The Emails and Blog chats have been everything to me out here - thanks so much again
 
It was a late night with a sand storm in camp - all the tents needed to be tied down again and fires out. We were up at 5:45 to pack gear, mend feat, eat and head off on busses at 6:45am for a 9am start gun.
 
We drove into an area which looked like something out the X-Files and it had all the military security and police to go with it. We are very close to the Pakistan, Tibet, Kyrgyzstan and China border as you can get and there were plenty of "eyes" on us all day when we crossed through villages.
 
There were lots of nerves at the start and the course briefing scared us all a bit with 2kms of the race being cited as "very difficult" our first such warning in 24 stages. 
 
I consumed 1,500 calories for breakfast and had been saving all my special treats (cashew nuts, crushed up salt and vinegar chips, salami and a packet of life savers) for today.
 
The day could only be described as Long - endless desert full of deep trenches filled with rocks. This was the longest stretch of time and space without seeing anyone - I was literally alone for hours upon hours with no one or anything that represented civilisation insight.
 
At one stage I found myself running along signing to the "Gipsy Kings" in Spanish (which I can't speak) with my hiking pole acting as a makeshift guitar. What was that about ?
 
The day seemed not to end and my sole focus was to arrive at camp before dark and under 13hrs. The last thing I wanted to do was navigate this Gobi terrain in the dark. I ran the last 6kms really hard and arrived in 12:58 to the welcome drums as spent as I have ever been. Surprisingly, I could not sleep and spent and a few hours around the fire talking to competitors and watching others arrive to beat of the drums (which went on for a further 13 hours).
 
The campsite is amazing (thing Aman without with Army tents), a grass clearing shaded by willow trees with the 20 or so tents we occupy scattered amongst them. It was a wonderful feeling this morning to wake at 6am and not have to put running shoes on. We have a rest day today to allow the tail to come in others to hang out. People have been sun bathing, listening to tunes, playing cricket (?), stretching and sleeping all day.
 
Tomorrow we run 9.6kms - stage VI - The Last Old City - we will run from the Old Kashgar Tomb through the Old City (which will be destroyed next year to make way for a modern one?) and arrive at the Id Kah Mosque which is 600 years old.
 
We just had a course briefing for tomorrow - then came the good and bad news - The bad was that when we arrive at the Mosque there will be Pizza but no beer as it's a Mosque. The good news - this is Racing the Planet's 20th race (their first was in Gobi) and to celebrate a cake the size of a small Mosque and large enough to feed 120 people arrived and was followed by 3 donkey drawn carts full of beer and Ice ! ! ! !
 
Sinkiang Larger (brewed with snow water and Loulan hops) was immediately voted as Lager of the decade by those runners outside of the top 10 and a slice of cake went down very well.
 
This is my last blog - its been quite therapeutic and your emails and blog chats have helped more than you will ever realise.
 
Importantly, don't forget we are having a party on Sat 27th at Wagu Lounge (Old Bailey Street) which is "G" themed - so dust off your favourite Go Go Dancing outfit or Gorilla suit and we will see you and your friends (sic) from 8:30. It should be great - I know 8 people who are very excited.
 
Album of the Day: Gispy Kings (in Spanish) with Si Rob on lead vocals and guitar.
 
Event of the night : Fireworks tonight to celebrate "RTP's" 20th race.
 
It's been a special time out here, meeting new people, hanging out with friends and learning some more about myself.
 
Thanks again for all the emails and all the donations.
 
See you at the party
 
Simon
 
PS: Nicola & Libby I will have many showers before I arrive back in Hong Kong xxx
 

Loving all the mails - just a few days to go now
 
We finally got a taste of why Gobi is known as the windy desert - it was seriously windy and freezing cold (altitude) last night. I had the door (not ideal) and the tents we sleep in look like the ones from M.A.S.H with huge gaping holes all around where they don't meet the ground - fine for summer temperatures (tonight) but it was all clothes including the emergency blanket and then into the sleeping bag with the hood done up.
 
With today going to be a tough one I had a 1,200 calorie breakfast of porridge with Sultanas and  a side of Mashed Potatoes - mmmm.
 
Today was all hills for the first two stages - plenty of them - the first up to Heavens Gate which included 8 ladders with your pack on to get to 3,000m. We got to see the front runners coming back down as we were going up which was very cool - they absolutely fly. The second stage of hills was your classic Hong Kong stuff which I enjoyed - the views were the best we have seen so far. The back two stages were river beds and fields but long at 28kms. 
 
I had my best day so far finishing in 19th place, with no new blisters or any injuries. There are still lots of people to come in and it's really heating up - the turnaround for the 78km day tomorrow is going be tough for many.
 
We leave camp at 6:30am tomorrow to drive 90min to get us to the start point for "The Long March" which should be "rewarding" I am told by the Racing the Planet people - I have many other words that are more colourful.
 
Album of the Day : Nice and Urlich
 
Love to Godchildren Nat and Allegra who i know are watching
 
Blog tomorrow
 
 
Love to all
Si
xxx
 

Thanks everyone (again) for all the mails and the fantastic quotes which are very inspirational.
 
Not such a good sleep last night and it was a cold - I had every article of clothing with me on. However, this resulted in an overcast day and moderate conditions.
 
Stage I was through quaint villages and most children wanted to show us their running skills. Stage II was river banks, swamps and marshes which does not help the feet. Stage III & IV were 18kms of up hill and had it not been a cool day would have been a war zone.
 
It's spectacular here - I am guessing there are some great photos on the web - there are film crew all over the stages popping up behind boulders.
 
The climb up to 2,500m left people a bit of breath (except those at the front - I have no idea how you run a 3:45 up hill, at altitude with a 7kg pack having been on river banks all morning). I spent 10kms with one guy and after swapping names we both just stuck our heads down and kept strides - we said nothing until the checkpoint.
 
I had a pretty good day besides being stiff all over - no blisters (yippee). The lighter pack each day is helping things along nicely but tomorrow is another climb (at least at the start). I suspect I will sleep well tonight - the ground here is a field of dust which will seem like a bed at the Four Seasons. Whilst its a great atmosphere around camp and it will a shame when it ends it's great to have 120kms under the lycra.
 
Event of the Day : a great finish by a slightly injured Pete Dunn despite being in the line for the toilet as the start gun went off.
 
Song of the Day: The Sound of Silence (live version) - Simon and Garfunkel
 
Fact of the Day : China will never ever, ever run out of rocks - we crawled over millions of them today
 
Love to all (esp Nic and Libby)
Simon
xxx

Thanks everyone for all the emails - i don't get that many personal ones in a month - i am feeling very special
 
I had a brilliant sleep in a local village house - the snoring and new smells took backstage to the anticipation of Day 2.
 
We started at 9am and headed up a long village road and then into hard red sand dunes - it feels like you are in a massive quarry full of chili powder. We are yet to reach the hottest part of the day and its already 40 degrees. Some of the canyons we ran through make you feel like you are Bilbo from Lord of the Rings - out alone - nothing in sight for miles (runners disappear into the landscape and around canyon corners). Its special out here.
 
Tonight we stay in tents in the middle of a wheat field that has been partially cleared for us which is great - not a rock insight to upset my 3ft blow up mattress.
 
Event of the day was definitely when Swany's "Croc" went flying off his foot as he was approaching the Long Drop this morning and landed right in the middle of it all - nice. It was rescued with a very long stick and washed in a river for 40mins.
 
I am in danger of a new look when I arrive back in Hong Kong as there is way too much 80's music on my iPod - song of the day was "Duran Duran - Wild Boys"
 
I hung out with a wheat farmer from England for 10kms today which was really cool - we spent an hour talking about how his sons persuaded him and his wife to do a Bungee Jump when they were in Queenstown.
 
There are some amazing athletes at the front of the field and some extraordinary tough people who are out there raising monies for charities, racing with their children and there is even a guy who smokes massive cigars every night (I hope he has some left for Sat).
 
Back out there tomorrow - today was a really good day - I hope tomorrow is not too tough but any of that should be backseat to the worlds highest free form arch that was only rediscovered a few years ago ?
 
Thanks so much for all the mails - beers on me when I am back.
 
Simon
 
PS : a French competitor told me France beat the All Blacks - must have been lying - right - anyone ?    

First night in our tent was amusing to say the least - there is a lot of snoring. Packing for the first time under real conditions, eating, changing and getting ready for the start is all a bit of  a panic - I am sure we will get better at it. Swany's donuts that made it all the way from the Mandarin in HK went down very well for our breakfast treat.
 
We started at 9am - which is probably 5am in terms of real time (as China is on one time zone) and heat of the day. Lots of river crossings and then valleys to pass through - the landscape is like nothing I have ever seen - hills of green rocks and canyons that are 100's of meters deep with us at the bottom of them.
 
Its incredibly dry - you don't get wet as your sweat evaporates immediately which is quite deceptive as you need to drink so much. We were told that it was 44 degrees out there in the canyon at one stage today. Seems strange considering you can see snow covered mountains in the mountains bordering Pakistan
 
I traveled the 4 stages today with lots of different people from all of the world today which was fun - we shared food and swapped stories. I got into camp just before 4pm with a couple of small blisters and am feeling pretty good if not a little humbled by the task ahead.
 
There are 5 local children standing behind me - I don't think they have ever seen a computer before let alone 6 people all covered in medical tape wearing too much synthetic clothing and eating food out of plastic bottles.
 
Thanks so much for all your emails and blogs - keep them coming as they are very lifting and special to read after a hard day of which the real ones are to come.
 
Tonight is a lucky one - we are staying in local villages houses.
 
Kisses to Nicola and Libby  xxx

We arrived at camp by bus at 6pm - a 3hr drive. We were welcomed by the entire village and had some presentations, a festive dance and watched a game which consists of grown men on horses racing up and down a river bed with a dead goat - the aim being to throw the goat through a hoop (obviously).
 
The sun sets late at so its light until 11pm which makes it hard to sleep so its lots of time around the fire. Our tent is full of brilliant people, interesting noises and strange smells. There is gear thrown from one end it to the other and small amounts of food envy. I stepped out at 3am for a nature visit - I have never seen so many stars.

On Friday I head off with the Swan's (Andrew & Jill), Pete Dunn & Toby Brown to Shenzhen to catch plane(s) to arrive in Kashgar for Friday night. We have a day weighing gear and checking in, a bus ride to the start, a massive dinner and then we are off 8am Sunday - Day 1 of 6 - 250kms to go. 

Training has been relatively injury free which is great (touch wood) & I am now itching to get out there and see the land, hang out with good friends, meet some people from around the world and have no blackberry for an entire week. Pete, Swany, Jill, Kathryn, Toby, Mark and Ed its going to be lots of fun in the "Tujia" tent. Claire we are so sorry you have had to duck out to ill health.

My gear has come together nicely (after lots of experiments) and I owe much thanks to Jacqueline Furniss for being bag police and Swany for letting me survey his vast collection of packs as well as leveraging off his ability to find new and lighter products as soon as they come to market. I know I still have too much food but I can't bare the thought of being hungry.

On sponsorship - I am speechless at the generosity of friends and people I don't really know. So many people have reached very deep into their pockets to support what we are doing for the charities and friends behind us. Thanks so much - it's what is going to make the flags come a little quicker and my pack appear a lot lighter.

Our Charities are open 24/7 (hint, hint) so feel free to keep on giving. Think of it as a way to reduce your tax bill if your on a US or an Australian Passport. Our website has it all -> www.gobi4good.com

Thanks to everyone who has provided advice (there are so many of you) it did not make much sense at first (why would you cut a perfectly good toothbrush in half?) but I definitely get it now (some would suggest I am obsessed). Rodney thanks for all the PT sessions (I had never been in a Gym before) and to Ky for stripping the lactic acid out of my legs on Mondays.

Nicola & Liberty - thanks as always for being so supportive and encouraging of my adventure. Your tolerance for letting me spread gear all over the living room for months and months and months has not gone unnoticed. I will be thinking of you both constantly whilst I am out there and I am missing you both already. You are my inspiration every day & I hope to make you proud.

The party on Fri 27 June is guaranteed to be a huge success as we have Big Al from Wagu Lounge and Uppers organising it (need I say more). The whole team can't thank you enough for you time and generosity so far and in advance for the mess we plan to make on the night. Partygoers - I would start thinking about your outfit early as I hear there is a rush on outfits beginning with "G" and you don't want to be left with the "Gorilla Suit" in this weather.

More blogs soon -> send inspiration emails to <http://www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/rtpgmtp.php?SID=3&SBID=RC14> so I can read them when I hit camp each day.

Thanks to everyone
Simon