Off To The Desert..

This afternoon I fly out from Jersey to London and will meet up with a few of the Brits taking part in the MDS. Tomorrow morning we all check in for our flight to Morocco, so all the scenes I have been anticipating and playing in my head will start to happen.. Picture 300 runners all checking in at Gatwick race backpacks giving them away as to their destination.. A lot of us have been in touch either through the Facebook MDS group or having actually met at the various ultra races we have been doing to get ready for the challenge we shall be starting on Sunday, so I am very excited about meeting people I have been chatting to as well as making new acquaintances..

The training is done, the packing is 99% done and all thats left is to get there and give this thing my best shot. I have one agenda and that is to walk away from the race knowing I have given my absolute best, I hope that my best is enough for me to complete the race. 

Someone kindly posted this picture yesterday, which is the town near to which the first day starts (Merzouga). Not sure if this is the scale of the dunes we will be encountering we will see, but it seems quite high!!

The weather forecast at the race start appears to be a little on the low side.. I dont really believe in forecasts myself so will wait to see what the temp and conditions are when we get there:

I have the details of how you can contact me in the desert should you wish. My race number is 624 and all messages must state my full name Paul Burrows and race number or they won’t get through to me. You can send me messages from 06 to 12 April 2013
Go to the website and follow the instructions: .http://www.marathondessables.com/
Find the section “write to competitors” (which will probably not be live until the weekend)Only messages with surname, first name and race ID number will be transferred.After 12 april, this email service will no longer be operational.Please don’t send attachments (e.g. photos). This will cancel the message. Messages will be given to competitors in the bivouac every day. 

Please feel free to message me, this will be a massive boost to receive these, and will be greatly appreciated 🙂

So this is probably my last blog post before I head off.. Thanks for the support from everyone; The people who helped me with the fundraising (Karl Moss, Ben Garland, Nicola Gott, Bryce Alford, Jo Alford, Pete Wright, David Stokes, John Parker @ Mymemory.co.uk) The local businesses that have supported me (Sportsbug Jersey, Mymemory.co.uk, BNP Paribas Jersey, Bean Around The World, Cafe Jacs, Tonic Skin and Beauty, Craig Meredith at Fit2Function Jersey & Leanne Rive Personal Training) And the people who I have run with over this crazily long and cold winter (Peter Wright, Phil Taylor, Lee De St Croix, Simon McKenzie, Leanne Rive, Bryce Alford and Jodi Fowler particularly, but also all the guys at Jersey Spartans with who I ran circles around a track very fast 2 night a week in the dead of winter!! 🙂 It’s starting to sound like an Oscar speech but I  believe it is important to acknowledge the fact that all aspects of this challenge, the training, fundraising and general day to day have been made a lot easier by the support of my friends and the understanding of my non running friends (thanks guys!) when I haven’t been able to come out for a night on the town because I was running the next day or just not been able to see much of them.

I am running the Marathon Des Sables in memory of Natalie Moss, a very dear friend and wife of my close friend Karl who sadly passed away just over a year ago. She was taken from us way too soon and all of us who knew her think of her every day. Natalie knew I was doing this race and she had seen a couple of the documentaries on the MDS, so she knew what I was in for! I often think of her courage and grace when she was going through her illness, she has inspired so many of us and really brought the friends she left behind close together. 

Our Friend Natalie – Sadly Missed xxx

The fundraising has been going really well for Jersey Hospice Care which is where Natalie spent her last 6 weeks. If you havent yet donated please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Paulsdesertrun and donate, no matter what the amount. We have just hit £9,450 and would be awesome to hit £10,000 this week with the ultimate target being £12000.