OK there’s now 23 months to to Dakar 2012 which starts on the 1st of January 2012 and will end 14-16 days later (tbc) – just in time for my 40th Birthday on the 19th of January!
I thought of the Dakar 24 Step Plan as a rough plan to do a task a month to get me to Dakar. They steps won’t always line up exactly one a month but it’s a realistic task load as I won’t be able to do too much more with current family and work commitments.
Some tasks will be quite high level and require sub tasks to complete and I’ll be blogging on the progress of all of them.
So let me know what you think in the comments, what I’ve missed or underestimated etc
Updated May 2010 -
After our recent planning session with Patsy and Zippy (see main page) I have amended the plan to reflect more play biking, and with entries for the Heroes Legend Rally, Tuareg Rally and fitness training for the last few months! One thing that this update has brought home is how quickly the plan is going! I have greyed out the first few steps as they are completed or out of date – it’s certainly not easy to make up lost time to it has to be at least 1 thing a month from now on to keep on track!
|
No. |
Step Name | Description/Comments | Date/ Duration |
| 1 | Publish and be Damned! | Blog this plan and get public (motivational, gets support and becomes self-fulfilling! – Hopefully!) | Jan-10 |
| 2 | Training in Malaga | Team Desert Rose Bike Training in Malaga 20/21st Feb 2010- Lovely Lucy (my wife) organised this trip with Patsy Quick for Christmas/Birthday present’ | 20th-21st February 2010 |
| 3 | Buy a Bike | My bike was stolen 6 months ago so this kind of hampers an off road biking career! A KTM is the most supported (and therefore obvious/sensible) choice for the Dakar. From 2011 bikes will be limited to 450cc this makes it feasible to get a single bike that I can use for enduro and Dakar. A lot of modification will still be needed but the basic mechanics and engine will be the same, which allows me to get mechanical knowledge on it now. | March |
| 4 | Sport Relief Event | Launch a campaign to do a sponsored ride for Sport Relief (may depend on step 3 though!) | 19th – 21st March 2010 |
| 5 | Ride! | Sounds obvious but making a commitment to ride an event at least once a month is difficult but necessary. I want obviously keep doing 3 hour cross country/hare and hounds races but also want to do new events like true enduro (timecard), extreme enduros (Dawn to Dusk, The Tough One, RedBull Romaniacs?) and Weston and/or Le Touquet Beach Races. | April 2010 to 2012! |
| 6 | Plan for 1st Practise Rally | Get finances and applications in for the first FIM/FIA Rally (either Morocco again or Dubai?) | May-10 |
| 7 | Wheeldon Farm Training School | Family week down in Devon at Wheeldon Farm http://www.wheeldontwo.co.uk/ Should be able to do a track session and maybe even support Desert Rose Adventure Riding Academy for the last to days | 1st week of June |
| 7 | Dunkirk | Play riding session at the Dunkirk sandy motocross track with Zippy and crowd? | June/July |
| 9 | Dawn to Dusk | 12hr Extreme Enduro Event | August Bank Holiday 2010 |
| 10 | Heroes Legend Rally | Paris Dakar! – Same route as the traditional Dakar but with more accommodating requirements! | October |
| 11 | Regular Trail/Training Experience | Look at getting involved on a regular basis with a training school or track (Off Road Training School, Desert Rose Academy, Docklands Riders?) Build contacts and a support base to transition into a part-time job for second half of 2011? | August – October 2010 |
| 12 | Mechanics | Get more mechanical knowledge and experience on KTMs. | July 2010 onwards |
| 13 | Get finances in place | Finalise finance plan and put finances and sponsorship in place for entry money. | Jan-11 |
| 14 | 2011 Tough One Event | The Tough One Jan 2011 extreme enduro training | Feb-11 |
| 15 | Get Rally Bike | Source Rally bike and prep over the next 4-6 months. | March to September 2011 |
| 16 | Tuareg Rally | Taureg Rally – 6 days in Morocco | Start of April 2011 |
| 17 | Dakar Entry | Submit entry forms for Dakar 2012? | May-11 |
| 18 | Ride Rally Bike | Start training on the Rally bike? | June – November 2011 |
| 19 | Time on Bike | Bike Time Bike Time Bike Time! Ride and get used to the Rally bike | October to November 2011 |
| 20 | Finance Plan | Finalise finances and get final payments together | Aug-11 |
| 21 | Final Practise Events | Morocco Rally /Final preparation event? If only 1 completed so far | Sep-11 |
| 22 | Fitness | Step up the Fitness Training | October to December 2011 |
| 23 | Packing and Final prep! | Getting the gear together! | Nov – Dec |
| 24 | Final Prep | Final preparations to Rally Bike before submitting for scrutineering and shipping end of Nov/Start of Dec? Fly out to Brazil after Christmas 2011 | Dec-11 |
| 25 | Finish the Dakar 2012! |
|
The Original 24 Step Plan:
| No. | Step Name | Description/Comments | Date/ Duration |
| 1 | Publish and be Damned! | Blog this plan and get public (motivational, gets support and becomes self-fulfilling! – Hopefully!) | January 2010 |
| 2 | Training in Malaga | Team Desert Rose Bike Training in Malaga 20/21st Feb 2010- Lovely Lucy (my wife) organised this trip with Patsy Quick for Christmas/Birthday present’ | 20th-21st February 2010 |
| 3 | Buy a Bike | My bike was stolen 6 months ago so this kind of hampers an off road biking career! A KTM is the most supported (and therefore obvious/sensible) choice for the Dakar. From 2011 bikes will be limited to 450cc this makes it feasible to get a single bike that I can use for enduro and Dakar. A lot of modification will still be needed but the basic mechanics and engine will be the same which allows me to get mechanical knowledge on it now. | March |
| 4 | Sport Relief Event | Launch a campaign to do a sponsored ride for Sport Relief (may depend on step 3 though!) | 19th – 21st March 2010 |
| 5 | Ride! | Sounds obvious but making a commitment to ride an event at least once a month is difficult but necessary. I want obviously keep doing 3 hour cross country/hare and hounds races but also want to do new events like true enduro (timecard), extreme enduros (Dawn to Dusk, The Tough One, RedBull Romaniacs?) and Weston and/or Le Touquet Beach Races. | April 2010 to 2012! |
| 6 | Plan for 1st Practise Rally | Get finances and applications in for the first FIM/FIA Rally (either Morocco again or Dubai?) | May 2010 |
| 7 | Set up a Charity? | Look into setting up a Dakar charity and get a finance plan in place. I thought an extreme sportcharity may enable more people to follow their dreams and raise money for good causes at the same time? | June 2010 (3-6 months to set up?) |
| 7 | Mechanics | Get more mechanical knowledge and experience on KTMs. | July 2010 onwards |
| 9 | Dawn to Dusk | 12hr Extreme Enduro Event | August Bank Holiday 2010 |
| 10 | 1st Practise Rally? | Complete the first practise rally – us this as a learning exercise on navigation, technique and endurance. | Sep/Oct 2010 |
| 11 | Regular Trail/Training Experience | Look at getting involved on a regular basis with a training school or track (Off Road Training School, Desert Rose Academy, Docklands Riders?) Build contacts and a support base to transition into a part-time job for second half of 2011? | August – October 2010 |
| 12 | Sponsorship Package/Proposals | Start getting sponsorship and putting together a Dakar 2012 Proposal to present to companies and sponsors. | November 2010 |
| 13 | Get finances in place | Finalise finance plan and put finances and sponsorship in place for entry money. | January 2011 |
| 14 | 2011 Tough One Event | The Tough One Jan 2011 extreme enduro training | February 2011 |
| 15 | Get Rally Bike | Source Rally bike and prep over the next 4-6 months. | March to September 2011 |
| 16 | 2nd Practise Rally | Rally Tunisie April/May 2011 training rally? | April 2011 |
| 17 | Dakar Entry | Submit entry forms for Dakar 2012? | May 2011 |
| 18 | Ride Rally Bike | Start training on the Rally bike? | June – November 2011 |
| 19 | Fitness Plan | Finalise fitness plan and step up fitness regime. | July 2011 |
| 20 | Finance Plan | Finalise finances and get final payments together | August 2011 |
| 21 | 3rd practise Rally? | Morocco Rally /Final preparation event? If only 1 completed so far | September 2011 |
| 22 | Fitness | Step up the Fitness Training | October to December 2011 |
| 23 | Time on Bike | Bike Time Bike Time Bike Time! Ride and get used to the Rally bike | October to November 2011 |
| 24 | Final Prep | Final preparations to Rally Bike before submitting for scrutineering and shipping end of Nov/Start of Dec? Fly out to Brazil after Christmas 2011 | December 2011 |
| 25 | Finish the Dakar 2012! |
Hi, My name is Xandra & Im from Australia and I think you are inspiring…My husband is an avid rider and often says that he would love to do the Dakar…just to say that he has done it…So as his wife I’m going to make it happen and Im just going to go along with him. Problem is…I have never ridden before but I have had two children with a 3rd on the way…so 12,000 klm will be a snap (haha!)…Nup im just going to learn to ride (im not letting him have all the fun on his own!!)…we have sooo much space here in australia to practice…Wish me luck…I’ll be looking out for you in the 2012 Dakar…Not long now!!
How long have you been riding for?
Will you publish your rider number on here so we can follow you??
[...] The 24 Step Plan… [...]
good plan, but i dont see push ups of the list. now drop and do 30…
i have been in us stage rally for 10 years now, driving and co-driving.
i’m giving it up for a shot a dakar but i think i’m on a 3yr plan.
i wish you all the luck that you will need.
brian moody in denver
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your support – I just checked out your site, very nice (and I like the Rowan Atkinson picture ; -)
3yrs is probably a better timescale the more I look into this and the more I realise how big a deal it is!
Let me know if you find any good tips etc in your own plans as all comments welcome!
Cheers Jago
Hi Jago – LOVE IT. And what a plan. No less than I’d expect from you with your project management credentials. xxx
Dear Jago, it all looks very ambitious – but wouldnt it be just as challenging, to mend the outside tap, fix Jed’s train set, put those bedroom curtains up, feed the cat and take the dog out for a walk a few times?
hi Lance- it probably would although it requires less tech and gagdets and is by far a less catchy name for a blog;
mend-tap-fix-train-set-put-curtains-up-feed-cat-take-dog-for-walk24.com ?