Training

If you want to pull a 180 kg sled through the snow in -30°C for 14 hours a day, every day for 11 weeks, you need to be pretty well prepared. John and Justin will use an average of 8,000 calories a day, and up to 12,000 a day in the early stages, much the same as running 4 marathons.

Being able to sustain such energy expenditure requires significant training. They need to be as efficient as possible, powerful, with great endurance and a cast iron mental attitude. In order to get to this position John and Justin are working with a team of three experts:

Dr Andy Middlebrooke (www.exercisescienceconsulting.co.uk), is a consultant physiologist to UK Athletics and lectures at Exeter University. He has worked with Olympic Gold Medallists and world record holders. Andy is responsible for planning and monitoring the team's physical training program.

Tim Edbrooke (www.timedbrookephysiotherapy.co.uk), elite sports physiotherapist. Tim is fundamental in minimising the training time lost through injury.

Dr Tim Rees (www.people.ex.ac.uk/tjrees0/), Senior Lecturer in Sports Psychology at Exeter University. Helping the team develop techniques to attain and maintain a strong mental discipline, which will be as important as his physical strength.

Until six months or so before the expedition the team concentrates on developing their general aerobic and resistance training conditioning. They then move onto further improving their aerobic capacity and absolute strength. With 15 weeks to go the emphasis is on power development and, for the final 8 weeks the training becomes near full-time as John and Justin maximise their endurance economy and strength.

Crucially the training program has been developed from past polar experience to ensure that the team obtains the maximum benefit in the range of exercise intensity that they will be undergoing the most. Given the vital importance of keeping the sled weight to a minimum, enhancing the efficiency of their bodies is crucial.

Developments in the training program will be covered from time to time in the diary