Not to be confused with the Marathon des Sables, in Morocco, the Saharamarathon takes place in the Algerian Sahara in the Saharawi refugee camps near Tindouf. It is organized by the refugees and volunteers from around the world and helps raise the visibility of the plight of close to 200, 000 Saharawis, as well as funds for projects to improve the lives of these long term refugees, who have been stranded in harsh desert camps since 1975.

The first Saharamarathon took place in 2001 and every year has been attracting growing numbers of participants from around the globe. In 2010, 27 runners participated from the UK (the highest number yet). They raised over £20,000 for our Saharawi Artist Fund, which finances arts and cultural development projects in the refugee camps. In total, over 400 runners came from 22 different countries. The event is professionally organized and draws top athletes as well as amateur runners.

Participants can run a full marathon, a half marathon, 10km or 5km. During their week in the camps, they stay with a Saharawi refugee family and get a unique chance to learn their story and experience the legendary hospitality of this exiled desert culture.

Sandblast’s role is to take the headache out of organizing all the logistical aspects of the trip and the stay in the camps. We deal with the flights, visas, accommodation etc. We also organize a special (and optional) educational/cultural programme for those wishing to enrich their experience while in the camps. This includes an evening on the dunes listening to live music and having a traditional desert feast.

Sandblast has had glowing feedback from runners of previous years so if anyone interested would like to speak to past participants, please let them and they will be glad to put you in contact.

For more information on Sandblast and our Running the Sahara campaign, visit the website at www.sandblast-arts.org and www.sandblast-arts.org/projects/running-the-sahara respectively.

Email address to respond to: runningthesahara@sandblast-arts.org

Follow Sandblast’s tweets | Join Sandblast on Facebook | Donate to Sandblast

Related posts:

1. Saharamarathon

Overall, a pretty good week:-

Tuesday

Easy run of 6.5km (4.04 miles) in 42:07 for an average pace of 10:26 min/mile.

Thursday

Tempo run with 1.6km @ 10:57 min/mile – 6.4km @ 08:52 min/mile – 1.6km @ 10:43 min/mile

Sunday

Long run of 19.46km (12 miles) in 2 hours 9 mins 16 secs for an average pace of 10:41 min/mile (06:38 min/km)

Details of long run:-

Next week’s running is a rest/easy week with three 6 mile runs, which will be a nice break! However, the week after that my long run is going to be 16 miles! Yikes.

Details of the training plan I’m following are here:-

I’m off to vegitate…

Related posts:

1. Week 3 Done, 9 to go!
2. Week 2 Done, 10 to go!
3. Week 1 Done, 11 to go!

Wednesday

6.5km (4.04 miles) in 41 mins 12 secs for an average pace of 10:12 min/mile (06:20 min/km).

Friday

1.6km in 10 mins 48 secs for an average pace of 10:52 min/mile

4.8km in 25 mins 50 secs for an average pace of 08:40 min/mile (05:23 min/km)

1.6km in 10 mins 38 secs for an average pace of 10:42 min/mile (06:39 min/km)

Sunday

Long run of 16.23km (10.08 miles) at an average pace of 10:48 min/mile (06:41 min/km).

Details of today’s long run are below:-

My long run was made just a little bit more interesting because of the lovely purple toe I’m sporting at the moment. I took my son to a local indoor playgym which comes complete with a ball pool/pit. I was in the ball pool testing it out to make sure it was safe for my son (okay, I was playing in it) when I stubbed my big toe really hard on the floor mats under the balls. I fell into the balls in agony. Unfortunately my son and the other children there thought it was an invite to a pile-on and I was soon covered in children as well as brightly coloured balls.

So my toe started off as purple before the long run and it now a dark purple covering a larger area. Good thing was that it didn’t hurt at all during the whole run which means I’m just gonna keep at it.

Photos from today’s long run:-

This afternoon we went for a meal at a pub my wife always sees when she’s out and about. It claims to have the “best pub garden in Berkshire”. I beg to differ. Food was pretty good though, even with the 1 hour wait to eat. I won’t be in any hurry to head back to that place again.

I keep saying it, but I really must do it: I need to take part in more (some) cross-training on my non-running days! I mean, it’s just ridiculous. I keep telling myself I need to and I always fully intend to but it never ends up happening. So, tomorrow morning I must somehow make myself get off to the gym for some non-running exercise!

Also, I’m not sure if I’ve told you or not, but I’ve been raising money for a local (Berkshire) charity called DebRA. I’ve raised over £500 for them so far I think and I’ll try and push for a bit more.

As for future running plans, I have none in the short term. Most of the running events I would normally take part in are on a Sunday and the distances are like 10k which is too short for me to do because I really need to be doing my long runs on Sundays. I’ve entered the ballot for the 2011 London Marathon and I’ve also applied for a charity place. I’m telling you, if I get in to the London Marathon I’ll be SUPER excited and I’ll be hitting EVERYONE up for sponsor money! Hell yeah!

Well, I’m off to tweet on twitter and see what peeps are up to.

Related posts:

1. Week 2 Done, 10 to go!
2. Week 4 Done, 8 to go!
3. Week 1 Done, 11 to go!

However, I’ve done a screenshot as follows:-

The first few miles were extremely painful and my legs locked up tight.  I had to stop and walk a couple of times (only for about 10 secs) to try and relieve the pain.  At least it didn’t make much of a difference on my average pace.  Even at my slowest, my average pace for any split/lap was under the average pace of 12:29 min/mile that the training plan called for.

Overall average pace of 11:00 min/mile was okay I guess.  I mean, I’m happy with it and the run overall (except for first few miles) felt good.

This coming week I’ll need to put more of an emphasis on the cross training on the off/rest days to work on my overall fitness.

Non-running stuff?  This blog is doing very well and the “best running blogs” page is still seeing quite a lot of traffic according to my statistics.  Also, my adding a proper directory has made things so much easier as people can add their own blogs/sites without me having to go and edit some html code.

PS – In case you’re wondering about the laps/splits above, there are 15 because my garmin still shows me km.

Related posts:

1. Week 3 Done, 9 to go!
2. Week 1 Done, 11 to go!
3. Week 4 Done, 8 to go!

Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response.  It can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious.

We all know that stress is a normal part of life that can help us learn and grow. Lot’s of people will tell you that certain types of levels of stress “build character”.  However, stress can cause us significant problems.

Stress releases powerful neurochemicals and hormones in our body that prepare us for action (to fight or flee). If we don’t take the appropriate action, the stress response can lead to health problems. Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging types of stress.

Most of the ways we deal with stress (drugs, pain medicines, alcohol, smoking, and eating) are actually counterproductive in that they can sometimes make the stress worse and can make us even more sensitive to additional stresses in life.

Some proven ways of managing stress are regular exercise, meditation (or other relaxation techniques) and learning new ways of coping which creates some predictability in your life.  The management of your stress depends on you and your willingness to make the right changes for a healthy lifestyle.  Nobody needs to be stressed.

Stress and Running

If you ask most people why they started running, I’m sure you’d get various answers from weight loss, general health benefits, running since a child, enjoying the runner’s high and even for a particular goal (a charity 10k).  However, no one can deny the fact that running (and exercise in general) has a great effect on stress levels and helps to keep it to a minimum.

As I mentioned previously, stress causes a release of biochemicals into your body which causes your heartbeat to increase, preparing your body for fight or flee. If we don’t take the appropriate action, the stress hormone cortisol is released into the body and can cause physical damage to the body. Running (and exercise in general), in a way, simulates the flight response and helps bring the biochemicals into balance.

Running also releases endorphins into the body which are the neurotransmitters causing the “runner’s high”. Endorphins also help to reduce the sensation of pain which is said could explain why some runners can run even while injured. This means running could be seen as a valid treatment for those suffering from depression and might even produce better results than drugs or psychotherapy.

If you’re feeling stressed, think about what is causing the stress.  Remember the “fight or flee” reaction it’s creating?  You need to deal with those feelings in a healthy way that allows you to cope with the stress and reduce any further occurrences.  Running and any exercise is a great way for you to deal with stress and any pent-up emotions. Running has always helped me to take my mind off my problems, however I must (and so must you) always remember that eventually the source/cause of the stress needs to be dealt with or removed.

You or I may never be completely free of stress but through running you’ll certainly notice it a lot less.

Related posts:

1. No Running!
2. Lasers, Moving, Friends, Excess & Stress
3. Mothers Day and the See Food Diet

Tuesday

Called for 3 mile easy run at a 12:29 min/mile pace.  I did 3.10 miles at a 10:14 min/mile pace.

Thursday

Called for a 3 mile tempo run with a 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down.  I managed 1 mile warm-up at 11:00 min/mile with 3 mile tempo run at 09:01 min/mile and the 1 mile cool-down at 10:33 min/mile.

Sunday

Called for long run of 8 miles at 12:29 min/mile pace.  I managed 8.01 miles at a 10:12 min/mile pace.

Overall, that’s a pretty good week, even though I didn’t get in the cross training I wanted/needed to on the days in between.  Well, I guess that means more of an effort is needed on that front this week!

As for non-running related matters… I’ve made the decision to get rid of my windows based laptop.  Since I’ve had my macbook pro I haven’t needed to use the other laptop for anything at all.  I can see any reason to keep it so I’ve sold it to a work colleague.

I’ve had a nice weekend and spent a few hours yesterday at the Crowthorne Carnival (http://www.crowthornecarnival.co.uk/) with my son and mother-in-law (mummy was at work).  It was a pretty good afternoon and the parade was… interesting.  The floats were what you would expect for a small village parade, however one of them was a bit odd.

Pole dancing?  In a parade?  On a moving flatbed?  With everyone dressed like they’re out of Grease!

I must admit, she was pretty agile though… lol.

So, there you have it.  Pole dancing!

Tomorrow I’ll be attempting to get up early, go to the gym and do some cross-training and weights.  Will it happen?  Who knows!  Place your bets…

Related posts:

1. Week 2 Done, 10 to go!
2. Week 3 Done, 9 to go!
3. Week 4 Done, 8 to go!

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1. The Forum

We all run marathons and participate in charity runs but do we ever think about making a statement?

There are many promotional products out there that can help you tailor and personalise your whole image so that you can stand out and be remembered.

Printed T shirts

Choose a plain tee and have your very own personal message printed on it, company logo or even your own cheeky smile. These t shirts are a great way of making sure you get noticed and stand out when taking part in a charity event. You can usually choose from various colours and different styles, like a crew or v neck. There are also feminine styles available like cropped T’s and vests, so you can still be sporty but stylish. Maybe the words ‘I run because I’m worth it’?

Bottled water

Water is essential and if the temperature keeps rising, yo’u will definitely need to drink plenty of fluids. You may prefer to stick to brands like Evian or Buxton, but why not go for something a little different and create your own personalised water bottle. You can create your own design and unique branding. Bottles are usually available in screw top or practical sports caps, you can order in bulk so that all of your team has a bottle and a few extras to hand out to reserves and supporting mascots.

Baseball Caps

The last thing you want to be faced with after a long run is sun stroke and with the summer weather rising to temperatures of around 30ºc you may want to be prepared with a promotional baseball cap. Try and avoid sun stroke by wearing plenty of sun cream and a protecting your head with a baseball cap. You can personalise a cap with your own name or company name and chose a team colour which establishes you.

Sports towels

Running long distance can encourage high sweat levels and a towel is a handy comfort. Your small towels can be personalised with your very own team emblem or motto. This way you can advertise your company or promote a certain club or charity you are supporting whilst you run. Personalised towels are reasonably priced and people will rarely throw a towel away after an event. This is one promotional product that will come in handy time and time again, after it has been washed obviously!

Campaign ribbons

If you are running on behalf of an organisation or charity that you feel strongly about, help to raise awareness by asking your members of staff to wear a silk ribbon. The ribbons can usually be bought in a variety of colours so you can chose the one that stands out, giving your team unity through a branded colour!

For more information, visit:  http://www.argonpromo.co.uk/

Note:  This was a guest post by E. Smith and does not represent the thoughts of The Virtual Runner.  The Virtual Runner is not linked to Argon Promotions in any way and does not receive any remuneration from them.

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3. Water Bottle Cancer

A link to the forum is now at the top of this blog and a link to this blog is on the forum.

Basically, I’d love it if the forum grew to something like you see at Runners World, however that takes a lot of time.  Time I’ve got.

So, if you’ve got a minute or two, why not visit the forum and sign-up?  Also, if you’re interested in becoming a site moderator then please let me know either by sending me an email or a private message via the forum.

As for running, I’m still in the middle of my marathon training and even though I’ve been ill for a couple of days I’ll be heading to the gym tomorrow (hopefully) and having a cross-training day.  This will consist of 10 mins running, 10 mins cycling, 10 mins rowing and some weight machines.  Rowing is the most painful for me…

I’m also trying something different and I’ve got my marathon training schedule printed and on the fridge!  How old-school is that eh?  Each time I complete part of the schedule I cross it off or write down what I did.  After a week or so I’ll update you all on what I’ve done compared to the schedule.

I’m off to get my son into bed now.  Dr Seuss bedtime story coming up!

Related posts:

1. Join the Forum
2. Cross Trainer
3. Week 1 Done, 11 to go!

For example, I usually run easy at around 05:45 min/km – 06:30 min/km which equates to 09:15 min/mile – 10:27 min/mile.  The training plan I posted has a long run training pace of 12:14 min/mile which works out as 07:36 min/km; substantially slower than my usual “easy” pace.

This means that if I somehow (with a miracle) managed to run the whole marathon at a pace of 12:14 min/mile I would finish in about 5 hours and 20 minutes.  Is that okay?  I mean, I’m not the lightest or fittest runner in the world and survival is my main goal.  However, I’d also like to finish before they pack up to go home!

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1. Come on fatty! Get Running!
2. 2009 Reading Half Marathon
3. Week 1 Done, 11 to go!