My dearest blog
 
Well, I survived! 
 
It's currently 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, 38 degrees and I'm sitting in the cybernet soaking up the most beautiful view.
On our west side there are the majestic snow covered Kunlun Mts which boarder Pakistan, and to North is a ragged range that boarders Russia and Mongolia.  Our tents are positioned under a group of trees and there is a small creek to the side towards the local village and their mud huts.  I wish you could all see this - it's quite breathtaking.  "Breathtaking" is quite apt just now as 120 odd competitors surround me having not washed for 6 days... we're all looking a touch feral.
 
Thank you ALL for your fantastic emails and encouragement - I certainly thought about these yesterday as I slogged my way through the desert.
 
Yesterday started early at 6am with a 2 hour bus trip to the start of the 80km long day.  Temperature wise it was pretty nippy with many emerging from the bus with sleeping bags huddled around them.  The first 30km was a long ascent towards the Kunlun range once again running the river gravel beds and gulley's.  At 40km the body had decided it was sick of the billions of rocks that cover the Gobi and my tendonitis in my left foot starting to becoming pretty uncomfortable.  Dragging my foot into checkpoint 4 the Texan Doctor took pity on me and gave me 3 painkillers and 4 hours of numb pain.  It was the window I needed ... I ran the next 40km as hard as I have ever run, and pulled into camp just after 7.20pm.  It was a long day but one I will never forget quickly.
 
The last runners came in at 11am this morning - the whole campsite met them at the end and there were a lot of tears - some joy, some from pain and some the simple relief of finishing.  Not that different to the Mac, but you just smell a lot worse here.
 
Today is a rest day.  I took the opportunity to waddle into the local village a few km up the road.  The people here have very little but they always look happy, are quick to smile and the kids are very playful.  I found a local school and sat with the kids for 20mins as they laughed at my sunglasses, camera and funny clothes (maybe it was the smell they were cracking up over).  I then walked into the fields where they still cut the wheat by hand and move it with donkey and carts to a storing mud hut.
 
Well, I'm getting told to move along as others are waiting for the cybernet.
 
Once again - THANK YOU ALL for the wonderful, encouraging emails - I assure you at the 60km mark yesterday, as the sun was beating down and I hadn't seen a person or runner in over 2 hours, I recalled each one of them for motivation.
 
Looking forward to the final 10km tomorrow, a cold beer and pizza - wow, after a week of food in a bag I can't wait.
 
Hugs to the boys hon and I can't wait to see you on Sunday.
 
BT

My dear Blog
It's 4.50pm, the Chills are playing in the cybernet zone, it's about 35 degrees and the Gobi is blowing a southerly that Wellington would be proud of.
Once again, great to get your emails, news and tips - thank you all very much, it truly makes an enormous difference.
 
Today started at 6.30am but this time it was a chilly 5 or 6 degrees.  I do believe I slept with every piece of clothing available to me (all 4 pieces). However, I opted against sliding into the survival bivvy - although many others did.
 
Today we climbed to 3,000m to Shipton's Arch which was simply outstanding.  The rest of the morning involved grunting up and down a very steep mountain range - not that different to the Twins - the only difference being it went on for 2 hours!  We then followed a beautiful valley for 15km down to a small village.  Once again the locals came out to greet us and at once stage I found myself running with 13 little boys and girls which was absolutely magic.
 
I finished today feeling pretty good, a couple of small blisters but nothing too sinister.  Mum, the water bottle velcro is sensational - it's my best piece of kit, the hotel slippers are my worst.  Whoops, a tent just went flying down the valley - it sure can blow here.
 
Wildlife spotting today was grim - a donkey and a dog... although I think the donkey winked at me.
 
Well, time for some exciting dinner, freeze dried spag and bol... gee, a beer sure would taste good now.
 
THANKS again for all your emails and best wishes... I need these for tomorrow... no doubt there will be a lot of sand, puffing and about 3 billion rocks for the long day.
 
Take care
BT
ps - hugs to the boys and thinking of you hon

Dearest blog
Well, I'm sitting here with my hotel slippers, tights, beanie and sunglasses listening to U2, it's a beautiful day - quite a sight really.  Our base camp today is at 2,500 metres (circa 8,000 feet).  Ordinarily I would think this is truly heaven, but given I had to run up here I'm feeling a bit knackered and not quite so jovial.
Once again - thanks for the great emails, hints and best wishes... they really do give me a great lift.
 
Day 3 on the Gobi was pretty cool.  The camp woke around 6.30am for a 9am start.  For the first time in 3 days we had some welcomed cloud cover.  The temperature was a balmy 25 degrees.  The first 20km felt good and I was quite happy cruising along waving to the kids and locals. The second half involved a very cool canyon followed by a never ending mountain climb (12 km!).
 
Now before you all see my top 10 finish and think I turned into a "racing snake" over night - well think again.  Unfortunately a group of guys got lost for 30mins and I somehow managed to sneak past.  Usually its me (or James) getting lost, so this was quite refreshing for a change.
 
Being the sharp eye that I am, I delighted to spot some more wildlife today - CAMELS!  At the time I was waddling up the "never ending" mountain and then out of the bush 3 very large camels literally fell across my trail.  All 4 of us looked rather surprised.  My initial thought was - camels at 6 feet away are rather big.  They also have the hairiest bottom lip and spit quite a bit. 
 
Anyway - best I go and fix up my exciting dinner for the night - gee, more freeze dried.  Despite what they say - they do taste a lot the same.
 
Thanks again for all your great emails.  Hugs to the boys hon. 
Warm regards
BT

Dear Blog
 
I'm sitting here at Camp site 2, Buffalo Springfield is cranking from the cybernet stereos, it's 41 degrees and I'm soaking up a 360 degree view of the best sand mountains the Gobi can offer - life is good!
Firstly and once again, thanks everyone for the great emails, I loved every one except reading about the French slapping the ABs  What we need is a couple of Mongolian goat herders - now these guys are seriously tough.  They look about 300 years old and have skin like an elephant.
 
Well today started early - around 6am and we left our little village around 9am for another wee trot.  Today was aptly named "life on Mars".  I have never seen Mars but I'm guessing its bloody hot, full of $#@! rocks with the only diversity being the introdu.ction of HUGE sand mountains. 
However, the scenery this morning was truly outstanding, 3,000m high mountain ranges guided us down a river valley for the first few hours.  I even managed to see some wildlife - one lizard, one snake and one scorpion - not exactly Africa but then again, unless you can eat rocks, there is absolutely nothing here for a critter to graze on.
 
I had a pretty good trot today, the legs feel good. I picked up a couple of "hot spots" on the paws, but was a good boy and stopped and taped them so they should be fine tomorrow.
 
Well blog - not much else to report. The people here are fantastic, with a good mix of hard core fanatics, trail snags and beer loving comedians.  The WBs would be in good company!
 
Hugs to the boys hon, glad to read you and Liam are enjoying the world's most expensive Mazda 5.
 
Time for dinner, I know, I'll have some freeze dried! 
 
Take care everyone and thanks again for your emails - they mean a LOT!
Warm regards
BT

Dear blog
Well, it's 6.12pm and 40 degrees and I'm sitting under a big umbrella, facing a mosque with 30 Mongolian guys in 20 year old suits looking back at me.  They seem to be laughing at me - this could be because I'm only wearing tights and hotel slippers (note for future Gobi runners - hotel slippers are almost totally useless for a country where sharp rocks cover 99% of everything). 
Firstly, thank you all for the great emails and messages - they really mean a lot.  Although Dad, I can't believe you didn't tell me the rugby score.
On Saturday we traveled to our first campsite.  About 300 of the locals all in their traditional costumes clapped and cheered us upon arrival.  This was wonderful but a bit embarrassing as all I had achieved to this point was a 300m walk from the bus to the tent.  Anyway, following that the local Mongolian tribesman gathered on their ponies and played one fantastic game of "steal the dead goat".  This was played in a river bed and quite outstanding to watch.
Day 1:
Slept like a log (sorry hon), and woke up at 6am feeling pretty good and ready for a 40km trot.  We kicked off our 250km trek at 9am at the head of a river gully.  (blog note:  the biggest challenge you appear to have in this race in keeping you feet attached to your body - blisters are your enemy here.  Water, friction and heat create blisters).  Thus, the first thing we did after crossing under the Gobi starting sign was a river crossing... following by 10 more...  Bring on the desert!  I didn't have to wait long. 
The next 30 kms was a mix of gorgeous valleys, huge mountain ranges and a LOT of rocks.  I can't believe a place can be this rocky.  I have come to conclude that Gobi must mean rocks.
I took the first few stages pretty quietly and walked them mostly and then adopted a slow trot for the second 20km after I understood the terrain a little more - which is basically rocks.  I finished the first 42km in 6 hours and feel pretty good.  We are now in a small village and sleeping in a local hall - which compared to sleeping on rocks looks very attractive.
Well, best I sign off, time to go and eat some spud mash... I know how envious you all are after reading that.
I miss you guys, hugs to the boys and do keep the emails coming, they are fantastic.
Warm regards
BT
 

Fingers crossed this works... 12 months to organise my pack, munchies and blog... and once again I find myself doing this at midnight the night before I leave... how does it always end up like this? See you in the sand... BT