What is the main difficulty in running on the sand?

The main difficulty is the non-solid surface. Careless knee movement can lead to unique sensations. The sand running technique is generally special. It is recommended to put your foot on the sand with your entire sole and immediately remove it, as if you are burning yourself. Well, the density of the sand in this race is different in different areas. There is a segment where you run as if in place. It's like you're running uphill in the snow. When everyone gets tired, they start walking sideways. In general, due to the fact that it is loaded with a full backpack, sometimes this competition has a very indirect relationship to running. In reality, this is not running, but endurance training.

Tell about your workouts before marathon.

Getting ready for the Marathon des Sables is not about running. These are very different physical exercise- starting from a banal bar and ending with jumping out. For example, you run 5 km, and then you start jumping around. Naturally, GPP 3 times a week. It is also important to pay attention to downhill running, contrary to the opinion that this is the easiest part of the route. It is on the descent that you can get very tired, the muscles can clog. In training down, you understand that in some ways it is even more difficult than running up. Due to the fact that the running speed in the desert does not exceed 7-8 minutes per kilometer, endurance is more important here than the actual running qualities.

Firstly, there are about 3 types of surfaces on the Marathon des Sables. These are large cobblestones, small cobblestones (the most unpleasant thing that can be) and the actual sand, dunes. Therefore, footwear should be trail - with wide soles. In addition, special gaiters are worn on top so that sand does not fall. You understand that a pebble in a shoe by the end of the stage will turn the foot into a huge bleeding wound. And of course the top of the shoe - the lighter the better. I represent the adidas team and have been provided with excellent Terrex Agravic by adidas sneakers.

What's the hardest part about Desert marathon? What's the biggest hindrance?

I would prefer to answer this question after the end of the marathon. But if you believe the people who have been there, the most difficult thing is to stick to the set goal. Some, showing good starting results, unexpectedly abandon their goal and simply reach the finish line on foot. This competition has no analogues, it is heavier than Iron Man's. Plus full autonomy: the organizers supply only water, and you run with a heavy backpack with food and have only to eat it for a whole week. You are seized with melancholy and despondency. And, of course, the famous fourth stage, when you need to run 90 km. Here everyone is divided: some sit on the 60th km, start to cook food and then crawl as best they can. But there are those who gather their will into a fist and run away from the latter. The 90 km run on the sand is what scares me the most now.

What is your daily routine? How long does the actual run take?

The run itself takes about 5 hours a day. But everything changes in the final 90-kilometer stage, when you run 18 hours a day. In general, the start is always at 8:30 - everyone gathers to cheerful music, line up and start running. But you have to get up about 2 - 3 hours in order to have a good breakfast. Then, when you come running in the evening, it seems like a lot of free time, but in reality it is not: for example, you need to collect firewood. Imagine collecting firewood in the desert! You have to light a fire, prepare food, and then you roll around in a sleeping bag exhausted, you are first hot and then cold. You don't have to rest too much. And they say one of the problems is boredom. There is nothing to do - and you lie, thinking about the eternal ...

And if you take a tablet with you?

What a tablet! It weighs a kilogram, no tablets! You can take your smartphone, but you need to charge it. Where to charge in the desert? You need to take a solar panel, which also weighs something. Communication is very poor there, although the organizers allow you to send 1 email per day. What do you eat on the route? This is a special concentrated food made in France. A bag can weigh 100 grams, but contain up to 700 calories. It may be called "spaghetti" or "fondue", but it is actually harsh chemical concentrates. Plus you eat bars; for breakfast - oatmeal. You need to eat a lot, otherwise, if you start very briskly, then a surprise awaits at the 30th km. Better to start slower and eat well. And someone generally breaks down at the first stage: “Lord, where did I end up! And so on for another 6 days! " I would like to avoid this.

RussiaRunning partner Artem Kalabin finished on April 17 at the legendary Marathon des Sables super marathon, which runs across the Sahara Desert. The Sand Marathon, also called the "Marathon des Sables", was held for the 32nd time. It is considered the most difficult race in the world, it lasts 6 days and is approximately 250 km (almost 6 classic marathon distances!). The desert in April is merciless: the average daytime temperature is +40, and under the feet of the athletes there is hot sand. Artyom told our magazine about the difficulties of the test and new goals. - Artem, how did you decide to overcome the Marathon Des Sables?- It was a welcome and frightening start at the same time. I found out about him in 2013 when I ran the first marathon. Since then, I have always hoped to conquer this race too. Last year, having run the entire distance ankle-deep in the snow in the Baikal Marathon in almost 6 hours, I realized that I was not yet ready for MDS. But a week after returning to Moscow, I registered and lured my friends into this adventure. I assembled a friendly team, which we named Marathon Des Sables 2017 Russian speaking team. It was thanks to her that I did not cancel my participation in the race and finished successfully. - How difficult was the test?- Physically and psychologically I was ready to pass it, so the result was 100% in line with my goals - 38 hours 33 minutes, 310th place out of 1200. Physically, the experience of long triathlon starts helped, and psychologically - our friendly team and the advice of experienced comrades. Time limits allow anyone to conquer the race healthy person, it is important to understand why this is needed. I wanted to get the most out of this incredible adventure, to come to the finish line without injury. The result was secondary, I tried to think about my health and what awaits me at home and my family is very worried. - How is the track organized? How do you know that you are on the right track? - The organization of the race is excellent, because the founder of the race, Patrick Bauer (pictured), was in charge of the process. single-handedly covered this distance in 35 days. The route and length of the race were unknown until the moment when we got on the bus before the start and received a ROAD BOOK (road book with the route and race regulations - approx.) Each year the distance is different, but it necessarily consists of 6 stages and is about 250 km ... This year the length of the race is 237 km, but the organizers compensated for the shortened route by the difficulty of passing. There were 5 main stages from 30 km to 86 km and the final Charity - 7 km stage. Each one combined a solid rocky surface, sand dunes and mountains, which we climbed with the help of pre-hung ropes. The total climb for the entire race was just over 2000 m. The race route was marked after 200-300 m with special paint on bushes, stones or signs. During the long night stage, the organizers hung additional glow sticks. Participants were also given a GPS tracker that displayed their movement and could be used to send a signal for help. Therefore, it would not have been possible to turn the distance and run to Algeria.

The amount of water is strictly limited, so everyone decided that the priority was dinner, brushing teeth or showering

- How were meals and lodging organized?- Every day, the organizers set up a camp from the semblance of tents, which were protected from the sun during the day, and saved from the wind and cold at night. Carpets were laid out in them. We spent the night in sleeping bags that we carried with us. The temperature at night is about +10, sometimes there was a strong wind.

- The tents housed 7-8 people, mostly from one country. Three tents with Russian-speaking athletes were the most fun. There are checkpoints at the distance, located every 10-12 km. There we received water (1.5-3 liters) and salt tablets. All food was carried with them and cooked over the fire. The rules of the race prescribed a minimum required set of 2,000 calories per day. Each participant was entitled to 12 liters of water per day: in the morning, along the course and after the finish. The amount of water is strictly limited. Everyone decided that their priority was dinner, brushing their teeth or showering. We covered the entire distance on freeze-dried French food MX3. In the morning - chocolate muesli, in the afternoon and for dinner - pasta, mashed potatoes, couscous. In the course of the race - a standard set of energy gels, bars, raisins. - With food, everything is in order, you also managed to save your legs. How was the medical support organized in general? - In total, the race was accompanied by about 70 doctors. More often they were treated with corns. It is impossible to avoid them, you just need to be ready for them, and, if possible, treat with an antiseptic. According to the rules of the race, a participant could consult a doctor once a day after the finish. It was there that we could wash our feet after each stage. In the desert, this is tantamount to a good spa experience. If the doctor puts the participant on a glucose drip, he receives an hour penalty to the final time. In severe cases, the athlete could be evacuated to the hospital by helicopter for 2,000 euros. During the race, I managed to keep my legs almost in perfect condition. A few broken nails and a couple of blisters did not cause much discomfort.

The start of the race was traditionally accompanied by the AC / DC song "Highway to hell"

- Tell us about the most bright moments race.- Each stage was difficult and beautiful in its own way. Traditionally, the start of the race was accompanied by the AC / DC song "Highway to hell" and Patrick's dance, from whose hands we later received a medal at the finish of stage 5. Psychologically, the second stage, 40 km long, turned out to be the most difficult. I already understood where I got to and what I have to experience in the next 6 days. The backpack is still heavy, and there are more and more high dunes and mountains. We ran the third mountain stage with a temperature record of +56! There was little run. Mainly ups and downs. The fourth stage took me 16.5 hours. Part of him ran by the light of the moon and a flashlight on his head, and I finished at one in the morning. But the last 5 km turned out to be the fastest: an athlete from Great Britain tried to overtake me, but I did not want to give in to the girl at all. - In our area, +50 does not happen. How did you get through the heat? Overheating for many hours even causes hallucinations. - You just need to endure the high temperature and try to make friends with it. It is impossible to prepare for it. The same goes for sand. It is so small that it clogs up everywhere. Hallucinations did not arise, this feeling is closer to athletes who run for a day or more without sleep. We had enough time to rest. -What about shoes?- On the advice of experienced participants, I chose the Altra Olympus sneakers and have never regretted it. It is believed that in the sands there should be maximum cushioning and a very dense sole so as not to injure your feet when running on stones. Stones are more dangerous than hot sand. One pair was enough for the entire race. I chose them half a size larger, as my toes swell. And if you seal them with a plaster, then it is not easy to insert your foot into a standard sneaker. - What were you thinking while passing the track? Is it difficult to be alone with yourself for tens of hours? - Being alone for several hours a day is normal for me. I like to be alone with my thoughts. I never listen to the player, I am interested in everything that happens around. And I have no secrets about my morale. The most important thing is to get ready and go to the start. As soon as the starting shot sounded, all fears and worries disappear. I just start the painstaking work, forgetting about time and distance. Being alone with yourself and your thoughts is one of the advantages of this race. I thought about my loved ones who had let me go and were looking forward to home. I really felt the support of friends who were worried, wrote letters and thought about me far from the desert. The realization that I motivate people for new goals also helped. And, of course, many thoughts were spinning in my head about myself, about my attitude to life. I analyzed the balance between family, business and sports, assessed whether I was setting priorities correctly, and pondered new goals.

At one moment, turning my head to the right, I saw a herd of black camels at a distance of 30 meters from me

- What interesting cases did you have at MDS?- On a long stage, after it got dark, I ran about 20 km alone under the light of the moon. At one moment, turning my head to the right, I saw a herd of black camels at a distance of 30 meters, which were grazing peacefully and did not pay attention to me. Without the light of a lantern, they were invisible, merged in the darkness with the mountains. They are so rare in the desert, real luck! One participant from France went through the entire race with a small guitar in his hands, cheering everyone up with funny songs. - What was the preparation for the race?- There was no special training, I did not set a goal to get into the TOP-100 finishers. The main goal was to run without injury in the top 30% of finishing athletes. Weekly running volumes were standard for me at 60-70 km per week. In our climate, it is impossible to purposefully prepare for a race in which the average temperature is +40. Since January, I began to run with a backpack, gradually increasing its weight from 3 kg to 6 kg. In winter, he went skiing, thus replacing cross-country training. - The most difficult race in the world is over. What's the goal now?

- Yes, the sand marathon was one of the main sporting goals for the first half of the 2017 season. For me, this is the first multi-day race, a feature of which, in addition to weather conditions, was the correct recovery before the stages. After the finish, I convinced everyone that I had proved everything to myself, achieved all my goals and would never return to the desert for this race. But every day after the finish, I increasingly think that someday I will definitely return there to once again shake hands with Patrick, drink the long-awaited can of cola after the 5th stage and once again hear Highway to Hell. The desert leaves unforgettable emotions that you realize only after the finish. This is the magic of the race. There are a lot of new targets, some of them will be comparable to MDS. In 2017, I want to pass the third Ironman in my life. I plan to improve the result. Now the personal record is 10 hours 59 minutes. There are also plans for the New York Marathon, as a qualification for the Boston Marathon. To participate in it, New York needs to run faster than 3 hours 10 minutes. Now my personal best in a marathon is 3 hours and 15 minutes.

For 3 years of study I crossed the Bosphorus, ran 10 marathons, of which 4 Marathon Majors, "escaped from Alcatraz", two full Ironman and several "halves"

- How long have you been running (cyclic sports)? What other achievements are you proud of? I have been running for 3 years, but the main and favorite sport is triathlon, more precisely, its long distances - Ironman and Half Ironman. In 3 years of training, I swam the Bosphorus (about 7 km), ran 10 marathons, of which 4 Marathon Majors, "escaped from Alcatraz" (a popular difficult triathlon in San Francisco), two full Ironman and several "halves". Each new goal motivates you to build your preparation, and move step by step towards achieving it. - How do you manage to combine sports hobbies with business, personal life?- Regular training helps you plan your schedule. Active image life adds energy that is needed in both business and personal life. A balance is always needed between them. Miracles do not happen, you devote more time to something, something less. It is important that these breaks do not escalate to extremes, and something is not forgotten. Cyclic sports are based on proper planning. This is the same time management. Sports Rules work well in all walks of life. The RussiaRunning team congratulates Artyom on another victory and wishes him new achievements. Photo from the personal archive of Artyom Kalabin

Alexey Cheskidov, President of the Even group of companies, took part in the Marathon des Sables and discourages other businessmen from participating in similar endurance races

In April, Morocco hosted one of the toughest endurance competitions in the world: the Marathon des Sables (MDS). 250 km across the Sahara extreme conditions in six days. All food and equipment must be carried. The weight of a backpack, which should also hold water and a tent for spending the night in the desert, is from 9 to 12 kg. Several extreme sportsmen from Russia take part in the marathon every year. In 2014, four Russians finished. Three of them are businessmen, including Alexey Cheskidov, president of the Even group of companies.

Sport often becomes a metaphor for business: the rules of the game are very similar, achieving success and the process of preparing for it require the same efforts. Alexey Cheskidov ponders why businessmen-athletes should not take part in such endurance competitions, and tries these conclusions on to business in general.

Reasons for disappointment:

1. Wrong attitude

“Any athlete, both a professional and an amateur, will say that almost 50% of a start's success is its visualization in all details and the mood for the finish at any cost. This means that you need to prepare for the race first of all mentally: imagine each stage of it, sort out your feelings and thoughts, agree with yourself about what you are going for and why. For me, there seemed to be no difference between a one-day endurance race and a multi-day test: before the marathon I had already finished the Ironman distance and before the Sahara I was counting only on my own strength, not really caring about the correct mood before the race. As it turned out, MDS, in terms of the totality of experiences, is closer not to a race, but to mountain trekking, and I was tuning in to something completely different.

For example, at an Ironman format competition, no matter how exhausted you are during the race, you know that after the finish you will find a sauna, massage, a cozy bed in the hotel, and you can devote the next days to recovery. In one-day races, suffering has a tangible horizon within a single day, and that makes it psychologically easy. In MDS, just like in mountain trekking, after a grueling day, you return to the tent city, where you have to start a fire yourself, cook your own food, do your own laundry, heal wounds and go to sleep in your sleeping bag, which until that day was dragged on your shoulders. along with the rest of the provisions.

And the next day you wake up - and unable to get out of the tent, every movement hurts you, you are sure that you will not stand another day of the race, and the shame that you got off will be even more difficult to withstand. You look at the same barely moving rival partners and give yourself instructions: "You should at least try!" You try to take the first step, feel the joints with the same stiff fingers, the muscles gradually develop - and after 30 minutes you are already watching yourself running and are surprised at this metamorphosis. "

2. Excessive self-confidence: "I made Ironman, now I can handle any challenge"

“Whatever successes have been behind you in the past, they are not always the basis for the future. I underestimated the effect of the heat. I have not seen the difference between running on asphalt and running on sand. I was told that this is a big difference, but I thought it would not affect me very much. I have heard hundreds of times and advised others that for long distances sneakers should be 2-3 sizes larger (as the legs swell and change shape). I washed my own sneakers a couple of days before the start of MDS and gave them to the tailor to fix them with strong seams, sewing on the protection from the sand. Naturally, I tried on the sneakers before the start and realized that they fit very tightly. And again, I thought carelessly that swollen legs were not about me: nonsense, we will break through. And this was one of the main mistakes: on the very first day, the sneakers were blistered, which is why, in the following days, every step was accompanied by hellish pain. "

3. Pressure from the organizers and a lot of unfavorable external factors

“This is real masochism for your money. It is unusual for any business owner to walk around the ranks and fulfill the requirements, but there is no other way to survive in extreme conditions. And here an endless compromise arises with oneself: either to submit to the influence of external conditions and to shut up ambitions in the belt, or to leave the race and shamefully accompany the remaining participants to the end of the route, but in a rolling car - it is impossible to leave the desert in another way ”.

It seems that they are doing everything they can to increase the suffering of the athletes. At the Ironman competitions, the organizers feed you, massage you, arrange funny pasta-parties and other entertainment events.

You won't get any help from the organizers of MDS, except for medical assistance and delivery of water in limited quantities. It all starts in the morning, when the badawis (nomads of the desert) wake you up an hour and a half before the start, remove the carpet on which your sleeping bag and a canopy lie, protecting you from the sun and wind. And all these one and a half hours you do not know what to do with yourself: everything hurts and you want to sleep, but there is nowhere to sleep. The sun is already baking and the wind is blowing sand into all the cracks. The day ends with a finish, from which the tent city is located a kilometer away. And often this kilometer seems more difficult than the entire previous distance. After all, you strove to the finish line in the hope that now you can drink water and fall exhausted. "

4. Incredibly difficult conditions of the race itself

“The conditions are really tough, it is made up of a lot of little things. So, you need to collect firewood yourself in the desert to start a fire, or buy them from the Arabs for € 50 for a set of knots that fit in two palms.

For me, the result of the marathon was five peeling nails, two solid calluses on all feet and minus 10 kg of weight, which with my 65 kg of initial weight is 15%, and this is a huge loss in 6 days. When everyone flew there, it was a feast for the eyes to look at the assembled participants: beautiful, fit athletes with glowing eyes, people at the airport turned to us. We drove back: all tanned, emaciated, as after the war, with downcast eyes, bowed heads, all in their thoughts ... The difference is colossal. "

5. Revaluation of values

“It was six days of reflection and rethinking: where am I in a hurry all the time, why am I looking for more and more new tests. Before MDS, I had 20-25 training hours a week, despite the fact that I am the current president of a group of companies and devote a lot of time to business. Nevertheless, it was in the middle of the desert that I realized that while I train, time passes, the children grow up and do not receive father's attention and care. For the May holidays I had a half Ironman planned, while my wife will give birth to her third child. In the desert it dawned on me that I just physically cannot afford to leave my wife alone in such a difficult moment... And I canceled all starts before the end of the year. I stay with my wife, we will give birth together. And to my athlete friends - I do not recommend a marathon in the desert to anyone. Everyone should ask himself what all this is for. And all our "why", both in sports and in business, ask ourselves more often, so as not to go to the desert for insights. "

6. However

“Every year, athletes come to the desert for the marathon, who have already passed it several times. They come back again and again for some unknown call, and at the end of the race they wink conspiratorially at the newcomers, who are more likely to rush home to their families and their usual everyday life: “Look again, and you will also come back here. Everything will settle down, rethink everything, and the sands will call again. " Now I myself do not know. Maybe I'll come back. If I go to next year, then with the team to do a team race, and I will shoot a documentary about it ... "

Permyachka Natalya Sedykh became the first among women in the international marathon Marathon des Sables, which takes place annually in the Sahara. In six days, she was able to overcome 257 km along the hot desert sands.

The girl works as a fitness and running trainer, a consultant on rational nutrition, since January this year she has been living in Dubai. Natalia admits that the preparation for the marathon had to be adjusted to fit her work schedule. As a result, the girl returned home with a "gold" medal.

Natalia took first place. Photo: From personal archive

In an interview with the correspondent of the site "AiF-Prikamye" Natalya told about what she had to go through.

Elena Mokrushina, "AiF-Prikamye": What difficulties did you face during the six-day journey?

Natalia Sedykh: Marathon Des Sables is known as one of the toughest races on the planet. There are really enough difficulties: a distance of 250 km, heat, sandstorms, overcoming dunes and rocky mountains, a limited amount of water, a backpack of at least 7 kg behind the back with a sleeping bag, food for a week, water and necessary equipment... Any outside help is punishable by a fine. The organizers provide only an overhead tent for spending the night, 9 liters of water per day and an emergency medical assistance... In fact, all this can be solved, you can prepare for this. For me, the main difficulty was to keep leadership position... This is a multi-day race. Every day there is a battle. You don't have much time to build up energy for the next stage. But you have to win.

- What precautions did you take?

I am very attentive to my health. After all, this is certainly more important sporting achievements... If you approach business wisely, you can significantly reduce the risks. I am my own coach, and I devote a significant part of my time to self-education. Physical training, running technique, restoration of strength, what and how to eat, how much and when to drink - all these questions were studied by me even before the start.

- It is believed that such competitions build character. What has this marathon changed in you?

Of course, I am very glad of the positive wave that this victory caused. I still don't have time to read all the congratulations and thanks in social networks. But I personally take it quite calmly. Winning the marathon was not my dream, it was just a task that I had to solve. It was important for me to do this not so much for myself as for my students, my family and friends, friends, all those who believed in my strength and supported the entire path of preparation.

I work as a fitness trainer and help people bring a change for the better into their life, change their image, reach those heights that they once only dreamed of.

I know that my victory inspired many and was a powerful impetus to action to achieve their heights. This competition once again allowed me to make sure that I have to believe in myself to the end.

- Will you take part in the next marathon?

I think no. The story of the Sand Race is over. There are many other interesting adventures in the world. Moreover, not only related to running. I can get carried away with anything.

- How did you develop your relations with other participants of the marathon? Did you help each other or vice versa?

An interesting fact is that among my main rivals were Europeans over 40. However, many people know that old age in Europe and in Russia is absolutely incomparable concepts. In our country, people are very fond of aging. And many will object, they say, living conditions are conducive to this. I disagree, all the answers and solutions are in our head. You can be whoever you want. The only question is how much you want it.

It's great when women support their physical fitness on the high level actively participating in sporting events... However, it is important at the same time to remain a woman, not depriving the attention of your family and friends for the sake of sports results.

Natalia believes that the main thing is to believe in yourself. Photo: From personal archive

By the way, on the official website of the IBC in March, an article was published with a presentation of the favorites of the "Sand Race" with photographs and their weighty track records. They didn’t bring me there. I found my name on the outsider list, marked "this participant has little chance, too little experience in such races." Frankly, the article touched me, but it turned out to be only to my advantage.

That this year was especially strong female composition the participants did not miss the opportunity to celebrate the evening before the race. I tried not to react to this information and, in principle, was not even interested in the names of my rivals.

At the finish of the first stage, which I ran 17 minutes apart, the journalists asked me if I knew that I was competing with the strongest trail runners (sports discipline - ed.). I replied: "Yes ... but where are they?"

Marathons can be as different as marathon runners themselves. Someone prefers to quietly run the standard 42 km 195 meters through the city streets, while others prefer real tests by mountain ultramarathons or marathons in the deserts.

Marathon des Sables - six-day marathon across the Sahara Desert (240 km)

The Marathon des Sables is a desert race that lasts for 7 days. Every day, runners have to walk a certain distance and meet a certain time. If you are not a participant in time, he will be disqualified. The most difficult day is the fourth, during which you have to walk 82.2 kilometers. Runners carry their clothes and food, the organizers of the marathon provide only water and sleeping camps, in which there are tents that look more like simple tents.

This is a really tough marathon, since you have to run in difficult weather conditions (unbearable heat during the day and cold at night) and on difficult surfaces (dunes alternating with rocky areas).

Baikal Ice Marathon "For the Preservation of Clean Waters"

This marathon distance(42 km 195 m) runs along the ice of Lake Baikal. Participants start from the east bank and finish on the west bank, having run over the abyssal depths of more than 1300 meters.

Participants are allowed to participate in all the listed races only with the appropriate medical certificates... Also, in most cases, in addition to excellent health, participants should have several marathons and simpler ultramarathons in their assets.