First things first...Mom I'm fine...nothing to worry about...
 
Sleeping at the Uigher Museum proved too hot so most of us slept outside under the stars. Schedule was to start at 6am but was moved to 8am at the last minute, so we adapt. Stage One was through a river with lots of crossings and very refreshing. Stage Two was through a Uigher town and was great as all the children were running around saying Hello and Good Morning, Took lots of phptos of kids who giggled and laughed hysterically to see their photo on the digital camera, it was infectious laughter. When not taking pictures I ran a good part of the first two stages. Then in Stage Three we hit the basin and the flats and while it was cloudy and cooler than normal it was still hot and desolate, running was over, trecking was in. At Checkpoint four there was a cool water pump and I used that to cool down and took a short break. I was on pace for about a 22-24 hour 100km/60+mi stage. Then the Gobi reared up and grabbed me....
 
At about the 50km/30mi mark between stage 4 and 5 the sun came out around 5pm and is still high in the sky. The effect was immediate and like a heat lamp. About 30 minutes after the sun came out I began to feel a bit loopy and went for more water and mango.90 seconds later I was on the ground getting sick and just managed to sit up on the side of the road. But I couldn't even take my backpack off to get my food. Other competitors came by and were just awesome. They helped me stabilize and get sorted and one chinese-american guy ran ahead to the next checkpoint to have the doctor come out just in case. Roger, The firemen from North Carolina and others all helped out a lot. When the sun went down and the heat lamp receeded I was able to be mobile and make some slow progress. The doctor came out in the SUV to check on me but since I still wanted to try to finish I walked to the next checkpoint with Diego and Brandon who powered me with skitttles and a helping hand. We each took turns singing songs and that had to be hard on them. They just got in 10 hours later and are studs.
 
At the checkpoint  I had no gas and had to raise my blood sugar level. Dr Avi was great and has my gratitude.  as does Mark who gave me chips and a steak bar. My pulse had fallen as low as 40 but I was able to get food in me, although it took me 40 minutes to eat a cliff bar. I decided to lay down and rest and hour by hour I would try to get up and powered up to do the next two stages which were about 27km/15mi at which  point I could get a hot meal. But it wasn't happening, I couldn't get my blood sugar level up. Then at 6am I had to make a final decision. There were no clouds in the sky so it was going to be wicked hot, itwould beat least 6hours to a hot meal an d I was still wiped out meant it would be an easy decisiion, the risk was too high. I beat the Atacama, but the Gobi got me...
 
I feel no disappointment in any way. In the Atacama I had to battle pain only, this was a fundamental health and safety issue. One competitor from a few days ago was taken off the course very ill to the hospital, this was a cautionary tale. There is a line between determination and recklessness and I was not going to cross that line. My mind said go, go, go, but then there was my mother and wife sitting on my shoulders and telling me "think about it, do the right thing". and I did. As I sit here typing this it is 53c/130f and 15 hours later I still feel drained. I know the Duke/NUS Medical School and Singhealth would agree with my decision.
 
So I gave it my best and came up short, but I hope you will respect the effort and generously support the charities.
 
KIPPster Gobi Lesson #5
We define ourselves not by how we deal with success but with adversity. Give everything your best shot all the time, but be smart and live to compete another day. A philosopher once said "that which doesn't kill you will make you stronger". Kenny Rogers sang "you need to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em"
 
The line I like the most which seems so appropriate right now is "That which I am committed to, I should be committed for". :-)
 
The #1 goal of the Gobi is to help others and that we are doing. Thank you for all your support.
 
And to all my friends here who have 22km to go tom'w, may you finish strong and healthy...
 

Had another decent day today but tom'w looms for all of us. Our nice Uigher family we were staying with last night had one bad habit, staying up very late and loud right outside our door and windows until the wee hours. Just as the flies left us the party began. As we were up at 245am sleep was sparse. We were off at 4am for a 90 minutes drive to the start which began at 6am. Temp was nice and there was a cool (all relative) breeze. Start was to be up some stairs but they collapsed so we were rerouted. The sun came up at 7am in a great sunrise. Fully ran stage 1 and stage 2 for about 25km/15mi  and felt well.
 
Stage 3 was rated difficult and was well rated. Temp really heated up and we spent most of the afternoon in the sand slot canyons (think of a funnel where we are in the bottom of the funnel and the sand track is only 2-3 feet wide. You have no idea where you are and with out those pink flags you'd never find your way out). And you have no idea where the finish is but you are highly motivated to get it done. Used up all my water but always had a reserve bottle with recovery drink just in case. Got in in about 6 hours with the last 10km/6mi taking almost half the time. Finished with  a huge sand dune down which at times was a blast as it was similar to skiing powder just jumping from one dune to another. At the bottom we saw a Uigher Museum for the finish and actually we are sleeping in the Museum. The sand dune next to us is about as high as a 50 story building, amazing place. good news is there is no one to keep us awake tonight and a good nights sleep is key.
 
Tom'w is the big day in the Turpan Basin, 100km/60+mi. Its 4pm here now and its hot, no air con out here at the Uigher Museum. My guess is tom'w will take at least 24 hours and maybe 30. We have heard the finish is very difficult with some huge sand dunes. The good news is that we will be going through the night which will take the edge off. I can't even imagine this as the Atacama long day was only 75km/50mi. I may run some in the morning to get some mileage done but the heat and dark will reduce us mostly to trekking or a slow jog. Basically it's just one foot in front of the other, hydrate, eat and don't get lost. And the best news of all....STILL NO BLISTERS!!!! All my experimentation on footwear, socks and lubricant is paying off. Duke/NUS students will benefit for years from my studies on blisters   :-)
 
Polished off my beef jerky as my main recovery food and tom'w will be fueled by trail mix, lots of mango, Cliff bars and Bali peanuts...um-um. All your messages of support are greatly appreciated including the world update. Any news on the oil spill? Why was China downgraded? Is my backup plan Brazil still in contention? These and other topics I'll have much time to ponder tom'w. In case you wonder what I think about while I'm out there I'll tell you...It's all of you who are family and friends and colleagues. To have a full day to be by yourself (I run alone most of the time and can't talk while wheezing anyway) is great. Today was Shelly day and I thought about all the things we've done together, 6 hours was not enough. Yesterday was Mom and Dad day and boy I did pick some great parents. Life at its best is full of positive people providing support, friendship and love and I am blessed with an abundance of each. Every now and then a negative e-mail slips into our lives and there is only one response...delete.
 
KIPPster Gobi Lesson #4
By my crude math I'll be taking close to one million steps in the race, if I thought about that I never could have started, just too daunting. The only two steps that matter are the first step, and then the next step. By repeating that continuously all your dreams will come true.
 
If you have a chance check out the charitable efforts of the other racers, every person I meet has an amazing story of the efforts they will go through to inspire and help others. They love what they do and do what they love but also see the bigger picture of what life is really about.
 
I will have to skip a day on the blog as I'll be on the course, stay tuned...

Today was a very good day. After an 11 hours sleep we woke to a rainy morning, but not as cold as prior days. As we descend into the Turpan Basin the temp will steadily increase from here. Morning started with freeze dried eggs and ham, just like Mom used to make. The course to the first checkpoint was a dried riverbed which we nicknamed the anklebuster for its softball sixed rocks. We had six river crossings in Stage One for which wet feet usually means brutal blisters as you have to then run the rest of the way in wet sneakers and socks. On one of the crossings the current caught me and I did a face plant in a very cold river, which was actually very refreshing until the clouds moved in and temp dropped and wind kicked up. I wish I could save the cool breeze for the next few days and I wonder what happened to the river as it would have been huge. Stage two was a long dusty road over the riverbed and stage three began with a series of about 20 rolling hills up and down for about an hour followed by about 7km/4mi to camp. It was a good day and other than walking up the rolling hills I ran pretty much the whole way, 32km/20mi. I felt really strong today and it was a big confidence booster for tom'w but more on that later. And NO BLISTERS so far!!! Fingers crossed...
 
When we got into camp today it was a great surprise. Tonight we are staying in a remote Uigher village where the locals have given up some of their rooms for us, for a fair price of course. It's very relaxing and quite charming. Next to our room is a family with triplets (two adorable girls dressed in their finest, and a rugged little boy. I guess they are about one year old. I hope they will let me take photo but we always must ask as this is their home and we want to respect their wishes. Most of us took the opportunity to take a dip in the stream and get some of our clothes washed out. Other than that resting and eating is the order of the day.
 
Tom'w we are up at 245am for b'fast and then off for a 90 minute bus ride for a start at 6am. We have been warned as the name of the location is Flaming Mountain and is expected to be 42k/26mi, a marathon in some serious heat. We are getting a taste of it this afternoon as when the sun comes out it immediately feels a lot warmer. So I'll be back in the stream one more time tonight.
 
Thanks to everyone for the comments and e-mails. I can't tell you how great it is to hear from everyone. There is also a section called e-mail a competitor on the website which you can use. Other than the odd news of World Cup and Wimbledon we haven't a clue what's going on. While I expected twichy thumbs and early stage blackberry withdrawal so far its been great being of the grid. I was asked to give an interview y'day and they said it may be on today. Was talking about the purpose of this and the charities we are benefitting. So please remember we are looking for donations and please tell your friends so we can help a lot of people.
 
KIPPster Gobi Lesson of the Day #3- Aim super high in your goals so that even if you don't reach them you will out achieve those who set easier goals. If the goal seems attainable at the time you set it then its not high enough. Be audacious and set your goals against the future as you want it to be not the way it is.
 
Thanks everyone for all your support, it really matters!
 
p.s. we have spotty reception in the Gobi so they are telling us that the blog posts are not getting all out on time so be patient...

After my 14 hour sleep I awoke still a bit flu-like but at least no worse so I count that as a recovery. I sure could use the Duk/NUS team right now! Again it is sooo cold and figuring out how to dress for the day is a challenge. I just opt for my usual outfit of long tights and long sleeve shirt and a full head and neck cover hat. I do not want to get any sunburn, that would be the worst. I was told yesterday we were about 2,500 meters/7,000 feet. We will be descending to the 2nd lowest place on earth
 
I had a good b'fast and am able to eat well which is key to staying healthy. today was a short 29km/20mi where the first half was more rolling hills and the second half was flat, the reverse of y'day. The only bad news was both US and England lost in World Cup. Felt good and found that taking a piece of dried mango and not chewing it , it will last over 30 minutes and still taste great, such is my day in the Gobi. Took it easy on the last 7km as I wanted to not push it. There are 101 ways to get hurt here and I intend to try out none of them.
 
Don't worry mom, I won't take any chances! On the food front by Bali peanuts are a bit hit in the tent and there is a big bid for my mango. I also have to sway that my beef jerky recommended by my daughter Diana is awesome and really helps me recover. I have to ration it though as I've only got two packs for 5 more days.
 
The countryside here is wonderful and like colorado, sort of. Local very friendly an I continue to spread the magic of the high 5 throughout the region even getting an old lady to hit me up.
 
Next two days are still relatively light with a 100km/60mi day 5 looming like a large grey storm cloud.
 
KIPPster Gobi lesson #2 - Even if you're struggling don't ever give up because the clouds can part unexpectedly and make for a better day ahead. Also, never argue with a guy in the special forces...
 
Here's hoping its warmer tonight.
 

The adventure begins...our bus ride to the Camp from the hotel was comical in that the small culverts we had to cross we only ^ inches wider than the bus and thus a delicate operation. While going downhill the rear end of the bus got stuck and we all had to get out while a combination of locals, the bus driver and about 15 nationalities all combined to find a solution to unstuck us. Gave us all a good laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing...
 
Camp was great set in a grove of trees. As the sun went down and everyone began the process of getting to know each other the temp plummeted. Forget the 50c/120+f  concept. It is COLD and was sub 10c/40f at night which left us all shivering. Morning didn't come soon enough as everyone crowded around the fire for warmth and hot water. There are about 160 people from 40 nations and 10 from Singapore. We started at 930am out of a little town with about 25 locals who must think we are crazy. This is not the NY Marathon. After teaching the kids a high 5 we were off on our 32km/20mi day. The first 20km/13mi was relatively flat and went well. I felt smooth and strong (the Good). Between 20 and 25km we began to hit rolling hills with steep ups and downs. I slipped on a down and snapped my weight-saving pole. So much for the weight to performance trade off. I know I'm going to miss that pole later on. At this point I began to not feel so well, like a flu coming on (the Bad) so I slowed down a bit and ate and drank more. But it got worse and the last 7km was grim (the Ugly). I was racing the bugs on the ground. But I got through the stage. Getting sick with 220km/145mi too go is not a great builder of confidence and led me to question my ability to continue.
 
After making a few alternative plans, just in case, I ate what food I could, saw the doctor and took the advice of my tent mate, Andy...take three advil and just wait and see how you feel in the morning. Following this sage advise from a special forces commando in Kuwait I went to lie down at 5pm...I woke up at 7am!!! I guess I needed the rest but how I slept through another freezing night I'll never know. I never thought I'd be saying "bring on the heat". My sleeping bag is rated to 10c/40f so now I'm 0 for 2 in my plan to save backpack weight. This is why this blog is a day late...I had to have a power rest to recover.
 
KIPPster Gobi lesson #1 - Don't make important decisions when you are cold, sick and sore...Take an advil and make them when you are cold, sick and sore in the morning...
 

It's Saturday afternoon and following a few days in Urumqi all the competitors have arrived and this afternoon we leave for camp on a 2-3 hour bus ride. So far fears of extreme heat seem misplaced as word from the course is temperatures of 7c/45f and thick fog with visibility of 7 meters/20 feet. Go figure. In any event I'm bringing a warm vest just in case. I might end up running in my sleeping bag...what a sight!

My backpack is about 10 kilo/22 lbs down 2.5 kilos/6 lbs from the Atacama. Based on the numer of steps I will take over 155 miles this represents an astonishing 980 tons of total step weight. I still think I'm heavy on food but will carefully reassess how hungry I am as I go along. This will again be one of the more important decisions as I'd like to be another 2 kilo/5 lbs lighter.

Lots of company from Singapore with about 10 of us who live there. Total competitors are about 160 from all over the world. Also many friends from the Atacama race including Andy from Kuwait whose wife Helen is here as a volunteer. Meals are a time to sit with people you don't know and to begin to build bonds for the coming week and beyond. World Cup fever is in full swing with each nationality either in good spirits or picking a back up country to support. Big rivalry between US and England. Go USA!

The long day six is now rumored to have been extended to 100 km/60 miles. Ouch, not a welcome piece of news given my experience with the long day in the Atacama.

To all of you who have received my e-mails about the fundraising angle of this challenge thank you for your help in getting the word out and special thanks to all of you who have forwarded the appeal to your friends and made donations. It's not as much about the amount as much as the participation. So whether it's $1 or $100 per kilometer it all makes a great difference and is the oxygen to get me through this.

18 hours to go...

In order to help someone Gobi a Hero below is additional information on the three organizations to benefit from the Gobi March. Please support us in whatever amount per kilometeryou can.

1) UNICEF China Earthquake Relief

Relief Effort Video:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTc3NzE5MDg4.html

Donation information:

www.unicefusa.org/gobidesertrace

2) Duke/NUS Graduate Medical School

http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/race_funds

3) KIPP Academy (NYC/Houston)

Want to know more about KIPP? Watch:

"KIPP is..."

http://www.vimeo.com/12117261

"The Moment"

http://www.vimeo.com/12117342

Donation Information:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=JVSZZHCTPWB5N
Thank you.

A photo of Michael Dee at the Atacama Crossing, and a couple of photos of the area that Michael will be racing through next week

A 250 kilometer (155 miles) race through the Gobi Desert with temperatures ranging from 10-50c (40-120f) and carrying a 10 kilo backpack (22 lbs) is not a normal vacation. In fact it's an amazing adventure which is 'all about the Charities'. I am undertaking this challenge in the hopes of inspiring you to support others who are trying so hard to help themselves but need a bit of a boost. To do this I will be supporting three organizations with three partners in different parts of the world. 'Education' is the common theme and of the appeals two are specific and one is more general.

First the general appeal:

1) UNICEF - China Earthquake Relief

I have partnered with UNICEF to provide schools for the children of Chengduo, China in the Tibetian Autonomous Region. On April 14th a 7.1 magnitude earthquake virtually destroyed 33 schools rendering them unusable for about 10,000 children. While relief has found it way to various parts of the region Chengduo still needs much help. Located on a 4,600 meter (15,000 feet) plateau where it is winter eight months of the year they endure temperature drops to minus 40c (-43f) and have Gale Force 7 winds (60 kph/40 mph). UNICEF, coordinating with local authorities, will provide pre-fab insulated schools with heaters, school kits, clothing, medical, food and training. When it comes to relief efforts of this nature UNICEF is an outstanding and welcomed partner.

The specific appeals include:

2) Duke/NUS Graduate Medical School

We will be setting up scholarships for those students of capability and need of the Duke/NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore's newest medical school. In partnership with SingHealth we will appeal to Doctors and the medical community in Singapore at large for support. As a member of the Governing Board I have seen the difference these students will make as Clinician-doctors conducting important research for the benefit of the broader community.

3) KIPP Academy of NY and Houston

I am in partnership with my new friend, Whitney Tilson, a money manager in NYC with an unstoppable passion for education. Whitney has created a new film called 'A Right Denied' which is to education what 'An Inconvenient Truth' is to climate change. Together we are raising funds for the KIPP Academy (Knowledge Is Power Program) in NYC and Houston which are among the most successful charter schools in the US and where we both were Board members, respectively. KIPP and other charter schools like it are changing the paradigm of education for the inner cities of the US with a motto of 'No Excuses'.

The purpose of this audacious and ambitious effort is to inspire you and others to support those who are doing so much to help themselves but just need a bit more help. The Gobi March is but a small effort in comparison to the effort of our beneficiaries who are working so hard to improve their own lives.

So what do you say? Let's give them a hand...

Next post will provide more details on how to help. Bookmark this page to follow the race as I will provide daily updates.