Two weeks after Fellsman I was on the start line for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Scotland. This was a week long race where sleep was not an option as it was in race time – yep a week of continuous racing! I was dead from the word go – my Fellsman legs were not ready for that and nor did I realise how horrible having no sleep after day 2 could be! My body and mind hated it, between the hours of about 2am and 6am I was hopeless, pathetic and very slug like, I moaned a lot and froze. My body could not warm up at all so all my energy went on shivering and whinging! Still we did get through 65miles of sea kayaking in some very big seas, 140 or miles of mountain biking and a lot of walking/trekking over some massive mountains in Knoydart and Glen Coe, oh and some swimming, river jumping, scrambling and tyrolean river crossings. My team did pull out before the end of the race but at least we saved ourselves from hypothermia and rotten feet! I have decided my races should now only be up to 48 hours with trail side sleeping or none at all and all longer races should be stage races that involve at least some sleep each night!!! I have at least cured myself of ever wanting to do an Adventure Racing World Champs again!!! I did become a complete convert to trekking poles. They are great at getting you up hills when you are so tired you can't keep upright. I will be getting a pair for TMB.

We have now booked our flights for TMB so it is all happening and all coming up way too soon, but at least after the World Champs I now know I will get round it even if I have to crawl. We are all off to France to walk the TMB route a month before it happens so we will be mind prepared or just very scared!!!