Hola! Well the long day is over and all that

Today started out a bit slow. Actually didn't feel too bad after yesterday's slog, but the day started out with a long slow uphill climb along a 'ridge' made up mostly of soft sand and dunes to get up there and I just couldn't walk very fast, so where I was hoping to get through the first stage in about 90mins it took about 2hr20 which was a bit demoralising.

But as i hit the second stage I sucked it up and thought if I don't even attempt to get a move on it was going to be a very long day and it was starting to get pretty warm. So I managed to jog about 1/4 of the stage I think which made me feel better. And then we hit the salt flats. 14km of flat,  hot uneven ground, the sun beating down on our heads vying for heat honours with the reflected heat coming up from the salt flats.

 

I started out trying to jog every third flag or so but eventually the heat was just a bit much and the uneven terrain played havoc with my knee so just tried to keep a steady pace and get through. Was also a bit difficult because I was on my own the whole day and that can make the time pass very slowly indeed. BUt generally I felt ok, I was assuming I'd get through that stage in about 3 hours and I think it took me just under 2.5 in the end.

 

So all up I thought today would take about 8 hours and in the end it was about 7.5 i think which is disappointing in that if i hadn't had such a bad stage one, it would have been a nice fast day (for me at least). Anyway, will take the long day tomorrow slowly and just get through at a good pace - would be nice to finish before midnight but there is going to be a full moon tomorrow night which will be just beautiful so staying out all night will be a pretty great experience i think.

 

We are camped tonight at the most amazing place with two sinkholes that people have been jumping in all afternoon - I am sure there'll be a lot of photos on those. I've decided not to go in, mainly because my old friend the UV allergy has surfaced and I donn't want to do anything to make it worse and I also have a blister on my heel that's open so I don't want to run the risk of infecting it. Besides that, I'd rather just stay filthy now that I am... Although it was making me laugh that as I ran into camp, the song on my iPod was "glamour girl". Hahaha makes me laugh thinking about it.

 

I think that's it for today. Your kind words and encouragement have given me great cheer for tomorrow' thank you! there won;t be a blog tomorrow as i will still be out on the course, but will let you know how it goes the day after.

 

Glad I am appearing in some photos the photographer is great trying to get each and every runner rather than just the top guys. Although I think starting to try to run when your body is screaming at you not to, just because you saw the photographer ahead has to be the definition of vanity...

 

Till after the long stage then....!!

 

cheers

kate

Today was BRUTAL. Even if I am alllowed to swear in the mountains. Which I did. I can't think of too many words to describe today that would be appropriate for a public forum.

 

So this is going to be quick - mainly because I have been sitting in line for an hour and a half waiting to use the computers and they've just told us t o hurry up because they're closing down

 

So. Today. Stage one was difficult, but stage 2 was ok, mainly along a long track. The course is marked by little pink flags and I managed to run alternate flags... as my knee started  hurting I would walk the next flag which calmed it down and then I started again and so on. Stage three was tough though and stage 4 a killer. I was absolutely knackered when I got into camp, i can;t remember the last time i was that shattered.My knee is beyond painful (which is probably not bad) and my feet althiugh not blistered are just aching so much from the terrain. It took an hour and a half to eat my first meal when I got in and another hour and a half for my second. But starting to feel a bit more normal and I am sure tomorrow will be better...

 

sorry thiis is rushed, we're being hurried up so i'll leave it there. Oh before I forget theough, no idea if there are any photos of me but I am number 53 wearing a blue t-shirt and black shorts and a white hat - similar to many others I know! but it might help for spotting purposes.

 

Thank you SO MUCH for your comments and emails. Please keep them coming you have no idea how much of a boost they are. I sat in a queue feeling rubbish for an hour ad a half just to read them, they mean so much.

 

Big cheers for one last day tomorrow before the looooong day. More tmorrow afternoon

 

kate

Day 2 done!

 

Today's scenery was just spectacular. Due to the rain, the course was re-routed as the slot canyons were regarded as too dangerous given the amount of water and the speed that it was flowing, so we were sad to miss them, but the alternate route had the most amazing view over a lush green valley a few hundred meters below. Checkpoint one was at the top of a ridge which and led to the BIG sand dune which was absolutely the highpoint of the day. I felt like 5 year old as I ran down the sand, elated, free and joyous. Unfortunately the long steep downhill also screwed my knee.

 

I spoke to the medics yesterday and the consensus was that taping would be cosmetic and ultimately useless, all i can do is take paracetamol when it gets too bad and apply some topical anti inflammatory gel. There's a whole long story as to why me knee is hurting and Ill get it checked out when i get back, but whatever the cause is, it hurts and in the medic's words, how I finish and when I finish will be entirely on my tolerance to pain...So...Bring it on!

 

I did try and run at times (I know, I know..). After the sandune, we headed along a long flat canyon, perfect for picking up the feet and getting a move on. I mangaged a few steps before the pain was intolerable and forced me back to the walk.I also tried a bit later as i was coming into camp, but no go.

 

So I'm not really very happy. Physically i felt good today (MUCH better than day 2 of sahara!) but am beyond disappointed. Had high hopes of improving on my sahara time, but that's probably out the window. I'm also finding that I am pushing myself to walk as fast as I can (trying to use that anger as a motivational tool..) which i dont think is as efficient as trotting along at that pace and is using my muscles differrently so my quads are in knots this afternoon. While we're on how i feel physically, usual complaints of sore shoulders and back, a couple of small blisters but nothing dibillitating so generally in good shape. Need a bit of mental recalibrating to adjust to the new reality of a slower race, but in truth am still very positive and determined to just enjoy it. It's still early days.

 

Everyone found today a bit tough, 4 water crossings which were blessedly cool but i think causing some people some foot problems, and our first taste of the salt flats which due to the recent rain were a bit wet in some parts and it felt (and looked like) we were 'running' across chocolate mousse that had a light icing sugar crust. Yummmmmyyyyyy....

 

Sorry got a bit sidetracked. It was actually pretty tough and hot and gives us some idea of what day 4 will be like.

 

Tonight we're camped by a salt lake and getting many bemused stares from the tourists there to swim in the lake.This is an incredibly beautiful place, ringed by snow capped mountains and valleys and hills and sand and some green and it's just amazing to be out here.

 

Thanks for all your blog posts, cheers me up no end!

 

Kate

 

PS Congrats to Fergus on his 100miler, under 24 hours is AMAZING. Very proud of you x

Sorry for the lack of a blog yesterday, the cybertent wasn't set up due to the rain. yes the rain. in the driest desert on earth. seriously.

 

Jumping back a bit, check-in all went to plan and the race briefing covered all the necessities: Lightening, flash flooding, rain and landmines.

We then piled into buses and drove the 1.5 hrs to camp one, where it rained, and rained and there was thunder and lightening and we were all advised that if lightening hit in the middle of the night, we'd be encouraged to leave our tents (metal poles) and crouch in the desert. more like an army bootcamp than the start of a race! Anyway all added to the excitement of starting and we were all very keen  to get going this morning.

 

It was a cold start but the morning warmed up quickly. I felt great for the first 20km or so. Started at the back so I could walk the first part just to get used to the altitude then started alternating a run/walk. We started at about 3400m, so no point in destroying myself on day 1 with altitude sickness.

Not long after checkpoint 2 however the knee pain i had during the Pilgrims race returned so I walked the last 13km. Was a short day but the stretch between checkpoints 2 and 3 included a long slow uphill climb in a canyon that was hot with no breeze so fairly strength zapping. the last stage was only 3.5km and was mostly downhill so I was much more refreshed when i got to camp. Have been very good at rehdrating and eating and am about to go and get my last meal for the day so I feel much better than i did after day one of Sahara.

 

It.s ferociously windy at this camp and the plastic they have put over the canvas tents to keep out the rain is flapping like mad and causing a heck of a ruckus so hopefully it will drop to allow some sleep tonight.

 

There are no easy days in the desert, but today was the shortest (barring the very last) that we will have, so tomorrow is 42km.

 

Not much else of interest to say, tent mates are all lovely as is everyone else here so (at the moment) it's a happy camp.

 

Till tomorrow

cheers

kate

In San Pedro! Arrived last night after 3 flights and a bus ride - a journey of around 30 hrs all up. But no complaints, pretty much everyone else is in the same boat and I have a couple of days to catch up on missed sleep and get myself organised. Luggage, food and kit all arrived safely and passed customs checks so I'm very glad there's no running around for last minute stuff. I am not sure what it says about me that I take great delight in being told by a customs official that I pack very well...

The hotel is basic but clean and comfortable and the bed was heaven to my muscles stiff from the long hours stuffed into economy class. Tomorrow (Friday) I move to one of the 'race hotels' where I'll be sharing with another competitor before we head to camp 1 on Saturday afternoon ready to start the race on Sunday.

Well, the big freeze hit the UK just in time for the Pilgrim

48 days to go and I finally feel like my training is starting to come together and I feel a lot more prepared than I did for Sahara. Mainly because I've managed to get through the last year without breaking any bones which has been helpful. I even managed to keep up the training through the festive period - motivation coming mainly from the promise of being able to eat as one should at Christmas and still being able to fit into my jeans. As an added bonus, there's nothing quite like running with a hangover to replicate just how rubbish I am sure to feel, at some point, during the race.

Fergus and I have signed up for the Pilgrim's Challenge (60 miles over the North Downs over two days) at the start of Feb as a training run. Ok, that's a bit of a lie. I signed Fergus up and he was informed he was doing it via an automated confirmation email. In true Fergus style though, he took the news very calmly and has generously agreed to slow down, shelve his competitiveness and join me in the run (Disclaimer: in the context of 60 miles, I am playing rather fast and loose with the word 'run').

Since that weekend was going to be back-to-back long runs anyway (albeit not quite so far) it will be a nice indication of how my body is going to recover over that distance. Testing kit is not so much of an issue as I'm taking pretty much the same kit that i took to Sahara and that I train with regularly anyway, so I am happy that it all works. I don't intend to run with a race-weight pack, but it will have some weight in it for practice.

One thing that I am finding a little more difficult this time around is to stop focusing on my minutes-per-km pace. As my training miles have increased, I've enjoyed seeing that I am going a little faster each time (which you have to understand, for someone as slow as I am, it's nothing short of a miracle unfolding before me). However, I am not training to run a marathon, or even an ultra at the fastest time possible. I'm training to be able to get through each day in Atacama in reasonable shape and possibly with a little more trotting than took place in Sahara, but at a pace and with enough hydration/calories/electrolytes that will allow me to get up the following day and keep going. As a result, I no longer show the pace on my watch when running and I don't stop or pause my watch when waiting at traffic lights or during other delays - because in the desert there will be checkpoint stops, toilet breaks and other reasons for slowing down, all of which count in the overall time. So for the moment, I'm just concentrating on feeling nice and relaxed, listening to my Coffee Break Spanish podcasts (Hola!) and ensuring I am regularly taking on water and calories on my long runs. I must confess though, I am not as good at taking regular sips of water as I will in the desert, which I think has to do with not being able to find a public loo when one is needed and stepping off to pee by the side of the path isn't as accepted in London as it is in the desert...