Stop - The Spice Girls

It's about now MDS-40 days that I usually give my be careful message about training and injuries leading up to the race.

By now, you should be well trained and able to cover 42.2kms comfortably in one go, in good time. Let's face it, if you can't you’re doing the wrong race and you'll be coming home medal-free and totally miserable.

 

You'll also be miserable if you make an injury worse by continuing to train on it or if you are running when you are ill.

 

For the record, I've just had a week off with a nasty chest cold and have just had to rest up and let it take its course. Am I cheesed off yes, but looking at my resting heart rate and HRV it's really obvious which day it started, peaked and then faded away. There are a lot of health features built into a GPS watch which will show this - so why not use them? 

 

Basically, if it says you are ‘Strained’ or your HRV is in the red - you’re knackered.

 

The simple fact is that you won't improve your MDS now by much, if anything at all, but you can ruin it 100% - so please don't. If you are not sure, ask me, give me what’s been going on and I'll give you some advice that may just change the outcome of your MDS.

 

Getting there, injury free and well rested is the best way I promise - see you there safe and sound - raring to go.

1,234 Marathons - 291 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS Legendary - 1 Vision

Feeling a Moment - Feeder

Don't let it go...

Moments in life slip through our fingers like grains of sand. Ordinary days blur into one. Conversations we have are quickly forgotten and things we promise to remember, we simply forget. But then there are moments that are different. They make us stop in our tracks. They can be completely overwhelming and these moments matter.

The truth is, we can’t choose the moments that change you. And to remember such moments, you must first be in the ‘now’.

Without question, we live in a constantly changing world. What’s next? What’s better? What’s trending? It’s rapid alright. We end up replaying yesterday’s regrets whilst fast-forwarding through tomorrow’s worries, yet the present moment is the only place where life actually happens. Not in the past. Not in the future. Right here – right now.

Memory isn’t just a mental recording it’s an emotional imprint. We can’t remember every detail of our lives, but we can remember how moments felt and if you want to remember the moment, let yourself feel it fully. 

Sometimes remembering the moment means putting down your phone. It means resisting the urge to capture everything on film and instead experiencing it for yourself. A photo can remind you of a place, but presence allows you to relive it. There is a difference between recording a memory and creating one.

It’s also important to remember that not every meaningful moment is happy. Some are more difficult, uncomfortable, and bittersweet. In the future, what feels ordinary now may be the very thing you long to revisit. So, take a deep breath and look around. Feel your feet on the ground and let a moment really register.

Life isn’t made of years – it’s made of moments. And the ones you choose to capture are the ones you will carry with you forever.

One of mine is looking down from Jebel Otfal in the Marathon des Sables in 2017 a year after being paralysed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome. A place I thought I’d never be able to see in the dark days of recovery.

What’s yours?

1,236 Marathons - 291 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 1 Moment

Road to Nowhere - The Talking Heads

My preparation for MdS is all about planning and adaptability. Early on in my career, I was far more ‘gung-ho’ learning lessons the hard way, during races. Over the years and with the help of my wife’s Jen’s attention to detail at the race, my preparation became has become more of a science with precise packing and smarter training plans.

It’s more about the value of learning from experience rather than following fads in running gear or the latest training gimmicks. My approach respects how your body reacts over longer distances. Lessons about footcare and injury prevention came from years of trial and error, success on the road and in the desert rather than from other people’s ideas and strange footcare potions.

 

The MdS mindset is that completion matters more than competition. I’ve started over a thousand marathons and ultramarathons and have never failed to finish one. This isn’t down to speed or natural talent, but my persistence and resilience. For me, success isn’t measured by where I finish, it’s about crossing the line, no matter how tough the conditions are. 

The MDS teaches one patience, perseverance and the power of pushing on through when the mind wants to quit.

 

When I coach someone for the MDS, the first thing I tell them is simple, this race will expose your preparation. The desert doesn’t reward bravado. It rewards honesty, discipline, and patience.

My coaching approach comes from experience.. I’ve made mistakes out there, so others don’t have to. Early on, I thought toughness was enough, well it isn’t. Toughness without structure leads to injury, panic, or a very long week in the Sahara. What gets you through MDS is calm decision-making under stress and that starts months before the race.

I focus heavily on the fundamentals. Training isn’t about smashing yourself every session. It’s about consistent time on your feet, learning how your body responds when it’s tired, hot, and under-fuelled. Back-to-back runs, steady pacing, and long hours moving matter far more than chasing speed. If you arrive at the start line already broken, you’ve lost before you begin.

Kit selection is another area where people overthink and under-test. I coach runners to be boring with their gear. Nothing new. Nothing unproven. Your pack, shoes, socks, and food should feel familiar before you ever set foot in the desert. The MDS is not the place for experiments.

 

Comfort, efficiency, and simplicity win every time.

The race is long, very long and the sand is unforgiving, I encourage runners to focus inwards, manage their own pace, their own energy, their own problems. If you can stay calm when things start to unravel, you’re already ahead of most of the field.

One of the most important strategies I teach is breaking the race down. Never think about the full distance. Never think about how many days are left. Think about the next checkpoint. The next hour. Sometimes the next few steps. 

Above all, I coach runners to respect the race - I do.

My job as a coach is to prepare people so that when things get hard, they recognise the moment, manage it, and keep going. That’s how you finish the MDS and that’s what stays with you long after the desert is behind you.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 1 Direction 

Approach - U2

People often ask me how I approach the Marathon des Sables, as if there’s a secret formula. And if there is it’s ‘respect the race, respect yourself, and never underestimate the desert’.

I’ve completed the Marathon des Sables many times now, and every edition has taught me something new. No matter how experienced you are, the Sahara doesn’t care about what you’ve done as it strips everything back. Out there, there are no egos, and it’s you, alone with your pack, and alone your thoughts.

My approach has changed over the years. In the early years, I was far more gung-ho. I believed toughness alone was all I needed to get through. Toughness matters, of course, but what really gets you to the finish line is preparation and patience. These days, I obsess more over the basics – kit choice, pack weight, foot care and nutrition nothing glamorous, but all super important as small mistakes in the desert don’t stay that small for long.

Training for MdS isn’t about trying to destroy yourself every day. It’s about consistency. You build resilience slowly, stacking in the miles and time on your feet, learning how your body reacts when it’s tired, hungry, and hot. I want runners to arrive at the start line confident, not broken. The race will do enough of that on its own.

Mentally, I approach MdS with one clear objective - to finish. I’ve never been interested in racing other people out there. The real competition is the voice in your head telling you to stop. When things get dark as they can do I remind myself why I’m there. Most people who sign up are either running away from something or running towards something. Knowing which one you are, makes all the difference when you’re trudging through soft sand at 2am in the morning.

I break the race down into bite sized chunks. Never think about the full distance. Never think about tomorrow. Think about the next checkpoint. The next step. Sometimes the next ten steps. Momentum is powerful, even when it’s painfully slow.

One thing I’ve learned is that finishing strong doesn’t mean finishing fast. It means staying calm when things go wrong, because they will. Blisters, heat, fatigue, doubt. You don’t fight them; you manage them. You accept them as part of the experience.

The Marathon des Sables isn’t just a race to me. It’s a mirror. It shows you who you are when comfort is removed and excuses don’t work anymore. Every time I return, I’m reminded why I started running in the first place, not to escape hardship, but to prove I can work my way through it.

Crossing the finish line never gets boring. Not because it’s heroic, but because it’s honest. You’ve earned every step. And in the desert, that’s enough believe me.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 1 Approach

Decade - Duran Duran

Ten years have slipped by since 2016, and it’s strange how both near and far that year feels now. Back then, the world seemed busy yet somehow familiar. Social media was still playful rather than exhausting and many of us still believed the future would follow a vaguely predictable kinda line. 

A decade later, that confidence now feels somewhat naive.

You see, since 2016 we’ve lived through events that’ve reshaped how we perceive time, trust and each other. The global pandemic paused everyday life and reminded us how fragile our world really is. Work moved into kitchens and spare rooms. Handshakes disappeared overnight and words like ‘lockdown’ and ‘social distancing’ became part of daily language, and the idea of ‘normal’ quietly changed meaning.

Technology has accelerated everything. We are more connected than ever, yet many people feel lonelier. At the same time, awareness has grown around mental health, inclusion, climate, and the importance of speaking out. 

It’s been a turbulent passage of time, yet we have become more reflective.

On a personal level, the years since 2016 have left their own scars. I’ve aged, adapted, and learned resilience I didn’t know I possessed.

And as this decade passes into memory, it leaves behind a quiet challenge. Not to romanticise the past or fear the future, but to take what I’ve learned about empathy, patience, and perspective and use it wisely.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 10 Years

Faith - George Michael

Here’s a clear thought for the day.

Belief in the people you surround yourself with is a quiet act of trust. You give your time, your loyalty, and your care, hoping it is met with the same reliability and love you offer. 

 

Some people rise to that standard effortlessly; others reveal themselves only when tested. It’s worth asking whether those closest to you show up consistently, speak honestly, and protect your wellbeing as you protect theirs. 

 

Belief should not mean blind faith. The right people steady you, challenge you kindly, and stand firm when it matters. Mutual belief is where real connection lives and lasts.

Who do you have faith in?

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 1 Mind

Reach out I'll be there - Four Tops

2026 is already shaping up to be a pivotal time in a lot of the lives of the I’m working with – people that have simply REACHED OUT. People that have been STRONG enough to acknowledge that some guidance and different thinking might be all they need to get things straight in their lives once more.

I say STRONG because REACHING OUT is all too often thought of as being WEAK or FAILURE. I know only too well myself as I felt totally defeated and ay my lowest ebb when I REACHED OUT for help myself all those years’ ago. The funny thing was that as soon as I shared my predicament – my world took a turn for the better and it felt like the light started to shine on me once again.
 
In general Men want help becoming STRONGER and FASTER whereas Women want to be VALUED and HEARD – a very PHYSICAL:EMOTIONAL equation. Maybe it’s down to a confidence issue in both sexes. Men need the uplift in times and performance to give them the edge to take on the world and Women need their confidence reinstated after years of Male suppression. Every Woman I coach is STRONG, CLEVER and AWESOME – it’s just a shame they find it hard to ACCEPT, ACKNOWLEDGE and ANNOUNCE and when they do, I find it most refreshing (YOU know who you are).
 
I also find it refreshing when Men REACH OUT publicly and announce that they are in fact MORTAL and are finding life tough (YOU know who you are) as it’s cool – VERY COOL in fact as PEOPLE LOVE to help other PEOPLE. You might find that LOVE comes from the PEOPLE you might least expect and not from those nearest to you. 
 
But then, LIFE is FULL of SURPRISES and you might SURPRISE yourself and those around you if you feel lost and about to give up because your best just ain't good enough.
 
And your feel the world has grown cold and you're drifting out all on your own…
1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 1 Voice

Three Little Birds - Bob Marley and the Wailers

Every little thing is gonna need alright - Marley

With 60 days to go until the 40^th Marathon des Sables, your focus should now shift from building endurance to refining your training. Your level of fitness is largely in place and what matters now is to sharpen the things that will carry you through the desert when things get tough.

Firstly, prioritise your exercise specificity. Long back-to-back runs will mimic race conditions as closely as possible. Running on tired legs with steady pacing, and time on feet is more important than chasing PBs. If possible, train in heat, but do it sensibly. This is about adaptation now, not about being a hero.

Secondly, lock in your kit choices. Shoes, socks, pack and gaiter choices should now be made. Practice packing your rucksack exactly as you’ll race with it and get comfortable moving with that weight on your long runs. Small annoyances now can become big problems in the Sahara.

Thirdly, work on fuelling and hydration. You should know what you’ll eat, when you’ll eat it, and how your stomach responds under fatigue. Test, test and test again.

Just as important is your mental prep. Visualise low points and rehearse how you’ll respond. Break stages into bite sized chunks and decide in advance how you’ll talk to yourself when things get hard - it will.

And finally, protect your body. Sleep well, manage niggles early, and respect recovery. Fitness gained now is minimal, fitness lost through injury could cost you getting to the start line.

Sixty days out is about confidence, clarity, and consistency and most of all ENJOY this time - it’s meant to be fun.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 18 MDS - 10 GWR - 0 Worries

Are you experienced - Jimmy Hendrix Experience

I'm tired of wasting all my precious time - Hendrix

There's something philosophical about getting older and birthdays only underline how time passes us by but in a moment.

 

As a boy or even as a younger man, I never considered what life might be like or what I'd be doing when I'm sixty-four let alone what I'd look like or even think about. We never do, do we?

 

All I do know is that with age comes clarity and a sense of calm. One of my goals this year is to continue running as much and for as long as my old body will allow me too. That way I can continue to believe I'm thirty years younger setting PBs and living the early years of Ultramarathon running in the again.

 

Yes, those were maverick years and I never thought 1200 marathons and beyond would even be a possibility. But then life's what you make it and being sixty-four shouldn't make any difference and for the record, I'm not old, I’m just more experienced.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 GWR - 18 MDS - 63.9 Years 

Afterimage - Rush

This is something that just can't be understood - Peart

Sometimes things aren't what they seem, and magic is a perfect example of this - we see one thing but in fact we are being distracted by what we believe and have no perception of what is really happening right in front of our eyes.

Well, it might not come as a surprise, but it happens all the time in everyday life. At home, at work, every time we log on, and anytime we interact ask yourself, where am I being deceived?
 
The simple answer is, for someone else's gain. It's easy to be stroked as I call it, and over the years I've gotten pretty good at reading situations and noticing where I'm being scammed. Not in a massive money laundering type kind way, just where I’m being played.
 
Now, I'm not writing this out of anger or betrayal I'm just saying watch out as your generosity and goodwill might just be taken in plain sight whilst in reality, you are being manipulated by those you trust.
 
So, see if you can spot a traitor in the midst of your faithful’s as they do exist and funnily enough might even be working together. Believe me, the folk nearest to you might just be wearing a Traitor’s cloak.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 18 MDS - 10 MDS - Faithful or Traitor?

Take a chance on me - ABBA

I'm the first inline - Anderssen/Ulvaeus

Sometimes things just don't turn out the way you'd planned. You didn't get the job, or you simply didn't fit in with team - so what?

It just wasn't for you. There were people that were better qualified, interviewed better or were more suited in someone else's view - that's down to opinion and there are many times I've felt overlooked or robbed by folk I've been trying to impress.

 

But again, I say, 'so what'. You can't tick everyone's boxes and be it's good sometimes to rejected to realign your strategy and nine times out of ten - it will come as a blessing that your deepest wish didn't happen and that your second option came true. That's a common theme in every success story - take it from me.

 

And if you are stacking all your options on Black and Red comes up well that's life, but there's always a second chance of success.

 

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 18 MDS - 10 GWR - Never looking back

 

Design for Life - The Manics

For a shallow piece of dignity - Bradfield

The price of aspiration

Changing your lifestyle, is more than just purchasing products or things. It’s more about health, image, status, and identity. It’s not about owning a pair of designer shoes or driving a sports car, it’s about embracing a fresh set of life values.

Lifestyle mechanics

Your lifestyle encompasses the way you live. Your habits, your interests, activities, attitudes, and values. It reflects what you prioritise and how you wish to be perceived. And often you’ll be drawn to people you admire and wish to be like.

Brands recognise the power of lifestyle marketing. Companies like Apple, doesn’t just sell phones; it sells sleek minimalism, creativity, and innovation. It’s all about being connected. Consumers don’t just buy a product; they buy a piece of a lifestyle, hoping to signal to themselves and others who they are, or who they wish to be.

Lifestyle psychology

Why do people buy into a lifestyle? It’s about identity. We humans are social creatures with an inbuilt desire for belonging, status, and self-expression. Lifestyle brands tap into these needs by offering symbols that communicate such markers. A Rolex watch, for example, may signify not just wealth but also sophistication and success. 

Psychologists suggest that aspirational spending (the tendency to buy goods that reflect an idealised version of yourself) can be driven by self-discrepancy. People perceive a gap between their actual self and their ideal self, and spending becomes a bridge to close that gap. 

When we feel insecure about our social standing, appearance, or achievements, and purchasing something associated with the lifestyle we admire can temporarily soothe those anxieties. Hence, we feel more confident and more ‘ourselves’.

This is compounded by social media, where images of lifestyles are constantly featured. Instagram influencers, YouTubers, and TikTok creators portray a perfect life filled with luxury travel, flashy clothes, and designer homes. Viewers are bombarded with videos suggesting that happiness, success, and social acceptance are only attainable if they buy into the right lifestyle. 

The financial costs

Buying into a lifestyle doesn’t come cheaply, both financially and emotionally. Many people find themselves trapped in a cycle of aspirational spending, purchasing goods and experiences that stretch their budgets in order to project the perfect image. Credit card debt, financial stress, and dissatisfaction follows. You can accumulate designer handbags, gadgets, and an expensive gym membership, but if these purchases aren’t aligned with their true value, the results lack value.

Moreover, lifestyle purchasing can perpetuate feelings of inadequacy. No matter how many symbols of success one can accumulate, the ideal lifestyle always remains tantalisingly out of reach. There’s always a newer model, a trendier style, and a more exclusive club to join. 

This cycle erodes self-esteem and mental well-being. We become trapped in a game of comparison, constantly seeking external validation through material symbols. 

So, how can we navigate the allure of buying into a lifestyle without falling into its many traps? One approach is to adopt making choices aligned with your personal values, needs, and long-term goals rather than succumbing to external pressures or fleeting desires.

Potential consumers should ask themselves questions like:

• Will this purchase align with my core values?
• Am I buying this to fulfil a genuine need, or to impress others?
• Can I afford this without compromising my financial situation?
• Will this truly enhance my life, or will it quickly lose its appeal?

Buying into a lifestyle is a powerful concept shaped by personal aspirations and psychological dynamics. It reflects a desire to align one’s external identity with an internal ideal, to bridge the gap between reality and wishes. Whilst lifestyle consumerism offers moments of confidence and belonging, it often comes at a price.

And rather than being swept along by aspirational marketing and social media illusions, we can make a lifestyle that authentically reflects who we really are, without succumbing to the pressure of buying an identity. 

Your own identity and one that comes from true fulfilment and not from the accumulation of status symbols.

A design for life.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 18 MDS - 10 GWR - 1 Life 

Sleeping Satellite - Tasmin Archer

I blame you for the moonlit skies - Archer

Who’s to Blame?

‘I blame you for the moonlit sky and the dream that died with the Eagle's flight’ – Archer

 

In truth, we like to ‘Blame’ everyone but ourselves. It’s down to something I’m told called ‘Psychological Projection’, which is a theory in psychology in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others.

 

Yikes, that’s deep and no wonder Tasmin Archer was so upset back in 1992.

 

Anyway, if you’ve ever watched ‘The Apprentice’ – I love the part of the show where the Candidates are trying to save themselves by ‘Blaming’ everyone else in the Boardroom for their team’s failure. The scene is a perfect example of ‘Psychological Projection’. The way they latch onto the minutest detail to try and convince Lord Sugar that even though they’ve messed up themselves, someone else has messed up more and they need to be fired. Luckily Sugar’s BS meter usually catches them out, which not only makes great viewing but underlines that we all love to point the finger at the weakest link or in some of the programmes I’ve watched, the greatest competition.

 

You see, I believe we’ve been hard-wired into ‘Blame Culture’ over recent decades – as they say ‘Where there’s ‘Blame’, there’s a claim’. Nowadays, banks are reeling from PPI Claims and Personal Injury Lawyers are advertising on TV during Jeremy Kyle commercial breaks, trawling for new business from folk looking for easy cash.

 

Yes, there’s money in ‘Blame’.

 

For some folk I meet and for some I’ve worked with in the past – they deserve ‘Blame’ but somehow are Teflon-Coated. The ‘Blame’ just runs off them, like water off a duck’s back - nothing sticks. They always have the perfect excuse and it’s never their fault. Try and pin some ‘Blame’ on them and it’s like trying to nail jelly to a wall – it just ain’t gonna happen!

 

So, why do they come across that way? 

 

It could be that they have narrow bandwidth of opinion. Maybe, they are 50:50 folks not looking to rock the boat. They exude a of ‘Middle of the Road’ attitude that’s agreeable to everyone enough so not to be abrasive enough to ruffle other folk’s feathers. And as they’ve never had any confrontation, confrontation doesn’t find them.

 

‘Sticking your neck out’ or having a ‘Strong Opinion’ – well you may as well say ‘Blame Me’ as folk no doubt will. It’s human nature to hand it out to those that stand out.

 

Are you ever wrong?

 

You never make mistakes? - well I don’t believe you. No one’s perfect. Sure, if you are right or if your sound and experienced opinion is being contested – fight. If you’re not, why not be honest and just own up and move on. If you are wrong and cover it up and then get found out – well that’s a proper sin. The ‘Reply-All’ email was designed for such occasions I believe.

 

You know the ones where a colleague emails you to tell you that you’ve messed up, made a mistake or have been duplicitous – and sends it to ALL your colleagues and bosses as well, highlighting just how awful you’ve performed. As if it wasn’t bad enough to make a mistake, they tell the world about it too – don’t you just hate them?

 

And even though it’s ‘Tomorrow’s Chip Papers’ – it’s bloody annoying and one of ‘Blames Cultures’ more sinister aspects I think. Broadcasting ‘Blame’ on others in order to deflect attention from one’s own mistakes, especially at work – well that really sucks.

 

No, I believe it’s much better to be more introspective about ‘Blame’. ‘Blame’ starts within by taking responsibility for our actions and standards. It’s just that ‘Blame’ can’t be measured. We simply know it exists and use it to describe how things have gone wrong for us in the past.

 

Here are some translations:-

 

Folk ‘Blame’ their education – maybe, they weren’t open to being taught. School is all about finding out what sparks your imagination and rarely folk end up doing what they went to Uni for. 

 

Folk ‘Blame’ their parents – we’re not children very long and we make our own life-choices. I understand that not every childhood is a bed of roses, but adulthood brings choice and a world of opportunity. Where that road takes us is up to ourselves and no-one else.

 

Folk ‘Blame’ their partner – with a ‘Divorce Rate’ of 50% in the UK, it’s not surprising that there’s ‘Blame’ attributed to one or both of the parties in any partnership in crisis. Stating the ‘Blame’ of the collapse of a marriage is part of the court proceedings to see if it’s worthy of a divorce. A simple ‘It’s my fault, let’s move on’ would be a far cheaper option rather than the usual court ‘Blame Battle’. The only ones who win, are the Lawyers.

 

Folk really will ‘Blame’ anyone but themselves.

 

Trying not to be a ‘Blame Victim’ when things are going wrong can be super-tough. I know. During my GBS illness it would have been far too easy to say that it had ruined my life and to have lived out the rest of my years feeling very bitter and twisted about how it’s physically and mentally changed me.

 

And naturally, when you find yourself in such a situation, you look at who to ‘Blame’. Was it a disease? Who gave it to me? Was it something I ate? 

 

Well it could have been self-generated. A payback of years, pushing my body beyond its limits and the stretch of my immune system. Who knows. I’m always proud to say that during 30+ years of running, I’ve never been injured – I haven’t, but in the case of GBS, maybe - I have.

 

It’s ok though and I don’t ‘Blame’ myself – I’m happy with what I’ve achieved and where I am. You see, I’m someone that doesn’t have the ‘Blame Gene’.

 

Being honest about yourself, what you do, what you project and how you live life will stop you ‘Blaming’ the world around you for your predicament and today could be the day to take the ‘B’ word out of your vocabulary – You never know.

1,234 Marathons - 290 Ultras - 10 MDS - 18 MDS - Zero Blame