Stage 4 and 5 are done!!
Firstly apologies for not being able to write for a few day - I can assure you that all that I have been doing is walking!
Stage 4 was tough +++ - it was 13 hours on the course -  The day started with a huge climb to Heaven Gate - hopefully there will be pictures on the site by now - it was truly beautiful. And then it was hours of rocks, mountains, river beds,rocks,mountains,river beds!!!! We were climbing at high altitude which was REALLY HARD-I can assure you that I will never do Everest! ( no doubt Mum will be breathing a sigh of relief!!).
We finally got  in at 10pm - a long long day. We were so lucky it wasnt hot and it doesnt get dark until 11pm. Hence I couldnt email as the tent was closed!!
 
 
Stage 5 - the Long March
I am so so excited that I have finished- I now only have 12km to do tomorrow -as we walk into Kashgar and we will be finished. The long march started with a 5.30am rise to then get on a bus at 6.30am - a 2 hour bus trip and we headed off at 9am. I had massive problems with my big toe blister yesterday - it really slowed me down and was badly infected- not surprising in this environment.   It had to be checked by the doctors at each stage to ensure that the infection wasnt worsening - but the good news was that it didnt. For a few hours I really thought I might not be able to make it - but the Ipod came out, the toe started to get better and we were back on track! Bez and I walked together yesterday for most of the day - our first time.I couldnt have made it without her. Bez has been in the complete horrors with her blisters - she walked 70km in her crocs over the last two days! Amazing - am thinking she should get a sponsorship deal with them!We got to checkpoint 5 - the sleepover stop at 10.30pm  - had a quick meal and then slept until 2.30am - left the camp at 3am. The orginal plan was to leave at 5am - but there were around 8 of us in a tiny tent  - laying on rocks and noone could sleep to well. Ryan tells us that most of then girls were snoring - and he couldnt sleep at all so he woke us all up at 2.30am and off we went. The course was lit with glow lamps - it was actually very beautiful - the sky was amazing. As we trudged along with our head torches -  we  decide that our friends and family were right and we probably are all mad!! I made it into camp at 10am - and we are all but done  - I am so so glad we got up early as we now have the rest of the day at the campsite to hang out/sleep/eat/whatever. It is a beautiful campsite tonight - they have saved the best until last. It looks like I will loose my big toenail - so that will be a good take home story -I have a few other blisters but nothing too major and otherwise feel fantastic!
 
I may not be able to write tomorrow -am not sure if they will have the computers for us - it is only 12km tomorrow- rumor has it that beer and pizza will be on offer and then it is back to the hotel - for a SHOWER!!! and then we are off for drinks until who nows when!! I will write a final blog when I can - it may be from the airport.
I have met some truly amazing people-  we have had a lot of laughs, a few tears and shared lots of stories - I feel so incredibly lucky to have experienced these - unbelievable landscapes (however if I have to walk on another river bed or rock again I will scream!!). In fact the whole experience is nearly undescribable......
 
Cant wait to be home soon
I cant believe after all the planning I am actually going to make it!!Look for our photos over the finish line.
Your messages have truly helped me so so much and have added so much to the whole experience
 
To Floss and Sticks -thanks-you for your email -hope you have fun at Old Nans on the weekend - see you soon!! xx
A special message to Lib - I cant tell you how helpful your advice was to do this event - one step at a time, one checkpoint at a time - and it worked!
 
xxxxx

Day 3 done.
I am not sure where to start after another 10 hours on the course today!! It was tough - I dont want to see another river crossing for days. They told us at the briefing that their may be one river crossing - not sure if it was a trick or not - but I think we had about 5 - which means taking your shoes off, crocs on,stumble through the water, dry feet,shoes back on - I think we did it 4 times!!! Arrrh nearly did my head in.
I had a spectacular completely ungraceful fall today -actually I had about 3 - but my best effort was on the side of the river bank - and I fell full on into the mud - it is all over me - from top to toe. All I could do was laugh - and then I couldnt get myself and my pack up as I was laughing so much. I think today was the toughest - we were expecting it to be easy as it was only 38km - but in some ways it was the hardest. The last stage was a gradual climb -around 900meters - lots of people had oxygen problems - but I was OK. I shouldnt have bragged re my blisters - I jinx myself - I now have the biggest big toe in camp. I had to have it drillled at the first check point - and have just spent 40mins since getting into camp drilling and draining it again. Otherwise though  - no injuries at all which is great.
I couldnt have got through the last few days without my walking buddies - Ryan - the kindest guy I have ever met, Sandra (doing her 3rd race) and the beautiful Larrisa and Caroline -"the german sisters" - it has been a real team effort. The feeling of walking for endless hours with people you have only know for a few days - yet they would do anything for you to help get you through - is really overwhelming - we have had so many laughs - I have been more dirty, tired and happy all at once. This is truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.
 
Tent news - Bez continues to keep us entertained. She was so frightened of snakes coming into the tent last night -as we were camped by a field. She lay in bed with her sleeping bag tired around her neck, hood on -sweating as she was so hot - but determined a snake would not get her. We had to do tandem toilet stops in the middle of the night as she was too scared - very funny.
The guys in our tent continue to be with the leaders - they have been so kind also - waiting for me at the finish line. We have alot of laughs at night.
 
I never thought freeze dried food could taste so good - god I was hungry tonight!!
 
To Annabelle - It has been great getting all your letters in my pack - thankyou honey. I am half way across the desert now - only 4 days to go.
 
To Georgia - hope you are having a fun week  at school - I cant wait to hear about your excursion when I get back.
 
Daz- got your message about the girls -  thanks
 
Thanks for the messages-it is so great to get them. The logistics of this whole operation is quite mindblowing.
 
Off to bed now - we are camped tonight on top of a ridge -tomorrow we are climbing to "Heavens Gate" -the highest point in the Gobi I think.
Sharonxx

Day 2 is done!
Well it has been another 9 hour day in the Gobi - Mars in the Gobi is a very accurate desciption - am not sure how to explain it. It was very challenging - lots of hard rocky surfaces, lots of up and down clay terrain, dry river beds. They told us the last stage would be 4km of narrow canyons - we were excited thinking we would be walking in the bottom of a canyon - ie shade - but not to be - it was a narrrow canyon - sometimes only wide enough for one foot at a time and I think it was about 42 degrees by this time having been on the course for over 8 hours and no shade!.Was I glad to see the camp site.
Look near the end of the table for my results!
A few people dropped out today - Ernie from out tent has had knee problems - he is so disappoointed as he finished in the top ten yesterday. Their are some really serious amazing althletes here.
I walked the whole day again today - feet are still blister free which I think I am one of  the only persons in camp not to have a blister.No injuries either - so nothing to complain about really.Am making sure I dont sleep next to the snorer in my tent tonight - we are camped in farmland somewhere - music blarring from the stereo -very surreal!
Bez was speedy again today -but her feet are carnage now- she is draining them as I am writing this  -she is doing really well and making me laugh constantly.
I haven,t got the engery to write anything humerous - read Nick A blog!
Well it is off for more freeze dried food - I was dreaming about the taste of choc brownies today on course.
 
Thanks SO SO much for the messages- I cant tell you how amazing it is to have been out their all day and come in and read messages from good mates -I truly am very blessed!
 
Lib - my two friends that I am are here with are Berenice Hines and Mathew McLellan if you want to keep a look out for them.
Tan - could you please ring Daz and remind him to have the girls post a message - I would love to hear from them. And give Mum a ring so she knows I am fine - am not sure if she will be able to work out how to read this.thanks xx
 
To Sticks -hope you a great day on the exursion - I am thinking about you lots and lots love mummyxx
To Bud - how was piano? I hope you have something to tell for news. I am thinking of you so much love mummyxx
 
Stay tuned for Day 3!!
Signing off from the middle of nowhere
Sharon xx

Day 1 is over!!
I am not quite sure where to start. Good news is that I finished - I was on the course for 9 1/2 hours today and rumor has it that it topped 44degrees -- I am so glad that I didnt know that when I was out there! I was actually really pleased with how I went today - we have 3 -4 river crossings (I cant remember now!) and I was very precious- taking my shoes and socks off every time and then drying my feet - all in the hope that it will help  prevent blisters over the coming days. I really took my time today - just got into the swing of it. Dierdre - you will be so pleased to know that I can report I finished 42kms today - no pains ANYWHERE (only she will apppreciate that!!).
The course is truly amazing - seriously spectacular senery - I keep having to pinch myself that I am really here after all the planning.
We are staying in a village tonight -Bez and I are in a tent for  a week with 6 guys - the are taking great care of us - I know now that they are serious althletes - lots of them coming in the top 20 today. Bez was also star today - she was 3rd woman at the 2nd checkpoint!!
 
I cant tell you how amazing it is to to get into camp tonight and have emails - It seriously feels like we rae in the middle of nowehere - thankyou heapsxx
 
Who knows what tomorrow will bring???
 
To Kate and Lib- am wearing your Tshirt tonight- a big hIt in the camp site!!!
 
To Georgia - hope you had a great weekend honey - I found my letter from you today - thankyou. I love you all the way to the moon and back again too honey.xx
 
To Annabelle - thankyou for your beautiful card. Hope you have a good day at school tomorrow - you must be getting excited about your exursion. I am sending you a rainbow.xx
 
Time for bed - perhaps a bit of dancing with the villagers first - they are putting on a performance as I am writing this!
 
Sharonxx

We have arrived!
We have now arrived at our first campsite for the start of the race tomorrow-it was truly an unbelievleab experience-we were welcomed by the local community-100s of people-men on horse back and children in traditional clothes.it was surreal to be here in this harsh arid landscape and out of nowhere appeared our campsite and a village!
All is going  really well.
To G&A-I really am in the desert in the middle of nowhere!!
A huge huge thankyou to everyone for all their support - it is so amazing to be here.
Tlots of love Sharonxx(and mummy)
 
 
 

In preperation for our kick off on 14 June I am having a go at this now. I can hardly believe this adventure is only a few short weeks away. To anyone who bothers reading this I can give you the tip that there are  blogs out there which are way more humerous to read that this will be (Nick A whoever you are - keep them coming - very entertaining!)   I am hoping  we can find a few fellow gobi marchers who can still keep the jokes coming for Stage 5. I am not going to bore anyone with my training stats - only to say that the last few weeks have been less than ideal dealing with the odd pains.As a physiotherapist I am a hopeless patient who displays no patience at all when it comes to dealing with my own injury.Anyway - things are looking up and it is back to business this weekend.Look forward to meeting you all in Kashgar.