Firstly, I never imagined that at the start of the final stage I would be lined up in the top 15 runners, alongside (but in reality well behind) the elites. Although I lost some time on the final stage and ended up finishing 18^th overall the thrill of being in the front runners start group gave me a real buzz. I went with the aim of finishing and doing as well as I could – to end up 18^th out of 130 starters in my first race of this sort is something I feel good about.

To do so in the hottest-ever 4 Deserts race makes it doubly satisfying. Around 25% of the field didn’t make the full course. Temperatures were well in excess of 40C for every day of the race putting all my training and preparation to the severest test. My two strongest days were the two hottest days, Day 2 & 3, at 48C and 50C respectively (122 degrees in old money); I seemed to cope with the heat better than a lot of those around me and as a result I really, really enjoyed those days. Running across the desert in 50C, the flies buzzing around me and with no other living soul in sight was a fantastic experience, the real deal. I loved the isolation and the peacefulness it brought.

That said it was also a great privilege to meet so many good people, people I will remember for many years to come and some of whom became great friends for a few days. Mostly this means fellow competitors but the event and the experience depends on the volunteers to make it run like clockwork, and their cheerfulness really sets the tone. If you like the idea of the desert but aren’t convinced about racing, then a week’s stint as a volunteer might be a good way to find out. It won’t begin to give you an idea of how much pain is involved in actually racing though!

I’m pleased we split the team up when running – we were still very much a team in camp – as I could relax and enjoy the solitary moments, and could also watch with growing pride and satisfaction as Luke achieved a fantastic level, truly fulfilling his potential. We’d prepared together for this for over a year, and both trained hard. He’s just blessed with an extraordinary natural talent that could take him places in this “sport”. In contrast it was gutting to see Webbo struggling but he showed unbelievable guts in coming back again and again despite being struck down in one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet. He kept his sense of humour throughout, and I have all the more respect for him and his strength of character as a result. When it goes well for him next time, he’ll nail one of these races.

Just being in the desert is a moving experience. It’s a place of such stunning beauty it takes your breath away. The light, the stark and varied terrain, the feeling of space – all were beyond what I had imagined; at times it felt like being on another planet. At night the intensity of the starry sky even made getting up at 4am to walk 50m from camp for a pee a fantastic experience.

This intensity of the environment and experience meant that the only things I thought about outside the race are the people I love most, my wife, my children, my family, my friends and of course my dog. Everything that is most important to me. Being in the Sahara, being immersed in such an intense experience exposed everything else in life for what it is - superficial, irrelevant and ultimately unimportant. It’s something I felt before but never with such overwhelming intensity.

Before I went to Egypt many people, including myself, talked about it in terms of being a “life-changing” experience. Having had plenty of time to think as I ran across the sands, gazed at the stars or lay awake in my tent, I’ve decided there’s nothing I really want to change about my life, not the important parts anyway. I have a wonderful family and fantastic friends. Everything else is a bonus. I’m not in the least bit religious but if I was I would say I am blessed. As it is, I just feel lucky with my lot. So for me it wasn’t about “life-changing”, but it was the most intense life-affirming, life-enhancing experience imaginable and one that I will treasure for as long as I live.

I've been blogging on TeamChase's own website, www.teamchaseuk.com for a few weeks now. Look out for blogs from the race on this site....

Looking forward to the warm weather waiting for us in Egypt. The mornings in London are starting to get a bit chilly.....