I have just completed 2006. Used The PT-03 trainers (one size too big, your feet will swell in that heat) with gaiters. Not everyone uses them, each to his own really. Advantage of them is you can apply vaseline to the sore parts of your feet without it taking on the properties of grinding paste. I could fill up a whole page of my experiences, pm me with any specifics. Bear in mind, I didn't compete, I merely wanted to complete. 2007 is full but they take a large wedge out of accounts in Oct, a lot of people pull out just before that so it is worth registering your interest.