Newsletter
Online Store
Login
RACE INFO
RACE INFO
RACE INFO
Namib Race Blogs 2008
6
PostsNamib Race (2008) blog posts from Tim Welch
01 November 2008 10:29 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Stage 5 completed and feeling the pain!
Stage 5 was a toughy. 100km on the Black Desert March through the heat of the day and then into the nightime. Again i was with Mad Jim and for most of the trip another Scot Neil. We were able to keep a good pace up (in actual fact I don't think I'm any slower now than I was on the first day) and were going great guns until about 65km. From that point on it was very hard and in the dark gave the impression that we were on a continous uphill spiral. A joy!
Having been singing and chatting most of the way round, there was very little conversation for the last 14km, with each of us in our own private hell, but I'm pleased to say that we managed to get round in just under 19 hours.
Yet again I didn't make things easy for myself, eating very little and having to be very careful with my water intake to stop me being sick. I really need to do something about this for the future, not least because I'm not risking any painkillers in case that makes things worse (keeping it pure!) and carrying unnecessary weight if I'm not going to bother to eat it. Calorific consumption is going to be significantly lower than the 14,000 minimum that we are required to carry.
The feet are now very sore (six blisters to date, although two of those don't count as they are on my little toes and can't feel anything there anyway) and we've got a day lounging around on the edge of the black desert before we head north tomorrow for the final 5km to the pyramids at Giza.
Thank you to everyone who has sent me emails - they are all much appreciated and I will respond to you all when I get back.
Finally if you want to see the full write up of the trip it will be posted to my website www.abigailschallenges.org.uk in the next couple of weeks.
tim
30 October 2008 03:39 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Stage 4 completed and dreaming of food
Another hot day today, with surfaces that were less easy to walk on so a bit knackered by the finish. To be honest its actually easier to keep going - when I stop I can't be bothered keeping the fluids going in and generally feel worse lying around in the tent.
Quite pleased with the pace that I'm keeping up at the moment and continue to have mad Jim for company. In between singing songs (Wild Rover is a particular favourite) we are having wide ranging discussions putting the world to rights. The only rule is that we have to include ice in the conversation at some stage!
Most of our chats now centre around food.
Graham from the tent has been wearing a heart rate monitor across the four days indicating that he has used at least 5000 calories out on the course each day. Bit of a problem when you're only carrying 2000!
We've taken to ordering food out on the course but to date nothing has arrived. We had expected a curry at checkpoint 3 so if anyone has the following order:
Poppadoms and all the chutneys etc
Onion Bhaji
Prawn Puri
Chicken Jalfriezi for two
Pillao rice
Two naan (one plain, one garlic)
Sag Aloo
Aloo Gobi
Tarka Dhal
and a bucket of lager each with crushed ice.
can you please forward it to Jim & Tim c/o Racing the Planet, somewhere in the Black Desert, the Sahara.
Your help is much appreciated.
We've also decided our home coming meals. Jims is a pizza (i think he'd like it deep fried but I'm not sure they do that in Hull!). I would like a bottle of red from my stash in the garage followed by steak pudding, chips, mushy peas and gravy from the chippy. Lovely I can feel the pounds flying back on!
Tomorrow we have the 100km Black Desert March so we're going to need all our mental and physical resources to get through. Jim and I want to go straight through without a big stop, but we'll see how we're doing out on the course. Its meant to be firmer under foot which is great for speed but won't agree with already sore feet.
As a result i won't be blogging tomorrow as I'll be out on the course until Friday, however please do keep the emails coming. It has been great to hear from you all and i take from your message Dennis that Everton are not doing as well!! Also Paul I hope the board went well today.
tim
Dear Libby and Abi - yes I am eating and taking lots of photos. The only wildlife I've seen are camels - i think all the snakes and scorpions must hear me coming and are running away. Be good for your mum, daddy xxxx
Comments: Total (1) comments
Posted On: 31 Oct 2008 06:08 pm
Au contraire.Everton have drawn with Man united and thrashed Bolton away 1-0.
29 October 2008 09:36 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Stage 3 Complete and another drama
I should know better by now but this morning (prerace) I conspired to lose my sunglasses. After tearing everything out of my rucksac, Jim and I set off 5 minutes late setting off without any shades. Fortunately, as we were passing the back markers we met Rod who had a spare set - you are an absolutely fantastic guy despite what Kent says about you(!) - many thanks and thats a few beers that I owe you at the finish.
Todays pleasantries were across 40km and took in lots of sand and some big dunes. The scenary change from yesterday is amazing and we've gone from the unusual limestone structures in the white desert to todays stark 'sea of sand'. Its been hard work and hot (hence why we set off at 7 today for supposedly cool air) but we're getting there. Got round in 7.5 hours ish which I'm pleased about and I'm slowly moving field.
i've now spent 2 days with Jim a Scotsman who lives in Hull. He is as mad as a hatter and a lot of fun. We've spent most of today discussing the things that you can do with ice cubes. Unfortunately very little of that is publishable but helps pass the time and ignore the pain!!
To quickly introduce the tent we have:
Graham a really sensible Irishman (except for doing this!) who lives in Hong Kong and is looking really good out on the course.
Rob who is hugely entertaining not least because none of his kit arrived from Bejing so he's been on the borrow ever since and is some how surviving with an airline blanket rather than a sleeping bag. He has yet to make the start line on time and has a kit explosion everyday.
Rick who has been quite ill but has pulled through to today and I expect him to do well across the rest of the week.
Boring old me!
Four mad Koreans who had a party on the first night and then had to start day two with a hangover. They are all world champion snorers! Its fun to see how they do things!
More of the same tomorrow with lots of sand before we head off on the 100km Black Desert March on Thursday.
Keep the emails coming. L,A, & N be good for your mum and Kayleigh behave yourself at work!
Comments: Total (0) comments
28 October 2008 09:11 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
Stage 2 complete and gaiter failure
Very quick entry today as we have an early start in the morning. Very hot 38km today in the final section in the white desert - tomorrow we head back north for 40km towards the black desert. Pleased to have got round in just over 7 hours today and had the pleasure of mad scotsman Jim and a young canadian jack for company.
Bit of a disaster at the finish to find that my gaiters have become unstuck - will try a fix over night but a worry with two big 'sandy' days coming up. (Mrs W we'll discuss when i get home!!). Only one blister so far that i'll lance later and hope for better luck tomorrow.
Many thanks Abigail and others for your emails of support - more welcome!!!
Comments: Total (1) comments
Posted On: 28 Oct 2008 10:45 am
Tim,you are not hallucinating .Unfortunately , LFC beat Chelsae and are 3 points clear!!
27 October 2008 05:23 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
1st Stage Completed and prerace catch up!
We arrived in Cairo to rain and flooding on the roads - thought i'd left that all behind in the UK!
One madcap taxi ride later the weather had cleared and we started to be put through the prerace sausage machine at the hotel.
I was quite pleased to keep my kit down to 10.5kg (before water) and yes i have noted your email mimi!
Just competed stage 1 and quite enjoyed myself out on the sand. Did my now traditional hang back at the start and was that slow that i almost got run down by the camels clearing the route. Picked up after that and quite enjoyed passing a number of people on the way to the finish.
The scenary is great and very distinct from what I've seen previously with the white desert getting its name from the limestone outcrops.
Will do it all again tomorrow as we do another 38km heading south towards Sudan. After that we've got another two days of 35km to 40km ish before the big one, the 100km black desert march.
Thank all for the emails - please keep them coming - its great to the feedback from back home.
Comments: Total (0) comments
19 October 2008 08:47 am (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
My five year old daughter, Abigail, is a type 1 diabetic since being diagnosed at 20 months old. As a family we are now all too familiar with blood tests and three times a day insulin injections.
Since 2001 I have regularly taken part in ultra distance races and have covered over 1,200 miles in competitions across that period, including two trips to the Sahara. This year I have entered 3 significant races (see below for details) and intend to use these to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org.uk ). If you would to donate please follow the following link, www.justgiving/timwelch.
The Sahara Race is the final challenge (this year!!) and I hope to update this blog during the race, subject to having the energy to do so!!
I have been writing a blog of my experiences and the entries from across the last year can be found on my website www.abigailschallenges.org.uk.
The two challenges completed to date are detailed below:
The Libyan Challenge.
A 220Km non-stop race in Libya that took place in March 2008.
My race diary can be accessed via the following link:
My Diary: Libyan Challenge 2008
The Relentless Pennine Challenge.
A 100 mile non-stop race in the Pennines in June 2008.
My race diary can be accessed via the following link: My diary: Relentless Pennine Challenge
Many thanks for your support,
Tim
Comments: Total (1) comments
Posted On: 01 Nov 2008 09:23 pm