Every year Sarsen Technology chooses a worthy cause to offer
their support. Over the past couple of years we have sponsored the local
U10s football team, and one of the two Physics laboratories at the new St Johns
School.
This year we have decided to support Debbie Simpson, who is
taking part in the 2013 ‘Marathon des Sables’, an event described as The
Toughest Footrace on Earth – a run of 150 miles over 6 days across the Sahara
desert, in temperatures that can reach over 100°F. Each competitor has to carry
everything they will need during the race (food, clothing, medical supplies
etc) on their backs.
Debbie is raising money for ‘Facing Africa Noma’, a registered UK charity that funds and organises teams of volunteer medical teams to operate on children who have survived the ravages of noma.
Debbie is raising money for ‘Facing Africa Noma’, a registered UK charity that funds and organises teams of volunteer medical teams to operate on children who have survived the ravages of noma.
Noma is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting
the face. The victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in
a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition. Noma begins with
ulcers in the mouth, and without antibiotics develops into gangrene. After the scab falls away a gaping hole is left
in the face. The scar tissue restricts jaw movement and a child who survives is
unlikely to be able to speak or eat normally again. Facing Africa funds 2 - 3 two-week surgical missions every year to operate
on children who have survived noma. Each team achieves
50-55 facial reconstructions, saving those children from becoming social outcasts.
Sarsen Technology is keen to support Debbie in this worthwhile cause, and have pledged to match any sponsorship donations she receives up to £5000. Debbie wants to help at least 12 children receive the surgery necessary to enable them to live a normal life, so her target is £10,000.
Sarsen Technology is keen to support Debbie in this worthwhile cause, and have pledged to match any sponsorship donations she receives up to £5000. Debbie wants to help at least 12 children receive the surgery necessary to enable them to live a normal life, so her target is £10,000.
Please take a few minutes to take a look at the Facing
Africa website: http://www.facingafrica.org but please be aware, some of these images are
distressing.
If you would like to support Debbie in her bid to reach her goal for Facing Africa Noma you can donate online by logging onto the Facing Africa website, clicking ‘Donate now’, the select yes as sponsoring a runner in the MdS. Add Debbie Simpson’s name to the box so your donation is added to her fundraising total.
Thank you Sarsen team for your fantastic support! I'm happy to report my fundraising has reached £1000 this week which is great news. With your pledge to double that's already more than 2 children helped with reconstruction surgery.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I'm off to face my first big training challenge - a 24 hour race around a 5 mile circuit near Aldermaston. My goal is to manage 50 miles .. quite nervous!
Hobbling around today having completed 70 miles during the Run24 event on the weekend. Well organised, beautiful scenery around the Wasing Park estate, great camaraderie ... didn't quite make it non-stop, crashed for 3 hours in the night but excellent training for the MdS!
ReplyDeleteGreat training incentive - I've received 2 boxes of goodies from Clifbar, energy bloks which I've discovered are far more scoffable than gels and delicious energy bars with irresistible flavours such as White chocolate macadamia nut and Chocolate almond fudge .. good motivation to run further!
ReplyDeleteAnd as incentive for my fundraising campaign Lanson have donated a magnum of rose champagne. I'll be making a draw on 1 August from all my sponsors who have donated to Facing Africa Noma. The lucky name will receive the magnum.
Hi Debbie!
DeleteGlad you are getting lots of support for your fundraising campaign.
Keep us updated with how you're getting on with training and events in the lead up to the Marathon des Sables next year!
Best wishes,
The Sarsen Team
August update - spent a fortnight in the French alps with my family, plenty of strength training as I slogged up the mountains, worth it for the spectacular views but found myself wondering why I've chosen a desert ultra when I love mountains so much! Hoping the desert scenery will be stunning and that I'll have the energy to appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteSeptember training - Back to the Wiltshire hills (and mud!) .. gradually building up to 40 miles on 22 September for the Cotswold 40 Challenge. Fortunately I buddied up with a more organised participant who had remembered her map as checkpoint directions were quite complicated .. Even with a map we lost our way several times meandering on and off the route, probably due to us chatting the hours away! Great event and gave me an extra boost of confidence to complete such a long day.
ReplyDeleteOctober goal: To increase my long weekend run to 20 miles and to then start a back to back regime.
ReplyDeleteHave completed 20 miles on 3 consecutive weekends, off road, the usual hills and mud .. taken the rest of the week to recover until last weekend finally found a bit extra in my legs so managed 21 miles on Saturday (with 2000ft climb) followed by 5 sedate road miles on Sunday .. hooray, perhaps hope for me yet!
Have discovered that juggling ultra training with family duties is challenging but possible - 6am alarm on Saturdays becoming a habit - and that my dog Tamba is a better and happier ultra runner than me!
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ReplyDeleteThis week's total mileage 35 miles - long weekend run 25 miles .. starting to think I should include mid week 'speed' session. Also considering which backpack to buy so I can begin training with weight.
ReplyDeleteRead a great article on the Why's of the MdS by Kate Lee -
"Marathon des Sables is colonic irrigation for the brain' .. mmm can't wait!
Kate Lee's article, an inspiring account of the MdS, is published in Beyond Limits magazine - http://beyondlimitsmagazine.com/the-whys-behind-the-marathon-des-sables
ReplyDeleteWell worth a read!
Winter training has been tough .. cold, dark mornings, miles and miles through mud, snow and puddles. Am managing 40 - 70 miles per week and since Christmas I've been carrying a 7kg pack for most of my runs ..
ReplyDeleteLast weekend completed the Pilgrims Challenge - 64 miles along the North Downs Way over 2 days, plenty of hills and the usual mud, so much so that I'm quite looking forward to sand for a change!
Researching lightweight kit and high calorie but light food has become an obsessive task .. slowly getting there with final decisions not far away, less than 8 weeks to go now!
Glad the training is going well Debbie, hopefully you'll have some nice weather to get out and about in now! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteOnly a week to go before I set off for Morocco and the sunshine. Have completed 1500 miles and more during training and can't remember when I last wore sunglasses! Sponsorship has exceeded my target of £10,000 .. with the generous contribution from Sarsen Technology I've raised over £11,000 to date. That will pay for surgery for 15 children and will give me the motivation to do everything possible to complete my challenge.
ReplyDeleteSome MdS 2013 statistics:
ReplyDelete1050 entrants from more than 40 countries.
10% women.
UK and France have greatest number of runners - the UK have 330 competitors (297 men and 30 women)
Tents are allocated in national zones - 8 per tent:
UK = 44 tents
France = 42 tents
USA & Canada = 8
Australia & NZ = 8
Scandinavia = 6
Germany (+ Russia, Turkey, Poland, Czech etc) = 8
Korea (+ Japan, China) = 6
Italy = 5
Spain (+S America) = 5
And so on ..
'Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun' springs to mind!
Departing for Morocco tomorrow, truck into the Sahara Friday, chill out in bivouac Saturday (plus medical checks) and then the race begins Sunday 7th. Starting pack weighing in just over 10kg = 10 bags of sugar - not fun to run with but will lighten as I eat more!
ReplyDeleteA little, well quite, actually very nervous but will be relieved to make it to the start line injury free .. heading for the finish will take all my determination and will power but due to sponsorship total of £11,000+ I know I'll have the strongest possible motivation to succeed: 'There are days where the craziest dreams seem attainable as long as you try them.'
Huge Thank You to Sarsen Technology for your sponsorship pledge - Nigel and Angela you made me cry when you told me and your generosity will keep me plodding and shuffling I hope to the finish!
Debbie x