Dear all,
 
We made it ! 240 km under our belt ! Another 10 km to go tomorrow morning however  though it will certainly be our slowest 10 k ever, it should be fairly easy and a good opportunity to cross the old city of Kashgar which is soon to be knocked down. 
 
What a journey !
 
We first had a VERY difficult 4th day in a rough environment with brutal terrain for our legs, feet and mental. It started with a steep hike to the arch of heaven as they call it here, big rocks and a few ladders to climb up. Stunning view from the top.
Then a mountaineous dry landscape with ups and downs that tested our mental. The weather was very hot, no overcast this time unlike the previous day. River bed crossing and more river bed crossing , a real ankle killer.... White butterflies everywhere. The last part went for ever, we eventually reached the campsite late that day. The toughest 41 k ever. We were both tired and sore, yet confident that this was a major confidence milestone before the next challlenge and that we were well on our way to complete the race. Just enough time to have dinner and a few hours sleep before heading to the start for the long 80km march.
 
Cyrille has bad feet however he is making his way slowly and surely. I have very sore muscle (a bad swollen shin which I try not to think about thanks to painkillers) but should not complain, after 240km, no blister !
 
The long march was ...well, long ...
 
You certainly go to places you did not know : anger, bitterness, and suddenly out of the blue, persistence and inspiration. Both body and mind are stronger than we think. An evidence which is always nice to fully experiment.
 
After 50km through river beds, river crossing, hills, villages we reached the last campsite for a few hours sleep before continuing for another 30km through more river beds :( A hell of a day. We moved slowly but got there today early afternoon and crossed the finish line with a BIG smile on our face. Objective reached ;))))) WE ARE HAPPY.
 
Great relaxing atmosphere in the campsite, located in an oasis. A small piece of heaven after these long hours of intense effort and pain. Time to rest, take care of our diverse injuries and get to know some amazing runners who managed to complete the same distance, running almost all the way through. Very inspiring !
 
This is my last email on this blog, the adventure ends tomorrow. Thanks to all for your encouragement and support to the Children of Madaifu and who knows , see you maybe in a next race somewhere on our beautiful planet :)
 
 
Cheers

Dear all,
 
... and  3 ! 
 
120 km under our belt, great memories in our head already and great pain too ;)
 
Waking up this morning was tough,  felt so sore. Somehow managed to be ready just in time. The good thing is that our bags are lighter each day passing by. But still not enough according to my shoulders ...
Then the usual  routine of BF, briefing, toilet queuing (yes they are disgusting as you could expect).
 
Today was supposed to be a moderate to difficult day, well, let me tell you it was bloody tiring and tough all the way through for us !!!  It started with a gentle flat trail in once again a wonderful environment (pink dunes,green bushes) and through small villages (an interesting insight of the local way of life), and then the fun (...) started , we had to walk on muddy paths (imagine what mud looks like after 100  runners / walkers have walked on it, it was more like ice skating than anything else); then we had to cross river beds several times. It made us laugh the first time, and the second , the third was hysterical since I decided to jump like Cyrille and basically missed the other edge ... I am now covered with mud and pretty smelly to say the least , the 4th one just a few meters from the check point was NOT funny anymore . I was almost ready to get in with my trailing shoes and then a little voice told me I should recompose myself and at least cross barefeet. There were still 20 km to go afterwards and I had no idea what it would be like, so it was not a time to take any risk with my feet. And retrospectively I am glad I chose this option, it is the end of day 3 and I am proud to say that I have not one blister. Need to thank my pedicure and Chinese foot masseur when I am back ... the advantage of living in Asia ;))
The 3rd stage was a gradual descent, with more mud  followed by gravel and more gravel. By the 4th stage , I could not stand this gravel anymore, stopped , screamt a loud I am fed up sound and started again full on until the end . I waited for Cyrille for an hour and 1/2 and we crossed the finishing line together.
 
So I am so far able to keep an average  5km an hour pace . Only my shoulders and some knee ligaments are killing me. Cyrille has very bad feet and has struggled the entire day, this is slowing him down a lot so we have agreed to meet at each check point. This way we can keep our own pace, manage our fatigue and I can load off my heavy bag earlier. I am each day more amazed by his calm and composure considering the pain he has to bare all day ! I would be crying constently if I had only half of his blisters .... :( I now keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow, I hope by then he will have rested and he will be able to keep up. It promises to be a very long and tough day at a high altitude (2000m)...  If we can manage it, I am very confident we can then finish off the 80 km long march together .
 
The landscape here is pure magic. We feel privileged to spend time with pristine nature. I will have a few hundreds pictures by the 7th day.
 
Our campsite is in the middle of nowhere at 1663m, we are surrounded by goats (better make sure the tent is closed properly ;), it is so relaxing. Menu for today: paella and dorade a l indienne. With 1 liter of recovery drink... Stretching session to follow .
 
Thank you for your email of encouragement. Keep posting them, it DOES help :)
 
STILL LOVING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT !
 
Cheers
 

Dear Alban, dear Ambre,
 
Hiiii Haaaaa .... ! Another 40k completed !!!!
 
We even managed to complete them a bit faster (though we are still walking like most people :)
 
The terrain was an absolute nightmare though incredibly beautiful and unique : started with a Mars like environment with bright red clay  rocks of all sorts of shapes, continued our way across a mysterious desert that basically  killed my toes, then had to cross an ocean of gravel waves that finished off my ankles, and finally climbed up and down a forest of clay / sand dunes  before reaching a cool oasis where the campsite is settled for the night.
 
The atmosphere of the race is really pleasant and friendly. We are enjoying every singly minute despite the pain.
 
Lots of stress on our legs, shoulders and obviously our feet. Cyrille has some nasty blisters now, he has become a professional surgeon, we cross our fingers for the coming few days. I am more lucky so far. My legs are sore but should be ok, my worry is my shoulders. I got rid of 400g of food last night (had plenty !) and I don;t seem to feel any difference  :(((
 
Interesting to note that quite a few people have slown down a lot compare to yesterday. We have chosen the steady way and it seems to work for us :) If we are lucky we will manage to run the last day with empty bags ;)))
 
Thank you for your donation which keep coming :)))) Jia You !!!
 
Enjoy !
 
PS: Mamita , Mum,  bravo et merci pour les messages bien recus ;) Bisous a nos 2 petits bouchons !

Dear Alban , dear Ambre,
 
Well if you ever suspected your parrents were crazy, let s clarify any possible misunderstanding : they are nuts !
 
The first day is behind us , and so our first 40k... And the bad news is : there are 210 k more to go !
 
We started walking at 9am . Morning was just beautiful : perfect temperature, amazing scenery, the world to ourselves.
For the few rivers we had to cross, we did stick to our initial plan and got off our shoes each time. No regret  , my feet did survive this first long day. My shoulders however are less happy. 12 kgs do not come for free.
 
Crossing the desert part was a real challenge. The fit runners were already done by then , it was noon time sun time for us when we started , a gentle 44 degrees C !!! .... Not a ml of water was wasted :)
 
We arrived after a bit more than 9 hours. We walked the whole way made a few breaks  and basically enjoyed our time . Cyrille s feet are not looking great so we will see how it goes over the next few days. BUT he is not complaining about it at all. I am very sore did lots of strecthing tonight... Keep my fingers crossed....
 
Our second night is in a tiny village, people are dancing as I am typing this message. Great atmosphere ! We will sleep in some local homes , a nice way to get to see the local way of life. We seem so far away from China as we know it !
 
Tomorrow is another day :) a nd it promises to be harder ! But we are still smiling and happy. :)))
 
Je vous fais d enormes bisous a tous les deux.  A demain.
 
Cheers

Finally, we are there !
 
It was a long 2 days from Beijing. After a short night packing, repacking,  re-repacking...
Our flight to Urumqi was smooth, the view was amazing, the visibility was perfect, not one cloud in the sky, an amazing rocky and dry landscape.
The following flight to Kashgar got delayed, this gave us an opportunity to taste a few mutton satays in the city.
Again the view from the plane was stunning. Desert, mountains, occasional oasis... so exciting.
 
Hotel check-in at  10 pm. Just enough time to walk around the quarter, watch the local buzz on the main square guarded by a gigantic sculpture of Mao. In bed at 11pm, perfect, despite the bass sound from the karaoke downstairs.
 
The following morning was spent meeting other racers, and learning from others; experience. I gave a last shot at packing, and got down to 12kg. Which should be fine since we plan to walk/hike anyway. When we hike volcanoes in Indonesia, we usually carry more than this so I hope to make it through ....Time and pain will tell...
 
Once all the bags got checked, we all got on the bus for a 3 hour-journey to the 1st campsite hidden in the middle of a desertic and mountaineous area. An incredible site. A few camels. And space. The desert seems to go on for ever.
 
A warm welcome from the local villagers. It is strange to think that we are still in China. Everything is soooo different here (look, dialect, food, music, religion, etc ...). We had the regular gouvernment officials speech, the local dances and music. Not necessarily my cup of tea but I guess we can not avoid it.
 
Our tent is big and comfy , no bug (yet) tonight.... I am glad I have my mattress though, the ground is rocky :(
 
China is using the same time everywhere, which means that here the sun is still full on until 10pm. This is a great news since we will be walking late at night, Cyrille got rid of all his extra batteries. His bag is still very heavy though.
 
Tomorrow the fun really starts, can;t wait any longer.
 
The start is at 9am, we plan to get up at 7 to be ready for the 1st briefing at 8am. Cyrille is sleeping already, one of his toes is hurt before even having started ... great :(
 
To my babies : Alban , Ambre, allez voir les photos sur le site pour avoir une meilleure idee de notre 1ere journee. Je vous embrasse tres fort tous les deux !
 
Good luck to all :)

tic tac Tic Tac TIC TAC …. ! 

The D day is approaching and I am feeling both worried and super duper excited. 

I can't wait to tread the soil of Xinjiang and see its amazing landscape ; to meet other 'eccentric' participants (I can't recall who told me once that only the "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" type could possibly sign up for such a crazy challenge…); and to finally experience this once in a lifetime journey during which we will test both our physical endurance and our moral strength ! 

I am raising money for the 'Children of Madaifu', a 10 year old NGO which developed the concept of "Orphanage without walls" and supports children in some poor Chinese provinces, who lost their parents. With the help of this association, these kids can remain with their relatives, continue their studies and hopefully regain hope and strength for their future. 
I am sooooo happy, contributions keep on coming, the response has been great and inspiring. This will certainly motivate us at time of exhaustion. 

I spent these last few weeks reviewing the list of equipement I should carry. 
Conclusion: Forget fancy stuff that would make this race more comfy such as a few changes of clothes, a pack of nice toiletries, chocolate for teabreak (melt), books for race break (far too heavy and will be lucky if I reach the camp before sunset anyway !), etc , etc … 
However I am still contemplating the possibility to fix my sleeping mat somewhere outside my bagpack , as sleeping on rocky grounds does not appeal to me much to say the least … 

Friday, panick attack, I woke up in the middle of the night. Bad "socks' nightmare. Blisters everywhere, awfully painful, etc ,etc … "My socks are just too short !!!!" was my complaining comment to Cyrille the next day. 
Ended up spending a fortune on longer ones on Sunday. Could go to the moon with them I guess, feeling MUCH better now :) Eventhough they are as UGLY as can be. But hey, we would have been informed if this was to be a fashion contest I guess…One week without a shower anywhere near is going to be "great and fun" according to Cyrille (typical man), "dreadful and disgusting" for me (yeah yeah the Frenchie….). 

Sam sent us the tent allocation. 
Riel, Michael, Heather, Kevin, Sauuen, Jason and James, if you ever read this blog, I look forward to meeting you all and to sharing some amazing moments. I suspect you will all bring some 'vics'/tiger balm/mentol with you to make sure you do not suffocate each night because of the smell as this promises to be an 'olfactory challenge' too … ;) 

I will be carrying 1.5 kg of electrolyte powder. Never seen so much powder at once ! I will probably not be the only one. I wrapped it in double layered plastic bags. Never carried so many 'sub bags' inside one bagpack actually. A friend of ours, who used to be in the army told us that after a little while, every single packaging eventually breaks off because of chaffing. 
Well I can assure you I could be sponsored by ziplock.

 My bag is 14kg without the water (this includes 5 kg of food … you remember ? The 'refine' French liophilized food). Which means 17kg on our first 40k , and 800g less each following day…. Great :( …. You will not hear me much…. I will probably be puffing , silently crying, laughing, swearing , ALL at once ! 

Tapering week this week. Very easy walking/weight lifting/stretching and stair climbing sessions and lots of CARBO loading. Can't see another bowl of pasta …. 

We are off to Kasghar on Friday. I have NO idea when I will be able to update my blog next. So check it out regularly ;) 

Good luck to all !

Hello, 
I am running late on my updates..... Life was hectic these last few weeks. 

I have just realized I have had 4 long runs in 4 different locations in one month. But I should not complain, after one in tropical Singapore which was really painful due to the heat and humidity, the next ones were pure joy : hills in Beijing and its crisp blue sky, Helsinki with its snow and fresh clean air and finally beautiful Paris in the Spring . 

This last one was also an opportunity to get inspired as we watched the top 3 Paris marathon runners cross the 41st km stage at the Bois de Boulogne . Vincent Kipruto did set a new record with 2h05 !!!! Absolutely unbelievable for a normal person like me. We watched him run by after 41km, at more than 20km an hour he still looked fresh and strong !? These guys are from another planet... 

As wished in my last message, my stop over in Paris was great for shopping and I made sure to load my suitcase with ALL the dry lyophilized food available. 
You know how important food is to French, so I am taking this very seriously, there is NO WAY I will survive on powder and gel, especially knowing that "saute de lapin chasseur'', "dorade printaniere" , and "mousse au chocolat" are now available for racers ! 

I have tested half of them now, and I have to say that it is not too bad (with the exception of the "gateau de semoule" which is just NOT eatable), I am actually amazed by what can be done nowadays. 
My favorite so far is the beef risotto with caramelized onions and the fruit salad (with berries, YAMI !). 

Cyrille and I initially thought of bringing some nuts and other snacks, yet after long hours of reflection, and considering the ratio weight/volume/calorie intake, we concluded that we had better carry dry lyophilized food and bars. 

Also the packaging is much stronger and the content should not spill out. Obviously this decision still has a cost: 4.5kg for 7 days at ~ 3000 calories per day, that would also include the energy drinks (for an equivalent of 2 liters per day) ...We had initially based ourselves on 2000 calories per day but then the notion of craving for food did not inspire us at all ............. 

I am now trying to figure out how to make sure all mandatory items fit in my bagpack. 
Planning on buying external water containers as my camel water bag will never fit inside my bagpack :( ... I am going to look interesting ! 

My training is more diverse at the moment, I have lowered my weekly log to 50-70 km , I continue the 2 stair climbing sessions (with my bagpack on this time) and have added 2 sessions per week of weight lifting & abs with a personal trainer at the gym. I have realized that though my legs are now strong , my back , shoulders and arms are still very weak, and now my main concern is HOW the hell I will carry my bagpack (even if it is 'only' 10 kgs ) over 250 km ?! ... Interesting wake up call 2 months prior to the race ... 

Anyway , let's not focus too much on this 'tiny' detail, we all well know that 90% of this race will be based on mental, and 10% on strength... Or is it the way around ? .... 

Living in Asia is certainly an advantage: I have started the "once a week Chinese massage" diet, and this works magic ! 1 hour of excruciating pain that leaves you dead for a day but somehow rejuvenate you afterwards. How they do this is still a mystery to me ?! 

Good news ladies! Just turned 36 last week, yet have never felt better :) Tried to cook a birthday cake with my kids on Saturday , ended up with a disc as hard as a brick ... and plenty of jokes and laughters from husband and kids. 

Lesson #1 : when it comes to French cuisine, forget your creativity, never substitute ingredients, stick to the recipe ... Next time I will just buy more of this lyophilized chocolate mousse ! 4 minutes, done AND eatable ! This Gobi march was well worth experiencing ! 

Beautiful blue sky in Beijing ! Have a great training day !

KILL THE PIANIST ! 

With the exception of the weekend long run, my running this week was AWFUL. I just can't stand running indoor anymore. Sick of this dull gym, sick of the treadmill, and most of all can't stand facing these plastic bamboo shoots that hide us from the car park anymore. Sick Sick sick. 

There is so many chinese programs and cheap soap movies you can watch !!!! It seems that English speaking channels are not an option (apart from the AXN of this world :((( so I am left with music, and more music... and these dusty plastic bamboo shoots ! ARGH ! 

I have tried to listen to podcasts of great French programs, but realized that this was not helping my running at all. While listening to the jokes and comments of the journalists, I was not able to control my breathing and pace properly ( I am a pretty basic person). 

The other frustration of the week was to realize that the gym uses only 2 music tapes all year round and the staff who is spending 8 hours each day there does not seem to even bother. Am I being picky ? Are they deaf ? ... Anyway too bad for Norah Jones but I am from now on associating her songs with my training frustration ! .... And her "Turn me on" song is giving me nausea ... 

Maybe I simply need a break ........... GOING SHOPPING , YOUPI ! Perfect timing and coincidence. I am off to Europe for training (not as 'physical training', this time I am going to focus on something they call 'brain' ... which is also a muscle by the way ... may be interesting...). This is the perfect opportunity to go shopping ! ... Prada, Dior, Channel, here I come .... Non, non, non, oh la la non ! Wrong , wrong WRONG line, wrong blog, wrong life .... I meant North Face, la maison du runner, Le vieux Campeur, Decathlon, etc , etc .... less glamorous yet so much more fun , isn't it ? ... 

Thanks to Cyrille who loooooooves outdoor equipement and can not help leaving a store without ANOTHER bagpack (he has got 20 already, I would be curious to know what a psychoanalyst would have to say about this :) , I have somehow learnt to enjoy this type of shopping too... 

Beijing has changed a lot over the last few years, yet endurance sporting equipment does not seem to be on the agenda. 
Let's not be too hard, I managed to find 25% of the serious stuff that are mandatory or recommended in the race list. At excruciating prices though !!! Then another 50% during my weekend in Singapore (a large group of Singapore based racers from last year left an 'impression' in the store, and made it a pleasant shopping experience ). 

So I hope to find the remaining balance in Europe. Let's see what I manage to log this week :( With jet lag, busy schedule and weather adjustment ... Anyway running in Paris should do my moral some good and I hope to come back more inspired to my underground gym the following week ;) 

Off to prepare my luggage, enjoy your week !

Hi everyone, 

I have been playing with the idea of writing regular updates to our friends for a few months, yet until today I was struggling to press the start button. For as you all well know , once you start writing , you can no longer turn back, you commit to take part in this race which is ... FOR REAL ??????!!!! 

Introduction first in this initial posting ... It may clarify why I have my moments of intense doubt ;) And this introduction should also serve as a warning to any reader : this blog will probably be more "relevant" to participants more concerned about crossing the final line than achieving a record timing. J

ust to set the expectations right, you will not find any good tips to make it faster or easier, what you may find are more naive comments from a not too serious runner ;) I will use this blog as a selfish way to make sure that I complete my training (or whatever it is I am doing to cross the finish line !). 

I am a typical working mother of 2 young children, ... you know, the one juggling family and work with difficulties, starting her days early, finishing them late after story telling, more emails and hopeless conf calls (WHY oh WHY do we spend so much late quality time on these useless communications ???) , oh yes and who occasionally squeezes in some kind of social life too...

 French citizen, with a dear liking for Asia (that has lasted 14 years so far...), I am currently based in China-Beijing working for a pretty cool company . Sports has always been part of the agenda in order to keep some sanity. 

Yet since my move to China , I have had to adapt. No security issue here , but MAJOR pollution level which discourages any spontaneous jog. No more long runs along the beach, now everything is mostly taking place indoor , read B-O-R-I-N-G...... :( 

Cyrille and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this year and were wondering what we could do to make it memorable .... This discussion obviously started after a few drinks .... And the conclusion "somehow" ended with: the Gobi March 2009 !.... yes I know , mad... Normal people would spend a 2nd honeymoon somewhere in the Seychelles... And would obviously not opt for a full week of sweaty running days and 'scented' nights with another 100s runners !!! .... 

But the worst part is that I was the one suggesting it , half jokingly .... BAD MOVE ... Cyrille could not dream of a better idea, and coming from me , he got the guarantee that there would be no bewildered face, no rational justifications as to WHY we could not do it, no reference to how unfit we were, etc etc .... 

This was back in October last year, when this race felt like 'manageable' ... Training started, gently first. 
Mid November, I broke 2 ribs . Some friends jokingly insinuated I had slipped in a bar after a few drinks , I kind of wish it was true, but no , it was just one of these typical hectic mornings, I was rushing the kids to the bathroom so they brush their teeth, slipped on the carpet, and landed on the edge of the sink ....Ouch ! ... how more glamorous could this be .... So long for my gentle initial training : I had to stop exercising for a few months (the magic 100 days !). 

I did not wait so long, anxiety took over. To get ready for this incredible challenge , I can assure everyone that as far as I am concerned there is NO time to waste (...). So as soon as the pain became bearable , I started logging miles again. 

This was back in Jan. We are now in March and training is full on ... I mean, as full as can reasonably be when you try to keep a sort of balance btw work, family and friends.... MISSION IMPOSSIBLE ! 

The programme is pretty strict and somewhat boring : I wake up at 6am, prepare the kids, accompany them to school, then rush to the gym we have at the office, complete my first 10-15k run before work, and my second run in the evening before heading back to the city. So I manage to log between 60 and 100km per week depending on my mood/schedule. 

I have also added long runs on the agenda on Saturday morning with small bag pack on. As well as one swimming session, one stair climbing session (how more pathetic could this be ? ... but on the other hand, with 27 floors right outside my doorway, it would be a shame not to use them... ?!) and a few occasional Pilates sessions to stretch (which often get cancelled though). I should be doing more speed training and weight lifting but have not found the courage, the motivation and most of all the time. 

My days are pretty full and feel like races .... 'When will you stop running Mum ?' ... Next life I guess ... 

Some weeks are very 'efficient' some others (like this last one) are a bit of a struggle . Social life can be a killer , you eat too much, drink far too much, and sleep too little ... but hey, everybody needs these moments otherwise I may as well become a nun and live in a monastery which is not an option, 'just want to live while I am alive' as the song goes ... 

Can Epicureans finish the Gobi March ? Let's find out... 

Tomorrow is Monday, potentially another chance to reach the 'next level' ...80k + half marathon on Sunday... had better go to bed now .............. Have a good week !