The long March was full of everything. Boiling and penetraring sun, desert winds, rain and then the most intense Lightning strom you can imagine.

I started this long 73 km day as I normaly do, on my own and focused and this day I thought I would try and get to the frontish area. (Not so I get bowled over by the elite runners  and in the their dust) After around 7 kms on the fiirst leg I hear Rag and Jimmy coming up behind as they had decided to go slow and steady the whole day so we talked about all things including Jimmy telling what its like working in the casualty section of hostitals, cutting up cadaveras eta eta . We moved on together for another 6.5km to the first water station and then I decided to put caution forward and treat my sore shin with respect. On I went until around the 20km mark when the weather was starting to warm up and my shin was starting to let me know we had our destinies joined at the hip. (so to speak) At that point Billy came out of nowhere and we tried work out where Crabs as no one had seen him. We went on though a long track that resembled something from Red Tractor Dam at Balladonia. Lots of bulldust and small granite rocks that simply bruise your feet throughout time. Through the 2nd checkpoint at 23.5km and then turned left to into desert like areas again with soft sand and more rocks. We reached the 3rd checkpoint at the 32km mark and by that stage Billy had stopped talking (unbelievably) as it was simple too hot and we wanted to get into a zone.

I kept saying "No thinking about the distance its just one stage at a time, 10 kms only) The 4th segment we went across an intensely hot and sun penetrating salt plane. This went on for km after km. I covered up like Lawrence of Arabia again but still managed to get blistered lips. 3kms before the end of 4th checkpoint we both looked in agast at a mountain of a sand dune bigger than anthing I had seen in my life. We cramled up this and then shuffed down the other side of the mountain to the water station at the 40km.

On we went into the abis and by that stage all around me had giving up leading the group to try and spot flags so it was up to me. Doesnt sound like much but when you are usded to being in a very focused zone it tends to rattle you. At the 48km stage Billy started to drop back slightly as he was feeling a little queasy and as my shin was taking control of my body I kept moving closer to home.

At the 5th station Bill and I had arranged to share some tuna and instant potato to keep us sustained and then move. You cannot believe how windy it was getting.

As I got there 10 mins earlier I organised the Chicken stock drink for us and then when Bill arrivedwe ate our fine fare. I decided (or more rightly my shin decided) that as Bill was feeling more queasy than before that I would get cracking.

I left station 5 at 630pm along a road that moved North into a direct Southerly wind of 30 knots at least. This caused havic all round as my lips were almost bleeding by then. I had mixed up Wen's lttle chocolate protein and sustagen bag into one of my bottles to suck along the way and by 58kms my stamina was good but my muscles were starting to cramp slightly. By this stage I had comsumed 20 Enduryte electrolye capsules (recommended 1 to 3 per day for big execise) and all my 8 magnesium capsules I had packed for the day.

I hit the 62km stage 6 by 8pm and thought "I have been on the track 12 hours now with 15 mins break but my shin is saying go on) By this stage I had pulled my pressure sock away from anywhere except my shin. At 805pm I moved on with a warning from the station official sanig "We dont expect you will have an issue with lightning but be on the look out and remeber your training to discard you backpack and water to 50M from you should crouch down"

I said my hurried goodbye and moved on. By this stage to set the scene I had donned my headlight and put my flashing light to the disco light ON position.

It was now dark and thunder clouds were all around about 4 kms from me.

The first 2 kms were up a salt encrusted road which assended at a 50 degree angle which was getting difficultfor my cramps and shin. At the 4 kms mark the sky lit up like Perth Skyworks on Australia Day. Not only had I been slowly surounded by storms and lighting but I was at high altitude and all bets are off at that point.  Now at this point I should tell you I used to be a sprinter at school and only got a taste for Ultramarathons at a later stage of life. I kept walking up a steep road (On my own at this stage) with lightning cracklinig all around me trying to remember the brief training we got if faced with this sort of life threatening event. My brain was demanding my shin to release its hold on me and I suddenly knew what I had to do.

With 6 kms to go I became a spinter and ran like I had never run before. The rain was pouring at this stage which was causing havic with my glasses so I discared them as I thought I could see better without them.

I had heard of acid rain in this area before and after no rain for 1000 years it has plenty to draw from. My eyes started stinging and my breath getting throaty but up and down the hills I went with lightning and thounder everywhere. I was this point straining to see the light stick which had been laid for navigation. I finally saw the final light stick and turned right into drain which by now had become a slippery quagmire.

I kept jogging along here and finally saw the finish flags for the campsite at 935pm and 73mins from the start line.

While exhaused I had been full of adreniline and felt elated to be finished the day and importantly 95 percent of the whole 240km event. I scanned by event chip to be recorded and then went off to the tent but felt incapable of telling the events that had taken place as every one was exhausted anyway.

Iwant to thank everyone again for there good wishes and hope that the actions over the last week have been amusing/interesting for everyone. Many thanks also for donating to the Scott kirkbride Melanona Research Foundation it has been much appreciated.

Will I do anymore of these events, absolutely not !!!!!!! (Unless Wendy becomes a volunteer for the Antartic event in November.

Speak soon

All the best Garry

Hi All,

Just finished the fourth desert day and what a cracker of journey it was.We start in the Laguna Cegar Camp site and ended the day 39.8kms later at Volcan Licancubar on the Plateau of Zapar. This race segment included the imfamous salt flats for 14kms on the 3rd stage. It was certainly a difficult day but probably not as hard as yesterday.Today none of the race was below 8000 feet which added to difficulty. Surprising we are not feeling the altitude as much and are getting fitter and fitter by the day.

Jamie was a little late off the blocks today so I headed out onmy own and tried to make as much mileage as I could in the cooler hours of the morning. Billy left with Jamie but moved on soon after the start. Billy caught up me around the 10km mark and from then on we were within 300 to 400M of each other. We finished the day together in 7hr and 27miins.

Jummy and rag came in an hour before us and were well rested we dragged ourselves.

My ankle is holding up so far as I am nursing it with presure socks folded down to give as much tension as I can. Both Bill and I suffered an amount of pain with tendons as the terrain was hugely undulating and a large part was though soft sand.

Tomorrow we enter the Valley of Death as we move to the 76km double marathon day (so you will not hear from me untill Friday when we have access again to a computer.The long day is brocken into seven water stage segments and goes throgh the night. Navagation in this area may be an issue as well as seeing holes in the ground.

The sun has been so penetrating here it is impossible not to get burnt. I have been wearing a long blue scarf (Arab style) but is still burning as well as cracked and dry lips.

Thanks every one for your inspiration and good wishes it is really appreciatedand hopefully will push me through the double marathon day tomorrow.I alaso have a selection of Wen`s songs on my Nano and last course and if all else fails I will be asking Pad for some devine help to get me through.

Wen you are right the scavnging aroundthe bins has not helped on the food front and to make things worse I spilled my noodles last night and had to revert to a few almonds and some beef jerky which Jamie lent me. Although tight the food supplies will be fine and I am looking forward to a home cooked meal at some stage soon.

Mick I thought I saw the Black Throated Flower Piercer around 3 kms from the end of today or maybe I was delirious and sun stocked. Pia good advice .. consentrate and keep quite. Trouble is Billy never staps talking.

Katie< Zandy is just hard at the ball and looks like a greyhound. No special formulas just talent.

Thanks to Tons Bella and Aussie for your emails as well as Steve Moir, much appreciated.

Wen Pia Mick JP Katie  Dad Poodes Jez Peter Roberts and everyone else also fantastic encouragement and I thank you..

I will give it me best shot tomorrow and will be thinking of the night after the finish for a cold beer and hamburger and anything else I can find that is fattening to eat.

Talk to you at the end .....

All the best Garry

Hi All. Hard day again today which I would rank up there with famous Kimberly RTP first day. have developed a few blisters but nothing bad. My left shin and vack of knee are still to be appreciated properly. Jamie Bill and I were together most of the day and finished within meters at the finish line. We finished in 8 hours without a break at all.

Jamie set a cracking pack from tent 3 from the moment he couldnt get a chair in the tent. Bill and I thought we would get going with him and 20km trying to catch up with him.

Jimmy and rags are smashing times all round and I think Jimmy like Rag has found a new sport he will excell at.

Wen the chicken stock has been a bit all round and I now am dispensing it like a soup kitchen. Food has been sparten with Billy and I sharing Deb mash potato and onions with a packet of Tuna last night. Jamie and the boys on the other hand has been eating al la carte with freeze dried roast chicken and the like.

The days have been long as we get up at 530am to get fed and ready by start time of 8am. Everyone is in sleeping bags by 730/8pm. Jamie and I share something in common in that our sleeping mats (inflatable 25ml thick) have slow leaks witch requires us to reblow them up each 2 hours which means brocken sleep all night.

Hope all at home are well.

Speak soon ...

regards Garry

Today was a hard slog starting at the Inca site near Rio Salado. It was not the forcast 41.8km as certain parts of the course were unatainable from rain but instead 36kms.

It was probably one of the most scenic events so far. My energy levels were good all day however the shin and rear of my left knee are starting to get worrying.

Tomorrow we have 20kmks of the total 40kms through  difficult  scrub areas which will be interesting to say the least.

Onward and upwards.

Speak soon, Garry

After starting from San Pedro we bused to the Stage 1 start at a place called Rio Grande. I must admit it was a sleepless night for all of us as the wind blew a gale and it rained for the first in the Atacama in 4000 years.

In true Prendiville team tradition we had a bottled of Sandalford Shiraz much to amazment of the others in our tent.

The day started off a 545am wake up and then an 8am start. The course was rugged to say the least and run aloong the Rio Grande Valley. The first stage was around 7kms through undulating terrain and merged into a steady downhill through a canyon full of billions of rocks. This stage lasted 10.7kms and contributed to my now alive ankle tendon sheath issue. I plowed on for a few more kilometres until I reached a hill that seemed to assend for km after km. (At least 5 kms) It was at this stage that I ran out of water around 20 mins before the 10.2km stage end. The final stage was a small 3.5kms but felt greater.All in all a hard 33km day.

We are now tented down at a place called the Inka Camp site. Billy is not feeling too well which is his normal hydration issue and has just had some soup to tr and settle things down. Jimmy also suffered a little hydration problem but after some chicken stock he seems to be on fire again. Rag seems fine and Jamie has recovered also.

Tomorrow will be a long day of 41.8kms and is rated as difficult to moderate throughout. It will take place throughout Rio Salado Canyons which means it will undoutedly be hot as hell.

As I type this the wind is blowing an ablsolute gale and there are storm and lightening risk all around. We have been put on notice that we may be required to vacate the camp for safety reason of lightening starts around us.

My energy levels are pretty good but  I fear my Tendon Sheath could be a painful problem going forward in the next few days.

Thanks for joining into my news ans make no mistake we are hanging out from news and encouragment from home.

All the Best Garry