Day 5 - The Long March - 73.6kms
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Done - 12hrs and 28mins - into camp 10min before nightfall which was the aim.  Not sure of position as they had a staggered start today with the top 20 starting one hour late and the top 3 two hours later.
 
 
Rubbish sleep last night - freezing cold - had to break out the emergency safety blanket at 2am.  Porridge and Sultanas, coffee and some cashew nuts for breakfast - not ideal.
 
Stage    1 - Salt flats - took some great photos, its so tough to run on this surface.
Stage    2 - Sand and rough terrain
Stage    3 - Sand and then a massive dune (think 50 stories high)
Stage    4 - Dry river bed
Stage    5 - Lose metal road (up hill) & a dune at the end
Stage    6 - Slots and down to camp
 
I was having a great day until the last 2 stages and then my tibia has got pretty sore so I slowed down lots in the end a few snuck past.  I drank 12litres of water today and have still not had a pee and am not de-hydrated - serious sweating - my red hat is crusted in salt.
 
Tomorrow we get a sleep in as the full field come in over the next 18hrs - some will be out all night.  We will start at 12 lunch and have a 10km run for pizza and the local beer (Cristal).  A shower will be good - I am so filthy - today I scratched my leg as it was itchy and my finger nails overflowed with dirt.
 
I am not sure that New Zealand customs are going to be too forth coming on the state of my kit when I arrive so I am planning to stand in the shower with it all on for 30mins - that should do both of us.
 
Song of the Day : What it is - Black Eyed Peas
 
Emails & Blogs from overnight / yesterday have not arrived - we will get them tomorrow morning.
 
We have 2 camp dogs which ran the trails with the lead guys all yesterday and most of today - we have no idea where they are from - they have been named "Salty" and "Crusty" who is currently asleep on my foot as I type - I am sure there are some photos of him (a small black lab).  I was to nervous to pat him yesterday in case I got a bug but we are now best friends.
 
Nic - I will call you Sunday Morning (you should get this Sat night) your time.
 
This has been such a great re-set and one of those great excursions.
 
Off to have some freeze dried shepherds pie and sit by the fire.
 
Later
Si Rob

An average nights sleep, warm until 2am and then it got pretty cold. Porridge and Sultanas' coffee and a slice of salami yet again - it will be nice to see some fruit in a few days.
 
Stage 1 was dunes out of camp and loose sand for 8kms, we came into a river valley which we had to wander down for 400m. Then disaster struck - I fell into a hole in the river and went down to my chest - lost a water bottle but worse still the salami I have been eating everyday and saving for the big day tomorrow - the water looked nasty so I had to toss it - damn !
 
Stage 2 was across desolate terrain and then into a forest. Stage 3 were the Atacama Salt Flats which we have all been nervous about - a 14km stage and the only one of the 22 labeled "extremely difficult" in the course guide. Tough stuff - salt flats which every so of often collapse under foot and you sink down (sometimes to your knee). Stage 4 was a short road run to finish off.
 
I cruised in with Tom (white tights) Naughton for 29th today - we were both pretty happy to see the end of the day and it was nice to have someone to melt with across the flats.
 
Camp tonight is on a salt flat with a lake in the middle of it and won't see anyone with cuts or blisters going near it i am guessing.  There are a few locals about who are game though.
 
Allegra & Morrie thanks so much for your email - I have taken lots of photos and will show them to you when I see you next Friday.
 
Tomorrow is the big day - 6 stages for 73.6km's - no salami but there are a few cashews and some sweets still in the pack as treats for making the check points.
 
Ten people dropped out yesterday - the legends in this race are still those coming in at 10:30 at night - Laurie (the 78yo) is going strong.
 
Thanks for all the mails and blogs - I may not post tomorrow as the cyber tent will likely be closed when I come in so it might be a day late by which time I will be eating pizza and heading towards a shower (the tent is getting a bit feral now with 7 guys who have not showered and only have one set of clothes).
 
Song of the Day : Walking on the Moon - The Police
 
Love to all
 
Kisses to Nic and Libby
 
Si Rob

It got cold again last night and I was by the door so not much sleep. Sunrise was a bit earlier as we were in such an expansive space with the mountains and volcanoes 10's of kms away.
 
Porridge & Sultanas (again), a few coffee's and a slice of that magic salami. Snacks on the run today were : 4 macadamia nuts, a  hammer bar and some salt and vinegar chippies (crushed in a ziplock to save room).
 
Today's terrain was very challenging (read awful).  Stage 1 was like a field that had been ploughed and then left to dry it crunched under every step and every so often you sunk. Stage 2 was a soft sand road. Stage 3 was more ploughed fields and sand. Stage 4 was sand, sand, sand and then dunes and more dunes followed by particularly nasty sand hill (think trying to run up an escalator going down) - at the top of the hill was the finish line.
 
I had a 34th which I am very happy with - the drums (to announce someone finishing) will be banging late tonight - its a brutal day both for course and for heat (the mercury went through 40 today I am told). Today was a big milestone as we are now half way with another 40 tomorrow then the big 82km day and then the 3km sprint for beer and pizza into San Pedro.
 
Camp tonight has a sand base which makes a nice change. We have a lovely elevated view (thanks to the hill we climbed) with nothing but dunes and one small oasis in sight but I am sure no one is going to go down the dune for a look.
 
Song of the Day : Crowded House (a NZ Band) - Four Seasons in one Day (no idea why - wishful thinking maybe).
 
Loving all the emails and blogs.
 
Kisses to Nic and Libby
xxx

A great nights sleep - up once to the black tent out the back of camp.  Porridge & Sultanas (800 calories), 2 coffee's and a slice of salami for breakfast.
 
Course briefing at 7:30am and then off at 8:00am.  Around 10kms of rivers to cross (think snow run off which numbs your feet) and run through on stage one.  Stage 2 was a big climb up on to a ridge line with the most spectacular views (I am sure the photos are amazing), then there was a "surf" down an enormous sand-dune which was lots of fun.  Stage 3 and 4 were relatively flat but soft and sandy under foot and the temperature has really got up (the rubbish bins in camp are melting).
 
The tent had a good day but all we are all (except for Blair who continues to nail it) feeling pretty sore and nursing a few blisters.  I had a 50th place today which i am pretty happy with and it's about how old I feel at the moment - there are lots of aches.
 
Swany - in answer to your question - I think the music last year was better in camp but its still early days.
 
Dunny - I have taken a photo of my blister for you and I even put a Norah Jones song on my iPod in respect of you - I played it day 1 - it did nothing - maybe i will use it as a sleeping pill tonight.
 
Jacqueline - the tent (of men) loved the blonde joke you sent through.
 
Song of the Day : Crusin by Smokey Robinson (I have the top hits from 1970-2008 on my iPod).
 
Camp site tonight is on the salt flats and there is pond inset that is blue like cobalt.
 
Spag Bol and some mashed potatoes on the side for dinner.
 
Thanks for all the great emails and blogs. Sorry to hear HK weather is so awful.
 
Lots of love
 
Simon
xxx

Not such a good sleep last night, up for 4 toilet breaks (you have to drink so much to keep hydrated). Frreeeezzzing cold - I had every article of clothing in my bag on incl, hats, gloves and 2 pair of socks. Camp tonight is lower so it want be sold cold.
 
Up at 5:30am drinking tea around a fire waiting for sun up. Noodles for breakfast, lots of coffee and a banana. RTP had a band playing from 7am which was brilliant and this was followed by a welcome from the RTP team and a course briefing for the day.
 
There were mentions of the superstars in the race (5 past 4 Desert winners), an Italian with MS (who I spent some time with today), the 78 year old (who has already done 2 of these events already), the 18 year old racing with his dad and a very emotional mention of all the Earthquake victims (all the RTP staff are wearing Chilean Flags this week).
 
We started at 8:15am - it was still quite chilly and the canyon which provided shade for the first few kms. It's dry, expansive and after a few hours it got incredibly hot - there is no cloud cover. I am sure there are some amazing photos as there are cameramen everywhere - try and have a look.
 
The leaders are amazing - the winner today (Ryan Sands) ran a 3hr 5min or so I believe which is 12km an hour over broken terrain, with lots of hills at altitude and in serious heat
 
Our tent all had a pretty good day with Blair coming in 12th and all of us in the door under 6.5hrs. I was 50 something (140 are racing) I believe. The feet have one small blister and I have spent the last few hours stretching with my feet elevated.
 
Amazing emails and blogs from you all - they will help me through day 2 as it was certainly not easy today - these events strip you back to basics and are incredibly humbling. Its all worth it for the scenery, to hang out in a tent with some great people (we are having such a laugh) and to be on course or around the fire with some incredible sportspeople and a wide array of super intersting people - this race has them all.
 
Love to all and big kisses to my girls.
 
Si Rob

A 2hr bus ride and we are here. Camp is at 3,200m in a large valley surrounded by huge red cliffs. Fires are burning in camp and people are settling in and getting to know each other. Mashed potatoes, some cold pizza (leftovers that I only had to bring on the bus), a cup a noodle and an avocado are on the dinner menu for me.
 
There is plenty of anxiety about with most people having been waiting around for 2 days now. Expect a fast start tomorrow as the course will be down the valley at 8am tomorrow.
 
We are in tent Los Flamencos and the name is already sticking with people asking if can stand on one leg ?
 
Until tomorrow.
Si Rob

Sunday 7th March... Good Morning Dinner last night was at a small local place in town which was great - Carbonara (enough pizza) was going down nicely until the complimentary glass of red wine came which put our table of 6 on the spot - but hey we all drunk up and slept well. My kit has been repacked 5 times in the last 3 days - yesterday I took all the dehydrated food out of their sealed bags wrapped them individually in clear-film, bagged them in zip-locks and drained the air. I have created a bit more room and reckon I am at 15k Calories in total + a very large Salami which I bought in town. I slept like a baby until 230am and then took a 1/2 sleeping pill and was back down until 7am. Just had breakfast - its starting to get really exciting with 30 or so people hanging around in the race gear with their country flags on their race shirts. I think everyone who is racing is here, although 3 or so people have lost all their gear but are fast being re-kitted (is that a word) by most - everyone seems to carry a few extras. In a few hours we are off to do the "race check in" and then it's a quick lunch and a bus trip off to our first overnight camp which is at 3,300m and by all accounts will be freezing cold. All the feedback from people we speak to is that this is an extraordinarily tough race due to the terrain (the salt flats are a nightmare), altitude and the change from extreme heat to zero temperatures at night. I will be blogging from camp when I get in daily. Keep the emails coming - they are great. Love to all (esp my girls). Si-Rob xxx

We are finally here in San Pedro de Atacama Below is a quick overview of the last few days (of travel). Tue... Departed HK - about 6 of us on the plane to New Zealand. Arrived in Auckland to be told the plane to Santiago had been cancelled and we would have to overnight and try our luck the next day. All of us headed into town and stayed down in the Americas Cup Village. A couple of quick phone calls from the local (me) and my old flat mate Anatole his wife Melisa and their children Molly & Oscar hosted us all for a Kiwi BBQ on a long warm night. Fantastic. You forget how good the produce is in New Zealand : Fresh Bluff Oysters (first day of the season), Lamb Sausages, Chicken, Steaks, Chops, and Salads - what a feast. The visitors were very impressed. The hardest part was us all keeping away from the bar. It was great to see old friends : Nick, Sam, and Jarrod also. We all walked home along the Auckland waterfront. Many thanks again Judges Bay Road. Wed... Another blue-sky day in Auckland. The six of us headed up to Vulcan Lane for a yummy breakfast and coffee. Then it was off to the Airport to try and get on the next flight to Santiago. We arrived 4.5hrs early to find a line a 100 people deep. With a fair bit of luck and lots of attempted charm we all managed to get on the 11hr flight as did those on the connecting flight from Hong Kong (except Graham Lappin who has been cycling in Waiheke he told me this morning). We arrived in Santiago at midday (3 time zones in 24hrs - whoooh). Santiago airport has earthquake damage (collapsed roof's in the airport) and customs et al are in tents on the tarmac. Considering what has happened everything ran really smoothly albeit it takes time. The Chilean people are so relaxed and helpful. We got some flights confirmed (super charm from Nick) and our group has grown to 15 or so crazies now. The 2hr flight to Calama was easy but everyone is starting to get a bit tired and my whole row caught an hour sleep on the way there. The final leg was a bus to San Pedro de Atacama and as we were packing the bus there was an earthquake which we later found out was a 6.4 . We arrived at the Kunza Hotel at around 9pm, had a long awaited shower a bite to eat and then it was off to bed - what a great sleep. Thu.... Sunrise is 7am and as soon as its up its hot, hot, hot. There is not a cloud in sight - I am guessing that's because its a desert, there is no water or fauna and hence on precipitation. Breakfast and then a 1km walk into town which feels like something out of an old western movie - its a main street which is 300m long and 6 or so streets off the side of it, a church, a square and a post office. Very quaint. Most stores are either travel agents and guides for the surrounding sites, restaurants or selling Al Paca ponchos, jumpers, hats, socks and gloves which does not really seem necessary considering its about 40 degrees. About 10 of us met in the square and had a local lunch (I had Tabouli) and then back to the hotel to repack some gear (for the 10th time), have a swim and a siesta. There are lots of us meeting in town for dinner tonight which should be fun - conversation du jour seems to be the decision whether to take all your food out of the freeze dried bags and wrap them in gladwrap and then pop in a ziplock to save 5gm of weight per bag and create the smallest amount more room in the pack or just leave as is ! Will Blog tomorrow. Love to my girls Thanks for the blogs and emails so far everyone Si Rob

Seemed like a good time to start my blog.

It's very sad to hear of the earthquake and death's in Chile but racing feels like just the thing to do to make others aware of the situation and raise some monies for what has happened.

The kit is looking and feeling a lot better than I am - it's not to say there are any injuries but I have certainly not done as many miles as I would have liked but I suppose that will always be the case.

I am savouring what feel like my last meals and today I had a Dim Sum, a few NZ Sav Blanc's, a swim followed by a 20minute shower - which might sound excessive but hey I will be on the other end of it soon. 

I am overly excited about going to South America as I have never been but am still shocked about how long it takes there - people I know say New Zealand is a long way - I am not sure what they would say about flying to NZ to get another flight equally as long to get to the country of destination.

Secret tip for those who read my blog and are racing and don't already know - your first meal of the race (the morning you wake up) does not need to be dehydrated Porridge and Sultanas - you can have bagels with peanut butter, pizza, new potatoes with salt and pesto - whatever you like - you "don't" need to carry it with you - you get dropped off remember and you can have that first meal in a shopping bag. You can also use real toilet paper.

More soon - thanks for all the messages so far.

Si-Rob