Setting new fitness goals or challenges at the end of the year is a pretty common practice. But in December last year, Spencer Matthews came up with a pretty extreme one; he would run 30 marathons across the desert in 30 days. That’s the equivalent of running the entire length of the UK, on sand.
Spencer’s better known for his appearance on reality TV show, Made In Chelsea, rather than his fitness pursuits, but the 35-year-old is quite the athlete. He's completed three ultramarathon’s; the Marathon de Sables (claimed to be the toughest race on earth), the Jungle Ultra, and the Ice Ultra. So, what’s made him want to go the extra mile this time?
“I've always been inspired by athletes, both professional and amateur, putting themselves through seemingly impossible challenges and coming out on top,” he tells T3. “A friend of mine did 76 marathons in 76 days, here in the UK, and I remember being blown away by his efforts. Then there’s Russ Cook, who ran the entire length of Africa, and James Lawrence who did 100 Ironman’s back to back.
"I love adventure and taking risks, and I knew that I wanted to run a marathon every day. Thirty days was the most I could get away with, with work and Vogue and the kids, but I wanted to pick somewhere really hot, as I loved the Marathon de Sables, so I just cooked up the idea and combined the two things.”
As well as hoping to raise a million pounds for Global’s Make Some Noise, Spencer’s also hoping to secure a Guinness World Record for the most consecutive marathons run on sand. However, to meet the world record criteria, not only will he need to complete each marathon within six hours, the entire challenge has to be run on sand. If not, then he will have to start over.
“I have some experience running on sand from the Marathon de Sables but, ultimately, you just have to accept that you're going to go slower than you'd like to go and not let it get the better of you,” he says.
Tough training
Spencer’s training has been hard to say the least, running 30 kilometres on average a day. To cope with the desert heat, he’s been doing heat chamber work at London South Bank University, which includes running on an air runner for two hours in a small room at 50 degrees. The aim is to try and keep his heart rate within a certain range to prevent his body from overheating.
“The first time I tried it was almost humiliating,” he admits. “I ran really slowly for 20 minutes, lost all sense of time, and became incredibly faint. Then I was hammering nuts and dates just to try and stay in the room, but I had to come out after 40 minutes as I was in quite serious pain. I went back in for the second hour and that was alright. I lose about 4.8 kilos every time I do it, but I’ve now got myself to a position where I can cruise pretty comfortably for two hours.”
It’s not the only hurdle Spencer’s had to overcome, as he tore his IT band right at the beginning of his training. “That really threw a spanner in the works and I had to take six weeks off,” he says. “Thankfully, I’ve come out fine and I’m not injured at all, but this is the kind of thing that can really scramble your mind. If you allow it to get in your head negatively then you’ve already lost the battle before you’ve even got there.”
As with any type of training, a good diet is key but, in particular, Spencer's had to be conscious that he’s consuming enough food, as he burns around 8,000 calories on training days. Alongside a balanced diet of lots of vegetables, chicken, rice, fruits, yogurts, and the odd Bleecker Burger, Spencer’s also been taking the supplement Heights.
“I was feeling a little bit beaten with my training but I’ve noticed a remarkable difference in my recovery since taking Heights. It's quite hard to explain, because I'm quite a healthy person anyway, but it’s like there’s this extra layer of ‘oomph’ to me. I sleep better, I recover quicker, and I just generally feel great.”
It’s a supplement he says he’ll be taking along with him to the Desert, although he intends on packing light; just a couple of pairs of shorts and around six pairs of running shoes. “Half a size too big to allow my feet to swell,” he adds.
A true test
All physical challenges require a resilient mindset, and there’s no doubt that what Spencer’s about to endure will test him mentally too. However, having already pulled through some dark days, such as his previous battles with alcohol, Spencer tells us he’s not concerned about the mental side of this challenge.
“‘I'm never worried that my mind is going to give up, because that's never happened before, so I see no reason why it suddenly would,” he says. "To be honest, I'm more worried about my body giving up, but then I’m not really worried about that either. I feel like I've done everything I can to prepare for this. What I need to do is have fun with it, try and enjoy the days, smile, and enjoy it for what it is, which is an incredible opportunity.”
We think you'll do just fine Spencer.
You can make a donation to The Great Desert challenge by visiting Global Make Some Noise and follow Spencer's progress via his Instagram
