Andrew Porter...The Real Dragon Slayer

Andrew's training tip...

I believe the best training is to go out there and practice the route. Figure out where the paths are or are not. Work out how long it will take to get from one checkpoint to another. Especially practice the bits you will do in the dark. This gives you the info needed to plan a race strategy. Where to sleep. What food and gear to send where and so on.

It is priceless to have a second who can move stuff around for you if you are going fast or slow. Why carry all the sleeping gear if they can do it for you? Be as flexible as possible and anticipate that checkpoint locations or other key rules could change at the last minute. If you are prepared, this will impact you less than someone with no plan B.

Treat is as a stage race. The key on the first days is to avoid blisters or injuries or stiffness. Take time to treat blisters or to mend yourself if needed as 15 minutes now will save you hours in subsequent days.

Practice using your GPS!

Training will vary from person to person and will vary according to personal circumstances and motivation amongst others. The key for me is to focus on a solid block of training for the 8 to 10 weeks before the race. I find the idea for me is to get between 7 and 10 hours for each of those weeks. No more or you injure yourself and no less or you will not be fit. No super long runs either as a cheat. The idea is to get 1.5 hours almost every day with a few rest days in between. This solid block does wonders.