If I’d been offered a 9 hour 45 ish 75km long stage, I’d have taken it (as per the blog yesterday!)  The terrain on stages 2, 3 and start of 4 was sadly a little too rocky and a little too technical to parlay that into a top 10 finish, but was hitting consistent pace for the last four stages which helped fend off the two Latin Americans (who were running ahead of me at the half,) and meant I never saw Stephanie or the other women.  Day was cool, windy, with the odd sandstorm to run into and even a little rain. Perfect.  No great traumas, no blisters, pack light enough, all relatively simple.  Lovely views of the mountain ranges throughout, felt a little like the Atacama though obviously different underfoot.

Duly crossed the line in 12th, downed some water, and started throwing up uncontrollably, repeatedly, and ended up in the Med tent for the night. More uncontrollable vomiting.   Seems, again, my organs rather disagreed with my muscles and my stomach wasn’t going to accept anything whatsoever.  Pretty miserable night and morning, but by 3pm this afternoon I’ve taken fluids on and able to eat.  No muscle pain, so hoping to get a meal in tonight then if I need to crack on tomorrow I can.

Huge thanks to Rob and Nancy who shepherded me through the night – incredibly patient and kind even as the nausea started (again) – I’ve never wanted an IV, never had one, and would have been taken out of the race if I’d needed one, but they made it a lot easier to remember that the body would heal itself in the end.

Kate and Mick had great days, Kate might end up inside top 50 and top 10 female, Mick might end up first half, but just as importantly they both seem to be enjoying themselves…

Again, enormous thanks for the blog comments and emails – yes Luce, we miss you too – enjoying bringing the Hogan and Edwards families (and future wedding guests) together in the comment fields before you all get to meet next year!  We won’t read any more until after the race is over, and we probably won’t get to blog again until very late in the day in Kasghar, so one last: THANKS!

Content: Jogged in 10th alongside Mustaffah, with a pleasant last 12km (not 15 - a bridge was deemed 'far too risky with 3 km left) through some streams, a village, and some fields.  The first 7km up to Shepperton's Arch will probably generate the best photos, but the best views were running down the ridge lines at the start of section three, with perfect visibility to the mountain snows some 10-20km in the distance, and immediate steep-ish drops either side of the trail.  And the odd local walking their dog... Sadly the rest of section three - about 8km of it - was down infamous 'dry river bed'.  I am one of those who looks like 'bambi on ice' on the rocks and shale, while others speed skate past.  Which is intensely annoying but beats rolling an ankle and having to walk tomorrow.  The big ups and downs were fine today, given they were basically dried mud and solid rock, not boulders and shale, which I think explains my outperformance relative to expectations...

Looking forward to tomorrow, subject to no more river beds... Hope to keep it constant, keep the last stride into camp the same pace as the first stride out, and get in well within 10 hours. If that keeps me top ten, fantastic, but there's no point racing every metre of a 75km stage and burning out 60km in.

Family Hogan still pushing through, minor sense of humour failure yesterday duly overcome by this morning and they know that once they're through today and get to the start line tomorrow they will finish.  Even if they have to crawl.  Which they won't.  But still.  They could.  Think Mick's learning all sorts of things about himself, and he's sharing many of them with Kate as they crack along...

Again, thanks for all the comments.  Even if we are still on tenterhooks for the 'big one' from Kerry!  Please please please feel free to write REAMS tonight: the next time we get your messages we'll have finished the long stage and have a rest day to kill with very little else to do but read the emails so please, all content welcome...

Well, 12th is in range; beats 20th at least… Strong opening run then onto two technical sections that dropped me from 3rd (helped by the two leaders having gone a shade off course) to 12th, then basically hiked it in for the final stage and held position.  Would have loved to run the last section but it was entirely uphill on gravel; fine under normal circumstances but not at 35C after 15km or so of constant rocks and gorges with a 10kg pack. 

Campsite is quite high tonight, so a little nippy, but surrounded by mountains and generally beautiful (again – just check the photos…) Tomorrow is going to be the gut check – 37km of technical terrain, lots of (very) big climbs and (very) big descents, lots of rocks, basically no way of getting a jog on.  So hopefully 10-20th again and no busted joints to have a stab at a top 10 finish through the long day.  The mountain goat competitors are phenomenal, picking their way through the terrain, and while the lead Spaniard is clearly physically abnormal with thighs the size of (Mick’s, let alone) my chest, Justus still looks as fresh as day 1, Anne-Marie just runs like clockwork regardless of terrain (we ran the first stage together, she just never slowed from there on…!), and in my tent I have the 55yr old Turkish grandfather Mo, who, again, is classically slow but just never slows down any further when the terrain shifts…

Thanks again for the comments – they are fantastic and really really appreciated.  Yes, that does mean Nicole’s fantasy news stream as well as the sports reports!  And, of course, the updates on the ever imminent new Hogan… If it helps, Kate and Mick probably have at least another 20-24 hours of pain to go, so they have the sympathy pains going full flood…

Right.  Off to wait for their arrival.  Don’t be too concerned at a very slow time and weak placing tomorrow.  Adapting with an eye (I think) on the bigger goal…

Content: Well, that was a little more like it. Not a huge jump in distance, but the middle third was technical: lots of rapid ascents and descents down scree, with dry river beds to climb up and down, large and uneven rock cover, and patches of gorse getting everywhere. The result is a lot of strain on knees, ankles and quads.  Realistically, this is what most of the course will be like, and it is made for those who have trained on hills and trails (of which London has few...)  So 9th not too bad.  Made up four places over the last, asphalt, 11km, and that's unlikely to happen again.  But the pack feels light and when I get decent surface I'm jogging well enough.  Guessing 10-20 for the next two days then hope that the long day has lots of dirt road and that my long races this year will help me out.

Sitting in a beautiful spot: a recently harvested cornfield, surrounded by cornfields and tall spruce(?) trees.  Heat starting to kick in - gentle breeze here helps but we're getting up to 35C which is enough to be noticable.

Thanks for the sports scores and updates: cannot tell you how good it is to have them to read! Glad to see Scotland the only victorious northern hemisphere side!  Will tell Mick how the Swans went once he's got his pack down - he and Kate have just jogged through the finish together (c. 6h 5 mins) and look in good shape.  Thanks Nicole for your detailed, if I fear inaccurate, news update: if only, if only...!  Good luck with your final papers Annabel.  My only practical advice is to avoid writing NIALL FERGUSON IS AN IDIOT in block capitals, no matter how true and relevant it might be...

Right: off to welcome Kate (and Mick) home, and drink another litre of water...!

Content: Hmm... Nice and easy introduction to the week. 

Three hour drive into a campsite surrounded by enormous rock formations.  Tents nice and breezy, and with only eight of us in the tent, it feels very luxurious... Local entertainment included fully miked local karaoke and a series of very informative speeches from the local dignitaries.  Followed by more speeches, and then more speeches. Every speaker appeared to be a vice chairman.  We felt suitably honoured and encourage you all to come visit them, they are waiting for you...  Then the highlight: rugby, played by locals on horseback, with a dead goat as the ball.  I am reliably informed by my US friends that it was 'just like Rambo III'...

With river waters running fast and high, the first part of the race had impassable water crossings - so we cut the stage and ran only 32km, mainly road, and a very gentle gradient in the main.  Nice breeze, friendly locals driving past, so about as good as it gets and one has to believe we'll start to see far slower times and some pain from tomorrow.  Last time I was running this well I ended up vomiting uncontrollably overnight and being pulled from the course, so... ummm... hoping that doesn't happen again... (Feel just fine for now)

The folks in front of me were running well and solidly, those behind looked strong but saw them do a fair amount of walking over the last few km; so will try to moderate my pace over tomorrow's far worse terrain and stay roughly where I am in the field.  By which I mean:not drop too far back - going forward isn't likely...

Seen comments up to the 9th June - so up to the ENORMOUSLY appreciated European Championship scores and confirmation of Scottish rugby superiority over Australia.  Given Mick and Kate's presence I have diplomatically restrained my discussion of the game.  Mick duly sickened at another Carlton loss, hoping the Swans pulled it out against Essendon...

Thanks for all the comments, please keep them coming..!

(Mick and Kate both in safely and looking good for tomorrow)

Safely into Kashgar, kit checked in and only mildly jetlagged.  Took a look around town and saw the local bazaar, located close by some newly landscaped gardens that feature, for no obvious reason, Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves built out of concrete and arranged in a pentagram.  Also obeyed the various signs telling us in Arabic, Chinese and English, to "BLCKLEUP" in cars, 'DONOTDRIVETIREPLY", and "NODRUNCANDRIVE". The latter helpfully had a sign showing a car, a cricket bat, two balls and a Nike swoosh, so we obviously will avoid playing Western ball games while driving.

We have our various briefings tomorrow and get on the buses for a four hour drive to the overnight camp.  We're stocked up on Oreos, Dove (chocolate bars), and Chips (chips) for the drive, but have avoided the Lonely God (more chips) and Dessicated Prawn (dessicated prawn) for now.

Kate (number 73) and Mick (number 74) are well - Kate's slightly less than chuffed as after an hour of typing on a keyboard that wants to print Chinese characters half the time, her blog was randomly deleted.  She would want you to know that all jokes about Mick's pink hat (we kid you not) are hers, and she'll try and blog again tomorrow.  (And I'm number 49, waiting expectantly for sports scores frmo Friday onwards, dearest family...)