The Marathon des Sables

I am not ashamed to say that I like my expedition foods, but being the greedy oik that I am I could do with a little more packing, just a soupçon more if you would (well OK, quite a bit more).
So after a little experimentation I have managed to boost them up nicely, to a whopping 1350cals each.

These noodles retail at a whole 33p each from J Sainsburies… they make up a rather fine 550 cals/85g of dried weight.

1. Make your expedition food (I tried spag’ bol), to the recommended line and stir & close.
2. Go wild and crush up your noodles.
3. Open said noodles.
4. Throw away the seasoning sachet (or not if you like), you will loose some calories if you do but it’s marginal.
5. Open the meal up, chuck ‘em in your expedition meal, add water back up to specified line with water.
6. Close.
7. Leave for the prescribed time.
8. Open.
9. Stuff yourself silly.

The noodles pack out nicely without distracting from the gourmet delights as intended and add the whopping number of calories, they are also, of course, optional should you not want to do it now and just fancy a snack later one.

The winter kicked East Yorkshire up the arse again, dumping a good few inches of the fluffly white stuff this afternoon. Causing a few problems along the way.

Anyway, it arrived too late to foil last nights plans, whereby I managed to knock off a rather brisk 17 miler (with pack) after work. It comes to something when you are doing 17 milers on the way home from work! The upped pace throughout really is showing the positive effects of the speed training.

Other than that I am really just spending more money on kit and getting myself generally over excited! With the size of the snowman in the garden now I think it’s still going to be there when I get back from Morocco.

Food is quiet a concern for many runners going on multiday events, the last thing you want to be doing is forcing down a meal you don’t when you need to be fueling up.

To this end I have been testing the delights offered by Expedition Foods, local ultra runner Emma Dauber (who appears on the site) told me about them what seems like eons ago when I ran with her during the Hornsea 1/3 last March.

When I think of freeze dried food my whole body shudders but with 800 essential calories in the main meals which weigh less than 150g they really can’t be ignored. So what have I had and what is it like?

• Sweet and Sour Chicken - tasty!
• Chili Con Carne - tasty, best with a block of dark chocolate mixed in.
• Beef and Potato Casserole - spicy, stodgy and an all around winner
• Beef and Potato Hot Pot - tasty.
• Chicken Tikka Masala - Must be careful with the hydration, it was a soup, but a tasty one.
• Mild Beef Curry - bland, bland, bland, not going

I have a couple more to try and I’ll update the above as I try them, I have been impressed and they suprisingly filling.

I’m hoping to experiment with some other high calorie combinations for breakfast and puddings.

I went for my travel jabs yesterday, I should have had them previously but I like to live dangerously.
Unfortunately, I awoke at midnight last night cold and sweating … that would be me suffering most of the side effects listed on the handy information leaflet. Vix couldn’t go near me as I was so hot and I was in bed till almost 5pm and to avoid pain I basically spent the whole time in one position moving only to drink water.

Thankfully I’m feeling a bit better, just void of energy and a bit achy. Just my luck. My almost unblemished sickness record is shot to pieces…

Still, I think I’ll be ready to inflict some running based pain on myself this weekend with some decent Saturday/Sunday runs. Hopefully in the snow which has somehow paralysed the country.

In the final run up to the big date and in an effort to get as much money in as possible for the fine causes mentioned previously, I have recruited a razor dodging, workshy retiree with too much time on his hands and mischief to avoid.
Namely, my Dad. He’s got lots of great ideas and will be publishing some words here as time goes by.

His support has so far been second to non and the fancy new job title suits. I’m definately sticking with “Resident Nutter” though.