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4 Deserts

Preparing for Racing The Planet Georgia – Update

Last updated on Jan 30, 2020 By

With 10 months before Racing The Planet: Georgia kicks off, I spent a bit of time this week reviewing my gear and mapping out how I’m planning to train for the event. 

(to date I’ve done essentially no specific training, and haven’t done a stage race in > 3 years).

Preparing for Racing The Planet Georgia - Update 1

Vardzia – part of the RTP route?

Background Research on RTP Georgia

The RTP team haven’t posted the actual route online yet, but they recently shared some photos from a course reccy. 

These images include FB post which include a scene that looks like Vardzia. This is based on some quick Googling on my part, so I may be way off.

But interestingly, Vardzia is in the South of Georgia – while the big mountain range, the Caucasus, rolls across the North of the country – around 200km North, actually.

Which leads me to think that perhaps the RTP route will be sticking strictly to foothill territory, which makes a lot of sense.

Regarding elevations and hills, the 4 Deserts website course info does state the following:

Georgia is a country of hills and mountains so the course has some elevation and hills, but there is no technical climbing involved. The majority of the course is at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,000 meters / 3,300 6,600 feet but there are some sections that are approximately 3,000 meters / 10,000 feet.

– Racing The Planet

 So I’m anticipating some gradients, but nothing too challenging for a typical trail runner.  The altitude will add in an interesting element, as 1000 – 2000m is certainly enough for the effects to be felt – and slow you down.

Looking at the weather, things should be pleasant  . . . hopefully low-to-mid-20’s during the day, and low-to-mid-teens at night. A typical September day in Georgia seems to be cloudy with around 30% change of rain (source).

So all-in-all, this course sounds runnable. Nice but not-too-hot days, and not venturing into the mountains.  Hopefully it stays dry for us that week.

Preparing for Racing The Planet Georgia - Update 2

Racing The Planet: Georgia Equipment

I’ve started a Google Sheet to track my equipment as I prepare – you can check it out.

Feel free to download it and make a copy, although it’s far from final – a lot of items are ‘work in progress’.

I also need to start researching and checking out the colder weather gear – this is the first self-supported stage race I’ll have done that’s in less than 30degC heat, so there are some new pieces I’ll need to find room for.

For my pack, I’ll definitely be rocking the WAA UltraBag 20L (+5L front pouch). I used it in RTP Namibia and loved it.  It was specifically designed for Marathon des Sables, so is built with stage racing in mind.

I find it holds it’s form better than other packs I’ve tried, and it is just possible to squeeze all of my gear into it’s slight 20 litre capacity (plus the front pouch).

Plus the bottle holder design hugs your body really well, and the long straws are just what you need.

I’ll also definitely be packing the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Rest Lite inflatable sleeping pad.  Although sleeping pads are optional on these races, they are totally worth the extra fuss.

I’ve tried foam and inflatable mats, and having discovered the NeoAir on my last SS stage race, I wouldn’t attempt another race without it. I might even splash out on the super light model they’ve put out more recently.

Almost all the other major pieces of gear on my equipment list are ‘TBC’ at the moment – I’ll continue to update my sheet as I solidify my approach.

Many of the little items – compass, blister kits – are things I’ve carted around from other races so don’t need to change out.

At some point nearer the race I’ll do a bigger blog on gear selection and packing.

Preparing for Racing The Planet Georgia - Update 3

RTP Georgia : Training Plan

OK so today I realised that with a little over 10 months to go, I don’t have any kind of structured training plan in place, so sat down and mapped out a quick one.

I’ll share the highlights here – it’s important to note that my training plan is based around my personal goal of running the entire race, not getting injured, recovering quickly, and achieving a certain average speed.

Everyone’s training will differ depending on their goals and lives, but here’s the highlights of my own at the moment:

Next 3 Months (Til End of 2019)

– Focus on strength, speed, and suppleness

– 2-3 gym sessions per week

– 2 x speed work-outs per week

– 1 x longer recovery run per week (slow and easy)

– daily stretching and light cross-training

– I also have some long run mileage targets to hit.

Jan  – April 2020

– Focus on building distance, maintaining strength and speed

– 1 x long run of gradually increasing length

– 1-2 x speed work-outs per week

– 1 x regular run

– 2 x strength training days

By March I’ll scale back to 1 speed work-out per week and add in another running day to increase my weekly mileage.

May – July 2020 (Peak Training Window)

The focus for these 3 months will be back-to-backs each week – a long run on a Saturday, then a slightly shorter run on the Sunday.

I’ll probably stop any speed training to lessen the risk of injury, and instead just otherwise strength train / cross train and go for regular short runs.

I have some draft pace goals for all these runs, but will firm them up nearer the time – no need to be too strict with it right now, I feel it’s important to just lay out a plan.

I’ll do the majority of my training runs without a pack – I find it can be bad for your posture and weighs you down unnecessarily.  Better to do most runs without the pack, and a few long runs with it to get used to it and sort out any issued you have with it.  

My training will peak around the end of July, then I’ll have about a 3 week taper before the race kicks off.

In terms of long run distances and things, I haven’t mapped that out yet. As the race grows nearer, I’ll blog again about my training – and share some numbers and distances.

***

In all, my preparation will probably mirror what I laid out in the Stage Race Handbook (available now for instant download).  I’m looking forward to revisiting the process after a couple of years of being out of the game, and I’ll continue to post on here as I do so.

The Road to Georgia – Racing The Planet 2020

Last updated on Jan 31, 2020 By

My Path To Racing The Planet: Georgia

Reflecting on my stage race experiences and how I signed up for Racing The Planet Georgia.

***

It’s been almost three years since I ran a full stage race.

After running several in quick succession from 2014 to 2016, it felt like a good time to take a break from them; my appetite for the long hours of training was wearing off, and I felt in danger of losing all enthusiasm for the sport.

In the time since, I’ve kept myself busy (including writing The Stage Race Handbook, among other projects).

The idea of returning to stage races was always in the back of my head, but I wanted to wait until I was ready for it.

The Road to Georgia - Racing The Planet 2020 4

Stage races are races spread over a few days; most of them last 5 or 6 days, and many involve you carrying all your own gear and food.  Tents and water are provided.

So I had been tentatively keeping an eye on the Stage Race scene to see if any particular race grabbed my eye…

As the number of stage races each year seems to be on the rise, along with more variations of format and level of support, there’s no shortage of choice.

My first stage was the Racing The Planet race in Madagascar back in 2014.   It was an unforgettable experience in a country I had long wanted to visit.   

So I’ve always had a soft spot for the Racing The Planet format – they make it challenging but provide an excellent level of organisation and support.

Along with their annual ‘4 Deserts‘ series of races, each year they organise a one-off race in a new location.   A race that will only exist once, and won’t be repeated.  My Madagascar race was one of them, other locations have included Ecuador, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.

So a couple of months ago they announced the location of their ultramarathon for 2020 . . . Georgia.

The Road to Georgia - Racing The Planet 2020 5

It’s a country that had honestly never been on my radar, but at the same time, had the otherworldly appeal that all good stage races need.

The unique location, culture, and highest mountain range in Europe  . . . it ticks all the boxes.   So I signed up straight away. 

It’s a 250km, 5-stage, 6-day self-supported stage race – the classic format.

The Road to Georgia - Racing The Planet 2020 6

Training for RTP Georgia

My distance running training has been sorely lacking in the past few months – that’s part of the reason I signed up so far in advance.   

I’ve got 14 months to get myself prepared, in order to maximise my performance (or minimise the pain, depending how you look at it).

My run training has been limited to a few 5k and 10k runs each week recently, and my strength training hasn’t been much to write home about.

Now I have a target in mind, my aim is to spend the next few months working on speed and short distances along with some strength work.   Then towards the end of this year I’ll begin to introduce longer distance runs.

I don’t have a formal training plan, but I’ve got a rough idea of what I need to be focussing on.  The plan is to strengthen my core fitness and base running speed, then gradually introduce long runs and back-to-back runs. 

The big two wildcards for Racing The Planet Georgia are going to be the altitude and the hills.

Racing The Planet have already let us know that the route is going to be through the foothills of the Causcasus mountain range, with a typical altitude of 1000-2000m but with some sections up to 3000m.   This is certainly in a range where some altitude training would be a huge advantage, so in around six months I’ll try and start training in a gym with an altitude room.

As for the hills, historically they’ve been a big weakness of mine – so again, time to hit the trails!

I’ll blog here occasionally on how my Racing The Planet Georgia training readiness is going as the race grows nearer.

Meet Dion Leonard – Extreme Runner and Gobi’s Master

Last updated on Jul 25, 2019 By

Dion Leonard is an extreme runner and stage race veteran.

He has tackled the Marathon des Sables several times, along with 3 x KAEM (Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – which he won in 2017), MdS Peru, Gobi March 250km and Global Limits Cambodia (where I first met Dion) to name a few – regularly bagging podium spots for his troubles.

Dion lives with his wife, Lucja – also an extreme runner – in Edinburgh, Scotland.   He became an international figure in 2016 when he befriended a stray dog whilst running across the Chinese Gobi Desert, and went on to adopt the dog – named Gobi.   He recounted the story in the International bestseller ‘Finding Gobi’ (one of my top audiobook recommendations).

Later this year, Dion is headed to the USA to attempt the audacious ‘Triple Crown’.  This is a challenge of three non-stop races of 200 miles or more – namely the Bigfoot 200, Lake Tahoe 200 and Moab 240 races.

In this interview, which was featured in the recently published Stage Race Handbook, I sat down and quizzed Dion on his stage race experiences and preparation.

MEET DION LEONARD

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 7

Hi Dion, you’ve run a lot of stage races but are especially known for your affinity for the Marathon des Sables.   What was it about the MdS that first appealed to you?

MDS is the iconic blue riband event when it comes to multi-stage races. It’s the best of the best when it comes to runners, organization and desert challenges.

I remember first watching and being captivated by the beauty of the Sahara Desert and thought to myself one day I would love to experience it.

What mistakes did you make in your first MdS preparation?

I’d completed the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme 250km in the South African Kalahari Desert a few months earlier so was well prepared for running in the heat and sand.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the sand dunes and the size of them.  At my first MDS on Stage 1 we ran 25km in the famous Merzouga dunes and the wheels came off.

I only finished the stage because my wife Lucja caught up to me as I was sitting in the dunes contemplating dropping out but she managed to convince me to get to the finish line.

It was a massive wake up call, the race continually feels like its punching you in the face and you just have to pick yourself up day after day.

What has been the biggest failure for you, during stage races – and how have you addressed it?

Recently at the inaugural MDS 250km in Peru across the Ica Desert, I struggled with illness.

I battled every day to finish and every night I battled to make it to the start line, it was a disaster, everything went wrong and it became the longest week of my life.

It took me a few days to forget about how my race from a competitive point of view was ruined but to just appreciate the opportunity, beauty of the area and breathe it all in.

You have to adjust your goals during the week as things outside of your control happen and dealing with this quickly will help you get to the finish line.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 8
Dion during MdS Peru, where he struggled with illness. Photo Credit: MdS.

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races have changed me completely.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and every time I complete a race I walk away a different person.

These races have you spending a lot of time in your own thoughts and whether its work, family or lifestyle I always come back wanting to improve, change or complete something that I haven’t done before.

You’re also in a unique environment for a week with lots of people from all over the world so you get to meet and spend time with people you wouldn’t normally.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people during stage races and made some friends for life from all over the world.

Is it hard to find time to train sufficiently for stage races?

I don’t know if it’s hard to find the time or its harder to find the motivation. Training is a huge piece of a stage race and when it’s cold outside but you still need to get that run in then it can be difficult to get out the door.

I tend to train a lot more flexibly these days and don’t stick to any generic plans. I combine running with cross training, turbo training, indoor rowing and swimming and that keeps things fresh for me.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 9
Dion with his dog Gobi running part of the Milan Marathon as PR for the release in Italy of Finding Gobi.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

Don’t be overwhelmed.  You need to get 3 things right – training, food, and kit.  It’s simple and doesn’t need to be expensive, time-consuming or difficult.  A lot of forums giving advice really cause more confusion than necessary.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Sometimes the water given to you during stage races is sitting at checkpoints in temperatures of up to 50 degrees and is simply undrinkable.  To cool it down, place a wet ‘Buff’ over your water bottles before you put them in their holders and as you run the breeze combined with the wet ‘Buff’ will chill your bottles.

If you’re in the campsite then use the drink bottle nozzle to hang them in the air from a tree or your tent to catch the breeze.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 10

Finding Gobi, Dion’s book about the incredible true story and incredible journey of Finding Gobi is now an International Bestseller with Top 10 in US, Canada, Italy, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @findinggobi

Main image Photo Credit: KAEM

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner

Published on By

Filippo Rossi is a globetrotting journalist originally from the Swiss-Italian town of Lugano.

In the last few years, Filippo has thrown himself around the world, running some of the most prestigious and challenging ultras and stage races in far-flung locales.

His medal collection includes Marathon des Sables, Transgrancanaria, Endurance Life Dorset, Ultrabericus, Vulcano Trail and every race in the 4 Deserts series. In fact, in 2016 he completed the 4 Deserts Grand Slam – all four 250km races within one calendar year, consistently achieving top-10 positions.

A seasoned ultrarunner whose pack is always lighter than everyone else’s, Filippo knows how to run far.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Filippo Rossi

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 11

Hey Filippo, we first met at Racing The Planet Namibia a couple of years ago.  What was it about the 4 Deserts races that first caught your eye?

When I first came to Namibia, I already had the Marathon des Sables experience behind me. I was confident about what was going on.

However, the environment of people was completely different. This is what stunned me at first. The idea to meet worldwide people much deeper than what I had experienced before. In terms of racing, of course, I saw a difference in the organization.

Even though 4 Deserts was always very well organized, they missed some facilities that MDS provided automatically.

How has your preparation for stage races evolved from one race to the next?

I must say that after Marathon des Sables I changed completely my vision of training because I changed my trainer.

That happened just before that first 4 Deserts race in Namibia. Since then I radically improved my running style and my consciousness about it, making it possible to train and know what I was doing. During the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, I continued improving this conscious running style that today allows me to train much more efficiently.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 12

What was the biggest challenges, or scary moments, of the 4 Desert Grand Slam?

The challenges were everywhere. Time to recover was never enough.

Races were tough and no discount was made, even for the grand slammers.

The biggest challenge was mental. Keeping the mindset ready for the next challenge.

When I finished Antarctica, I was scared of what was coming next, because I entered a loop.

The scariest moment was during the Atacama Crossing –  I really considered the dropping out because of a stomach acidity problem, which I solved just by downing some pills that the doctor gave me. However, the problems still persisted and I finished the run with a lot of problems, compromising the result.

I remember you probably had the lightest pack in the 4 Deserts Namibia race, something like 6.5kg.  Can you share what your pack weights were, and how you managed to reduce them so much??

This is maybe the funniest thing you have to do before going to the desert.

Preparing the backpack is an art.

I started at MDS with more than 8kgs and finished this year at the Iranian Silk Road Ultramarathon with just 6.5kg. Not bad. But how?

Simply getting rid of anything that isn’t useful for the race. The food is really tight and minimal for the whole week, which means that you get the calories you need from a very small amount of food.

Then all the small items like knife, lamps and mirrors are really basic, as the sleeping bag, which is no more than 300g. Considering all the mandatory equipment that RTP requires, which is far too much, I was always able to keep the weight low without cheating.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 13
Filippo resting in his ‘camp clothes’ – an ultra-lightweight paper suit!

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races changed my life.

I must say that after journalism, my profession, I live for running.

I would love to run any kind of stage races in the world if I just had the time. You live such intense experiences and meet such amazing people that it really touches you.

Personally, it helped me a lot, being stronger mentally and much more consecutive. Professionally also, since my work brings me to risk anytime, I always need concentration and determination, which is also thanks to these races.

Did you get any bad injuries during the 4 Deserts Grand Slam?

Fortunately not, I finished Antarctica just with bad tendons inflammations, but that was fair enough considering the terrain and the hardness of the course.

What was it like running 250km in Antarctica?

Antarctica was surely an awesome experience that I would maybe repeat without racing such a race.

250km run on a loop-range that goes from 1.5km to 3.5km for 10 hours, is far too much, even for the strongest.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 14

This proves you mentally and physically since you’re never on a hard path, the weather changes every minute and the loops are so tiny that you always have to pass people making double efforts. I considered that race as a proof for my head, and the result was perfect since I came 3rd out of 60 people.

Talking about the fact of running in Antarctica, that was priceless. Animals and landscapes were just something unexplainable and I will never forget it.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

The best advice I can give is doing like me: find someone that already did it and let him guide you, especially for the gear. The most important thing is the gear and the food. Logistics make more than half of everything.

Training and mental preparation are important too, but if you go with the wrong pair of shoes or you bring the wrong food (which is always my case, after 6 times), you will not finish or you will just hate the experience. This is what I did: I got to know a guy, who is one of my best friends today, that already did MdS. I asked him, learned from him. He finally checked my equipment and told me if I was missing something. Done. My MdS was a success.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 15
Filippo and I during Racing The Planet: Namibia 2016

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

For sure anyone develops his own strategies. For me, for example, comfort is everything.

I learned that gaiters are not always useful. If you don’t have dunes, you don’t need them.

Salt tablets are essential as the electrolytes are. I personally take only tablets, avoiding taking liquids that could disturb your stomach with predictable bad-turnings.

Eventually, I would add the shorts. Tights with more pockets are good to bring more energy bars, salts and everything you need during the race without always opening the bags, stopping and losing time and rhythm. It is simple: just take any kind of tights and tell a tailor to sew some elastic pockets (tailor-made). This is a winning strategy if you also want to avoid using a front pack.

Follow Filippo on his Facebook page, or on his personal running blog below:

http://followpippa.gatewaytours.ch/

Meet Cynthia Fish – The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus

Last updated on Jan 31, 2020 By

Cynthia Fish became one of the first women to complete the ‘4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus’ in 2016, completing five 250km races in a calendar year.

She has also completed several other stage races, such as the Global Limits races. Cynthia walks her stage races – she is consistently ‘near the back’, but also has a consistent pace and strategy that works very well!

Cynthia enjoys spending time during the races taking in the scenery, getting to know her fellow runners better and treating the whole thing as an opportunity. You are unlikely to come across a more positive person in a campsite.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Cynthia Fish 

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 16

Hi Cynthia, you’re a celebrated ‘turtle’ – tell me a bit about the benefits of taking it slower.

The hours between 3 pm and dark are my favorite time to be outside- it’s getting cooler, the light is changing, perhaps getting crisper, the sun is setting, with all the change that brings – it is my magic time. (I don’t object to a good sunrise either, I just resent getting out of my warm bed to see it.)

That end of time day is also the most peaceful in my head- I’ve pretty much wrestled my own demons, and solved a few of the world’s problems, so my mind is fairly still. No chattering voices upsetting the steady tic tic tic of the poles.

It is also a time when the competitors are the most spaced out, so you often really feel solitary, alone with the world around you. One of the great features of the races is the alternating aloneness on the course, and the company in camp, so being out there by yourself is a feeling to be cherished and treasured, perhaps even a little indulged.

Finally, it’s the welcoming sound of the camp chatter. I was probably a sheepdog in an earlier reincarnation. I am strangely comforted by the fact that most of the racers are safe in camp. I can usually hear camp before I get there, so it’s a bit of a transition moment from alone to together as I approach.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Over time I have collected a small number (read lightweight) objects or foods that have made the races more comfortable. I started with a silk scarf that I find super handy to use as a bandana, a neck warmer, a hand warmer… I sleep with it instead of a scratchy buff if it’s cold, and I will often keep it on for the first few kilometers of the day…. it’s just a little taste of soft that feels nice.

I added a very thin, very light (about 50 grams) sleeping mat. I just roll it out and voila- some protection against the chill, the wet, the prickly bushes or the rocks- without the time and effort to blow up the inflatable mat, which I also bring.

The rollout mat is especially pleasurable during my golden hour- the time I use to recover with my feet up and my recovery drink and snack in hand. I unclip it, roll it out, grab the food and voila! instant comfort. An hour later, I am ready to inflate the mat, but for that one hour. bliss… It also protects the blow-up mat from particularly rocky bits, so it’s also a bit of insurance.

I wear a pair of biking shorts over my compression leggings. The shorts have pockets in them and I carry my headlamp, my Kleenex, my hand sanitizer, and other bits and bobs. I also carry a really lightweight grocery bag, in which I put the day’s dinner and breakfast items, and my bowl and cup and spork.

Again, I sort out the food once, and I never have to rush back to the tent to get something I might have forgotten. Similarly, I stash my hat and my mitts in my warmest jacket – I figure if I need the hat and mitts or jacket, then I will shortly need them all.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 17

How do you approach a stage race – what’s your strategy at the start of the week?

When I was getting ready for my first race, I rehearsed each moment within the race, trying to figure out ways to make those moments flow as smoothly as possible.

How to snack on the trail, where to put the snacks, how to fill the water bottles without getting water all over my front, how to lay out my mat, where to put my blister kit and how to take off my socks and shoes beside the trail. Each time I went out to train, I went over and over in my mind all the scenarios I could imagine and tried to MacGyver myself out of them.

Each race starts the same way.

I wonder what on earth I am doing there.

I question every decision in my life that led me to this moment.

And then I smell the campfire, lay out the sleeping bag, look up at the stars… pure happy.

What was the biggest challenges, or scary moments, of the 4 Desert Grand Slam Plus?

The scariest moment was realizing that I had six stitches in my knee from a fall on day 2 and several river crossings yet to do on the first race of the 5.

Once I finished that race, upright and without an infection, the potential lions in the Namibian desert, the possible frostbite in Antarctica, the salt flats of Atacama, nothing was ever to going to scare me again.

And when I had to walk 4 kilometers through a sandstorm after the end of the Long March in the Gobi, from pink flag to pink flag, with eyes streaming, I wasn’t scared, I was just determined not to lose sight of the reflective tape. The most difficult (and exciting) part was traveling so much in such a short period of time to so many exotic corners of the world.

Physically, resting between the races was important. Each race was tough, and cumulatively it was hard on the system, but knowing that I was going to race over the ten months, I took it easy- always keeping something inside for the last 10km.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 18

All bandaged up after the stitches!!

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

You need a small music machine with some good dance music and a couple of hours of podcasts on some arcane but interesting subject.

You need walking poles.

Research tasty snacks. Fats are very important.

Do as many back to back long training days as you can. Walk as many kilometers as possible, everyone underestimates the amount of time they will be walking on the trail. And hip flexors get surprisingly sore surprisingly quickly.

But the most important thing is to practice practice practice with your gear. Be familiar with your gear and practice packing and unpacking it in the dark, with a head torch when you are tired. Eat the food you are planning to take two meals in a row. The only element of surprise should be the terrain.

Confidence in your kit and confidence in your ability to be able to try to make the cut-offs is what training is all about. Time spent on that at home means that your race is more pleasurable.

What was it about stage races that first caught your eye?

I started doing ultra-marathons because I am too slow to race marathons and I didn’t want to race a horse. I like being outside. I like being off the grid and alone with my thoughts and beautiful landscapes.

I like pushing myself hard, but I am comforted by the safety net the races give in terms of support and medical care. I didn’t know I liked to sleep on the ground. And I didn’t know I was good at it. Rocks don’t bother me.

The training regimen at home involves a fair amount of napping. Except for the fairly gnarly black toenails at the conclusion of the race, it’s all a bit of a walk in the park… kind of.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 19
Friends together in Namibia – Rick (who lost his bag and all equipment, broke a tooth, had to sleep outside, then got heat exhaustion), Cynthia Fish, Phil Rodd and Hiro (Nakata Hiroshi)

And you just keep signing up for more!

Obviously, I have a bit of an ultra addiction. I only started this sport 5 years ago, and I have averaged four ultras a year which is by any standard a lot. I like who I am when I do the race, and I like the person it has helped me be between the races. I worry less, have more confidence and patience, I feel fitter and stronger than I ever have before.

Excellence doesn’t have to mean podium, it can also mean putting your own best effort together and seeing where it gets you.

Check out Cynthia’s Race Report from the Racing The Planet Sri Lanka Roving Race, which was part of her 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus challenge!