Post Christmas excitement.

Normal people get excited in the run up to Christmas.

Christmas for normal people is one of the biggest highlights of the year.

Normal people plan for Christmas weeks, if not months ahead, organizing where they are going (if not staying at home), what to eat, what to buy as presents, etc etc.

In conclusion, I am not normal...

For me, my excitement really started to build once I got the inconvenience of the festive period out of the way. Planning for me started nearly a full year ago, and now I am just "tweaking" my kit choices. Pretty much compared to not getting a new Christmas tree, but deciding which branch to hang a bauble from (or even which colour bauble to use).

And now, Christmas is over, New year has come (the new years celebrations also passed my by without a blip), and now I can say my race is this year, not only that but it is THIS MONTH!

I have started digging out my kit and checking/double checking against the required kit list, making sure I don't miss anything. I did just order a few more torch batteries online to be sure I had enough (these are special longer lasting lithium ones which you can't usually buy in shops), but other than that I do have everything.

I spent the morning yesterday re-printing my maps. I am scanning OS 1:25k maps and printing them onto waterproof A4 sheets of paper. These are much easier to handle than the massive sails that are a full size OS map, and if it is a wet race I wont be forced to navigate using a papier mache ball of sogginess. The full 108 miles fits onto 9 double sided A4 sheets. Each sheet numbered and then fastened together so subsequent sheets are just over the page, requiring less hassle in turning the page when I stumble over the edge of the map.

It is a bit too early to start sorting out the rest of my kit into the three piles which I will need for the race weekend, as some of it I may still use before hand. Incidentally the three piles are: Pile one will be the kit I am wearing/carrying from the start. Pile two will be the stuff that goes in my drop bag which will meet me at the first checkpoint and at the end. Stuff like spare clothing, extra food, and a clean change of clothing for the finish. The third pile will be stuff for Jeff and Cathy to take in the van for when they meet me on the route. This will also have spare clothing and food.

Food is the only thing left to buy, and roughly this is what I intend to carry with me, or have stashed in the van...

In my pack:
4x Cheese and Marmite rolls (1300 calories in total)
1 packet of Marmite cashew nuts (528 calories)
3 peanut cereal bars (426 calories in total)
3 toffee cereal bars (348 calories in total)
1 chicken & mushroom slice (572 calories)
Assorted mini chocolate bars (500 calories)

In the van:
More cheese & Marmite rolls
Another packet of Marmite cashews
More cereal bars
A dehydrated meal (to be made when i arrive at the van)
Assorted chocolate bites (like brownies and biscuits)

There is also food available at the checkpoint so with that and the above I should have plenty. Also the Christmas food baby I am carrying should help with longer term energy :-)

So thats it, next weekend will be the time to put the stuff together and do any final tweaks, and the weekend after it is all go.

Advanced notice - all the racers will have a GPS transmitter attached. This enables the organisers and safety team to know where all the racers are at all times, this also means that anyone can also track the racers and follow their "dot" superimposed on a map of the route. For any budding dot watchers here is the link you will need: live.thespinerace.com This is available now but currently has last years runners on so wont show much, but feel free to have a peek. This should be live the day before the race.

Anyway, that's it for now, have fun with the tracker and i will post more stuff in the days to come.

Cheerio.