RACE INFO

RACE INFO
Namib Race Blogs 2012
19
PostsNamib Race (2012) blog posts from Steven Brydon
04 November 2012 10:49 am (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
03 November 2012 12:15 pm (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Comments: Total (16) comments
barry Broom
Posted On: 04 Nov 2012 01:17 am
Steve Johnston
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 09:29 am
jason freney
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 08:59 am
Trevor Huteau
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 08:40 am
Darren Flick
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 08:06 am
Susan Keith
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 04:44 am
Ron Bossink
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 02:48 am
Leanne Brydon
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 02:29 am
Allan Spencer-Stewart
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 02:26 am
Jono Ryan
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 02:07 am
Phil Biggs
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 01:58 am
Rebecca Finlayson
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 01:40 am
Ron & Fay Spratt
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 01:28 am
Jimmy Mundy
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 01:24 am
Andrew Wellington
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 12:59 am
Dianne Brydon
Posted On: 03 Nov 2012 12:29 am
01 November 2012 12:00 pm (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Comments: Total (28) comments
Allan Spencer-Stewart
Posted On: 02 Nov 2012 12:51 pm
Liz Peters
Posted On: 02 Nov 2012 10:37 am
Ruth Laenen
Posted On: 02 Nov 2012 03:41 am
Brad Jones
Posted On: 02 Nov 2012 03:33 am
Garfy Jones
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 09:52 pm
Julie Newton
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 10:39 am
Jimmy Mundy
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 10:30 am
Aaron Steel
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 10:09 am
Chie Miyasaka
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 09:36 am
Ron & Fay Spratt
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 08:53 am
Jason Ferris
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 07:45 am
Steve Johnston
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 05:51 am
Bradley Greive
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 05:10 am
Dianne Brydon
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 05:00 am
Mark Adams
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 03:13 am
Ruth Petre
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 03:09 am
Leanne Brydon
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 02:57 am
Dianne Brydon
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 02:29 am
Ron Bossink
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 02:05 am
Ron Bossink
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 02:04 am
Earl Eddings
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 02:02 am
Phil Biggs
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 01:58 am
Daniel Solomon
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 01:34 am
Andrew Wellington
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 01:29 am
Jono Ryan
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 12:48 am
Jason Freney
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 12:29 am
Trevor Huteau
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 12:11 am
Trevor Huteau
Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 12:09 am
31 October 2012 01:13 am (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Comments: Total (20) comments
Aimee Meredith
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 09:12 pm
Leann Webb
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 12:08 pm
Michael Jedras
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 11:49 am
Allan Spencer-Stewart
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 11:28 am
Phil Biggs
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 10:59 am
Steve Johnston
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 10:27 am
Erika Dwyer
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 09:58 am
Jimmy Mundy
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 09:47 am
Rob Mason
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 09:05 am
FayRon Sprattrongfay
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 07:40 am
Tamyka Bell
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 07:01 am
Rebecca MacDonald
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 06:08 am
Greg Robinson
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 05:19 am
Daniel Solomon
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 05:16 am
Meg Kerr
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 04:53 am
Leanne Brydon
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 03:10 am
Jono Ryan
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 02:24 am
Jason Freney
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 02:15 am
Dianne Brydon
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 01:55 am
Andrew Wellington
Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 01:20 am
30 October 2012 12:38 pm (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Comments: Total (13) comments
Steve Johnston
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 11:36 pm
Matt Dusting
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 11:34 am
Martin Cooper
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 10:12 am
Craig MacDonald
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 08:55 am
Gareth Jones
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 08:51 am
Ruth Petre
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 08:15 am
Jimmy Mundy
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 08:07 am
Sharon Ritchie
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 03:37 am
jason freney
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 01:54 am
Tamyka Bell
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 01:37 am
Andrew Wellington
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 01:34 am
Mark Adams
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 01:24 am
Leanne Brydon
Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 12:49 am
29 October 2012 12:51 pm (GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
I can’t recall ever having a tougher day. Unfortunately, at 37km it is only going to get tougher. The stage started fine and everyone, myself included, was keen and eager to get away. The buildup, training, mental preparation and the magnitude of the task ahead wasn’t lost on anyone and as soon as the gun went off we charged forward. Shortly into today’s run we hit some steep soft dunes and it was nasty prelude to the week ahead. I was running well when I hit compact earth into checkpoint one and skirted a cool lake. With the advantage of a cool breeze I push hard, too hard it turns out, and got to the 22km mark feeling great.
Most of the run to this point was alone, I could see other runners ahead and dotting the dune ridges behind me. Coming out of checkpoint 2 I had an 11km leg in front of me and the going was starting to get tough. My back was starting to ache from the pack (11kg) and my feet started to cramp. My hip was aching by this stage but still bearable. The camera crew followed and I’m sure they pain the pained and shattered images of me they expected. We didn’t chat and somehow the camera being on helped me focus on the task.
The wheels started to fall off though at 25km when the breeze dropped and the sun was at its highest. Conditions became brutal and as I passed through checkpoints bodies were littered about getting blisters treated, dehydration managed and ulcers on backs bandaged. I had to make a few stops to empty the sand from my shoes..a sure fire way to get race affecting blisters. By now my trot shifted down a gear to a shuffle and then a walk. I was exhausted beyond a point I remember being. The terrain now was a compact dusty billiard table in every direction. Patches of soft sand slowed me further and I was really diiging deep by now. I had images of the kids willing me forward (which ultimately made for an emotional stage finish) and I used every tactic I had to keep my feet moving forward. The sand plane slowly merged into soft sand and I was thoroughly exhausted (you should see how slowly I’m typing this!). The downside of such flat terrain is the distance I was capable of seeing and rest and respite was a long, long way off.
The sun was brutal by this stage and I ached from hair to toenails. Soma and the crew followed on foot and I just kept trying to think, every step is progress. With a single km to go I could see the flags leading me into camp and hear a drummer welcoming the runner ahead of me. The sense of relief finishing day one was overwhelming, when I got interviewed at the finished and asked if having the kids (photo) with me help it was just too much, I greeted my firend James (Dean!!!) into camp and said, “I’ve never met a James I didn’t like” and my head filled with images of my hero.
Off to rest and recover and contemplate the same (with a few more k’s) tomorrow. Post mortems: I’m exhausted and everything hurts, my back is worst at moment and I can’t seem to keep food and water down…catch you tomorrow. SB
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