DONE!! :-)

Thanks for the thoughts and messages- it must have helped because today was great!! I felt good all day and made it into camp just after 3pm. I also found a walking partner (little V) who at 5 feet tall makes me look like a behemoth!!!

It was hot out on course and spent most of the time wishing I was on a beach with a cocktail. Maybe next holiday! We had a long 3rd stage today of 14km's across salt flat...which are actually hard and crusty and quite painful if you get your footing incorrect.

I think the difference was in my sleep. I had an incredible 9 hours last night which I think was to do with all the drugs I'm downing at the moment (thankfully). My feet are only slightly worse now but I've started treating early so hopefully they will be good as gold tomorrow morning to start the long stage.

Tonight my aim is to definitely get another good nights sleep. It is really hot each night so that is surprising (BB I didn't pack the thermals and it was a great choice) but there is always a nice breeze that sweeps through from 5ish each night.

My knee is also still causing me a fair bit of pain. I'm dosing up every few hours and it really does help. My main concern is that I will run out of drugs before Saturday- so maybe I need to ease off.

Special mention to Claire and her expert nurse skills for helping out with my rash and always checking up on me! It has spread a little further but the steroids have taken away most of the itching!

One last thing I wanted to mention was Sandy Suckling...she is smashing it out on course at the moment! She is in second place and absolutely flying!! I only wish I was half as fast or half as tough!

Tomorrow (the LONG day) will be a huge test mentally and physically but I think we all focus on the fact that once we get through it we are almost home.

Everyone is my tent is doing it tough. Michael always is first to arrive followed by Ronnie and myself. Scott is the next in and although he has been doing it tough I have no doubt he will smash it home on Sat. Derm makes us all laugh, poor guy got sunburnt in the cyber tent and carries a pack nearly twice the weight of everyone else...YET- still smiles at the end of every day.

Jen- if I was half as fast as you I'd be loving it!! I'm channeling you every day!!! 14 consec...you are a freak!! AND...you can definitely be my Willy Wonker and hook me up! I cant seem to shake this addiction...As far as difficult- I think Atacama is harder, I think the conditions are tougher and the weather is extreme.

German- thank you for the messages! They definitely help!!

Natalia- I found my Mary Poppins! Veronica is ADORABLE...although...she is a chatty one! :-)

Rhi- to answer your first question no, however looks may be deceiving...we have a ranking system that is in full swing. :-)

Enough from me now....fingers crossed I'm back in tomorrow by midnight!!!!

Vikki

I seriously just had to ask what day we just finished! Time flies when you are having fun...

Today was tough going...TOUGH. If this email makes little sense it is purely because I am exhausted. 8 hours on the course today and I struggled for the last 6. The first couple of hours actually went pretty quickly but then the sun kicked in and my pace went from ok to barely walking.

The course varied in terrain, from salt flats to roads then sand...and more sand. We are currently camped at one of the top peaks (after 8 hours in the sun was not fun to run up to). In fact the sun has just gone down now and the wind has picked up, which means another restless night. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep last night- so for all of you who have seen a picture of me in my sleeping bag looking 'shabby' that is the reason!!!

Physically my body is a bit of a mess. I have three/four blisters that i am having to drain daily becauase they are sore and keep filling! Somehow today i also hurt my left knee- which means that I cannot bend it much and I have no strength in it. :-( BUT...by far the funniest is the RASH that i am now sporting across my stomach and back. Fortunately for me there are 15 doctors running the course this year and 8 medical staff to look after me. At this stage they dont know what it is (even the dermatoligist!!!) but im on steriod tablets that should help. I guess this might only help with my race tomorrow now too!!

Overall I am just physically TIRED. My feet ache because the ground is SO hard and unstable and the sun is just draining me. Basically anyone still on course at 12pm gets hit with soul draining heat!! Today I had 4 hours of that... OUCH!

On the upside we are 100km;s down. One more day tomorrow of the same (now on steriods & pain meds) and then the long stage. I am trying not to think too far ahead- but the end goal is to make it to Saturday with enough energy to hjust finish it off.

Perspective though...I know some people are doing it tougher than me (about 90% of the people still racing). There are some disgusting blisters and sunburn around camp that would rival anything you've seen!!! The exhaustion on the faces of some people who are still smashing it means that I have absolutely nothing to complain about. There are AMAZING people racing here this year that are just so full of energy and support...everyone is here for a reason and it is so inspiring to hear some of these stories!

I'm still dreaming about chococlate...cant wait to finish the bowl of Smarties on my desk!!!

Thank you agian to all the people who have posted on my blog- i appreciate all the support from everyone. The emails have also been amazing! I need to get out of the cyber tent because there is a huge line of people waiting.

Dean- thanks for keeping me informed! It was great to know how AD and the crew and travelling.Let me know if you need any other rules changed. :-)

BB- alpacka's are hard to come by7 here but if i see one GAME ON.

German- I definitely will. :-)

Talk to you all after tomorrow!!! If anyone has luck or energy please send it my way. Any money...please send that to my charities (www.desert-running.com)

Vikki

xx

My Gobi friends are incredibke- i knew I could count on you guys for motivation and support.

Funnily enough I write this blog 100 times in my head between check points...yet when I come to write this I almost forget how bad the day has been.

I started today feeling really good, I was packed and ready to go early and got off to a good start. The first checkpoint was on a ridge that overlooked the most amazing canyon. I got some great pics right up until I dropped my camera, cracking the glass and scratching the lens. :-( Not long after that we got to fly down the biggest sand dune I've seen! It was fantastic and so much fun!! I think that I passed 10 people screaming down it...so much fun!! Then we hit CP2 and things kind of turned to sh1t. :-(

With water crossings and sand it meant that blisters formed quickly. Then following the sand we hit the salt flats. I really struggled from the 15km mark- which I'm guessing has a lot to do with the lack of training and preparation in the lead up to this race!! It also doesn't help that whenever people pass me I hate it and work hard to overtake and stay in front...that competitive spirit never dies...though I wish I didn't care as much...would be easier on my feet.

Another issue I'm having is with the pack weight on my shoulders. Although I was extremely happy with the fact that I started at 8.5kg's I feel like it is getting heavier each day. :-( I might try and ditch a few things overnight to ease some of my pain.

My tent mates are very funny and we are definitely getting more relaxed as the week goes on! We are completely exhausted at the end of each day but certainly still find time to laugh and joke around each day.

Thanks again to all those who emailed through the Racing The Planet website...it is great to read these at the end of each day- it really does keep me going!

To all my amazing friends from Gobi who are emailing I know you know exactly how I feel right now!!

Tomorrow my plan is to take it much easier. I want to finish this and I know the only way that is going to be possible is to pull back the pace (and double down on the drugs)...

Thank you to all people who have gone onto my blog (www.desert-running.com) to donate to my amazing charities.

Right now I need to stretch and hydrate and try and eat a big dinner. I haven't had the best of luck with food to date, my breakfast was more like soup (too much water) and my dinner last night didn't cook because the water was only warm. :-(

I think about Smarties constantly- so that is the first thing I will be eating once I finally get home!!

See you all soon.

xx

Atacama is a spectacular desert, although having said that it is also unpredictable and crushing.

We arrived at camp yesterday afternoon and were almost immediately hit with a massive storm. Not only was it wet and cold (in the driest desert in the world) the tents were not waterproof so we had some issues with water dripping in through all holes and through the roof!!

After the rain cleared we did get a couple of hours to relax, hydrate and have one last meal before heading off for an uncomfortable night of sleep. I’m pretty sure that, at best, I had about 4 hours sleep as I was woken throughout the night feeling every single rock under my sleeping mat.

Finally to Day 1…

Today was mostly moderate as far as the conditions we encountered. Rhi you will be so impressed…I arrived at the start line with about 10 secs to spare, with one shoelace undone, my bib not attached, no sunscreen on, waterbottles empty and without my timing chip activated!!! Felt good to feel like myself again- which amused me for a couple of km’s! J

I arrived at CP1 feeling really good and moved through without stopping (just filling my drink bottles up). The conditions then got hotter and slightly harder with the rocks underfoot sharp and large! It was slow going for a while but I made it to the next CP feeling really good.

Then it got really tough…it was hot and uphill for the next 11km solid!! What my tent have called ‘Death Mountain’ felt like it went FOREVER…you turn a corner and it continues…you turn and it continues… I was starting to hurt and my feet were starting to rub and cause blisters. Scully- you’d be impressed- I managed to overtake 5 people up the hill! These legs are good for something ;-).

After getting to the top of the hill it was just a easy 3km into Camp 2. We actually caught sight of the camp sight 2.5km out, so it as actually a long last section. With sore feet & shoulder as well as some pretty intense peeling from my earlier sunburn each step was tough going.

So that pretty much covers the day and the race to date. Right now I’m trying to rehydrate and stretch out some of the soreness I’m feeling. I’m struggling with hydration which I knew I would. I’m not using the same formula as last year and could not remember the timing of the pills and powders anyway. Winging it right now- so just trying to take in as much as I can.

I also need to start treating for blisters- which I didn’t have at this point last year!!!

BUT…having said all that I am having a great time. The other competitors are AMAZING. Everyone is nice/funny & I have already made some great friends. My tent mate are great and we have already been playing some amusing games to keep us occupied. Ronnie started a game last night that I’m sure is the reason I was awake so long…I was trying to figure out all 50 American states!!!

Thank you all for the emails that people have written/posted on the 4 Deserts website- I was able to read some of these after the race! JB- your words are always an inspiration to me.

Amanda- I hope things are ok at work!

Em- thanks for helping out with the emails out to people

Mum- the Velcro lasted 5 minutes! L

Sorry if I have missed anyone…

LOVE YOU ALL!

xx

I just received an email from a friend saying that I had to be at the airport in 15 hours…I can’t believe it is almost time to start my journey to the Atacama Crossing starting line. Scared, nervous, excited are only a sample of the feelings that are beginning to take over!

Over the last 24 hours I have been inundated with emails, messages of support and Facebook posts from family and friends which truly shows how lucky I am. Without the love and support from everyone there is no way i'd make it out of the office- let alone all the way to Chile! 

Yesterday with the launch of my website www.desert-running.com I have started to raise money for two amazing charities, The Butterfly Foundation and beyondblue. My hope is that over the next week I raise not only money but also awareness for both of these charities. 

Now...to start packing!