You have to start somewhere!

I'm going to try and remember to keep this up to date during the next year. The blog shall be complete when I return from Morocco sometime in April 2009, hopefully alive and having completed the Marathon des Sable.

I don't have any great training plan sorted for the year ahead(yet) but plan to build on my endurance training of the past couple of years. I've now done 4 full marathons, a half ironman distance and full Ironman Triathlon, plus loads of shorter events since 2004. I still seem to be improving despite the advancing years, although I am finding it increasingly difficult to stop my belly advancing during the lull between events. This is probably because I can be rather greedy with the ale and pies.

I am now approaching the end of week 1 in my 3 week taper for the Paris marathon on 6th April. The peak was achieved last Sunday during a 22 mile run. I seem to have my race day strategies for pacing, hydrating and taking on calories sorted. This will be formally tested on the day. Why didn't I try to lose some more weight 3 months ago?! Refer to the final sentence of the last paragraph.

Looking back I have covered almost 600 miles running plus some cycling and cross training since starting my 18 week programme at the beginning of last December. It's now all about getting the head ready for the on the day pain (and staying away from bad food). When I come back from Paris there will be a couple of weeks belly building before embarking on the final leg of my journey to the Sahara.

I'll try keeping this up to date to monitor my own progress while reporting highs, lows and near misses. The latter usually involves a dead heat sprint between my buttocks and my bowel at the toilet seat finish line! The blog will also allow anyone else to see what is involved in my training regime before they feel suitably motivated to generously sponsor me, when I come round with the sheet. As usual, I'll be collecting for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust with a view to contributing to their cure finding research. Hopefully my son Ross will be near the front of the queue for this when it is realised.

Have a look at http://www.cftrust.org.uk/ for more info.

This years MdS sets off on 27th March. Have a look at http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/ to view the torture involved.

This week sees a total of 34 running miles, next week= 26miles and then 9 miles the following week prior to race day.