Morning all!!  Typing error from yesterday, in case you thought I was super human...should have been sub 12hr and not 10hr!!  Trying to sleep last night was tough..it felt as if someone was pulling my legs apart at the knee.  Took Myprodol, which didnt help either.  Had a few blisters drained, ate a packet of biltone, and climbed into the sleeping bag.  I did manage though to get a few hours in and woke up at 0900 this morning.  Got up without any pain at all, feet feel good and the legs are good to go again.  What an amazing campsite we have for today...a green field with huge trees providing shade and an incredible view of the mountain range in which the gigantic, and formidable, K2 lies (I think this is the mountain that has claimed the most lives of mountain climbers).  Normally you would be arrested for being this close to the border, but I dont really understand...what am I going to do, climb K2 to get out?????  The sun is out and everyone is out and about, letting feet get some air and dried out.  Today will consist of...absolutely nothing!!  Beautiful.  Just eating, sleeping, and pretty much doing anything you want (except climbing K2 to cross the border).

What i really love about the group of people here is that you can have professional runners and your 'average joe' staying in the same tent and getting to know each other.  Obviously thats about it because you definitely wont be running with them!!  The best thing about all the runners?  Absolutely zero egos...everyone just seems so easy to get along with.  I think doing a race like this just provides a common ground that overcomes everything else.  Really enjoyable.

I still have a few freeze-dried meals to get through.  Thats been the toughest thing out of all the days!  So the label reades 'Sweet and Sour Chicken'....tastes like wet cardboard.  The label reads 'Oats with Strawberry'...Yes!!....tastes like wet cardboard.  So I think you get the idea and all it has been is a case of getting calories in.  Last night was my first real treat and I had a packet of biltong which i saved specifically for after the Long March.  Words will never describe.  Note to self:  Never buy the same brand of freeze-dried meals again.  Next time its vacuum packed T-bone steaks, the wifes curry, biltong, ice-cream, etc.  Yeah right.

Just a word on some kit I brought with:  Bought the Suunto Ambit which Ive really put through its paces through the Gobi.  Awesome watch which has all the bells and whistles...GPS, Alti, Baro, Temp, Heart Rate, Calories burnt etc and the battery life is excellent.  My iPod....saved me yet again.  To keep these two charged i brought along the Solar Monkey Adventurer which is a solar powered charger...amazing piece of kit and charges electronics up in no time.

Right, I will be off to enjoy some more wet cardboard.  Tomorrow is the last day, and while its going to be great finishing the Gobi, I already get the sense that when all this suddenly ends there will be a slight void.  Kind of hard to explain??  Regardless,  Im looking forward to seeing my wife and friends again.  Just as important, Im living life the best way I know how...getting out there and pushing myself to, and sometimes past, my limits.  Im sitting here with the sun on my back and a huge smile on my face.

High fives to all!!

Where to begin?!  Well the morning started off with a 2hr bus ride to the start point of the Long March.  Off we set and I just had no energy..a tad bit of panic sets in when Ive run around 1km and still have 75 plus km's to go.  I just took it easy and kept a nice steady pace up until around 20 plus km's when things fall in place and I feel everything feeling much better.  Im not going to lie when I tell a lot of the run is blurred at the moment....I literally just threw my stuff down and came to type the blog.  I do know that I've never ever...EVER pushed myself as hard as i did today.  I achieved a small goal that i wanted to try get today, and that was a sub 10hr on the long march.

My feet are buggered.  Full stop.  Haha....they're gonna need some recovery time.  The legs too.  Today was without a doubt one of the toughest days Ive experienced, but the training came through and its done.  As ive finished in today I can sleep peacefully and have the whole of tomorrow off.  Im going to need it!!

Id have to see how i feel tomorrow but the whole last stretch was quite a whole basket of mixed up emotions....weird to describe.  I just pushed real hard...but now Im all smiles.

One more short day and then its home.  Ice cold water...all i want is ice cold water. 

Much love to everyone...

EEEEIIIIIINNNNNAAAAA!!  Remember how i described yesterdays route?  Well, the hills were much steeper today...hahaha.  Ja, they're thrashing us properly.  Course was actually better than i found yesterdays...weird but i seem to do a bit better with the hills.  Today we had some river crossings which were unavoidable...so i do it the only way i know how and walk in shoes, gaiters and all.  That sudden feeling of cold water up to my knees was amazing...I actually stood there a while to enjoy it before heading out.  In the first part of the course we got to climb up to Heavens Gate, which is a huge naturally eroded hole in the mountain side...the view through this hole was pretty special to be able to see.  Come do the Gobi to understand ;))

My feet are not in the best shape, but Ive done prevention where possible and patched up where needed.  The worst is getting them warmed up, which is cool because then the pain goes.  Its just like being on cycle again...yippeeee!  Tomorrow is going to be a pretty long day, but i dont think there will be as many hills as the previous two days.  I hope.  Pretty please.

Was looking forward to reading the comments, couldnt wait to get into camp.  You all rock!!  Thanks so much.

Hey Lovey, hows things in the Weskus??  All i can say right now is biltong....and lots of it!! dankie vir die boodskappe, means a lot.  Love you always xx

Cheers peeps, will catch up tomorrow after the Long March!!!

Gobi, oh Gobi!!  So they said today was going to be a ‘moderate’ day which will consist of an incline most of the stage.  It turned out to ‘difficult’ and pretty technical with an incline the WHOLE stage.  We have finished off today at around 2500m above sea level.  I won’t lie, it was pretty brutal and consisted of…wait for it…hills, very steep hills with rocks, rocks, very very steep hills with rocks etc. For the guys that I served with, you remember Jack’s Pass during Minor Tac??  Well its that for most of the day.  That went on for 5hrs 53min.  The feet are tender and I’m trying to do as much prevention and damage control as possible.

It appears I’m pretty strong with all these hills and caught up to a couple of competitors which were much farther ahead on the level ground.  It’s great to see progress!!  Felt pretty strong most of the day and just towards the end the fatigue monster hopped on my back and insisted on going with to the end of the stage.

Apparently tomorrow is rated ‘difficult’ which means much worse than today….ja don’t worry, we’re all laughing this side as well!! 

Some competitors have dropped out, and you can’t help but feel for them.  And then those that come in the last hours of each stage, the mental battle that they are having must just be epic!!  High fives to them for continuing to throw one foot in front of the other..

The best part of today (apart from finishing the stage) was reading the comments…can’t explain how much it means here, being the only contact to friends and family.  Thanks again, it means a lot…and keep them coming!!!

Time to go stretch my legs, they’re huuuuuuuurrrrrtttiiinnnnggg!!!! 

Wow, what a day!  Started off with 25km of hills and rock, hills and rocks, rocks, rocks, and more hills and rocks!!  My feet were thrashed by the time the terrain evened out a bit..scenery was amazing today and cruising between canyons and the red rock was great.

Learnt a huge lesson from yesterday..paced myself much better today and felt really strong the whole run.  Felt great.  I think I pushed a tad bit hard yesterday and didnt feel too good afterwards.  Today the legs just felt like going and going.  Had quite a punishing downhill section towards the end and that went well as well.

We are now camped out in an open field and the heat has picked up a tad from previous days.  Not Abu Dhabi heat..but warm!! 

Ive learnt so much in these first two days with regards to how I should manage throwing close to 100kg (pack included) of me around the Gobi.  I actually caught up to some guys that were far ahead of me yesterday...I think I managed my pace through the hills and crappy terrain pretty well. 

I'm having fun pushing myself..I always do, and am looking forward to tomorrow!  I guess putting in all those hours in training is paying off, thanks again Ian!!

High fives to everyone!

Day 1 ended up being around 32km due to rising levels in the river...but regardless, it was pretty humbling and got my feet firmly on the ground again (no pun intended!).  started off with a few steep climbs and then levelled out and we eventually hit the riverbed.  If you didnt have long legs then you feet probaby got wet, so i was pretty lucky and could jump across the streams.  pretty good going until the final 10km which was just a gradual climb with a headwind....my quads were almost cramping up and i started backing off, which was the best decision.  i think it was a good day, i just need to be careful of not going to fast and slow things down!!! 

we are staying in villagers huts this evening so at the moment we are in the town square and the attraction for all the locals.  Its pretty warm now but shoul cool down as the sun sets.

Very rocky and dry terrain...some guys already have pretty bad blistered feet.  Im still good.

Havent been able to read any of your comments yet, they still need to connect to the internet here. I will check later again.

Thanks again for all the support, its great reading all the messages!!

Aaaaarrrrggghhh!  Still no comments. I was just told that we will be informed when all comments etc are downloaded.  Not much else to do so...

Sorry if i dont respond to each comment but I'd be sitting here too long trying to type on this tiny keyboard!  Thanks again..

So finally settled in at camp 1....I wont lie, the mud huts, terrain, even the people, look like the area of northern Afghanistan!!  Bad flashbacks!!!  We are 10 in a tent and I have a previous men and womans winner in the tent.  The weather is windy and quite cool...nothing like back home.  If it stays like this then it will definitely help with each days running.

We had a welcoming 'talent' show here from some of the villagers which was kind of like watching the worst auditions from Americas Got Talent.  The singing consisted of women lipsyncing what sounded like a cat going through a wood chipper.  I was crying with laughter!!  Great start.

The sun sets at around 2300 here so hold thumbs for me trying to fall asleep. 

Will update after tomorrows stage..  Laters!!