FA#A$A%A^A#R$R%R$K%K^K#K#K!!!! Finnished stage 5 last night with headlight on & threatening lightening & rain surrounding us as 8:55pm last night after close to 13 hours on feet, 1 step after the other. It would have to be the most physically gruelling day of my life consisting of nagging blisters on my heals, exhausted & painful muscles for at least the last 30kms, shin pain & a constant penetrating sun for 12.5 hours with no escape.

The day started off well with Ga, Raggy & I together through checkpoint 1, then Rag & I set off close to checkpoint 2 to tackle the rest of the 60 kms of the 74km course. We went well through up until the 2nd last checkpoint, 20kms from home, where we had a bit of a stop to eat & get electrolytes & water sorted. The stop however took away our momentum & the pain/exhaustion became apparent. The next 10kms were a real hard slog, with the sun sucking any energy we had left out of us, belting us from the right & then the left as we changed directions. During this stage we had to stick stricktly to the track as land mines were either sied of us, with everyone being assured prior to the day that the Chilean army had gone through to make sure no mines had washed onto the track with the recent rainful, but at that stage in the race getting blown up wasn't the worst of ideas. We got through to the final checkpoint filled up with water & set off. The message fom brain to legs was failing, resulting in a walking shuffle, with each step being more painful than the last & the previous being more painful than the next! This last 10kms took us over 2 hours, up & down a large ridge/mountain next to moon valley. It was full of cursing, shaking our fists at the sky & the occasional stumble to the side of the road.

We finally reached camp where it started to rain. Rag & I had a celebratory fist pump, which was not really a fist pump at all, more like a finger brush & some eye contact. In camp, so exhausted I went to the portaloos for a wee, whilst I was there the rain came down a bit harder, so I decided to wait it out in there, knowing the tents weren't waterproof. Don't know how long I was in there but I awoke sometime later, just before the tent had to send a search party out for me. Ga came in soon after, explaining how his walk had turned into a desperate run for survival at the end, as he tried to escape the lightening that had snuck up on him - "When Ga moves lightening stands still *old jungle saying". Dad, Conor & Billy came in midnightish, after being stopped for a breif time at the last checkpoint due to the threat of being hit by lightening on the last stage.But they got a break & took it on making it back safely. 30 or so competitors wwere picked up last night by a bus as it was getting to dangerous with the weather & given a chance to finnish it today, dropped back at where they were picked up from.

Today is a rest day (hence the large blog) at camp, where it is a case of the walking wounded, with blisters & infection being the number 1 problem. Anyway, 1 more day to go, only 11kms .... then a shower, clean clothes, real food, cool drinks & beers all round.

Jimmy

Over half way now, hooley dooley. Spent today again with Rag, which is a lot better than travelling alone through the desert, with your own thoughts to haunt you, occasionally interupted by stubbing your toe, tripping forwards or rolling your ankle. Hardest part of  today was the never ending salt flats, only broken up by 2 of the event staff sitting out in a tent at 1/2 way giving us extra water, but this morning was great with a large canyon and more large sand dunes. Downside for today is my blisters are getting bigger, but checking out other people's feet, they don't seem too bad.

Camp today is situated on a mud flat next to 2 water holes, which has been great to actually have a swim / wash for the first time in 4 days & to be cool in the sun.

All the oldies finnished solidly this avo (don't need to worry Peep, if they were any better they would be dangerous), with Conor close behind.

Next stage is the 70+ km one, but the terrain will not be as hard as the last 2 days, just long .... really long. I'm glad I now have Steven Seagals career to think about tomorrow & how to steam hams.

Update tomorrow or the next day, depending on how long tomorrow takes.

Thanks everyone again for the support, it's long a long a gruelling event.

Jimmy

3 Down, today was by far the hardest terrain, with long flats, ground that was breaking up under foot, mud, climbing up steep sand dunes, loose flat rocks & trenching through valleys. Spent the first 10kms with Rag & Conor "Cannary" Gavin at a slow walk, but made up 60 spots when Rag & I decided to put a solid March on, reaching camp at around 2:45pm. Felt alot better today than the first 2, figured out the right mix of water & electroloytes. Dad, Ga & Billy also had a good day coming in an hour & a half after us, with Billy actually next to me typing as opposed to spewing out the back.

Conors struggling with dehydration, but help is at hand, he'll hopefully be back to form tonight before tomorrows stage 4. I'm quite stiff & sore, & my blisters I believe are getting bigger, but I haven't dared look at my feet under the bandages ... tomorows job. On the plus side being so tired has allowed me to get some solid sleep, even with all those noice coming from the 9 others in the tent.

Currently camp is on a large sand dune, with a nice view of the valley. There's a Chilean farmer down the bottom, who wouldn't let us cross his farm, so we all had to track an extra 4kms around, taking a short cut, we were warned, may result in being shot.

Thanks everyone for there comments ......... except Jembo. Will keep posting.

Finished day 2 a few hours ago, with a lot more caution to water / electrolyte intake, which made today alot easier, although the day was harder than yesterday. The constant penetrating sun is making life difficult out here with no escaping during the run. I had a run with Rag & our Chilean mate from yesterday for the first section & a half, the Chilean dropped backed to a slow walk with another of his mates whilst Rag took off at his own pace. The rest of the stage I was by myself coming across a few competitors along the way (which was sometimes the only signs of life out here).

We crossed five river today (could have been the same river 5 times though) with the water coming up to knee height, with quite a current given the rains over the past few weeks. Running/Walking with wet feet however have caused a few large blister on the inside of both my heels that should be fun to deal with over the next few stages. The first checkpoint today was amazing, on top of a ridge that had a large troff of one side where a small river was passing through & a lot of greenery, contrast to the desert on the other side. This was followed by an enormous sand dune, that I went bounding down which was quite fun (if you could call any of this fun). Next was a canyon & large flat that would just not end.

Dad, Billy & Ga all just arrived at camp which is situated next to salt lakes, I think all very happy to have finnished. Although I just saw Billy walk past & is currently having a spew out the back of the Cybertent.

Update tomorrow

Jimmy

Day 1 done & dusted. I spent this morning jogging with Rag, but let him free at the 2nd checkpoing (20kms), watching him run into the distance chasing down a Chilean competitor in front of us, whilst I remove pepples & bits & peices from within my shoe. I took it a bit more easier for the last 2 legs of stage 1. However, the heat / sun may have snuck up on me as I became dehydrated - resulting a chunder out the back of our tent an hour after finishing, much to the amusement of the other tent members. Still feeling a little nauseas & had a headache this avo for a few hours, but have been replenishing fluids & electrolytes & some food. It's like having a terrible hangover with out the fun of the night before (although we did have a celebratory bottle of Sandleford last night).

A large wind storm has come through the tent area as I write, that has been relentless, resulting in emergency stone collection to stabilise the tent's, as not be to be blown off the large cliff we are residing on. Everyone is in good spirits, just as long as the driest desert in the world doesn't dish up rain tonight. Hopefully I can get some sleep, as I am sleeping next to foghorn Billy.

I'll take it very cautiously tomorrow, make sure that I don't repeat the dehydration of today, will probably walk the mjority.

Better go the large metal pole holdingup the Cyber-tent I'm in has just been blown over narrowling missing a competetitor across the table from me.

Jimmy