Baptism by Fire

Where people think I am going Where I am actually going

An adventure like this would probably cost a bomb. And it does. I've list out every single cent spent on the entire project. It will be useful for people who are looking to doing this event in the future. If you do not have the usual running essentials like garmin watch or sunglasses it will probably set you back another $400-$600 Item Cost (SGD) * Race Registration Fees $5000 Air Ticket $2500 Equipment and gears Waa Ultrapack Shoes (Hoka one one SG2) Headlamp Running Shirt x 2 Socks x 2 Gaiters Mandatory kit Personal Hygeine kit Lightweight Titanium cup and Spork Total: $875 $250 $290 $50 $90 $50 $30 $45 $30 $40 Nutrition Expedition Food meal x 8 Real Turmat meal x 3 Tailwind x 20 sachets Beed/salmon strip x 4 ACTIVE electrolyte tablets x 10 Mixed fruits/nuts Origin bar x 5 3 in 1 coffee x 14 Clif Bars x 3 Total: $351 $120 $51 $1

I think it is a privilege to be able to help out the community while doing what I love. Marathon events have always been well known for raising fund for needy communities and raising awareness on various topics. Marathon Des Sables is no different. MDS have been a great supporter of UNICEF. http://www.marathondessables.com/en/marathon-des-sables-maroc/solidarity-mds I would also like to use this event as an opportunity to create childhood cancer awareness and raise funds for Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF). Marathons have always been a good platform to promote awareness, the Marathon Des Sables is no different. The race organiser works closely and contribute to UNICEF. Thus, I wish to share the spirit of UNICEF "to defend the rights of children", by organising a fundraiser for a local charity organisation CCF. I've been working healthcare/pharmaceutical industry long enough to know the financial drain that cancer have on its victim and their families Since its fo

Meet FRIDAY. My Backpack. My coach gave me the bright idea of naming my bag and bonding a relationship with it. Afterall we'll be spending almost all our running time together. The name FRIDAY just stucked in my head. A little trivia, in the Avengers when Jarvis became Vision, Tony Stark's new replacement AI for Jarvis was called FRIDAY. Due to the "self-sufficient" clause of the race, I will need to carry everything (yes, EVERYTHINGGGGGGGG!) that I need for the entire of 6 race days. The bag might seems small, but we are going full minimalist. Anything that is not crucial to my survival, I am not bringing it. However I do have a list of compulsory items which I must bring. The Compulsory equipment! 1. MDS Backpack 2. Sleeping bag 3. Head torch 4. 10 safety pins 5. Compass 6. Lighter 7. Whistle 8. Knife with Metal Blade 9. Disinfectant 10. anti-venom pump 11. Signalling mirror 12. Survival Sheet 13. Sun cream 14. 14000 k/cal of food (2000kcal pe

7:00-730 AM - Breakfast! Wake up, rehydrate my freeze dried meal. Trying to get used to eating these as this is what I would be eating at the MDS. The flavors can be extreme as some taste really good and some taste like dogshit. Chicken Curry! Add Water This was actually OK.  Don't forget coffee! The cup was a xmas present from my lovely sis. 730-8am - Getting all my gears ready Even for a minimalist sport such as running, there's actually quite a lot of gears needed. Prepare my Tailwind. It's my choice for mid-run hydration. The powder includes energy and electrolyte packs together. This is what I carry if I'm going for less than 15km run. Garmin Forerunner, Tailwind Visor and a belt pouch for my handphone (awesome gift from a friend!). For a full pack run, meet FRIDAY. The name I give to my MDS backpack! Mainly because I usually do long full-packed run on Friday. At the moment, the pack is filled with a 5

DISCLAIMER: I am not an professional athlete. I am not a certified trainer or a dietitian. Any training plans posted here is specifically tailored to me and the preparation for the MDS. If you wish to follow the plan, please consult your trainer/doctor before doing so. My running resume and statistic I'm 31 year old Male. 169cm, 71kg. From 2013 to current date, I have 5 x Ultra (52km x 3, 60km x 1 and 80km x 1) 4 x Marathon Finishes - PB at 5hr12m 3 x Half Marathon Finishes - PB at 2hr32m 4 x Run for Hope 10km - PB at 58min I am by no means a fast runner. I believe there are many out there who are much better runner than me, even on a ultra marathon level. In fact, I totally sucks balls at anything below 21km as I cannot run fast. My strength is endurance. Even then, until now, I still struggle to do a sub 5hr marathon. Due to the 12-shift nature of my work, my working days tend to be a little screwed up. I am not able to train at all on my working day. However I