Just back to the heat of Hong Kong, some 20 degrees warmer than UK where I was lucky to have six weeks of decent trail running weather and put some miles in the legs.

With 90 days to go, I've been pulling together the mandatory kit. One of my aims is to utilise existing kit or source second hand - a greenrunner pledge. 

Patagonia has been great procuring the items of kit I didn't already have from their used, recycled and worn wear stores, making a major dent in the mandatory equipment list.  

The HOKA Goretex Speedgoats (one with spikes and one without) have arrived. These are brand new, (the one thing I couldn't source used), but will need testing and wearing in. That and keeping the training interesting and focused will be the main challenges over the next few months.

Rob

Last Saturday I did a fourth event of the year, my 'local' 10 miler, the Beast of Llangattock (www.limitlesstrails.co.uk). Limitless Trails organise a year round series of really friendly, low key races in the Black Mountains and around the Brecon Beacons. I highly recommend their events to those of you in UK if you are looking for something well organised and relaxed - the 10km's, canicross, 10 mile, 20 mile, 32 mile or 50 miler options - perfect for any training goal or simply just a great way to spend some time in that part of the world. The pizza food truck at the end of Saturday's race was well received!

I say 'local race' as it's my UK local event and 3 of the four events I have done in 2024 have been in the Brecon Beacons. It was after completing the Beast of Llangattock last year that I really felt increasing the training for Antarctica was achievable.

Fast forward from August 2023 and with just over 100 days or three months now until The Last Desert, the challenge is keeping training varied, maintaining mileage and most importantly remaining injury free. Once back in Hong Kong, the temperatures until October also add in some stress on longer runs outside - compared with 14 degrees here in Wales today!  

Just on the Eurostar back from Paris and what a great few days in the French capital with family. We were fortunate enough to see two amazing swimming sessions these past few days, inbetween sight-seeing and of course lots of eating! 

Paris always has so much to offer, but even more special with the vibe from all the international visitors and the Olympics. Swimming sessions aside, Le Louvre and Les Hotels des Invalides were the highlights in what truly is a beautiful city. 

We walked lots which was a great recovery week after the Beacons Way last weekend. That was a 105km race I'd entered, my first 100km in 15years, and I completed 67km and 2,500m elevation in very warm conditions before deciding to bank the mileage and call it a day.

Very happy with the progress and process of putting in the hours, time on my feet whilst allowing the body not to be overstressed and recover well. I also managed another 7 peaks over 600m to add to the 24 completed since April 2023.

Back then I wrote the following goals to achieve before April 2025:

• 60 summits over 600m

• Complete a race on a sixth continent (already run on 5)

• Run a 60km + distance

Still struggling with eating and distances over 30km - something I need to solve, but otherwise on track to be in decent nick for Novembers trip to Antarctica.

Hope everyone is staying injury free and heading in the right direction.

Happy for anyone to email me separately if they have thoughts or questions about preparing for a multi-stage race or just want to connect and chat:

[email protected]

Rob

A couple of training sessions this week were with visitors from out of town, forcing me to be consider timings and routes that would provide heat mitigation - streams, additional water re-fill points, shade and a breeze/cooler air.

First up was a 21km long run request from a friend over from New York, who religiously follows a marathon training programme and needed to do his long run. He'd frozen the water in his bladder, thinking it would unfreeze at a decent rate during the run, only to be sipping on ice for the first 10km! We started at 7am and duly ticked the box for his long run, but spent the rest of the day re-hydrating! 

The second request was from my wife to accompany her on a work run/hike with one of the founders of Hoka who was in town for the official opening of the Hoka store in Fashion Walk. He'd been to Western States, then Shanghai and had a tight schedule in Hong Kong before returning to France. We met him near the airport, where he left his luggage in a hotel lobby and started the run/hike from the Buddha up and over Lantau Peak. Unfortunately it was at the hottest time of the day, unavoidable due to the schedule, but did mean we were the only three people on Lantau Peak Monday afternoon. They were both wearing bright orange Hoka Speedgoats, but our pace probably didn't do the shoe justice! 

Flying to Europe Sunday for 5 weeks and looking forward to some cooler weather...

Not if you are off to Antarctica and want to do long runs over the next few months! Infact summer in Hong Kong is not ideal for running outside, period. There is a reason no endurance races were traditionally held between May and September - although with the bloated race calendar of recent years, some organisers are edging into the high heat and humidity season. 34 degrees maybe similar to numbers found in the Sahara, Gobi, Namib or Atacama, but not all 34's are equal! Conditions are very different when you combine the stifling humidity of South East Asia. And no, after 30+ years here I still have not acclimitised!! Give me 38 degrees and a dry desert heat over a Hong Kong 34 with 90% humidity any day. The latter ensures an elevated heart rate from the moment you set foot outside, an inability to cool down and increased challenges with hydration - an IV on the menu if you are not careful (although recovery at least is quicker with an IV!).

Heat mitigation measures have already been implemented: routes that have a high percentage of shade/cover and also streams or waterfalls for cooling off in; more time indoors for intensity on the treadmill or spin bike; if outdoors, a slower pace, shorter 'long' runs and no shame in walking or cutting short a planned session. Train smart is always the mantra, especially over a Hong Kong summer, and not a bad idea to head to Europe for a break if you are able too!   

I am definitely sure I won't be able to 'wing it', so time to get some steady mileage back in the legs and knuckle down on the preparation. I got distracted by cycling for a decade after a couple of operations, so not having done any ultra's in the past 8 years, I have gradually started to put some miles in during the past 18 months. Five 25-30km events in 2023 have led to a couple of 50km's so far this year, and those have been a sharp reminder of what can go wrong will go wrong.

As in the past, my aim is not to overdo things and just make sure I can get to the start line - Ushuaia at least - in decent knick and injury free. Couple being 15 years past an ultra-runners prime and having to train through the heat and humidity of a Hong Kong extended summer, what could go possibly wrong?!!

I am looking forward to meeting new people, because I know absolutely no-one who has done a race in the last 10 or so years! As a bit of background, the Gobi March, China 2006 was my first 4 Deserts race. I qualified for Antarctica in 2008, having completed the Atacama and Sahara that year. I was 43 when I raced in 2008, what is considered prime ultra-running years and those who I competed with went on to the Last Desert in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 - Ahn Byeung-sik (Race Director for UTMB Jeju), Francesco (Checco) Galanzino, Dean Karnazes ('Ultramarathonman') Jimmy Elson (RD for World Trail Majors South Downs that happened this past weekend) and an emerging Ryan Sandes (Red Bull and Salomon athlete), to mention a few. Looking forward to also catching up with the Racing the Planet team and all volunteers - infact,

I am excited to finally be heading to Antarctica and have just finished 'Endurance' - which is an incredible story and a must read.

Would love to hear from fellow travellers heading to Ushaia, do get in touch.

Rob