I'm gonna give you a run down of this crazy day by the hour so you can get a feel for the details.

Nothing short of brutal. Today was a 37km stage through some of the most intense scenery on this planet. It was also 36 degrees with very little shade. 

Volcanos, lava, heat, half eaten animals and a fiery sun, I’m convinced all that’s missing is the winged beast.

The bank of belief

49 days to go till I step on the plane and join 120 people from 30 countries to compete in the #atacamacrossing

This weekend it's training the mind and stomach. 30km days with about 2000 calories per day. No luxuries, no snacks. Probably harder here than in the desert with temptation all around but it's an important preparation point.

Since the completion of the 100km #racetothestones a strange phenomenon has occurred, it seems my belief in getting this race done is full to over flowing. Mental blockers have tumbled down and training is more enjoyable. Its no doubt to do with the amount of training but it's a great feeling that's enabling me to really enjoy the run up to the big week with RACINGTHEPLANET in Chile.

Anyway, rehydrated food and flapjacks are calling!

I'm doing all this for #mind for all those people who find themselves in dark and desolate places who occasionally and forever find themselves needing words that work.

With four months to go until RACINGTHEPLANET 's #atacama crossing, the miles are increasing, time in trainers on the up and the focus on the finish line in sharp focus. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely more doable for more people that you'd think. Check out RACINGTHEPLANET to see where your feet could take you next year.

Life is for living, adventure fuels that living!

#business #investment #people #teamwork #commitment #adventure #run

PART 7: The Ask: https://lnkd.in/eXQTWt5T

In today's world, with the everyday pressures and extraordinary global events affecting us all, most don’t get the help we need. Mind are here to change this.

The #AtacamaCrossing offers an opportunity to raise funds for an organisation who bring together an unstoppable network of individuals and communities, people who care about #mentalhealth to make a difference.

1 in 4 17-19 year olds had a probable mental health issue in 2022
75% of deaths by suicide are men. Men aged 40 – 49 have the highest rates of suicide in the EU
94% of people accessing emergency food parcels in 2022 experienced destitution (well below the poverty line and cannot afford the essentials to eat, stay warm and dry, and keep clean).

Mind... are here to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone. They provide #advice and #support to empower anyone experiencing a #mentalhealth problem and #campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

All #donations are welcomed with huge appreciation and #gratitude , in the knowledge that it will be dedicated to helping people when they most need it.

·     £8 will cover the cost of ONE call to MIND's info-line advice service
·     £20 will help run MIND's online peer support community for an hour
·     £50 will help campaign for better mental health services

#sponsorship benefits obviously include the #virtuous feeling of having done something tangible to impact the world right now but we want to give back something for your commitment.

Updates will be available across the JustGiving page as well as a dedicated Instagram with updates live from the desert (so you can share the pain) and a finish line photo (hopefully).

Please don’t be shy, if it helps, its going to hurt! #thankyouforyoursupport

#people #change #community RACINGTHEPLANET

Post 6: The Detail

Stage 1 - 36.6 km, Navigation by Rock will take competitors through the multicoloured Valle Arcoiris (Rainbow Valley) and along the Ancient Inca Road where there will be the opportunity to see ancient rock art from the Inca and Aymara traders who used this route in ancient times.

Stage 2 - 44.5 km, The Slot Canyons ensures that no feet are left dry, but takes competitors along the most stunning canyons of the course. Several breath-taking sand dunes allow for magnificent views across the plains with a chance to descend into the famous Valle de La Muerte (Valley of Death).

Stage 3 – 39 km, The Atacamenos Trail introduces competitors to the “Lonely Tree” before entering the restricted ALMA Project land. The ALMA Project is the most expensive ground-based telescope in operation in the world. Atacama Crossing competitors receive special permission to enter this restricted area each year.

Stage 4 – 44 km, The Infamous Salt Flats are both challenging and surreal.

Stage 5 – 76.5 km, The Long March will take competitors along the beautiful shores of a lake and across “Cordillera de La Sal” by “Paso Domingo Rames," climbing and descending challenging dunes, leading into the other worldly place called “La Valle de La Luna” (Valley of the Moon).

Stage 6 – 9.6 km, The Final Footsteps into San Pedro will lead competitors through the last kilometres with a fantastic finish in the ancient adobe-style Town of San Pedro de Atacama.

#dedication #purpose #wonder #adventure #explore #challenge #inspire #keeponlearning

Part 5: Added Motivation

I first saw someone write about their experience with RACINGTHEPLANET ten years ago here on #linkedin . It lodged in my brain as something amazing to do but the motivation just wasn’t there to sign up and pull on my trainers.

Now it's a different story. My #motivation is a family all growing up and stepping out into today's crazy world and just doing something to make it that bit easier for them, their friends and other young people.

So I asked them, what should we do this thing for? We circled back to two themes; #Sustainability and #mentalhealth

#climatechange is front of mind for all of them, even 3-year-old Dottie turns the lights off all over the house to save the polar bears.

Then #mentalhealth. The world in which my beautiful #teenagers are growing up is a tough place with forces, influences, competition and pressures few of us have the ability to cope with alone.

That’s enough for me. If this #challenge can impact just one person then its a job well done. But we shouldn’t be happy with one person. Together we can make the difference and help the next generation flourish. Force of Nature Mind

#sustainability #experience #help #purposedriven #wonder #community #whynot #nextgeneration

Part 4. Running, Eating, Mental Wealth

 
I love running. When I don’t run, then it’s pretty obvious I need to. It’s my go to stress buster. It’s my chance to work it out, to scream and shout or for quiet reflection surrounded by the great outdoors.
 
Now, running 250km doesn’t mean that I’m really stressed, in fact I’m now having to train my brain to deal with a new phenomenon, just being bored.
 
Running long distances is dull. This isn’t the London marathon. There’s no one playing a trumpet to celebrate your 16th mile or crowds lining the street. In fact for the vast majority of the time, you’re running on your own. Yes, I’ll be surrounded my stunning vistas but come on, it’ll be 90 degrees and 10,000 feet above sea level, how much appreciation can you give a volcano?
 
So far I’ve got over the boredom by training with earphones. But, earphones need charge, they don’t like sand and the problem is you program your feet to only work if they hear music. So no more earphones.
 
But oh how my brain is rebelling. It wanders around for the first hour, excited to be out but then gets bored during the second and then is just downright teenager like in the 3rd, 4th and 5th. Every ache gets accentuated, failure sits on your backpack, getting heavier by the mile and you mull over the smallest most insignificant things.
 
So now it's just about training my brain to enjoy the experience, to work through the time factors and just be OK with being switched on, aware and alive - it's not easy.
 
Mental health and wellness touches us all at some point in our lives. Some people can cope, many cannot and this is where @Mindcharity plays a vital role. Next time, I want to introduce the two charities that I’m running for and the work they do to help young people be all they can be.

#work #experience #people #mentalhealth #wellness #help #training #boredom #runningmotivation #motivation #chile #atacamacrossing #brainhealth #mensmentalhealthawareness

RACINGTHEPLANET Mind Force of Nature

Part 3: Life management

It's only now that you realise just how much you got to commit. 6 months to go and the nerves are settling in nicely. It's not just the dedication required to make sure you do the miles, its doing what you've always done with the kids, making sure date nights happen, keeping the intensity up at work and not wearing running gear in the house.

You got to commit to nutrition (chocolate/beer are my biggest issues), you got to work your diary hard and get up when everyone else is sleeping to be back in time for early morning madness.

Once you've signed up you gotta do your homework - how do I look after my feet? What socks are best? Where are the best hills to practice? How do I carry all this stuff as well as run? Where do I start? You gotta look for experience.

Speaking to people who've done these things is just amazing. Talking to the adventurers and explorers online and in person who've done it before you gives that encouragement you're looking for and those all important shortcuts that you're not gonna get anywhere else. (a snickers is still a snickers even if its totally melted - loved this bit of advice)

Believe me, like in everything, experience counts.

Part 4: A third running, a third nutrition, a third mental wealth

#experience #nutrition #businessandmanagement #adventure #commitmenttoexcellence #nutrition #atacamacrossing #Chile #prepping #ultramarathon RACINGTHEPLANET Force of Nature Mind

Part 2: 'Sounds great but why?'

This is most people's response when they hear about the #atacamacrossing

Firstly, I never really thought about it like that. I didn't need a why, but if I'm pushed I suppose it's mostly driven by curiosity.

Can I do it? What will it feel like? Will my body hold up? How will the finish line feel? What will the desert throw at us all? Who will I meet? Who can I help?

You've got to be comfortable with the unknown. You've got to be willing to do what it takes. You need a team around you and the love and support of your family! All elements some of us actually have access to every day so perhaps it's more achievable than u might think.

Part 3 were gonna talk about the commitment needed and start talking about the preparation.

@racingtheplanet @forceofnature @mindcharity @hallpersonaltraining #running #preparation #mentalhealth #sustainability #ultramarathon #dedication #teamwork #mindfulness #team #help #fundraising

207 Days

 
That’s how long it is until I cross the start line in San Pedro De Atacama, in Chile’s Atacama desert. For the next 6 days I’ll be running, walking, climbing and falling my way across 250 kilometres of the worlds most arid landscape along with 120 other souls from 40 countries.
 
Across the next few weeks I’ll be chronicling what it takes to prepare for an Ultra marathon, the reliance on teamwork, your colleagues and family, the planning, the dedication and the mental impact of getting yourself in the right place to push yourself to new places.
 
Alongside this is the question Why. That’s where we’ll start next time. Feel free to jump in with questions, tips or comments – believe me, you appreciate all the help you can get.

#chile #atacama #dedication #teamwork #ultramarathon #preparation #mentalhealth #sustainability Force of Nature Mind