I’ve had a countdown on my phone lock screen since the day I booked the race. The milestones have come around quickly, 200 days to go (when I was feeling super fit), 100 days to go (injured and eating my way through December). I know 50 days to go will be here in a matter of weeks. Time is certainly running out.

Back in early December, I took on a new running coach, Claire, who is helping me with my final preparations for MDS. Alongside this new training block, I have the ARC 25, the two-day Pilgrims Challenge Ultra (over 100km), and the Transgrancanaria marathon all to tick off before heading to the desert. I’ve done this more for building confidence and pushing outside my comfort zone, rather than them being ideal training races per se.

Training over the last four weeks, post a slight Achilles scare, has been solid. The mileage is growing, Claire has integrated some run segments on sand (giving the gaiters their first outing), and she also arranged a killer 30km hill training day which, whilst not really relevant to MDS, will serve me well for both the ARC and Transgrancanaria. I’ve done a couple of runs in the 10kg vest and, just last week, packed my full MDS kit (bar a few small, light items) and put in a 20km trail run with it. It didn’t feel that bad at all, to be honest. I think my size and stature will pay dividends when it comes to carrying the weight… how my fitness holds up is the real challenge, especially in the heat.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t lost some sleep over the past few weeks though. The niggling self-doubt that comes with not having run an ultra, or even marathon distance, in a few months, coupled with gaining around 7kg from where I was for my 100km effort last year, has been playing on me slightly. But whilst time is running low, training is back in full flow, and a solid 10 weeks before tapering is a long time to drop that weight. I also have some real confidence-building races ahead (provided they go to plan).

Logistically and kit-wise, I think I’m almost there too. That said, I have woken up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night worrying about everything from water bottle choice to camera weight. Pilgrims Challenge (two 33-mile days back to back) will be the first full kit test; including eating exactly as per my MDS plan and sleeping on my mat and bag (albeit in a school hall rather than the desert). I’m interested to see how my body holds up with such a heavy bag and big distances on back-to-back days. Claire has me running back-to-back longer runs each week at the moment, but the distance is negligible compared to Pilgrims and the weight will really test the legs to see what I’m made of. No injuries allowed, so I’ll no doubt be hiking a lot given the terrain and winter mud, just to be super cautious.

Overall, with MDS, I’m excited to get on the start line but also exhausted just thinking about it. What was once a dream is definitely a reality now and looks incredibly achievable… but with that, it somehow feels less adventurous and appealing than ever before. I’d be lying if I said it was the race I’m most looking forward to this year, because it really isn’t. What I’ve learnt about myself in training doesn’t really lean into the multi-day ultra space, although that said, I haven’t actually given it a go yet. But I have a hunch it’s not going to be my jam. Hopefully, I’ll prove myself wrong. I’m looking forward to ticking it off, getting it done, and hopefully enjoying it as an experience, just maye not a race, per se.

My to-do list is still considerable: lots of small decisions on kit, ECGs, heat chambers, and more nutrition research. But the end is in sight. I think…