At just 17.5K, the final stage of the 26th Marathon des Sables was the shortest by far but still proved to be challenging. It was another hot day - although once the temperature rises above 40C it's hard to differentiate between simply hot
Stage 1 : 33KThe first 13K of the stage was on the flat. The ground was uneven but firm and I was feeling fine. In the distance were towering sand dunes that shimmered like silk; they turned out to be the next part of the route and stunning though
in 3:30, for example, at a rate of 180 steps a minute, during the entire race you will take 37,800 steps. Stronger leg muscles allow you to spend less time on the ground with each foot-strike and increase your stride length.A reduction of just 0.02 of a
I'd finish but after two days I've revised my thinking: my goal is now simply to finish. Six people dropped out on the first day. I don't want my name added to that list.Tomorrow we face another 38K, with 12K of sand dunes. I'm hoping it
for the third consecutive year in 2010 completing the total distance in 19:55:08, has won four MdS titles. The most successful British competitor is double Olympic gold medalist James Cracknell who finished 12th in 2010. You may have seen the documentary aired
Your feet take 18,000 steps every day on average. When you run you'll add to that figure, as well as the amount of perspiration produced by the 250,000 sweat glands on each foot. With stresses like that it's no wonder your feet complain from time
two or three intervals with five-minute recoveries), or do a continuous 25-minute tempo run at a pace that’s 12-15 seconds per mile slower than your usual 10K race pace. TaperIt’s tempting to think that extra time spent training in the last weeks
might think the average temperature of minus 20 degrees C and strong katabatic winds will be the biggest challenge, but the altitude of 10,000 feet and hilly course play their part too in making this a truly tough event. Run at 80 degrees south, just a
of your urine. University of Connecticut researchers found that urine colour correlated very accurately with hydration status. Pale yellow urine indicates you're within one per cent of optimal hydration. Try to drink one litre of water for every 1,000kcal
