Friday 31 March 2006

MdS Gear Discussion

Hi Team, I've got a bit of down time at Sydney airport so I thought I'd start the gear discussion.

Lots of thought and effort has gone into the process of selecting the gear. I will post a full list when I get back to my own computer but fot the time being I thought I'd give you a feel for the process of choosing gear.

Sleeping Bag
There are heaps of good sleeping bags out there at the moment. One thing that most of the race reports have in common is the lack of sleep due to coldness. It gets down to zero degrees out there.

I put together a spreadsheet that allowed me to sift the sleeping bags into the order that I preferred. I'm tall so I needed a long bag, I also wanted a light bag and I needed a warm bag. The best website I found for selection of sleeping bags was www.planetfear.com The bag I chose was the heaviest that they sell (600gm) but it has a comfort factor of negative 10 degrees.

There's my flight being called...

The bag I bought is the Kimmlite mummery2. It's fantastic. And crushes down to a small loaf of bread...

Tuesday 28 March 2006

MdS Food List

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Hi Team,

I fly out to Morocco on Monday for the 2006 Marathon des Sables MdS. I've scored race number 300. I'm healthy, well nourished and unfit.

For those interested you can track me through the MdS website which is linked on the right of this blog. They'll have progress reports each day. I'll try to update this blog from Morocco, but we'll see if they let me use the computer in the media centre in the middle of the Sahara.

Race strategy is to finish. I hope to go easy in days 1, 2, 3. Easy during the day for the long stage and keep going through the night rather than sleeping on the course. Then see what's left in the tank for the marathon. And try to cruise the last stage.

After a crap preparation due to leg injury I'll rely on 99% mental and 1% physical toughness to get me through.

I did a full dress rehearsal last Sunday, decked out in full pack, knee length sand gaiters, leigionnaires hat and total block sunglasses, iPod blaring the New Massive Attack album. Jogging along I didn't see a branch across the trail and managed to coathanger myself. There I was lying on the ground like an upturned turtle, couldn't stop laughing at my stupidity, picked myself up and started running again wondering when the concussion would kick in. Turned up at work on Monday looking like I'd gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, a huge bleeding shiner on the right forehead.

I passed my ECG test on Friday. Was a fairly tense process. Lots of medical staff drawing breath and making "Uh oh" noises. Turns out I have an enlarged left ventricle. And my pulse dropped to around 42bpm which set some alarm off. After a bit of excitement the doctor told me that I was ok and that she'd seen this sort of result in fit people before. (I didn't fess up to my inadequate preparation).

I have now completed my food list. We need to carry 2000 calories per day or risk disqualification (the French love rules and administration). I am carrying close to 20,000 calories, given that I will be burning 5,000 per day, I expect ot return from Morocco looking like Craig Mottram.

Food is by far the heaviest thing in my backpack. My carefully considered 20,000 calories weighs in at ~5.3kg. It has been a terrific learning experience for me. What my analysis has proven is that things like Gels and Powerbars are really inefficient from a calorie density perspective. In fact you'd be crazy to take too many gels/powerbars because they would break your back due to the weight.

I went through a ritual last Saturday and decreased the volume of my food by putting every thing in separate ziplock bags and bashing it with a rolling pin then pricking the bag with a pin, squeezing the air out and covering the hole with sticky tape.

Each day I will eat a freeze dried meal from a NZ company called Back Country, this food easily available in the outdoor shops. They sell single packets with double serves within which are quite efficient from a calories / 100gm ratio. I think that they are in the order of 450cal / 100g. Even these freeze dried meals had too much air within the foil packing, so they got the rolling pin bashing treatment too.

Not sure how things will unfold but here is a likely nutrition plan..

Breakfast: Rice Crackers 493cal and 40gm of pringles 207cal and a litre of water (700cal)

Lunch on the run: 3 Powerbars 690cal and 23 Glucose jelly beans 509cal (1,199 cal)

Dinner: Freeze Dri meal 740cal and the other 40gm of Pringles 206cal (946 cal)


My Full MdS Food List

Day 1
2 Roast Lamb and Veg 740cal
3 Power Bar 690
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,845 calories

Day 2
2 Beef Curry 788
3 Power Bar 690
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,893 calories

Day 3
2 pasta vegetariano 758
3 Power Bar 690
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,863 calories

Day 4 Long Day
6 Power Bar 1380
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
2 Jelly Beans 1018
0.8 Potato Chips 413
3,304 calories

Day 5
2 Beef Curry 788
3 Power Bar 690
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,893 calories

Day 6
2 Sweet & Sour Lamb 732
3 Power Bar 690
1.2 Rice Crackers 493
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,837 calories

Day 7 Treats
11 Hob Nob Biscuits 660
2 Power Bar 460
1 Jelly Beans 509
0.8 Potato Chips 413
2,042 calories

19,677 total calories

That's all for now.. Brendan

Tuesday 21 March 2006

MdS Marathon des Sables Schedule - April 2006

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Hi All, I thought it was about time that I resurrected my blog. As many of you know I have signed up for the Marathon des Sables, to be held in Morocco beginning on the 9th April this year.

I haven’t been training for seven or so weeks because of a suspected stress fracture in my right, medial side, lower tibia. So, I’m healthy, a bit fat, not fit but comfortable that I’ll finish so long as I stay within my limits (whatever they may be). The leg has been improving and I've done some light running. Also, now that I have a new set of orthotics I should be ok!!!

As you know I need to carry everything except a tent. Also the race gives me water in 1.5 litre bottles. I have almost completed my pack and I expect it to weigh 9.5kg without water. It is amazing how much food weighs. I will be carrying about 2850 calories per day and that weight 5.5kg. Ugh! The rest of the weight consists: clothes, sleeping bag, medical, compulsory items and the backpack itself.

Not much else to say apart from the fact that I am very excited. Here is my current itinerary for the trip.

3rd April - Depart QF29 23:00 Melbourne Via HKG
4th April - Arrive QF29 Heathrow 13:40
5th April - Depart BA6918 Heathrow 15:40 to Casablanca Depart AT461 Casablanca 21:30 to Ouarzazate (OZZ) arr 22:55 Own transfer to Hotel Belere, Avenue Moulan Rachid
6th April - Free Day at the Hotel Belere…
7th April - 10am Trucks drive 6 hrs to an unspecified location in the Sahara
8th April - Registration and inspection day
9th April - Day 1, usually about 24 Km
10thApril - Day 2, 37Km
11th April - Day 3, 36Km
12th April - Day 4, 80km includes night section
13th April - Day 5, either finish stage 4 or rest
14th April - Day 6, 42Km
15th April - Day 7, 14Km – Transfer to Hotel
16th April - 17th Century Kasbah Taourirt in OZZ
17th April - Depart AT460 Ouarzazate (OZZ) to Casablanca
18th April - Depart BA6919 Casablanca 10:25 to LHR Depart QF10 LHR 22:05
19th April - Transit via Singapore
20th April - Arr Melbourne 04:45

Will post again soon... Brendan