Marathon des Sables

I am now actively trying to get entry into the Marathon des Sables. (Not an easy thing, as the race is usually booked up a few years in advance.) However, I have managed to get onto a waiting list -- I am 12th in line! - and there is apparently a very good chance that I'll make the race, as there are typically a lot of late cancellations.

So, what started as a whim and a fairly fantastical idea is becoming more of a reality. Though, what it does mean is that I need to start running! The race happens in early April '10, so I still have plenty of time to prepare. I have already begun considering long races and ultras (a new thing for me) as preparation for the race. I have noted the following possibilities in the next few months:

10/3/09	Gold Country Trail Run 50K/20M/25K/8M	50K/20M/25K/8 Mile	Auburn	CA
10/10/09	Mammoth Lakes Ultra Marathon 50K	50K/25K	Mammoth Lakes	CA
10/24/09	Jenkinson Lake Fall Trail Runs	50K/24M/16M/8M	Sly Park(Pollock Pines)	CA
10/31/09	Helen Klein Ultra Classic	50K/50M/30K	Sacramento	CA
11/14/09	Folsom Point Trail Runs	50K/25K/7M	Folsom Lake	CA
12/5/09	The North Face Endurance Challenge Series	50K/50M	San Francisco	CA

Not too sure how far I'm going to go with this, but I have already put down a £500 deposit, and I am slowly but surely beginning to treat it as a real, serious, project. (And - no small matter! - Madonna may be taking part!)