Training kicks in

The last weekend in January was the Namibian Desert Ultra training weekend, and Steve Clark, ADT's Operations Director and Race Organizer invited me down to ADT's headquarters to share my experience with this years competitors over the weekend. For them it was chance to supplement their physical training with knowledge which will prove vital if they are to succeed in Namibia.

Steve arranged a tough training weekend, and interspersed the
physical sections with information briefing sessions, which covered Kit, navigation, a comprehensive medical briefing from Amy Hughes the Expedition Doctor, hydration and energy replacement, and my section which covered mental preparation and the psychology of coping with the night section of the race.

The race starts at 09:00 and after 9 hours the sun will set and your world will diminish into a circle of light emitted from your head torch... this is when the mental toughness kicks in, your pace may well see you being isolated and alone as you tackle the last 35 miles of the course. You will be physically tired, probably feeling mentally low, and there is no visual stimulus other than the amazing sky of the southern hemisphere, but on tired and possibly blistered feet you need your wits about you to maintain a course and pace that will get you to the finish inside the 24 hour limit.

These information briefing sessions were a real eye opener and the hydration, electrolyte replacement, medical and night session drew many questions as the competitors began to appreciate it wasn't just going to be about running!

Steve did however put in a very cheeky mid day 3 hour run along the Jurassic coast, which treated them to an energy sapping 3900ft of climbs over the 6mile out, and back course. It gave us a chance to get to know Darren & Nick from Team Men's Fitness Magazine. They were both part of a three man team of competition winners who will be tackling Desert, Mountain and Jungle Ultra Marathons over the coming year. Whilst it is difficult to replicate the Heat effect of Namibia, he certainly made sure that they received a reference of what the fatigue feels like at the mid way point in the race... the return trip in the 4x4's was a lot quieter than the outbound one as the task became more real.
Physically this took its toll and a couple of the competitors experienced psychological lows, as negative thoughts and doubts began to set in.
This was still early in their training plans, and some found it tougher than others, the briefing session ahead of the night run picked them up again, and they all began to realize that these points of reference for what they would all experience in Namibia were worth many times the cost of the weekend.

Mike had suffered a strained collateral ligament in his knee as a result of the muddy conditions on the coastal run but despite that he supported it with a tubigrip from the medical kit and carried on into the night section.
As I shared with them, "It's what you don't know that will hurt you in these kinds of extreme ultra marathon events", but to their credit everyone of them kitted up for the night run. They were there to train and learn what it was going to take for them to succeed in Namibia, and I'm sure everyone of them will reach the finish in time.

"Your own determination to succeed is more important than any one thing"
- Abraham Lincoln