240km in less than 6 days and it has been an incredible week! Cant really do justice to the experience in this blog but I'll go ahead and summarise some of the events of the last 48 hours. Before doing that let me just say I read all the blog comments and emails and thank you so much, it was so nice to read all your nice words after coming into camp after a 79km march. Mette, the fake names are hilarious and your comments are super nice. glad all is well in shanghai and looking forwad to be back. Ado, was very impressed that you wrote an email on the site :-) getting more and more nifty online hey? Tara, love your emails and comments, 'tanks a million'. Ni, obrigado pel os emails e blogs todos! Eu vi tudo mas tal vez a um atraso de umas horas.
 
So begining from the end of day four which is where i last left off. When i wrote last Byron and I had come in at about 9pm after day for (160km down). Eduardo our valiant teammate has been having a really challenging week but he fought through like a warrior and arrived at camp at 1am in the morning! Walking the last couple of hours in the dark but finally made it! Everyone was inpressed when he and Ming finally came in. The long march began next morning at 9am but to get to the starting line we had to take a 2 hour bus ride. Here we were heading into a 79km trek across an incredible vast expanse of desert surrounded by the Permir Mountain range on the edge of Pakistan (i believe this i correct). Anyway the terrain was incredible. Up into some mountainridges and down into a dry riverbed which we followed for about 30km, and then up into the mountains through farmland and a village, down back into another riverbed, over more mountains and down into the desert again. That's when we got to the 50k mark where we stopped for dinner and a 30 minute nap. Opting to finish the march rather than sleep over night in the mid camp we headed out with the sun setting down over the desert. The final 28 km were down a long path throught the desert floor. The last 20k of which we did in total darkness with head torches. The stars were out and it was one of those perfect star filled skies. Amazing. Finally arrived at camp at just before 4 in the morning. 240km down 10 to go. Relaxed at the fire for a while with some other competitors and then off to bed. Finally awoke at about midday and heard that Eduardo had just arrived. Amazing stamina from him marching all through the night with only a 4 hour sleep at the mid camp.
 
Generally a very happy mood in camp today. Everyone is happy to have done the main chunck of the event with only the symbolic final day in kashkar city to pass the finish line and enjoy a big celebration.
 
Happy to say that considering the milage feel absolutely fine. I think Byron and I are in a very small group of competitors that have no blisters! The doctors are all amazed so lucky we have good shoes and been taking care of our feet. Eduardo has a few nasty blisters but he is in a seriously good mood. Havent seen him so excited all week! Next week is his birthday when we are back in shanghai and we will be celebrating the gobi march as well.
 
This will be my last post sincce tomorrow we are back at the hotel. Should be on mobile again by about 3pm tomorrow! Look forwad to telling you all about this 250k in more detail. Its been great!
 
Hug to all,
L

This was a pretty tough but again equally beautiful day. I have to keep this blog brief because we just ran in 3 minutes ago and the cyber tent is already closed so they were kind enough to let me write something quick. Section 1 was unbelievable. Arrived at 3000 meters at shiptons arch which is the largest natural arch. Frrom there a series of hills and rigdes and up a riverbed - amazing. Section 3 was more hills more ridges, fascinating scenes and down a riverbed. Byron and I ran this section quickly and arrived fresh at checkpoint three. The last section was changed from 13 to 14k so it dragged on but the sccenery was INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Byron and I had to run all the way into camp because our teammate Eduardo needed to take a slower pace. He is currently on section 4 so we hope to see him soon.
 
Mette you absolute sweety! I loved your email - yes i saw it, and i loved nuties email! that was just too cool! love the bit about biting toes and not getting enough food!! I love you like crazy and am missing you extremely much! Thinking of you bauta!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Fabian, thanks for your email! got really happy to see that you are following the race. its great fun. will tell you all about it when back in civilization.
 
Didnt see any other comments or emails so big hug and love to everyone especially minha familia.
 
Tomorrow is the big stage of 70 or more kms... but after that..... ITS FINITO!
 
Mood in camp is upbeat and excited. Cant believe the week is racing past so fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Love,
L

Another incredible day in the Gobi. Amazingly, the terrain was different again! How diverse can a desert be? Absolutely great. Another different aspect was the weather. Overcast and cool with plenty of wind so very nice weather to be running in. Decided to change our strategy today a bit where each of the three of us ran / walked at our own pace and met at the checkpoints so that we could relax a bit on the stools in between stages. Day started off running through the village near where we slept and into farmland. Could have been anywhere really; wheat fields, grassland, hedges, smell of wild rosmary. Through the farmland we were snaking in and out of the village and there were plenty of locals cheering us on. I am sure they havent seen any foreigners (unless in a previous race) so they must have thought we were a pretty interesting sight! I even got given two small flowers from some locals!! Really nice to see such welcoming people. From then we made are way up a few hills and into checkpoint one in great time. The section felt very quick. Here to a rest for a while and then on to section two. This was a real adventure. Through more farmland, fields, irigation ditches, rice paddies, and since it rained last night the ground was very wet and sticky. The earth in that section was clay based so a lot of time needed to be spent choosing the right route or you'd end up ankle deep in mud! Bizzare conditrions for a place whose annual rainfall is only 8 cm... All the mountain rivers were overflowing so it was really quite spectacular. The route passed through a few villages so there were a few gravel road sections. It was an 11.5k stage so it did feel quite long but eventually checkpoint two arrived around the corner and we could put up the feet for a while and relax. Byron and I came in in the top 60 so we had time to chill and watch people come in. Generally people seemed to be finding section two pretty tough. From here we had a short 8.5k section along a river, up a scetacular canyon and then up onto a ridge with a 360 degree panorama which was just unbelievably beautful. During this section there was over 200m of altitude increase so the 8k felt pretty challenging. Checkpoint three was at the end of the ridge so there was time to enjoy the view before moving onto a tough last section. Section four was along a gravel road and up a riverbed with a further increase of 450m to the campsite which is called something like the foot of the stairway to heaven because of its location next to tomorrow's spectacular stage which included the climb to the largest natural arch in the world which sits in the face of a mountain. Still trying to imagine what it will look like but I am sure we will find out tomorrow! For today team Pine River feels strong, happy and excited to think that we have just covered 120 km in the last 3 days! another 130 to go so lets continue enjoying what is so far an absolutely spectacular week.
 
Mette my sweetheart. Loved your emails and comments and found them extremely funny especially signing off with funny names. :-) you make me smile and very happy. When i reached the top of the final ascent today i had a bit of time to relax so i re-read all the notes until today. You make me so happy with all these sweet notes. I smile, laugh, feel musit... Super nice. I am missing you too and I hope your week in shanghai is going well. Thats cool that you met Alsen - I hope you can find some good people for him! Ok have a lovely evening and look forward to hear more news tomorrow. LOTS of sof kisses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Tara, the coolest sister in the world! Loved your note, and laughed a lot. You'd love to see this. How is the new job going? Hope you are having a good time and enjoying the experience and learning a lot. Biggest hug and keep reading and commenting on the blog! xxxx
 
Ni, entao como e k esta Ascot? Ja tao a divertir muito com os irlandeses e os cavaleiros? (heheh)... espero k esta tudo bem e k tao a divertir. Mando muiiiiitoooos beijinhos e xi coracoes para ti e o Ado! Penso em voces!
 
OK the Cybertent is closing in 5 minutes and I am going to eat some food. Hope everyone is well. Here in the GOBI, we are very well!
 
L

Amazing to be able to report that we had an equally impressive day today. Again specctacular scenery and very different to day 1! The desccription of it looking a bit like mars was incredibly accurate! Check the photos because it was amazing terrain. Aparently this part of the desert used to be the sea bed of an ocean thousands of years ago. Well it certainly looked like it. checkpoint one was an easy 8k out of the village through some farm land and into the rocky dunes. From there we passed into the second stage which was up and down red stone / sand formations which looked incredible!! Pretty tough up and down but maintained a reasonable pace. From then on went through a riverbed, and more "ocean floor" terrain, around a pebble filled valley and into checckpoint three. By that point it was the hottest point of the day so the water and spay were extremely welcome! Spend a while chilling out at checkpoint three... the team there were a great support. The race is such an amazing format. It would be just impossible to traverse this terrain were it not for the checkpoints every ten or twelve kilometers. The last section was also incredible. Up a gravel road to an vantage point where we could see for many miles over this spectacular scenery. We decided to relax here for about half an hour and enjoy the view. From here on it was downhill through a canyon, and into a hill section which is hard to describle but I can say it was unbelieveably beautiful. Probably went up and down about 50 small hills sometimes straight over them sometimes snaking around them. We were feeling pretty fresh since we took an easy pace but every time we thought the hill section was almost over we'd reach another vantage point to discover another five or so. Eventually we crested a hill and saw the camp in the middle of a picturesque grassland. Camp is beautuful again. A recently cut wheat field. I am sure it will be a nice sleep tonight.
 
Really looking forward to day three. This is with out a doubt the most incredible race that could be concieved.
 
Love all the notes again, its great to check the laptop here in cybertent and get nice greetings!
 
Mette min godis, you sweety! Love your comments. Glad you are having fun with Yael. Say hi to everyone including nutie and mini of course!! :-) Hope the working week is off to a good start. Missing you too mega much and enjoying reading the notes. Keep commenting - its super nice! LOTS OF LOVE AND PUSSES! :-)
 
Ni minha querida, muito obrigado. Claro k era uma maravilha estares aqui tamben. Para a prossima tamben fazes uma corrida nao e? Como estao os outros? Noticias de pai e irma? Diz os pregicosos para ecrever alguma coisa! hahah.. beijinhos!
 
Leon, thanks so much for the encouragement! Really glad you are enjoying following the race. Its an incredible event. You have to sign up for next year!!
 
Paul, thank you so much. Byron and I are having a fantastic time and he sends his regards as well.
 
Will keep updating the blog at the end of every day so will keep you all posted on our progress and I will try and describe as much as I can what it is like, however the real description will have to be done when we get home. We're taking lots of great pictures.
 
OK take care everyone, I am off to put up my feet and chill.
 
Abraco,
Luke

Day 1
 
Wow, that was incredible. The most beautiful landscape I have ever seen!! We had a great time taking an easy walking pace so really had a chance to admire this incredible part of the country. It is absolutely spectacular to walk to the horizon and beyond with such incredible backdrops. Snow capped mountains, rolling desert, canyons, riverbeds, rocky dunes.... endless. To be honest its hard to describe it in words. Race started with treking through a very shallow mountain river. Icy water felt great. Passed through several spectacular valleys where you could see for twenty kilometers or more at a time. The checkpoints were a welcome break with somewhere to sit down and change socks and refill the bottles. Checkpoint three was placed at the edge of a horizon so that you saw it a long time before you reached it... but all part of the fun. Finally arrived at camp which is in a very sweet local village. Locals were awaiting us full of cheers and lots of clapping. Pine River team is being well represented... we are definitely having an excellent time. Very cool.
 
Mette min alskade, thankyou for your sweet message (via comment) got it and got very happy! Also I loved yesterdays note!!!!Missing you too very much!!!! pusspussspuss
 
Nisotas, ja vi o teu post tambem! muito obrigado!! muitas saudades tambem, manda um xi coracao para o pai tamben k eu sei k ele nao vem o blog! hehe
 
Now for some food and chillout until what we hear is going to be another incredible stage tomorrow. "Mars like" was the exacct description! Cant wait!!
 
Big hug,
L

Ok enough austin powers jokes, now its time to get serious.. :-)
So nice to have Mette here to kiss me goodbye.
Very excited to be finally setting off today!
L

Still in Kashi....MOoooooohahahahahahaha....I am the evil king of melunumi...momomohahhahahaha! I want 10000000 millions dollars...*little finger*!

Arrived Tuesday. Very excited. Two days to go.