Gear Update No 3

We are approaching the last month before the event (scary!!), and this weekend I tried my new desert shoe gaiters for the first time. I first glued on the velcro to the bottom of my Salomon Trail running shoes, then took it to a shoe expert to sow it on for me. I tested the shoes in various levels of sand (wet, hard, dry, deep) and can happily report that not a single grain of sand got in. Of course this is not a true test because the Saharan sands are different, the weather will be different so the fabrics might react differently, and I will be sweating a lot more which could also affect how the gaiters sit around my feet and ankles. But all in all, a fantastic result and I'm confident that this will work.

                                                 Shoe gaiters (not my hairy leg in the pic ;-))

I've now also got my backpack sorted and ALMOST everything fits. I will have to cut down my food a little bit to make space for a warm top so it's still a work in progress. It looks like I will have a final pack close to 11 kgs which is a bit heavier than what I initially wanted, but it's impossible to have all the hygiene items, sufficient food, and warm clothes for the desert nights and reach a lighter weight compromise. My aim will be to have anything I might need to treat cuts, bruises and blisters on the spot so it does not become infected and hinder me from finishing the race. That week will all be about staying healthy, injury free and not pick up any infectious diseases from living in close quarters with 900 other competitors without any running water or toilet facilities. Scary thought, but again, I think it's all about doing your planning beforehand and taking enough hygiene products with you to make sure you do everything you can to stay healthy.

All that remains for the next month is to keep doing the training, stay injury free and try not to stress too much ;-)