Review of Running the Sahara
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Review of Running the Sahara
[Following is a volunteer review of "Running the Sahara" by Marcel Nickler.]
Running the Sahara by Marcel Nickler is a book that shares Marcel Nickler's experience in the marathon des Sables in the Moroccan desert in 2017. It containes Marcel Nickler's pre-marathon preparations, his driving force as well as his aspirations.
He grew up in Basel, Switzerland and his passion for long distance races had started after his friend Tobia shared a marathon experience with him. To Marcel, running was not just a way of life but a way to keep the body in shape. A way which helped him attain his greatest strength - balance.
His love for marathon gave way to his participation in the marathon des Sables which paved a way for the existence of this book.
The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world and the hottest. Marathon des Sables was not just an ordinary marathon race, it was an ultra-marathon race and was carried out on the hot ,rocky and Sandy dunes of the Sahara desert. This event is a test of patience and is characterized by a large number of runners dropping out of the race because of the harsh weather conditions and environmental make up of the course.
Marcel Nickler a 57 years old man decides to break his limits by participating in this course. Keeping all negativity at bay and embracing positivity, he aims at not just being a runner by a finisher of this marathon race. What were his preparations? How does he manage his health alongside his preparations? Does he actually finish the race? Did running on the hot sands of the Sahara have any impact on his body and health? What are his advice for future runners? All these questions and more are answered in the book Running the Sahara by Marcel Nickler .
What I liked about the book was, first of all, his courage. He stated in the book that he was 57 years when he decided based on his wife's advice to participate in the marathon des Sables. He did not look at the age limitations but rather saw it as the more reason to engage in it.
Another thing I enjoyed was his ernest preparations for the course which included getting a coach and sticking to the plan. I would also say that I loved the support he received from his family which consisted of his wife and two daughters. They did not discourage him but rather encouraged him to soar above his limits of course while keeping a good watch on his health.
I loved the wealth of knowledge hidden in this book. Marcel Nickler was not just telling a story of how he had run the hot Sahara desert, he was giving a guide to other potential runners. His details to every thing from his choice of shoes, clothes, tips for packing the backpack to minimize weight even down to the water discipline were simply outstanding. I particularly loved the way he described the Sahara desert. It gave me a real picture of what the desert looked like even though I had never been there. From the different parts of a desert which were the hammada which was the stony part to the serir which was the gravel part and even up to how dunes were formed, his descriptions were wonderful.
There was nothing I hated about the book. Aside it's unique length, error free nature, the language was so simple and easy to understand and indeed it was a real guide; for this, I give it 4 stars out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to engage in a marathon or even the Sahara desert marathon as it is a perfect guide.
******
Running the Sahara
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Running the Sahara by Marcel Nickler is a book that shares Marcel Nickler's experience in the marathon des Sables in the Moroccan desert in 2017. It containes Marcel Nickler's pre-marathon preparations, his driving force as well as his aspirations.
He grew up in Basel, Switzerland and his passion for long distance races had started after his friend Tobia shared a marathon experience with him. To Marcel, running was not just a way of life but a way to keep the body in shape. A way which helped him attain his greatest strength - balance.
His love for marathon gave way to his participation in the marathon des Sables which paved a way for the existence of this book.
The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world and the hottest. Marathon des Sables was not just an ordinary marathon race, it was an ultra-marathon race and was carried out on the hot ,rocky and Sandy dunes of the Sahara desert. This event is a test of patience and is characterized by a large number of runners dropping out of the race because of the harsh weather conditions and environmental make up of the course.
Marcel Nickler a 57 years old man decides to break his limits by participating in this course. Keeping all negativity at bay and embracing positivity, he aims at not just being a runner by a finisher of this marathon race. What were his preparations? How does he manage his health alongside his preparations? Does he actually finish the race? Did running on the hot sands of the Sahara have any impact on his body and health? What are his advice for future runners? All these questions and more are answered in the book Running the Sahara by Marcel Nickler .
What I liked about the book was, first of all, his courage. He stated in the book that he was 57 years when he decided based on his wife's advice to participate in the marathon des Sables. He did not look at the age limitations but rather saw it as the more reason to engage in it.
Another thing I enjoyed was his ernest preparations for the course which included getting a coach and sticking to the plan. I would also say that I loved the support he received from his family which consisted of his wife and two daughters. They did not discourage him but rather encouraged him to soar above his limits of course while keeping a good watch on his health.
I loved the wealth of knowledge hidden in this book. Marcel Nickler was not just telling a story of how he had run the hot Sahara desert, he was giving a guide to other potential runners. His details to every thing from his choice of shoes, clothes, tips for packing the backpack to minimize weight even down to the water discipline were simply outstanding. I particularly loved the way he described the Sahara desert. It gave me a real picture of what the desert looked like even though I had never been there. From the different parts of a desert which were the hammada which was the stony part to the serir which was the gravel part and even up to how dunes were formed, his descriptions were wonderful.
There was nothing I hated about the book. Aside it's unique length, error free nature, the language was so simple and easy to understand and indeed it was a real guide; for this, I give it 4 stars out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to engage in a marathon or even the Sahara desert marathon as it is a perfect guide.
******
Running the Sahara
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Do I Need a Will or a Trust by Taylor Willingham
