Trail Run Spain - News.

EVENTS

Desert Runner Training Camps

Camps supported by -
Raid Light.

Desert and other similar " hostile terrain " ultra running events are increasing in popularity.
The MdS in Morocco is always oversubscribed with the next chance to enter 2012 ( for UK entrants ) but there are similar events in Mali, Jordan, Namibia, Gobi Desert, Atacama
desert, Egypt, Libya and even in Andalucia where the heat and tough mountain terrain
ensure a very tough challenge.

The Marathon des Sables attracts a field of 800 runners from all over the World. Many
come from Northern Europe with a high percentage from the UK. As the MdS is held in
late March or early April it comes on the back of winter. Not an ideal time for attempting
one of the world’s toughest challenges when the previous months have meant training in
cold, wet, snow, frost and fog.

The " Desert Runner Training Camps " will enable you to find out for yourself just what
it takes to compete in high temperatures over hostile terrain and with instruction from
multiple MdS age category winner Fulvio Villano, ( who has also raced and won in Libya,
Mali, La Reunion, Spain, South Africa, Norway and Australia amongst many others ) and
Paul Bateson, MdS veteran with event experience in Israel, Jordan and Tunisia as well
as races in Andalucia from Duathlon ( on and off road ) up to 126km distance and
numerous age category wins in everything from 10 to 50km - you couldn’t wish for a
better team.

Training camps usually begin on a Thursday and can finish on either a Sunday or Monday
but we can also provide a week long version.

Desert Runner Camps include informative talks and demonstrations on :

Equipment, clothing, pack weight, nutrition, hydration and foot care.
Practical sessions running with and without kit.
An overnight " Bedouin / Berber camp " which follows a long stage and includes self sufficiency.
Vehicle support where necessary.
Airport pickup and return.
Half board, ( shared accommodation ).
You will be well fed and most importantly the camps will give you the opportunity to see how you fare when running day after day in high temperatures, e.g. 35-45Centigrade or more.

During a full week camp expect to cover around 180km.

Numbers 4 to 8, ( any more or less please check )

Prices on application, ( excluding flights ).

Please email : info@axarsport.com or Telephone (0034) 958 36 37 66

** Part of the Runner Training Series offered by Team Axarsport s.l.

--- Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, Trail/Mountain Running, Ultra and Stage Racing ---

Note : Entries now being accepted for the Al Andalus Ultra Trail, July 13-17, 2009.
Five day, five stages 250 km race www.alandalusultratrail.com part of the
Across the Divide Extreme Series.

Our Desert Runner Training Camps are perfect for events such as :-


www.sand-baggers.com	www.extrememarathons.com	www.britishultra.com


www.scottishultra.com	www.transandeschallenge.com	www.toubkaltrail.com

PT-03 Desert

Hot Environment Running Shoe.

Having read a review about the PT-03 I felt it may be the ideal shoe for multi stage desert racing, but, as I always prefer to try things for myself before recommending ( or otherwise ) to clients I contacted the distributors, UK Gear with a number of questions. They replied and also supplied my size with both the short and long gaiters designed to go with them.

The shoes arrived and looked pretty good. The information labels were informative and I quote; " The running shoe was built to survive the world’s most arid terrain. The PT-03 Desert has a tough sandproof upper with optional detachable gaiters and a midsole designed for high temperatures. ( Optimal temp range +25 to +50C / +77 to +122F ). With its heat resistant gum outsole and bio-flexible underfoot bruise plate, this extreme running shoe will keep you running safely and comfortably through the hottest of environments ".

As the shoe was developed in association with the British Army Physical Training Corps, for use in places like Iraq and Afganistan, and carries the Armies crossed swords trademark, I thought at first that it may be an overspec’d heavy work shoe for the troops to wear around the base. In fact it turned out to be very light, instantly comfortable and more than adequate for what I expect it to be used for, eg. multi-stage, desert ultra running races. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, it is November and even in Andalucia it isn’t going to be as hot and sunny as it is in the summer, however it is still pretty warm and so a few test runs were made.

I wanted to gauge the shoes suitability for actual racing so after a day wearing them and experimenting with sock combinations I hit the trail. I chose a mainly off-road mountain circuit of 15km, this includes a 4km dirt track climb and a rocky, loose 5km descent with an average 10% gradient, plus a 2km stretch of tarmac. I started steadily and increased speed mixing in intervals and sprints and covered the lap in 1:27, not too bad for a hard circuit.

The shoes were excellent, no problem with stability despite a thicker than normal sole unit, the sole pattern, which is reasonably aggressive, cleared the olive grove clay very quickly and provided more than enough grip and most importantly my foot didn’t move around. It was good that they had " normal laces " as personally I dislike the thin Kevlar type with a slide gripper. ( These slip and you can’t vary the lacing pattern to suit individual foot shapes ). They also come with a spare set.

The gaiters were very well made but I think they are better suited for military use. The fitting method is unusual as they anchor around the edge of the shoe using Velcro tabs which hook under a stretch band. This holds the gaiters in place and a zip up the front closes them with a draw string top finishing the job. Fine for most desert applications and certainly perfect for running on hard, dusty, trails but I don’t think they seal tightly enough around the edge to keep out the type of dune sand which is included in many desert marathon stages. The shoes uppers are sandproof but dune sand is so fine it will push up inside the gaiters and then creep down into the shoes. ( This can be remedied by adding a Velcro band as used in one or two specific desert racing gaiter designs or by gluing them ).

Most of the people who attend our Desert Runner Training Camps are here to prepare for races such as the Marathon Des Sables. For events like this we tend to recommend road shoes rather than trail shoes as increased foot comfort and cushioning is more important than low cut shoes with a grippy sole pattern. From now on our first recommendation will be the PT-03 with an added plus, UKGear also produce a WINTER version.

The PT-03 Winter is built on the same last so swapping from Winter to Desert models won’t cause problems and as they are designed for use in wet and extreme low temperatures they are an ideal choice for anyone training in the UK / Northern hemisphere.

A typical autumn and winter prior to going out to Morocco for the MdS or similar early season " hot race " isn’t an ideal way to prepare for high temperature running, training needs to be done whatever the weather and being able to do it in comfort and with dry feet is a welcome bonus.

For more information check out www.ukgear.com or email info@axarsport.com.

Eletewater - a simple solution for optimum hydration.

Most people are familiar with the numerous sports drinks on the market but the main problem with these is that many are powder based. Powder is difficult to carry, especially during a multi stage desert race, it is bulky and heavy and not easy to mix correctly, especially during for instance, a sand storm !

A better alternative is to carry pure electrolyte tablets, smaller and lighter, as they don’t include carbohydrates. The tablets such as NUUN or ZYM are excellent but being flavoured this doesn’t go down too well day after day when you crave more savoury foods or are just sick of having to drink sweet, flavoured water which for some people can cause bloating and stomach cramps. Read full article >>

RaidLight OLMO 5
A well designed pack that’s hard to fault.
For many runners who train and compete in ultra races the choice of pack is probably second only to shoe choice. Take a day pack which may be too large and you are uncomfortable. Choose one that is too small and you end up carrying bottles or festooning the pack with extra pouches, a waist pack which may bounce and cause discomfort or one which is comfortable but lacks the space to accommodate enough water to get you between check points or if training one which ensures you have enough water for a long run in remote country.

All the above were considered by the top Italian ultra runner Marco Olmo when he decided to design packs suitable for ultra racing and in the end he appears to have come up with the perfect solution. Marco Olmo, now in his 60’s, is still winning or placing in events as diverse as the Marathon des Sables and the Ultra Tour of Mont Blanc. He designed the Ultralight OLMO 20 for the multi stage Marathon des Sables and the Ultralight OLMO 5 for events like the UTMB. Both sacks which are produced and sold by French specialists RaidLight ( www.raidlight.com ) are excellent and the 20 litre one at 360grams is even lighter than RaidLights Endurance 10, but it was the OLMO5 that interested me the most. A 5 litre back pack sounded to be too small, and I wondered if it would hold more than a bottle of water and a food bar but this incredibly lightweight sack, weighing just 290grams, was full of welcome surprises.

The OLMO5 comes with two 600ml bottles which fit into shoulder strap mounted bottle holders. The holders are mesh based and also have additional pockets on the front which would take food bars and gels. The holders also have draw cords at top and bottom so they can be used as pockets if you prefer to carry water in a bottle or bladder in the back pack. The main pack has a zip closure plus there is an additional mesh pocket under a flap which also includes a zipped compartment to give a third secure place for keys or a mobile. There are also narrow mesh pockets along each side which would take more gels or the RaidLight Trail Poles. For those using a heavier trekking pole there are additional elastic loops along the sides which enable poles to be secured at an angle across the pack.

I live and work in Andalucia, Spain, wet and severe weather is very rare, the mountains are remote and although there are springs it can be risky to rely on finding them flowing, especially during the summer months – you need to carry enough water. Not a problem in stage races where water is available at check points but when planning race stages for Al Andalus Ultra Trail ( www.alandalusultratrail.com ) there are no convenient water points - everything has to be carried.

The OLMO5 proved it was up for the job :
The pack was loaded to see what it would hold and as you can see in the photograph, it holds more than enough for a full day in the mountains. I prefer to use two 750ml Camelbak Podium bottles which means the bottle of water issued at each check point during the Al Andalus can be split between them and Eletewater added to provide the perfect electrolyte drink. The bottle holder pockets took a Mulebar and a gel. The main pack took a further 1.5litre bottle with a Smartube attached, ( the pack also has exit points for the bottle or bladder tube ). A waterproof jacket, first aid kit, hat, gloves, socks and a head torch all fitted in with the bottle and a couple more Mulebars went into the zip lid pocket. Leki trekking poles were secured across the outside of the pack, and to complete the test I added a camera and pouch to the waist strap. The OLMO5 was packed without having to force anything in and when I put it on it was comfortable.

The final really clever design is the chest strap. This runs from the front of the bottle holders rather than the main straps and means you get a very stable pack with no movement from the bottles which, although held firmly, can be easily removed and replaced. For a race like Al Andalus Ultra Trail, ( which isn’t a self support race like the MdS ), or for ultra races like UTMB, Ronda 101 or the Spanish 126, the main problem is how to carry the 1.5litres of water between check points, along with food, emergency kit and a jacket. The OLMO5 looks to be the answer.

A brilliant design from a brilliant competitor, well done Marco !
Paul Bateson - Team Axarsport

Book Review

Recommended reading :

A Practical Guide - Ultramarathon Stage Racing by Guy Giaoui and Foued Berahou.

This is an excellent well translated booklet, 95 pages of tips, charts and all the advice you need to get you through the Marathon des Sables, Trans Aq, and similar races.

Written by two older " middle of the pack " competitors with a preface by Benoit Laval, ( the creator of RaidLight ) this book should be required reading. Even " veterans " can learn a few things. Published by RaidLight, it should be available from your nearest supplier.
Any problems contact www.raidlight.com or order from me prior to attending a training camp.

Poniente Granadino, Andalucia, Spain.