From Family Life to the Sahara: Taking on Marathon des Sables Together

What happens when you combine young kids, an international move, and one of the toughest endurance races on the planet?In this episode, Max and Sarah were joined by Josie Kaufmann and Michael Canil — a husband and wife duo who recently relocated from Australia to rural France and took on the legendary Marathon des Sables.Often called the “toughest footrace on Earth,” MDS is a self-sufficient, multi-stage ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert — testing not just physical endurance, but planning, resilience, and mindset.But this episode goes far beyond the race itself.We dive into:How they balanced family life and training for an extreme multi-stage ultraWhat it really takes to prepare for Marathon des SablesThe logistics of racing self-sufficient in the desertThe highs, the low points, and the moments that nearly broke themWhat it’s like to go through something like this together as a coupleJosie is coached by Max, which adds an extra layer to the conversation as we unpack how training translated into the reality of the Sahara.With Michael coming from a strong Ironman background and Josie stepping into her first major endurance event, this is a story of two very different journeys meeting at the same start line.Expect honest reflections, a few laughs, and plenty of insight into resilience, pacing, and mindset when things get seriously tough.Plus, we’ve got our usual mix of icebreakers, truth-or-lie, and a quickfire round to finish.Coaching enquiries⁠ Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.We’re proud to be supported by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.⁠Trailskin⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.