Going to sleep last night my knees and my hips hurt and my toes throbbed for 2-3 hrs. Today I am swearing by the 2XU compression gear.
 
Lee and I power walked the entire course from day two stage two as mum and dad tell me made the braking news. Yesterday we chewed up the 89 k course and took just under 17 hrs. At 16hrs and 47 mins the came looked about 10-15 mins away, Lee had no run in him by two stage previous but I wanted to get under that milestone, he gave me permission and I ran hard in soft sand and a reasonable size dune to get under 17hrs and arrive at 11pm. I went back to him and he to ducked under the milestone. I am not sure of the official time but somewhere close to 49hrs seems about right. Goal accomplished!
 
The last leg was designed by someone with a evil sence of humour as it went on and on and on. I think it was two ks longer than advertised so Im going to ask for my money back. The last two ks we were thinking its just over this hill or over this dune. One time we were so convinced (after getting down on all fours to climb a steep dune) that we were flabberagsted that the camp was not just over the dune but no where in sight and that we had a trail of glowsticks still to follow into the distance.
 
Well its over apart from the photo opportunity at the pyramids tomorrow. Quite a personal experience. Think long and hard about doing one yourself. Ask yourself is this how I want to spend my leisure time? I was thinking would I like to learn how to surf and be pummeled by the ocean rather than walking/wading through the deserts and being fried by the sun!
 
Mike Welmstead at a RGS talk on Namibia said when these things get tough you say hello to yourself. I have as others that pain is weakess leaving the body. Right now I feel like superman cause tonnes of weakness left my body this week.
 
I am happy, Lee is Happy and my tent is happy. Anthony and Pete, Duncan, Me and 28hr for last stage Chris are happy. Today we rest on the big sand dune nestled in between some large rocky hills.
 
Lastly I wish to thank all the staff of racing the planet especially Samatha Fanshawe for her perkyiness - always and often under undue pressure, Eric La haie, Mary Gadams. Mostly I want to thank the cp angels for the life saving and medal saving spritzing at cp3 on day 2. The volunteers in general for their cheerfulness and words of encouragement. Volunteering away your holidays for something like this is gracious and something I reccommend you do if you are humming and harring about signing up for an ultramarathon.
 
Thanks for all your comments and well wishes. I have some photos and some videon clips but I will not be making the 51min epic I made for Liz and the Gobi Adventure.
 
Ross

Oasis in the desert from 8ks out looks like a tall tree. The sadaist that put the course together decide to take the scenic route and meander between soft sand that feels knee deep (not even ankle really) and places of interest such as differentt flavours of sand and rock. At three ks the oasis looks like a clump of palm trees. At 500mtrs it has an elevation through soft sand. At 1mtre there provides a glorious opportunity to dowse oneself liberaly with cold water. It took 32ks and about 6 hours to reach.
 
Facts
8.45 for 42ks - my second official marathon
heart rate - I took it off as it was pointless
ave temp 31
max temp 36 - do not rely on my watch its way hotter
 
Rest times at cp 1 10mins to check hotspot.
Cp 2 15mins
Cp 3 25 mins
Apart from that Lee and I burned up the sand at average of 5km an hour. Stage 4 went on and on today.
Seems like the top of the leader board may have changed as the canadian burnt out.
 
Also seems the top 40 did a big push today. Me I am very pleased to keep 5ks average. A couple of wee blisters appearing and sore to run itb left leg other than that felt very strong today. I think 15 people droped out today. Lee and I finished 58 ish.
 
Tomorrow will be the same - walking and conserving energy for the 87k day and well, quite frankly, to complete.
 
Rob am struggling to get hk food plan going. Liquid protein not happening. Am eating the rest at night though.
 
My ginger tea, peppermint tea, tumeric, flax seed oil seem to be doing their job of pain killing and anti-inflammatory. I have managed to have a poo a day so the worry of constipation has been relieved.
 
Theres a few good stories of human endeavour floating around camp. They will have to wait upon my return. Today was the first whole day I spent with somebody else.  I realise thats what I do when walking by myself - compose blogs.
 
Well its 744pm the last people are drifting in and Im off to eat my trail mix and my horlicks.
 
Be well everybody.
 
Ross

One cant manage time, one can only manage energy.
You know when you were a child and playing with a magnifine glass you held it to the sun and fried ants. Right, that what it was like in the Sahara today between stage two and stage three. Think about that a little bit. It aint half hot mum . Someone said it was 48 degrees from 1030- 3pm today. (insert random choice of swear words here - especially you Rae-ann)
 
racingsaharacomparedtorunningthehktrailinaugustometer - the Hong Trail is a kindergarten.
 
Some facts:
distance 44ks (yesterday was 35 to explain the fast time)
time 9:12
temp ave 33
temp min 26
temp max 38 (I do not believe this)
calories 3799
heart rate max 191 (I took of the strap after stage 3)
ave heart rate 135
 
Race report
Did not give anyone any bloody headstart today. Ran 1k walked 1 k for the first 12ks and was 41st into cp1. Then the soft sand appeared, and just like I am a slow breastroker I am a seemingly slow walker and got into cp2 50th. In stage two the great being in the sky decided to test the mettle of the racers. After running the last 500 meters with Chris from London a tentmate to beat athony and Paul othervetrn to ultras into to Cp two I decided to take a rest. I know Eddie and Liz this is contrary to most advice but I was managing my energy. Rested and cooled hr down to 97. This took 25 mins.
 
The next stage was brutal. I set off with roommate Lee Ryall who was in a bad way mentally. i pushed the pace to 12m walking ks for 7 of the 11k stage. The terrain was flat sand as far as you could see in 360 degrees. In other circumstances that would be a vision to behold (I am thinking from a air conditioned luxury vehicle with waiter service serving a nice cold Heineken). I was struggling with liquids and calories at this stage and another one of those tricks the creactive force of the force of the universe played. We creasted wave of undulating sand and in the distance according to gps 4k the white tent of cp3. my spirits dropped and could only manage a grunt. By then we had caught up to this 19 yr old girl Chris from NY. Chris to fit, uses poles but the most interesting thing about Chris is that she can walk and chew gum. I was channeling all my energy on making it to the white tent and could not understand how she could talk so much and so loudly.
 
In fact team good time girls are able to do the same thing. This is distracting, as you can hear them coming and when the pace your hard won distance you can hear them go. The last time they overtook me I resorted to listening to Van Morrisons Gloria and Jim Morrisons LA Woman. They had gone by the time Blondies Heart of glass reached the chorus. (note deleted last song from pickmeup playlist).
 
Anyway turns out that much before we reached the white tgent we reached another creast and Cp 3 sneakily lay await. I was burning up and thinking about being a volunteer for the second time in two days. Turns out many people today perhaps 12 decided that riding in an airconditioned 4x4 was a better way to see the Sahara. I rested in the shade of a truck and cooled down. This process took 45 mins. I was spritz or sprayed with a light spray of water by angel dr val and angel kelly. These volunteers are great and deserve the title of angel. (They also know when to chew gum and when to talk - they certainly dont discuss the virtues of what colour is better orange or brown when walking past.)
 
Stage 3-4 Was a bit more pleasant. Lee and I stayed together to the finish, I resisted his offer of prescription codeine and thanked the dude or lady upstairs for raining last night and firming up the sand. Yes rain. We had a series of iconic dunes to climb and cross. There maybe a video caption on this. The dunes were easy especially after a hammer gel. By the way beef jerky is too hard to eat in the heat as is trail mix with wasabi beans, edemame beans etc. The heat also heats up the perpetum liquid protein too much for it to taste nice.
 
Turned up to camp in much higher spirits than yesterday, went straight to team good sport and told them exactly what I have aforementioned.
 
The chill mac with beans is a good meal. Thumbs up.
 
No blisters apart from small one on second toe.
 
Tomorrow is 42ks in all soft sand. I will be dialling up rain in my sleep tonight.
 
Sleep beckons. Thanks for all your comments they give a smile and are, well just nice.
 
Drums are still signilling people arriving in our toughest day. Its 8pm and we started at 8am. Liz knows something of this. Its not until you have done such an event that you realise how courageous it is.

Humbled by the Sahara.
 
I am happy to say this is the general view of my tent at least if not others.
Some facts:
time 6.20
max heart rate 172
average heart rate 142
In Hk I walk at 110 and jog at 130, I was 30 above these today.
Average temp 32, Max 35. This is the same as hk. There is some conjecture about this figure.
Calories used 3950
Saharacomparedtotrainingonthehktrailometer - brutal
 
I started the race to plan but only gave 1 minute headstart and walked for the first km. I now know what it tastes like to be at the back. I then ran for the next 9 ks, then walked/jogged for next 9 ks and then stumbled the remainder of the of the 35k. I was getting cramp in my left peroneal, vastus medialis and hip flexors which was a bit puzzling and more than a little annnoying. Shit happens, life goes on.
 
12 months ago I said this event was maddness. Now I know I am right. Still what an experience. Imagine being on your local beach and doing a 360 panaramo and all you can see is sand, golden sand and a few other varieties of sand thrown in.
 
From stage 3 onwards the sand was soft and deep. I did everything I could to avoid this to get some traction.
 
So what do I think about? Catchy titles for my blog and making the contents sound like Jeremy clarkson of Top Gear fame. Not going to do this today as I usually have lots of quiet time to write them. I thought about pace, that I was getting slower and slower and that maybe being a volunter might be a good way of racing the planet in the future.
 
The last 4 ks resembles the planet Tatooine from Star wars. Two story high white columns rising out of the sand. We wove in and out of them in a conveauted and particulalry cruel way to reach the green finish flag. certainly happy that that leg is finish and all goals reached. As an aside some guy just got up from the computer and announced thst he was going to be sick. He was, just outside the tent. He is now being consoled by the head medic Brandee. Brandee is from california.
 
Day 2 is 44ks hopefully over faster terrain. Day 3 is 42ks on soft sand. Thats 7ks further than today.
 
Still got lots of food to eat from today. Did not feel hungry to eat my beef jerky but still used all my heed and perpetuem protein. I have know to throw back some Sujion Blackcurrant juice to make for some intersting flavours. (Brandee has a rezlly good beside maner with this guy who turns out had too much electrolytes - common).
 
Tomorrow I am going to try Martijn strategy (who  placed 11th today) of running for 10 mins walking for 10 mins. Many veterans use this strategy and I do random intervals based on terrain in Hk so it wont be too much different.
 
My tent mates have three virgins and 3 experienced ultra guys. We may be on a video with me doing to stretches. I also may be in an pre-race photo sitting on a chair contemplating wether to turn my gps on or not.
 
Ok I am getting bored of this blog so some of you may also. I am now going to check my emails.
 
I will write at about 11pm hk time tomorrow.
 
Ross
 

The Spectators guide to the galaxy of ultramarathons. 



Thelikelyhoodofthisbeing thelongestbloginthehistoryofracingtheplanetblogsometer = 9.9.


 Before you say I know that 42 is the answer to “what is the meaning of life” I am in fact 40. Contemplating life in ones middle age often leads to:
 • Convertible cars, 
• A change of job 
• Reflecting on what one has created so far 
• Exploring what else is there.
 For me every time I look a buying a Harley the same day I get stuck in a traffic jam caused by a motorcycle accident (about once a year), the desire for a Harley is throwback of watching “Easy Rider” while exploring alternative consciousnesses at University. I have three kids under 6, so a convertible is still a dream and the Toyota Picnic a reality that I will keep. 


(By the way I am writing this in Raffles Hotel over breakfast so my previous post on Noel Coward has infused his spirit into me so I make no apologies for the length of this blog – I am creating). 


I love my job; I help people change their lives by coaching them to integrate quiet, diet, happiness and movement into their lifestyle. I help people with my interpretation of the teachings of Paul Chek (www.chekinstitute.com). My one message for any chekkies reading is that be analytical in your assessments and programme design be creative and flexible with the way you teach your unique clients. I am able to say this as a wise CHEK level IV, Holistic Lifestyle Coach 3 and Golf Biomechanic (there are about 20-30 people in the world at this level) and by the fact that this is my blog. 


I have created many things in my life so far, most revolving around sport. I know I can play and coach most sports (except play Hockey that game terrifies me). So that leaves what else is there? (The “phone home” question). At age 35-42 our metaphysical lesson amongst others is exploring creativity and consciousness relationship with the universe. To simplify this and reassure you I am not reliving my university years, draw a circle on a piece of paper. Inside the circle represents your universe, your lifestyle; the line of the circle represents your boundaries. The size of your circle represents how full your life (efil) is and how often you have challenged your comfort zone. Some people say, “How full is your cup? Does its contents spill over the rim? 


Advanced CHEK student are taught that we can only give what we ourselves have, that ongruency is a very high value. This lends itself to the law of attraction as outlined in books such as “The Secret” and “The life teachings of the Masters of the Far East by Spalding (volume 6 is most succinct in this subject). So congruency is the main reason behind my Sahara adventure. From 1997-2002 I competed in over 10 world championships, I won two Mr. World Fitness competitions in 2000 and had a full-time 4-8% body fat. It would also be fair to say although I looked good I was living over the border of overtraining. Obsessive training, poor diet, rest, happiness included I fell into adrenal fatigue. 


Fast forwarding to Hong Kong 2009 I find myself at 15% body fat and more important reviewing how congruent my life is to my client teachings. On top of my goals for 2009 is congruency. Happy with most factors or doctors (as Paul calls them) except for movement I looked for a worthy physical challenge. True to form I undertook two. 



In May I teamed up with John to train for a 24km Outrigger Canoe race called the Dragons Run. In June after watching my wife limping but ecstatic crossing the finish line in Kashgar after completing a 250km race across the Gobi Desert I decided to do Sahara. I knew that 5 months of training would get me across the finish line but 12 months would make me competitive. 


I must say that focusing of these two goals has charged me up more than I can convey on paper. A symbol of this focus would be look at your original circle again and look at it as if looking through a telescope. What end are you looking through? My message here is that if you narrow your focus you can achieve anything, no special gift is needed, just effort. If you have too much periphery then there is too much noise and priorities get mangled. 



Back to the spectators guide. My last training run was a 10km walk/run up and down Repulse bay beach with 15kg in my pack to replicate running in Egypt and give me an expectation of pace. My pack complete with over 18 000 calories (14 000 is minimum), sleeping bag and mat, clothes, blister kit (am aiming not to make blisters any part of my reality) iPod nano with video camera, recharger and gps. (Racing the planet provide 1.5l every 10k, a tent to sleep in each night and logistics) weighs around 9.5kg. I will eat around 750g each day. Trying to factor in cumulative fatigue from the 40, 40, 40, 40, 95km days I will be satisfied with 5km an hour average total time of 50 hours. Famous Gobi and Atacama blogger Nick Anderson recently commented that no one asks your time or your finishing place post race, starting the event is enough said, completing, in the vernacular of rappers or Ali G is Respect. Also everyone from the fastest to the longest time get the same colored medal. Now I was introduced by Steve Curtis of Watamu Aqua Sports as being the most competitive person he has ever met (I was arguing on the semantics of one of the questions in the oral exam), I don’t deny this and my family never let an opportunity to remind me of this (actually getting a bit tired of this family) so here is my real goal. I am going to run this as fast as I can! (Except for the first 5 mins on day 1.) I will let you know how that goes day by day. 


So how does one watch a Racing the planet event on the internet? 

1. Sign up for the bulletins. 
2. Look at the pictures posted each day. 
3. Look at the race coverage and race results
 4. Read the blogs (I am sure I will gain energy from reading your comments) 
5. Dream about doing one yourself.
    a. Do all of the above with a 10k backpack on 
    b. walk with said backpack up and won your local beach as long as it takes to empathise with the reality of the 131 entrants. 

So, I have just told my story. I am blogging each day, I will be avoiding negative language and aim to “keep it real” I will end with a quote from a deaf, dumb, blind woman (who does not play pinball) called Helen Kelleher that I have carried since primary school…



 “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all”

In Hong Kong they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun".

• I wrote a poem in this Noel Coward theme - google it, its a song he wrote without music in a car, alone whilst in Southeast Asia. I have gone temporarily insane as when I hit publish it vanished into (and not for the first time) cyberspace. I am taking that the universe was saving me from humiliation by teaching me this save my work message and that  poem was rubbish.   (A bit like the Wallabies V South Africa this weekend). Anyway I cant remember the lines and as I'm pardoned by temporarily madness and cant be held accountable I am writing this as a true blog - like a blithering idiot talking a load of crap.

• I think being mad is quite liberating and I wonder if its a symptom of the Giardia I have been suffering from these last two weeks, or, maybe its a side effect of the evil metallic flavoured Tinidazole pills I have been taking.

• I trained for three hours in the noonday sun Thursday, (mid 30s  - thats okay we are expecting 40s in Sahara), but the of 85% humidity and record level hot spells that account of the sweat I am no threat.  As although I start with great gusto and bravado (its coming back to me,  you can start to see the masterpeice poem) but sometime real soon and well before noon the strain of my canter drains away (this is as far as I can remember) to a panting, weak kneed, overheated, sensible person who wants to get into a taxi and fall into the yacht club pool. (actually glad I didn't as the pool is like a thermal bath right now and not refreshing at all). I am trying out the Thasit Dani pool after registration to see if its a worthy visualisation during the race.

• Right back from my Jeremy Clarkson digression, tried to read Richard Hammond but found his digressions way to random and weak compared to Clarkson. Sorry more ramblings.

• Take home message. Can't run more than 20 mins in the heat and humidity seems a lesson in futility so slight change in my training plan: as follows.

• Monday run in the evening with friends, no packweight only water 90 mins to 2 hours.

• Tuesdays normal long duration, graduated pack weight with the mad dogs,

• Wednesday rest day or easy walk with lots of weight with friends

• Thursday same as Tuesday.

• Friday a shorter 45 - 90 min run as fast as my heart will carry me.
  

 

• BTW (I also do outrigging tuesday 1 hour race pace, thursday 1 hour interval training and saturday 2-3 hours long slow distance by the way).
  

• RACE STRATEGY for all of you who think you know me and those of you who do.

Lastly I want to get this straight. I am not English although I married an english woman and have three half New Zealand kids.

• I will be walking day 1 and as my pack weight gets lighter I may get a bit faster.
•  I intend to run like a bat out of hell on the last day and go as fast as I can on what now must be a 80-100k long day.
•  All the rest I am going to enjoy the sound of the desert and let all the testosterone filled men and women blow themselves out, race faster than their training ability, get "blisters, upon blisters, upon blisters" if I can quote my Gobi finishing wife and be competitive by being smart and picking them off by playing the vulture game. Thats my strategy.
•  I have another strategy. Day 1 (since I am now officially rambling and enjoying the break from all university stuffy type rules) I am going to be what appears to be aloof but a true and tried nerve calming and adrenaline saving method of not getting too close to others and the frenzied bubble of anxiety everyone gets before starts or performances - did this in Catania in my first world 1998, had a high moment of anxiety wearing my lycra leotard and thought what the hell am I doing here I should be back in Wellington playing rugby. Anyway I'm going to hang out at the back, probably near the latrines where others won't hang, put ipod speakers in my ears with no sound (international sign of #$k, sorry leave me alone,) dark glasses to avoid eye contact and do some secret QiGong invisibility breathing I learnt by an old blind, cane carrying chinese dude in orange robes a while back. I am going to listen for the countdown, film the start, film me with my back to the start and wait. I will wait 5 mins then I will cross the start line.
•  I am letting you into my wise and clever strategy so that I will be compelled to do it, thus saving me from racing above my training ability and ending up after day 1 with a drip in my arm (although this could be a good strategy to absolutely know of rehydration levels).
  
•  
• The major benefit of being a tortoise is that I will be spared the demoralising feeling of being overtaken because I went out too fast and now realise I have to crawl 35km left.

• Right then all that remains from my temporary insanity is your vote on the comment section of the blog. Do I continue to write technical exercise physiology on running and training consideration or more ramblings similar to Billy Connolly or Jeremy Clarkson?

• This is your chance readers a Racing the planet american idol for bloggers.

...overheated, tired, delirious and slightly foolish ultramarathoners 39km and seven hours into a 50 km training run (I should say shuffle at that stage) then play on, and on and on.

I completed my longest ever run/hike along the Hong Kong trail yesterday. I passed the 40km mark with a little victory salute aka Rocky to the sounds of Van Morrisons Gloria. Now, Good or bad I will use a pick-me-up playlist for the last stage of every day as it made a difference to my moral and pace.

My first 25ks downhill took 4 hours, the second 5.25. My goal was less than 8 hours. I underestimated Jardines Lookout, Mt Butler where at 3pm and 33 degrees with 100% humidity  I had to rest half way, and of course the steps up to Dragons Back and Dragons back itself in the dark with no torch.

My legs hurt to bend down right now. As a Personal Trainer I must bend down often to pick up weights and demonstrate exercise (I have been doing this with a grimace) - Clients past and present feel free to take to revengeful delight in this bit of knowledge. It also affords me some empathy. Well actually a little empathy and I know it will be short lived as really my sole task in the gym is too push you as much as I think you are capable of, come up with some wicked combination of exercises to make you puff and sweat and have trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

So 50ks, big distance and 10 ks over what the first four days will bring in Sahara. Nice to have that under the belt with three weeks of training left. I was going to repeat on sunday with full kit of 10kgs instead of 6kgs but will not. I may be crazy, but I am not that crazy and quite frankly I am getting bored of the Hong Kong trail - anyway you spilce it.

I will do it again in another two weeks but may limit it to 40ks.

Overall I am feeling quite good about training. I know that 40ks in Sahara does not have the elevation as the Hong Kong trail and the 7.22 min it took to do 42 km will be teh same if not faster in the desert (counting shifting sand). I am off now for a 30 min run on my poor quads as I know I will have to do this in a months time so I want the experience now so I don't have so much anxiety come race day 2,3,4 or worse the big day 4 (80-100km). Lessons for 50km Take electrolytes earlier 60 -90. Tape feet in places I got hot spots and get another shoe size or two bigger. Learn how to run faster by training for 12 months not 4 months. Remember not to enter and train for events over the hot and humid summer in Hong Kong. Bring a torch. Shakespeare also said "it take a wise man to play a good fool"

6 weeks to go to race. After being quite worried that I had only been training to walk with a weight, I decided to cycle in a phase of running with a pack and only water weight. This I am pleased to say is back on track, depending on the heat I can run for 90 mins, it may be a shuffle but both feet are off the ground and this qualifies as running. I am able to run for a bit walk for a longer bit and run for a bit more in a four hour training session. Last thursday at 1000am I ran up and down Repulse bay beach for an hour in 35 degree heat. I have been doing back to back efforts mon and tuesday and thursday and friday. As I look for countdown mode I am now going to have to put some 5 hour plus efforts with weight. In two weeks I am testing myself further than before with a run/walk over the whole HK trail with only water and food. A week after that I will be doing a full kit HK trail back to back. This will test my nutrition, hydration, feetcare, mental ability and make me a little immune to The Race - a bit like the flu jabs going on at the moment. Ross

In recent years there has been a trend towards barefoot running and forefoot strike. Most gait analysis text detail heel strike as the normal way to walk and run. I am in middle of writing a run/walk specific exercise-conditioning thesis on correcting a runners/walkers gait by balancing compensations of weak vs tight muscles. Once corrected this provides a platform for high performance running especially for trail running where a high than normal core component is required for stability. So what is Gait? Gait is the study of walking or running locomotion and is split into four stages. 1. Initial impact - first contact with the ground 2. Mid Stance - foot flat body upright 3. Toe Off - toes pushing off 4. Swing through - leg swings through in preparation for initial impact. So the question of this blog is heel or forefoot strike. In my opinion the answer lies in force attenuation or how the body absorbs the shock of initial impact and transfers into going forward.

I may have mentioned that I paddle an outrigger for some crosstraining so my legs get a break but my aerobic system still adapts. This is good, I am focused along with my training partner on a 24km event a month after Sahara. What is bad is that we do this in Hong Kong and after big rains the sea is more polluted than it usually is (by the way it is very glorious to paddle on a good day). Now we had a huli two weeks back (this means capsize) and I think its more than coincidence that three days after I was sh*tting through an eye of a needle every 5 mins. I had recovered by saturday but had decided to have a rest of hiking for a week. So I go out on saturday on my stand-up paddle board and fall in twice - Sunday you guessed it, out crook again. Monday off training with 8 weeks to go. Tuesday I shall get back up to speed with a 5 hour plus effort. This month I aim to test out full kit the Hong Kong trail (50k) on saturday and sunday. This will be my longest run/walk ever and will give me an idea of what times I will do in Egypt. Still thinking of 5km hour average once cumulative fatigue has set in. ross

Todays run along the Hong Kong trail in the heat, humidity, rain and mist was punctuated by a black, branch like object zooming out of the undergrowth in more than the same general as me. (For those of you in New Zealand this is my third encounter with a snake, the fist was this black lightening fast branch dart across my path and thankfully merge into the Abderdeen undergrowth, the second was two weeks ago on Blacks link where I nearly stood on a baby cobra who had just started swallowing a medium sized frog). By the way non-kiwis New Zealand venomous anything, no man-predators skulking in the bushes so to come across a roaring, hood spreaded Cobra is somewhat startling - needless to say the agility gaining from playing rugby and gymnastics changed my forward direction to backward direction fast enough to get me selected for the current All Blacks #10 position. I was now 42 mins into a three hour run faced with every black or brown branch or twig manifesting into a Viper or Cobra. The run thankfully had no more Slitherins in it although it had four seasons in one day as I circumnavigated Hong Kongs Peak. I think about many things when I am afforded this time to myself. (Although not a big Ipod fan I am using this device to listen to audio books to multi-task my fitness with my zest for learning. I am also realising that the cost/benefit ratio of weight to moral is worth creating a playlist of uplifting music together - so far I have "Let me entertain you by Robbie Williams and "LA Woman" by The Doors.) I mostly think about my nutrition strategy, when I will walk and run and use my heart rate as my guide here. Today I reflected on congruency. My 12 years of study with the CHEK Institute has installed a high level of walk your talk into my values and in the weekend I was called up on it by two of my clients. I used todays run to reflect on my less than adequate answer. JoE and JoO are both outrigger paddlers (as am I) , JoE is also an Ultramarathoner and JoO is a CHEK Exercise Coach at the weekend the quoted me as saying "you can't train for two events". Well you can, let me enlighten you by explaining the three energy systems. 1. Short term anaerobic system for all out events lasting 1-10 seconds. Picture Usain Bolt Biomotor ability = Speed 2. Intermediate term anaerobic system for 70-90% events lasting 11 seconds to 3 minutes - think gymnastic events or 800 meter races 3. Long term aerobic system for <70% events lasting 3 mins to 24 hours - think Paula Radcliff. Biomotor ability = Endurance I have entered this 250km ultramarathon in the Sahara in October (by the way the longest I have raced in in 1995 21km Wellington Half Marathon) and have been training for a 24km outrigger paddle race on 22 November called The Dragons Run. The Sahara uses the lower body and the core and The Dragon run uses the core and the upper body. I am estimating I will cover the Sahara legs each day at 5km/hour (about 7-8 hours per day) and my paddle partner John and I are estimating a 10km/hour pace for around 2 hrs. By definition both these events predominantly use the long term aerobic system (#3). My point then is that my physiology is not being confused by training one event for short term such as a 250m all out paddle sprint that takes 1.10 seconds and another event that takes two or more hours such as covering 16km in Hamilton Island races. (sorry for the diversion from running to paddling) To paraphrase what I meant by not training for two events I will ask this question. How often do you see Paula Radcliff winning a 100 meter race at the Olympics? Answer: About as often as you see Usain Bolt winning The Marathon. What you as an athlete can take away from this is that as far as training goes it "horses for courses", your body will adapt according to the training stimulus. This becomes more crucial the higher your expectation of winning is. I know what my expectation as far as winning goes for the Sahara and what our expectation as far as winning The Dragons Run goes (Mental preparation). We will have to wait until November to see if I got my mix right. Next blog: Gait analysis and training its four parts in the gym.

No nick Anderson inspired quotes to start this blog today. 11 weeks to go. On Saturday I did a 10 k time trial on a treadmill (deadboring - even with ipod entertainment), my goal for this first attempt was 55 mins. At 5k I was on pace and then the wheels feel off, nothing dramatic just couldn't keep up the 12k an hour pace and with aforementioned boredom slowed down to a walk for 1k. I realised that I hadn't run 10k in two years and when I last did I had three months of fartlek and interval training to build to a 48min 10 on Bowen road, HK. So after a little grieving about this I intervalled the next 4 ks for a final time of 62 mins. I take solice in that I have only been training since watching the Gobi finish in June and that 7 mins in 11 weeks is doable - although this is more or less the pace that Four Desert winners maintain over 250k I will not, more like 5ks an hour. (I do harbour thoughts of powering around the pyramids full tilt in a sub 60 time and basking in some personal glory - nothing like finishing with a flourish) After reflecting on my slowness all day Sunday I spent a few hours on Monday reviewing my training programme. I am actually ahead of my time-on-my feet schedule by two hours for my longest day and now have started graduating my pack weight upwards. I have also purchased a Power Suit by Fitness Tech - available at OPS in Hong Kong (2nd floor 50 Stanley Street www.opstudiohk.com). This is a waistcoat made of neoprene that you insert weights into. I have gone the whole hog and put 10kg in to wear during my when training my clients - the idea is that I won't notice my pack in 11 weeks. All I know now is that it feels better when it is off. Monday I ran/hiked Bowen road, Wan Chai Gap, to Hong Kong Trail, Peel Rise, Lugard road, Pok Fu Lam road in 2:45. Tuesday 45 min fast run no pack and 25 sets of run specific weights (more later). Wednesday rest Thursday 5 hour run/hike mostly hiking from Tai Tam to blacks link, HK trail to Peel Rise to the peak to Stanley Street Friday as 45 min fast run home and 25 sets of weights. Saturday is run rest but a 12km Time trail paddle in an Outrigger canoe plus another 4ks home. So what are biomotor abilities? Life-movements are what sports scientist/technicians like me use to breakdown the demands of a sport in order to 1. evaluate the strength/weakness of an athlete has and, 2. Prioritise training time and effort. Although subjective I have listed the ability below, given a optimal sport (10/10) and ranked ultramarathon running /10. Flexibility - Gymnastics 10, Sahara - 3 Stability/core - Ice skating 10, Sahara - 5 Strength - 1 rep max lifting 10, Sahara - 4 Power - Olympic Lifting 10, Sahara - 3 Speed - Usain Bolt 10, Sahara - 2 Endurance - Eric Lahaie 10, Sahara - 10 Coordination - Juggler 10, Sahara - 2 Agility - Rugby Half back 10, Sahara - 3 Sahara Total - 32/80 So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that endurance training is the biggest priority of a runner/walker, nor does it take allot of physical ability to run. Flexibility is only required for the running action called gait (explored in detail next blog and can change priority if injured or significant change in gait is desired). Stability/balance or simplified into core is not a great demand when running on concrete but on shifting sand core and spinal stability controls how well the ankles and knees cope and how much energy goes in a straight line as opposed to energy dissapates sideways. Strength - Normally a low score for runners but with 5-12kg or more on your back leg, core, back and trapezius strength is required. Power is about moving weight fast i.e. 1 sec. Train for the power system (exhausts in 10 secs) for an event that lasts 25-70 hours at your peril. Speed - you may sprint the last 100 meters of everyday. Endurance - this is what the Sahara is all about. Spend most of time here. Coordination - the only thing you have to coordinate is one foot in front of the other and using poles. Agility is change of direction - some in a dry river bed, not much on the sand. If you rank your self against my ideal see which area for you has the greatest differential and take this information to a personal trainer and in 6 weeks plus you can improve and keep your energy in a straight line. Next post Gait analysis and how to train it and your core in the gym

Lord Baden Powell who founded the Scout movement (whom Bear Gryills is patron) ensured a motto of "Be Prepared" in his philosophy.

As a Personal Trainer and Holistic Lifestyle Coach I prepare my clients for life, injury correction and high performance using Rest, Diet, Happiness and Movement as my preparation tools.

I did a 4 hour run/hike from Tai Tam to my home in Pok Fu lam yesterday. I know I will be able to do it faster as I walked 2-3 hours of it. This is what I contemplated in the 34 degree heat and high humidity that had my socks wringing wet and my feet looking like prunes.

I attended the RGS "Survival of the Fittest" Namibia talk given by Keigth Fletcher (sp?) Mike Welstead and my client Jo Eades on Monday and preparation seemed to be the biggest factor. I have come up with the following areas.

1. Physical training - aerobic, walk/run, core stability, with pack and without.
2. Footcare - in terms of preventing and caring for blisters.
3. Packweight - aim for 9ks to start
4. Food - if you dont have enough you will have gluconeogenesis which is when the proteins of your muscles break down to fuel the energy demand. Calorie to weight ratio, powdered to real food are issues.
5. Hydration - water and electrolytes
6. Mental preparation.

I will expand of these factors in later blogs.

"Do your best" is another Baden Powell saying this time from the Cub Scouts. (I was a sixer)

ross
www.rosseathornewellness.com

This was famous New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillarys' reply when asked why he was attempting to summit Mt Everest in 1953.

"We knocked the bastard off" was his comment after achieveing said summit and approaching base camp.

My motivation as somewhere between these two sentiments. I have represented New Zealand in over 10 World Championships and won two World Titles they have been in power events lasting less than two minutes. My frame is more akin to Frodo than it is to Gandalf, so winning the Sahara (and dont get me wrong I have a very competitive nature) means, completing four months of training with a gradual increase in time on my feet, being happy with my limited preparation and injury free on the start line, next to finish each day with a smile on my face. Any outcome goal I just don't know how my body and mind will cope with the desert environment.
I followed Jo Eades and just about everyone else in brutal Namibia and my watched my wife Liz Luya cross the finish line after completing 2009 Gobi March, so I think I'm about as informed as to the reality as anyone novice can be. Next the challenge of coming face to face with the self, alone in the silence of the desert in an endurance race. I have to say that the focused goal and training has given me a spring to my step missing since retiring from elite sport in 2002. Oh and I turned 40 in 2008, cant forget that one.