It’s August.
Wow that freaks me out. Because the month of the race is finally here!
In fact, just writing this I get that nervous feeling everyone will know from just before a big race or sports game. The feeling alternates with one of excited and confident anticipation. I think of the miles Pete and I have run in training and think positively about the 250 km we will have to cover on foot during the race, and five minutes later I am back to a sweaty panic that we haven’t done enough and we need to cram in some more distance!
But no matter how I’m feeling, there’s no escaping the fact that in 29 days, we will be crossing the start line on the adventure of our lives. And hopefully, seven days after that, we will limp across the finish line in one piece.
The last two weeks have certainly been difficult, but from a mental rather than a physical standpoint, with both Pete and I running into obstacles. Excuse the pun.
Pete, hailing from the UK, and has been at home for the last two months trying to finalise his work permit (hence just me in the video) and I have had some serious trouble with my left foot. With the underfoot tendons in pain and unable to run for about nine days, I have been seriously anxious about the necessary miles I have missed.
I’m back on the road now, and the problem seems to be going away, but with two big weeks of training ahead of me I can’t afford to miss a single day.
This last week (ending tomorrow) started slow, just trying to feel out the foot and see if it was usable once more, but the forthcoming week is a big one.
It’s incremental, starting off with a slow 5 km, and then it builds by 5 km everyday, with a big run of 35 km set for next Sunday. After that there will one or two BIG runs of 50+km, and then with about 12 days to go until the race we begin tapering, training only lightly, in order to give the legs time to recover properly.
Our training has, I am pretty sure, been unique amongst the competitors in the race. Watching out for dangerous game in the wilds of Africa throws in an unusual yet exciting element to the whole thing, and we have had some amazing experiences while out on the road.
Here is a little peek into our training:
Pete unfortunately doesn’t feature this time as he is still in the UK, but should hopefully be back on African soil within a week or two.
With just over a month until our fund-raising campaign ends, we are looking solid, but still have a way to go in order to achieve our goal of R300 000.
Follow the links below or click on the DONATE button on the blog homepage if you would like to make a contribution towards the GWF.
- Leap Foundation – For US Citizens (Use RunMadagascar Fundraiser as your project)
- GivenGain – The Rest of the World (Use RunMadagascar Fundraiser as your project)
Individuals and corporates making donations in the USA and South Africa are able to receive the following certificates: US Citizens – 501 c 3, and South African Citizens – 18A.
Alright, I’m off. I still have 20 km to do today before game drive this afternoon…
Written and Filmed by James Tyrrell
![Kambula Pride Playing On Riverbank (6) [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/13085423/Kambula-Pride-playing-on-riverbank-6-RCB-280x178.jpg)
Great video, photos and update James, thank you so much! I hope your foot heals quickly and Pete’s work visa gets sorted out soon. Wow, 50+k of running in a day is astounding…especially in that heat and terrain! Hopefully you and Pete will feel us all behind you, supporting you and cheering you on…I hope, in some very small way, this will help keep your spirits up. Please keep sending the updates James, I love to hear how you are doing!
Thanks for the update James. I will be rooting for you all the way & wish you Godspeed to get you both back to Londi safely. I loved watching the video – you are a very brave young man with all those Wild animals watching. Good luck with your foot & Pete’s visa getting sorted 🙂
Well done James and Pete. Not long now and you will be enjoying the wilds of Madagascar. Thanks for keep us all updated on your progress.