The last morning of preparations was spent in the Dusit Thani Hotel in Cairo, including a pre-race briefing which outlined the plans for the upcoming week in the desert. The Race Doctor covered many issues in great detail, and by the end of the briefing my mind was already in the desert and ready to start the race. Apparently the weather in the Sahara has been quite mild recently, ranging between high 30s to mid 40s, which will be excellent for my tan.

Then it was time to check the sport scores. News filtered through that Geelong had won the AFL Grand Final, denying Collingwood a back-to-back Premiership, and England had beaten Scotland with a late try and kicked them out of the Rugby World Cup. While the upset of the century that saw Tonga take down France was greeted with surprise and amusement by all bar the French competitors.

The next stage of preparation was the pack check. Weighing a total of 13.5kg, the majority of the weight was made up of essential food supplies. I am of the opinion that it’s probably better to have slightly more food than you need, rather than not enough. The good news is that weight will soon be dropping off – both from me and from the pack.

Following the final checks, we were given race bibs and electronic chips so that our progress can be checked live as we go through the desert. Then it was time for our police escort out of Cairo and the three and a half hour bus journey into the Sahara. It was great to head back towards the Pyramids and to once again see the backdrop that will be the end of race finish line.

The bus journey was a great way to meet other competitors, and it was fascinating to drive through the local villages and alongside the scenic lakes. We finally reached our first night camp at Wahdi Al Hatan on the Southern Lake in the Sahara Desert at around 5pm. It was an amazing feeling to hear the drums in the distance, see the circle of tents, with the beautiful backdrop of the lake and the Sahara.

I am sharing a tent with fellow Commonwealth country members, with six from Canada, Sophie who I knew from the Marathon des Sables in 2008, and Sarah from Melbourne. Dinner that evening was to be watermelon and Sahara-heated Coke, along with the first freeze-dried beef and potato hotpot meal. The meal brought back memories from previous events, and I think it’s safe to say now that this journey will not include many culinary delights.

The Bedouin group claimed a spot near the fire and played some classic tunes from the Sahara, to help us get in the zone for Day 1. The rest of the evening was focussed on taping shoulders for protection and getting our feet ready for the first day in the sand. My plan is to take it easy on the first day, and work through the opening 40km in seven to eight hours, depending on the conditions and the terrain.

Thank you so much for all your messages of support. It was great to find out from an email I received that the Wallabies defeated Russia to set up a Quarter Final showdown with South Africa next week. I look forward to sharing the latest news from the Sahara Desert tomorrow and hearing from you soon.

Bring on the massive adventure ahead…