In the morning, I felt good - in no small part due to my new best friend tylanol.

The course director told us that there first 20km were relatively flat and on quite steady terrain.  I decided that I was going to run the first 20km, or at least try to until my hammys and knee gave way. Harry, my ten buddy, was on board for this.

Unfortunately, the left knee in particular started to flare up after 10 minutes of running. Every time I felt it hurt, Id stop, walk, and just wait for the pain to go away. That worked until about 15km.  From then on it was clear I had to walk the rest of the way.

Harry was the first lifesaver on this leg. He gave me his walking poles, which acted as support for my knee.  Dont know where I would have been without those poles.

By the time Harry took off, Dave, another tent buddy, had caught up with me.  We tried to run it into checkpoint 2 but the knee was still causing problems every time I started to run. We decided to walk the rest together, which was the second lifesaver of the day.

We powered through the heat of the day, across salt flats which did not appear to end. Each of us struggled at different points but we managed to get through it. The salt flats were not like I imagined.  They were hard and cursty, crumbling under your feet and extremly unstable.

We then arrived at a massive sand dune. The course director said to us in the briefing that when we see it, we will say `he cant possibly make us go up that'. That pretty accurately summed it up.

The next few checkpoints were just about enduring it all. Just when we thought we had broken the back of it, we were stopped at the last checkpoint (with 9.5km to go and having hiked continuously for 12 hours) due to concerns about the thunderstorm.  We had to wait in the rain for 1h 40minutes before we were allowed to continue.  By this time Dave and I were truly over it but we pushed on and got into camp just before 12am.

This stage has taught me more about the power of relationships and good deeds. Without Harry or Dave, I dont think I could have made it through this stage.

This seems to be the overall theme of the race for all the competitors.  People always showed concern for the welfare of others and were prepared to sacrifice their race times and welfare for the benefit of others. Even Sandy, who was so close to first place, insisted on helping a struggling first placed runner by running with her to the finish line and crossing together. Not only that, but Sandy would wait for most competitors (myself included) to cross the finish line so that she could greet them when they arrived.

As much pain as it has caused, this is the best money I have ever spent and one the best decisions I have made.

Thanks again for your support, it has really been overwhelming!

Dan

Before reading everyones comments, I was going to write about just how tough this day was with the injuries.

After reading all the comments and emails, my thoughts are much different.

I feel like this race has tested me in a lot of unexpected ways. My cardio has been fine the last two or so days, so Im not exerting myself as expected there.

Mentally I expected to be tested but not in this way. My brain has been fried.  You find yourself just wincing through each step, knowing you are not going as fast as you want to go. You then have to turn to something to convince you not to just throw in the towel.

Thats where you guys have all come in. Reading your comments every night has really shown me what I knew to an extent before. The strength of the people you have around you gives you more strength than you can get from anything else. Bit cliche, bit mushy but there it is. 

I also dont think I truly appreciated the significance of my niece being born until this race. The thought of my niece saying words of encouragement to help me through the race has given me such strength. So I guess thanks, Lexi.

Tomorrow is the hardest day at 73km. Bring it on and ill update you when I finish it!

Again, I cant tell you how much all of your messages have helped. A special mention to my niece, who managed to get out some words of encouragement.  They have helped me through a ridiculously tough day...

This stage was described by the course director as the hardest day on the course, even though it wasnt the longest. Boy did it deliver.

The first four kms saw all the racers grouped together as we made our way through soft salt flats (sinking at least 30cm deep on occassion).  It was comforting to know that even the race leaders were not running this section.  That didnt last for long though!

As mentioned in the previous update, the hamstring went with 16km to the finish of stage 2.  My plan for stage 3 was to do 10 minutes of running followed by 5 minutes of walking. I also wanted to truncate my stride because stretching out the legs was not an option with the hamstring.

That worked for the first 20 odd kilometres. Then the second hamstring started to pull. Then the left kneecap started hurting. Well this is what its all about I guess. On one hand it is bad that after all the training, virtually injury free, injuries show up during the race. I guess it may be more likely to happen given the terrain here. On the other hand, if I wanted a test, I certainly got it! It was walking pace all the way to the finish from there. The steep descents and ascents up sand dunes were a bit painful but we march on!

The time out in the open was not something I was expecting to have to manage.  I dont think my hydration is going that well (given that my shorts and top are pretty much encrusted with salt!). Its just something I have to take care of a bit better because I lose energy very quickly after about 25km / 30km without actually feeling tired.

I actually think I finished around 80th today, which Im actually happy with given the injuries.

The plan for tomorrow is to take it easy.  Ill have to walk a lot of the way to see if I can give my injuries a bit of a rest before the long day (73km).

I also have to keep my goals in check. I started with the goal of completing this, it became about time.  Most people here have all done ultras before so Im in a small group of those who have not.  The injuries have prevented me chasing a time but my initial goal is still in tact.  When I get back home, its all about TNF100 and thats when Ill get the time Im after.

Marching on...

Dan

Well, pretty big contrast to day one.

Ill start with the good stuff: the views were unbelievable.  When I could actually bring myself to lift my head up, it was just breathtaking - snow capped mountains and volcanoes, rivers cutting through vast open terrain. We also descended a massive sand dune which was so much fun.

The not so good stuff: the stage was really tough.  Yesterdays stage was rated easy-moderate. Todays was moderate-difficult. To get to some of those awesome views we had to climb a massive hill up to a ridge. The sand dune, as fun as it was, absolutely smashed the quads. The 10.5km from the last checkpoint to the finish was some of the toughest terrain ive walked.  I say walked because I couldnt get my legs moving any quicker. That terrain was supposed to be hard but the rain softened it up quite a bit. That made it tough to cross and it took a good chunk of my time today.

The pretty bad stuff: starting to feel my hamstring.  At one river crossing there was quite a big pinch. Shoulders and legs are sore but that should be manageable.

Anyway, Im through stage 2. I think I finished in the high 50s. After a 28th place finish for stage 1, thats a pretty big contrast. The next two days Im going to try and take it easy to preserve my hamstring in preparation for the 73km day.

Big battle with mind and body at the moment but thats what I signed up for.

On the plus side, I havent touched the ipod yet so Im looking forward to using that!

Dan

We keft town yesterday and made our way to camp 1.  There we were told to have dinner and rest up for an 8am start to the race the next day.

Rain is definately a factor - it hammered our tents last night making it pretty uncomfortable.

My pack wieghed in at 11.3kgs without water which was a bit more than expected. The only way I could get the weight down was to get rid of the down jacket. However, with the amountIpaid for it that wasnt going to happen.

The first day started in pretty cool temperatures but it got hot reallyquickly.

The beautiful scenery surrounding us made life a little easier but it wasa toughtstage (33km). A lot of climbs,a lot of unstable surfaces.  The feet were getting hammered but so far noo blisters.

I came in at 3hours 51minutes.  I was planning a 4.65 leg.  Im absolutely stoked with that. It puts me third (in the womens category!) and somewhere in the top 35 overall I think.  So happy with that so far as there are some awesome runners here.  The winner did it in 2hours 45minutes.

Anyway Im off to get some more rest and eat. Bigger day tomorrow at 43km (I think)

Dan

Race one of my seven race goal is done!

I finished the Sydney marathon a couple of months ago in what were extremely trying conditions.  There was an unexpected heat wave on the day which led to quite a few people passing out or collapsing during the race.

It was an awesome event though, with so many supporters and an amazing backdrop of the Sydney opera house and harbour bridge. 

I also learned a few valuable lessons from the race (my first competitive race at that distance):

1. Nutrition: My approach for the marathon looked something like this...

Pre-race: Plenty of hydrating the night before. Three pieces of toast three hours prior to race. One protein bar 30 minutes prior to the race. 

During race: 4 High5 gels. Once after the first hour, then the rest evenly spaced out until the end of the race. Drinks stations for water and powerade. No mixes. 

Post-race: carbs and protein and lots of it!

The approach wont be the same for the Atacama as mixes become more important and things like toast arent exactly ideal to pack!

During the race I started to cramp at 33kms. This pretty much killed my race time.  Before then I was feeling fine and was on track for my goal time. I think this happened because I took on too much water during the first 10kms. I tried to balance that out by missing a couple of drinks stations instead of stopping to go to the bathroom! This also meant I missed the sodium intakes at these stations. Probably explains the cramps. So long story short, really important to get the "during race" nutrition spot on.

Other than that, the High5 gels worked a treat. Really light to carry and easy to get down. Will definately be taking them with me on the Atacama race. 

Cliff bars will probably be my go-to protein bar. High in calories for a protein bar but that is exactly what you need for a race like the Atacama.

2. Injury prevention: my pre-race build up was catastrophic. Over-training in shoes that were too old led to me suffering from a metatarsal injury. This ruled me out of running for three weeks. I was back to running for one week before coming down with a chest infection. I was cleared from the chest infection the day before the race. Just emphasises the importance of injury management and prevention for a race like the Atacama. It might be a small thing (like not replacing my shoes quickly enough) which can rule you out. Over-caution rather than under-caution is the best thing!

3. Gear: wore full length skins, normal running socks, shorts, white shirt and white cap. 

I think the full length skins helped during the race but they are simply too hot to wear in the desert. I will most probably wear the calf compression gear during the race and use the skins and compression socks for recovery each night.

My Mizuno Asend 6 trail running shoes arrived the other week. Fantastic piece of gear! So light but they also give you the stability and traction you need. Will definately be using these for the Atacama race.  

I will most definately invest in some double skin socks. I didnt get blisters from the marathon. However over seven days it is a definate that blisters will happen. Double skin socks are likely to assist in putting this off for as long as possible.  

4. Recovery: this is a big one. It took me a good three days to get some fluidity back into my motion after the marathon. Ill have to manage this a bit better but it should improve as I incorporate more back to back days in my training schedule. Tiger Balm will definately be a must to carry during the race.

All in all the Sydney marathon was a great experience. The training is ongoing and Im really enjoying it. Cant wait until the Atacama race!!

Dan

After finding out about this race, it was all I could think about for two days. That was about all I could stand before I applied for leave from work and signed up. 

My philosophy for life is to know your limits and train so that you can break them. I try to sign up for things which at the time of signing up I know I will struggle to complete. It then all becomes about the preparation and getting yourself confident enough to take on the thing you have signed up for. Looks like the Atacama Crossing well and truly fits the bill!

I also have a goal of running a marathon / ultra marathon in every continent. The 4 deserts series will set me up for Antarctica which would be unreal! 

Not the best start to training. I have sustained an injury to my fifth metatarsal (like the Wayne Rooney injury for those of you who follow football!). That should keep me away from running for two to three weeks. 

All things going well though I should be able to compete in the Sydney Marathon on 18 September (marathon 1 of 7). That should give me a fair indication of what fitness level I am at and what additional preparation I need to do for the Atacama Crossing. 

A word on the charity I am running for, the Smile Foundation. Its supports a really worthwhile cause, aiming to improve the quality of life for children suffering from a rare disease or condition. I will be self funding my race but am looking for sponsors and just generally people to donate. All sponsorship / donations money goes straight to the charity. 

Unbelievably excited for this

Dan