Well guys the long stage is over! What a day, took just over 12 hours to do 77km. All the boys finished so we really stoked and all still in the running to complete the grandslam. Everyone is limping around the camp today on the rest day, I don’t think anyone is blister or injury free, I’ve now got 3 weeks to heal up till Antarctica, my feet wouldn’t fit inside my shoes today as they were too swollen. Yesterday was brutal with sand-dunes and 40 + heat and I’m really just glad to have finished, came in 24th that should pull me up the rankings a bit, am hoping that tomorrow is untimed as really don’t know if I can run. It has been awesome, there has been a lot of people drop out and everyone that has finished yesterday and early today really deserved it. Don’t know what to say except it’s been awesome and I wouldn’t be keen to do it again so glad I finished the long stage and just have a small run tomorrow. Cheers guys for all your support will be back on coms tomorrow, can’t remember much of the race due to the heat, hopefully will remember more later

Cheers Inia

Blisters, Salt Flats and the big 4-0

Well an interesting way to turn 40, next year I

Hey Guys

42 degrees today what a scorcher, parts of the course looked like scorched earth literally, the rocks look like they had melted and when I tripped and put my hand out the sand was unberable. Running better today though as we have come down in altitude which I think is helping heaps, also not having to stop to poo on the course is always good. Think it

Hey Guys

Bad day am really struggling with this heat it was still 36 degrees when I finished. Had a fluid retention problem at the end of stage 1 and dropped right back down in the pack, not too sure if its anything I

Hey Guys

First day over and this race is the real deal, more on that later. Funniest thing on the way in was the shuttle driver from the airport, loads the bus I

Since I'm at home and can't work or train have I'll start my Atacama blog with a post Gobi March Race wrap up. Firstly I would like to thank all the races that donated gear, food, clothes, first aid supplies etc, you guys are awesome and just goes to prove how Ultra-running is more of a community than a race without you guys I wouldn't have been allowed to start. Drama started before the race even started with Air China losing my race kit in Beijing (or was it a secret plan by the Aussies in Sydney?). Arriving in Bole scared I wasn't going to be allowed to start, or that I would be racing the entire race in my icebreaker boxers, awesome. Competitors to the rescue made for some interesting meals, or pot luck, lost in translation eating. No sleeping mat mean't cardboard boxes on a brick floor for the first nights sleep. On the upside the lack of equipment made for a lighter than expected pack around 9kg Stage 1 -49.2K in 6.51 some bad chafing but feeling pretty good, terrain was very run-able, big surprise to come in around 20th Stage 2 -39k in 5.37 everything turned to custard, was running really well, then got a bad case of the trots, not sure if it was infective or due to all the unexpected food I had to eat, but I watched a lot of people pass from the bushes due to frequent toilet stops and spent some time in the medical tent. End of day was fairly rough and close to pulling the pin, no dinner that night or breakfast the next day Stage 3 -Shortened 25k in 3.39, thank god they shortened the stage as I had no fuel in the tank due to lack of food intake. Plenty of rain, hail and feeling the cold but awesome sleeping in a yurt Stage 4 -Extended 48.8k in 6.56 actually felt awesome after a shorter day and being able to keep food in, probably the best I felt all race and pushed hard over some fairly rough terrain Stage 5 (the long march) -68.1k in 11.10 felt good at the start which quickly changed with the altitude and the first big climb and was well down the pack until the downhill. Good mid-section with a great downhill till I ended up running alone for the rest of the stage. Horrible second climb (I think everyone found it hard), return of food problems couldn't eat or drink for about last 20k continued to push hard and suffered the consequences. Somehow managed to finish and ended up back under the watch of the medics Rob Trepa and Brett Foote whom without which I probably would have been pulled from the race, you guys did an awesome job just remember what happens in Gobi, stays in Gobi Stage 6 -14k in 1.23 felt surprisingly crap but didn't care as it was all over and I had a couple beers at the end Big ups to all of Tent 10 Rob Trepa, Brett Foote, Atul Patki, Paul Taylor, Tim Cairns, Archish Tajpuriya, John Tibury, Alex Moran and the rogue spy for keeping me going and all your help. Full credit to the tent as they all finished, hope to see you all Atacama