Desert Endurance: Taking on the Gobi

... to see a race to its end? From within." You may recall Eric Liddell saying this in the movie Chariots of Fire. I myself, repeated this line several times during the final 10K of the race.

At 2:30 am on the morning of Saturday, June 23rd, I awoke and ate the last freeze dried "Outrageous Outback Oatmeal" I would have in a long time. I downed some instant coffee, threw out the items in my pack which I no longer needed or wanted and boarded a bus which would take us on a five hour trip to the outskirts of Kashgar. Once there, I literally stuffed my swollen feet into sneakers which although a size larger than my normal shoe size, felt as if they had shrunk to fit a child of a twelve. The start would be staggered, the slowest times from 3 days before starting at 10, then 11 and the fastest starting at noon. I threw away my sports drink bottle, having no desire to even attempt to sanitize it once home, filled my water bottle half full, ate half a Hammer Espresso Gel and then off I went. I knew from looking at the leaderboard the night before, that I was 90th and 1/2 hour behind the 89th place racer. I was committed to being 89th. No reason other than, I wasn't willing to be satisfied with where I was. The race for me was from day one when I got injured, hard, painful and a constant battle of resisting the tempation to be satisfied with just finishing.

So, having visualized this last day in my head, I struggled through the first 2K's with trying to find my rhythm and a pace that would bring me to my goal. Without a doubt, this was the toughest 10K I ever ran. My big toe which had been drilled 3 times already was protesting loudly and even the slight inclines made my left knee protest loudly. I am certain that I did not look like a swift, graceful gazelle running over the dirt and cobbled streets of Kashgar. It was already hot and I was grateful that I had thought to run with half a bottle of water in the very last minute as opposed to no water. Then I heard it, the drums. Just like in dragon boating, the sound of the drums have that phenomenal power of making you transcend beyond the fatigue and pain as you lunge towards the finish line. The endorphins are in full swing and I literally felt that I could go on for another 10 K. Oops, that was a typo. I meant 1 K.

It wasn't until I arrived home yesterday, that I found out that I had indeed made my vision a reality. My final standing was 13th among 29 women and 89th out of 171 racers who started seven days earlier. I was so very pleased. Yes, without hesitation, I know that I could certainly have trained more intensely, sacrificed much more and driven myself harder throughout the race. I will push much harder next time as I am quite keen on knowing what it must be like to be let's say...first : >)

I will end my blog on the theme on which I started. True stories written about men/women who endured and perserved and survived against all odds. The book which I read while traveling to and from China, is entitled, "Sufferings in Africa." It is written by by Captain James Riley who along with his crew, were shipwrecked off the coast of West Africa in 1915 and subsequently captured by Arab slave traders. They were forced to walk over 800 miles without shoes or clothes, subsisting most days on only a mouthful of water. The need to endure and the choice to endure is the fundamental difference between the characters in these stories and myself. Being fortunate in that I do not need to endure, I do hope that I will continue to choose to endure because the success that comes with that choice, is another dream that has become a reality.

With much appreciation to all of you who have supported me throughout this race. I do hope you will follow along when I race again.

Cheers.

(Note: This is Jacqueline's blogpost for June 22, 2007. "In the field" entries are posted as soon as they are received by the Inquirer's Online Newsdesk.)

Let me just say, that this race is so much more difficult than the Sahara race.

I started off with the second group at 9am. 500 feet of verticle ascent. Nice way to wake up!

It's amusing because during the race when racers pass one another, they say "hi," or "how are you feeling?" During the climbs, one doesn't even grunt a greeting. The focus is too keep going, breathe and not fall off the trail. My goal was to push forward and make up as much time as possible.

There were no more serious vertical ascents so my bad knee was most grateful. Most of the day, the course traversed through a canyon. There were multiple river crossings, including two on which we had to cross over on a primative wooden cart pulled by a mule. It was a nice brief respite! It was hot, maybe high 90's.

I am really pleased with the food I have brought out here. The smoked salmon jerky, espresso Hammer gels, trail cookies (Trader Joe's, light, salty sweet taste which I like, as they are not as dense as power bars) and for a quick boost, jelly beans : >). Every morning I have "Outrageous Outback Oatmeal," and at the end of the day, some vegetable buillon, instant mashed potatoes and a freeze dried dinner. Yummmmmmmm.

All day I have been craving watermellon, pineapples, mangoes and smoothies. I have a long list of foods I want to eat when I get home, and at the top of the list is coffee ice cream, as I gave up ice cream for almost five months while training. Yes, I suppose I will just buy a half gallon of the stuff, sit down with the carton in my lap, and dig in!

Back to the longgggggggggg day. I got into checkpoint 23, which was where we would get hot water. We were told there would be a mandatory 2 hour rest stop, which they then changed to a hour stop. My tent mates Martin and Harold and I left after an hour and a half (this time would be deducted from our final time) and pounded on at a brisk, constant pace through the night.

The trail was now marked with glow sticks and the sky was littered with the most fantastic array of milky ways, stars and a quarter moon that glowed yellow.

I must say that the last 10K after the final check point was mentally tough. I was quite tired, but knew my standing for the day was around 70th place, and that was inclusive of the runners which started at 7 am.

Oh, I forgot to mention that at the mandatory rest stop, I had my big toe drilled yet again, for the third time. I really will suggest to the race committee to bring along some local anesthetic next time in the form of whiskey or vodka!

The last 2K's were through a canyon and into camp. We arrived around 3:30, and minus the two hour mandatory rest, it brought our day to a total of 16 and 1/2 hours. On any other given day, if you asked me, I would never be able to say that running for that length of time was on my to do list. It's behind us now and we are just hanging out at camp. I went down to the river to wash my clothes and my dirt covered body. The water was muddy but felt fantastic as it is glacial water.

The race committee will be sending out my blogs which I do hope you will enjoy reading. Apologies, but there was a bit of a glitch on that end.

One more day. I am not a sprinter by any means but am determined to keep my place on the leaderboard, which I am not certain at the moment where that is.

Till tomorrow, cheers!

(Note: This is Jacqueline's blogpost for June 20, 2007. "In the field" entries are posted as soon as they are received by the Inquirer's Online Newsdesk.)

Hello all,

Yesterday was stage 3 but unfortunately we had no computers at the camp site. It was quite the day. The first 22K was an ascent to the top of a mountain which would put us at 14 thousand feet. No one ran this stage as one could barely go several hundred meters without stopping to suck in some more air. Before I arrived at the top, it started snowing.

By the time I arrived at the top, a blizzard was underway. The volunteers checked to make certain I had enough fluids and set me on my way. There would be no lingering if possible at this altitude. I headed down through the blizzard which lower down turned into freezing sleet/rain. At this point, I stopped and stripped down, pulling on my dry Helly Hanson top and pants, as I knew I would expend too much energy trying to stay warm. Not having gloves, I put my spare pair of Injinji socks on my hands and kept going.

The descent was worse on my bad knee then the ascent. It felt as if someone was drilling into my knee cap with each step. I kept going through the fog and rain. After descending about 7,000 feet, I could feel the positive effect of the additional oxygen at the level. My breathing was no longer shallow.

I finished the day in 126th place in a time of approximately 12 and 1/2 hours. My left knee was swollen but not infected. That was great as I did not want to be pulled from the race for an infection. The last two people had to be taken off the mountain at 3 am in the morning.

This day of racing was like none I had experianced in the Sahara. It was truly tested my physical and mental resolve. After I had some tea, which I must say is just the best drink after such a grueling day, I went to the medical tent to have my knee checked.

New steri strips were applied and, oh joy, it's the Sahara all over again. It was time to drill through the left big toe nail so as to break the blister which was underneath. The nail was purple and had a pulse of its own. It would be nice if they gave the patient a swig of Jameson's, but no, one just had to bite down and hopefully not take a swing at that doctor.

Stage 4 - Umpteen water crossings and, finally, desert.

Today was 46K (yesterday was 42K) and we started at 9:30 am.

Almost everyone had on wet socks and shoes which were a result of yesterday's end stage river crossing. There had to be at least a dozen river crossings within the first two hours. I managed to keep my feet dry for the first fifty minutes and then, I just started going straight through.

It really wasn't bad as the sun was shining strong. We passed through several villages where people had never seen the likes of us before. They stood outside their homes and waved and clapped, offering us apricots and plums which were the size of kumquats. I ate one of each, peeling the plum to ensure I wouldn't come down with a case of IBS, which could really make a race day miserable.

In the last 15k we left the valleys filled with barley and corn behind and entered the desert. It was spectacular and now the heat was upon us. I finished in 80th place and was quite pleased as I wanted to make up for yesterday. My overall standing is such that I am starting in the morning with the faster runners at 9am. Fifty individuals will be starting at 7 am.

Tomorrow is the long day! 80K. The start will be a climb of 500 meterss and then sand and more sand. It's time for bed and then in the morning, some Outrageous Outback Oatmeal and coffee, shut the pain sensations off and just go.

Hope you are enjoying the race. More to come. Cheers.

(Note: This is Jacqueline's blogpost for June 18, 2007. "In the field" entries are posted as soon as they are received by the Inquirer's Online Newsdesk.)

Greetings from the desert!

Well the knee definitely spoke to me for the first 6 miles today. I took some advil before the race and rubbed it with tiger balm. The steri strips are holding and there was only minimal bleeding through the night.

We started out at 9 am today. We are still running with mountains on either side of us and "the river wild" to one side at all times. I forgot to mention yesterday that we had a bridge crossing. If you ever saw "Man Who would be King" and recall that bridge in the movie, that's what this was like. We were told at the morning briefing that only two people should be on it at one time, definitely no more than three. I was on the bridge with another competitor when a young woman proceeds to start walking on the bridge...with a cow! No way! She definitely was not at the briefing and the cow had no sense of direction as it was heading straight for me. There was only a cable to hold on to and no safety net to catch you if you fell. A wee bit harrowing.

Okay, back to today. I knew I had to make up alot of time from yesterday due to my knee injury so I proceeded straight through check point one. At check point two I stopped and filled up my bottles and carried on. The route was along a river with lots of rocks. Basically a sprained/broken ankle in the making. The ascents and descents were really challenging on my bad knee, but i was determined to make up time from yesterday.

At the third checkpoint I topped off my bottles, by the way, thanks Ross, the hydration system is working wonderfully. Heart rate is still around 85 while I run and I must say I feel much better at this altitude the yesterday. I finished around 3:15 pm and managed to only acquire one blister which happened to be under the nail of the left toe, the same one which blistered in the Sahara. The doctor said she wasn't going to drain it yet as it was on the side of the nail at the moment. So I will tape it up for tomorrow's run which we were just briefed on.

It isn't the long stage but 40Ks with the first 20 being elevation. We end up at 14,000 feet and were told there still may be snow at the top. We were told not to stay at the top but start on the next stretch as we would descend 1,400 feet within the next few kilometers. They will have donkeys to take people off the course for those who feel the impact of the altitude and just can't carry on.

Tonight we are spending the night in the villagers homes which is a nice treat and will be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor.

I do hope you are enjoying the blogs. Cheers.

The excitement is really building. I ran this morning, went to dragon boat practice and stopped at the tailors to pick up my race shirts as the mandatory patches needed to be sewn on. I love the day when I try on my race uniform because I know the next time I put it on will be the morning of the race.

Tonight, I will un-pack my bag, make certain I have all the mandatory equipment and enough food. Tomorrow morning, I will go to dragon boat practice and perhaps a 7 mile run. I won't be at work and will have until about 4 pm, which is when I leave for the airport, to run last minute errands.

The total flight time from here to Kashgar will be approximately 28 hours. Lots of time to knit, and read, so that will help to pass the time. Visualization is also key in helping me prepare for any race event. It's a bit difficult to do when one hasn't seen the course, as the images that come to mind are of another place and time. However, running the race in my head helps me to swing into my rhythm and feel relaxed.

My books of choice this past month have been inspiring true tales of survival. "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz. The true story of six individuals who escaped from a Siberian labor camp and walked 3,000 miles without a map or compass and only the clothes on their back to India. "We Die Alone" by David Howarth and "As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me." All of these stories had a similar theme. The power of the human mind, body and spirit to endure and perservere through adversity.

Until tomorrow, cheers.

Hello,

I am positively excited about the race being only six days away. The weekend went quickly, focusing mostly on getting the few remaining items for the race and light workouts. My bag currently weighs 16 pounds. Delighted with that weight. Add two full water bottles and it will bring the weight up to approximately 18 pounds. I am going back and forth about the amount of gels to take. I will definitely take more to China, and know that the morning of when we depart for the desert, is when I will make the final decision about how many to take for the race.

Today will consist of a 10-mile run and another review of my items. I am making a concerted effort to get enough sleep and stay hydrated. The 28-hour flight will make it challenging to get enough rest and I do want to stay well hydrated as the high altititude will be one additional element that the body will have to deal with.

Thanks for reading. I will write more tomorrow.

Cheers.

Hello and welcome,

This time next week, I will be in China on the final leg of my journey to Kashgar. No, I won't be going on a Camel Trek, or hanging out at a spa sipping a refreshing, colorful drink with an umbrella. I will be on a seven-hour bus ride which will take me and 180 other competitors far into the Gobi Desert where we will be dropped off and left to not perish, but endure : >).

On the morning of Sunday, June 17, 180 of us will begin a 150-mile self-supporting race across the Gobi Desert. RacingthePlanet is the organizer of this incredible adventure for which one pays a whole lot of money to be subjected to a yet undetermined amount of discomfort and pain. It's fantastic!

The race website can be found at www.4deserts.com/gobimarch. Remember, we are 12 hours ahead. Once you are on the website, click on the heading "Race Coverage," then click on "Official Competitors" under that heading, and you will be able to review the bios of all 180 competitors. Under that same heading, you can click select "Results" for that day's race results, blogs, and if you like, send me a message by going to e-mail competitor. You only need to insert my first and last name.

I am actually one of the few who is delighted with today's weather. It won't be humid in the desert, but it will be hot! 100 degrees or so throughout the day and freezing temps at night. So, I will be headed out shortly for about 10 miles.

Well, that's all for today. I hope you will continue to read and follow the race on the website. Have a fun weekend and I'll write some more on Monday.