The heated tent turned out not to after about 11pm when the coal ran out but no rain so although it was freezing I was snug and warm! The start today was again in snow (on it and still snowing) with a huge alpine climb and quite cold. During the day it got hotter and hotter and we're now very toasty and settled in a Kazakh home for the night! My feet took a bit of a beating today and have been taped up, and I took a hard fall whch they don't want to stitch b/c infection would form in a closed wound so they've put tegaderm on it. A beautiful day full of people taking photos of us (which is how I took the fall actually - waving at people taking photos. They thought it was hilarious as I just sort of slowly went over with the weight on my back)! Lovely warm evening. xo

After sleeping for an hour or two I woke up lying in a pool of sweat, and realized it was like a sauna in the tent so moved outside, where it was quite pleasant. This day was to be the recovery day--just sit, sleep, eat, chat...and I'd looked forward to this for quite some time! Although almost everyone was hobbling (at best!) everyone was also smiling--the long day was over, and we had nothing but recovery on the agenda for this day--which was MUCH needed.

Oh I should add here that when I fell on Day 2, I put my left hand out when I fell. I knew at the time I had fractured it--felt it, heard it, but I did not mention it on this blog or at camp b/c I was afraid they would pull me out of the race. It wasn't/isn't a dislocated fracture or anytihng too bad, but was swollen and very painful and hard to do anything with, even zip a backpack zipper, etc. I spent the next few days taking a LOT of anti-inflammatories which would turn it more into a dull pain as long as I ddin't use it for much, and made it managable. Finally, after the long day, I went to the medical tent and came clean about it, knowing they wouldn't make me leave at that point. A physician put my arm in a splint and it felt SO GOOD to have the weight not dangling tehre--such a huge relief! (He did also advise my my Motrin plan was the worst possible thing I could have done for it, but...it got me through!). I will be addressing it in a more thorough way as soon as I get back to the U.S.!

Anyway, as I sat chatting, the wind started up and when I say started up, I mean it was WHIPPING around camp. Tents started collapsing

I wrote an entry following the 80K long day but it hasn't posted--possibly it will or possibly it was somehow deleted during the melee of the sand storm which hit camp, so if it does end up posting, sorry for the double post!

Wow. Stage 5. 80K of difficult terrain in heat over 100 degrees, much of it in a canyon just funneling the heat with no breeze whatsoever. I couldn't really imagine how I could possibly do 80K when each day's 42K seems to be my absolute limit, so to start 80 with sore everything, blisters, and a fractured wrist all seemed impossible--but not really. I was going to do it--of that I was sure--just not quite sure how.

At the 50K checkpoint, there is hot water and there are tents for sleeping for a couple of hours for competitiors who want or need it. This was the only checkpoint one could stop for more than a quick water refill and brief stay if necessary.

Wow, what a day and night! Got in at 4:30am after a gruelling 80k. was over 100 today with absolutely no shade whatsoever

I have the whole blog entry written out in my head while I'm out on the course, but by the time I get here I pretty much feel like writing "it's fine!"Hard to believe today is only a day away from yesterday - so hot! So today was flat but not easy...it was like picking through a dry riverbed all day. Take your eyes off the terrain for a minute and you might bust a knee or an ankle. By cp 3 my feet were just killing me and I desperately wanted to lean against anything upright, but just kept moving along - figuring the sooner into camp, the better! A good day altogether:

1. I did not faceplant

2.I did not require medical attention (here come the unintended italics!)

3.I am here!

I hear the messages are all working now so I will read them after this! Thanks to all who have written (I'm about to find out who you are! : ). Lots of love to my family! xoxo

Today was incredibly difficult. It started really well - through cp 2 I was feeling very strong but weather here changes on a dime and just after I left the checkpoint it turned for the worse and starting with so so very cold heavy rain. I was in only a light shirt and raincoat, but the raincoat turned out not to be Gobi weather proof and I was soon soaked through. I didn't want to open my pack as it was pissing rain and didn't want to get everything wet. I powered on cp3, at one point counting my steps telling myself I could go 20 more - over and over. At cp 3 there was an orange tent and I headed for it, hoping it was warm as it

Fantastic arrival to camp1 last night