodeo Drive in LA, what a place, we felt like celebrities.

California is a great place, but I think it's a little unfair that some competitors have the luxury of training there all year round. They never have to look at the weather forecast and the facilities everywhere you go are fantastic. I would like to start a campaign that Californians should have a handicap for a race. Maybe they should have to take the tents down each morning and put them up each night, any body have any suggestions?

We finished our 3 weeks at the Four Seasons hotel in San Diego, great staff, great facilities and great food. To help get back into the training before I got back I trained twice a day for 4 days, my metabolism shot up. The hotel had a beautiful running trail called Batiquitos Lagoon, I did the run a couple of times, when you get back to the hotel a member of the staff would greet you and hand you a towel and a bottle of chilled water, cool. I have tried to get my wife to do the same but she doesn't appear that keen.

I met with Mark Elliott the manager of Chill Factore in Manchester. The Chill Factore is the largest indoor sky slope in the UK and Mark has given me the opportunity to train there so that I can test my kit and myself, it's cold and it is a steep hill. Mark has to be my star of the month but the guy who polishes your sunglasses at the Four Seasons while you're sunbathing deserves a mention. I will be putting a plan together so that I can maximise the training opportunity at The Chill Factore.

Have a look at the website it's a fun place www.chilfactore.com

This month will see another push on the training and also the first of my notes to raise money for the charity SAFE@Last. I'm hoping that people have not got bored with the begging each year, this will be the fourth time of asking but it's for a really worth while cause why not see what they're all getting up to www.safeatlast.org.uk.

Well head down for more of the same this month.

I remember when I used to tell people I was going to Antarctica next year, now it's only 6 months away. The good news is; I have my training head on at last. I have spent the month busting my hump and enjoying every minute of it. I have struggled to find my motivation this time but it appears to have turned up just at the right time. Where did it go? I don't know, but I'm guessing that the phrase "only 6 months to go" has something to do with it coming back.

As my training has increased I have sadly had to start fuelling my body better, that means no more crap, that's hard, I like eating crap, in fact if they had a 4 Crap Challenge I would win it hands down, I could eat crap for Great Britain if it was an Olympic sport. So the bad food out and the seeds and nuts are in, I have to admit I'm feeling like a budgie I've had that many seeds.

I'm hoping to strike a deal with a company that has a lot of snow all year round in Manchester this month. If I do I will have somewhere to train and test any kit or equipment I will need. Hopefully more of that next time.

One thing is worrying me about going to Antarctica; I don't like boats. I'm reliably informed that the crossing of Drakes passage is pretty rough, has anybody done the trip? Does anybody have any advice on how to deal with the problem?

Only four weeks to go before I go to the States so it's head down and train hard to reach  higher level, wish me luck.

I've spent the last month settling into a training routine and just trying to get back into the habit. As usual at my age you get little niggles and the odd bought of some virus or another which knocks you back for a week and this month was no different. The main difference is my ability to just accept the problems and work around them without getting too depressed about it upsetting some master plan. A quick shrug of the shoulders and that's it move on.

As the weeks go by I'm getting a little fitter each time and my head is getting a little more focussed. I have to take care not put too much pressure on myself cos I can't stand failure.

I'm off to the US of A back end of June, my first visit. I'm hoping to get some serious training in as well as having a great holiday with my wife, she's 50 and it's our 25th wedding anniversary while we're there. I've read many of the blogs over the years about how beautiful the west coast is, so it'll be trainers on and enjoy the landscape and the weather.

The only thing missing at the moment is the excitement about going to Antarctica, I worked out that when I finish the race I will be one person in 133 million on the planet, how cool is that.

I've not bought any specialist kit yet or started any special training for the cold conditions, that will all start on my return for the US.

I'm hoping to get over to Eire over the summer to meet up with my mates Billy and Vinny, Vinny has completed the 4 Deserts and his insight will be invaluable.

I love it when a plan comes together. I’ve had 6 weeks of training, increased the volume and the intensity over the period. I’m feeling stronger and fitter as the weeks pass by. I’m on a rest week this week, it’s strange, I build up and up and then to stop for a week is quite hard. But I know from bitter experience the weeks off are as important as the training weeks for me, they stop me getting too tired and help me relax. I’ve also started having massages again to help keep me going as the work piles up.

My only issue at the moment is keeping motivated to push myself harder and harder as the weeks go by. I find it increasingly difficult but I try and remind myself that this is for the big one, the culmination of 4 years hard work, I’m looking to change my regime slightly this time and get outside a little more. The clocks have gone forward and the weather is getting a little better, albeit slowly.

Does anybody else find it difficult to keep raising their game?  

I swapped e mails with a few guys I’ve raced with over the years and it would appear that we all have similar problems; I guess it’s the winter blues. I won’t name names but there may be some real struggling athletes in the Sahara Race this year if they don’t pull their fingers out. I’m hoping to work as a volunteer on that race so I can be smug about their plight.   

I’m not doing the monthly stats anymore (part of the regime change) it seems to make me chase the wrong goals. My goal for the next 6 weeks is to get my head right and push to the next level. See you next time.

The best laid plans just blown to pieces. All that about getting a pack on my bag this month and I failed miserably. I had to have a minor operation, which now means I could join the Jewish faith; my wife tells me they have had enough problems over their history without having to put up with me. So anyway it means that I was laid up from training for two weeks and I have only been able to swim for the last two weeks. I haven't put my back pack on as I would sink. The good news is that I have started to tidy my fuel (diet) up and I have dropped some weight.   

It's strange really, the weather is awful in Manchester and I should really be outside practising for the conditions in the Antarctic but I can't as I'm not fit enough yet. When I get round to being fit enough the weather will be better so I'll have to find somewhere to train. We have a new indoor snow dome in Manchester called Chill Factore, maybe I'll see if they'll let me run around in there to get acclimatised.

I read the advice from Ray Zahab and it differs from my crude approach to training with a pack. Now I would have to concede that Ray is the expert on how an athlete would train to do this, just look at the guy's qualifications, he's practically run round the world and come first. What he hasn't done is done all that with my body, that would slow him down. I found out through trial and error that the less I did with the bag the less comfortable I was when I eventually put it on my back. But I'll take some of his advice and leave it a little bit longer before I start with the pack. Ray won the Sahara race the year I was in it, what a guy, up the front the whole race and such a nice guy to everybody he came into contact with.

This is a month of knuckling down, January was a write off but no panic, just head down and get on with it.

Stats for this month

Age – 51
Height – 1.68m
Weight – 86 kilo
Health – sore willy 
Biggest worry – will it work again 
Quote of the month – "the lord said unto Moses come forth and he came fifth and won a kettle" 

So, where does a 51 year old overweight guy start his training for the last leg of the 4 Deserts challenge? There is only one place, in the mind. I first need to put my mind in gear and then my ass will follow.

As Baldrick would say, "I have a cunning plan". In fairness I have trained for three of these races before and by far my most succesful training campaign was for the first race in the Sahara in 2005. The reason I was succesful was due to a couple of factors; I was highly motivated and I had a training plan. My plan this time is to use the experience I have gained over the previous races and take the best bits from each one and apply them for one last time in this race series.

My basic plan is as follows;

1. Enjoy it
2. keep the training varied
3. Train 6 weeks on 1 week off 
4. Train 5 days per week
5. Fuel the body efficiently
6. Increase the intensity through out the week
7. Increase the weekly intensity through the six weeks
8. Train with my back pack on all the time
9. Slowly increase the weight in my pack each round
10. Massage and physio regularly 
11. Swim during my rest week
12. Drop 15k in weight before the race

My back pack

I have the same pack that I have used in every race so far. It is a Raidlight. When I turned up in Cairo for the first race almost everybody else had a Solomon pack, I thought "I have bought the wrong pack" but over the years the Raidlight has become a very popular pack amongst the racers. I have adapted mine for training by having some foam cut to fill the pack with inserts for 2kg weights. The plan is to add a 2kg weigh every 6 week session so that I eventually have 10kg in the pack.

Last year I didn't train with my pack until the last month, it was a big mistake. I've learnt, get the pack on your back from the beginning so that it becomes an extension of you, you can then forget about it. It improves your strength, your fitness and most importantly your physcoligical approach to having it on your back.

So, there's all the theory, I will get the pack on my back this week and start the practise.

Talk the talk and walk the walk.

<sup><sub>It’s the end of December 2007 it seems like a life time ago that I wrote my first Racing the Planet journal. It was actually October 2004, just over three years ago. But the trials and tribulations of completing the first three races have made it seem like somebody else’s life. I reread my first journal from October 2004; I’d been off work ill with a virus, and having put my body in the hands of traditional Chinese medicine I had recovered, and filled with enthusiasm for my life changing decision to compete in the 2005 Sahara Race I laid down a format for my journal’s; keep it funny, cover all topics and tell it from the common man. I’ll try and keep the same format with this journal.

Since I completed the Gobi March in June 2007 I have spent the last six months lazing around and eating crap. My toe nails have only just grown back (more of those later), I’m fat but happily still fit and injury free.

My commitment is to lose 15kg and improve my overall fitness to a level which will help me try and enjoy the last leg of the four deserts challenge. The previous races have all started with the same intentions; drop the weight, get fitter and try and run some of the race. In 750 kilometres I have managed to run about 5, but I finished all three so I qualify for the final part and aim to become one of a very select band of people who have completed The 4 Deserts Challenge.

I’ve just come back from the shop where I buy my running shoes; Running Bear in Alderley Edge (that’s where all the rich Manchester United players live). I’m now the proud owner of a pair of Asics Nimbus which should see me through the first 4 months training.

Once again there’s no such thing as a free lunch, I will be asking for donations to my chosen charity; SAFE@Last, a charity based in South Yorkshire founded by my good friend Hilary Massarella. The charity helps children under 16 who run away from home. There are over 100,000 children who run away from home each year in the UK and they all need help. During the coming months I’ll show you how you can help.

So for those of you who have been bored by my journals before, I apologise, for those who are new to this, you’re in for a treat; 11 months of insight as to how a normal guy can achieve what seems to be the preserve of the elite and adventurous – enjoy.</sub></sup>

^{_{Picture of the month}}

Me (on the left) and my mate John Barratt completing the long day in the Gobi March 2007

Stats for this month

Age – 51
Height – 1.68m
Weight – 87 kilo
Health – fat bastard
Biggest worry – being a fat bastard
Quote of the month – “one last time with feeling”