Stories

Words and Photography by Will Copestake

This article first appeared in BASE magazine issue 02. For the latest from BASE including the latest digital issue in full direct to your inbox, be sure to subscribe for free.

Once on the tide, you can’t turn back, whispered a voice in my head. It was frighteningly persistent, and I felt sick.

Eighty days into a solo sea kayaking expedition around Scotland, I had reached Cape Wrath - the most northwesterly point on mainland Britain on the north coast of Scotland. ‘The turning point’ as the Vikings named it and the gateway to an infamously rough and committing stretch of paddling. I had safely landed in a small cove and settled into a bothy to spend the night. Wandering to the top of a nearby cliff I had hoped to inspect what lay ahead and build confidence for what I might experience over the coming days.

Looking east along a line of headlands, I felt my stomach churn as I watched huge waves breaking over tidal races. The flow was faster than I could paddle against. I knew it would be different at slack tide, but I couldn’t shake the thought of being tossed amongst the conditions I saw. A voice in my head had started to whisper fear, and fear quickly turned to self doubt. Over the last 800 kilometres, I had grown used to tidal planning and executing each day to make best use of their flow or lack thereof. I had ready advice available from friends just a quick phone call away, but out here, on this remote cliff, I felt so very much alone. Once on the water it would be just me, my kayak, and an ocean moving swiftly east. There was something frightening about the total commitment of the north coast; the fierce reputation of this place had built up in my head over the last few months, which made it seem worse than what I had paddled so far.

Below my feet, the cracks and booms of waves against rock thundered through a chatter of seabirds nesting on their precipitous perches below. Like those birds, I felt I was teetering on a thin ledge between safe land and dangerous sea. In reality my success or failure lay squarely in my planning for the tides and winds which I had already become so well accustomed to doing. But the voice whispered again in my ear, once on the tide you can’t turn back.

There is a delicate balance between a sense of fear and willingness to commit in any walk of life, be it a businessman investing in his stocks, an arachnophobe picking up a spider from the kitchen floor, or a sea kayaker navigating a tidal headland. In every case there is that little voice in our heads that cries hesitation. But therein lies the allure of adventure which is to overcome that thought just to see what happens. You might arrive around a headland triumphant or you might throw that spider across the room with a childish scream, if you don’t try you will never know.

In a paddling sense, I had experienced this voice of doubt before Cape Wrath, mostly on offshore open passages. I found the call starts in the back of my mind after an hour or two paddling away from land, from where it grows louder and louder. In such times, the temptation to listen was always alluring even when I was experiencing calm and manageable seas. If I turned back for the weather then that was a choice well made, but retreat for no good reason other than a beckoning doubt brought instant regret once home. To push past the voice with observation and rational reasoning always led to a tremendous sense of reward at overcoming it.  This was how I would treat the north coast, headland by headland, with good preparation and by managing the difference between irrational fear and rational awareness.

Looking down, I could see the eastward stream pulling full bore through a narrow gap. Between mighty cliff and rocky island, the sea curled over in a chaotic spray as the flow broke into white horses. I felt sick just looking at it. The thought of entering that chop churned my stomach in flips and leaps just as tumultuous as what I was looking at. It kept me awake most of the night. As the next day arrived and the tides were slack, I checked conditions were good - which they were - sucked up my nerves and pushed out to sea. Anxiously rounding the corner, I entered the waves that had stirred up so much fear and doubt from the shore. Indeed it was rough, and required hard paddling to execute success, but to my surprise the reality of the race wasn’t fear but fun. I passed the cliffs with a smile on my face, and with all self doubt removed in the process.

Over the next week I slowly pushed across the north coast one headland at a time with the same repeating routine of primal fear ashore and paddling enjoyment on the sea. On land, safe and dry, my mind was burdened with nerves each night, but on the water the next day they were washed away with the immediate purpose of the journey at hand.

The voice whispered again in my ear: once on the tide you can’t turn back

After several successful headlands rounded, I started to ignore the voices of fear. Complacently letting my planning slip this led to my most epic and challenging experience during my entire circumnavigation of Scotland as I rounded Holbourne Head. My second last headland in the north, it was the one day of my trip where the conditions became what I had feared, and that fear became a reality. This was the day on which I should have listened more carefully to the whispers of doubt.

A huge double-overhead swell had risen against the tide and a high wind forecast rose the waves steep enough to easily take my entire kayak bow to stern on their face. The new confidence of having aced the last few days without issue now turned to desperation, as I found myself fighting for survival for several hours. I remember the moment a wave actually barrelled over me, surfing me sideways as I braced hard, white knuckles piled into the breaking foam. I remember too the crack of waves erupting against the cliffs of an inescapable shore. I remember a horrible sense of being totally stationary as each crucial paddle placement wallowed in the waves. Every minute felt an hour and every stroke an effort to stay upright; my kayak was sinking and I was running out of energy. When I finally reached safe harbour, I was so exhausted that I needed help from a stranger to lift my kayak from the slipway. My cockpit was twelve inches deep in water from a leaking deck and I was shivering hard from the cold water and sheer adrenaline. I was physically and emotionally spent. 

My mistake was reversing the routine; I had ignored the whispers of fear which had led to a lack of proper precautionary planning. Whilst, perhaps surprisingly, the fear during the event had been shelved in an effort to escape, afterwards it utterly consumed me.

In reflection, the experience had been terrifying. It was the closest I have come, before or since, to having a serious beatdown on the sea and for days after it affected me deeply with a reluctance to return to the water. A valuable lesson perhaps, experience as always came just after I needed it.

Those voices can sometimes turn from a hinderance to a useful tool. I have long said that the safest paddlers are the timid ones, but it is perhaps better to consider that a safe paddler recognises risk and listens to it by matching their planning to their ability. By acknowledging ‘the whispers’, rather than fear them, a greater picture of the journey ahead and its possible outcomes can be made, knowing when it is appropriate to listen or ignore them is then down to experience.

Since completing my solo circumnavigation of Scotland I have been privileged to turn adventure into a career as a kayak guide. Like my adventure, which began with relatively little experience in sea kayaking, I learnt to guide in a rather unconventional way. I was hired on the merit of that Scotland trip to an expedition guiding outfit in Chilean Patagonia where I was regularly sent into seriously remote locations in 45 knot headwinds with large groups of novice paddlers. Needless to say that first season was ‘educational’ and took swift and effective decision making to an extreme with lots of dynamic choices involved. At the time I had no formal training ( which I have now progressed through in subsequent years ) on how to kayak guide, and I only had the qualification of strong personal experience. I quickly learnt that guiding and strong personal paddling were two very different skills, although there were some overlapping elements.

I could see the eastward stream pulling full bore through a narrow gap. The sea curled over in a chaotic spray of white horses: I felt sick just looking at it.

The technical skills of Patagonian guiding involved a lot more towing and instruction than I was perhaps used to. In order to achieve a ‘safety first - safety second’ decision process, my most useful tool was the one I had learnt through expeditions, which I translated into my guiding format. I had to constantly listen to the ‘whispers’ as I’d discovered along the north coast of Scotland. By asking ‘what if’ at every turn or decision, incidents could be avoided proactively with enjoyment. To ignore the instincts meant picking up capsizes and reactively rescuing people.

Whether I’m leading trips in Scotland through my company Kayak Summer Isles, or on a major expedition in deepest Patagonia, I now maintain that listening ear to the whispers in my head. This approach, I think, might just make sense to a safe and experienced paddler. Rather than being the first sign of madness from too long on the sea, staying in tune with the inner voice of your consciousness is a sound practice for any major adventure.

This article first appeared in BASE magazine issue 02. For the latest from BASE including the latest digital issue in full direct to your inbox, be sure to subscribe for free.

On the 1st of July 2019, Shona left the comfort and safety of her UK life to fly to Seattle and hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

The PCT is a 2650-mile long-distance walking trail in the USA that runs from Mexico to Canada, through California, Oregon, and Washington. Shona hiked South-bound, starting at the Canadian border.

She carried all of her kit and camping gear (5.6kg without food and water), passing through towns about once a week to pick up food resupply, shower, charge her phone, etc.

It took just under 5 months.

Meet Shona:

Why hike the PCT?

Four years ago, as I approached a significant birthday, I admitted to myself that I wasn’t living the life and adventures I’d dreamed off.

I’d been waiting for my circumstances to change but changing they were not.

I decided it was time to stop putting my life on hold. And I tentatively started having adventures on my own. Each year I’ve got a bit bolder and braver:

I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail because the idea of spending 5 months walking in nature – in dramatic beauty – felt like a dream. I knew it would be hard. So hard that I’d want to quit many times. But I also knew that I’d love it and be changed by it.

What did you eat?

Excerpts from Shona’s Blog

Day 5:  

“I left the beautiful forest that sheltered me last night, again feeling strong.

It feels too good to be true, but my body doesn’t hurt. I feel as well as I’ve ever felt. As alive as I’ve ever felt.

Some of the passes I climbed today were nearly 7000 feet high. They make Scottish mountains seem tiny. Yet so far, I’m finding the walking okay. The switch backs mean I’m never gasping for breath in the way I am on brutal Scottish mountain assents.

And navigation is pretty straight forward as I’m following a path.

As I was walking along the crest of Methow Pass looking out on the mountain ranges encircling me I felt a surge of emotion move through me. I wanted to cry. It all felt too beautiful to be true. Could I really be here? What have I done to deserve this?”

Day 22 

“I climbed through a forest for a few hours. By midday, it was burning hot as I dragged myself up a scree track into a wild flowered meadow. The scarlet Indian Paintbrush popped out against the lush grass.

Eventually, the epic rocky mountainous landscape came fully into view. The Goat Rock Wilderness with clear views of in front the three live volcanos of Mount Rainer, Adams and St. Catherine. I could see 360 views for what felt like 100s of miles. Beauty in every direction.”

Day 23 

“Another early start; I unzip my tent door to be reminded that I’m camped in this glorious meadow… Indian Paintbrush and Lupins frame sunrise over Mount Adams.

I’m happy to meet Therese when I stop to fill my water bottle at the river. She sows the seed that’s she’s going for a 30 miler…and I wonder if today’s the day for me to try the same... the most I’ve done is 26.

I’m feeling strong and there’s not a lot of elevation.

I pass by the 400-mile mark early afternoon. These are the rare moments that I wish I didn’t hike alone. It would have been nice to have shared this. To have high 5’d someone. But I mentally high 5 myself, smile and keep walking.” 

To read more of Shona's journey on the PCT, go to http://www.shonafitness.co.uk/pacific-crest-trail/

Expedition Foods (EF): Tell me about your background, have you always been a runner? How did you get started?

Jo Meek (JM): I was not a runner, or even remotely athletic, as a youngster but by late teens/early 20s I had started. I wanted to lose weight initially but soon got hooked.

I have now been a runner for 20+ years so it’s very much part of my life. I started off road running but then joined a club and soon found my love of competition which I still have.

EF: When did you get into trail running?

JM: Although I raced cross country early on and sometimes trained off road, I did not actively seek out trail runs until much more recently. I did the odd local trail race but that was about it. Since moving up to the ultra-distance I have embraced trail running and love runnable trails.

EF: When did you decide to compete in the MDS?

JM: The idea had been bubbling away in the background for a few years but in 2013 it came to fruition. I always felt I should not move up to the ultra-distance until I had finished road running and trying to pursue a fast marathon time.

In hindsight, this is not the case and I feel that what I have learnt trail and ultra-running may have helped, although I probably would not have gone back to road marathons!

So, my husband and I saved up and entered a race we both wanted to experience - the MDS!

EF: When did you start training for the MDS? Can you tell us how you trained each week for it? Realistically, how long do you think it takes to train for a multi-day race?

JM: The race is in April and I started training in January. We did not find out we had got into the race until November the previous year and then I had my gall bladder removed, so could not train much earlier really.

I don’t think you need a build up bigger than 16 weeks really unless you’re coming from a very sedentary background. I trained by essentially following a marathon programme – keeping in some key sessions and a long run at the weekend.

However, we did add in some back-to-back days of long runs, the biggest one being three days of 20-miles with kit. Training with kit is key so you can find out what’s comfortable and get used to the gait changes you naturally make carrying weight.

EF: How did you prepare your nutrition for the race? Do you have a list of what you ate each day? What worked and what didn't work for you?

JM: I wanted to carry as little as possible because of the weight, so this influenced my packing list – even the food. You have to take a certain number of calories, which I did, but not much more.

I ate oats for breakfast; I would add some energy drink powder added to the oats. To drink, I had coffee. The warmth from this food was as beneficial as the calories as the mornings were chilly.

Whilst running throughout the day I ate gels, energy bars and dried fruit (apricots and dates). I tried to aim to eat something every hour. I remember buying some Bounce Balls with nuts which were tasty. I saw other people with bags of nuts and even lumps of parmesan cheese which I thought was a good idea. I did get sick of the gels in the heat and now I don’t rely on them so much in long races.

For snacks, I tend to opt for real foods if I can - I think flapjacks (savoury or sweet) are ideal. When I stopped running I made up and drank a protein powder drink before eating my main Expedition Foods meal in the evening.

EF: How did you manage to stay hydrated each day? Did you just drink water or did you add electrolytes to your drink? Did you re-hydrate with anything special when you returned to camp each day?

I drank all the water, took the salt tablets and added electrolytes into some of my drinks. I continually sipped fluid all day so I never felt thirsty and had to gulp it down. I took a protein recovery drink for after running, which was great because often it wasn’t really possible to eat immediately.

EF: Tell us about the gear you brought - what was your best piece of gear and your worst piece of gear? What did your backpack weigh at check-in?

My backpack was the minimum weight. In fact, on weigh-in they made me add more to it because they thought it was too light. I bought an Inov-8 pack for the race and it was great.

My worst choice of kit was the head torch. I took an ultra-light head torch which was absolutely rubbish for highlighting the route ahead at night. It wasn’t powerful enough at all. I had to run with it in my hand in the end.

I took nothing of real comfort except a warm jacket for at night. My sleeping mat was cut to A4 size, just to protect my hips!

EF: I know you finished second, the fastest British female finisher ever at the MDS. What was your goal entering the race? Top 10 or just finish?

I entered to be as competitive as possible. I had saved up the money and invested a lot of time into training. I used a heat chamber for the last two weeks of training, so I tried not to leave anything to chance.

EF: There are all types of people who compete in the MDS. Do you think anyone can complete the race with the right mental attitude?

You share a tent with 8 others and so you get to meet all types of runners who all want to get something different out of their entry. The race is challenging because of the heat, the terrain and the self-sufficiency, but everyone can over-meet their goals if they focus on it.

Embrace the challenge and know everyone goes through tough patches and a good patch is waiting on the other side!

EF: What races do you have planned for 2020? If money or time was no object, what are the three races in the world you would like to do?

I am going to do a race in Sri Lanka in March 2020. I am currently planning the rest of the year.

3 races to do… that’s tough….

I love stages – the jungle one appeals to me and the RacingThePlanet race through Georgia, The Caucasus. Other races would be the Western States 100 but so far, I have not been successful in the lottery.

There are so many now, but I try to seek out exploring a new place if I get the opportunity.

EF: Any tips for those aspiring to do a multi-day race?

Train appropriately, get used to running on consecutive days.

Try your kit out before you take it.

Expect the unexpected, something will always go wrong so be adaptable.

If you think you’re getting a blister, address it immediately.

Have fun! Enjoy the escapism.

The build-up to the race was surprisingly easy – for once I was packed, had done food shopping, bagged food into 6 hour bags and had sourced all missing kit with a couple of days to spare. An easy afternoon flight to Inverness followed, starting to get excited as Ben sent live updates from the route briefing as I sat in the BA lounge drinking champagne. Sometimes I think I’m starting to get the hang of adventure racing!

We’d tried to predict the course over the previous weeks as info started coming out about disciplines and durations, but hadn’t got much of it right! First impressions were that the foot stages would be tough – not that long, but through some of the wildest mountains in the British Isles. We would be traversing Suilven, An Teallach, the Five Sisters of Kintail and the Lithiach ridges – some pretty serious terrain. The bike stages conversely looked relatively easy – long, but nothing too technical. The kayak stages looked ok, but one involved a long series of portages between a set of lochans to reach the coast. We were assured that it wasn’t too tough, and Tom the course planner had made it through this section in an hour or so when he tested the course. Hmmm.

Ben and Lucy met me at the airport – Ben I know well having raced with him for years, but Lucy was new to the team. She was almost as I’d expected, having spoken to her on the phone in the lead-up to the race, but I hadn’t expected her to be about 9 foot tall. She towered over the rest of us, an attribute that was later to come in very useful when drafting behind her on the bike sections!

A day of kit shuffling ensued, not that we needed to do much, but Gary took full advantage of the opportunity to faff about by removing all items of kit that he actually needed and mislaying them. This later led to him wearing a full set of Lucy’s spare clothing on the first bike stage as he had failed to pack his own. Luckily Lucy’s female-specific bike shorts and Gary’s “undercarriage” proved to be a strangely comfortable match, which begs all sorts of unpleasant questions we won’t get in to here!

An early bus to Dunrobin Castle, an hour waiting in the cold wind and getting bitten by midges, and we were finally off! Started off by the Laird and his shotgun, we settled into an easy trot around a 45minute run loop, not wanting to push the pace too much at the start. A swift transition onto the kayaks, and we were away across the Firth of Dornoch heading towards the Glenmorangie Distillery in about 6^th place. The paddle went smoothly enough apart from for Gary, who’d managed to set his backrest up in a position that would have better suited a hunchback. Discomfort aside, we lost a little ground to the Swedes who were very strong paddlers, but after 3 hours or so arrived at transition. This early in the race the general level of urgency was high, and transition was busy with shivering, blue hued teams in varying degrees of undress trying to ready their bikes for a long coast-to-coast ride that would take the rest of the day. Gary’s clothing dilemma aside, everything went smoothly and we rode out of the distillery feeling good. Biking is our strength, and we were looking forward to gaining some ground back on the competition.

5 minutes into an 8 hour bike ride, our buoyant spirits and my rear tyre deflated in unison. A rock had slashed the sidewall, and after 3 stops to try to get the sealant to seal the hole we admitted defeat and had to install a tube. Pumped up hard and with slightly more respect for the Scottish landscape, we pressed on once more.

The ride was a mixture of terrible hike-a-bike sections, fast fire road and the occasional bit of tarmac. We matched pace with a French team who seemed happy for us to sit behind them and draft them, so we let them put all the work in for an hour or so. Lovely. The scenery was spectacular, the weather was ok, so we enjoyed the miles as they passed, once amused by seeing another team having a full scale domestic on a hike a bike section.

All good things must come to an end, and arriving at transition in good spirits, we were told of a course change. Sea conditions meant that the paddle had been altered, and instead of paddling around the headlands of the Summer Isles, we were now to portage our boats over them. For those that haven’t had the pleasure, a Malibu2 sit on top kayak weighs about 30kg. This was not good news. We cooked up some Expedition Foods dehydrated meals as we marked the changes onto our map (bolognese, mac and cheese and carbonara – yum!) and then paddled off into the gloom as the light started to fall, thinking that this would now probably be a 12 hour stage, well fed if not very happy with the changes.

The initial paddle was good, we stopped after an hour and left the kayaks on the bank as we hiked up to summit Suilven, a brutally steep 650m peak. The weather at the bottom was nice, the weather at the top was Scottish! Having endured strong wind, driving torrential rain and low visibility on the ridge, we found the CP and set off back down again. At this point we realised that finding the kayaks on the bank was going to be tricky – it was dark, and our cunning plan of leaving a glowstick visible on the boat had been copied by everyone else. Oops.

Finding our boats at last, another hour of paddling led to the portage of doom. Or the portage of “it’s easy, I got through it in an hour” according to course planner Tom. Only later did he admit he was carrying a rubber dinghy in sunlight, not wrestling a couple of 30kg plastic monsters in the rain and the dark. We’ll gloss over this bit as I have nothing good to say about either Tom or the portage, but it was rocky, steep, wet, slippery and generally miserable.

After this, dragging the boats for 5km along a hilly coastal road felt positively fun (at least we got to use the kayak trolley!), and as day 2 dawned we paddled off once more. The day was filled with paddling against either the wind, the tide, or for bonus points, both, and alternated with dragging and swearing as we portaged the boats over yet another rainy hilly Scottish headland. Eat your heart out, Crossfit!

The 12 hour stage estimate was out of the window. We were long out of food, cold and hungry as we finally approached transition after 18 hours. Some quite seriously thought out plans for the murder of course planner Tom were derailed as he met us on the shore looking distraught, with a huge apology. The weather and tide had blown the organiser’s estimates away, and we were only the 5^th team to arrive. Teams were scattered all along the coastline being unable to make further progress, and a big logistics operation was being deployed in order to collect them all. We’d actually done very well!

Good news - we were just in time to do the canyoning stage. Bad news - I was shivering uncontrollably, Lucy was having a bad 5 minutes (don’t ask!), and we were all cold, hungry and tired. After being fed hot tea by the marshals, we thawed out enough to think that jumping into cold water again seemed like a good idea (albeit Lucy was still far from convinced) and trooped off for 45min of waterfall jumps, rope descents and canyon swimming, actually good fun once we’d warmed up a bit. More hot food to the rescue – the amount of joy imparted by the rapid ingestion of a 1000kcal Expedition Foods Chile con Carne should not ever be underestimated!

Checking out of transition with a good 30 seconds to spare before the cutoff, we were off into the evening of day 2 on a 65km trekking section through Fisherfield, one of the most remote places in Scotland. A 1000m climb to An Teallach warmed up anyone that was still cold, and we summited just as last light faded having taken a great line and overtaken a few teams on the climb.

A slow and winding path along the ridgeline gave us time to think. In 5^th place, we were the last full team course still standing. Everyone else had already dropped some CPs or had run foul of the time cutoff. The front teams were running nearly 12 hours behind schedule, and we seriously doubted that anyone would complete the full course. The weather forecast was atrocious, and we had been racing for 40 hours without pause by that point. Our plan had been to complete the whole trek and then sleep in transition, but that wasn’t looking likely, with what we estimated to be another 14 hours needed for the trek. Working back from the next cutoffs, we quickly realised that we weren’t going to make it. The tough decision was made to cut the trek short and to drop the next 3 CPs in favour of taking a straight line to the next transition. This would give us a good time buffer and enable us to take strategic decisions for the rest of the race instead of chasing cutoffs.

I don’t recall much of the rest of the trek, I stumbled along behind Ben in a bit of a daze, for some reason really resenting him for taking us on such a crappy path and for being short coursed. This of course wasn’t his fault at all, we’d all agreed on what to do! Weird tricks your mind plays on you when you are tired. A couple of 2 minute power naps on the trail saw us through to dawn, then a small nav error meant we took a short detour much to Gary’s annoyance!

A long road section led into transition in Kinlochewe, food (Spag Bol, Mac and Cheese and a random Raspberry Granola which had found its way into the wrong bag!) and a blissful 2 hour sleep. The boys managed to annoy Lucy by leaving her to put the tent up and take it down again on her own (sorry!) but finally we escaped the Torridon Midges, which are the worst things ever invented. Fact.

Itching profusely, we departed on the long bike stage, some 140km. Unfortunately the course organisers had now shortened the course, taking out the Lithiach Ridge trek and a bike CP which now meant we had possibly dropped too many CPs on the trek... We weren’t happy as we thought that teams behind us who had dropped fewer CPs could now probably still make the cutoffs. Cue much muttering in the team and endless discussion of scenarios.

Biking was a joy, involving some amazing singletrack on the Applecross peninsular, but as we approached the infamous Beallach na Baa road climb the heavens opened, and stayed that way for the next 8 hours. It was torrential. Darkness fell, temperatures dropped, and we froze as we were soaked to the skin, so we kept the speed high, it was good fun in a type 2 way! Only a lengthy hike a bike section slowed the pace however, but even this didn’t dampen spirits too much. Back on the road, and a last 10km led to transition at Morlich, still in heavy rain.

Unfortunately this wasn’t located in a big building, so all the kit bags were being stored outside due to lack of space. In the rain. Not a problem for us as we’d dry-bagged everything in the kit bags, but judging from the moaning all around us, not everyone had done the same. I suspect that this will be a major learning point for a few teams – there’s nothing worse than needing a sleep and then finding out that your sleeping bag is soaked through!

Time for our second sleep of the race, a planned 2hr nap became 2h40 after we collectively slept through three alarms. Oops. Luckily Thursday’s morning light woke us (day 4 already!) and sparked a frantic rush to get packed and out. Feeling refreshed we ran most of the next trekking stage, choosing to take another short course option as the bike stage had taken longer than expected, and we suspected that the Five Sisters ridge would be very slow going indeed. A steady jog saw the distance disappear rapidly until we took a shortcut, wondering why the path didn’t go the obvious straight way. Then we found The River. That’d be why, then. The River was wide, fast flowing, and an exploratory prod with a trekking pole proved that it was deep, too. Balls.

Cut to 4 mostly naked racers taking their first bath of the week. It was cold. Very cold. Lucy out-manned the boys by going first, but then ruined her tough girl image by resurfacing in a torrent of shocked un-ladylike language. Gary was not mummy’s brave little soldier here, and needed encouragement to take the plunge!

Shivering my way up the next hill, I loudly and bitterly complained about the poor life choices that had led to me swimming across a river, which left the whole team in stitches. They don’t normally find me that funny, which is their loss!

Realising we were nearly done, we jogged the last miles to a transition on the bank of Loch Broom and readied our trusty kayaks once more. Striving to make it to the rafting cutoff, we made great time with the wind and current behind us down the loch, negotiating a couple of minor rapids to reach the rafting transition. We made it! And, as it turns out, only just. We were the second last team to make it through due to rapidly dropping water levels on the river.

The rafting was fun, if a little edgy due to the lack of water. We were mildly terrified by our raft guide – no-one is that “wired” naturally! Hyper twitchy, yet looking like he hadn’t slept for days, eyeballs out on stalks, and with the attention span of a goldfish, he looked like he’d come straight from a very hard weekend of chemically-assisted raving. Still, we soon reached the end of the raft section, and so we (and he) survived to rave another day. Back into kayaks for a short paddle to Fort Augustus, where Gary’s dismay that the chip shop was closed was soothed by more Exped Food meals (Chicken Korma this time, and I think I have a new favourite!).

Only one stage to go, a 70km bike along the Great Glen Way into Inverness. Bravely spurning sleep as only being needed by losers and weak people, we set off at midnight on what was surely just a fairly easy ride to the finish. Ha. In theory the trail is waymarked for the whole length, in practice not so much! Navigation wasn’t helped by everyone being a bit(!) weary, and as we pedalled on through the night we passed team after team having to take a little sleep on the side of the track. Weak, like we said.

At about 4am, Ben was struck with the biggest sleepyhead phase I’ve ever seen. We yelled at him, filled him with unhealthy amounts of caffeine and sugar, tried to get him to sing, talk, anything to keep him awake, including explaining that he was now both weak and a loser. Nothing worked, but somehow he kept riding, admitting later that there were extended periods where he was fully asleep while riding his bike. Gary scared us all by smashing his rear wheel to bits on a drainage ditch that he failed to bunnyhop over – he broke 3 spokes and put a huge dent in the rim but somehow the tyre stayed intact and the wheel still turned, if a bit wobbly!

Dawn slowly broke with 10km to go, and we saw Inverness for the first time in a week. We’d been racing for almost exactly 4 days as we descended the hill and rode through deserted streets to the finish line in the city centre. Celebrations started immediately on the line as James Thurlow and Tom Gibbs handed out whisky miniatures courtesy of Glenmorangie. Lucy regained her tough image and set the example by necking it immediately, so obviously we couldn’t be outdone! Big thanks to Lucy for putting her life in our (thoroughly irresponsible and childish) hands – it’s always hard to be the new person in an established team, but the girl did good!

We finished 3^rd overall, our best result in a World Series race to date. The team would like to thank:

• Our title sponsor Endurancelife for their continued support and encouragement
• Our kit supporters Montane and 2XU for providing brilliant outdoor kit that kept us as dry and warm as was possible (I took 4 waterproof jackets on this race and used every single one, that’s how wet it was!)
• Expedition Foods for their kind support in providing the hot meals that we enjoyed throughout the race. (Ben thinks the Mac and Cheese is the best, but he’s wrong. It’s the Chicken Korma. In large 1000calorie size. Obviously!)

That’s all, until the next time… (which was going to be Sri Lanka, but now looks like being Exped Africa Lesotho!) See you then.

Our good friends at RacingThePlanet and Unbound Running have put together some training plans for anyone taking part in a 250km desert ultramarathon which we are posting here. There's a link to download the plan in PDF format at the bottom of this page. Happy training...

Welcome

Everyone here at RacingThePlanet wishes you the best in preparing for the race ahead. We want to see you as fit and healthy as you can possibly be at the start line!

The race ahead will be tough. Every competitor will be challenged. Committing to consistent, structured exercise and planning will put you in the best possible position to overcome anything the race has to offer, and to make it through all 250km so we can see you crossing the finish line with pride.

All the best with your training, and we’ll see you at check-in!

On behalf of Unbound Running, welcome! You’re about to travel to some beautiful places, enjoy some great company by the campfire, and have one of the most unique athletic experiences going.

This plan is designed to help prepare you for these specific races. You won’t just be working on strength and endurance, you’ll be getting ready for time off road, with a pack, from early starts into dark nights. Take confidence from knowing that the training ahead will give you the best chance to get the most out of your race.

Good luck, and happy running…

Disclaimer

Each athlete must bear sole responsibility for their own health and fitness, and for the training and dietary regime that they choose to adopt.

While this plan has been designed to help athletes preparing for RacingThePlanet races, they are guides that each athlete takes sole responsibility for interpreting and applying.

Please seek appropriate medical guidance before undertaking this, or any other, physical endeavour. Stop exercising and seek medical attention if at any point you feel unwell, or experience any unusual or sharp pains.

Don’t undertake exercise while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Do not exercise either when taking painkillers or if you feel painkillers are necessary before or after exercise.

Be conscious of calorie, fluid and electrolyte intake during training and racing, and seek guidance if unsure how to remain appropriately hydrated and fuelled during training and races.

Introduction

The following training plan has only one aim: to improve your fitness to complete RacingThePlanet multi-day races. Each day of the plan has a specific activity for the day. The plan does not know you or your background, but assumes that you have been undertaking regular, disciplined exercise for 4-8 hours per week for at least the past 6 months. The plan aims to improve your fitness in the areas that matter to competing in the self-sufficient environment of the RacingThePlanet events:

• Physical fitness: this involves endurance (keeping moving for longer), and stamina (moving more strongly for longer), but also strength (carrying weight) and agility (moving on uneven terrain).
• Mental fitness: this means becoming able to accept and deal with the strain caused by the increased physical stress of exercising with load, while taking decisions that will allow for consistent effort over multiple days.
• Craft: this means choosing and testing gear and nutrition, developing stretching and nutritional routines that will help you continue to operate well in race conditions.

Each month of the plan has an area to focus on for your body, mind, and craft, to help you get the most out of training and to develop relevant race skills. They are not comprehensive, but they’re a good start!

All your sessions are based on time, not distance. Your body responds to stress over time – it has no idea how far you might have gone, only how long it has been working for. As you get fitter, you will go further in the same amount of time on the same terrain. This plan involves working on different terrain, and this or other stresses might mean two similar sessions cover very different distances. This is absolutely as it should be.

A major concern for training a fit athlete is over-training. Your fitness encourages you to test yourself in training, increasing injury risk but delivering minimal fitness gains. This is mitigated by spending the bulk of your training time at an ‘easy, gentle’ level of exertion. This engages your cardiovascular system and starts to build endurance at minimal risk of impact injury. Easy means easy: while you should be focused on the task at hand, it’s important that you could still hold a full conversation at this effort level.

You will then have some faster efforts and some involving hills. These help you to become more efficient in your movement, and will help develop strength that will aid all your exercise. These higher levels of exertion should be those at which you could talk in sentences, but only just.

Longer efforts will will acclimatise you to carrying weight over distance; focus on purposeful, consistent effort for the full session. As running with load is introduced, expect that your pace will change for the same effort and do not exert yourself so hard that you compromise subsequent sessions. You may be fit enough to go further or faster on a given day, but that may not help make you faster or stronger over time. The plan is designed to maximise gains from training, and so avoids sessions that increase injury risk with reduced marginal training benefit. Consistent, uninjured training matters more than any one session: train to compete, don’t compete in training.

Finally: training is the application of deliberate stress so that you heal stronger. Make the most of your hard work by following it with rehydration, refuelling and rest.

Good luck, and happy running…

Training Plan: 24 Weeks: Introducing Structured Exercise

The initial phase of training should allow you to integrate a high volume of regular exercise into your daily routine. Small, frequent sessions allow you to get used to preparing to train, and allow your body to adapt to cycles of stress and recovery. The body gets stronger after the stimulus, so make sure you refuel, rehydrate, and relax after each session.

Training Focus

Body: take the easy runs easy, and be conservative when introducing loaded effort

Mind: don't cheat - get off tarmac when you should; your joints need to get used to uneven ground

Craft: find your race pack and shoes now - use them for weighted runs; change if they cause abrasions

Training Plan: 20 Weeks: Introducing Load

Running with load increases psychological stress more than physical stress – but it does increase both. Take loaded runs very conservatively: they remain easy training runs not full effort sessions. Find an effort level that allows for consistency, and keep a strong, tall upper body while moving.

Training Focus

Body: respect the increase in pack weight; aim for constant, purposeful effort

Mind: expect, recognise, and adapt to the mental strain of full body fatigue from pack sessions

Craft: trial the quantity and frequency of food and electrolytes intake on your long hikes

Training Plan: 16 Weeks: Disciplined Recovery

As the volume and intensity of training increases, so does the importance of recovery: where you can, avoid leaving stressful activities for your rest day. Prioritise sleep, reduce alcohol, and do not artificially restrict calorie intake. Use the Week 14 back-to-back to consider how you will deal with the peculiar fatigue created by multi-day efforts and prepare for subsequent training.

Training Focus

Body: keep your rest days as stress-free as possible, and ideally off your feet

Mind: start getting used to early morning exercise: ideally start your long hikes at c. 7am

Craft: research and test a head torch (even if it's on a lit sidewalk to begin with)

Training Plan: 12 Weeks: Stress Familiarisation

This plan has introduced long days with a pack, and now raises the proportion of time spent running with one. Form remains crucial, and training efforts should allow you to recover properly. If you feel unable to maintain the quality of your training, ensure you have sufficient sleep, hydration, and calorie intake and consider taking an additional rest day if needed.

Training Focus

Body: research and use a 5-10 minute stretching routine after all your longer runs and hikes

Mind: cultivate the self-discipline needed to control long run efforts from first to last

Craft: break out all of your race gear, buy what you don't have and reduce weight wherever you can

Training Plan: 8 Weeks: Training Peak

Long, loaded hikes ending in extended easy runs are designed to mimic the stress of a long race day. Take the opportunity to ensure your calorie plan is sufficient, and make sure the loaded runs retain good form with high cadence. Objectively consider whether your days will be faster running the entire day or with a run/hike plan; take confidence in your decision, and implement it with discipline.

Training Focus

Body: consider a sports massage every 1-2 weeks, focus on hamstrings, quads and lower back

Mind: objectively determine the optimal run/hike balance for your race: prioritise consistency

Craft: consider and set a post-run routine for camp: eg rehydrate, refuel, stretch, change clothes

Training Plan: 4 Weeks: Psychological Preparation and Taper

Use the long hikes to think about the race ahead – early starts, making breakfast, packing kit, and heading out. Retain your stretching routine, and consider how you will make sure you refuel and rehydrate after each day to recover for the day to come. Look forward to having a fantastic race, moving purposefully every day through some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Enjoy!

Training Focus

Body: enjoy the taper – keep eating and drinking healthily to minimise stress on the body

Mind: look back at your training: take confidence in your new fitness and readiness for the race ahead

Craft: minimise travel stress: pack early, double check gear, stay hydrated and healthy while travelling

To download a copy of this training plan, please click here. 

Our good friends at RacingThePlanet and Unbound Running have put together some training plans for anyone taking part in a 250km desert ultramarathon which we are posting here. There's a link to download the plan in PDF format at the bottom of this page. Happy training...

Welcome

Everyone here at RacingThePlanet wishes you the best in preparing for the race ahead. We want to see you as fit and healthy as you can possibly be at the start line!

The race ahead will be tough. Every competitor will be challenged. Committing to consistent, structured exercise and planning will put you in the best possible position to overcome anything the race has to offer, and to make it through all 250km so we can see you crossing the finish line with pride.

All the best with your training, and we’ll see you at check-in!

On behalf of Unbound Running, welcome! You’re about to travel to some beautiful places, enjoy some great company by the campfire, and have one of the most unique athletic experiences going.

This plan is designed to help prepare you for these specific races. You won’t just be working on strength and endurance, you’ll be getting ready for time off road, with a pack, from early starts into dark nights. Take confidence from knowing that the training ahead will give you the best chance to get the most out of your race.

Good luck, and happy running…

Disclaimer

Each athlete must bear sole responsibility for their own health and fitness, and for the training and dietary regime that they choose to adopt.

While this plan has been designed to help athletes preparing for RacingThePlanet races, they are guides that each athlete takes sole responsibility for interpreting and applying.

Please seek appropriate medical guidance before undertaking this, or any other, physical endeavour. Stop exercising and seek medical attention if at any point you feel unwell, or experience any unusual or sharp pains.

Don’t undertake exercise while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Do not exercise either when taking painkillers or if you feel painkillers are necessary before or after exercise.

Be conscious of calorie, fluid and electrolyte intake during training and racing, and seek guidance if unsure how to remain appropriately hydrated and fuelled during training and races.

Introduction

The following training plan has only one aim: to improve your fitness to complete RacingThePlanet multi-day races. While the plan does not know your specific background, it assumes that you are in good health and have been undertaking regular exercise for 3-5 hours per week over at least the last 4 months. The plan works to improve your fitness in the three specific areas that are crucial in the self-sufficient environment of the RacingThePlanet races:

• Physical fitness: this involves endurance (keeping moving for longer), and stamina (moving more strongly for longer), but also strength (carrying weight) and agility (moving on uneven terrain).
• Mental fitness: this means becoming able to accept and deal with the strain caused by physical stress, and to have developed processes that will allow you to work through adversity and take intelligent decisions that will give you the greatest chance of continuing to move forward.
• Craft: this means choosing and testing gear, developing stretching and nutritional routines that will help you continue to operate well in the race without having to waste time and energy considering what to do in camp or on the course.

Each month of the plan has an area to focus on for your body, mind, and craft, to help you get the most out of training and to develop relevant race skills. They are not comprehensive, but they’re a good start!

All your sessions are based on time, not distance. Your body responds to stress over time – it has no idea how far you might have gone, only how long it has been working for. As you get fitter, you will go further in the same amount of time on the same terrain. This plan involves working on different terrain, and this or other stresses might mean two similar sessions cover very different distances. This is absolutely as it should be.

In a typical week, you will be asked to spend time working at an ‘easy, gentle’ level of exertion; this engages your cardiovascular system and starts to build endurance at minimal risk of impact injury. Easy means easy: even when running with a pack it’s important that you could still hold a full conversation at this effort level. Sessions that are involve faster efforts or hills will help you to become more efficient in your movement, and will help develop strength that will aid all your exercise. These higher levels of exertion should be those at which you could talk in sentences, but only just. If you can barely get a word out, you’re pushing too hard – save that for sprint finishes in the race!

Your long efforts will acclimatise you to carrying weight over distance. Purposeful, consistent effort for the full session is what matters to maximising gains from these key sessions. Towards the end of the plan you will need to determine the balance between hiking and running that you can sustain day after day. Consider your training sessions in this light: working at a hard but sustainable level – not working so hard that you have nothing left the day after.

The plan has hard sessions, but is designed to avoid those with a disproportionate injury risk to the fitness gained. Consistent, uninjured training matters more than any one session: train to compete, don’t compete in training.

Finally: training is the application of deliberate stress so that you heal stronger. Make the most of your hard work by following it with rehydration, refuelling and rest.

Good luck, and happy running…

Training Plan: 24 Weeks: Introducing Structured Exercise

The initial phase of training should allow you to integrate regular exercise into your daily routine. Small, frequent sessions allow you to get used to preparing to train, and allow your body to adapt to cycles of stress and recovery. The body gets stronger after the stimulus, so make sure you refuel, rehydrate, and relax after each session.

Training Focus

Body: make sure that the runs are gentle – as slow as you need – but keep the pace consistent

Mind: don't cheat - get off tarmac when you should; your joints need to get used to uneven ground

Craft: find your race pack and shoes now - use them for weighted runs; change if they cause abrasions

Training Plan: 20 Weeks: Hiking (Not Walking)

Hike with purpose, moving swiftly and using your arms. Do not run (yet – it will come). Adapt to the load and work at a strong pace that is sustainable for the entire session. If you plan to race with walking poles, research them and start using them now. Add useful weight to your rucksack, taking food, water, waterproofs, and spare clothes before using bags of rice if you need to top up.

Training Focus

Body: respect the increase in pack weight; aim for constant, purposeful effort

Mind: recognise the mental strain of full body fatigue from pack sessions; practise thinking through it

Craft: start trialling any food or electrolytes on your long hikes; both the quantity and the frequency

Training Plan: 16 Weeks: Increased Stress

As the volume and intensity of training increases, so does the importance of recovery: try to avoid leaving stressful activities for your rest day. Prioritise sleep, eat well and without artificial restriction, and consider reducing alcohol intake. Adapt to the mental stress of running with load: anticipate the slower pace that may result and concentrate on consistent, disciplined effort.

Training Focus

Body: pack runs are high stress - keep the physical effort sustainable

Mind: plan for 2-a-day easy runs - prepare kit and routes the day before - do not sacrifice sleep!

Craft: research and test a head torch (even if it's on a lit sidewalk to begin with)

Training Plan: 12 Weeks: Race Format Familiarisation

Begin to recognise and adapt to early morning exercise, and what will almost certainly be some time moving after dark. Use training sessions to get used to moving by torchlight and to waking up, eating, hydrating, dressing and exercising. Find and adopt a post-exercise routine, allowing you to refuel, rehydrate, stretch and begin to rest within 30 minutes of getting into camp.

Training Focus

Body: research and use a 5-10 minute stretching routine after your hikes

Mind: start getting used to early morning exercise: ideally start your long hikes at c. 7am

Craft: consider and set a post-run routine for camp: eg rehydrate, refuel, stretch, change clothes

Training Plan: 8 Weeks: Training Peak

Use your long hikes to determine, as objectively as possible, the run/hike split that is best for you. It must be a sustainable effort that, while tiring, leaves you able to operate well the day after: the last minute on the trail is as important as the first; and all the days will count equally. Be confident in your choice, and disciplined in putting it into practise.

Training Focus

Body: consider a sports massage every 1-2 weeks, focus on hamstrings, quads and lower back

Mind: decide on optimal run/walk balance that leaves you feeling strong throughout your long hikes

Craft: lay out all your race kit, research and purchase anything you need; cut weight where possible

Training Plan: 4 Weeks: Psychological Preparation and Taper

Use the long hikes to think about the race ahead – early starts, making breakfast, packing kit, and heading out. Retain your stretching routine, and consider how you will make sure you refuel and rehydrate after each day to recover for the day to come. Look forward to having a fantastic race, moving purposefully every day through some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Enjoy!

Training Focus

Body: enjoy the taper – keep eating and drinking healthily to minimise stress on the body

Mind: look back at your training: take confidence in your new fitness and readiness for the race ahead

Craft: minimise travel stress: pack early, double check gear, stay hydrated and healthy while travelling

To download a copy of this training plan, please click here. 

Welcome

Everyone here at RacingThePlanet wishes you the best in preparing for the race ahead. We want to see you as fit and healthy as you can possibly be at the start line!

The race ahead will be tough. Every competitor will be challenged. Committing to consistent, structured exercise and planning will put you in the best possible position to overcome anything the race has to offer, and to make it through all 250km so we can see you crossing the finish line with pride.

All the best with your training, and we’ll see you at check-in!

On behalf of Unbound Running, welcome! You’re about to travel to some beautiful places, enjoy some great company by the campfire, and have one of the most unique athletic experiences going.

This plan is designed to help prepare you for these specific races. You won’t just be working on strength and endurance, you’ll be getting ready for time off road, with a pack, from early starts into dark nights. Take confidence from knowing that the training ahead will give you the best chance to get the most out of your race.

Good luck, and happy running…

Disclaimer

Each athlete must bear sole responsibility for their own health and fitness, and for the training and dietary regime that they choose to adopt.

While this plan has been designed to help athletes preparing for RacingThePlanet races, they are guides that each athlete takes sole responsibility for interpreting and applying.

Please seek appropriate medical guidance before undertaking this, or any other, physical endeavour. Stop exercising and seek medical attention if at any point you feel unwell, or experience any unusual or sharp pains.

Don’t undertake exercise while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Do not exercise either when taking painkillers or if you feel painkillers are necessary before or after exercise.

Be conscious of calorie, fluid and electrolyte intake during training and racing, and seek guidance if unsure how to remain appropriately hydrated and fuelled during training and races.

Introduction

The following training plan has only one aim: to improve your fitness to complete RacingThePlanet multi-day races. Each day of the plan has a specific activity for the day. The plan does not know you or your background, so it simply assumes that you are in good general health but taking no regular exercise. There are three areas in which your fitness will improve, and they are all important in such a self-sufficient environment:

• Physical fitness: this involves endurance (keeping moving for longer), and stamina (moving more strongly for longer), but also strength (carrying weight) and agility (moving on uneven terrain).
• Mental fitness: this means becoming able to accept and deal with the strain caused by physical stress, and to have developed processes that will allow you to work through adversity and take intelligent decisions that will give you the greatest chance of continuing to move forward.
• Craft: this means choosing and testing gear and nutrition, developing stretching and nutritional routines that will help you continue to operate well in the race without having to waste time and energy considering what to do in camp or on the course.

Each month of the plan has an area to focus on for your body, mind, and craft, to help you get the most out of training and to develop relevant race skills. They are not comprehensive, but they’re a good start!

All your sessions are based on time, not distance. Your body responds to stress over time – it has no idea how far you might have gone, only how long it has been working for. As you get fitter, you will go further in the same amount of time on the same terrain. This plan involves working on different terrain, and this or other stresses might mean two similar sessions cover very different distances. This is absolutely as it should be.

In a typical week, you will be asked to spend time working at an ‘easy, gentle’ level of exertion. This engages your cardiovascular system and starts to build endurance at minimal risk of impact injury. Easy means easy: while you should be focused on the task at hand, it’s important that you could still hold a full conversation at this effort level.

You will then have some faster efforts and some involving hills. These help you to become more efficient in your movement, and will help develop strength that will aid all your exercise. These higher levels of exertion should be those at which you could talk in sentences, but only just. If you can barely get a word out, you’re pushing too hard – save that for sprint finishes in the race!

Your long efforts will acclimatise you to carrying weight over distance. Purposeful, consistent effort for the full session is what matters to maximising gains from these key sessions. The plan avoids sessions that increase injury risk with reduced marginal training benefit – there are no day long hikes or back to back long runs. Consistent, uninjured training matters more than any one session: train to compete, don’t compete in training.

Finally: training is the application of deliberate stress so that you heal stronger. Make the most of your hard work by following it with rehydration, refuelling and rest.

Good luck, and happy running…

Training Plan: 24 Weeks: Introducing Structured Exercise

The initial phase of training should allow you to integrate regular exercise into your daily routine. Small, frequent sessions allow you to get used to preparing to train, and allow your body to adapt to cycles of stress and recovery. The body gets stronger after the stimulus, so make sure you refuel, rehydrate, and relax after each session.

Training Focus

Body: make sure that the runs are gentle – as slow as you need – but keep the pace consistent

Mind: if you’re a smoker, now is the time to stop

Craft: research and purchase your race rucksack, use it in training, and make sure it works for you

Training Plan: 20 Weeks: Hiking (Not Walking)

Hike with purpose, moving swiftly and using your arms. If you plan to race with walking poles, research them and start using them now. Add useful weight to your rucksack, taking food, water, waterproofs, and spare clothes before using bags of rice if you need to top up the weight. T

raining Focus

Body: try to increase cadence when running – more small steps reduces impact damage

Mind: make the effort to get off tarmac, even if you’re slower – you need to adjust to uneven footing

Craft: research, purchase and use your race shoes for hiking – and change them if they cause blisters

Training Plan: 16 Weeks: Disciplined Recovery

As the volume and intensity of training increases, so does the importance of recovery: where you can, try to avoid leaving chores or stressful activities for your rest day. Prioritise sleep, and consider reducing alcohol intake in the evening. Non load bearing exercise will help flush out muscles and retain a range of movement without generating impact stress.

Training Focus

Body: keep your rest days as stress-free as possible, and ideally off your feet

Mind: plan your non load bearing sessions in advance; book a class or a pool session before the day

Craft: start trialling the type and frequency of electrolyte and snack intake during your hikes

Training Plan: 12 Weeks: Stress Familiarisation

The desert races involve challenges unlike other races. At this point it’s important to recognise adapt to early morning exercise, and what will almost certainly be some time moving after dark. Use training sessions to get used to moving by torchlight and to waking up, eating, hydrating, dressing and exercising.

Training Focus

Body: research and use a 5-10 minute stretching routine after all your longer runs and hikes

Mind: start getting used to early morning exercise: ideally start hiking at around 7am

Craft: research, purchase, and test a head torch, even if only on a lit sidewalk to begin with

Training Plan: 8 Weeks: Training Peak

With improved fitness, including an increased aerobic capacity and familiarity with hills and uneven terrain, comes increased work with a weighted pack. Hiking powerfully with a pack is less aerobically challenging than many running sessions; take this time to adapt to the heightened perception of effort that comes from exercise that places simultaneous demands on the whole body.

Training Focus

Body: consider a sports massage every 1-2 weeks, focus on hamstrings, quads and lower back

Mind: recognise your ability to keep moving purposefully with a weighted pack even when tired

Craft: lay out all your race kit, research and purchase anything you need; cut weight where possible

Training Plan: 4 Weeks: Psychological Preparation and Taper

Use the long hikes to think about the race ahead – early starts, making breakfast, packing kit, and heading out. Retain your stretching routine, and consider how you will make sure you refuel and rehydrate after each day to recover for the day to come. Look forward to having a fantastic race, moving purposefully every day through some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Enjoy!

Training Focus

Body: enjoy the taper – keep eating and drinking healthily to minimise stress on the body

Mind: look back at your training: take confidence in your new fitness and readiness for the race ahead

Craft: minimise travel stress: pack early, double check gear, stay hydrated and healthy while travelling

To download a copy of this training plan, please click here. 

Thorsten and Lauren were recently in Norway and reviewed Expedition Foods meals.