Completed Research FINAL

Running Kit:

- Trail Trainers: ROCLITE 315
- Sandbaggers Gaiters and fitted by Sandbaggers' Cobbler
- Socks: different pairs of Injinji make of toe-socks inners and Wigwam Terrain Trax Pro/Bridgedale Trailhead outers. I have different gauges of thickness for inners. Unless I can't fit everything in I will be taking three pairs or inners and, if feet don't swell too much, change both pairs every couple of days. After testing I decided that I would be taking the two thickest grades of the Injinji toe socks, as the lightest grade pinched my little toes a little bit. 
- Shorts: Under Amour Twin-skin shorts
- Running Top: Mencap branded desert running top and a Rail riders shirt.
- Buffs: 2, one for neck and one for wrist to wipe sweat .
- Hat: Injinji hat;

- Pair of prescription sunglasses: Adidas Devil Eye. I bought via a company called RX Sport they were brilliant.

- Watch: Paul G kindly lent me his Garmin Forerunner 101 watch as uses replaceable rechargeable batteries so ideal for the desert where most people's Garmin styled watches run out after two days.
- HH skins undertop to wick away sweat during the day and keep me warm on the night of the long run.
- Walking poles

Rucksack:

- Raidlight 30L backpack*
- Raidlight Equilibre front pack*
- Raidlight Shoulder bottle holders and bottles x 2

Contents of Rucksacks:

Cooking equipment:

- Optimus Terra solo cook set. Paul H kindly lent me one

- Esbit Titanium cooking stove and Esbit cooking surround. Again Paul H kindly let me borrow his one
- The Esbit fuel blocks. Ordered a couple of packets through the MDS site.
- Spork from a camping shop.

I decided in the end that I wouldn't take any plates or bowls to save weight and space. I can eat my food out of the 'Store and Pour' bags plus if you cut the water bottles they dish out the water in. The bottom can double up as a bowl and the top (with the cap on) can be used, upside down as a cup for tea. 

Sleeping:

- Sleeping Mat: Bought Thermarest NEOAir sleeping mat.

- Sleep Bag: Bought the Mammut Ajungilak Sphere Alpine/Summer Sleeping bag. Expensive at £215 but one of the lightest and most compact and also available in 6 foot +*

- Tyvek Suit
- Mountain Hard Wear Fleece for the camp and to wear on the night of the long stage
- Lounge wear type trousers for evening

- Flip flops

Hygiene

 - Small tooth brush and small tooth paste. I picked up the ones that put in the vanity bags on long haul flights
- Wet wips
- Alcohol based hand sanitiser
- Vaseline tubs
- Toilet paper x 2

Pharmacy items:

- Antiseptic: 50ml can of Salvon Dry Antiseptic*

- Needle and thread for blister draining

Additional Items

- Head torch: PETZL Zipka plus 2 and spare batteries*

- Knife: credit card style knife/ scissors*

 - Compass: Bought one that had 2 degree accuracy*

- 10 safety pins*

- Lighter*

- Whistle: finally, where the one is on by Raidlight bag....**

- Antivenom pump*

- Signalling Mirror*

- Aluminium Survival Sheet*

* Essential kit list

Tip: Pack kit within kit. During the day I will put kit inside my cooking pot. Also, Anti Venom pump comes in a pouch can stuff loads of kit into that as well.

Training plan

Principles that training plan based on

Steve Cushing's training plan was based on the following principle which I have no reason to dispute:

1) Necessary to be on feet for a long time therefore long runs;

2) Much of the MDS will be at a walking pace therefor different strains on legs and different frictional forces on the feet so need to incorporate a lot of walking (do you think pulling a golf trolley counts...);

3) As a lot of mileage per week I will need to back-to-back runs. This will be useful to mimic the race in training. I will make sure that I have two rest days per week;

4) Include some speed work and interval training;

5) As there are hills and dunes during the race (toughest  day has a 1000 metre climb) it is important to do some hill running and some sand sessions; and

6) Continue to do some gym and core muscle sessions for strength and to reduce the risk of injury caused by muscle fatigue and loss of form when running/walking long distance.

To these I have added the following:

1) I will do a lot of my running in the middle of the day as it is never too early to start to recreate the conditions I will be running in;

2) I am running with a rucksack as it contains my water bladder. I will 1-2 run per week with some items packed in the rucksack. I will not being too scientific but add some items of clothing or kit. Each week I will slowly increase the weight so that my body is used to running with the weight;
3) I will be doing three dress rehearsals within my training schedule: one during the week of the Dubai Half-Marathon, one during the Dubai Marathon and one in February. The plan is to follow the schedule of the race, with the first being a quarter of the distance rising to half and then finally being three-quarters the distance. These dress rehearsal will be with the rucks sacks laden to 1/4, 1/2 and then 3/4 on the weight I will carry in the desert. I also hope to run the dress rehearsal in January and February in the kit that I will wearing in the desert.
5) I will log the amount of water that I drink on each run;

6) I will try to get an Ultra in the calendar early in the new year but not essential if I am doing the dress rehearsals in 3) above;

7) I am going to try to measure my body temperature at least at the end of a run but hopefully during a run so I can see how my body is reacting to long distances in heat.

Training schedule

I followed a lot of the principles of Fink when I trained for the Ironman. One of his main principles is that you build mileage and intensity over a three week period by circa 10% and then the fourth week is a week of 'periodisation' consisting of a reduced mileage to recover from three weeks of putting the body under stress such that the risk of injury is reduced. Each week will have two rest days per week.

Phase 1b:

One hill, tempo or sand run per week

- October:  25miles;

- November: 30/35/40/45 miles with final week 25 miles;

Phase 2:

Increase weekly mileage and two hill, tempo or sand runs per week.

- December: 50/60/70/40

First week will be a dress rehersal of a 1/4 MDS (6,7,8,13.1, rest day, 10 and 6) with two days rest before and two days rest afterwards.

Phase 3:

Back-to-back long runs.

- January: 80/85/90/75 miles with the final week 60 miles recovery week.

The 75 mile week is the 1/2 MDS (8, 10,12, 25, rest day, 13 and 7 miles) and I will even eat the food, wear the kit and carry a half bag that I am planning to take to the Sahara

- February: 90/100/110/50

The 110 mile week is the 3/4 MDS (15, 15, 18, 38, rest day, 20 and 5 miles) week with 3/4 bag.

- March: 90/60/60/Taper week 1

- April: Taper week 2

Race commences 5th April

Taper:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
				90min LONG RUN all EASY pace.	30min EASY	REST
30min EASY	60min BILLAT SESSION	REST	30min EASY	60min LONG RUN all EASY pace.	REST	40min EASY
REST pack and kit/food checking	MARATHON DES SABLES Fly Out Easy Jog 20-25min MAX	Drive to START	MdS Registration The daily mileages may alter for 2009	Day 1 START ~15miles	Day 2 ~23miles	Day 3 ~23miles
Day 4 ~48miles	Day 5 Rest	Day 6 26.2miles	Day 7 ~9miles FINISH	HOTEL RELAX/SWIM	Fly Home Keep mobile during flight	RECOVERY Walk
DON’T RUN-	for at least 7 days.	Walk/Swim is great any day.

- Food and nutrition

Decided to go with the Expedition Foods range as easy to get on Amazon and liked the flavours. I decided to follow Paul H's advice and have bought one breakfast, two main courses and one dessert for each day with a spare of each in my bag.

Bought Peronnin powder for lunch. Gone for a mix of Orange, Cocoa and Vanilla. Not great but suffices on the move and easily digested. Will have one a day with two on the long day.

I bought a couple of boxes of the Cliff Bars and a multipack box of Jelly Belly Sports Beans. Will probably have a couple of each a day.

When I get back to the UK in March I will also pick up my usual gels and electrolyte tabs from Run and Become.

I am also going to pack some Super Noodles, Peparami, Beef Jerky, coffee powder and lemon tea powder as treats.

Finally I am going to pack some salt sachets from a fast food outlet as I have been recommended that these are perfect if you need a quick intact of salt rather than salt tablets.

- Rules pages and web sites