So the last blog of my 2010 Atacama Crossing adventure. I cannot believe how long the race feels when you are out there and then how quickly it seems to have passed when you're back in reality. I think it is safe to say I had a shocker on the race, but I am proud to have managed to battle through and cross the line in the end. I guess my love of beer and food and lack of personal discipline means I'll never be a racer at these events so it probably doesn't matter if you come in 40th or 100th other than for personal pride and a sense of achievement.

The race itself was very hard and the combination of the 3 t's made it the hardest thing I had ever done. Terrain, temperature and t'altitude (northern height). The three t's also made it one of the most memorable experiences of my life to date. Tent-mates, topography, t'struggle (northern plight). My friends in tent 4 (I never could pronounce our tent name, I have no Spanish) were awesome throughout, tollerating my moans and groans and offering support when I was laid up in the medical tent whingeing about being thirsty. John from Honkers in particular was a great mate, setting up my bed so that when I stumbled back after hours sipping a can of coke, I could fall straight back into my sleeping bag. If Lauren ever tires of the grumpy bugger he's welcome to a job as my maid. I was also cheered each day by the cheeriness and firtitude of the rest, especially waking to Andreas big smile each day. I am not quite sure how anyone manages to fit quite so many smiles in one day, especially when she continually claimed to be grumpy and miserable.

The Atacama desert is a beautifully harsh and foreboding kind of a place. It felt like it dried you to the bone within seconds of being outside, although it was only by torchlight that you could see the density of dust in the air. This did have a positive side effect in some of the best bogies I have ever produced, some real monsters. Ensuring I never went hungry for long. The desert itself is a rocky, sandy volcanic expanse that looks to have been cut and eroded in the distant past by fast flowing water and more recently by the pervading hard winds. In many places it looked to have been almost folded over itself which left some truly remarkable landscapes. Some of which would take your breathe away. To which my body would respond with a quick vomit.

If the race was hard, and it was, the return journey was tougher. Following three and a half hours sleep and a quick flight to Santiago I had to endure hour upon hour of steak and red wine. Forced upon me by my fellow runners. Medium rare I cried, medium rare! Before a mouthful of Chilean Red. Not a Latin hillbilly fortunately, but some fantastic merlot and malbec (I think... through a haze). The restaurant was called Happening and after a week of freeze dried meals it was for me. You could sit on the loo and open and floor to ceiling doors to see the street below. All I required was the Sunday Times for it to be perfect. We had a slight low before we left Santiago as we watched an old street sweeper pull a crocodile dundee sized knife on an old drunk lady who had her rather tired looking left breast hanging out. It wasn't the best breast I have seen but I don't believe it warranted a stabbing. Luckily they resolved their differences and the old dude stumbled off cackling to himself and drawing his knife across his throat. Everyone around us found the whole episode utterly utterly hilarious, which reminded me that I was as much out of my element drinking on the streets of South America as I was stumbling across their desert. It was as if the people around us couldn't believe that all the old guy had was this knife. We moved on.

The flights were incredibly uncomfortable on all of our broken bodies but mine was probably the worst of our little travelling party. Eric gave me his compression socks as my foot was freaking him out. Michael paid for my legs to be massaged by a handsome young fellow in Santiago airport as he was concerned my calves wouldn't fit in economy. It was one of the more embarrassingly public homoerotic moments in my life and Rowley and Simon looked to have got some great pictures of the moment. Thanks guys.

So I am home in Hong Kong now, thinking about new adventures and nursing a slightly broken and cellulitis ridden elephant foot, reminiscing like an old guy about experiences past and wondering what my new friends are up to now. I'll always be rubbish at these events but the power of the experiences that they give are why I would always recommend them to anyone. Sam reminded me the other day that I would summarise every day as having been 'rubbish' each time she asked. As long as my foot doesn't fall off, I'll be back. Like Arnie.

The doctor has just trimmed all the dead skin off my feet, put bandages over all of the infections and cut away most of my heel. He then informed me that he had lost track of how many blisters I had to treat. Awesome. Even by my standards my feet are a bit of a shocker which I put down to the fact I stopped caring for them once I got ill on days 2 and 3. My friend Blair was watching in awe and making exclamations such as `awe mate, I have never seen one weep like that`, `why is it that colour` and my favourite `you`re a hero`... ok he didn`t say that.
 
It`s been a slog but we`ve got there. The long day was pretty tough, I returned the favour to my friend Bez who walked day 3 and 4 with me and we walked the entire way together. I can`t say that I enjoyed it a great deal, it was hard as I have no energy after my puking episodes earlier in the week but it was really satisfying. For me, the long day is what the 4 deserts are all about, head down, body ruined, only getting by on blood, guts and passion. Love it. I`m still disappointed with how the week went but as we`re only 10k from beer, coke and pizza I cannot complain. I plan to eat my own body weight in carbs this afternoon, minimum of 3 pizzas, 5 cokes and 10 beers. My very own eating long day.
 
I`m looking forward to the luxury of normality again, a decent shower, not smelling like a dried turd and frankly looking like one.
 
The same old lesson applied to this week from my old Winston Churchill quote.
 
Never give up.

What a difference a day makes... 24 little hours... following my fairly strong showing on day 1, I have had the worst three days of my life. Ok a bit of an exagerration but not much. About 20k into day 2 and I got pretty bad heat stroke/ dehydration so I have spent the last few days shuffling round the course trying to put one foot in front of the other and the evenings chilling with the medical staff who have been great at putting me back together so I can attempt the next day. Most of the time I have been projectile vomiting and the rectal equivalent from about half way round to the finish which has made it a little tougher than expected. I even had a couple of scary moments where if it wasn`t for my friend Bez walking me back to camp I am not sure I would have made it. I`m not ashamed to admit it was more than a bit scary and not something I wish to repeat. However, it`s day 4 done, just the long march to go and I haven`t died yet. I am working on it.
 
A few people have started to drop in the last couple of days, the heat is intense and the course is quite tough. Fun in most places but very hard. I`ve found it tough readjusting my expectations from how I found day 1 to nearly not being able to get through each day.  The docs have also put me on antibiotics as my feet are infected after open wounds were exposed to dirty water. Should be ok as long as the infection doesn`t spread up my leg. Bit of a bugger but not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.
 
Being ill isn`t all doom and gloom though, I discoverred that if you puke as you enter camp or a check point they give you a can of coke. Like a reward for being special. Having discoverred this I have made a special effort to save my best pukes for when the racing the planet staff are about. I do love a coke. Today I also saw a few lizards whch cheered me up and reminded me of puke free happier times in the Gobi. The lizards were small and fast, we had nothing in common.
 
It`s been emotional, I haven`t enjoyed it one bit since day 1 as I have been walking or in the medical tent. It`s been a struggle but I`ll finish. Actually that is an exaggeration as well, I bought seven curries for my evening meals which have been awesome. Not often you get to eat curry seven nights a week. I am not completely without variety as I have both tikka and korma. Korma is number one option but has noticeable side effects. Although it has been a slow journey, it has been tuneful.
 
Thanks for your messages and comments, apologies for not blogging but I wasn`t fully conscious.

Day 1 was a toughy with a combination of a fast start trying to beat the heat, some big old hills and a bit of altitude. I was pretty pleased overall with how it went, I ran the first 2 stages before I flaked in the heat and really struggled through to the end at a hobble. I was still struggling to breathe through my cold but having spent the last two years learning from Hong Kong cabbies how to hock up a lung I got through ok. I think I made a few runners jump as I launched the odd flob rocket with as much energy as I could muster. I'll probably get a taxi named after me in recognition of my achievements.
 
The Atacama is a beautiful place, more rugged and tough looking than the Gobi and very few signs of life other than the odd rutting Lama. There were a rather fetching couple hard at it as we all ran past ealier. Baring in mind they were boffing when my friend John ran past more than half an hour in front of me, maybe they should have enterred the race.The desert here is so bare of vegetation that I thought evolution would have made it more of a minimalist encounter. I may start munching grass as preparation for this race. Although to be fair I have done a bit recently.Joking aside the environment is stunning, snow capped mountains, long plains, dry river beds, It`s why I take part and it hasn`t disappointed, it makes you feel so insignificant and really makes you aware of scale. Can`t imagine how some of the smaller runners feel.
 
The other competitors are great and we`re having a lot of laughs around camp, there`s a big hong kong and Gobi 2009 contingent and it has been great seeing everyone and catching up. Some other good news is that the bogs have little sit down contraptions this time round which should really limit the chance of me crapping on my leg again but I think if anyone can, I am the man to do it. Several packets of electrolytes and freeze dried meals and I can achieve greatness.
 
I think Sandes was pretty worried about my reputation as he put in a 3.03 today. I think if I hadn't had a cold last week and been a bit overweight and talentless I would have pushed him all the way. He is here with his own camera crew, putting together a documentary which should be very cool. You;ll see me behind him waving to my mum. I think if I do another race I`ll bring my own crew, they`ll be at the camp and film me blogging. I`m never going to be a runner afterall.
 
Bloody hot today, I`d kill for a Kuntsmann.

I have done 2 blogs, they were both average, I have lost them both. Will try again int he dessert.

I am well, got here safe, off to the start today in a very annoyed fashion.

Upon receiving the tent allocations from Sam the other day it hit me that this thing is real and we're really off to Chile next week. Strangely I have been extremely mellow about this event for the past couple of months but for some reason, receiving the competitor information prompted a mild panic attack. I quickly spent $200 US on the racing the planet store to calm my nerves and felt much better for it. I started to mentally review my kit list, torches- check, bog roll- check, lube- check (twice), trainers- check, shorts...ah. I forgot my shorts. I know many of you will be scoffing thinking, he's making this up for effect, but I have no shorts. I have worn holes in the few pairs I have been training in, only small ones, but they'd be ruined in no time in the dessert. So with four days to go until we fly out I realised I have no shorts! Genius. I do wonder if this only happens to me. I blame the stress of starting a new job with a new organisation last week, but really it is just a reflection of my daily confused state. Couldn't organise a pi$$ up in a brewery has been said. Numerous times.

We had a quick bit of banter with the new tent mates after allocation, John and Eric are friends from Hong Kong and the Gobi and Eric also has a good friend coming from the US. I did worry about sharing a tent with the Americans, they can be very loud, but with the new job I am pretty much a US citizen myself. I am working at replacing all my 's's with 'z's as we speak and racking up a mean high five. Yo, hooyah, booyah (this was a new one to me, but seems to be a new variant of Hooyah). On a more serious note, Eric's friend is an X man so if we get stuck on a dune at some stage he can carry us to safety. My other tent mates are the all girl Chilean team (tough but someones got to do it) and an aussie who is running all the desserts in one year. I have a feeling I am going to be woefully out classed by them all, so hopefully they'll help carry my rucksack to the tent when I get in after dark. I cannot wait to meet them all.

I have tapered for the last couple of weeks, my legs were feeling odd since the Greenpower 50k a couple of weeks back so I have generally been taking it easy. I did my last run to Victoria peak (the big hill behind the famous Hong Kong skyline) yesterday with my 10kgs of rice and felt great. The legs feel good today and ready to go. When I got home I had a quick removing of the rice ceremony. It's a traditional Hong Kong event where you take a 10kg bag of rice and remove it from your rucksack. Very complex but feels good.

I have secured a hotel for my one night, so racing the gutters is cancelled until next year. If I can't get any new shorts in time I see you on the start line in my pants and vest. It'll be like old times.

I'm pretty much done prepping my cardboard box for the corner by the bar, but should only need it for the night of the 4th as I still don't have accomodation sorted. I took Rob's kind advice from last week and pulled my finger out, however, each hotel I tried so far was full. I have 5 hotels left that I am waiting to hear back from but I am none too worried. It could be a nice bit of preparation for the event to spend the night under the stars, in my cardboard abode. I've tested a variety of cardboard boxes this week and decided on a couple of nice, large boxes used to transport cereal. They tend to have a decent surface area and protect from major bumps on the ground, but maintain a very good size to weight ratio. I found if you take a half body cardboard box and cut it to the shape of your body it doesn't add too much weight to your broken shopping trolley. You need to keep your shopping trolley as light as possible, this really helps when running from gangs of youths. You really feel it in the quads when pushing extra weight up hills.

I am going to try and initiate my own race series with any other vagrants I can find. More of an adventure race theme and I am calling it 'Racing the Gutters'. If it is a success I'll be looking to pilot a shorter one day version in Hong Kong before looking to the great gutters of the world over the next few years. Areas of distinctive natural gutter'age, where there are no signs of human life, untouched detritis and nature, well rats, run free.

For my day and night on the streets of San Pedro, I am going for a pair of '88 Air jordan high tops that I found in a dumpster round the corner. They give good ankle support when negotiating crossings drunk. I find you can sway around all over the place, even fall occasionally and I haven't experienced any ankle problems. I am leaving the custom orthotics in my race shoes at the hotel. If anyone steals my Jordans they would find my orthotics pretty uncomfortable as they are moulded for my feet only, so in consideration of others I'll keep the factory insole.

A key discussion point on this forum is which bag to go for. I've tested all of my options and decided that the bags from Olivers delicatessen are my preferred option. They have very strong handles and the plastic is more robust than your average plastic bag, from say Great, Park n' Shop or Welcome. I find they are a great size to keep hold of your valuable nutrition and hydration. You can fit up to 5 Mcdonalds happy meals in each bag, more if they are half eaten from a bin and the calorie to weight ratio is superb. If you carry one bag in each hand you can also fit two 3 litre bottles of white lightening cider plus a small sniffler of meths for the long day, I went for Cider over beer due to the extra nutrition required when on the streets. When times get tough and you have to reach deep I always go back to the meths for that extra kick. Add 2 nuun to each bottle and you'll get through fine. A recovery shake is essential when exercising hard on multi day events, however, I am only on the streets for one night so I'll leave the extra large McDonalds chocolate at home. Showers, toilet paper, change of pants... unneccesary, got to keep the Olivers Plastic Bags as light as possible. If you see a rather swish looking cardboard box on the night of the 4th, stop by and say helllo. I answer to 'Nutty Nick' and love beer.

I have enjoyed a fairly mellow couple of weeks since the greenpower, not really done a great deal of training due to the chest infection taking me down along with general soreness from the race. This week has consisted of 15k, 15k, short fast session on monday plus weights, tuesday short slow session as achey, wednesday off and Thursday run to the peak.

As the last couple of weeks have been pretty easy I am training up until this weekend with a couple of 30k's in store before I taper and chill for two weeks. I'll still do a bit as I tend to feel sluggish a few days after I stop, but will cut the intensity and distance in half next week and maybe a couple of short very slow runs the week before just to keep ticking over.  I am pretty excited about hitting Atacama now, very interested to see if you can feel the difference in air quality at altitude, as I have never been. I don't think the 700 meter peaks of Hong Kong count. Then again, with the average quality of air in Hong Kong being pretty dismal I'm not sure I'll notice.

I don't feel too worried about the Atacama and seem to be developing a very relaxed attitude to the whole thing. It doesn't really feel like a race, more of a holiday which I have a great need for. I am planning to take a lot of pictures, relax and enjoy as much of the experience as possible. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Going on the other blog entries, I joined what looks to be a decent number of ill Atacama participants this week after I developed a fairly meaty chest infection. I am most of the way through a course of antibiotics now and it seemed to be clearing up so went out for a decent run today on Lantau island. It went from 25 degrees and humid to about 12 degrees and breezy in the space of a day this week, so conditions were perfect for a nice run.

It was the first run in a week and felt ok. My legs haven't fully recoverred from the 50k run last weekend in hong kongs greenpower 'charidee' race. I jogged along through most of it bar the few long hills and got through in 5.45 which I was pleased with. Before I started training for gobi last year I used to struggle to walk it so it was nice to see some progress. It was a shame but the race organisers started the 25k walkers just before we hit a narrow trail over a couple of hills (Jardine and Butler) so we lost a fair bit of time. I felt ok, but not good enough after 25k to manage to run around the new starters. Can't complain though as my aim was to get through in under 6 hours (Don't tell anyone but really I was aiming for 5.30).

I completed most of the course with the vet. He proved to be greatly encouraging as ever. My favourite Dave the Vet comment this time around was when I got to the top of mount butler several (he reckons 10) minutes behind him. 'Come on Anderson you slow bas34rd, man up!'. We have a strange relationship so whilst I was laughing away, some bloke who looked like he was about to combust after struggling up the hill got really quite angry. I believe at what he saw as unsportsmanlike behaviour from Dave. It really was rather funny and we shot off down the other side of the hill giggling like small children. I don't think endurance events are necessarily the best place for the emotionally sensitive...

... having said that, I say I ran 'most' of the way with Dave as he ran on with about 5k to go. I think he has been working on his emotional intelligence as he realised that after 45k my ability to deal with his encouraging words was rather diminished. I think it was when I went quiet before mentioning he was at risk of being pushed off the side of the Dragons back if he carried on.

On the gear front my soldier lube was outstanding, no blisters to report so happy with my shoe sock lube combo. Asics trail sensor (I think they are called), brave little soldier lube (keeps the feet smelling fruity, although after 50k they tend to anyway), injinji ankle inner with golite outer sock. Works for me, I think the lube is the most important though. But you know that.

Only a few weeks to go and I still haven't booked airport transfers, hotels for the two nights before we meet in San Pedro, haven't sewn patches on, don't own a cap and no gaiters... so all in all better organised than usual. Yes, I am useless. And I start a new job in a new organisation on Wednesday following Chinese New Year. Bloody hell. Hopefully see you all in San Pedro, I'll be the one sleeping in a box, with a very nice mat and sleeping bag on the corner next to the best bar in town. Clutching an OMM rucksack like a man obsessed. Well lubed.

Laters.

So I have written often and I feel quite nicely at times on my love of lube and how grateful I have been in the past for its silky smooth nature. But I took lubing to another level this weekend. I wandered down to Protrek in Wan Chai on Saturday afternoon as I depleted my stock of bodyglide during my Saturday run. As I approached the Bodyglide section I found to my delight that they were stocking a new brand. Intrigued I investigated further to find a new brand called 'Good Soldier'. A strange name for a lube I thought, normally they have names that emphasise their slippery texture, so I opened it to have a look. Good Soldier it turns out is a pink sweet fruity smelling lubricant. I felt my heart jump a little as being in Wan Chai I feared I had wandered into the wrong shop and may find Suzie Wong standing behind me in the queue but no, I was in the right place... and I could resist it, I bought some. I sort of felt like it should come with a complimentary pack of condoms... for survival purposes of course.

The training has been going ok, except for some minor pains in the shins so having a quieter week this week. I am also tapering for a 50k race at the weekend which should be fun. End to end on the Hong Kong trail from Victoria Peak (the top of the big hill in photos of the HK skyline) around the island to Big Wave Bay, my favourite beach. I am already looking forward to a beer at the finish, particularly if it is as hot as this weekend. It was back into the mid 20's and sunny on Sunday. This may sound pleasant for those who are writing about the extremes of cold they are training in, but it comes with its own problems. Well it does if you go out with too little water, no sunscreen and a 10kg pack, which was precisely what I did. So I finished red as a beetroot, completely dehydrated and shattered, but looking on the bright side, I smelled very fruity and suffered no chafing. It was probably a little treat for the King of the Hills participants I passed looked half dead in the heat. It's amazing what a little waft of strawberry can do to a mans motivation.

Last week was roughly:

Monday- 2 hours exercise bike, strength, stretching
Tuesday- 1 hour bike, 1 hour slow slow run, stretch
Wednesday- 8k pack run, stretch session
Thursday- rest
Friday- rest, oh ok, beer again. Damn.
Saturday- 15k pack run, strength and stretching
Sunday 30k pack run- about as slow as you can get to cross between walk and jog. But smelling lovely.

I am looking forward to the race this weekend and a few of the guys I met in the Gobi plus another friend who is coming to Atacama are going to get together for a bit of pasta on friday night. I think one of the great things about these events is the camaraderie and the interesting people you meet. It's a shame all they got to meet was me. But at least I am normally good for beers and the least I can do is introduce them to one another for interesting conversation.

No chilli facts this week, I have bored myself.

Training has continued at a decent rate since last week. Managing to get some decent jogs under the belt both with and without weight. The knee problems I was experiencing have eased off as I have been RICE'ing the crap out of them after every bit of exercise as well as combining some exercise bike and weights to build up the quads. All of this together with some custom orthotics I have had made should help to get me through the desert in one piece, but I guess you never know.

Last week looked roughly like:

Monday- 1 hour 30 minutes on bike
Tuesday- 10k hill run (with 10kg pack)
Wednesday- 15k run
Thursday- Rest
Friday- Rest (I was meant to be running but tripped and drank 2 Asahi and several pints of guinness)
Saturday- 10k hill run (with 10kg pack)- followed by a day on a boat drinking assorted wine ans spirits
Sunday- 35k road and trail run (with 11kg pack)- followed by 7 beers at my bosses house

Overall one of my better weeks and quite enjoyed it. I found that the pack felt easier to deal with on the second week, my knees are not hurting as much and I am losing weight. I still need to lose some more before Atacama, probably another 5/6 kilos to look better in the photos. My main tactic has been to trim my cappucinos back to a skinny which has been hard to take. It just isn't the same and is causing me a great deal of mental anguish, it doesn't feel like a treat anymore but I have to hold out after my massive failure on the not drinking alcohol front. Surely I have the will power to stick with skimmed over full fat milk!

It has been a while since I commented on the weather which as an Englishman makes me feel uncomfortable. Hong Kong is going through a lovely cold snap which is making the running much more enjoyable. I think my better times on the trails are as much to do with the temperature as they are with getting any fitter. It is a pleasure, often starting off in the clouds of Victoria Peak and gradually warming as the day goes on, nice cool winters days. I am hoping they carry on until the Green Power 50k in a couple of weeks time which I am hoping to jog my way through. I can already see Dave the Vet running alongside me talking about how low his heart rate is while I wheeze my way up and down the hills. It's that kind of paranoia that keeps me going.

I'm going to let you into a little secret. I am wearing compression calf guards under my suit today. And it feels good.

Although botanically speaking the fruits of capsicums are berries, the peppers are considered as vegitables or spices for culinary purposes.

Interesting.

So my alcohol free life lasted for eight whole days and moderation failed me on the 16th. So it was that I set off on my long run on sunday, ever so slightly hungover, and a tad grumpy. Not ideal conditions, or condition, under which to commit to my first long trail run with full backpack and weight. I have been building up to it with regular runs with weight on the treadmill but I was surprised at how I struggled with an additional 10kgs. I am hoping to get my racepack down to around 8kg's for Atacama and I am really going to make this the focus of my next 6 weeks as I felt every little up and down when carryng weight. It was a bit like being fat again. Small hills felt twice the size and started to look twice the size after about an hour. Large hills became a slow, weary trudge to the top, not a chance of even a slow jog. However, on saying this I managed to run the rest and feel reasonable, if a little tired today, so hopefully making progress. Another plus was the pack itself which I have fallen in love with. The OMM 32l is such a nice snug fit when compared to any other pack I have owned, which is pretty much all of them. The only complaint I would have is that the whistle is attached to the chest strap and every now and again I get overwhelmed by the need to blow it. It causes quite a stir on the trails, especially when approaching groups of slow hikers stealthily from behind which is my, as well as most serial killers, preferred modus operandi. I call it the blitz whistle.

Although I failed again in my quest for the wagon, the training has been going ok all in all. I have spent a few weeks doing very long, very slow runs as Dave the vet assured me that this is the best way to build distance fitness and now I am adding in speed (if you can call it that, faster may be more appropriate) and pack sessions. I have also added some stationary bike and weights into the mix and this seems to be having a great effect on my leg strength when out on the trails.

Other than that life is ticking along, I still don't have the required urgency to get fit enough to run the thing and I have just been slightly shocked at a training schedule a friend has sent through. Everyone always seems to be doing about twice as much as I am, it's very tough on the confidence. Being so insecure and all. I think I need to work on my motivation, get a little inspiration from somewhere. I am thinking about enterring the HK island king of the hills in a weeks time as this should remind me how rubbish I am compared to regular runners. They are meant to be very tough events. I think my problem may be that I compare myself to regular folk and think I am fit, it's nice to be firmly put in ones place by proper runners and reminded that I am a former chubster and very slow.

I have had an interesting few weeks, as ever, on the personal front. It reminds me of a little Nietzsche quote. He once said 'ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent'. Very relevant. But to be fair to the man he didn't know that Teas and lozenges are made with chili peppers for the treatment of a sore throat.

Amazing.

Again.

I am not sure how many times in life I am going to give up partying, I think I am up into tripple figures and it never works out for me. I don't know if it is me being naturally dull, but I find an alcoholically enhanced life of parties, bars and fast women, ok any women, so much more fulfilling. Not in a spiritual sense of course, but from a single male in Hong Kong's point of view it's just so much more enjoyable than sitting at home thinking about my early morning training run and being single and a bit lonely (not really, but was worried I sounded like a bounder!).

But this is what I am committing to, along with half my friends on facebook it would seem. No alcohol for me until Atacama is done and dusted. When I get there I will be rippling with muslce rather than pie. Like a bronzed god, forging my way throgh the desert. Ok, a little ambitious maybe. Probably nearer a slightly less chubby bloke, waddling under a rucksack that is ever so slightly too heavy still, as he couldn't deprive himself of food. Speaking of which I have my OMM 32l bought and paid for, courtesy of the parents for crimbo, and will start a few light backpack runs this week. I've had sore knees over the Christmas period so I'll probably keep the backpack to treadmill running for January. On initial look and feel in the safety of my home, the OMM feels better than the raidlight did in Gobi. I want to jog a fair bit of Atacama and the Raidlight with front pack just felt too bouncy, the OMM is longer and leaner (like a metaphor for me in Atacama) and sits more firmly against my back. However, we'll see how it copes in the heat of battle. Me against the elephants, or is that elements I forget. My mind has been wandering helplessly since it drowned in over half a bottle of vodka on new years eve, deliverred via an ice sculpture luge. Apparently I had a great night, dancing away. I have no memory of anything other than lovely ice cold vodkae. Hey Ho.

I am also off to get my custom orthotics this week courtesy of Doug at Sports Performance. Since I have been running longer distances my ankles and knees have been playing up so in goes the insoles and 1500mg of Glucosamine a day. I still don't think this will help me to catch Dave the Vet. His fitness has gone through the roof since the Gobi and following his total destruction of me as a teammate in the Action Asia Challenge he continues to cause me physical pain on our weekly long run together. I just cannot keep up, but his constant comments on how low his bloody heart rate is, when I can feel mine in my temples, do encourage me to push on. 'Nearly in zone 2' he'll shout out, followed by 'can't feel the 120k bikeride I did yesterday, warming up nicely'. If his wife wasn't expecting their second child I would have pushed him off the trail by now.

Jean Paul Sarte believed a lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost. However, when he wrote this he was probably unaware that one teaspoon of dried red Chili powder has the daily requirements of vitamin A.

Amazing.

I am having a pretty good week on both training and boozing fronts. Yeppo some might say, or is that yippee, I forget. Since my masterful performance on the Action Asia, lulling the rest of the field into a deserved sense of security, I have had a much stronger half week of training. I did a 25k hike on Saturday that was really painful as the knees are a bit shot since said race, 20k slow jog on Sunday and 10k on both Tuesday and tonight (weds). I plan to do 20k on the treadmill tomorrow as well to round off a good week. 

I'm not sure if I'll have made any drastic leaps forward in my fitness mind, as I have been out for lunch and dinner every day, so still feeling fat, but I reckon I will have shifted a few pounds. We went out for a ruby last night and it had the usual effects, I think I coverred about another 10k this afternoon in trips back and forth to the bog. It is my tip of the day, if you've plateau'd in your regime, nip out for 8 beers, a lamb bhuna, 2 poppadums and assorted bhaji's. I call it the pebbledash regime, similar to fartleck training in that sometimes you run faster than others.

It's my first Christmas away from the UK and I must admit to a little envy over the amazing snowy pictures people have been sending me. I worry I am going to be a little homesick. As I wandered around in 20 degree sunshine earlier, thinking about my date with a smoking hot Korean girl last night, and pondering about which mode of fully functioning public or cheap private transport I should take back to the office I did think to myself. 'Why did I leave'... oh. Well Merry Christmas everyone, I believe it may be considered politically incorrect these days, but as it strikes me as being Christmas, I thought I would throw it out there.

Pink Floyd are currently asking me whether I can tell heaven from from hell and whether I exchanged a walk on part in a war for a lead role in a cage... very meaningful and it got me a thinkin' about the fact that one fresh medium size Chili pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.

Amazing.

... this proven beyond doubt last Sunday as I crashed, burned, cramped and stumbled my way through the Action Asia challenge. don't get me wrong, it was fun in a weird way, really well organised and we got to see some parts of Lantau island that others cannot reach, but my word it was a tough one. Apparently having a few shiny carabiners and a harness does not an adventure racer make. Yet again I sucked. The race was pretty heavily focused on mountain biking on roads and catch waters and I found myself having to take a walk after about twenty minutes. It didn't help matter that my team mate and great friend is a keen road cyclist so was finding the whole thing a bit too easy and if honest a tad dull. I felt emotionally crushed as he cycled alongside me chatting away:

'Hey Nick, my heart rate is only 135!'
'Road biking is much togher than this!'

At one point he pulled a wheelie. I was gutted. I guess we all have bad races and even by my low standards it was a tough one. I obviously got my hydration wrong, apparetly getting drunk on Friday night before a race is not advised, but I was getting cramp every ten minutes for the last 40 kilometers, or about 6 hours. Fixed line scrambling, cycling, running, hiking, ocean kayaking. Turns out none of these are fun when you have cramp. 

Towards the end we had to park our kayak, climb up a road bridge, abseil off into the water and get back on our kayaks. It was awesome fun, but when I got out the kayak I got cramp in both arms, my stomach and one leg. I couldn't move, I actually had to stand still hitting my legs until they worked again. I could have cried, but apparently this is unacceptable for a grown man in public, let alone amongst a bunch of hardcore adventure racing types.

I think I know my major error. I bottled it on the lycra shorts and went for my mesh fronted tights with trail shorts over the top. I knew I would put in a world class performance if I wore lycra because I wouldn't want anyone to see me. I don't want to upset anyone, Ladies, calm yourselves, but I tore my tights to shreds in the race. Do not fear, I shall buy more before Atacama.

Fossils show Chili peppers were domesticated by agricultural societies in the Americas more than 6000 years ago.

Amazing.

It's been an uneventful week so far. I seem to be either training or on evening confererence calls, which is a good thing. Saturday I had possibly the worst hangover of my life. Those damn recurring vodka jellies. Again. So I have quit drinking. Again. And I have commenced with my Atacama 2010 training plan. For the first time. It isn't much of a training plan, basically I plan to run a lot. Sometimes on flats, sometimes on a treadmill and sometimes up hills. Sometimes carrying a big, ok I am exagerating again, rucksack full of rice.

So far this week I have done:

- Sunday 25k of Hong Kong trail. Record time for me. I recommend massive hangovers as the key to jogging success
- Monday 20k bike and gym stuff
- Tuesday 10k, including up to the peak
- Wednesday- conference call. A particularly challenging training technique
- Tonight, in for a 15k treadmill effort

I'll be taking Friday and Saturday off in preparation for the Action Asia challenge which a friend and I am crawling through. Me because I am not fit enough and him because he did a tri at the weekend. I don't understand tri, seems too heavily lycra and leg shaving based for my tastes but he seems to love it. Bit repressed maybe. I think it's because it allows him to spend huge sums on shiny bikes but not sure.

We are team Magnum and Hannibal, or something similar. Me because Magnum is my DVD boxset de jour and every man wants to be a it more like Magnum. Hannibal because Dave loves it when a plan comes together. You may be thinking that this is just too sad for a couple of adults, but sadly it is true. I never said I was cool.

I shall try and get a picture of myself in lycra and a harness so that future girlfriends know what they are getting themselves in for.

Likelihoodofmebeingoverthisgirlybeforetheatacama- middling to fair

Did you know? Bush Brothers sells more than 55 million pounds chili, kidney and pinto beans in one year – the weight equivalent to 4,200 male African elephants! 

I am a big fan of Elephant Chili.

Amazing.

It's been a pretty exciting week on the endurance racing front. Not from anything I have done or not done, but more to do with the arrival in town of Ray Zahab ultra marathon legend to present to the Hong Kong Royal Geographic Society. Now I know you'll be thinking, surely Nick is too young and average looking to attend an event at the RGS? And I must admit that when we arrived I thought we'd gone through some kind of space time portal straight into a coastal town in Dorset (Gold Coast for Aussies), but it was awesome. Probably the first time I have felt inspired since I first signed up for the Gobi March at the start of the year. Ray, Mr Zahab Sir as he should be known, was a fantastic public speaker; confident, energised, motivational, the ordeals and adventures he has put himself through were phenomenal. Running 70k a day for 111 days right across the Sahara, certainly wasn't one for lightweights. Clearly the man is mad as a box of frogs, but the fact he applies this to raise money for charity and providing unforgetable experiences to deserving youngsters brought a bit of a lump to my throat. Excellent work and helpful for a bit of perspective. 

I'm taking part in a bit of an adventure race in a couple of weeks so I took myself off shopping for some essential equipment at the weekend. I am now the proud owner of a harness (black, padded, professional looking), three caribiners (red ones) and a shiny thing (blue) that looks like a figure of 8. Earlier this year I was pretty proud of my new whistle and compass but my harness and shiny things blows it out the water. It really got my imagination going, adventure racing, mountains, everest, bedroom. I think the harness could be purchase of the year. My only slight concern is that the lady in the shop insisted that I wear the harness with lycra shorts. I'm not sure if she just found me attractive or was worried about chafing but the idea of turning up to a race wearing lycra shorts and a climbing harness fills me with dread. I'm still pretty new to the whole running thing and I cannot get over my teenage mindset that lycra shorts are not acceptable on a man. Let alone accessorised with a harness. Hopefully everyone will be too caught up with my red caribiners to notice.

Anyway, the knee is better and I have managed two 10k runs since Trailwalker. I'll do one more this week plus a couple of gym sessions before getting back into a longer slow jog over the weekend, probably 25k or so along the HK trail to start building up to a proper training regime.

Likelihoodofscoringinlatinamerica- turns out I recover from a 100k quicker than girls

An Indian mother is set for an entry into the Guinness World Records after eating 51 of the world's hottest chilli in two minutes. Anandita Dutta Tamuly, 26, gobbled up the "ghost chillis" in front of visiting British chef Gordon Ramsay in the north-eastern state of Assam. 

Amazing.

Unfortunately it rarely does as my life is not like the A team. Unfortunately I don't even think I qualify for the alphabet. 

I took Friday off work as me and the team planned to meet at 11.45 to get cracking on Trailwalker 2009. And that was the first stage of a weekend that really didn't go to plan. Not that we had a plan. But it didn't go to it. Most of the team were late, the van was a bit late, we couldn't find where to pick up one of our team mates, traffic was ridiculous and we eventually arrived at the start line 5 minutes before kick off. Not exactly organised for a tough 24 hour race.

Or as it turned out, a 27 hour race because we sucked. Not majorly, just a little bit, but we sucked all the same. And the team fell out. And I bust my knee. And it was 2 degrees in Hong Kong. And I got dumped on Sunday morning.

And mostly I enjoyed myself. It's strange but after a bit of a moan (ok I have chewed at least a dozen peoples ears off!!) I have really fond memories of the event. I didn't know two of the team that well beforehand and I feel I have made two genuine new friends. I had my first hallucination on top of the biggest hill in Hong Kong which was a very poor hallucination, but my first all the same. I felt like the arm on my glasses was massive. It felt like it took both hands to lift my glasses off my nose which was very cool. We were 80k in and I had allowed myself to get quite majorly dehydrated, and I was wandering along smiling at everyone (those that know me know how unusual it is for me to smile), telling them how amazing the race was and how much I was enjoying myself, when all of a sudden I sensed how huge my glasses were. Massive! Just another thing to enjoy. At the end of the day I finished and it is still 100k and Trailwalker is such a warm and friendly event and has such a great spirit to it that I'll always take part while I am in Hong Kong.

On reflection, I should have known it wouldn't go to plan when I decided to wear white tights. I mean who wears white tights when they have lucky compression socks? Who wears white tights full stop? Me that's who. And they had a mesh front. Quite a motivator for the ladies. Every time they looked tired I just promised them a little peek down my shorts and they soon shifted. I'm not sure they had to run so far or so fast, it was a little hurtful, but it seemed to do the trick.

As I am now single again I feel the ometers can rightfully make a return.

Likelihoodofanyladyletalonealatinamericanladyonabeachnotdumpingmewithin6weeks-ometer: Sob.... sniffle... I've got something in my eye... honest

The World's Hottest Chili is the Naga Jolokia Chilli Pepper and it Can Make You Cry With Pain. I know I have used this one already, but I must have eaten a Naga Jolokia, or got something in my eye... cough. I have become quite the fan of Magnum PI recently and when I reflect on what Magnum would do in this situation I know he'd look into the camera, give a cheesy grin, raise and eye brow and man up. That's my plan. Can't imagine why I am single again.

A week off training this week while my knee recovers and then start thinking about a proper training schedule for Atacama and the beach I intend to hit, Magnum style, the following week. Sniffle.

So it is here, time to chill for a few days, eating as much as possible and sleeping in compression wear to prepare myself for the arduous 100k of Maclehose trail. For those of you unaware, compression is supposed to help your body to recover by forcing the lactic acid out of your muscles, at least I think that is what the advertising said. I have a couple of bits and pieces of compression from the Gobi last year, some bright white skins tights and t-shirts, but I was too shy to wear them at the time. In the comfort of your own home is one thing, in public is different entirely! Compression fit with a mesh front is not something anyeone should feel comfortable wearing in public and I felt my gut needed some work before it was fair to put the competition through that.

Even though my jury is still out on whether the stuff works I found myself buying some of the calf guards at the weekend. I was sold as soon as Eric mentioned them on his blog. I believe the purchase of this vital piece of kit should knock around ten hours off my time and I am now hoping for a sub 14 hour effort, anything less will be a disappointment and with the Gurkhas absent I feel this is my teams big chance for a win (cough). My only concerns are whether my team are up to the pace of my new socks and whether the support team can get from stop to stop quick enough to help us through. 

As I have been tapering, and it has been a lazy taper at that (who needs to train when you have go faster socks) the blog is a short one this week.

I imagine some of you have been reading this and wondering, how do I stop the burn when I eat a hot chili? Well, immediate consumption of dairy products like milk, sour cream or ice cream. The more fat in the product the better. Also, starchy foods tend to absorb the heat! A popular Mexican cure is to consume beer to cool the burn!

I am with the Mexicans on this one. Roll on Saturday night.

So, it's two weeks to go until Hong Kong Trailwalker, a nasty, spiteful, hilly 100k'er. I would imagine it is one of the tougher 100k races out there, but it's a great event. Run by Oxfam for 'charidee' it has a really great feel to it. Our team are probably one of the least prepared this year. I'm not sure how we'll get on as we've not actually met eachother. I doubt there are many teams taking part who don't know one another but I think we're all reasonable personalities and we'll just tick through at the pace of the slowest person. This time last year Trailwalker 2008 was my first long distance event and I absolutely massacred my feet by wearing totally innapropriate shoes. Hopefully I have learned one or two lessons since and this year I won't find myself in A and E on Monday morning like last year. The memories of laughing hysterically as a doctor shoved cotton buds and cleaning fluid between what had previously been the sole of my foot and the flesh beneath still haunts me at times. Every time the doc hit an exposed nerve my leg would leap into the air so they had to pin me down while he finished his work. Most amusing, but I still finished... although I am not competitive at all (cough).

We had our final long training session on Saturday coverring 6,7,8,9 and 10 of the Maclehose trail. We even managed a good jog over some of the final stretches and I felt strong throughout. Over the last few weeks I have added a couple of flat runs (8-15k) which is helping with weight loss but also feels like it has made a real difference to stamina. When we hit the flats I can jog along quite merrily for a reasonable distance which I was struggling with before, especially when tired. Most of the runs and walks I was doing were very hilly, therefor slow jog or walk) but the flat stuff seems to be giving me a bit of an edge which I think will really help to eat up the distance in the Atacama. I am surprised that some people are training with a pack already, I am no expert but I do wonder about the longer term impact on the knees of training with weight. In Hong Kong you tend to have a few kg's on you anyway once you factor in water, food and clothing but I wouldn't want to risk a great deal more until a month or so before the event.

I have also taken to eating more on training days which seems to be making a great difference. I've never been big on breakfast as I just don't tend to feel hungry first thing in the morning but I've been managing to get a powerbar or equivalent in about an hour before we start and then trying to eat shot blocks and other foods while on the trail. I think I need to be putting more calories down but I struggle with the artificial stuff, so I am starting to investigate natural alternatives. Dried mangos went down well over the weekend so I am going to give them a run.  Power bars are ok but I can only eat one or two in a day and they seem to have other less desireable effects. One of my training partners educated us on the fall out of 8 hours of power bar meltdown with one of the most amazing bouts of wind I have ever witnessed. Positively nuclear.

The naga jolokia  was, in 2007, confirmed by Guinness World Records to be the hottest chili in the world, replacing the Red Savina. It is a naturally occurring inter-specific hybrid originating in the Assam region of northeastern India.

Hmm.

So the Sahara race is done and dusted, sounded like a warm one. I've been gripped by some of the blogs over the last week, following the updates of all the runners and taking inspiration from those who pushed on through and gave it their all. As ever in these RTP events, some great stories of people finding that extra little bit of grit when required. The stories of blisters also served as a great reminder to me of the state that your feet can get into and the importance of the right shoes and even better than treatment, prevention with the right socks. I still wince a little when I remember the doc forcing a huge (ok small, but it felt big) needle through my heel to connect two blisters either side of a callous. I have no intention of repeating that one and hopefully I have found a strategy that works me by by next March. I am currently running in Asics trail shoes (trail sensor usually) and double socking with an Injinji coverred by a go lite. It seems to be working for me as I haven't had any significant blisters since the Gobi.

My own training has been mixed in the last couple of weeks. I took part in a 20k race over two big hills of 700 and 800 odd meters a couple of weeks ago and my legs have hurt ever since. As ever it is the running down hill that seemed to do most damage, running down 1000 steps is really not very pleasant and my quads were ruined for about 4 days afterwards. However, I have moved into the top half of finishers in most of the events I do now, which is really satisfying. When I started  walking and jogging agin about a year and a half ago, I had some truly comfortable last place finishes. Coming last just seemed to be really easy for me, like a talent. I am however, wondering what it will take to move into the top third, the group that I like to call the 'proper runners'. I wonder if I need to be more dedicated, change the training I do perhaps train with different groups. Previously in life I never signed up to the 'it's the taking part that counts' school of thought, but since I started on these events I have been forced into that way of thinking to avoid constant disappointment. I have had to acknowledge that although I enjoy every race I do, I lack that one ingredient that no lack of common sense can make up for. Talent. I believe I have a few strengths in life, I'm not going to list them as I don't want to make anyone feel bad, but I have no natural talent in endurance events, just lots of enthusiasm. Which makes me the guy who used to get picked last for school football practice. Oh well, it's probably doing me good in some way, character building and all that.

On Saturday I had a good session on the Maclehose with some guys I have been training with in preparation for the Oxfam Trailwalker. It's Hong Kongs premier event of this nature and  they manage to get thousands of people in teams of 4 trying to get through the 100k in less than 48 hours. We'll be aiming for around half of that, but the really quick teams will try and go sub 16 hours (super traiwalker is sub 18). It probably sounds quite easy to some, but the course is just hill after hill, urban myth has it that we ascend the height of everest of the 100k and it can't be far off. We did 25k of the hilliest bits on the weekend and someones funky watch told us we had ascended 1500 odd meters so it is very up and down. For context, the Gurkha teams go sub 12 hours now and on one year (yet another urban myth so excuse me if not factually correct) a team member broke his ankle so they carried him and still did around 15 hours. Good story.

In the spirit of the Atacama, and having come to the conclusion that it is unlikely I'll ever be very attractive to latinamericanladiesonthebeach, the ometers have been replaced by facts about Chilli.

In 1902 Wibur Scoville developed a method for measuring the strength of capsicum in a given pepper. This originally meant tasting a diluted version of a pepper and giving it a value. Nowadays it can be done more accurately with the help of computers to rate the peppers in Scoville units, which indicate parts per million of capsaicin.

Amazing.

After the trials and tribulations of the vietnam not-ultra-probably-a-stage-race ultramarathon, and then the tres hungover wilson trail episode I had a fairly chilled week on the training front. Just a few light gym sessions and then a 25k walk on Sunday. Not overly demanding and the legs again feel like they are attached to both my body and feet which is a plus. This week I plan to do a few runs and then have a pretty full-on weekend of over 35k of hill walking on Saturday and a 20k very hilly race over two of the largest peaks in Hong Kong on Sunday. It should be good, possibly even enjoyable, as the weather has really cooled to mid to high twenties and humidity has dropped off from the Summer. We can now plan to go for long walks and runs with just a few litres of water and not worry too much about whether there are refill stations along the way. When you get to the top of a hill you feel a sense of achievement, rather than worrying that your head might explode. Both positives.

My stupidity at getting outrageously 'merry' the night before our 48k race the other weekend has really got me thinking. I don't know when it happened but somehow I managed to get blase about doing 48k overnight over some of HK's toughest hills. I really am terribly average, my long term aim is to be able to run the whole of an ultra or endurance race but I really am some way from this at the moment. It was a good wake up call and I am now cutting back on the lifestyle until after Hong Kong Trailwalker in November. It is a horrendous race, 100k up and down hills and the Raleigh episode reminded me that I am not in the sort of shape to undertake such an event without careful preparation and a (short) time off the booze.

I am thinking about developing an alternative strategy for Trailwalker as I found the Wilson so tough. Perhaps balloon boy conquers trailwalker. Nick Anderson, last seen by his team sailing off over Needle Hill, whilst really being holed up in a bar in Lan Kwai Fong... not sure that would go down well with the authorities though... I mean, who would seriously consider such a ridiculous caper. Or I could use a beach ball to divert other runners off the trail at key moments. Liverpool fans are particularly susceptable to this ruse. Or maybe I'll nip to Madagascar and pick up one of the newly discovered giant orb web spiders, to weave a web over the trail and slow other teams.... or maybe I should just train harder, eat better and drink less... ah.

I was looking for some fun facts about Chile to weave into this blog but mainly google came back with intimidating sound bites about the Atacama being the driest place on earth blahdy de blah. However, I found this interesting:

A. Seeds are not the source of heat in a pepper, as most people believe. The capsaicin is produced in the glands and the most heat is found in the placenta of the pepper that attaches the seeds to the pod.

I have decided to include an interesting fact about Chili each week, as it is less scary.

I tried out a new pre race routine this week which didn't go very well. To anyone else preparing for a race in the next few weeks I would like to suggest that you do not, at any cost, follow the getsmashedwithanathlete-routine. 

Following our successful (it's all relative) jaunt to Vietnam last week I had a very light week of training with just one gym session and lots of stretching. I find that these events take a massive toll on my body as I am statistically at least 1.5 standard deviations above the mean in body size when compared to other competitors. I knew I had an overnight 48k trail race to do this weekend which would be tough, over some quite large hills so I had a very relaxed week until Friday night when I got a little overexcited. And so it was that I found myself in Mes Amis in Wan Chai at 3am being taught dance moves by Chuck Cosman, who I believe was in the top 20 of the Marathon Des Sables this year. I was hoping that by mastering the Chuck shuffle I would pick up some of his considerable speed and talent. A bit like my theory that if I read a lot I may be able to write.

I awoke the next afternoon still untalented with the knowledge that at 9.30pm that night we had to make our way along 48k of hong kongs toughest hills. We were walking this one, so not all bad, but it was the toughest race of my life. I normally enjoy the taking part but I can safely say I hated every minute of it, from start to finish. The only vaguely enjoyable bit was when we had some noodles and a swig of vodka at the start line and the most amazing cup of Ovaltine at 5am. But we finished and did ok, about 6th out of a field of 35 odd teams even though we didn't run a step. As is so often the case in these longer events, over tough terrain, its the hungover tortoise who beats the hare. It amazed me how many teams ran sprinting off into the distance at the start only to be passed by four overweight walkers (of which it turned out another was in as bad shape as I) on the first hill. 

I was quite intimidated for the first few races I enterred thinking that everyone else would be superman, but it seems to be a pattern that the top 15-20 individuals or the first few teams are really quick and the rest are pretty variable in quality and walking/ running for all sorts of reasons whether to get fit, stay fit or raise money for charity. I have noticed a few bloggers writing about how worried they are that other competitors will be machines or supermen. The funny thing is no competitor in the Gobi, however quick, asked me my time and that since the the Gobi not a single person has asked me where I came. Mainly people ask what it was like, before saying you're mad and they could never do it. My thoughts are that with the right training and particularly luck with injuries, anyone can do these events as long as you go at a pace that suits you and you don't try and push beyond your own ability. The races themselves will ensure that you are stretched to your personal limits. It'll probably hurt a bit along the way, but that's why man invented ibuprufen and codeine.

I am stiff and sore today so it'll be a few quiet gym sessions before hitting the trails for a bit of a run next weekend and there is a race on Lantau the following weekend. It should be good, a couple of Hong Kongs biggest hills to stop the hares putting too much distance on this considerably less hungover tortoise.

... perpetuem in the morning.

Well I finished the Vietnam Ultra, most pleasing but not without the odd hiccup. About 90 odd of us set off from Hong Kong on Wednesday evening, not really knowing what we were in for. Typhoon Ketsana passed through the day before we arrived causing considerable destruction to the local infrastructure and effectively cutting us off from the trails that we were meant to be racing. I'd exchanged e-mails with a few worried family members before we set off as they'd seen pictures of the devastation on the news and was rightfully put in my place by my brother. Having expressed my indignation at the fact our trail run was off, he dropped me a simple one line response, 'at least you are not one of those who died'. Talk about perspective. In HR we would call that open, honest two way conversation or constructive feedback. I felt very guilty and tried hard not to moan anymore.

When we arrived in Danang the extent of the damage that the storm had inflicted was apparent, the streets were flooded, trees down, rubbish was everywhere. On our short trip to the hotel, we managed to get our coach caught on a downed power line. This caused a few tense moments as the driver tried to push through and the sun roof of the coach started to strip the rubber casing. I'd like to be able to claim that I manned up. Toughed it out. Stared that power line in the eyes and laughed in the face of human BBQ. However, I got up and ran squelling like a small child. Eventually a passing motorcycle rider got up on the roof and eased it off with a broom, nearly buying it himself when our enthusiastic, go forward style, coach driver set off again without allowing him off. Possibly Vietnams first episode of bus surfing.

There were advantages to the new race route. For a start, we had hotel accomodation each night. Instead of staying in mountain villages we stayed in hotels, instead of freeze dried food, we went to local restaurants. I think I may have found my ideal race format. Long run>shower>food>food>food>food>food> beer> hotel bed. To be repeated three times. I was truly impressed with the ability of some of my co-runners when it came to eating, every day was a carb loading fest. I think we all may have put on weight over the course of a three day race which is possibly a first.

The race turned into two days of 35k and a 20-25k final day on roads, a baby ultra for some I guess. I jogged the flats (ok I walked a bit but I was really hot and tired!) and walked the hills which were quite large, 500 odd meters on day 1 and 700 on day 2. It was all wonderfully chaotic, but the race team did a great job in putting together a course in one day, having seen their previous months work washed away in 24 hours of hard rain. It only occurred to me afterwards how tough it must have been for these guys, so great job. 

I would recommend Vietnam to anyone who hasn't been and I'll definitely be going back, I had half expected to hear Hendrix playing in the background as I had very Apocalypse Now visions of the country. However, the reality was very friendly people and a country filled with green hills and good food. Although for animal lovers it could be tough at times. I am not sure that dogs have a very long life expectancy. If you're a fan of Lassie or the littlest Hobo, do not investigate too closely. 

There's a place keeps on calling me, 
down the road that's where I'll always be

... whack... yelp... silence... sausages

So as for training, a week of becoming 30 is in store for me before I get back into it a little more seriously. Being a bit fat and having not trained on roads my knees and ankles are pretty sore today, as is my back strangely, so lots of rest.

I am looking forward to keeping up with the sahara race progress. Good luck.

I have officially had a good weeks training. I've managed to get in a few run-and-gym sessions, a long run on Tuesday and around 28k of hills on Saturday, but I am bored. Vietnam cannot come soon enough for me. We fly out on Wednesday night, Typhoons willing, and arrive into Danang around 7.45 in the evening with passports and 35USD for visas ready and waiting. I say I am bored because other than training I didn't go out this weekend, I have come to recognise that I have the will power of a gnat and if I go out in Hong Kong on a weekend, I will enjoy myself. Heavily. To this end I decided to stay in rather than put myself into temptations path. Monday morning has been a strange and productive time in work. A time of week normally approached with mild fear and seen through a haze of weekend fun has been clear, productive, efficient. I'm not comfortable with it at all.

Saturday was a particularly fulfilling bit of exercise, a walk rather than a run, but all of the major hills on the Macclehose trail from stage 5 to 8 done in the intense heat I've been banging on about every week for the last month or two. Stages 7 and 8 are two of my favourites in Hong Kong. Starting at a pleasant dam you head up over Needle hill, down the other side, up grassy hill, down the other side and then up Tai mo Shan.... before going, you guessed it, down the other side. It's a hilly number as the peaks all have climbs of around 3-4 hundred metres I guess. Tai mo Shan is Hong Kongs highest peak at 957 meters but you don't approach it from anywhere near sea level, so I guess it is about a 400 odd meter climb. The views are great and when you get to the top you pass an old british listening post from colonial days before heading down a winding road that looks like something  from an audi advert. As I was heading down the other side at a slow jog with my walking buddy, I felt ok... Vorsprung durch technik, that's what I reckon. Just less well oiled than usual.

I am bored of the ometer concept and there is little point in updates when I spend friday, saturday and sunday in watching Magnum Series 1 DVD boxset (which is awesome, I am officially growing a 'tache and chest rug). Actually, I nearly reverted to the likelihoodofdying...ometer as the massive typhoon that hit Manilla is showing signs of hitting Vietnam. However, although I am not a superstitious man, theres no point in tempting it eh.

A few bloggers sound a bit low and in need of motivation, I cannot help with the motivation bit, I'm a psychologist so I don't know how... Instead bear these words in mind:

If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle.
That's the thing.
And...

Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistle]
Always look on the right side of life,

On Saturday we walked for 7 hours around Lantau island trails and I drank 9 litres of water. Yep, 9 litres. I have read on various forums that the body cannot absorb more than 1 litre an hour which I used to believe but now I am not sure. It was a scorching day, in the mid thirties but not as humid as it has been. Perfect weather for sitting on a beach or by the pool, so we went hiking in the hills. The lantau trail was fairly varied with the first 15k being pretty flat, probably only a couple of hundred metres of elevation in total, but hugely overgrown in parts. We were crawling through the undergrowth David Bellamy style, getting torn to pieces by various thorny nasties and generally having a bad time of it. It felt more like an adventure race (well maybe, I've never done one) than a Hong Kong hike. The second half was a lot more hilly and we climbed to the tallest peak on this stage which was around 500m with generally undulating terrain. Both myself and my friend were really struggling with the heat for the last hour and we finished up at the big buddha where a few tourists started taking pictures having mistaken me for an attraction, worlds sweatiest man... well the 9 litres had to go somewhere. I worked hard until 4am in Wan Chai to replace the lost fluids, but I awoke with a terrible hango... headache, which I am putting down to dehydration.

I've had a couple of good weeks training wise, the weekly longer night run has been going quite well and me and another running buddy (they are all called Dave so I am not going to confuse people) were very pleased with our efforts last week. I think we knocked quite a decent time off our previous best on the route and we both finished pretty strongly even managing to run up all the steps enroute. Don't get me wrong, I am still slow compared to what I see as proper runners, but it feels good to be able to comfortably jog these distances and we're improving all the time. I am also getting a couple of shorter runs in each week on the treadmill, followed by bike, weights and lots of stretching, these seem to have really helped with leg strength. By Atacama I should at least be average.

I have a minor ongoing concern around whether I'll ever be able to cut down on the booze, but it's just too much fun. I love hiking and running, but I also love eating, drinking and dancing really badly. I just need to strike a balance, which I am doing... loads of both. I am 30 in two weeks time so it doesn't seem like the right time to cut down.

Moreattracttiveto...ometer: I'm not having too much luck on that front again. I am useless at talking to girls in bars so I need to diversify my sourcing channels if I am going to be successful long term. Any ideas on where to meet girls in Hong Kong, please put on a post card and send to... actually just comment on the site, it'll be fun.

I am off to Vietnam in a week and a half to run in a race there. Should be fun as I recognise quite a few names on the list from other events... apparently at the briefing the organiser spoke extensively around being impaled on sharpened bamboo. Very Indiana Jones. Laters.

I got back into the training over the last week since my Leaving Las London holiday back in the UK. Since then I have managed a fair bit with a 10k run, gym session, 17k hike on Saturday, 10k run and gym on Monday and 17k run/jog  yesterday. We'd normally do a longer one on a Saturday but we went for a shorter hilly option which turned out to take longer than our usual 25/30k. The scenery on the northern part of the Wilson Trail was truly spectacular, with views across to Shenzhen in the mainland and other islands off Hong Kong in the other direction. I am not overly sure which direction I was looking at as I am like a compass next to a magnet, hence I usually follow those who know the way. It was a bit of a scorcher on Saturday, up to 36 odd degrees at times so again I set new records for sweating. My training mates continue to be amazed that it is actually possible to sweat this much but to me it's natural. You can't coach it.

I thoroughly enjoyed our run last night which starts with a walk up over the majority of the peak and then follows a flat'ish running route for another 15 odd k round the side of the island. I am finding it much easier than I had been which I am putting down to more running and less hiking in my training schedule. The big debate last night between myself and Dr Dave the vet, was whether it is ok to fart in front of girls who you are running/walking with. Fortunately for Sam from RTP, neither of us could do it in front of a girl, so we finished the run rather bloated after our consumption of energy gels and electrolytes. I would be interested in views on this most important of topics as it has definitely had a knock on effect to my performance in work this morning. Do I need it, don't I need it, it's very complicated.

As for the training, I am really enjoying it, however I have been surprised at how much less excited I am by the idea of a race the second time around. Before the Gobi it was pretty much all I could think about and it's not like I have no room for improvement on my performance. I am distincly average. Fast walking average and not slow jogging average I might add. I feel a little blase about the whole thing which is rather odd as I am still very slow which was evidenced by how fast RTP's very own blogger Eric went past me on the HK trail a few weeks back. My dehydrated mind had only just clocked who it was as he disappeared with his running buddy around the next corner never to be seen again. Eric probably wouldn't even recognise me as he had generally finished, stretched, eaten, blogged, written a novel and been asleep for a few hours by the time I finished each day in the Gobi.

I feel the need to rediscover my child like excitement about the next race, maybe I need a new backpack or something? Perhaps I am just a grizzled old hand now that I have done one desert, a trailwalker and two action asia events. Maybe instead of excited I am supposed to look blase and develop my thousand yard stare? I think you have to be faster than I am to take yourself that seriously. Maybe wear one of those dodgy all in one race suits (Dave?)?

Anyway, the ometer that was looking so positive last week, took a dive this week and I have a second ometer that came from a suggestion from Sam on Saturday:

Moreattractivetolatinamercanloveliesinitsybitsyteenywee...ometer- I lost the power du du dududurrrr. Yep, useless with women again.

Howbigisthathillometer- on Saturdays evidence it was bloody massive. We have a long, painful but blase way to go.

I need more kit.

On reading the blogs of others it would appear everyones training is going pretty strong. Good work. In the last ten days I have managed a 6k and 8k run as I have been on 'holiday' back to the UK. It's a strange life, that of an expat, in that when you return home there is an expectation that you'll join every single person you've ever met for 'a beer'. In this instance it seemed that 'a beer' consisted of 'ten beers' so I have in effect spent the last ten days drunk. Proper drunk in most instances as opposed to a tad merry.

I am off to Vietnam at the end of the month for a 100k ultramarathon (in the mountains), which is really a 3 day stage race of 40k, 40k and 20k. I was hoping to run the whole thing but I am already accepting that this will be pretty tough as it appears that my strengths lie in drinking rather than training. I have to confess to having struggled with motivation since the Gobi and I was just picking up the training when I went off to the UK. I am hoping for a turnaround starting on my run tonight but I am suffering from jet lag so may go to the pub instead.

Something that did increase my motivation was receiving my free racing the planet mug in the mail this week for 'showing continuing support for the online store'. I assume that this really meant for 'spending money on a lot of kit you'll never use as you have three of these already'. Either way it is a nice mug. Shiny. Black. Racing the planet written on the inside. I now drink my daily cups of tea from it which in my mind is pretty much training. So this week I managed:

Wednesday- 6k run
Friday- 8k run
Tuesday- 2 cups of tea from my shiny new racing the planet mug. Continue like this and vietnam will be a doddle

My UK trip was a success (especially for most major pub chains) and it also impacted on my Ometer.

Moreattractivetobikinicladlatinamericanladiesonthebeachometer- I got the power du du du-du-durr. Ok, not that good, but definitely more attractive to UK women. All I need is speedos and some waxing and the latin americans will be in trouble.

So another weekend of heat has passed us in Hong Kong and I got out for a fair amount of training. I've only really kicked into gear on the training front for about a week and a half, as the legs haven't been fully functioning post Gobi. I am not sure if this is a common occurance and to be honest I don't want to know, but my legs have been stiff and sore since June and when I try and jog I feel like I am not connecting with the ground. This feeling continued Saturday as I did a 30 odd k hike with a group of friends who are all training for trailwalker.

It was actually a fairly horrible experience as although we kicked off at 7 in the morning it was already thirty odd degrees and blazing sunshine. Typically we didn't all have hats with us as it had been dull and grey half an hour before so the heat really hit home. I am slightly embarassed to say that it took me six hours to complete this distance. Every time I hit a hill my legs were trembling like jelly. It was like climaxing for twenty minutes without any of the good bits, feet going all over the place. End to end these situations don't normally last more than 30 seconds for me (with foreplay it can be 35) so you can imagine it was hard to deal with.  Sunday was even worse. I had planned a 20k jog with a friend from the Gobi but I had to turn back just before 5k as the wobbly knees were kicking in again and Dave certainly wasn't looking that hot. A totally pathetic effort. You only have to read the blogs of other hong kongers and you'll realise it is a little warm here at this time of year so hopefully it is just the heat and I am not as unfit as it would appear.

My research into Chile has commenced and it would appear that  David Selkirk, aka Robinson Crusoe, survived a shipwreck and lived for several years on a desert island off the coast of Chile. As a website informs me 'no doubt thriving on the nutritional benefits of fresh fruit'. Nutritional strategies for Atacama should be a breeze then, I see myself lounging around feasting on abundant fresh fruit, being tended to by bikini clad chilean hotties (girls Friday... and Saturday if she is free).

Moreattractivetodentailflossbikinicladchilienabeachbabesometer (or whatever it was)- if they like a 20 minute knee trembler, I'm their man.

Still no second ometer. It would appear I am one dimensional. Speaking of which, Robs expert blog this week talks about what you think about when you're wandering along for 250k in a desert race. Not surprising perhaps, but I can honestly say I too was blank. Blanker than a whiteboard with no pen in a white room. I believe proper runners call it the zone. I don't usually qualify for any zones other than special parking (and that's when I am running), but it is a strange state. Every now and again I would look up and be awed by the scenery, or catch sight of a little darting lizzard, or check for the next flag, but nothing else went on. I had been hoping I'd get home and resolve major life issues, like being a complete idiot, but my behaviour since indicates this isn't the case. Hey ho.

So here we are again, blogging away with 6 odd months until Atacama. It's quite a surprise to me that I am doing this event, I'd got fixated on the idea of RTP Australia but a friend is getting married and he gave me the 'there's only one marriage, there are plenty of deserts' speech and as he is right (well... no comment) I couldn't argue, so switched today to Atacama. I am a bit disappointed as I had lots of 'funny' references in mind for the blog around 'shrimps', 'another', 'barbie', 'Bruce', 'Joe Mangle' and my personal favourite, the 'ute'. All of which are now denied to me. My Australian colleague, who I sit next to, has already corrected me that they call them prawns... Is it wrong for me to argue even though I have not been to Australia, I mean everyone knows? 

It's not such a bad thing, the idea of a week on a beach in Brazil or pretty much any other country in Latin America is pretty exciting, great sand, blue seas, beach volleyball, tiny tiny bikin... Anyway... um... I don't know a great deal about Chile, my book of stereotypes doesn't have anything in so it'll take a while to get the jokes flowing.

Since the Gobi I've been working hard at putting the weight back on, I've not been dedicated to the exercise cause and found it a struggle to get going. I am not sure if this is usual but my legs have pretty much packed in and I was experiencing great pain in my knees each time I tried to run or even walk downhill. So yesterday I visited a specialist foot doc who informed me that I roll-in a great deal as I walk (pronation apparently) and that I am very stiff. After congratulating myself on such a feat at nearly 30 years of age (hooyah!), the doc informed me that he meant my hamstrings and calfs and that I am not that young anymore, so I have a programme of stretching to take on over the next few weeks, some insoles for my shoes and slight sense of disappointment.

Sunday was one of the hottest, most polluted days on record and I have a chest infection, so I decided to restart the exercise campaign and go hiking. On reflection I can see that I have had better ideas but I think it looks different when you write it, somehow a more simple, less complex decision. Now my mind says 'gym', at the time it said 25k over hills. So in a way I did make a simple decision. This came back to haunt me 2 hours in when my legs turned to Jelly and I couldn't breathe. I had to pack it in and head home. As I stumbled off the trail I was passed by an elderly chinese couple in jeans and shirts, carrying umbrellas and a big old radio, the shame was almost too much to bear.

So I signed up for Atacama. It's back on the wagon, enterring some other events, buying orthotic insoles, watching my diet (he says munching an aero and drinking a can of coke) and getting back on the path towards... no not enlightenment, but being more attractive to Latin American women on the beach! Turns out I need the focus in my life. Which reminds me of an interview I conducted in the UK. Myself an a colleague from deepest darkest yorkshire were interviewing a delightful young french lady who kept talking of 'the focus'. I was in stitches when we were discussing her answers, looking for behavioural examples like good HR folk and he ask me 'ere Nick, who were them fookers she kept talking about'. Legendary Hindle, maybe he was right and actually I need the fookers.

Moreattractivetolatinamericanwomenonthebeachometer: It's an ultramarathon not a sprint. I have more time than I did for Gobi and I need it... as well as a tan and some bright red speedos.

Previously I had the likelihoodofdyinginthegobidesertometer as well but I should be ok on that front in Atacama and it worried my mum and grandma unnecessarily. So I need a new Ometer but it has to be right and needs some thought. After my recent performance I am expecting a few comments around likelihoodofshowingupforgobidesertreuniondrinksometer which is very low at present, running in the negative, as I was chastised this very morning by Sam from RTP when I enterred the event. Honestly, it's all moan moan moan.