Desert Marathons
When I first completed a desert Ultramarathon I had so many questions, what is the best food to take? How do I stop the sand getting into my shoes? How do I train for such an event? Well after completing several races in different locations of the world I am getting an idea of what works and what doesn’t. The following is published at the request of those who have contacted me for advice and guidance as they brave their first event! Good luck!
Food and Nutrition
 One of the most critical factors of any race is the food and nutrition that you select to power your body over the distance. Most stage races provide a minimum calorie count that you must satisfy in order to compete in the race. The Marathon des Sables and the Atacama Crossing were both 2000 calories per day which is fairly standard for a race of this type. As it is likely that you will need to carry your food for the duration of the race on your back it needs to be as light as possible. For me, food was one of the heaviest items in my pack.
The staple food for most of the Ultramarathon runners is freeze dried foods that you just need to add water to eat. The advantage freeze dried foods have over conventional foods is that the water has been sucked out, so reducing the weight. Freeze dried foods can also be squashed / taped together and because of the lack of air within the packets, the bags don’t easily split. It also eliminates the need for a plate as the food can be eaten from the bag. I have tried many types of these foods and the best tasting brand I have eaten is the Real foods, these can be purchased from a company called First Choice Expeditions. Or for dealers in other countries visit the suppliers website.
While freeze dried food may provide the bulk of your diet it does get really bland if you have the same thing day after day. I made that mistake on my first race, make sure you take a mix of different types of food. It is also a good idea to supplement your freeze dried food with “solid” foods such as nuts (which also provide a good calorie to weight ratio). Other items like Peperami, crushed pot noodles, gummy bears and Bombay mix worked really well, just not all together!
Other than main meals energy bars and electrolyte powder are important, they provide a convenient snack/drink and help recharge the body. Just don’t put electrolytes in a camelback/platypus or other water systems as it is extremely tough to clean and may produce mould around the top/tube.
To get a full list of food I took to the Atacama Crossing click here to download
a PDF document.
Training
When I was preparing for the Marathon des Sables I took training really seriously running with ankle weights and heavy backpacks. I was quite scared that I would not be ready for the challenge. Everyone will be different and will require a different level of commitment; I would suggest that if you can comfortably run a half marathon under 2 hours then you probably have the physical ability to complete a stage race such as the Marathon des Sables. However physical ability only makes up about 20% of the race, the other 80% is mental.
The other factor that will affect your training is your goals, someone who is competing to win will have different training objectives to those who are competing to finish. The following training exercises could be used by anyone to train for such an event and adjusted to suit different goals.
Fartlack Workout (PDF) - the Fartlack workout will help you to gain stamina by shocking your body into achieving more. You should be able to comfortably run and talk during the Normal section of the exercise and be running flat out at the full pace sections.
samlipscombe.com (this website) can accept no responsibility for any injury or illness suffered by any person attempting the activities described here. If you are in any doubt about your ability to perform them, seek the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner.
Equipment
Just like food, equipment plays a vital role in determining the weight of your backpack. Most stage races require you to carry all your food and equipment with you throughout
the race so your equipment must work for you. I managed to source mostly ultra lightweight equipment which gave me an advantage. Getting the right backpack is crucial for
a stage race; I have experienced this first hand. The heavier the backpack, the
more damage that your feet, shoulders and back will sustain.
Most races have a set of mandatory equipment which is designed to aid your survival
in the specific environments the race is set in. One of the most useful pieces of
equipment I took was a small roll of duck tape combined with several sponges to
give extra padding to my shoulders on my backpack.
To get a full list of the kit I used for the Atacama Crossing click here to download
a PDF document.
Useful Websites
Buncup - Specialist Ultramarathon equipment
provider
Raidlight - Specialist supplier of Ultramarathon
equipment (Ships from France)
PHD Mountain Software - Supplier of sleeping
bags and warm clothing
Injinji - Socks (Ships from the United States)
Wiggle - Shirts, Sealskinz Socks and other
equipment
On the run - Running shoes
First Choice Expeditions - Food, Freeze Dried,
SIS powders etc
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