1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:03,270 --> 00:00:05,628 The MDS is one of the most iconic 3 00:00:05,670 --> 00:00:06,828 ultra races in the world. 4 00:00:06,870 --> 00:00:08,688 It's the one race that a lot of 5 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 6 00:00:08,730 --> 00:00:11,463 multi-day ultramarathons base themselves on. 7 00:00:30,630 --> 00:00:35,520 The margins are so small, on whether you finish or don't. 8 00:00:38,070 --> 00:00:40,953 It's renowned as the hardest foot race on earth. 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,138 There is always the risk that something could happen. 10 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:49,638 You have to make sure everything is in place, just in case. 11 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,775 Every part of me wants to stop 12 00:00:51,817 --> 00:00:54,108 and I can't cool down. 13 00:00:54,150 --> 00:00:55,458 There's one goal 14 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:57,948 and it's to get from A to B, as quickly as possible. 15 00:00:57,990 --> 00:00:59,940 And ideally not die halfway through it. 16 00:01:06,870 --> 00:01:09,153 One simple mistake here, your race is over. 17 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:12,048 Everything's about extremities. 18 00:01:12,090 --> 00:01:13,398 One of the major systems for me, 19 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,678 is this all or nothing approach. 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,598 Basically, the more I mess myself up, 21 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,499 the longer I feel better. 22 00:01:29,756 --> 00:01:30,547 I did it! 23 00:01:30,589 --> 00:01:32,216 No you didn't. 24 00:01:32,258 --> 00:01:33,254 Arthur, you want the first one? 25 00:01:33,296 --> 00:01:34,629 Yeah. 26 00:01:36,535 --> 00:01:38,245 Do you like making your pancakes? 27 00:01:38,287 --> 00:01:40,870 I do, I like making pancakes. 28 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,838 So, I've known Simon for, 29 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,428 probably, nearly five years. 30 00:01:46,470 --> 00:01:48,948 I found out he was into running, 31 00:01:48,990 --> 00:01:51,528 probably within the first five minutes 32 00:01:51,570 --> 00:01:52,565 of my interview with him. 33 00:01:52,607 --> 00:01:55,038 It was quite clear from first meeting him 34 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,265 that he's all or nothing. 35 00:01:57,307 --> 00:02:02,307 You know, he's all in, basically, with everything. 36 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,208 After knowing Simon, he does have those, kind of, 37 00:02:05,250 --> 00:02:07,668 attributes, whereby, if he wants something, 38 00:02:07,710 --> 00:02:08,928 he will go out and get it. 39 00:02:08,970 --> 00:02:12,843 So I first met Simon in Peru, on our jungle ultra. 40 00:02:13,860 --> 00:02:16,728 I think it was his first multi-day, at the time. 41 00:02:16,770 --> 00:02:17,958 So it was a big step up for him. 42 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,128 He started off as a client and he's become 43 00:02:19,170 --> 00:02:20,988 a really good friend of mine over the years. 44 00:02:21,030 --> 00:02:23,478 My name's Simon Blair, I'm a business owner. 45 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,913 I was diagnosed with a ADHD, middle of last year. 46 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,048 It's been a journey since then. 47 00:02:30,090 --> 00:02:33,573 But I've got three children and I'm an ultra runner. 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,910 So the Marathon des Sables is the one in the desert. 49 00:02:37,952 --> 00:02:38,743 Oh. 50 00:02:38,785 --> 00:02:40,335 I don't want you to do that. 51 00:02:40,377 --> 00:02:42,281 Why don't you want me to do that? 52 00:02:42,323 --> 00:02:44,899 Because you're gonna be gone for, like, ever. 53 00:02:44,941 --> 00:02:46,087 I'm gonna be gone forever? 54 00:02:46,129 --> 00:02:47,547 Yeah. 55 00:02:47,589 --> 00:02:49,098 Taking forever. 56 00:02:49,140 --> 00:02:51,468 Actually, daddy probably doesn't know, when he's away, 57 00:02:51,510 --> 00:02:54,333 what do we do when we come home from school 58 00:02:54,375 --> 00:02:55,166 and before we leave? 59 00:02:55,208 --> 00:02:56,130 What do we do on the computer? 60 00:02:57,588 --> 00:02:58,458 We look where you are. 61 00:02:58,500 --> 00:02:59,676 We track where you are. 62 00:02:59,718 --> 00:03:00,888 So you look at where my little dot is moving. 63 00:03:00,930 --> 00:03:01,721 Yeah. 64 00:03:01,763 --> 00:03:02,554 Yeah. 65 00:03:02,596 --> 00:03:03,387 And panic when it hasn't moved. 66 00:03:03,429 --> 00:03:04,220 Yeah. 67 00:03:04,262 --> 00:03:05,220 Or it's in the wrong place. 68 00:03:06,878 --> 00:03:09,985 I don't think he's gonna make it to the finish line. 69 00:03:10,027 --> 00:03:11,820 He can make it close. 70 00:03:11,862 --> 00:03:14,184 Why do you not think that daddy's gonna make it? 71 00:03:14,226 --> 00:03:15,894 He didn't make the last one. 72 00:03:16,769 --> 00:03:18,971 'Cause you didn't make the last one. 73 00:03:19,013 --> 00:03:22,039 I think what Flo is trying to say, 74 00:03:22,081 --> 00:03:24,896 is, that she thinks you will make it 75 00:03:24,938 --> 00:03:26,846 but if you don't, that that's okay too. 76 00:03:26,888 --> 00:03:28,176 Is that right Flora? 77 00:03:28,218 --> 00:03:29,801 Yeah, definitely. 78 00:03:33,770 --> 00:03:36,198 In 2021, post-pandemic, 79 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,645 I went and tried to complete the Marathon des Sables. 80 00:03:39,687 --> 00:03:41,598 But I think, with some honesty, 81 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,178 I probably wasn't quite mentally match fit. 82 00:03:44,220 --> 00:03:46,311 I think it's taken me this long to build myself up 83 00:03:46,353 --> 00:03:50,058 to a point where I feel mentally resilient enough 84 00:03:50,100 --> 00:03:54,048 to go back to the scene of the original crime. 85 00:03:54,090 --> 00:03:56,628 There's always a danger in terms of doing these 86 00:03:56,670 --> 00:03:57,461 kind of things. 87 00:03:57,503 --> 00:03:58,398 As his family's concerned, 88 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,338 I would've thought that Faye is probably the one who's got 89 00:04:01,380 --> 00:04:04,278 the most, sort of, issues over it. 90 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,458 A big concern for me, is, 91 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,668 Simon being filmed while doing this. 92 00:04:10,710 --> 00:04:13,158 It's like an extra pressure. 93 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,098 And when he starts his run, we have no contact at all. 94 00:04:16,140 --> 00:04:19,188 It is just relying on the tracker to see where he is. 95 00:04:19,230 --> 00:04:23,238 I am not settled until he is past that finish line 96 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:24,798 and then I'm like, fine. 97 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:25,878 I worry. 98 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:26,741 The children miss him. 99 00:04:26,783 --> 00:04:30,198 I think when people think about deserts, they think about, 100 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:35,118 you know, rolling sand dunes and sandstorms. 101 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,698 Some things are far more terrifying than sandstorms 102 00:04:37,740 --> 00:04:39,348 and rolling sand dunes. 103 00:04:39,390 --> 00:04:41,418 Nothingness is more scary than that. 104 00:04:41,460 --> 00:04:43,848 People with Simon's personality type, 105 00:04:43,890 --> 00:04:45,558 with Simon's brain, need this. 106 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,528 They need this in their life, to be able to function 107 00:04:48,570 --> 00:04:50,598 and to be the best version of themselves. 108 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,428 To keep pushing and keep succeeding. 109 00:04:52,470 --> 00:04:55,518 About five or six years ago, I took on therapy. 110 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,978 I woke up one day and I just didn't feel great. 111 00:04:58,020 --> 00:04:59,868 I, you know, had that brain fog 112 00:04:59,910 --> 00:05:04,608 and that veil of, just a shade over my normal lens, 113 00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:06,258 you know, my positive lens. 114 00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:09,648 And I, you know, I went and sought therapy 115 00:05:09,690 --> 00:05:11,658 and some advice, straight away. 116 00:05:11,700 --> 00:05:12,978 For me, it's been the best thing 117 00:05:13,020 --> 00:05:15,678 that I've ever done, really, for myself. 118 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,268 So Simon's diagnosis came about 119 00:05:17,310 --> 00:05:20,868 because I'd been doing a lot of mental health education 120 00:05:20,910 --> 00:05:21,701 with his team. 121 00:05:21,743 --> 00:05:22,998 So he'd got to know and trust me. 122 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,698 He recognized that he can be quite impulsive and energetic 123 00:05:25,740 --> 00:05:27,528 and that's been a real strength at work. 124 00:05:27,570 --> 00:05:29,328 But at times it meant that he was distracted 125 00:05:29,370 --> 00:05:31,128 or struggled to focus or other people would say, 126 00:05:31,170 --> 00:05:33,138 you know, "You're not paying attention. 127 00:05:33,180 --> 00:05:35,598 You forget details and things, you know". 128 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,088 It's hard sometimes to be all over the detail of things. 129 00:05:38,130 --> 00:05:42,138 But her opening up that discussion, for me, 130 00:05:42,180 --> 00:05:44,538 led to me getting tested. 131 00:05:44,580 --> 00:05:47,868 Not surprisingly, it came back fairly clear. 132 00:05:47,910 --> 00:05:51,138 I think it was both a shock and not a shock, really. 133 00:05:51,180 --> 00:05:52,818 I think he was relieved, actually. 134 00:05:52,860 --> 00:05:53,778 I think he knew. 135 00:05:53,820 --> 00:05:56,148 I think it was just having a label, 136 00:05:56,190 --> 00:05:58,428 so he could say, right, now I understand. 137 00:05:58,470 --> 00:06:00,770 I think ADHD has been a part of my character 138 00:06:01,650 --> 00:06:04,788 for as long as my memories go back. 139 00:06:04,830 --> 00:06:07,510 It's only just recently that I've realized 140 00:06:09,289 --> 00:06:11,988 how central to my being that that is. 141 00:06:12,030 --> 00:06:14,478 Yeah, I think it made sense of a lot of things for him. 142 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,138 The results have been around the idea of understanding. 143 00:06:18,180 --> 00:06:19,173 There aren't solutions. 144 00:06:19,215 --> 00:06:20,658 There's no solutions. 145 00:06:20,700 --> 00:06:23,229 I think, you know, taking drugs 146 00:06:23,271 --> 00:06:27,678 to try and help certain byproducts of ADHD, is an option. 147 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,358 I haven't explored that. 148 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,788 For me, it's given me a much greater understanding about 149 00:06:31,830 --> 00:06:32,621 who I am. 150 00:06:32,663 --> 00:06:34,518 It's just confirmed something that I probably, 151 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,063 subconsciously already knew. 152 00:06:37,140 --> 00:06:40,878 And now I'm embracing that, as like a central principle 153 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:42,744 to what I am. 154 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,078 It's interesting to think, why would Simon, 155 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:52,278 who's really successful at work, 156 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,038 want to punish himself out in the desert? 157 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,948 But, my understanding, just as a spectator, 158 00:06:57,990 --> 00:07:00,048 you know, these ultramarathons, is, it's a real chance to, 159 00:07:00,090 --> 00:07:03,018 kind of, almost take yourself right to the edge. 160 00:07:03,060 --> 00:07:04,518 To find out what you're capable of. 161 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,968 To really find out where, 162 00:07:08,010 --> 00:07:09,348 you know, failure lies. 163 00:07:09,390 --> 00:07:11,028 And that's very healthy for the ego. 164 00:07:11,070 --> 00:07:13,428 It's really good for the ego to be tested in that way. 165 00:07:13,470 --> 00:07:16,968 Search for balance is now become what 166 00:07:17,010 --> 00:07:20,178 I'm aspiring to try and find and retain. 167 00:07:20,220 --> 00:07:22,938 But, I can't, a lot of the time 168 00:07:22,980 --> 00:07:26,238 because it's just not natural for that to happen. 169 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,748 So the extremities of what ADHD can do to you mentally, 170 00:07:29,790 --> 00:07:31,278 is that it pulls you one way or the other, 171 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,548 just in the most fierce ways. 172 00:07:34,590 --> 00:07:35,928 He's always gonna be a driven guy 173 00:07:35,970 --> 00:07:38,709 and this is just a vessel to keep that drive going. 174 00:07:47,490 --> 00:07:49,338 Part of me dreads this event. 175 00:07:49,380 --> 00:07:51,018 Looking down those long straits 176 00:07:51,060 --> 00:07:53,710 and visualizing the sand dunes and 177 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,828 just the memories of the overwhelming heat. 178 00:07:57,870 --> 00:07:59,538 He was facing, probably one of the hottest years 179 00:07:59,580 --> 00:08:01,128 that race has ever had. 180 00:08:01,170 --> 00:08:02,448 It was a flip of a coin, 181 00:08:02,490 --> 00:08:04,008 as to whether he was going to finish. 182 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:05,823 In any race, in extreme heat. 183 00:08:06,810 --> 00:08:09,228 There's a few things that kinda jump out straight away. 184 00:08:09,270 --> 00:08:11,178 The Sahara Desert, the Namib Desert, 185 00:08:11,220 --> 00:08:14,088 can often go, 45, 50 degree heat. 186 00:08:14,130 --> 00:08:17,448 With that comes real risk of death 187 00:08:17,490 --> 00:08:19,398 by, heat stroke, dehydration. 188 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,498 And it can happen extremely quickly. 189 00:08:21,540 --> 00:08:23,590 I had the unfortunate experience of 190 00:08:24,540 --> 00:08:28,608 running next to this guy, running almost parallel to him, 191 00:08:28,650 --> 00:08:31,368 when he was collapsing repeatedly. 192 00:08:31,410 --> 00:08:32,988 I went to help him. 193 00:08:33,030 --> 00:08:35,898 There were some other people there who were doctors. 194 00:08:35,940 --> 00:08:39,138 10, 15 minutes later, I saw a helicopter fly over my head. 195 00:08:39,180 --> 00:08:44,180 There was a very solemn, somber announcement that evening. 196 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:46,668 It was announced he'd died, 197 00:08:46,710 --> 00:08:48,978 as a result of being on the course. 198 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:52,938 I was messaging the company, going, "Is Simon Blair okay? 199 00:08:52,980 --> 00:08:54,078 I'm Simon Blair's wife". 200 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,308 I hadn't heard anything. 201 00:08:55,350 --> 00:08:57,348 It was playing on my mind a great deal. 202 00:08:57,390 --> 00:08:59,448 'Cause I was already extremely tired 203 00:08:59,490 --> 00:09:02,358 and I had nothing left to give, 204 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,428 without taking some serious risks. 205 00:09:04,470 --> 00:09:06,558 And I decided that the best thing for me, 206 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,418 would be to go home. 207 00:09:08,460 --> 00:09:10,135 When he rang me and said, 208 00:09:10,177 --> 00:09:12,648 "I'm not gonna carry on", I burst into tears 209 00:09:12,690 --> 00:09:16,308 'cause I knew what he would be like if he didn't do it. 210 00:09:16,350 --> 00:09:18,618 I'd never seen him like that, 211 00:09:18,660 --> 00:09:20,658 after he got back from the MDS with that failure. 212 00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:23,238 I'd never seen that Simon before. 213 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,218 That was unusual to witness, as a friend. 214 00:09:25,260 --> 00:09:27,138 As a family, we kept saying 215 00:09:27,180 --> 00:09:28,668 how proud we were of him, regardless. 216 00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:33,708 But, after the Marathon des Sables, he was really quite low. 217 00:09:33,750 --> 00:09:36,723 Anyone with ADHD, which I also have, will know that, 218 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:39,888 you know, that we've all got this, kind of, fixation 219 00:09:39,930 --> 00:09:41,598 on certain things and obsessions. 220 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,642 And, you know, running in ultramarathon's are one of his. 221 00:09:45,684 --> 00:09:47,838 And, I think, him actually pulling out, 222 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,558 is probably braver than continuing. 223 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,888 So I think, actually, full credit to him for going, 224 00:09:54,930 --> 00:09:56,778 do you know what, this is getting dangerous, 225 00:09:56,820 --> 00:09:57,918 now I'm gonna pull it. 226 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,048 I suppose, I was actually proud that he stopped. 227 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:03,048 Because, although I wanted him to continue, 228 00:10:03,090 --> 00:10:06,090 I mean, that would've been really dangerous and very stupid. 229 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,068 The whole process is quite long 230 00:10:10,110 --> 00:10:11,881 and, you know, all the measuring out of 231 00:10:11,923 --> 00:10:15,198 various powders and potions. 232 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:16,900 And then you see it in this form 233 00:10:16,942 --> 00:10:18,554 and you're, kind of, like, yeah, okay. 234 00:10:18,596 --> 00:10:21,138 We're kind of, one step closer to being ready to go 235 00:10:21,180 --> 00:10:22,050 with day one. 236 00:10:22,092 --> 00:10:22,985 A lot of sweets. 237 00:10:23,027 --> 00:10:24,678 Lots of sweets, yes, day one, day two, day three, 238 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,345 day four, day five and day six. 239 00:10:27,387 --> 00:10:30,233 And a little medical stuff. 240 00:10:30,275 --> 00:10:31,701 Just in case you get hurt. 241 00:10:31,743 --> 00:10:33,258 Just in case you get hurt, yes. 242 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:36,378 The first bit really is the, it's the logistics. 243 00:10:36,420 --> 00:10:38,658 You hear stories and jokes about people 244 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:40,488 cutting their toothbrush in half. 245 00:10:40,530 --> 00:10:41,718 But people do. 246 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,488 Because it saves you a few grams. 247 00:10:43,530 --> 00:10:45,318 It's a huge commitment. 248 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,341 Oh, yes, that's perfect. 249 00:10:48,383 --> 00:10:49,968 There's a lot of planning 250 00:10:50,010 --> 00:10:52,638 that goes into the successful completion of a race. 251 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:54,828 People with ADHD are often great in a crisis 252 00:10:54,870 --> 00:10:55,908 but not so good in something 253 00:10:55,950 --> 00:10:57,573 that needs a lot of preparation. 254 00:11:00,499 --> 00:11:02,521 I've got a lost box. 255 00:11:02,563 --> 00:11:03,453 Memory. 256 00:11:03,495 --> 00:11:05,418 You know, memory and retention, 257 00:11:05,460 --> 00:11:07,128 forgetting where I put things. 258 00:11:07,170 --> 00:11:10,878 I often forget my children's birthdays. 259 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:12,318 I just don't remember. 260 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,438 The memory issues around ADHD are brutal. 261 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,748 A surprising number of people find themselves getting 262 00:11:17,790 --> 00:11:19,158 an ADHD diagnosis. 263 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,318 They've actually gone to the GP saying, 264 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:22,488 I think I might have dementia. 265 00:11:22,530 --> 00:11:24,288 Yeah, memory issues are really common. 266 00:11:24,330 --> 00:11:26,366 I think, also, he's got so much going on in his head. 267 00:11:26,408 --> 00:11:28,098 He goes from one thing to another. 268 00:11:28,140 --> 00:11:29,958 So trying to, kind of, keep up with him 269 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,088 and keep him focused on what he's doing, 270 00:11:32,130 --> 00:11:34,188 at one thing at a time, well, it's quite hard. 271 00:11:34,230 --> 00:11:36,558 The biggest problem he'll have, 272 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,068 is that he's turning his world upside down 273 00:11:40,110 --> 00:11:41,328 to get this done. 274 00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:43,689 He's extremely messy. 275 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,148 Being CEO of a company 276 00:11:47,190 --> 00:11:48,978 and you're running an ultramarathon, 277 00:11:49,020 --> 00:11:52,818 they are not two things, they easily combine. 278 00:11:52,860 --> 00:11:55,158 A lot of people with ADHD, 279 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,678 they've put in, sometimes, knowingly, 280 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,728 sometimes, unknowingly, scaffolding and strategies 281 00:12:01,770 --> 00:12:04,008 that have them doing well. 282 00:12:04,050 --> 00:12:07,248 He has got very good at writing, like, 283 00:12:07,290 --> 00:12:08,748 a spreadsheet, that he follows. 284 00:12:08,790 --> 00:12:10,098 So he will send me that spreadsheet 285 00:12:10,140 --> 00:12:11,478 and we just have to tick it off. 286 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,978 If you don't put it in place, with real knowledge of self, 287 00:12:16,020 --> 00:12:19,638 it's too finely balanced, not to fail. 288 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:22,188 To get ready for any of these things, sacrifices a lot. 289 00:12:22,230 --> 00:12:24,558 And the support network around Simon 290 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:25,518 is also gonna feel it. 291 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:28,398 His work colleagues, his family, it's all encompassing 292 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,158 and, kind of, just consumes your life. 293 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:32,988 In the run up to these events, you know, 294 00:12:33,030 --> 00:12:35,835 I'm running and focusing on other things 295 00:12:35,877 --> 00:12:40,773 and my emotional and physical time just isn't as present. 296 00:12:43,710 --> 00:12:46,968 One of the downsides of ADHD is that it can make you 297 00:12:47,010 --> 00:12:50,118 so intent on getting to your objective, 298 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:54,207 that actually, it can be difficult for people around that. 299 00:12:54,249 --> 00:12:56,574 When you're fully hyper-focused. 300 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,648 There's a lot of problems that Simon will face, with ADHD. 301 00:13:03,690 --> 00:13:07,098 But actually, when preparing for these sorts of events, 302 00:13:07,140 --> 00:13:09,798 there are a lot of things that could fall in his favor. 303 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,778 The focus and the obsession with something, 304 00:13:11,820 --> 00:13:14,118 is definitely gonna help him. 305 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:15,918 It's definitely helped him in the past. 306 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,458 When you have three children and then, holidays, 307 00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:20,868 when they're not at school, it's quite hard. 308 00:13:20,910 --> 00:13:23,598 So, I think, actually, to start with, I was a bit like, 309 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,758 well, it's a bit of a desperate measure 310 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,466 to take a break from your family. 311 00:13:28,341 --> 00:13:32,088 I'm not sure that I would be able to do these events 312 00:13:32,130 --> 00:13:33,828 on a number of different levels, 313 00:13:33,870 --> 00:13:37,068 if I wasn't supported in the way that I am at home. 314 00:13:37,110 --> 00:13:39,108 You know, I'm very fortunate in that way. 315 00:13:39,150 --> 00:13:43,248 And my children, you know, have learned from Faye. 316 00:13:43,290 --> 00:13:46,878 I think Faye acknowledges that I'm a better person. 317 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,538 I'm not made to feel guilty for needing to do this. 318 00:13:50,580 --> 00:13:52,968 I think back to my 20s and I wonder how the fucking hell 319 00:13:53,010 --> 00:13:55,651 I held any relationship down, to be honest, you know 320 00:13:55,693 --> 00:13:57,693 'cause you're just like, 321 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,287 it's so disruptive. 322 00:14:10,710 --> 00:14:12,360 Now he's done a number of them, 323 00:14:13,410 --> 00:14:15,483 it's a bit medicinal, really, I think. 324 00:14:17,899 --> 00:14:19,638 I'm gonna have to dig deep, you know, 325 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:20,471 I'm aware of that, you know. 326 00:14:20,513 --> 00:14:24,138 I think, running, in its nature, is quite simplistic. 327 00:14:24,180 --> 00:14:24,971 In Simon's case, 328 00:14:25,013 --> 00:14:27,228 I think it definitely brings order to the chaos. 329 00:14:27,270 --> 00:14:29,388 He's got quite a lotta chaos in his world, in his mind. 330 00:14:29,430 --> 00:14:33,018 Even narrowing down the task list for the day, 331 00:14:33,060 --> 00:14:34,668 get from point A to B, 332 00:14:34,710 --> 00:14:38,961 can definitely just calm the noise a little bit. 333 00:14:41,978 --> 00:14:43,893 Thank you very much. 334 00:14:43,935 --> 00:14:46,688 All you've got to do, for seven days, 335 00:14:46,730 --> 00:14:48,313 eat, sleep and run. 336 00:14:49,741 --> 00:14:50,924 What an existence. 337 00:14:52,216 --> 00:14:53,007 One, two. 338 00:14:53,049 --> 00:14:54,898 I mean, for me it just sounds treacherous, to be honest. 339 00:14:54,940 --> 00:14:57,198 So, I can't imagine why he wants to go out and do this. 340 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,113 People fall very ill and sometimes die on these things. 341 00:15:09,750 --> 00:15:12,138 My brain was bouncing around a bit last night. 342 00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:15,018 I think I'll feel some sense of anxiety, 343 00:15:15,060 --> 00:15:17,088 probably, when I see a sand dune, 344 00:15:17,130 --> 00:15:19,158 even if it's two meters high, 345 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:21,888 it'll probably make me feel a bit peculiar. 346 00:15:21,930 --> 00:15:25,443 Probably not how I felt at the beginning of the last one. 347 00:15:33,690 --> 00:15:34,523 It was good. 348 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:36,798 He won't think this now 349 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,748 but if he doesn't finish, he'll also be okay with it. 350 00:15:38,790 --> 00:15:41,928 I think he's actually at a point in his journey with this, 351 00:15:41,970 --> 00:15:43,878 where, the result is one thing 352 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,528 but he's realized the journey is important 353 00:15:45,570 --> 00:15:47,208 or he will, quite quickly after. 354 00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:49,098 I think he's putting a lotta pressure on himself. 355 00:15:49,140 --> 00:15:50,478 Unnecessary pressure. 356 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,208 I think sometimes the bravest thing, is to know your limits. 357 00:15:53,250 --> 00:15:56,688 And I just hope that he does know his limits, 358 00:15:56,730 --> 00:15:57,798 this time around. 359 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,168 He's physically stronger but mentally stronger too. 360 00:16:00,210 --> 00:16:02,298 I think he will be good. 361 00:16:02,340 --> 00:16:03,198 He'll do well. 362 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:04,344 He better do it, gosh. 363 00:16:34,890 --> 00:16:36,798 So that gives me anxiety. 364 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:37,814 That thing. 365 00:16:41,253 --> 00:16:44,868 It is a sand dune but, it's not a mountain. 366 00:16:44,910 --> 00:16:47,028 Thing is, it's probably what I thought about a lot. 367 00:16:47,070 --> 00:16:51,273 It's a strange feeling 'cause it's almost dreamlike. 368 00:16:54,330 --> 00:16:57,828 Everybody has a different, sort of, mindset to things. 369 00:16:57,870 --> 00:17:01,218 Some people allow adversity, previously in their lives, 370 00:17:01,260 --> 00:17:04,608 to affect the decisions that you make going forward. 371 00:17:04,650 --> 00:17:07,938 And some people use that as a position, 372 00:17:07,980 --> 00:17:09,448 in order to turn that into a positive. 373 00:17:12,810 --> 00:17:13,908 I have my own objectives 374 00:17:13,950 --> 00:17:16,128 because I'm looking to discover myself. 375 00:17:16,170 --> 00:17:19,338 I wanna understand me and what makes me tick 376 00:17:19,380 --> 00:17:20,748 and how I operate. 377 00:17:20,790 --> 00:17:23,058 But actually, it's becoming far more than that. 378 00:17:23,100 --> 00:17:25,848 I want to help people open up a dialogue. 379 00:17:25,890 --> 00:17:27,558 ADHD should be looked at as something 380 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,653 that can enable people to provide positivity to the world. 381 00:17:32,660 --> 00:17:36,138 Not blocking them off and not listening to them 382 00:17:36,180 --> 00:17:38,688 because they don't hit a certain criteria 383 00:17:38,730 --> 00:17:39,558 that we've become used to. 384 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,323 You know, that results in the worst things. 385 00:17:45,870 --> 00:17:47,268 It's getting gradually hotter. 386 00:17:47,310 --> 00:17:50,178 So I'm trying to be really sensible, not gun it, 387 00:17:50,220 --> 00:17:51,528 probably get halfway through tomorrow 388 00:17:51,570 --> 00:17:55,308 and then start thinking about taking some paresis, 389 00:17:55,350 --> 00:17:58,890 while we're trying to be careful with it, with water. 390 00:18:11,283 --> 00:18:13,218 I've been in this game now for two decades. 391 00:18:13,260 --> 00:18:14,358 I've either been running, coaching 392 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:15,498 or designing these races. 393 00:18:15,540 --> 00:18:19,398 So I've got to see a lot of people take these journeys on. 394 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:20,838 Simon is definitely one of those people 395 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:22,638 that enjoys the highs and the lows. 396 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,798 He wants to be rock bottom. 397 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:28,541 He wants to be in that pain cave, that misery, 398 00:18:28,583 --> 00:18:31,308 that thing that's gonna ultimately push him 399 00:18:31,350 --> 00:18:32,688 to the absolute limit. 400 00:18:32,730 --> 00:18:35,148 Because he knows and he's experienced it in the past, 401 00:18:35,190 --> 00:18:39,048 that with this low, will become a real high. 402 00:18:39,090 --> 00:18:40,428 The bigger the low, the higher the high. 403 00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:42,288 And it impacts him in a way 404 00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:44,680 that has been ultimately life-changing for him. 405 00:18:46,421 --> 00:18:48,918 I think there needs to be a lot more information 406 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,558 about ADHD and what it is and what it isn't. 407 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:52,900 I think some people have a 408 00:18:54,131 --> 00:18:56,208 very stereotypical view of somebody with ADHD. 409 00:18:56,250 --> 00:18:59,058 And they think they might be that loud person at school 410 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:01,278 or that person that sits and fidgets all day. 411 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,528 But there are different versions of it for different people 412 00:19:03,570 --> 00:19:05,088 and people will adapt differently. 413 00:19:05,130 --> 00:19:07,508 Predominantly hyperactive is only 15% 414 00:19:07,550 --> 00:19:09,168 of people with ADHD. 415 00:19:09,210 --> 00:19:12,468 It's a significant proportion of women and girls. 416 00:19:12,510 --> 00:19:13,818 And so the idea that it's just a boy 417 00:19:13,860 --> 00:19:15,498 running around, is just wrong. 418 00:19:15,540 --> 00:19:17,298 People often ask me what ADHD is. 419 00:19:17,340 --> 00:19:19,008 And it's one of the ways in which people 420 00:19:19,050 --> 00:19:20,538 can be neurodivergent. 421 00:19:20,580 --> 00:19:24,018 So, neurodiversity means, basically, brain-based difference. 422 00:19:24,060 --> 00:19:25,668 And it means that you experience the world 423 00:19:25,710 --> 00:19:26,508 in a different way. 424 00:19:26,550 --> 00:19:28,488 How you feel about the world, how you think about the world. 425 00:19:28,530 --> 00:19:29,358 So it's really common. 426 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,473 And ADHD's about one in 20 adults. 427 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,878 I have done the Marathon des Sables in 2019 and 2022. 428 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:39,468 I have ADHD. 429 00:19:39,510 --> 00:19:42,018 I tried to explain it to people by saying, 430 00:19:42,060 --> 00:19:44,058 it's like when you have your laptop open, 431 00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:47,328 for most, you know, kind of, typical thinkers, 432 00:19:47,370 --> 00:19:51,198 if they have too many windows open, it drives them crazy. 433 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,523 I always have that many windows open. 434 00:19:54,449 --> 00:19:56,628 You can get very charged up or very drained, 435 00:19:56,670 --> 00:20:00,078 I think, just a bit more easier than others. 436 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:03,948 And it's difficult to prioritize, sometimes. 437 00:20:03,990 --> 00:20:06,318 I think it's really important, as society, 438 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:09,708 to understand that there isn't one-size-fits-all, 439 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:11,598 with any condition. 440 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:12,888 There are general symptoms, 441 00:20:12,930 --> 00:20:14,898 some may be positive, some may be negative. 442 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:18,648 But how a person generally handles it, is up to them. 443 00:20:18,690 --> 00:20:20,883 We're all unique individuals, plus ADHD. 444 00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:26,898 The event is so vast and so big, it's a bit crazy. 445 00:20:26,940 --> 00:20:29,958 So, I'm on a journey to try and control the chaos 446 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,688 and stop the noise in my brain. 447 00:20:32,730 --> 00:20:35,373 And, it's not quite like that here. 448 00:20:36,510 --> 00:20:37,510 Whatever that means. 449 00:21:00,581 --> 00:21:03,948 This isn't just a holiday to me, this is a necessary part 450 00:21:03,990 --> 00:21:06,588 of my own life journey. 451 00:21:06,630 --> 00:21:08,058 If I don't do these things, 452 00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:11,148 I will not perform at the highest level. 453 00:21:11,190 --> 00:21:14,448 I'm always aspiring to try and be as good as I can be. 454 00:21:14,490 --> 00:21:16,248 I mean, if I start with the guys in my tent, 455 00:21:16,290 --> 00:21:18,528 I might stick with them or track them a bit. 456 00:21:18,570 --> 00:21:20,568 But I'm gonna run, kinda, just getting through it, 457 00:21:20,610 --> 00:21:22,631 I quite like my own time. 458 00:21:22,673 --> 00:21:25,338 I think he would hold his hands up and say that he 459 00:21:25,380 --> 00:21:27,138 struggles with his mental health 460 00:21:27,180 --> 00:21:30,348 and actually, running, is one of the things that helps. 461 00:21:30,390 --> 00:21:31,878 Feel pretty positive. 462 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:33,620 Just gotta tick through the miles. 463 00:21:36,158 --> 00:21:38,088 In the case of ultra running, 464 00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:40,848 the running itself is the therapy. 465 00:21:40,890 --> 00:21:43,218 Such an odd thing to try and explain to people, 466 00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:45,798 that actually, when you talk about running ultramarathons, 467 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:50,840 especially multi-stage ultramarathons, people are, 468 00:21:51,060 --> 00:21:53,463 kind of, intimidated by the scale of them. 469 00:21:54,810 --> 00:21:57,827 But, perhaps they're looking at it in the wrong way 470 00:21:57,869 --> 00:21:59,543 or not looking at it through my eyes. 471 00:22:01,950 --> 00:22:06,018 Coming here, it's like a complete swap 472 00:22:06,060 --> 00:22:09,378 of mental capabilities and responsibilities. 473 00:22:09,420 --> 00:22:11,515 People that hear that I've done this race say, 474 00:22:11,557 --> 00:22:14,388 "Oh, wow, you really like to punish yourself, don't you?" 475 00:22:14,430 --> 00:22:16,248 And it's a form of judgment, where, 476 00:22:16,290 --> 00:22:18,468 I certainly don't view it as punishment, 477 00:22:18,510 --> 00:22:21,318 I view it as push, especially when you have ADHD. 478 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:23,943 If you push yourself to extreme limits, 479 00:22:25,170 --> 00:22:27,588 it is actually recharging the batteries 480 00:22:27,630 --> 00:22:32,058 and you go back, saying, there was an enormous challenge 481 00:22:32,100 --> 00:22:34,968 and I did that, I am capable. 482 00:22:35,010 --> 00:22:38,598 I think people with ADHD really feel that even more 483 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:40,731 than a typical thinker. 484 00:22:53,790 --> 00:22:54,623 So slow going. 485 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,168 Kind of just concentrating on 486 00:22:57,210 --> 00:22:59,328 getting in other people's steps. 487 00:22:59,370 --> 00:23:00,933 Wow, that's cool. 488 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,168 Shit. 489 00:23:03,210 --> 00:23:04,429 Yeah, pretty cool. 490 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:08,183 All right, enough of that. 491 00:23:09,225 --> 00:23:10,242 This will be here in a million years, 492 00:23:10,284 --> 00:23:11,834 so I can come back. 493 00:23:35,405 --> 00:23:37,788 I think the uphills broke my legs in, actually. 494 00:23:37,830 --> 00:23:41,702 I didn't really enjoy that bit but, then suddenly, 495 00:23:41,744 --> 00:23:44,508 running on sand felt a lot easier. 496 00:23:44,550 --> 00:23:47,508 He potentially uses ultramarathons 497 00:23:47,550 --> 00:23:50,328 as a way to keep him in training. 498 00:23:50,370 --> 00:23:52,758 You know, training and getting out and exercising, 499 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:54,708 is basically medicine. 500 00:23:54,750 --> 00:23:57,618 And it is what keeps you, kind of, focused, 501 00:23:57,660 --> 00:23:59,735 your endorphins above, you know, ultimately, 502 00:23:59,777 --> 00:24:03,468 it's a dopamine deficiency problem, right. 503 00:24:03,510 --> 00:24:06,198 And exercise raises that dopamine level. 504 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,358 I think it's almost a bit of an addiction, probably, 505 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,908 on his part, in terms of the fact that he needs to do it. 506 00:24:10,950 --> 00:24:14,298 And, it's to say, I've got this ultramarathon in the diary 507 00:24:14,340 --> 00:24:16,638 and kinda use it as a bit of a way to 508 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,430 manage his day-to-day life, really. 509 00:24:21,844 --> 00:24:23,761 Last 15K's been hard. 510 00:24:24,810 --> 00:24:27,528 It's all right, my feet need a little bit of attention 511 00:24:27,570 --> 00:24:29,469 but I really am okay. 512 00:24:32,130 --> 00:24:34,818 I will put 150% and more, 513 00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:37,203 leave nothing on the table, whatsoever. 514 00:24:38,940 --> 00:24:41,148 I don't think that's always healthy. 515 00:24:41,190 --> 00:24:44,628 When it's over, this brain fog, kind of, ensues. 516 00:24:44,670 --> 00:24:46,428 At the time that you're going through these 517 00:24:46,470 --> 00:24:48,520 periods of brain fog, it seems to be 518 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:51,723 after periods of extreme hyperfocus. 519 00:24:52,980 --> 00:24:54,528 You just run out of energy. 520 00:24:54,570 --> 00:24:57,948 It's almost like your mind is trying to get some rest. 521 00:24:57,990 --> 00:24:59,718 It's extremely frustrating. 522 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,948 And it's like a form of depression, probably. 523 00:25:03,990 --> 00:25:07,758 But without it taking you down those roads. 524 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:09,258 One of the reasons I love ultra running, 525 00:25:09,300 --> 00:25:10,998 is it gives me a chance to go away 526 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:12,978 and turn off from all these things. 527 00:25:13,020 --> 00:25:17,058 And when I come back, the brain fog has lifted 528 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:20,628 and actually, I have then complete clarity of thinking 529 00:25:20,670 --> 00:25:22,428 and it's just complete peace 530 00:25:22,470 --> 00:25:24,378 and straight line decision-making. 531 00:25:24,420 --> 00:25:25,653 It all makes sense. 532 00:25:27,090 --> 00:25:28,658 Exercise is often talked about as a treatment for ADHD 533 00:25:28,700 --> 00:25:31,398 and there's a really good evidence base for it. 534 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:32,508 It's also used as a treatment 535 00:25:32,550 --> 00:25:34,188 for other things, like, depression. 536 00:25:34,230 --> 00:25:35,748 And the reason it's good for the brain, 537 00:25:35,790 --> 00:25:37,218 the reason, particularly with ADHD, 538 00:25:37,260 --> 00:25:38,298 exercise is good for the brain, 539 00:25:38,340 --> 00:25:40,368 is that it increases noradrenaline and dopamine. 540 00:25:40,410 --> 00:25:42,198 And those are low. 541 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,808 There are low levels of those in people's brains, with ADHD. 542 00:25:44,850 --> 00:25:46,278 It increases levels of those chemicals 543 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,815 in about five minutes, 544 00:25:47,857 --> 00:25:50,328 which is quicker than any medicine can work. 545 00:25:50,370 --> 00:25:53,284 So it's something a lot of people use, to help focus. 546 00:25:56,328 --> 00:25:57,288 Yeah, it was all right. 547 00:25:57,330 --> 00:25:58,218 I'm glad it's over. 548 00:25:58,260 --> 00:26:00,198 Those second days are awful. 549 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,588 I think from the last experience that I had with MDS, 550 00:26:03,630 --> 00:26:06,468 I've learned how to treat myself. 551 00:26:06,510 --> 00:26:07,698 So, like, if I feel tired, 552 00:26:07,740 --> 00:26:09,768 I'm happy to go and have a rest for five minutes. 553 00:26:09,810 --> 00:26:11,478 Previously, I'd just run through exhaustion 554 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:12,708 and then I would've collapsed, 555 00:26:12,750 --> 00:26:15,738 I mean, I'd be in a heap but I'm in a controlled heap. 556 00:26:15,780 --> 00:26:17,568 I'm just tired and resting. 557 00:26:17,610 --> 00:26:20,160 Whereas, I'm not delirious today. 558 00:26:24,540 --> 00:26:26,418 Of course, I want the challenge. 559 00:26:26,460 --> 00:26:29,268 But actually, there's a big part of my mindset 560 00:26:29,310 --> 00:26:31,578 that's looking forward to giving my brain 561 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:32,898 a bit of a holiday. 562 00:26:32,940 --> 00:26:36,978 And I can just relax on the most basic of things, you know, 563 00:26:37,020 --> 00:26:39,048 by getting to a tree or getting to a corner 564 00:26:39,090 --> 00:26:41,440 or, you know, just getting to the end of a day. 565 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,148 It puts everything into context. 566 00:26:44,190 --> 00:26:47,658 Seeing a desert and, you know, just things 567 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:49,968 in a complete natural space, 568 00:26:50,010 --> 00:26:54,168 without any interferences from us, whatsoever. 569 00:26:54,210 --> 00:26:56,118 That to me, is peaceful. 570 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,248 That brings peace to the noise 571 00:26:58,290 --> 00:27:00,731 that sometimes comes into my brain, I think. 572 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,708 There is an additional challenge with his ADHD. 573 00:27:06,750 --> 00:27:09,768 Where he's gonna have to really focus on some certain areas 574 00:27:09,810 --> 00:27:11,088 to be successful. 575 00:27:11,130 --> 00:27:13,680 He's gonna have to quieten that noise, quite a lot. 576 00:27:15,690 --> 00:27:17,778 Today is a long stage. 577 00:27:17,820 --> 00:27:19,398 We're starting at six, 578 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,275 run for about three quarters an hour, in the dark. 579 00:27:22,317 --> 00:27:25,443 But it's quite a slog, to do 85 kilometers. 580 00:27:30,103 --> 00:27:32,893 Just so much depends on how tough the first 581 00:27:34,470 --> 00:27:35,808 three or four hours are. 582 00:27:35,850 --> 00:27:38,250 Yeah, I'm just not sure what we're gonna do yet. 583 00:27:44,850 --> 00:27:48,858 The long stage is a pretty huge moment. 584 00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:50,778 Once you've cracked it, you know, 585 00:27:50,820 --> 00:27:53,448 you've done something, you're well over halfway. 586 00:27:53,490 --> 00:27:55,308 So I'm just gonna take today really slow and steady, 587 00:27:55,350 --> 00:27:58,458 just tick off the kilometers and the checkpoints 588 00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:00,708 and see how I sit by two o'clock, 589 00:28:00,750 --> 00:28:02,682 then make a decision about whether I'm gonna stay 590 00:28:02,724 --> 00:28:07,398 at a checkpoint for three hours while the sun settles down 591 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:08,231 and then go again. 592 00:28:08,273 --> 00:28:09,498 Or if I feel good, I'll go. 593 00:28:09,540 --> 00:28:12,198 Yeah, last time I didn't do the long stage 594 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,333 'cause the long stage was on the fourth day. 595 00:28:15,270 --> 00:28:16,098 Simon. 596 00:28:16,140 --> 00:28:17,478 Yeah. 597 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:18,915 Yeah. 598 00:28:21,206 --> 00:28:22,412 Oh he's the joker. 599 00:28:22,454 --> 00:28:23,770 You're a joker. 600 00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:26,675 I didn't get to do the long stage 601 00:28:26,717 --> 00:28:29,235 'cause I pulled out on the morning of day four. 602 00:28:29,277 --> 00:28:31,698 And I feel intimidated by it 603 00:28:31,740 --> 00:28:34,908 but, I'm just gonna clock it off, you know, 604 00:28:34,950 --> 00:28:36,588 checkpoint by checkpoint. 605 00:28:36,630 --> 00:28:39,285 And have a good look at two o'clock and see how I stand. 606 00:28:39,327 --> 00:28:44,191 Oh, the distance today is, 85.3 kilometers. 607 00:28:47,181 --> 00:28:48,438 The long stage is gonna be hard for them 608 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:49,908 to tap into flow states. 609 00:28:49,950 --> 00:28:52,278 All of the other runners around them, 610 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:56,238 intense hunger, intense thirst, which only grows. 611 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,478 It will be so hard to get into the zone and stay in it 612 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,158 and not be distracted by your sore feet. 613 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,888 Your 15 blisters, the hot desert sun. 614 00:29:03,930 --> 00:29:05,988 There's some parts of this where Simon's brain 615 00:29:06,030 --> 00:29:10,128 will consume knowledge at a rate, faster than anyone else. 616 00:29:10,170 --> 00:29:11,778 But at the same time, when it comes to the race 617 00:29:11,820 --> 00:29:13,878 and it comes to the time where it gets difficult, 618 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,218 one simple mistake here, your race is over. 619 00:29:16,260 --> 00:29:17,868 Not drinking water on time, 620 00:29:17,910 --> 00:29:20,700 not look after a small blister, your race can be done. 621 00:30:28,384 --> 00:30:31,301 Woo, that was amazing, going down 622 00:30:33,307 --> 00:30:36,521 That hill was weirdly, quite enjoyable. 623 00:30:36,563 --> 00:30:39,228 But I'm just gonna really try and stay within myself. 624 00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:40,338 Don't overdo it. 625 00:30:40,380 --> 00:30:42,967 It's dangerous to go too quick. 626 00:31:27,196 --> 00:31:27,987 Yeah, it's getting hot now. 627 00:31:29,395 --> 00:31:31,444 Hard work, getting over the brinks. 628 00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:46,501 It's just amazing. 629 00:31:46,543 --> 00:31:49,428 As tiny as it is, you kinda, almost, like, 630 00:31:49,470 --> 00:31:53,173 compartmentalize it 'cause it's just so beautiful. 631 00:31:59,395 --> 00:32:01,553 It's getting warmer, it feels hotter than yesterday. 632 00:32:03,090 --> 00:32:04,698 Those long straights are gonna be the issue 633 00:32:04,740 --> 00:32:07,008 because I imagine there's gonna be quite a lot of those. 634 00:32:07,050 --> 00:32:09,423 The actual gains from running in the heat, 635 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:14,328 the peak of the day, on a day like today, are just zero. 636 00:32:14,370 --> 00:32:15,161 I just don't see any benefit. 637 00:32:15,203 --> 00:32:19,248 I've felt, in reasonable spirits up until now. 638 00:32:19,290 --> 00:32:21,378 These flats, like the one we're about to do, 639 00:32:21,420 --> 00:32:23,418 the ones that cause me damage. 640 00:32:23,460 --> 00:32:27,543 So, the next two stages will be quite big for me. 641 00:32:30,060 --> 00:32:33,378 I'm sure I'll revisit some old demons. 642 00:32:33,420 --> 00:32:35,898 A lot of the focus is on the extreme temperatures, 643 00:32:35,940 --> 00:32:37,368 with these things. 644 00:32:37,410 --> 00:32:40,038 But people forget that they're still running 150 miles 645 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:40,938 over five days. 646 00:32:40,980 --> 00:32:43,218 Even in temperate conditions, you'll still get 647 00:32:43,260 --> 00:32:46,218 repetitive strain injuries, hips, knees, ankles. 648 00:32:46,260 --> 00:32:48,528 And you have to pay attention to that, as well. 649 00:32:48,570 --> 00:32:51,078 Every day you're basically doing a different ultra, 650 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,018 across some of the most extreme conditions in the world. 651 00:32:54,060 --> 00:32:56,538 All the time you're getting stimulated by your environment, 652 00:32:56,580 --> 00:32:58,908 by the other runners around you 653 00:32:58,950 --> 00:33:00,558 but you've got this goal in the background. 654 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,018 So for some people who are neurodivergent 655 00:33:03,060 --> 00:33:06,108 and have ADHD, that might be the perfect sport for them. 656 00:33:06,150 --> 00:33:08,868 I'm a volunteer here at MDS. 657 00:33:08,910 --> 00:33:12,888 I was a late diagnosed ADHDer. 658 00:33:12,930 --> 00:33:15,910 I always think things end up into buzzwords, you know 659 00:33:16,765 --> 00:33:20,928 and ADHD is a superpower, well, do you know what, 660 00:33:20,970 --> 00:33:23,898 I suppose it's advantageous sometimes 661 00:33:23,940 --> 00:33:25,218 but it's also a hindrance 662 00:33:25,260 --> 00:33:27,498 because it's very nerve-racking sometimes, 663 00:33:27,540 --> 00:33:29,328 when you just wanna be organized 664 00:33:29,370 --> 00:33:31,248 and you wanna stop fighting with yourself. 665 00:33:31,290 --> 00:33:35,175 Grabbing hold of hyperfocus is a wonderful thing. 666 00:33:35,217 --> 00:33:37,008 And it's wonderful if it fits the right thing 667 00:33:37,050 --> 00:33:38,355 and it's terrible if it's the wrong thing. 668 00:33:38,397 --> 00:33:40,518 You can't always just hyperfocus 669 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,856 on what you wanna hyperfocus on. 670 00:33:43,740 --> 00:33:46,458 Like, something happens and you have to do this, 671 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:48,288 this, this, this and screw everything else 672 00:33:48,330 --> 00:33:49,121 that you were supposed to do 673 00:33:49,163 --> 00:33:50,628 'cause you're hyperfocused on this. 674 00:33:50,670 --> 00:33:52,698 We have a huge problem, 675 00:33:52,740 --> 00:33:54,338 that it's part of human experience 676 00:33:54,380 --> 00:33:55,788 to have a problem with focus, right. 677 00:33:55,830 --> 00:33:57,978 To procrastinate before something, 678 00:33:58,020 --> 00:34:01,098 potentially to struggle to focus every now and again. 679 00:34:01,140 --> 00:34:03,378 That is not the ADHD experience. 680 00:34:03,420 --> 00:34:05,568 The ADHD experience is having a debilitating 681 00:34:05,610 --> 00:34:06,498 impact on your life. 682 00:34:06,540 --> 00:34:10,428 It's exactly the same way that depression isn't sadness. 683 00:34:10,470 --> 00:34:13,938 That chronic anxiety isn't anxious on a first date. 684 00:34:13,980 --> 00:34:16,398 That OCD isn't a tidy kitchen. 685 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:18,485 Like, they have wildly different things. 686 00:34:54,929 --> 00:34:56,511 As hot as it's been all week, really. 687 00:34:56,553 --> 00:34:58,037 It's absolutely brutal. 688 00:34:58,079 --> 00:34:59,413 Hot. 689 00:34:59,455 --> 00:35:00,872 Really hot today. 690 00:35:34,993 --> 00:35:36,631 Got strength for a walk. 691 00:35:36,673 --> 00:35:37,998 I was pretty roasted. 692 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:42,318 Unpacked our bags, took our shoes off 693 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,378 and just chilled out for about two hours. 694 00:35:45,420 --> 00:35:49,083 A real lesson in historical learning, with these events. 695 00:35:50,709 --> 00:35:52,209 I would've just gone on before 696 00:35:53,410 --> 00:35:56,028 and that would've been extraordinarily dangerous. 697 00:35:56,070 --> 00:35:58,060 I mean, we're well over halfway now 698 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,298 but, drags and drags and drags. 699 00:36:02,340 --> 00:36:05,495 My mindset, with, well, you know, 700 00:36:05,537 --> 00:36:10,278 with ADHD, it's not suitable for this type of thing. 701 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,648 I think one of the reasons I do this, 702 00:36:12,690 --> 00:36:16,698 is to try and exercise discipline and I struggle with it. 703 00:36:16,740 --> 00:36:19,158 You know, you're in your head, you're like, stop, stop, 704 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,478 have a break, stop, just gotta keep going, keep going. 705 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,433 Every part of me wants to stop, when it's like that. 706 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:29,424 But I won't. 707 00:36:31,050 --> 00:36:34,490 My biggest problem right now, is overheating. 708 00:36:34,532 --> 00:36:37,308 'Cause my head starts to throb. 709 00:36:37,350 --> 00:36:39,393 I mean, I can't cool down. 710 00:36:44,269 --> 00:36:45,628 Good, thank you. 711 00:36:45,670 --> 00:36:46,623 Okay, thank you. 712 00:36:56,070 --> 00:36:57,556 Just to get off those dunes. 713 00:36:57,598 --> 00:36:58,389 Yeah. 714 00:36:58,431 --> 00:36:59,418 Once you get off those dunes. 715 00:36:59,460 --> 00:37:00,251 Yeah. 716 00:37:00,293 --> 00:37:01,126 A bit of hard standing. 717 00:37:02,250 --> 00:37:04,833 So that means, like, hot, hot, hot. 718 00:37:05,700 --> 00:37:07,878 When you're racing in an extreme environment, 719 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,818 it's not always about the race, it's about the conditions 720 00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:12,708 that you face when you're there. 721 00:37:12,750 --> 00:37:15,948 Someone can be fine, to needing medical extraction, 722 00:37:15,990 --> 00:37:17,658 within the space of 20 minutes. 723 00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:18,648 It's certainly arduous. 724 00:37:18,690 --> 00:37:20,403 It's so still and there's no wind. 725 00:37:21,300 --> 00:37:22,548 You feel like you're baking. 726 00:37:22,590 --> 00:37:24,288 You're both going through the same thing. 727 00:37:24,330 --> 00:37:26,658 You're both feeling the same emotions. 728 00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:29,700 And, you know, together, you're almost, kinda, joint forces, 729 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:32,988 to combat it, as opposed to doing it alone, 730 00:37:33,030 --> 00:37:34,488 which can be quite daunting and difficult, 731 00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:36,438 particularly in, you know, in an environment like this, 732 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,168 when there's two of you with the same goal. 733 00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:41,028 Yeah, you can, kind of, sort of, drive each other on. 734 00:37:41,070 --> 00:37:41,861 He's been great. 735 00:37:41,903 --> 00:37:43,578 Tell me everything, put my sun cream on 736 00:37:43,620 --> 00:37:46,320 and make sure I'm drinking and so on and so forth, so. 737 00:37:53,896 --> 00:37:56,118 This is the best way to get to know anyone. 738 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:56,951 There's nothing. 739 00:37:56,993 --> 00:37:57,959 It doesn't matter who you are 740 00:37:58,001 --> 00:38:00,228 or where you come from or what your background is. 741 00:38:00,270 --> 00:38:01,533 You are what you are. 742 00:38:03,900 --> 00:38:06,282 That to me is probably the most exciting thing. 743 00:38:20,384 --> 00:38:23,898 When you're halfway through a race, like the MDS, 744 00:38:23,940 --> 00:38:27,138 you almost certainly got something happening to you 745 00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:28,630 that wasn't part of the plan. 746 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:33,948 Suffering now. 747 00:38:33,990 --> 00:38:35,958 Blisters, could be a whole load of things 748 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,478 but, you know, a lot of people will be thinking, 749 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,418 this wasn't in my plan and start to panic. 750 00:38:41,460 --> 00:38:42,678 Simon, again, is experienced. 751 00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:44,208 So he's seen a lot of these things 752 00:38:44,250 --> 00:38:45,648 and will probably stay relaxed. 753 00:38:45,690 --> 00:38:47,283 Very, very, very sore. 754 00:38:48,450 --> 00:38:51,603 Feet are really starting to break down now. 755 00:38:52,770 --> 00:38:53,958 A lot must go into these races 756 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,258 to test ourselves physically and mentally. 757 00:38:57,300 --> 00:38:59,148 And at some point in the race, you know, 758 00:38:59,190 --> 00:39:00,768 we will be utterly broken. 759 00:39:00,810 --> 00:39:04,578 So it's been hot all day, now the sun's going down, 760 00:39:04,620 --> 00:39:09,093 one problem disappears and another one rises. 761 00:39:09,999 --> 00:39:11,448 So, literally, as soon as the sun's gone down, 762 00:39:11,490 --> 00:39:13,803 my feet have just stepped up about five years. 763 00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:15,678 When the sun goes down, 764 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:17,778 there's a different set of challenges. 765 00:39:17,820 --> 00:39:20,478 The way I would like to run it would be in the daytime. 766 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,338 I don't really want to run at night at all. 767 00:39:22,380 --> 00:39:23,808 I've never enjoyed running at night. 768 00:39:23,850 --> 00:39:27,408 It's very easy to focus entirely on the physical side. 769 00:39:27,450 --> 00:39:30,393 But it's a mental race, more than a physical race. 770 00:39:40,773 --> 00:39:41,940 I am so hot, 771 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:44,343 I want water. 772 00:39:46,350 --> 00:39:48,880 It's where we have still plenty of energy 773 00:39:50,627 --> 00:39:53,028 to enjoy this part of the stage. 774 00:39:53,070 --> 00:39:54,318 It's not entirely true of course 775 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:55,910 but we have to keep the spirit. 776 00:39:58,212 --> 00:39:59,508 I just want it done now, you know. 777 00:39:59,550 --> 00:40:02,405 Starting to not think very clearly. 778 00:40:02,447 --> 00:40:04,098 That's the problem when you get tired, 779 00:40:04,140 --> 00:40:05,793 you just start to fucking. 780 00:40:09,030 --> 00:40:11,364 Just not very organized, are you? 781 00:40:11,406 --> 00:40:12,648 You know what I mean? 782 00:40:12,690 --> 00:40:14,373 Start to fucking drop the ball. 783 00:40:16,332 --> 00:40:17,930 The thing is, you're just getting 784 00:40:17,972 --> 00:40:20,091 close to, kind of, exhaustion. 785 00:40:20,133 --> 00:40:22,278 I'm feeling a little bit dehydrated, 786 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,578 despite constant drinking, every five minutes. 787 00:40:25,620 --> 00:40:28,248 But, we just need to get our heads up and go on. 788 00:40:28,290 --> 00:40:30,918 My children, keep thinking about them. 789 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:35,268 These latter stages, you know, they strip you away 790 00:40:35,310 --> 00:40:39,131 of lots of things and perhaps that's, in a sick way, 791 00:40:39,173 --> 00:40:41,058 part of the attraction. 792 00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:42,900 That allows me to, kind of, build up 793 00:40:43,748 --> 00:40:46,488 my reserves again, in a very strange way. 794 00:40:46,530 --> 00:40:49,278 It's extremely intimidating to come back 795 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,448 to a place like this and revisit those things. 796 00:40:53,490 --> 00:40:56,418 You know, this is a big achievement today. 797 00:40:56,460 --> 00:40:58,563 Honestly, I really am broken. 798 00:41:01,047 --> 00:41:05,583 I think, smiling and being jovial, is, kind of, my way of 799 00:41:06,570 --> 00:41:09,918 placating certain things, you know, normal stuff. 800 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,938 ADHD at school, played the fool, disruptive, 801 00:41:13,980 --> 00:41:16,128 I guess it got me attention of some kind, 802 00:41:16,170 --> 00:41:18,783 which I was attracted to. 803 00:41:20,037 --> 00:41:22,037 And that's, kind of, like, stuck with me 804 00:41:23,752 --> 00:41:25,278 throughout my adult life too. 805 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:27,918 I do think that's a defense mechanism. 806 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:29,620 It would be good to help 807 00:41:30,690 --> 00:41:33,408 myself and people like me, 808 00:41:33,450 --> 00:41:37,158 not feel like they have to repress their emotion. 809 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,018 There's no judgment in running. 810 00:41:39,060 --> 00:41:40,958 I love the fact that there's no judgment 811 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,788 on where you come from, how much money you have, 812 00:41:43,830 --> 00:41:45,180 you know, any of that shit. 813 00:41:47,130 --> 00:41:48,230 It's really important. 814 00:41:49,957 --> 00:41:53,418 I think, you know, we're very fortunate in the west, 815 00:41:53,460 --> 00:41:55,668 you know, things are getting easier by the day 816 00:41:55,710 --> 00:41:58,818 and I think you need to remember we were born in caves, 817 00:41:58,860 --> 00:42:02,575 so we're quite robust bits of pit, as I would like to say. 818 00:42:02,617 --> 00:42:04,136 And I think it's good to test that. 819 00:42:04,178 --> 00:42:05,988 It puts things into perspective. 820 00:42:06,030 --> 00:42:09,093 I'll go away from this better than before I started. 821 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:12,666 Both physically and mentally. 822 00:42:12,708 --> 00:42:13,698 A little broken, to be fair. 823 00:42:13,740 --> 00:42:14,628 Not physically. 824 00:42:14,670 --> 00:42:15,678 The thing with these races, 825 00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:18,078 you've gotta decompress for a bit to 826 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,321 figure out what you got out of it. 827 00:42:20,363 --> 00:42:21,948 At the moment I've just got pain. 828 00:42:21,990 --> 00:42:24,003 And I miss my family. 829 00:42:25,274 --> 00:42:28,278 Which, comes part and parcel of it. 830 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,743 You sign up to do this stuff, it's gonna hurt. 831 00:42:40,523 --> 00:42:42,190 Simon! 832 00:42:44,642 --> 00:42:45,639 Broken. 833 00:42:45,681 --> 00:42:46,598 Oh, my God. 834 00:42:48,236 --> 00:42:49,069 Breathe. 835 00:42:50,061 --> 00:42:50,978 Oh, my God. 836 00:43:02,193 --> 00:43:03,773 There's a lot of very hurt people. 837 00:43:12,979 --> 00:43:16,896 A little bit, you know, anxious 838 00:43:16,938 --> 00:43:18,261 about going out again tomorrow. 839 00:43:18,303 --> 00:43:19,848 But, just gotta eat today 840 00:43:19,890 --> 00:43:22,668 and make sure to make the most of the rest 841 00:43:22,710 --> 00:43:25,936 and get as much food down as humanly possible. 842 00:43:30,990 --> 00:43:32,538 Some people come here 843 00:43:32,580 --> 00:43:34,368 and they think that they are well-trained 844 00:43:34,410 --> 00:43:36,048 because they did some other races 845 00:43:36,090 --> 00:43:39,408 but, it's another story, you know, to live in the desert 846 00:43:39,450 --> 00:43:42,678 and to be able to do 250 kilometers, it's another story. 847 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:44,298 Here the problem is the temperature. 848 00:43:44,340 --> 00:43:48,258 We have two things, is the heat and your feet. 849 00:43:48,300 --> 00:43:50,148 We are not talking about small blisters, 850 00:43:50,190 --> 00:43:52,098 like with your shoes, in your city. 851 00:43:52,140 --> 00:43:55,128 We are talking about some blister, like potatoes. 852 00:43:55,170 --> 00:43:57,258 That's why you have to take care of your feet 853 00:43:57,300 --> 00:43:58,308 every day, okay. 854 00:43:58,350 --> 00:44:01,398 Because with the sand, it can be a big problem. 855 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:02,273 And the heat. 856 00:44:25,925 --> 00:44:27,981 I found today, that after a long stage like that, 857 00:44:28,023 --> 00:44:30,228 I've had a chance to, kind of, daydream of it 858 00:44:30,270 --> 00:44:33,078 and think about getting over halfway 859 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:35,860 and thinking about how clear it is that 860 00:44:36,720 --> 00:44:40,218 most people have got something. 861 00:44:40,260 --> 00:44:42,190 The one resounding 862 00:44:43,050 --> 00:44:46,482 bit of drive, that's coming forward, 863 00:44:46,524 --> 00:44:48,124 is to help young people who have 864 00:44:50,037 --> 00:44:53,388 got something going on, that isn't considered normal. 865 00:44:53,430 --> 00:44:56,778 Having a neurodivergent condition, such as ADHD, 866 00:44:56,820 --> 00:44:58,338 has its challenges. 867 00:44:58,380 --> 00:45:00,888 Some of those challenges, in childhood 868 00:45:00,930 --> 00:45:02,538 or when you're a teenager, 869 00:45:02,580 --> 00:45:05,448 a young person can be really difficult 870 00:45:05,490 --> 00:45:06,468 getting help with that 871 00:45:06,510 --> 00:45:08,868 or getting other people to relate to you better, 872 00:45:08,910 --> 00:45:12,738 knowing better how you tick, how you can pass exams, 873 00:45:12,780 --> 00:45:14,388 talk to people, socialize, all the things 874 00:45:14,430 --> 00:45:16,998 that some people take for absolute granted. 875 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,278 Some people with ADHD really struggle with. 876 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:21,798 There is an increased suicide rate 877 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:23,748 and that could be possibly addressed 878 00:45:23,790 --> 00:45:25,158 by helping people earlier. 879 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:27,618 All focus should be on trying to avoid people 880 00:45:27,660 --> 00:45:29,748 getting to a point where they take their own lives 881 00:45:29,790 --> 00:45:33,468 or spiral into some form of unnecessary depression, 882 00:45:33,510 --> 00:45:35,628 whether they're a male or female. 883 00:45:35,670 --> 00:45:37,743 It does seem to be a common denominator, 884 00:45:38,670 --> 00:45:43,368 women feel like they're not talked about enough, 885 00:45:43,410 --> 00:45:45,321 in regards to ADHD because of the way 886 00:45:45,363 --> 00:45:47,478 that they seem to develop when they're young. 887 00:45:47,520 --> 00:45:50,658 It's just the void between the two genders, 888 00:45:50,700 --> 00:45:52,115 I think, is just less clear 889 00:45:52,157 --> 00:45:54,378 'cause boys seem so much more immature 890 00:45:54,420 --> 00:45:56,868 and it just comes to the front earlier. 891 00:45:56,910 --> 00:46:00,168 We have a massive problem in the underdiagnosis, 892 00:46:00,210 --> 00:46:01,038 a full stop. 893 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:04,218 But we have a bigger underdiagnosis problem in girls. 894 00:46:04,260 --> 00:46:07,308 That stereotype, are you a little boy running around 895 00:46:07,350 --> 00:46:08,448 and are you disruptive? 896 00:46:08,490 --> 00:46:10,458 Whereas, a little girl is more likely to be disruptive, 897 00:46:10,500 --> 00:46:11,628 really, to herself. 898 00:46:11,670 --> 00:46:12,858 And on top of that, 899 00:46:12,900 --> 00:46:16,488 a lot of the research has been male only. 900 00:46:16,530 --> 00:46:20,028 And so, that understanding of women and girls, 901 00:46:20,070 --> 00:46:22,620 has not been researched properly and needs to be. 902 00:46:22,662 --> 00:46:23,453 Basically, you should be able to talk about 903 00:46:23,495 --> 00:46:24,438 whatever you wanna talk about, 904 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:25,993 with whoever you wanna talk about it with. 905 00:46:26,868 --> 00:46:27,910 That's the bottom line. 906 00:46:56,340 --> 00:46:58,578 My pack feels a lot lighter. 907 00:46:58,620 --> 00:47:00,303 I think having a day's rest, 908 00:47:01,260 --> 00:47:03,438 fuck, it just makes such a difference. 909 00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:05,508 But, I'm not blind to the fact 910 00:47:05,550 --> 00:47:07,528 this could be short-lived, so, 911 00:47:07,570 --> 00:47:09,258 I'll just try and gun as much as I can, 912 00:47:09,300 --> 00:47:11,203 until the sun gets hotter. 913 00:47:14,349 --> 00:47:15,601 We're getting stronger baby. 914 00:47:20,716 --> 00:47:22,305 No? 915 00:47:22,347 --> 00:47:24,168 28.4 anyways now. 916 00:47:24,210 --> 00:47:25,001 Already? 917 00:47:25,043 --> 00:47:25,834 Yep. 918 00:47:25,876 --> 00:47:26,826 Great, thank you. 919 00:47:26,868 --> 00:47:27,888 You know, in this race, 920 00:47:27,930 --> 00:47:31,578 you can find some very, very different people. 921 00:47:31,620 --> 00:47:34,008 That mean you have some CEO of companies 922 00:47:34,050 --> 00:47:35,448 and you have some workers. 923 00:47:35,490 --> 00:47:39,138 In this race, they are not anymore CEO or workers. 924 00:47:39,180 --> 00:47:42,078 They are in the same camp, they have the same tent, 925 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,058 they have the same things. 926 00:47:44,100 --> 00:47:47,946 The mind that I need to tame periodically, 927 00:47:47,988 --> 00:47:49,368 feels like it's at, you know, 928 00:47:49,410 --> 00:47:51,588 a relative peace, at the moment. 929 00:47:51,630 --> 00:47:56,418 Kind of, found my own ways of treating myself. 930 00:47:56,460 --> 00:47:59,148 It's very severe but, you know, 931 00:47:59,190 --> 00:48:03,174 I'll feel good for months, not days. 932 00:48:19,980 --> 00:48:22,218 It's almost like you can't cool yourself down 933 00:48:22,260 --> 00:48:23,051 quicker than you're heating up. 934 00:48:23,093 --> 00:48:26,688 So it's just like a bit of a chess game, really. 935 00:48:26,730 --> 00:48:27,828 Keep your sodium levels right, 936 00:48:27,870 --> 00:48:29,538 keep the fluids constantly going in. 937 00:48:29,580 --> 00:48:30,480 Dave, you going. 938 00:48:34,795 --> 00:48:37,973 My pee is dark orange, almost blood orange. 939 00:48:39,103 --> 00:48:40,970 You've got such a huge calorie deficit. 940 00:48:42,435 --> 00:48:43,968 Your body's just eating itself. 941 00:48:44,010 --> 00:48:44,838 It's a machine. 942 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:48,108 It's widely regarded as being the hardest foot race 943 00:48:48,150 --> 00:48:48,941 on the planet. 944 00:48:48,983 --> 00:48:51,195 Essentially, you're there to get yourself through it. 945 00:48:51,237 --> 00:48:53,687 But you are an island in the Sahara. 946 00:49:00,356 --> 00:49:03,678 Flats, runable and then it just went into dune, sand 947 00:49:03,720 --> 00:49:05,793 and hell, you know, it's just stifling. 948 00:49:08,129 --> 00:49:09,803 That was very difficult. 949 00:49:09,845 --> 00:49:11,378 Ah! 950 00:49:13,533 --> 00:49:14,366 Top job. 951 00:49:16,590 --> 00:49:18,228 So we're going down a route here, 952 00:49:18,270 --> 00:49:21,468 where we're choosing to talk really openly about it. 953 00:49:21,510 --> 00:49:23,088 Most people don't have that 954 00:49:23,130 --> 00:49:25,788 and they're just locked off to it, you know, 955 00:49:25,830 --> 00:49:29,268 to the point that it really alienates themselves 956 00:49:29,310 --> 00:49:30,101 from their own life. 957 00:49:30,143 --> 00:49:34,518 I see my son, who's got ADHD and I see myself, 958 00:49:34,560 --> 00:49:36,378 as, at his age. 959 00:49:36,420 --> 00:49:38,418 He can't help it, you know, 960 00:49:38,460 --> 00:49:41,058 it's just electricity coming out of 961 00:49:41,100 --> 00:49:43,428 his every pore, at different points 962 00:49:43,470 --> 00:49:44,928 and he doesn't know what to do with that. 963 00:49:44,970 --> 00:49:49,308 We know that 76% of ADHD can be described genetically. 964 00:49:49,350 --> 00:49:51,558 We've seen that through a whole lot of studies, 965 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:52,728 particularly twin studies. 966 00:49:52,770 --> 00:49:56,268 Almost every case, if one identical twin has ADHD, 967 00:49:56,310 --> 00:49:58,183 the other has ADHD. 968 00:50:06,930 --> 00:50:09,663 Little bit of a negative mindset. 969 00:50:12,780 --> 00:50:14,813 Just haven't been able to get into a rhythm. 970 00:50:15,733 --> 00:50:17,591 The desert is a beautiful, beautiful place 971 00:50:17,633 --> 00:50:19,413 but it's ruthless. 972 00:50:22,530 --> 00:50:24,228 Training of the mind. 973 00:50:24,270 --> 00:50:26,148 Pick yourself up, go again. 974 00:50:26,190 --> 00:50:29,088 Don't lose your focus and your temper. 975 00:50:29,130 --> 00:50:33,010 Take things in a balanced way 976 00:50:33,870 --> 00:50:36,213 and then, eventually, you get what you want. 977 00:50:37,410 --> 00:50:38,243 More dreams. 978 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:54,678 I had a horrible night's sleep. 979 00:50:54,720 --> 00:50:57,069 Mentally, I'm choosing not to be very positive right now. 980 00:50:57,111 --> 00:51:00,611 But, the fact is, we've got one last push. 981 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:05,688 It's been an amazing experience, in some respects. 982 00:51:05,730 --> 00:51:07,878 It's been incredible just to talk to people 983 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:10,938 so openly about ADHD. 984 00:51:10,980 --> 00:51:12,978 It feels like it's almost a relief for people 985 00:51:13,020 --> 00:51:14,778 to open up and talk about it. 986 00:51:14,820 --> 00:51:18,108 And perhaps we're assisting in creating a bridge 987 00:51:18,150 --> 00:51:19,350 to allow that to happen. 988 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:24,258 People say it changes you. 989 00:51:24,300 --> 00:51:25,938 You don't believe them but it does change us. 990 00:51:25,980 --> 00:51:28,518 I think everyone here definitely has a story. 991 00:51:28,560 --> 00:51:30,618 I was meant to do it with my brother and he died. 992 00:51:30,660 --> 00:51:32,298 And then, my mum's unwell, 993 00:51:32,340 --> 00:51:34,608 so I'm doing it to raise money for her hospital. 994 00:51:34,650 --> 00:51:37,908 Unless you've got a reason, you're not gonna finish it. 995 00:51:37,950 --> 00:51:40,878 I think, sometimes you need to push your limits, 996 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:42,228 just to feel alive. 997 00:51:42,270 --> 00:51:43,128 I think it's just going home 998 00:51:43,170 --> 00:51:44,568 and appreciate things a bit more. 999 00:51:44,610 --> 00:51:46,050 Kind of puts it all in perspective. 1000 00:51:52,650 --> 00:51:55,938 There's nothing more valuable than actual examples 1001 00:51:55,980 --> 00:51:58,938 of people who have got ADHD. 1002 00:51:58,980 --> 00:52:01,608 People just don't like talking about it, 1003 00:52:01,650 --> 00:52:05,508 until it impacts them or there's a kid in their family 1004 00:52:05,550 --> 00:52:06,341 who's got it. 1005 00:52:06,383 --> 00:52:09,768 Should it be taught in school, what these things are? 1006 00:52:09,810 --> 00:52:12,045 Being more open, talking about it. 1007 00:52:12,087 --> 00:52:15,198 And then knowing that having ADHD doesn't necessarily 1008 00:52:15,240 --> 00:52:17,298 limit you from doing something. 1009 00:52:17,340 --> 00:52:19,128 It can be addressed far earlier. 1010 00:52:19,170 --> 00:52:20,538 And before it gets a chance 1011 00:52:20,580 --> 00:52:23,808 to develop into something a bit more suspect, 1012 00:52:23,850 --> 00:52:26,478 it can be blocks off and rediverted. 1013 00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:28,728 That really is where this goes. 1014 00:52:28,770 --> 00:52:30,363 But that isn't a quick fix. 1015 00:52:32,040 --> 00:52:33,378 A lot of pain. 1016 00:52:33,420 --> 00:52:35,680 This is the hardest thing I've ever done. 1017 00:52:35,722 --> 00:52:37,818 Hand down, hardest thing I've ever done. 1018 00:52:37,860 --> 00:52:39,198 I think it's really important 1019 00:52:39,240 --> 00:52:42,258 to help people find a diagnosis early. 1020 00:52:42,300 --> 00:52:44,928 A diagnosis turns the lights up 1021 00:52:44,970 --> 00:52:47,778 and suddenly you can see your mates, you can navigate. 1022 00:52:47,820 --> 00:52:48,738 When we talk to people, 1023 00:52:48,780 --> 00:52:50,808 we know how life-changing it is for them. 1024 00:52:50,850 --> 00:52:52,195 Same time. 1025 00:52:52,237 --> 00:52:53,028 We go ahead. 1026 00:52:57,479 --> 00:52:58,270 Living with ADHD, 1027 00:52:58,312 --> 00:53:00,078 you've gotta make some quite big decisions. 1028 00:53:00,120 --> 00:53:02,718 When to push yourself and when to be kind to yourself. 1029 00:53:02,760 --> 00:53:05,598 You can only really do that if you really properly know. 1030 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:08,058 If you have a formal diagnosis. 1031 00:53:08,100 --> 00:53:09,468 There is a sense of, sort of, 1032 00:53:09,510 --> 00:53:11,298 coming home, being understood 1033 00:53:11,340 --> 00:53:12,168 and that's really common 1034 00:53:12,210 --> 00:53:14,448 when somebody has an ADHD diagnosis, is, sort of, 1035 00:53:14,490 --> 00:53:17,238 coming to understand why they are the way they are. 1036 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,208 It's like a light bulb and you're so happy 1037 00:53:20,250 --> 00:53:22,488 because you're like, I knew something was wrong. 1038 00:53:22,530 --> 00:53:24,228 That explains everything. 1039 00:53:24,270 --> 00:53:27,108 I think he just was happy to go, yes, I do have that. 1040 00:53:27,150 --> 00:53:28,608 Where he comes into his own though, 1041 00:53:28,650 --> 00:53:30,798 it provides you with hyperfocus, 1042 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:32,328 especially around things 1043 00:53:32,370 --> 00:53:34,218 that you're genuinely interested in. 1044 00:53:34,260 --> 00:53:35,118 And so the enlightenment 1045 00:53:35,160 --> 00:53:38,238 of actually knowing, is life-changing. 1046 00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:40,098 You've got the keys to the car. 1047 00:53:40,140 --> 00:53:41,748 You can seek help for that. 1048 00:53:41,790 --> 00:53:42,735 You can get medication for that. 1049 00:53:42,777 --> 00:53:44,238 You can look at support groups. 1050 00:53:44,280 --> 00:53:46,458 You can start to really play to your strengths 1051 00:53:46,500 --> 00:53:47,538 and manage your weaknesses 1052 00:53:47,580 --> 00:53:48,858 in a way you just couldn't before. 1053 00:53:48,900 --> 00:53:50,538 Knowing how you tick, helps you function. 1054 00:53:50,580 --> 00:53:55,580 I think it could just lead to a happier, more informed you, 1055 00:53:55,650 --> 00:53:58,338 which, essentially, is what we're all aiming for. 1056 00:53:58,380 --> 00:53:59,780 It's a peace with ourselves. 1057 00:54:01,437 --> 00:54:05,748 2021, it's just represented so many things. 1058 00:54:05,790 --> 00:54:07,278 It wasn't just about the race. 1059 00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:09,123 I stared into the voids that year. 1060 00:54:10,740 --> 00:54:15,108 This is a realization of how far I've come. 1061 00:54:15,150 --> 00:54:16,908 I've used something that I've probably known I've had, 1062 00:54:16,950 --> 00:54:21,798 for a long time, as an extremely positive influence on, 1063 00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:23,478 for many, many things. 1064 00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:26,358 There's absolutely no doubt that it's meaningful 1065 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:29,868 and powerful, if it could be understood. 1066 00:54:29,910 --> 00:54:33,948 But that's different in every single child and adult. 1067 00:54:33,990 --> 00:54:36,768 And that's why it can't be, just labeled. 1068 00:54:36,810 --> 00:54:37,953 It has to be broader. 1069 00:54:39,810 --> 00:54:40,980 I see the finish line. 1070 00:55:02,936 --> 00:55:04,604 Yes, yes, yes!