Time for Desert deja vu!05 Jul
In one week’s time I am once again on the starting line on a gruesome desert race. This time in Andalucia, in southern Spain. The Al Andalus Ultra Trail is a very tough race they say. Imagine to run a marathon, but then to continue for another 8km. On top of this you have to do it in the mountains in Andalucia in the middle of the summer. This means the heat in the middle of the day will be +40 degrees and some of the climbs over 1000m high!
That sounds like a tough race to me, especially since I have very limited run training since April because of my knee.
Oh there is one thing I forgot to mention. When you have done the 50km in one day you have to wake up the next day and to it all over again! And after that second day you have to get up again on the third day and do it all over. In total it is 50km per day for 5 days in a row… Talk about groundhog day!
If it hadnt been for the fact that I have only run 79km in total since April I would have rated my chances with the race. But currently my concerns are very much around the fact that 5×50km is an awfully long way if you have an ITB that is inflamed.
What is required is a total commitment to the event and mentally I have to completely disassociate myself with the physical condition and focus why I am doing this.
Yet if I make it or not I cannot say at this point. I know that I am going down to Andalucia terribly disadvantaged than how I normally approach a race. My commitment is to 100% give it my everything. If I end up on the floor, in a hospital bed; or if I actually cross the finish line I will not know until Friday 17 July.
Until then, please keep your messages coming, they mean very much to me…
Thank you for your support, it will be needed now when I go into such a race!
Ps, if any of you want to sponsor me and Cancer Research UK, please click here.
4 Responses to “Time for Desert deja vu!”
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good luck for the spanish event! and be careful with your knee…. remember you only have 2 of them and they are very precious! esp if you want to be a full iron man next month! enjoy it…. at least you can practice your spanish again! xx
Hey Joakim, all the best in this next challenge. Sounds to me like the challenge will be in your head, so be strong and be ready to beat down any doubts. And remember the factor 50!
Yoke – Good luck, I think you’re crazy – but in a good way! Remember pain is only temporary and just a trick of the mind… If you’re taking trekking poles you can always use them as crutches if the ITB flares up!!
See you for some gentle training when you get back!!
Chrs,
Tom
Best of luck! We will think of you when we are having Tim’s birthday cake
Cake? You can’t eat it anyway.
Have a good race – fight hard – we know you can do it!!