At the Marathon des Sables, you quickly learn that every gram matters as you’ll carry your food, sleeping bag, compulsory equipment and everything else you’ll need to survive in the desert. Before the race starts, people are cut the labels out of clothes, shorten toothbrush handles and debating whether an extra pair of socks is really worth the weight.
Because over hundreds of kilometres, unnecessary baggage becomes very heavy indeed.
Life’s exactly the same.
Most of us will arrive at the start line carrying far more than we actually need. Not in our rucksack, but in our heads. Old arguments. Regrets. Failed relationships. Bad decisions. Things people said years ago. Things we wish we’d said back, fill the mind.
Now the MDS 120 Morocco next week, will be particularly significant for me because on day two of the race, I’ll complete my 1,250th marathon. It’s actually well over 50,000kms if you add up the distances I’ve covered and represents an enormous amount of life lived.
During 1,249 marathons there have been great days, terrible days, friendships, mistakes, setbacks, achievements, injuries, celebrations and plenty of moments when stopping would’ve been easier than carrying on – but I never have.
You can’t travel that far in life without picking up some baggage. The trick is knowing when to put it down. At the MDS, you know exactly what your rucksack it weighs but emotional baggage is harder to measure and can slow you down just as much.
I’ve met people in the desert carrying beautifully light packs but mentally carrying a lifetime on their shoulders. I’ve also met people who have experienced enormous challenges but have made a conscious decision that the past belongs, in the past.
They travel a whole lot lighter.
During the MDS there will inevitably be moments when your feet hurt, you’re exhausted, you’re hungry and the next checkpoint feels impossibly far away. That’s when your mind will start to search for reasons to stop. You will doubt yourself.
And if your head is full of doubt, regret and negativity, there isn’t much room left for determination. That’s why preparing for the MDS isn’t only about running, walking, carrying a pack or training in the heat.
It’s about deciding what you are going to carry with you.
Pack experience, confidence and memories of the difficult times you’ve already overcome. Definitely pack those, but please leave resentment behind. As for fear of failure? You certainly don’t need that.
The desert has always had a wonderful way of simplifying life for me. You eat, drink and move forwards. You’ll look after your feet. You’ll help the people around you. You’ll reach the next checkpoint.
Then you’ll do it again. And perhaps after 1,249 marathons, that’s one of the biggest lessons running has taught me. You don’t have to carry everything forever.
So, before your next challenge, do an emotional kit check. Ask yourself the same question you would when packing for the MDS:
Do I really need to carry this? If the answer is no, leave it behind.
Because whether you’re crossing a desert, completing your 1,250th marathon or simply trying to move forwards in life, the lighter you travel, the further you’ll go.
Raise your Average.