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The Marathon Des Sables

Damian Wade

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'THE HARDEST FOOTRACE ON EARTH'

Damian Wade

I first found out about the Marathon des Sables whilst watching a documentary a couple of years ago now and remember thinking I would love to one day get involved in an event like that.

Now I?m finally going to do it.

A friend of mine, Mark Childes, who competes in adventure racing has invited me to join him on his next epic adventure which just so happened to be the Marathon des Sables.

Childes gave me the brochure (back in Nov 06) and told me to read it page for page and think long and hard about my decision due to the fact that this event could lead to a serious injury or even (just in case that did not hit home) - death.

On the tube on the way home from work I began reading the brochure and had a surge of excitement and adrenaline reading all the facts about the event.

I called my parents that evening just to get their thoughts and although they were concerned, they fully supported me in my endeavors.

The next day I took my £500 non-refundable deposit to the post office and told Childes that I had thought long and hard about it and had decided to go ahead and apply.

Childes found my idea of long and hard very amusing, but praised me for taking the first step.

It's very difficult to explain why one would want to run/walk/crawl more than 150 miles in six days, the equivalent of six marathons in some of the harshest conditions on earth with the race staged in the Sahara Desert and temperatures hitting 120 degrees F.

I get so much from physical exercise and I have found the more I push myself the more extreme I need to go just to get that stimulation and buzz. It's certainly an addiction. I will not be satisfied until I have pushed myself to the absolute limits of my endurance if not physical then mental.

I also want to do something that raises awareness for the charity I am supporting (Facing Africa) and find that the more extreme you go the more exposure you create.

Facing Africa helps local children in the Sahara region suffering from a disease called Noma. It is a vicious and deadly gangrene that eats away the flesh around the mouth and face of children aged mainly up to six years. £500 will cover the costs of an operation on one of these children; imagine a new face for £500! I am hoping to raise over £6000 to aid the work they are doing. To find out more please visit: www.facingafrica.org.

Since posting that deposit back in Nov 2006 I have completed training including weekend mountain bike/ trekking/ fell running trips to Wales, 28 mile trek & runs on the South Downs and daily 10 mile runs along the Thames.

I was put back a little due to developing a hernia operation but have been recovering from the operation and am getting back into the training schedule.

In a few months time I am moving to Australia, which could be a blessing in disguise due to the fact that I get to train in ideal conditions - that being the heat and sand.

The downside being I will have to fly all the way over to the UK come April so that I can catch my connecting flight to Quarzazate (Morocco).

As soon as I am fully fit again I will be entering at least one marathon a month and will need to prepare myself for the dreaded sand dunes which frequent the Marathon des Sables course.

Typical Race Itinerary:

Just to make life that bit more difficult there are time limits on each stage so if you don't make it within the time allotted you face disqualification.

Training Schedule:

Once a month I will be entering either a marathon or ultra-marathon which can range from 35 - 50 miles on average.

Just to minimize the risk of injury I may spend the odd week in the gym using the cross-trainer so as to eliminate stress on the joints due to excessive impact.

Sponsor Me, please

By sponsoring me for the Marathon Des Sables you will help treat and prevent Noma - an easily treatable disease, gum ulcers that become gangrenous, ultimately causing death by septicemia.

Facing Africa is a charity dedicated to preventing, treating and curing Noma, in conjunction with other charities across the world - their website has full details.

You can sponsor me online in aid of Facing Africa: Sponsorship form and list of sponsors.

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