Hi all,
 
We made it!!!!! Thanks again for all the constant mails and blog comments - you have been just soooo great!!! Yesterday was the long stage. Started off with a staggered start so the top 4 started at 10.30am, positions 5-20 (which Dave and I were in) started at 8.30am and the remainder commenced an hr earlier. We were first faced with 15km of slat flats which were as difficult as ever to progress on. The sad news is that poor Laurie the 78yr old was pulled by the medical team at check point 1. Before check point 3 (very long stretch between 2 and 3 in the middle of the day) there was a huge dune where we both ran out of water just before it. Def the worst experience ever in the intense heat and having no water for over 30 mins. Mouth was like sand paper, throat parched and no voice to even complain. Once rehydrated we decided to power walk the next section then ran the last 2 sections as it began to cool. The last 10km were through a stunning gorge and made it into camp just before dark in 11.47hrs - broken but absolutely thrilled! Lots of blisters now...only 10km to go and then a pizza and drinks will be waiting for us stinkers at the finish line oh yeah yeah yeah!!! Thanks again for all your support
 
Di xxxx

Hi there,
 
Thanks a mil yet again for all the very encouraging messages.I really appreciate it - as he does not have a blog, Dave says to thank everyone for his emails too. Today was a great day - we thoroughly enjoyed every step. Survived the infamous salt flats with only one shredded gaiter!!!!  God you need very good runners - they are wrecked!! Day started off with a descent of a massive unspoilt beautiful dune then straight into a river crossing where we were chest deep in water (knee height for Dave). We were lying 21st at check point 2 and then had a good second half of the race which included 14kms of salt flats. It's like moving in coral - dangerous to fall on. The last 6 km were a breeze on a sandy corrugated road. We made it in under 7 hrs and came in 17th. Tomorrow is a 74km stage. We haven't been told yet if the first 20 are starting late (it is normal in these stage races to start the top 20 two hours after the rest of the field. Just been chatting to the Race Organiser and it sounds like a tough long stage with more salt flats (hopefully not as hard as the ones we went through today!).
 
Anyway we are nearly there and spirits in the tent are high - amazingly we have 4 in the top 20! There is also much excitement each evening as the camp anxiously waits for 78yr old Laurie Brophy to finish - we've just heard that he has made the cut-off entering the salt flats He is an absolute legend and just so inspirational. Last night he arrived in Camp at 10:30pm after 14 hrs out there and both his head torches running out of batteries!! Jo in our tent is doing fab - she's unreal. Came in 6th today. Erica gained 25 mins - up South Africa!!! Ok starving so going to have a freeze dried spaghetti bolognaise - yum!!! Thanks so much again for all the support! May not be able to blog tomorrow as we'll be in late. Will asap xx

Hi all,
 
Thanks a mil for all the support again - really appreciate it!! Today was a fab day and just cruised it. Really nice terrain - started on salt flats which for the most part were unrunable. Sharp edges like moving on coral that rip shoes apart -  that was for around 4.5KM and then started a strategy of running 10 mins walking 2 mins through sand dunes, more salt flats and rocks which worked a dream. Yest we were completely goosed towards the end - today as fresh as a daisy!!! Got lost 3 times - ops!!! Only delayed maybe 10 mins so wasn't so bad. Very warm here and flies everywhere. Legs got trashed going through bushes so look well mangled!!! The end of this stage included very sharp steep sand inclines and then the end - yeah!!! We came 15th for this stage so very happy. Erica is now 4 mins ahead. So glad she is in the comp as she's really motivating me. Have seen her throughout the race since day one so she's def pushing my limits - would be an hr behind only for her!!! The leading lady is just unreal - she came in 6th today and is 7th overall!!!! Dave is doing extremely well and his knee is holding up perfectly. 43km tomorrow so will check in thereafter. All good so far and thanks again for your messages and interest!!!
 
Di xx

Hi all,

 

Survived the second day just about!!!! It was brutal - very tough. The intense heat just sapped every bit of energy. Went straight into the medical tent with severe heat exhaustion, sun sroke, dehydration and electrolyte depletion (cramps). Much better now! Gee even as I write this with my back to the sun I'm frying and it's almost 5pm! Didn't enjoy the last 16 km at all. Sorry to complain!! However the route was exceptionally scenic. We crossed a fast flowing cool river in the morning at least 20 times - divine. Then came beautiful sand dunes thigh high - thank god we had climbed 200M in a soft sandy trail/salt flats so it was a downhill burst of sand flying even into glasses. Absolutely beautiful. Blisters galore! Thereafter it was just damn hard - long slog of more and more soft sand, soft salt flats and unrunable terrain. When finally we could run for the last few KMs as it was a hard sandy road I was goosed. Dave and I ran together today and only just kept each other going!! So all and all finished day 2 with pretty minor injuries. We came 18th overall and I was the third female in. Erica Terblanche, the South African who won the Sahara came in 5 mins ahead of us gaining it all from Check Point 3 where we had caught her - there's only a few mins between us now in the overall ranking!!!  Tomorrow is a 40km stage with a very tough last hour in soft dunes (undoubtedly in the brutal heat of the day - temperatures remain fairly mild until around 10am but then it just soar into the 40+ but feels even hotter).  Watch this space!!!

Hi all,
 
Just got all the email support - really appreciaate it thanks so much!! We made it happy days!! Dave did an absolutely fantastic time of 4.26 and is coming 9th overall! I was happy - second woman to cross the line in 4.49 (I think!) and 17th position overall. Hope to keep it up. Field is more competitive than the Gobi in both the male and female sections. 5 competitors have won a 'racing the planet' event before - 3 being females!!! Very hot out there after 11.30 and > 40 degrees. Very dry, dusty and beautiful. Ran through river beds, soft sand and just seen the 78 yr old competitor arrive in. The whole camp just cheered, clapped and very excited!!! What a legend! We have a really nice tent represented by Scots, English, German, Sth African and Irish! Naturally the Irish flag is promiment as always outside the tent. Tomorrow we have a 42 KM stage with lots of river crossings and a steep climb - perfect for blisters. Luckily the ledaing lady is in our tent and is a doctor. Her bags didn't arrive in Santiago so shes running in borrowed clothing, runners and equipement!!! She has a 3.02 marathon and a 83 minute half marathon - amazing pedigree and an exceptionally upbeat fun-loving nice girl. Need to get some freeze dried food and drink lots of Chilian merlot - we wish!!! Will keep you posted tomorrow.

Hi all,

Had our official ´check-in´and weighing of the packs. Just love this part!!! Ok so dave´s pack weighed in at 8.3kg which was very impressive considering he´s a hound and is 6´6! Mine weighed in at an impressive 5.8kg - down 7 pounds from the Gobi last yr. Two competitors that we are aware of have missing bags since arriving in Santiago so they managed to scrounge gear and prob have the heaviest packs now!! One of them Joanna is in out tent god love her!! About to have a quick lunch then into the desert (3 hr bus trip) where self-sufficiency starts!!!! Getting a bit nervous but very excited!! Apparently this course is brutal - the hardest so far. Hope to update after first stage tomorrow. Bye!!

Apparently there was an earthquake here measuring 6.3 last night......a few of us were sqashed in a bus from Calama to San Pedro so didn´t notice the shake....Dave thought it was a South African taxi driver but then realised he was way too good. Dave made it here in one piece with a few hrs delay here and there. All but 30 have arrived in San Pedro - 9 are definately not coming, 15 are due later and the last group are hoping to be here by Sunday night. Some of the stories about reaching here which is prety remote anyway are just crazy. This unique litle quaint town is basically in the middle of the desert, the gateway to may tourist atractions and is the second most tourist destination outside of Patagonia. After lunch we decided to test kit out on a light training run of 4km - gee it was damn hot with an altitude of 2500M - felt like 50 degrees Saharan heat. We start on Monday now as opposed to Sunday at an altitude of over 3000M. Happy days!!! Will be in touch.....

Hi all, Just set up a blog after arriving to San Pedro last night. Great little buzzing town. Only took 41 hrs to get here in comparison to others - some were standed for 3-4 days anywhere and everywhere and then travelling 10-20 hrs on a bus as so many travel arrangements were disturbed after earthquake. Flights were all cancelled till thurs so found out day before travelling that all was on course. Got to Atlanta as planned in 9 hrs on wed, waited for 7, got flight to Santago as planned in 9.30 hrs and then flight to calama 8 hrs later was cancelled. Managed to charm our way on the 4.30 flight so happy days after a 1.30 hr bus ride thereafter got here and not even sick!!! Normally I tend to pick up every virus out there on planes...ok so under pressure - borrowed a competitors PC so going to be short. Nothing to report but that all's great so far! Competeitors r just fab, hotel functional and really looking forward to race! San pedro was not affected by the earthquake. Santaigo airport was closed so was functioning out of tents and outdoor waiting areas. Some windows were smashed in airport buildings. The Chlian ppl r increadible - so upbeat and friendly. On flight to Santiago all were in great form after the disasterous earthquake on sat reaching 8.8 and killing more than 700 ppl with 2 million effected. Smiling, clapping and just extremely kind. Better go - will update asap :-)))))) Diana