I did a city half marathon from the outskirts (Beckenham) into the centre of London (Hyde Park) which I found mildly interesting. Makes the city feel a lot smaller when you can run into it from the outside.
My legs are definitely getting stronger as well, normally at around mile 20 they start to get a bit sore but at today I didn't get into any pain until a couple of miles before the end. This bodes well for the ultra as I'll be able to get up every day and do another marathon without TOO much trouble (hopefully). The reality however is that it is going to be an incredibly torturous affair, no easy ride in the slightest...
I've been trying to sort out my kit which has been harder than expected. Items like backpack and sleeping bag are difficult to get right. Having been in touch with the race organiser he tried to help me out with some sleeping bag advice:
"HI
I just did the same exercise for someone else, so looked carefully at what is currently available and came up with 3 choices ( I am sure there are more possibilities )
Sleeping bags, loads of different types
Size and weight is dependent on 2 things, you can get bags that pack down to the size of a can of coke, but you will be cold at night so self defeating.
Down Filling, packs down smaller than anything else, is much more expensive than synthetic, and is useless when wet If your budget allows this is the best choice LINK for smallest and lightest for the conditions you will find ( Beware there are lots of types and grades of Down,, not all are as good at keeping you warm, and not all have a long lifespan )
Synthetic Materials are a lot less expensive, but hey are bulkier, but even when wet they can keep you warm. The size can be reduced even further, by using a compression sack, size can be reduced by 20 to 30%.
A good lightweight, and fairly small bag is the Gormasson -19, it can be reduced in size with a compression sack, it is also a much better price. LINK
Another option is this one LINK its not so expensive for a quality Down bag, but does not pack quite so small as the first one
Bags vary so much in quality and size, I have a bag that is good for the job and only cost £60, but it is bigger than my backpack, and I have one the size of a can of coke, which is very expensive. but i would not sleep due to being cold., it was fine for the Sahara, but this is Iceland.
A simple, lightweight. and cheap way to increase the temperature in a sleeping bag is to add a silk liner, it also keeps the bag clean, this can increase the temperature inside the bag by 5 degrees, there are also cotton liners, but they only make 1 or 2 degrees difference, better than nothing.
If non of those 3 suit you, call Martin Like of Likeys on 01874 622900 tell him you are doing the Fire and Ice, and that I suggested you call him regarding a sleeping bag, he supplied the Yeti bag to an Icelandic runner last year, he thinks it is the best thing he ever bought, but Martin does not do Yeti anymore, but does lots of other brands.
The three I have recommended are either stock or can be obtained in a few weeks, whatever Likeys recommends will all be stock.
Martin has a lot of personal experience in 250km events, and is probably the UKs best supplier of kit to events like this.
Sadly some companies will recommend and stock what they make the most profit on, people like Martin stock what is best for the events, and the competitor, if I cant get what I want direct from a factory, I go to Martin because of his knowledge and honesty.
Hope this helps
Dave "
Thanks Dave.
So it sounds like sleeping in the cold is going to be another challenge in itself, definitely need to get a good sleeping bag.
There is also a compulsory kit list that they check before you can start the event:
| Compulsory Equipment List | Obtained |
| Backpack | |
| Sleeping bag | |
| Head torch + Emergency light | ✓ |
| 8 x safety pins | ✓ |
| Small knife/multitool | |
| Survival bag | |
| Red LED light | |
| Sunscreen | |
| Lip Balm | |
| Medical Kit + Blister kit | |
| Tissues/wet wipes | |
| Alcohol gel | |
| T Shirt | |
| Waterproof jacket & Trousers | |
| Warm mid layer | |
| Shorts & tights | ✓ |
| Sun hat | ✓ |
| Warm hat | ✓ |
| Shoes | ✓ |
| Socks 2/3 pairs | ✓ |
| Gloves | ✓ |
| UV sunglasses | |
| Food (minimum 2500Kcal/day) | |
| Water capacity (minimum 2L) |
As you can see there are still a few things I'm missing...
I'll do several posts this week talking about the different types of kit and nutrition that I'll be taking with me. Fairly boring but some of the more inventory-minded people out there might get some pleasure in reading about it all!
I am getting very excited as you might imagine but need to reign it in a bit as still a month or so of grueling training to go before I can get out there.
In other news, Mohamad Ahansal has just entered the race. For those non ultra marathon enthusiasts out there (which I'm guessing is everyone, including me) Mohamad has one the Marathon des Sables 6 times. 6 times. He's also finished 2nd on several occasions and has come 3rd a few times, which must have been difficult for him to take (!). Will be interesting to see this well oiled machine in action, although I doubt he will stick around to have a chat while racing. I'll have to ambush him at one of the stage campsites and get some useful info out of him.
I had two beers last night and woke up with a hangover this morning. Really hammered home how getting super fit and alcohol are not a match made in heaven. The fitter you get the less booze your body can handle. I can see this research paper being published in Science in the next few years. I'll use yours truly as the sample group, drip feeding myself alcohol while attempting to climb everest. Many people will doubt the credibility/usefulness of such a paper, but a paper it shall be. If anyone would like to contribute or be involved in such a monumental study then please don't hesitate to call me on +447777777777 for more details on how to get involved.
One final thing, for any twitter users out there. I have reactivated my account for a number of reasons which I shan't go into now but will do in due time and my username is @loren_kock. I've only got 40 followers and could do with a few more so show me some love and follow me! I've been tweeting fairly regularly about the race and anything else interesting, definitely worth a look anyway (just don't forget to click "follow" before you leave my page).
I've almost forgotten that I'm doing this ill informed event for charity. Please keep donating it's amazing that i've raised over £2000 and can keep lifting it now!
For everyone who has already donated I will be mentioning you in the next few posts to gratefully name and shame you.
I'll start with the three most recent people who have kindly donated.
Shout out to Hilary Atkins (Kenya), Jenny Hart (UK) and my big brother (USA) for hugely generous donations, thanks a lot guys!
https://www.justgiving.com/fireandicekibera/
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