Shameless plug for myself!

Now ladies…I know you’re going to find this extremely hard to believe, but I’m actually single. I know…right?

Anyway, once the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is over and I settle back into a decent 6-10hrs per week of training (decided that I want to pursue triathlon at a semi-competitive but mainly just for fun/fitness level) that allows for something of a social life, I may well meet a special young lady. And, I’ve realised, I’ll have an awful lot of explaining to do to the next lady in my life…

a)    Matt, why do you own more lycra than the average Jerry Springer guest?
It’s true. I own cycling shorts, neoprene compression shorts, 2XU compression top and bottoms, Nike Pros (short and longsleeves) training tops…the list goes on. Look, it’s not like I invented the notion of comfort, is it.

b)    Honey, why is your bathroom cabinet filled with Vaseline, talc and hair removal products?
OK, suffer the hellish sand-assisted chaffing that 10 hours of desert hiking brings and then tell me that you wouldn’t want to remove every single culprit that makes the burn even worse.


c)    OI, WARNOCK, GET HERE NOW and explain to me why you sneak out early every morning, get home late at night, always have tender nipples and have an angry looking rash in delicate areas.
Erm…well..!

Now I think about it, disclosing this type of information may be exactly why I am single.

That said, as I train harder and push my body more, I’m finding that I’m also unconsciously looking after it more carefully too. That goes from what I eat – including supplements, vitamins etc – to more aesthetic conceits. It even goes as far as my training gear – in the past, I happily picked up whichever shorts and t-shirt were passably clean to go to the gym, but now I do like to have crisp, sparkling workout gear – preferably even coordinated!

Vain? Maybe. But if you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you perform better. I genuinely think it all helps me train harder.

Anyway, with the help of a and b (tight clothing, lotions and potions) there tends to be very little c (rash-based nastiness), so if you can live with a little lycra, ladies, start lining up now…I’m available for social engagements after next weekend and, after all that training, I should be a really cheap date!

Comfortable in my own skins

As Matt pointed out in his last blog, the past week has been a nightmare. Things at work are only starting to slow down as the ADAC looms, soon to be followed by the Christmas holiday (which means tight deadlines). At some stage, a couple magazines are going to have to get written as well. Training has been sporadic and -- as one very loving and patient desert hack follower out there can attest -- it has definitely affected my mood.

Anyway, courtesy of Eid Al Adha, we had a four day weekend -- well, some of us did (sorry Matt) -- which presented a great opportunity to get back on the proverbial saddle of training. I'm happy to say riding, running, hiking and kayaking all happened this weekend.

During our massive desert hike, I feel like I turned a corner. For 99% of our trek, my legs felt strong, my energy stores were ample and my command of our GPS system improved significantly. I actually enjoyed the desert hike. For me, the desert walking portion will be my Everest but this weekend seemed different. The last 1% of the trek brought blisters on 9 of 10 toes and 2 of 2 heels but for the most part, I felt great and enjoyed a suprisingly short recovery time.

As I sat on my bed Saturday morning, amazed that the same feet that felt like they'd been put through a meat grinder the previous day displayed almost no signs of wear or tear and the dull ache that usually greets my hips, knees and ankles the morning after stayed well at bay, I began wondering what I'd done differently.

That's when it hit me: Skins. For those that have never heard of Skins, they're gradient compression performance equipment that feature BioAcceleration Technology to maximise muscle output and reduce stress on joints. Put simply, they're a really tight lycra outfit that, somehow, keeps you cool the more you sweat. I don't know how it works; I don't care. I know one thing though, behind fire and the wheel, Skins are perhaps the greatest invention of all time.

If I could, I'd wear Skins everyday. Friday was my first chance to fully suit up in Skins and as I sit at my desk Monday afternoon, I'm a little distraught that I'm not wearing them now. 25-30 kilometers in 100+ degree heat. Up and down dunes the size of mountains. Across salt flats as crunchy as Easter eggs. End result: Strong legs throughout and no pain the next day. Something doesn't compute. Well, with Skins, it computes.

In the past I've heard friends of mine who are parents make comments like, "When I come home from work everyday, that first sight of my children removes all my stress and puts a smile on my face." Well, I'm here to tell you, my Skins are my children. When I wear them, the sun shines brighter, the birds sing lovelier and every step is like a wonderful reminder of youth and virility.

Another bright spot in this great big desert hike product love-in, was the decision we all made to buy new shoes the day before the hike (perhaps the reason for all the blisters). When you're hiking in sand, you need to keep as much of it out of your shoes as possible, lest your toes curl up like a 10th Century Chinese foot binding. All manner of shoes, gaiters and methods are employed to reduce sand and increase comfort -- most of which prove unsuccessful after extended periods. Well, not anymore. World, meet the Saucony Razor.

I've got an apology to make. When first shopping for trainers, followers will recall that the Desert Hacks stopped into a Saucony shop and I mocked the size and shape of the Saucony shoe. Not only that, but deep in my heart of hearts, I mocked the people whose feet fit into Saucony trainers. If you recall, I called their feet 'cement-block-like'. Well, I stand corrected. With tail thrust firmly between my legs, I return asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness from teammates, followers, the Saucony Corporation and my girlfriend (I believe she called her Sauconys "cushy rockets").

The Saucony Razor is an amazing creation that is equal parts trainer, gaiter and the physical manifestation of pure awesome. As these are a new release item and several of our competitors will have been training for months and months in their current gear, the Saucony Razor may be our only hope. These little guys just may be the Desert Hacks first and last advantage. JRo

A very, very, very, very hard week...

This, for a number of reasons, has been my toughest week yet. I'll explain why.

I'm finding it increasingly amazing that adventure athletes – or even those that regularly take on extreme endurance events – find time to earn a crust. Work has been a problem in terms of training throughout – who can do when, hours of daylight etc – but this week was a nightmare due to one of the region's biggest exhibitions being held in Dubai and us, as journalists, having to cover it. 15-hour-days of constant deadlines and being on our feet took it out of us and, personally, meant there was very little training at all. But it goes further than that – all day at an exhibition affects diet and long days impact on sleep...not ideal with 10 days to go till the Adventure Challenge.

Anyway, we made up for it at the weekend with an epic 25km hike in Liwa (the Empty Quarter) on Friday. Note – that's 25kms as the crow flies from checkpoint to checkpoint – we probably walked a lot further.

(the team gets ready by my car which is, well, in the middle of nowhere)

Advice: Google Earth is awesome for printing off topographical maps, measuring distances and setting yourself checkpoints. Very useful tool. NEVER go into the desert without these!

(feeling WAY too confident, I opt to do a jig of desert happiness - I know I look ridiculous but this is what a desert adventurer wears and, frankly, a couple of hundred kms from civilisation, comfort and survival take priority over fashion) 

(Lucy T makes her way through the vast expanses of the Empty Quarter)

The hike, frankly, was a killer. We all struggled, especially between noon and 2pm when temperatures shot up to the mid-30s and there was literally nowhere to hide. Crossing ranges of dunes is, without any doubt at all, the most exhausting, demoralising, evil, horrific type of activity anyone can do. The only real pro was that we finished alive.

Spotted in the desert: snake trails, a load of these hilarious little lizards that run around hyperactively on their back legs alone, and bones that looked suspiciously like human femurs.

(one of the only enjoyable things about dunes is getting to run down them - as ably demonstrated by Taylor)

The drive home took a few hours – Liwa's a long way from Dubai! - and, as we took my car, this meant I'd been driving or walking for 17 hours by the time we pulled into my drive at 9pmish.

Another problem with training for this type of event: you become a social pariah. It was my housemate's birthday and a lovely bunch of around 15 friends had come over for a BBQ. It was really, really nice – I had a couple of beers, a tasty giant prawn and some salad and decided to head upstairs for a much-needed shower before rejoining the party...I woke up at 10am the next day. Yep, I'd passed out with exhaustion. Social pariah!

However, the benefits came the next day. I felt groggy from a long day, but otherwise not too bad at all. Feet felt fine, no real aches...my attitude towards the desert hike portion of the challenge was even a lot more positive.

The team met up again at 3pm for kayaking and we went much further than we usually manage and all felt much stronger, I think. Finally, it felt like we were getting somewhere...result!

So...less than a week till the start of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 2009 and my feelings are extremely mixed. I'm actually less positive and more worried than I was a few weeks ago but, on the other hand, I think that was borne out of pure naivety; I now think I have a good idea of what's involved and what it will take to finish it.

It's going to be by far and away the hardest thing I've ever done – the toughest six days of my life – a mental and physical test of my body and my character.

Bring it on! Can't wait for my first weekwnd off and next night out..!

The importance of arrogance

Arrogance can be a huge asset to any sportsman. When I was younger playing football, if I stepped onto the pitch believing I was the best player, I usually played like it.

One of the finest examples of sheer arrogance was from one of the most talented players I have seen in my lifetime. Of course it was Eric Cantona's celebration, following his sublime goal against Sunderland. There was no jumping, screaming or badge kissing, Cantona merely turned with his chest puffed out and stared knowingly at the crowd. It was almost as if he was questioning their right to bear witness to such a special moment of quality.

While the Desert Hacks' arrogance will never reach such highs, and rightly so probably, arrogance is a luxury we certainly want to be able to afford going into some of our events. Last weekend we smashed through the 40km walking barrier, something we will have to do consecutively in the event.

Now this is done, I can look down at a 40km walk, raise my collar, and treat it with some Cantona-esque arrogance. We all run 10km in training and brush it off like it isn't there. We can respond to 10km events with nothing more than a Gallic shrug. It is this arrogance that will give us confidence going into events and the strength to pull through them.

Cantona's moment of brilliance can be seen here www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vAOUgmRXsc

And for the record and those people who do not know me, no, I am certainly not a Man United fan.

Pete (still needing a haircut)

Just two weeks to go...an update

If you'll indulge me briefly, blogoholics, allow me to tell you a little about the place where four of the five Desert Hacks work. It's an office on an industrial estate type area called International Media Production Zone (Dubai has a wonderful lack of imagination where names are concerned; for more examples, see The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Fountain, Dubai Marina, The Dubai Promenade...) and it's in the middle of the desert.

Now, I'm not disparagingly describing Dubai as a city in the middle of the desert - it's not, it's on a lovely stretch of coastline - but our office is actually in the middle of the desert. No shops, cafes, restaurants...just sand.

Therefore, I've come to really look forward to waxing lyrical with some pop adventure-philosophy on these blogs. I take 10 minutes after eating lunch at my desk to connect with the blogosphere - a little light relief during a particularly busy time in work. Actually, I'd love to hear from any athletes, triathletes or adventure racers out there - how do you make sure that busy periods in work don't mess with your training schedule?

So, on to the meat of today's post: we have just two weeks to go before the big Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge and it's beginning to feel extremely, well, real. Therefore, this weekend we decided, as they say in Spinal Tap, to turn the dial up to 11!

Pete, Jeff and I did a 45km walk, which clocked in at just over 8 hours. I won't play it down, this was easily our toughest training session so far. We did it as four circuits of an 11km+ route. The first two times around were tough but spirits remained high...the third...well, the third. OW! It hurt in ways that nothing should. The only way through it was to strap on the MP3 players and almost literally fight our ways through. It was a spirit breaker. Feet throbbing, blistering, rashes flaring up, joints aching...I think it's fair to say that we all HATED it.

However - beware of more cod philosophy coming up - thanks to what I'm not ashamed to describe as a top class display of camaraderie and a triumph of the human spirit over adversity, not to mention a careful programme of regular pauses and stretches, the final loop was much less painful. A swim to ease those aches and pains at the end, and it felt worthwhile. We know we can cover the distances required, we know we can walk mile after mile after mile for hours on end...

I don't know whether you can ever be fully prepared for a hardcore endurance adventure race, and, in an ideal world, we'd have had a couple more months at this level to hone our, erm, skills, but I think we're feeling OK. Apprehensive but determined and, whisper it, almost confident.

For the past two days, I've hardly been able to walk. It feels like someone took a baseball bat to my feet arches - probably made worse by my feet-like-a-slab-of-steak flatfootedness. We couldn't kayak yesterday, as planned, due to high winds and choppy waters but that was, if I'm completely honest, a relief.

This morning, however, I dragged myself out of bed and managed 30kms on the mountain bike before work. A couple of thousand metres in the pool awaits tonight.

People think I'm insane when I tell them about how much we train. They think there must be something wrong with me to not only spend 8 hours of my weekend walking but to follow that with a 6am cycle. I'm getting used to answering the question "why?" but sometimes it's hard to vocalise the perfect response.

Beacuse that's what it takes. Because that's what you do. Because, no matter how my bruised feet feel now and my aching body screamed during our third lap of four, that's what we love. Getting up every day and knowing you're harder, stronger, fitter and faster than yesterday is what has to drive you otherwise there is no way you'd get through the training for this event, nevermind the comp itself.

There's a phrase by the great Roman philosopher Seneca who was infinitely better at it than me (philosophising, not adventure racing - he was, by all accounts, a dreadful cyclist) which reads "per aspera ad astra". It has become something of a personal motto for me during the past few weeks.

"Through difficulties to the stars." I guess that, as much as anything, is the answer to all those whys.

Matt

ABU DHABI ADVENTURE CHALLENGE: Fun Facts


• More than 12 ambulances will be on stand-by during the six-day event, including mobile ambulance facilities mounted on army-code Humvee trucks, which can access even the most inhospitable of terrains.

• If you add up the combined distance travelled by all 144 athletes from Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 2008, it would be the equivalent of flying around the world one and a quarter times.

• The athletes will burn up over 7,000 calories a day — three times that of the daily recommended rate for an average man.

• To keep calorie intake high, adventure racers eat a wide range of snacks including Bombay mix, dried bananas and potato powder, energy bars and salt packs.

• To stave off the effects of dehydration, adventure racers need to consume at least 10 litres of water a day. Based on this, in the 2008 event, athletes consumed more than 9,000 litres — the equivalent of 100 average sized bath tubs.

• Looking at a combined average, the teams will use 2.8km of rope, will take more than 17 million steps and make more than five million paddle strokes.

The fear

Unlike Jeffrey, I do not mind walking.

My big weakness when it comes to exercise has been maintaining high speeds, whether in running, cycling, swimming or whatever, due in part to asthma and in part to a long and terrible career as a smoker.

However maintaining a steady pace is not so much of a problem for me; if my knees hurt, or my legs ache, that's a pain which I tend to find surmountable, rather than the more challenging obstacle of not being able to breathe.

So the weekend's trek wasn't too bad. In fact, although my hips were starting to ache rather a lot towards the end, resulting in a somewhat hobbling walk to the car in the mannner of a bow-legged old man, the following day I felt a lot better than I expected. (Definitely better than after our previous weekend trek around Arabian Ranches!)

In fact, all in all, I was feeling rather optimistic about the whole thing.

Until this morning, when one of the PRs sent me the above image of last year's desert orienteering, and all at once I remembered how utterly unlike me this is and how out-of-my-depth I just might be...

I mean, what the hell was I thinking?
Walking the equivalent of two marathons in two days?! I live in Dubai - I don't even walk to the shops!

But I'm committed now; I'm into the training, I'm part of the team, I've bought the equipment. So it looks like I'm actually going to do it, one way or another.


(Anyone got a camel I can borrow for the first week of December?)

If everybody looked the same...

It's funny reading the last couple of blogs just how different everyone is and where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

I know that should be sort of obvious, but all being around the same fitness levels and having similar ambitions for the race, it's easy to forget. Scott and Jeff, for example, really seem to enjoy the kayaking which I pretty much loathe. Jeff and Pete, however, find walking really boring when Lucy and I seem to drift off into our own little worlds and enjoy the escapism of just plugging away step-by-step.

Personally, although I'm sure I may be proven wrong, the mountain biking, desert orienteering and even the climbing (strange as pretty petrified of heights) don't worry me too much - just a small amount of healthy fear to avoid complatency.

The kayaking, however? I don't know why I dislike it so much. Admittedly, I've only ever done a bit of canoeing before but I really enjoyed that. Rowing in university, conversely, was pretty dull. Maybe I'm just not much of a team player? While the rest of the events are undertaken as a team, of course, you sort of do your own thing and pull each other along. For the kayaking, real, perfect, in sync teamwork is essential.

One thing I can certainly say for myself is that I'll give it my all. We've another hour or two in the sea this weekend and I'm determined to show some improvement - in technique and ability, as well as attitude.

Anyone out there have any tips for kayaking? Anyone agree with me or were you once a kayak-hater and now head out in your two-man every weekend? Any hints or tips would be most appreciated!

Matt

Walking is for the birds

Ever since I was a boy, I’ve always hated shopping, going to the grocery store or doing anything that required any level of meandering. From the shooting pain in my overpronating right arch to the dull ache that travels northward from my shins to my knees and up to my hips, I’m gonna put this out there: I hate walking.

I've always enjoyed a nice long run. Cycling is a great workout that constantly allows me to push my limits. I find any kind of water sport incredibly refreshing. Even climbing is a wonderful combination of technical skill and strength to which I'd love to devote more time. But walking, no thanks. The slow monotony of controlled strides is enough to drive me mad.

In light of my aversion to ambulation, the weekend's workout in Hatta was breathtaking, but difficult. My teammates did a great job of sticking together and keeping the mood light but this weekend's trek was tough. I found the terrain terribly uncomfortable on my feet -- much more so than sand.

The entire point of the ADAC is to use the strength of the team to overcome the challenges it faces. During the competition we are not a collection of individuals, we are a team, a single entity. We draw upon one another's strengths and we help overcome each other's weaknesses. This attitude will be as crucial in the event as it is during our training.

The pics can illustrate:

Lucifer begins the trek overcome by her surroundings.

Matt demonstrates a Walden Pond-like sense of calm.

Pete & Lucy found themselves a bit of dead end.

Hatta, also knows as, the Devil's Frying Pan.

I need a shave.

Veni. Vidi. Vici.

After we train hard. We play hard. We are...Desert Hacks.

And Pete, our fearless leader...

Hitting Hatta hard

It has been a while since my last blog post – apologies for that. As Matt has shown with the excellent set of photos, this weekend we went off to Hatta in search of a good hike. And a good hike we found. We were walking for around six hours in total, and even managed to get some climbing/ clambering in as well.

The setting was brilliant. Again it was a different terrain to the desert, but the hard, stony surface tested out ankle and foot strength, which will be a major challenge in the desert. Hatta is a lot more interesting to walk in, instead of wandering into the horizon in a never ending landscape, there was a sense of intrigue at every corner.

As Jeff pointed out on the way back though, the intrigue faded when you came to the realisation that around all the corners was a fresh set of jagged rocks.

I decided to try out the skins for this walk. They worked really well, at first it was like wearing a personal sauna, but the moisture trapped by them then gives a satisfying cooling effect.
Also, having a hat and sunglasses helped a lot. Looking back, it was a pretty bad mistake wandering off into the desert for the training with no hat for shade and no sunglasses to prevent a permanent squint.

So all in all, it was a successful hike. My main problem with walking is the boredom, but with an Indiana Jones setting, some sharp rocks to climb over and a ridiculous hat, you can’t go wrong.

A hard hike in Hatta

As I seem to be hogging all the blogging, I'll leave it to my team mates and won't say too much about the weekend's activities, other than that our 6 hour hike through the dried-up river bed (wadi) in Hatta was easily my favourite training session to date - beautiful, dramatic scenery, a bit of light, enjoyable scramble climbing and we didn't see a single other person all day.

Pete tackles the mountainous surrounds of the lake showing that, unlike our first walk in the desert, we're actually well prepared now and have all the right gear!

Great scenery -- rubbish photo. Taken from my very old, battered camera phone.

Hatta starts to look a bit Wild West.

The borderlands (UAE with Oman - driving from Dubai, you actually have to pass briefly into Oman to get to Hatta)

Lucifer, Left Feet and Sidewinder stop for a little rest.

Sidewinder JRo snaps Left Feet Pete.

The landscape gets very Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Me heading into The Temple of Doom. Without trying to seem too worthy, note the support of TWLOHA (To write love on her arms). Look it up, support it and spread the word. Extremely worthwhile.

 

Coming down from the heights.

 Really like this pic - shows the scale of the whole area.

The sheer face of the wadi.

Lucy comes down through an awesome rock formation that, over the years, had been smoothed down to look like a slide!

Pete comes through the formation.

Hope you enjoyed the pics. Cheerio.

Matt

A little more conversation and more action

Sorry followers, it's been a fairly poor showing from us this week on the blog as, all of a sudden, everything went a bit crazy in journo-land.

However, we're back now and raring to go. Since our 25km walk on Monday evening, I've managed a couple of weights sessions in the gym and a quick run of about 8kms - not good enough, to be frank.

Hoping to make up for that with a full-on weekend.

Jeff, Pete, Lucy and I will be rising early tomorrow (seperately - we don't sleep in a big, incestuous Hack bed) and hitting Hatta, which is inland from Dubai and, by all accounts, an area of not inconsiderable beauty. There's a long trail there that takes in a few wadis (dried-up river beds), some pools and passes an ancient fort. The idea is some good, long hiking (around 6-8 hours in total) on terrain which is unstable but not sand...getting the feet and ankles used to rougher terrain without the calf-busting dunes of foot-high sand is important, I think.

Arenaphile, I discovered the other day, is the word for someone who collects or loves sand - after our last desert trek, I'm pretty convinced that there are no arenaphiles in our group. In fact, we're Arenaphobes Anonymous. Unfortunately, we need to make it more than twelve steps!

I've always really enjoyed walking and hiking - getting away from everything helps steady the ship. I'm also looking forward to seeing how our team dynamic plays out on a longer, harder trail. My role, as I see it, is keeping everyone going and trying to keep morale up wherever possible - starting with the flask of coffee and bacon sarnies at 6.30am.

Anyway, after tomorrow's hike, we'll be kayaking for two hours at 9am on Saturday morning and then I'm planning on getting 40k+ in on the mountain bike Saturday evening. I know a lot of people think we're mad doing all this but I see each event we're competing in at the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge as being like a metre-long ruler - that's how much effort we have to put in; that's how much it's going to hurt. Every km you run, cycle, kayak or hike after that shortens the ruler by a couple of millimetres here and there...meaning it'll hurt a little less, it'll feel a little shorter, you'll feel fresher that little bit longer.

That, at least, is the theory. We'll let you know over the weekend how the practice goes - should be some pics to accompany it too.

Hopefully I'll never say this about another man ever again but, in order to avoid the way-too-graphic mental pictures that scarred my very brain on reading his last post...I really hope Jeff brings the Vaseline!

Tatty-bye for now.

Matt

Reports from the march...

We learned a lot from last night's 25km (15.5 mile) hike. It was the first time we had all been involved in a big training exercise and, as such, we got to see where everyone was in terms of readiness for what will undoubtedly prove to be the most difficult part of the Adventure Challenge.

Sneaky Pete compared walking -- not the hike itself, but walking in general -- to certain unpleasant experiences from his prison days. Lucy surprised us with her Stimpy-like ability to remain spry and bubbly. Matt started and finished strong with military-march-like precision and cadence.

And, in an unfortunate turn of events, Scott re-aggravated a recurring foot injury and has been told by doctors this morning that, under no circumstances, can he compete in the orienteering phase. Gutted. As unlucky as it is, Scott's combination of strength and slight build will be invaluable for us in the kayaking and climbing phases.

Myself? Well, about 8 miles in, one word kept repeating itself -- at first only a whisper -- in my psyche. By mile 15, the whispers had become screams. That word: Vaseline.

Because all of us in the blogosphere are still getting know one another, I'll choose my words carefully. But, at the end of the day, we're all adults.

Imagine 80 degrees. Hot. Dry. Sandy. Now, insert 15 miles of friction -- not the quick burst friction created by running but the slow, methodical, chafing friction that makes each step an excruciating reminder of how far you've walked and a dreadful realisation of what's still to come.

Some athletes get it bad under their arms. Unless they've used band-aids for cover, some guys get it particularly bad on their nipples. The sensitive skin on the inner thigh where legs sometimes rub together is another danger zone. And, of course, regardless of gender, one's posterior is particularly problematic.

Dealing with this type of friction is second nature to most endurance athletes and, truth be told, I've got three sticks of Body Glide at home (courtesy of my very wise girlfriend). On last night's walk, I simply forgot. And, especially as I sit at my desk, I'm paying the price for my carelessness.

To my team and anyone else looking for a top tip: Don't hesitate to lubricate

Safety first

Just prior to our first open water training session, I felt it necessary to explain to the land-loving members of our team the international sign for maritime distress. Lucy demonstrated it like a champion. Jro

On to serious matters…

So, enough of the whimsical notes on trainer shopping and post-workout lunches and on to matters a tad more serious and technical.

Those of you who don't compete in triathlons, Ironman or adventure racing may wonder just how much training we're doing right now; those that do might want to laugh at us for being hideously under-prepared...so I thought I'd share my current schedule with you - probably adds up to around 20 hours a week. 

I have a rough daily plan that I keep to, but it boils down to this each week:

• 3 x weights sessions (chest and pecs, back and traps, triceps and lats...very roughly speaking, with extra abs, glutes and quads thrown in around them)
• 15kms run in one or two sessions
• 1hr swimming (around 3,500 metres) - I'm doing the run and swim just to keep my CV nice and strong. Just two hours per week tho as high heart rate stuff isn't too important for the Adventure Challenge - it's an endurance event and, therefore, about enduring
• 50kms mountain biking in one or two sessions
• 2-3 hours kayaking (group)
• 25kms midweek evening walk on easy terrain (group)
• 6-8 hour hike at the weekend on rougher ground
  

This will be what I stick to right until the main event in a month's time...well, with a few days of very easy stuff just before.

Going slightly against what would usually be expected, while everyone else is carb-ing up, I'm actually still on a very low carb/high protein diet for five days a week with some good, complex carbs added at the weekend. During our training in the desert, I was really aware of how difficult carrying any extra weight at all was, so stripping a couple of kilos in the next couple of weeks will be ideal...I will, however, be getting some high quality carbs (whole grain bread, pasta and rice) into my body a couple of weeks before the event.

Scott and Pete both have the opposite problem as they can be a little lightweight, so they're having to concentrate on putting on a bit of body mass to increase strength - but I'll let them tell you about that themselves.

Apparently, we'll need to be taking on as many as 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day during the comp itself - not sure my body's capable of that anymore unless it involved an all-night free bar!

Nutrition's something we need to look at closely - for during the event in particular. Does anyone out there in the blogosphere have experience of competing in endurance events? Can you receommend the best way to take on enough calories during a race? Would be great to hear - do leave a comment. Also, what do you think of my training regime - is it enough to see me through six days of competition?

Kayaking and shopping - my two personal hells

Due to Dubai Sound City and kayak training every day, this past weekend was one of burning the candle at both ends for me…and I can tell you that today I have all the energy of a flat battery, the motivation of a block of cheese and feel as athletic as an 80-year-old chain-smoking alcoholic.

Fittingly but most unfortunately, I also kayak like aforementioned octogenarian.

If I’m honest, I am, perhaps naively, not overly concerned about the rest of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Although I know the desert orienteering and cycling etc will all be really tough, I’m a pig-headed idiot and WILL get through them.

But the kayaking…I put my heart and soul into it and, in return, I got blisters all over my hands, a sore back, stiff shoulders and went five yards backwards. I REALLY need to train at this. Thanks, by the way, to Suzy at Nautica 1992.

Anyway, on to cheerier matters. The one thing I’m really loving about this ridiculous and flawed plan to take on the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is being active and working out with my team mates – a finer four folk I couldn’t ask to do this with. While I was a bit down about the kayaking, they helped lift my spirits.

We followed Friday’s session with lunch at Café Culture (I think) at what was The Harbour Hotel – a damn tasty pie with lovely strawberry smoothie which a) is like a fruit party in the mouth and b) is sure to get you ridiculed by your team mates.

  Saturday, we hit a burger and ribs joint in Dubai Mall – the world’s biggest shopping centre, apparently, complete with giant underwater zoo and an Olympic-sized ice rink (yes Pete, that’s ice!) and I loathe the place. If Satan shops, that’s where he goes. That’s not a giant aquarium; it’s actually the River Styx flowing right through the centre of it.

The reason for this trip was trainer shopping for our event runners – courtesy of the kind people of Abu Dhabi! Three of us opted for Saucony trainers – a word here for the wonderful staff at Saucony who knew more about our feet than we did – while Jeff and Lucy opted for Asics.

Pete obviously tried to buy two left-foot trainers but they wouldn’t let him.

The Saucony staff noted the type of feet (width, how much arch etc) and recommended accordingly. Now, I’m so flatfooted that the Saucony man looked at my feet and basically laughed, took a pic with his camera phone and sent it to his other foot pals...my feet are probably now on YouTube.

My new trainers are, therefore, kinda odd looking with “extra protection and padding” to help me with my deformed feet! I’m going to do a short run tonight in them, so I’ll let you know if they make much difference from my old, bog standard New Balances…

Matt 'Warchild'