TRAINING TO RUN 550K THROUGH THE DESERT

©Earth Trekkers

Less than two weeks to go until I will embark on an adventure that is beyond anything that I have done to date. Less than 14 days until I will take the first step away from Los Angeles’ Santa Monica pier towards Las Vegas. 550 kilometers lay in front of the team and I until we reach the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.

To be honest, since Nils Arend, one of the co-founders of The Speed Project, had reached out to me at the beginning of November, not much has changed. For the past four months, I have been running, just like I have done before, but simply adding more kilometers to my weekly tally. I have logged my gym sessions strengthening core body and building up leg muscles. Yet, I have tried to implement mental training elements into my daily routine helping me to visualize my goal and preparing my mind for long days on my feet.

Every session I conduct, I have TSP in mind. It gives me purpose, answering the ‘Why’. TSP not only offered me a different challenge after having failed to complete Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc in 2018 and 2019, but allowed me to pursue a goal that will challenge me to push my physical limits and mental capabilities. Further, I hope that this project offers a platform to inspire people to consider a plant-based diet as well as raise awareness for plastic consumption. With that being said, I must admit that running 550 kilometers within five days, i.e. around 100 kilometers per day, is still pretty damn scary. 

In November, I kicked off increasing my weekly kilometer count and I hosted the first episodes of the “Dollar Run Club” in Frankfurt and Madrid. At the beginning of December, I traveled to South Africa and run Ultra-Trail Cape Town. This race has been a turning point for me in terms of nutrition, as I have been struggling to properly fuel during long runs and in race situations in the past. During the Christmas season, I hit the trails around Lake Garda in Italy and I run 100 kilometers on a treadmill, which was one hell of an experience. Starting the new decade, in January and February, I followed my regular running routine, as I did not have a particular event to run. I was supposed to take part in the Paris Half Marathon, but the race got cancelled due to the Corona virus. I took it as a welcome opportunity to go for a long run around Paris’ main sights logging close to 30K. 

More importantly, the weekend before Paris, my mate Jack came to Frankfurt, in order to plan TSP. We run through the itinerary and tested a variety of foods. The latter will most certainly be the key element of success. I had dropped out Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, mainly due to the lack of energy. I was not eating enough, hence not delivering the much needed energy to my body. Think of a car that does not have any fuel left in the tank. What would happen, if you decide to not fill up the tank and continue to drive? Correct, the engine will burst. This happened to me twice around Mont Blanc.

Obviously, I did not do it on purpose, but my mind blocked me from eating. I was not feeling hungry and I was scared to feel ill, or throw up. So, I chose not to eat. I was not in full control of my body. Since returning from Chamonix, I have worked on training my mind to eliminate the mental block and learn to feel confident to eat during a run. It may all sound strange, but when you are on your feet for such a long time, your body and mind, do not tend to be best friends. 

As we are approaching the final week of preparation, the focus will be on completing the remaining homework - practicing the route in mind, packing the bags, planning the days in Los Angles and charging the body with energy. Nevertheless, while planning is key, we shall not forget to enjoy the journey. There are always two sides to the coin, while I say that I am less than two weeks away, I can also say that within two weeks I am already approaching the half-way mark of the course. Time is flying, so while we make plans - including myself - and prepare for things, we shall not forget to appreciate what life has to offer everyday.