Simon's Marathon des Sables Blog

The Living Spirit - reasons to succeed

Simon — Sun, 13 May 2007 21:46:46 +0000

The Living Spirit

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn’t save the world.
There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel secure around you.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our light shine
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela
(inaugural Speech 1994)

2009 Race Outcomes

Simon — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:39:33 +0000

Race outcomes

To ‘race’ the Marathon des Sables – to compete for the winning spot.
To complete the total 151 mile (243km) event in less than 28 hours.
To average a pace of 5.39 miles per hour (8.67 km per hour) carrying a rucksack weighed at 10 kg at the initial check in (before water supplies are added – another 2-3 litres).

To have completed the following approximate distances for each day of the race:

                                15.5 miles (25 km) – day 1
                                21.0 miles (34 km) – day 2
                                24.0 miles (38 km) – day 3
                                51.0 miles (82 km) – day 4
                                26.0 miles (42 km) – day 5
                                13.6 miles (22 km) – day 6

Thinking Ahead

Simon — Sat, 12 May 2007 18:45:05 +0000

I’ve been asked on a couple of occasions ‘what exactly are you going to do to train for this event?’ In the next few days I’ll post details of just what this will look like - mode of training, frequency and recovery.

I had a chance look at the Euro sport showing of this years (2007) Marathon des Sables. What was instantly observable was the nature and set up of the leaders ruck sacks, the way they set up water bottles rather than ‘camel backs’ within their packs - guess this must be alot easier to refill on the run. But more about this later when I’ve had a chance to analyse the video properly.

Welcome

Simon — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:58:44 +0000

Hi,

What you are going to read is going to be brutally honest. The highs, the lows, the don’t knows and moments of total desperation blurted out in the hope that it ‘connects’. Some of it I will be proud of and some I will be simply disgusted by; but hey, I am human and I believe that we are all inspired by moments of greatness - when people cross the finish line with arms raised high - but the real inspiration comes from the being there at the best and worst of moments and appreaciating that it is the adversity withn the journey that makes success so special.

So welcome and read on,

Simon