I met Tom coming off his flight from London in Melbourne and we quickly sorted out the car and started loading the kit. Georgie’s flight got in around 90 mins later and after stopping to satisfy (read demand) Georgie’s need for MacDonalds, we started off on the four hour drive. Tom did a sterling job at the wheel considering his jet lag, though alternatives were limited as my licence has ran out and G hadn’t brought hers with her.

We made a stop in Wangaratta to take on supplies. Trail maps, fuel canisters for the stoves, a therma mat for Georgie as well as some food supplies. Spirits were high, we were off to the snow! As we got closer to the mountains the scenery was spectacular, rural Victoria is incredibly beautiful and double so with big blue skies. As we began the ascent to the top of the mountain, the roads became incredibly bendy which made for a nervous Georgie which in turn only encouraged Tom further to increase his speed. It was only when the words “I feel quite sick” were uttered that he slowed to a sensible pace and by that time we were on the mountain with fantastic views of the snow.

When we arrived the lifts were closing, but with X country being our game, we were able to quickly get changed and head out for a quick session. I haven’t been on skis before and only snowboarded once but Tom is a veteran of all disciplines and was very happy to get us started. It was uneventful, no wipe outs  and probably gave me some false confidence for the following day!

The next morning we drove 14km to Dinner Plain to meet our X Country coach. Most definitely the most laid back man on the planet. He confessed he had 2 coffees a day. We wondered what he would be like if he didn’t! It became quickly apparent that Georgie was a natural and I was not. I started my now familiar crashing to the floor style of X Country pretty much from the start. We headed into the forest and I struggled to get any momentum which had the obvious affect on confidence which in turn made things worse. The humour and encouragement never stopped, this is a team that works well together and I was consistently getting support from my team mates. We completed four hours and then decided to have lunch which was needed if for nothing else to give my body a rest from the bashing.

That afternoon we headed out again and for reasons I do not know, it all came together and I started to make progress. Sure, I still had some great wipe outs (yes there are plenty on video) but the confidence was growing. The day ended with 6 hrs of X country bagged and we spent the evening in talking. Quote of the day goes to Georgie “Are you going to be dogging Mr Salami?” Let’s just say it was a reference to Tom and myself when we skiing.

We were up early on Thursday with Tom in the kitchen cooking away as Tom does. It is a great skill of his and G and I were certainly not complaining. Spirits were high though Tom did point out that Day 2 often sees people going backwards. How right he was! We set off with our coach on a 12km trail and I was like a new born giraffe. I think I must have fallen AND HARD maybe 40 times in the five hours. Initially it was really funny but then it started to hurt and hurt bad. By thend of the trail I was broken, in need of Ibuprofen and would have been quite happy to keep warm by burning the skis. At lunch Georgie said that our coach has said to her “have you got any marijuana? I think it may help Ian”

That night we had a few drinks and dinner. Well, let’s say I had a few drinks as my  team mates went out and when I woke this morning I found Tom asleep, fully clothed on the couch and G nowhere to be seen so I presumed alive in her room.

The plan shifted to get me on downhill skis to see if that would feed my need for momentum. Whilst the first five minutes did not start off promising I progressed pretty quickly and started to enjoy myself. I have never been afraid to try stuff and I was way past caring if I wiped out so with that things started to come together and the day ended up with progress.

Friday we decided I would continue build up experience on the slopes whilst Georgie and Tom would race in a weekly challenge over the 14km X country course. My morning was spent being passed by three year olds on skis whilst I did my best not to wipe them out during one of my regular crashes. The other two did a great job at the race with Tom near his record time and Georgie coming in with a really respectable time which was fantastic considering she had been on skis for three days!

That evening we packed our stuff into the back packs and headed out on the trail to a field in the snow as the sun began to set. It quickly got cold as we set about getting our tent up and the snow melted for the water we would need. We did well, things moved on and we worked well as a team. Tasks completed we dived into the tent with the pitch black surrounding us and threw some water into the foil bags containing our dehydrated meals, which never get any better. I can’t remember when we got to sleep but it was not late as we were tired. I slept fitfully as it was absolutely freezing and my mat was on an uneven patch that left me constantly moving to get comfortable.

We awoke at sunrise and began the morning tasks but these were made absolutely hellish with the freezing boots. We were in a few feet of snow so there was no opportunity to get them warmed up either and after a bit we all started to lose the feeling in our feet. That accelerated us on our tasks and we were on our skis and off as soon as we could which worked a charm as the barrier between our boots and snow provided by the skis was enough.

My X country had not improved so after a few interesting wipe outs we decided it was best for me to return to downhill whilst the other two continued and I headed back to Hotham for some instruction. The day past with some progress on my side and plenty of mileage for the other two and we eventually found ourselves back at the camp for another night under canvas. Lesson learnt from the previous night we put on everything we had and slept a lot better though it was still cold despite having our sub zero bags and mats. Something we will need to consider when it will many multiples colder in the Arctic.

The final day saw me under more instruction and make a lot of progress (from a low base) and the other two head off to do a new track. We ended the day with dinner and a few well earned drinks that in mine and Tom’s case ended in the apartment at 4.30am.

All in all a great trip that brought home to us that fitness is not the challenge here. Technique, preparation, drilling major aspects of the race and kit selection are absolutely critical. We work well as a team, enjoy each others company a great deal and are committed to the same goal but we will be breaking down the race hour by hour and practicing relentlessly.

On arrival back in Singapore, my priority shifted to the Sahara which is now a mere 36 days away. Each weekday now has a 10-15km run in it with one having a morning and evening in the same day. The weekends have got progressively bigger with last weekend seeing me complete a 5hr 30mins on Saturday followed by a 2hrs 50mins on Sunday, complete with pack around Macritchie. I am fortunate to have Michelle with me on each long run which is great for company. I don’t find them tough physically, it is just a challenge to keep the forward momentum for such long periods at a time. This weekend I have a four hour on Saturday and four hour on Sunday to complete with pack before I start a relatively lower training load for a week before the final push to the end. I am also blogging on the Sahara website along with my other competitors so if you have any interest then give it a read.

When not running, I have to spend time on kit selection. I have to carry all my own kit including food, clothes, sleeping bag etc over the 250km course so correct selection to make sure I get the right balance between weight and productivity is critical. I need to get my head around nutrition and work out what will give me the highest calory density without the least weight. This is a big topic and whilst interesting when there are spare hours in the day, there never are so I need to start looking at it properly. Running shoes (Nike) Top (Patagonia), Backpack OMM25L and compression tights (Skins), sleeping bag (marmot) are all selected and tested. I now just need to concentrate on the rest including the long list of mandatory.

Enough for now, I will be be back in the next week or so with another update.

This is an important trip, 11 days in Australia with a small amount of business and a large amount of training. On Monday I will meet the boxers that will participate in the White Collar Boxing we are holding in Melbourne on the 5th November. This has been a long project to get off the ground so I am really pleased that we are now ready to go and I will get to see the guys and girls as they start the journey we have helped so many before them complete.

On 3rd August I will meet my two North Pole team mates at the airport at 7am. Tom and Georgie have been on business in the UK so will probably be feeling the jet lag but the plan is to set off immediately for our base in Hotham. Tues through to Saturday we will be working on our technical X country skills and learning some of the fieldcraft we will require. Tom has found some ex SAS adventure guides to get us through this part and any experience is gratfully received.

Following the X country skiing technical days we will depart on a mini expedition which will see us ski the routine we will live in the pole as well as spend the time under canvas in the sub freezing conditions. Personally I cannot wait, it will be great to get the experience, training and spend time together as a team as these opportunities will be few and far between.

I have packed all I think I will need and I also have both the Flip and Go Hero video cameras to make sure we capture the entire trip to provide content for the planned film for charity fund raising we hope will get completed. I have however got nowhere near the clothes I will require as I live in Singapore! A quick trip to the shops on Monday in Melbourne is required.

I will tweet the trip as I am not sure I will be able to get the bandwidth for full posting but when I do I will get a short trip of the video up.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB9cqW2broo

]]> http://www.ordinarybloke.com/?feed=rss2&p=212 0 http://www.ordinarybloke.com/?p=210 http://www.ordinarybloke.com/?p=210#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:55:00 +0000 Ian http://www.ordinarybloke.com/?p=210 The team is all over the place at the moment. I am in San Diego with the family at the Medical Rehabilitation & Kinematics Lab as we get intensive therapy for our daughter Zara. Tom is back in Australia working and Georgie has been in Italy doing some lunatic swimming holiday that would scare the hell out of me but then again my swimming abilities are up there with my ballet skills.

Whilst in San Diego, I am running every day to get the mileage up and in the glorious sun shine with low humidity, I am finding it a breeze. I am averaging 15km per day and rarely feel my heart rate being challenged in any form. I am also taking the opportunity to load up on kit as the stores here are great for the outdoors and the prices are a lot cheaper than Singapore!

I signed up for a training weekend in Hong Kong for the Sahara race at the end of August. The weekend will be a 30km each day run with pack and overnight camp out. It will be a great opportunity to test kit, question the experts and see where I am fitness wise before I head into the final month before heading to the Sahara.

On the 3rd August I will be heading to Hotham with Tom and Georgie. We will be spending three days on the technical side of cross country skiing before we head off into the mountains for a mini expedition to test our skills in the snow. I am looking forward to it as it will be the first time we have trained together and the first time I have been on skies!

Arriving on Monday night, we were at CSC by Tuesday morning at 8am and on the rounds with Dr Jim. The hospital was at half strength, as the US Navy hospital ship Mercy was in Cambodia and CSC had provided 75 staff to assist. This was my fifth trip this year with CSC being the charity Vanda Promotions also supports but it was no less interesting. After morning rounds and Dr Jim showing the guys what was going to be on the rosta for the theatre that morning, Tom elected to view some surgery and Georgie and I went with Jim as he worked his way through the cases that had arrived this morning. As always it was fascinating with a wide variety of children and young adults with anything from genetic or neurological disorders through to non union bone breaks. Jim, as always, dispensed his judgement with compassion to the patients and a sense of purpose to the surgical team.

After lunch we elected for some theatre time and witnessed the insertion of a bar down the tibular of a man that had lived with a severely broken leg for 18 years. What is worse is that he was delivered by the US medical team as someone who needed an amputation. One hour later and following a lot of  banging with a hammer, the job was completed. The following day, we actually witnesses this man walking !

That evening, we had dinner with Jim and his wife and caught up on other stuff. Jim has two brothers and a sister in California where I head tomorrow so we were organising to see them. We got to understand the challenges CSC was having at present and that they had been granted permission to build an extension that would allow them to increase the work they were doing.

The following morning saw Georgie and Tom spend the time with Dr Jim on his rounds as well as assessing the intake for the day. They got to understand the incredible range of surgeries CSC will undertake, as well as see for themselves how life changing these free operations can be for the children. It wasn’t always easy for them to to accept what they saw but they both got a great understanding of the skills the team at CSC has.

That afternoon we travelled to the Cambodian Acid Survivors house about 45 mins from the city. CASC is part of the CSC and is home to survivors of the horrific acid attacks that take place in Cambodia. I had the opportunity in 2008 and 09 to see the old CASC house and in 2010 my visits have allowed me to see the incredible progress at the new home that allows survivors to get physical, mental and psychological therapy .

All in all the trip cemented our resolve to make the challenge worthwhile by supporting CSC. The added benefit was the time we got to spend together which was good natured, full of humour and supportive. We are three very different people but similar in many ways. We clearly get on with each other and we can already see we bond well as a team. In the airport on Wednesday, as we prepared to travel home, we enjoyed reviewing and lambasting the web sites of the competitors we would face at the pole. There will be many well prepared teams with youth and in some cases experience on their side but I for one, would not bet against Team CSC. This team is talented, driven and competitive and driven by a purpose that is well beyond a winners trophy.

Roll on three weeks and Georgie was beginning to try and find solutions and like Tom and I, was keen to find a justification to all her training. Conversations re-started and solutions were found so we are thrilled to be able to announce our team in now complete with Georgie Jones, Tom Clipston and myself. We met for the first time as a team this week with the legendary Marcel who helped us get our strength and conditioning program underway.  On Monday next week we will depart on a three day mission to Children’s Surgical Centre in Cambodia so I can introduce the guys to the team over there. Our fundraising aim for this expedition is 2,000 operations to be funded for the children so I am eager for the guys to see what we will working towards.

We get back at midnight on the 16th and I have one day in Singapore before I depart for a month in the USA with the family as Zara has a month of intensive treatment and therapy at Medical Rehabilitation and Kinematics Lab in San Diego. When I return on the 19th July, I will have a week in Singapore before departing to Hotham, in Victoria, Australia where we will do some technical cross country training before setting off for a training trip in the mountains.

We will post some updates and pictures from Cambodia next week.

Tom was at the airport to meet us along with John Morgan, our support man for the trip. Tom and I have known John for a good few years and I credit/blame him for my sense of adventure. This is the man that took the London taxi from Buckingham Palace to the Sydney Opera House and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s charity in the process. He met his wonderful wife Shilly in Africa where he was driving from one end to the other in a VW Beetle.

After dinner (cooked by Tom) we headed to the guest house at the back of Tom’s home in Bunbury. Laid out on the table was a massive amount of food and additional equipment. It quickly became apparent to Paul that he would need to be really creative to have any chance of eating and drinking in the days to follow but after much pushing he managed to get it all in. All in all our packs weighed around 25-27kg’s, a fact I am not convinced we had given enough thought to previously!

That night I could hear the rain on the roof and it did not stop. When the alarm went off at 4am I could still here it coming down and we began to accept that the weather was not always going to be to our liking. We got into the car with it still dark outside and drove the 100km’s or so to the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse. It was cold when he got out of the car but the rain had eased to a drizzle. Packs on we set off at steady pace with our headlamps on.

If you did this track in the seven days they suggest, you would be treated to some of the most beautiful coastal views interspersed with forest and fauna that only WA can deliver so perfectly. Unfortunately, with two days to accomplish our agenda, it was head down and get on with it. Our first stop, after two hours was for a mere five minutes before we set off in land again on what seemed like a constant ascent. The packs were getting dug in to our backs and the weather decided to turn for the worse. Three hours later and it became apparent we had chosen the wrong path and we learnt our first lesson on navigation as we added 6km to our day.

By midday, with 6 hrs completed we had all but ceased talking with most subjects exhausted. All three of us plugged into our music or audiobooks and in single file did our best to keep an even pace over the rocks, beach and coastal paths. My biggest challenge was regulating my body temperature. I had layered correctly but there was a need to make sure you responded to the ever changing conditions otherwise you would sweat too much and then freeze when the pace dropped.

As the first day ended, the map told us that we had a final 4km to get through to a suitable campsite. We had completed 44km in the day, 6km less than planned and we were a little disappointed as we believed we had done our best. As the sun set we arrived under the lights of our head lamps to an area of flat grass within earshot of the crashing waves from the Indian Ocean. We got the tent up pretty quickly (this will have to improve at the Pole) and set about boiling water from the rain barrel and cooking dinner. We were totally exhausted with a 5am start ahead of us so I cannot remember when we went to sleep but I am betting we were all gone by 9am.

When we woke the final morning it was cold and we quickly had a coffee and some oatmeal using the water we had prepared from the night before. Tearing down camp was done at a decent pace to make sure we kept warm and we were off on a 20km leg. It was still very dark so we were all under headlamps and with no music to ensure we could hear each other with the paths running along the cliffs. It was tough work with the weather changing quite quickly which meant we had to get into waterproofs quickly before we got drenched. We would stop every few hours to eat something and take on some water. It is amazing the effect food has on your performance. We were burning close to 1000 calories an hour and at the end of a period you could feel your energy and concentration starting to reduce. A quick break and an energy gel, trail mix or piece of chocolate and you felt everything lift and you were ready to go again.

With a final scramble over some rocks, we spotted the wonderful Mr Morgan ahead of us. John was a complete hero for us throughout the expedition, quite frankly we would never have been able to do it without him. He was always one step ahead of us with our water, advice and timings on the route as well as essentials such as Nurofen plus and tape for our blisters. This last part was especially important as Tom had been hit early on the first day with blisters and they are truly debilitating when you are trying to achieve what we were trying. As we rehydrated and looked at our map, we could see we needed to pick up the pace. We decided to dump anything but the essentials and filled a pack with food and water. We then set off on a 21km section, at full pace, which was both exhilarating and exhausting. The weather was warming up and the sun was out as we pounded up and down the hills and sand tracks that we share with motor cross riders probably thinking we were mad. At an average pace of 9km/hr we were really moving on difficult terrain but it was great to feel the fitness was there to sustain it and we all looked untroubled by the exertions. Running in full walking boots makes for heavy work and little cushioning but they gave me the stability needed for this terrain and protection from the inevitable toe strikes. The problem we did have however was water. One bottle was lost in the 1st km (by me) and that left us with three litres which just wasn’t enough with me alone consuming on average 1 litre an hour. However, we knew there wasn’t anything we could do about it so we just buckled down and ploughed on.

John was surprised to see us when we arrived an hour ahead of schedule. We were still in good shape and wolfed down as much calories as we could get in our bodies plus litres of water. I started to feel some discomfort in my feet and knew that it was trouble. Tom was barracking me to deal with it now but I didn’t fancy it. Eventually I pulled my boots and socks off my feet and as I feared, I had nasty blisters. There was little choice, the knife came out and repairs were done before we set off again for the km’s that would take us past the 50k m for the day.

As we came into the final checkpoint of the day the sun was setting and we were 6km from our overnight. We set off along the beach, delighted with our progress, a little sorer than the start of the day, but in control. However, we hadn’t really looked at the detail on the route and it quickly became a difficult track including both down a cliff and up the other side. Darkness set in and there was  nothing on the cliff tops but us and  the odd kangaroo (they were bigger than me) so it was headlamps on. Concentration needed to be 100% as the temperature dropped and the track got ever closer to the cliff edge. Tom was on lead and there were a number of times when we stopped to make the path choice and were alarmed to see what the other option would have led us to.

We rolled into camp that had been recce’d by John earlier. The tent went up faster and we dived into another meal of dehydrated curry and discussed the day. I mentioned we had yet to see any snakes upon which Tom tells me I had stepped over one that day but he hadn’t bothered to tell me!

We were up at 3.30am on the final morning and were underway with a light drizzle and temperatures of 7 degrees. The first 15km were in the forest which presented us with a whole new challenge, that being spiders. For whatever reason, these beasts set their giant webs at our head height and sat in the middle of them. On five separate occasions Tom halted our progress having come across a web with an undoubtedly poisonous spider sitting in wait. We quickly passed underneath not wanting to think about what it would have been like to run into the hairy beast face first. The km’s passed by slowly and the constant up and down hills were taking their toll on Paul and I. I plugged into my music and lost myself to block out the increasing discomfort from pain in both knees and of course the blisters that were not improving. Uphill was a huge struggle for me whilst Paul was having a terrible time on the downhill. Eventually we hit the coast again but the rain came in and there was a 5km stretch of strength sapping sand ahead. My knees were crumbling so I told the guys to head on without me and keep the pace up. It was a painful climax to the challenge for me and John, watching us through binoculars, said he could see it was a struggle. I concentrated on focusing on one foot in front of the other and telling myself there was no other choice, I had to get it done.

On arrival I was immediately into the Ibuprofen as if they were sweets before swallowing as much water as I could get into me. It had been a fantastic experience and with many, many lessons learnt. Some of which are

-It is good to know the route but you need to know what the route and terrain will contain.

-Fueling is critical, you have to take on water and food regular for endurance work like this and be disciplined in taking it.

-Foot maintenance is not to be left until the last minute. As soon as you feel a hot spot you have to deal with it.

-Clothing choices are critical, I am delighted to have found the perfect base layer from North Face that I will be using at the Sahara having used it last week. Overall I was happy with my kit.

-Ultra distances are more about the mental game than physical but you need to prepare your body properly and in my case the knees need work.

- You can gain two hours a day with a proper set up and tear down of camp

- Define the roles for the team up front on all duties so each member knows what they need to be concentrating on.

- Bring John Morgan everywhere you do a challenge (if only  I could do that at the Sahara and Pole)

That night we checked into a motel just so we could get a shower before we ate something hot. It felt wonderful after three days of exertion to get out of the dirty clothes and get clean with hot water. Next door to us were a gang of bikers who were drinking beer and catching up. The always friendly Mr Morgan offered them a hello but the response was not so polite. With a mischievous grin on his face he disappeared into our room and put the tv on full volume before closing the door. With wafer thin walls, our bikers were going to be very upset when they tried to sleep later  with the room next door blaring out noise from the TV. We would be long gone, with the door locked.

I don’t remember the drive back to Tom’s, I was asleep in the back and upon arrival I marched to my bed and that was me done until the following morning. The following morning Paul was in some distress with blisters and a rash on his legs. He had obviously been bitten and the venom was taking affect. A quick call to the doctor and it was off to the hospital but I am pleased to report he was patched up and once he had his antibiotics we headed to the airport.

Arriving home is always good when you have been away but this was even better as Sandy was there waiting for me at the airport. This lady is the rock solid support that allows me to get involved in these silly adventures. We were up well past midnight catching up and validating whether my mental state was normal for a male fast approaching forty! We both agreed it wasn’t, never has been and is unlikely to ever be but she loved me anyway.

Paul and I catch the plane to Perth tomorrow morning and meet up with Tom and John. After a night in Bunbury where Tom lives, we will then be heading to our starting point with the following as the stated strategy.

-          Leave Bunbury 4.15am on Thursday, start first light (5.30am or slightly earlier) walking South from Yallingup

-          20 minute break for breakfast (10 on Thursday), 10 minute breaks every 2 hrs 20mins thereafter, 20 mins lunch.

-          Fri & Sat wake 3.45am (4am if we’re quicker) pack up camp

-          Leaving camp 4.30am with two hot thermos – breakfast 7.30am, finish at 6pm/tent up in last light, dinner

o   4.30am – 7.30am

o   7.50am – 10.10am

o   10.20am – 12.40pm

o   1pm – 3.20pm

o   3.30pm – finish (assume 5.50pm)

§  12 hours, 20 mins per day (11hours 30 mins on first day as starting at 5.30am – only 10 mins b’fast)

My good man Jeet is currently linking my Twitter account to the blog (it is already linked to Facebook) so that I get send little bursts on our progress and the odd photograph so please check back and see how we are doing.

On the team mate front we are making progress as our preferred candidate has spend some time thinking about it and she is now keen to take it further. I quote ” I am now 80-85% certain I want to do this”. That is fantastic news for Tom and I because we know that this is a perfect addition to the team and whilst we are disappointed not to have our 3rd member with us on the Cape to Cape, we are confident we will get to train with her in Hotham when we head to the mountains on the skies.
I look forward to keeping you all updated.

Training continues to be uphill though I have stuck to it and I can feel the improvements coming slowly. My strength work is helping me cope, especially as my stronger core is helping with my efficiencies, or inefficiencies in my case. I am extending my daily runs out and my longs are 2.5hrs and now include a pack. Monday’s run was in the heat of the day and I blew it badly but on reflection that was a nutrition error. I am now (not surprisingly) down 5kg since I started training in earnest 3 weeks ago. I have been very disciplined with my eating and no alcohol of any sort has passed my lips during this period. I am off to HK today and with me will be my CNP MR’s and a host of other nutritional stuff so that I remain in control of my intake and not at the mercy of the airlines or hotels.

Tom and I had a catch-up last night on the phone to get up to date. He did a half iron man this weekend (1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, 21.1 km run) in 5.5hrs so it is fair to say he is doing well on his training. We chatted about kit for the cape to cape next week along with other logistics and then as casual as anything he drops in “well we will finish Saturday, get a meal and a good nights sleep and I have signed us up for a half marathon on the Sunday morning”. Typical Tom, we hit the extremes on the first session out!

I will be back early next week with a posting just before I head to WA for the Cape to Cape.

Training for Sahara has gone well for the last week,  I have been out for 10 out of the past 11 days and on Sunday I got my first 2 hrs run in for a long time. I chose to run at midday which would seem like madness (it was 36 degree or 96.8F) but I can hardly use the sun as an issue with the Sahara being my final destination! Anyway, the run went well and I figured out my route for the longer runs which should see me continue my exploration of Singapore without too much repetition.

The organisers keep us in the loop and this week they sent all us Sahara race participants photos of the course which they took when they were out on a recent recce. It puts the challenge into perspective, and I am not looking forward to tackling these hills in the middle of my 5th marathon in 5 days.This is going to be a tough one!