It's now a week after the Gobi challenge. We've had a 6 hour bus ride back to a holiday Ger camp in Dalganzadgad (sp?), a day in Ulan Bataar and then a few days in Beijing relaxing and being tourists. I'm now flying to Tokyo to work a bit at Ping Japan before returning home.
My knee has no pain any more, my feet are feeling good and look normal, and I'm back to full strength and rest. At least, I feel that way. To be honest, I felt okay with the world within a couple of days of the end and that was a big surprise to me. During the race, days 4 and 5 were the ones I felt physically the worst, although the bad knee on day 6 was my biggest worry as far as not finishing.
So, the race overall was a great success. My biggest fear was either illness or injury forcing me to pull out and I stayed in large part clear of both of those. I assume that's everyone's biggest worry about a race like this. No one wants to come all this way and then pull out for whatever reason. I have huge sympathy for those who didn't make the end. I found the first 2 days of running reasonably comfortable and actually quite good fun charging through the gorges. Even though I was some way back in 3rd place for those 2 stages I was running strong, enjoying the scenery and not finding the food or camping too difficult.
Stage 3 was more of a watermark. I think it was visually the most dull of all the runs - plains the whole way and the longest stage of the race to boot. After 10K when I was down in 4th place I really wondered if all my strength was deserting me. For the next 3 hours I started tapping into reserves I've not used since my 750 mile bike ride nearly 10 years ago. As I managed to pass Ian and then eventually Budjargal and finish the day strongly it gave me confidence for day 4 that, even as I was struggling up the hill, I was as strong as anyone else out there.
The last 2 days were characterized by a few things: running with Owen when I could, managing injuries, excessive heat and enormous sand dunes. I had my toughest day of athletics ever on day 5. Feeling sick in the morning, battling on for the first 20K at good pace, the pain in the left knee, being in big trouble from 25 to 30K and then slowly managing to press on for the last 10K or so. In a lot of ways that's my finest achievement in sport. The last day was a more leisurely affair, staying with Owen, not risking our injuries too much. The big dunes were one of the most spectacular things I've ever come across and climbing up them was a privilege.
Overall, the 20 or so competitors were an interesting, eclectic, varied group of people and it was fun getting to know them. Dave, Phil and the Gobi Challenge team were all great to talk to and clearly have a passion for the Gobi. I have a reservations about the organization and particular the dissemination of information but that didn't detract much from my enjoyment of it all. The Gobi itself is spectacular - raw, wild, unspoiled and vast. I doubt I'll see it again in the flesh, who knows, but the world is a big place. It was an amazing place to have visited.
Would I recommend this to someone else? Probably someone who's really after a rustic experience and can very much fend for themselves and look after themselves. Probably not to someone looking for a well-drilled race or really looking to maximize what they get for their money. I'd recommend it to someone like myself, but I saw enough people grumbling to know it's not for everyone.
Will I do another ultra? Well, it was amazing and I did well and came through healthy. I did enjoy it but mostly because the Greene family were there and I feel like I challenged myself and won. I think I'd do another if friends were doing it and it's a bit different kind of race. Maybe in a couple of years...
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day 6
Day 6 course: 34K - 8K big sand dunes, 19K plains trails, 7K huge sand dunes
Times: Budjargal - 4:40, Owen and Me - 5:10
A really tough but tremendous final day of the challenge. My leg was still hurting this morning and we think it's probably either my lateral hamstring or perhaps the IT band. The doctor worked on it but that didn't really help much. Owen's foot has not got any better and he was tramadol to ease the pain.
The stage went straight up into the dunes to a high point where we met Ali Greene checking everyone in. Budjargal had already shot off into the distance and both Owen and I were struggling enough to be quite a bit slower than previous days. At the end of the dunes we were joined by Ian who proceeded to stay with us for almost all of the plains. We walked a lot and ran in patches for the 19K across the plains, seeming to take an age to cover the ground. Behind us, Ryan was going very well and kept us in sight for most of that time. I couldn't run more than about 200 yards without my knee seizing up and having to walk for 100 yards or so. Ryan later said that the sight of me catching up with Owen and Ian, then falling back, then catching them again for quite a few K across the desert was a funny one to watch. It was actually really nice to have some time to chat with Ian and Owen, even if it was frustrating to be held back so much by my knee.
A couple of K before we spotted camp my knee eased up and we ran from there, losing Ian in the process. After a quick water fill-up it was time to head straight up Khongoryn Els, the biggest sand dune in Asia. From camp the ridge loomed over us and we tackled the dune head on with a decent reserve of energy after a slow start to the day. I'd been worried about the climb with a bad knee but it didn't hurt on the way up. Everything else did though.
There was no obvious way up on hard sand so we gave it a full frontal assault, scrambling up on hands and knees, stopping every minute or so to catch a breath and a drink of water. It was also a chance to cool down hot hands, burning from the heat of the sand. By half way up we were breathing harder than any other time in the race and it must have taken over 1/2 hour to ascend the few hundred metres up to the top. My shoes were absolutely full of sand and as I stopped to dump them out Owen pressed on toward Phil at the far end of the ridge. The view from the top was amazing - mountains to north and south, the full extent of the dunes spreading out to the east, back the way we'd come over the last 6 days. Footing at the top was not easy and so it was a fair old trudge along the top. When we finally got to Phil it felt like we'd conquered the dunes and with it the Gobi Challenge. All that was left was a spectacularly fast descent and a quick 2K amble to the finish.
Given our slower overall pace for the day, we were less tired than other days and therefore even more able to enjoy seeing everyone else come in to the finish. The warm-ish beers that appeared mid-afternoon were most welcome and the goat that gave its life to be our race feast was appreciated fully. Owen may well have broken the course record, even with a slower final day. Budjargal ended up with a slightly faster time than me, but it appears he missed a couple of bits of the last day which saved him a few minutes. He was in the supported runner category so I finished a clear 2nd overall but regardless I enjoyed the challenge of running against him and was proud to finish 2nd on days 3, 4 and 5.
All in all I was extremely pleased to finish in mostly good health, with no blisters, faster than I would have thought, and having run about 75 to 80% of the whole course. I don't know that I'm desperate to do another multi-day event straight away but the experience of a week with all these great new people in this wonderful place would make me open to the idea of another at some point.
Times: Budjargal - 4:40, Owen and Me - 5:10
A really tough but tremendous final day of the challenge. My leg was still hurting this morning and we think it's probably either my lateral hamstring or perhaps the IT band. The doctor worked on it but that didn't really help much. Owen's foot has not got any better and he was tramadol to ease the pain.
The stage went straight up into the dunes to a high point where we met Ali Greene checking everyone in. Budjargal had already shot off into the distance and both Owen and I were struggling enough to be quite a bit slower than previous days. At the end of the dunes we were joined by Ian who proceeded to stay with us for almost all of the plains. We walked a lot and ran in patches for the 19K across the plains, seeming to take an age to cover the ground. Behind us, Ryan was going very well and kept us in sight for most of that time. I couldn't run more than about 200 yards without my knee seizing up and having to walk for 100 yards or so. Ryan later said that the sight of me catching up with Owen and Ian, then falling back, then catching them again for quite a few K across the desert was a funny one to watch. It was actually really nice to have some time to chat with Ian and Owen, even if it was frustrating to be held back so much by my knee.
A couple of K before we spotted camp my knee eased up and we ran from there, losing Ian in the process. After a quick water fill-up it was time to head straight up Khongoryn Els, the biggest sand dune in Asia. From camp the ridge loomed over us and we tackled the dune head on with a decent reserve of energy after a slow start to the day. I'd been worried about the climb with a bad knee but it didn't hurt on the way up. Everything else did though.
There was no obvious way up on hard sand so we gave it a full frontal assault, scrambling up on hands and knees, stopping every minute or so to catch a breath and a drink of water. It was also a chance to cool down hot hands, burning from the heat of the sand. By half way up we were breathing harder than any other time in the race and it must have taken over 1/2 hour to ascend the few hundred metres up to the top. My shoes were absolutely full of sand and as I stopped to dump them out Owen pressed on toward Phil at the far end of the ridge. The view from the top was amazing - mountains to north and south, the full extent of the dunes spreading out to the east, back the way we'd come over the last 6 days. Footing at the top was not easy and so it was a fair old trudge along the top. When we finally got to Phil it felt like we'd conquered the dunes and with it the Gobi Challenge. All that was left was a spectacularly fast descent and a quick 2K amble to the finish.
Given our slower overall pace for the day, we were less tired than other days and therefore even more able to enjoy seeing everyone else come in to the finish. The warm-ish beers that appeared mid-afternoon were most welcome and the goat that gave its life to be our race feast was appreciated fully. Owen may well have broken the course record, even with a slower final day. Budjargal ended up with a slightly faster time than me, but it appears he missed a couple of bits of the last day which saved him a few minutes. He was in the supported runner category so I finished a clear 2nd overall but regardless I enjoyed the challenge of running against him and was proud to finish 2nd on days 3, 4 and 5.
All in all I was extremely pleased to finish in mostly good health, with no blisters, faster than I would have thought, and having run about 75 to 80% of the whole course. I don't know that I'm desperate to do another multi-day event straight away but the experience of a week with all these great new people in this wonderful place would make me open to the idea of another at some point.
Day 5
Day 5 course: 42.1K: 19K track to the dunes, 5K dunes, 18K track to the dune camp.
Times: Owen - 4:25, Me - 4:40, Budjargal - 5:05
Where to start? What an eventful day. I felt pretty ropey this morning - kind of sick in the stomach. Owen was clearly struggling a bit too with his foot, and took some fairly strong painkillers. I don't know what was causing my malaise but breakfast didn't go down that well and I wasn't feeling very happy about the forthcoming marathon. We decided to run together for as long as we could and bashed out the first 18K or so to the dunes with plenty of banter and a fair amount of "digging in" on both our parts. Either way, we had a decent lead over the rest and were making better progress than we may have felt like we were. The dunes were slow and steady and as we limped our way over them we could see Budjargal in the background. My left leg was hurting quite a bit by this point - it seemed almost like cramp, a shooting pain down the left hand side around the knee area. As we hit the post-dunes 24K checkpoint we stopped to take on water and when I tried to set off I doubled up in pain. Budjargal came charging past at that point and since I could hardly move, let alone run, I sent Owen off chasing him. I took a few minutes to walk to see how the pain would dissipate and took a quite comical video segment where I discussed my "low point" of the race.
The next 12K or so were really tough - the hardest of my running life. Every time I switched from running to walking or stopping I was in serious pain. However, I could just about keep up a bit of a shuffle and manage the pain so I trudged through the next hour and a bit, keeping an eye on Budjargal up in the distance, willing myself through 1K at a time. Eventually, at about 36K I realised Budjargal was stopped and caught him up. He was desperate for water, having run out some time ago it seemed. I gave him a big drag from my camelback and pointed out the van up ahead signalling the checkpoint. I took some water from Dave but didn't think to re-fill the camelback, which I assumed had plenty of water in, and then made a break for the finish. It was only when the van was a spec behind me that I realised Budjargal had taken all my water and not told me. I took the tough decision that with under 5K to go I would be ok to charge on to camp and that certainly provided incentive to cover the last few minutes as quickly as possible.
I arrived in camp about 15 minutes after Owen and about 20 minutes before Budjargal. As we saw the Mongolian running into camp we realised that he was fully naked, save for his hat and running shoes. One of the most bizarre sights of my whole life. His english is limited and about the most we could figure was that he felt it would be a good surprise to us all. That is certainly true.
People rolled in all day and we enjoyed supporting people as they came into camp, as we have enjoyed it all race. Remarkably, given the heat and the tough course, we had just 1 more runner drop out. Rhys was forced to stop with heat exhaustion just 4K or so from the end. He was on a drip all night and looked a million times better in the morning. Mood in the camp was a bit low after such a brutal stage and we even had a slightly fractious team meeting in the evening, but much of that was surely down to tiredness.
My leg still hurts a lot and the efforts of Orshok, the race doctor, have not really helped that much. Owen's blister looks even worse too. Tomorrow is the last day though, and I think we'll try to stay together for it.
Times: Owen - 4:25, Me - 4:40, Budjargal - 5:05
Where to start? What an eventful day. I felt pretty ropey this morning - kind of sick in the stomach. Owen was clearly struggling a bit too with his foot, and took some fairly strong painkillers. I don't know what was causing my malaise but breakfast didn't go down that well and I wasn't feeling very happy about the forthcoming marathon. We decided to run together for as long as we could and bashed out the first 18K or so to the dunes with plenty of banter and a fair amount of "digging in" on both our parts. Either way, we had a decent lead over the rest and were making better progress than we may have felt like we were. The dunes were slow and steady and as we limped our way over them we could see Budjargal in the background. My left leg was hurting quite a bit by this point - it seemed almost like cramp, a shooting pain down the left hand side around the knee area. As we hit the post-dunes 24K checkpoint we stopped to take on water and when I tried to set off I doubled up in pain. Budjargal came charging past at that point and since I could hardly move, let alone run, I sent Owen off chasing him. I took a few minutes to walk to see how the pain would dissipate and took a quite comical video segment where I discussed my "low point" of the race.
The next 12K or so were really tough - the hardest of my running life. Every time I switched from running to walking or stopping I was in serious pain. However, I could just about keep up a bit of a shuffle and manage the pain so I trudged through the next hour and a bit, keeping an eye on Budjargal up in the distance, willing myself through 1K at a time. Eventually, at about 36K I realised Budjargal was stopped and caught him up. He was desperate for water, having run out some time ago it seemed. I gave him a big drag from my camelback and pointed out the van up ahead signalling the checkpoint. I took some water from Dave but didn't think to re-fill the camelback, which I assumed had plenty of water in, and then made a break for the finish. It was only when the van was a spec behind me that I realised Budjargal had taken all my water and not told me. I took the tough decision that with under 5K to go I would be ok to charge on to camp and that certainly provided incentive to cover the last few minutes as quickly as possible.
I arrived in camp about 15 minutes after Owen and about 20 minutes before Budjargal. As we saw the Mongolian running into camp we realised that he was fully naked, save for his hat and running shoes. One of the most bizarre sights of my whole life. His english is limited and about the most we could figure was that he felt it would be a good surprise to us all. That is certainly true.
People rolled in all day and we enjoyed supporting people as they came into camp, as we have enjoyed it all race. Remarkably, given the heat and the tough course, we had just 1 more runner drop out. Rhys was forced to stop with heat exhaustion just 4K or so from the end. He was on a drip all night and looked a million times better in the morning. Mood in the camp was a bit low after such a brutal stage and we even had a slightly fractious team meeting in the evening, but much of that was surely down to tiredness.
My leg still hurts a lot and the efforts of Orshok, the race doctor, have not really helped that much. Owen's blister looks even worse too. Tomorrow is the last day though, and I think we'll try to stay together for it.
Day 4
Day 4 course: 38K: 20K flat plains, 10K uphill plains, 8K up soft sand canyon and back down gorge into campsite.
Times: Owen - 3:54, Me - 4:10, Budjargal - 4:16
After a somewhat brutal but dull flat marathon stage yesterday, this stage began with 20K of the same. Spirits were fairly high in camp but a calm, cloudless morning implied a very hot day to come. I went off at a reasonable pace and found that it was enough to keep Owen in sight ahead of me and the others well behind me.
That first 20K was a steady accumulation of distance on a washboard track with a fairly strong headwind. Footing was a bit tricky and the wind was quite strength-sapping but as I passed Phil at checkpoint 2 the legs still felt reasonably good. The next 9 to 10K was a tough slog up the hill - never too steep to totally rule out running but relentless enough that my progress was a series of mental bargains: run a few minutes, walk a minute or two, repeat... By this point I'd lost sight of Owen ahead and everyone behind. It was a pretty lonely day.
At the 29K checkpoint the view was fantastic: back over the plains we'd just come from, the mountains flanking the plains and then the dunes up ahead in the distance. The terrain also suddenly became a lot more interesting for us runners. At first it was rocky and then turning up into the canyon it was a winding soft sand track that headed north before a sharp right turn into the gorge where camp awaited. The soft sand was a bit of a killer, especially after 3/4 of the day. I decided I couldn't run on that sand but equally I couldn't find a reliable hard-packed path so it was a combination of walking along with the odd jog on a side trail. As I finally got to the end of the softest sand I stopped for a quick shake out of the shoes and sauntered down to the finish. By this point my hips were really sore and I'd lost any rhythm from my running but I'd come in 2nd and just about moved into 2nd overall so I was happy with the day's work.
The camp is right in the gorge, surrounded by gorgeous high cliffs of craggy rocks with rays of sunshine peeking through in a constantly changing pattern. Not long after we'd got our breaths back and had some food, Mal arrived in camp at some considerable pace, concerned that Ryan had got lost just a few K back. Typically Ryan was finishing 5th with Mal in 6th or 7th but today we hadn't seen Ryan. We all piled into one of the Russian trucks and charged off to where Ryan had missed 3 orange flags at the turn and carried on north into the distance. With his silver sleeping pad billowing behind him like a superhero cape we were able to spot him about 3K up the wrong track, devoid of water. My guess is that we averted a real potential disaster there.
Physically I'm doing okay. No blisters still but sand dunes to come the next 2 days. My knees are a bit sore and so are my hips while I run but my biggest worry is just my energy levels. Every day has been harder than the last and today food was not very appealing. Having said that I've been running strong so fingers crossed. Owen has a really nasty blister on his foot. It looks very painful. I'm sure he'll still finish strong but that has to slow him down a bit. It has to hurt a lot. I think he could break the course record so hopefully it won't affect things too much.
Just one drop-out today - Mark the big Scot has had to stop with really bad blisters on both his feet. He's done 3 ultras this year and has taken it in good spirit. Everyone else actually looks okay right now. The slowest of the walkers, Robert, is taking nearly 12 hours to finish each stage but seems to be in good spirits. Then there's Piero on the bike. He's doing great, but I don't know how he'll tackle sand dunes with that.
Times: Owen - 3:54, Me - 4:10, Budjargal - 4:16
After a somewhat brutal but dull flat marathon stage yesterday, this stage began with 20K of the same. Spirits were fairly high in camp but a calm, cloudless morning implied a very hot day to come. I went off at a reasonable pace and found that it was enough to keep Owen in sight ahead of me and the others well behind me.
That first 20K was a steady accumulation of distance on a washboard track with a fairly strong headwind. Footing was a bit tricky and the wind was quite strength-sapping but as I passed Phil at checkpoint 2 the legs still felt reasonably good. The next 9 to 10K was a tough slog up the hill - never too steep to totally rule out running but relentless enough that my progress was a series of mental bargains: run a few minutes, walk a minute or two, repeat... By this point I'd lost sight of Owen ahead and everyone behind. It was a pretty lonely day.
At the 29K checkpoint the view was fantastic: back over the plains we'd just come from, the mountains flanking the plains and then the dunes up ahead in the distance. The terrain also suddenly became a lot more interesting for us runners. At first it was rocky and then turning up into the canyon it was a winding soft sand track that headed north before a sharp right turn into the gorge where camp awaited. The soft sand was a bit of a killer, especially after 3/4 of the day. I decided I couldn't run on that sand but equally I couldn't find a reliable hard-packed path so it was a combination of walking along with the odd jog on a side trail. As I finally got to the end of the softest sand I stopped for a quick shake out of the shoes and sauntered down to the finish. By this point my hips were really sore and I'd lost any rhythm from my running but I'd come in 2nd and just about moved into 2nd overall so I was happy with the day's work.
The camp is right in the gorge, surrounded by gorgeous high cliffs of craggy rocks with rays of sunshine peeking through in a constantly changing pattern. Not long after we'd got our breaths back and had some food, Mal arrived in camp at some considerable pace, concerned that Ryan had got lost just a few K back. Typically Ryan was finishing 5th with Mal in 6th or 7th but today we hadn't seen Ryan. We all piled into one of the Russian trucks and charged off to where Ryan had missed 3 orange flags at the turn and carried on north into the distance. With his silver sleeping pad billowing behind him like a superhero cape we were able to spot him about 3K up the wrong track, devoid of water. My guess is that we averted a real potential disaster there.
Physically I'm doing okay. No blisters still but sand dunes to come the next 2 days. My knees are a bit sore and so are my hips while I run but my biggest worry is just my energy levels. Every day has been harder than the last and today food was not very appealing. Having said that I've been running strong so fingers crossed. Owen has a really nasty blister on his foot. It looks very painful. I'm sure he'll still finish strong but that has to slow him down a bit. It has to hurt a lot. I think he could break the course record so hopefully it won't affect things too much.
Just one drop-out today - Mark the big Scot has had to stop with really bad blisters on both his feet. He's done 3 ultras this year and has taken it in good spirit. Everyone else actually looks okay right now. The slowest of the walkers, Robert, is taking nearly 12 hours to finish each stage but seems to be in good spirits. Then there's Piero on the bike. He's doing great, but I don't know how he'll tackle sand dunes with that.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day 3
Day 3 course: 43K total: desert plain all the way.
Times: Owen - 3:26, Me - 4:10, Budjargal - 4:20, Ian - 5:00
This was a long, long day on the trail. The first thing to remark on is that all 20 or so runners and walkers are still going strong after the longest stage. The last 2 to finish, Robert and Una - a local girl, came into camp around 11 1/2 hours after starting. That really doesn't give much recovery time before tomorrow.
Today's weather was incredibly friendly. It was a cloudy and cool start and it stayed that way until about 11am, giving us all 3 hours of really good running conditions. For me the last hour was pretty hot. For those further back it was a bit more time in the heat, but at least everyone had got some miles under their belt in the cool. There was even a sprinkling of rain for us front runners which was very welcome, although I hear that it was a bit more of a downpour for everyone else.
This morning Owen and Budjargal shot off like rockets so I quickly settled into my own comfortable pace behind them. After a few K I realised that Ian was just behind me and so I ran with him for a bit before falling behind him. I think that my pace was similar to previous days so others were taking better advantage of the conditions. At the 10K checkpoint I was feeling good but in 4th place. The next 5K took us up to a small settlement which we bypassed and then headed straight down the plain towards absolutely nothing. By this point I'd re-passed Ian and had Budjargal ahead in the distance to follow. At the 20K checkpoint I'd timed that I was around 2 minutes behind him and still feeling ok.
2 hours signalled the reward of some tunes on the iPod so the Proclaimers, Tom Jones, Daft Punk et al kept me focussed for a while since the plains didn't hold much interest. By 30K my legs were pretty sore and the sun was out but I had closed the gap to less than a minute behind Budjargal. Determined to hold my pace I eventually passed him around 35K and motored on for a bit before having to walk a minute or two just before the last checkpoint at 38K. I did manage to keep Budjargal out of sight behind me and even though the last few K were slow and sore I managed to finish in 2nd, feeling very proud of myself.
In overall standings I'm still 3rd but had a nice finish and feel like 2nd is a possibility. The knees are sore and there's one tiny blister on my toe, but that got popped by Budjargal standing on my foot in camp. Either way, apart from fatigue there's nothing to slow me down too much. There were a few grumbles in camp today about poor camp state (it was a miserable, barren camp ground, but then there wasn't much choice down here on the plains) and lack of communication but generally everyone's been doing well with the event. Owen's absolutely flying and could win even if he walked in from here I think. My feet have held up very well. I noticed I'd lost a layer of skin from the whole bottom but it all looks good. Ali gave both Owen and me a calf massage which was much appreciated and event commented how "great my feet looked". I don't think anyone's told me that before. Right now I'd be very keen for a beer and a pizza.
Times: Owen - 3:26, Me - 4:10, Budjargal - 4:20, Ian - 5:00
This was a long, long day on the trail. The first thing to remark on is that all 20 or so runners and walkers are still going strong after the longest stage. The last 2 to finish, Robert and Una - a local girl, came into camp around 11 1/2 hours after starting. That really doesn't give much recovery time before tomorrow.
Today's weather was incredibly friendly. It was a cloudy and cool start and it stayed that way until about 11am, giving us all 3 hours of really good running conditions. For me the last hour was pretty hot. For those further back it was a bit more time in the heat, but at least everyone had got some miles under their belt in the cool. There was even a sprinkling of rain for us front runners which was very welcome, although I hear that it was a bit more of a downpour for everyone else.
This morning Owen and Budjargal shot off like rockets so I quickly settled into my own comfortable pace behind them. After a few K I realised that Ian was just behind me and so I ran with him for a bit before falling behind him. I think that my pace was similar to previous days so others were taking better advantage of the conditions. At the 10K checkpoint I was feeling good but in 4th place. The next 5K took us up to a small settlement which we bypassed and then headed straight down the plain towards absolutely nothing. By this point I'd re-passed Ian and had Budjargal ahead in the distance to follow. At the 20K checkpoint I'd timed that I was around 2 minutes behind him and still feeling ok.
2 hours signalled the reward of some tunes on the iPod so the Proclaimers, Tom Jones, Daft Punk et al kept me focussed for a while since the plains didn't hold much interest. By 30K my legs were pretty sore and the sun was out but I had closed the gap to less than a minute behind Budjargal. Determined to hold my pace I eventually passed him around 35K and motored on for a bit before having to walk a minute or two just before the last checkpoint at 38K. I did manage to keep Budjargal out of sight behind me and even though the last few K were slow and sore I managed to finish in 2nd, feeling very proud of myself.
In overall standings I'm still 3rd but had a nice finish and feel like 2nd is a possibility. The knees are sore and there's one tiny blister on my toe, but that got popped by Budjargal standing on my foot in camp. Either way, apart from fatigue there's nothing to slow me down too much. There were a few grumbles in camp today about poor camp state (it was a miserable, barren camp ground, but then there wasn't much choice down here on the plains) and lack of communication but generally everyone's been doing well with the event. Owen's absolutely flying and could win even if he walked in from here I think. My feet have held up very well. I noticed I'd lost a layer of skin from the whole bottom but it all looks good. Ali gave both Owen and me a calf massage which was much appreciated and event commented how "great my feet looked". I don't think anyone's told me that before. Right now I'd be very keen for a beer and a pizza.
Day 2
Day 2 Course: 35K total: 10K uphill through canyon, 10K downhill through gorge, 15K slight downhill across the plain to camp.
Times: Owen - 3:05, Budjargal - 3:40, Paul 3:50
I'll start by describing how I feel right now, 3 hours after the finish, and then describe the run itself. Yesterday I felt fine after the run, tired but not overly sore, somewhat like I would feel after a long training run. Today there are quite a few things that hurt. My shoulders are sore from the pack, my bicepts hurt (I can only think that it's from using my arms that much more than usual), the hips are a bit sore and my achilles tendons are both very tight. I'm also feeling a lot more fatigued but happy with a good day's effort.
The first few K were the same as yesterday, then we turned right and up a fairly steep hill. Owen took off at a strong pace and I settled into a pace just a little ahead of Budjargal. The walkers started an hour before us so some time before the first checkpoint we were passing them - a welcome bit of cheer.
The second 10K was thorugh a wide gorge that slowly narrowed to a very interesting, winding, high walled corridoor. I saw one of the vans go past me and then caught it right back up again as it had to slow drastically to get along the wet and muddy path. At 20K I felt pretty decent and as I was filling my camelback Budjargal flew past me and off into the distance. I took a few photos, as I tried to do each checkpoint, put my iPod on for the first time and set off in belated, and not particularly hot, pursuit.
We climbed a steep path up onto the plateau and suddenly I could see for what seemed like hundreds of miles in every direction. The whole rest of the stage was a trek down the plain, fairly dull but somewhat comfortable running. Everyone I spoke to found it tough though - I think the relentless nature of the trail made it more mentally taxing than anything else. I couldn't ever quite catch Budjargal though I could see him for most of the last 10K. He finished 10 minutes ahead, but in the grand scheme of things 10 minutes is not all that much. You never know, 10K could still be an option.
I'm starting to feel the aches and pains now and I've had a headache while may well be a bit of dehydration. I'm bloody hungry as well. At least there was a cold stream near the campsite so I got to clean off and cool down. I also got to see camels in our camp when I arrived. You don't get that every day.
Times: Owen - 3:05, Budjargal - 3:40, Paul 3:50
I'll start by describing how I feel right now, 3 hours after the finish, and then describe the run itself. Yesterday I felt fine after the run, tired but not overly sore, somewhat like I would feel after a long training run. Today there are quite a few things that hurt. My shoulders are sore from the pack, my bicepts hurt (I can only think that it's from using my arms that much more than usual), the hips are a bit sore and my achilles tendons are both very tight. I'm also feeling a lot more fatigued but happy with a good day's effort.
The first few K were the same as yesterday, then we turned right and up a fairly steep hill. Owen took off at a strong pace and I settled into a pace just a little ahead of Budjargal. The walkers started an hour before us so some time before the first checkpoint we were passing them - a welcome bit of cheer.
The second 10K was thorugh a wide gorge that slowly narrowed to a very interesting, winding, high walled corridoor. I saw one of the vans go past me and then caught it right back up again as it had to slow drastically to get along the wet and muddy path. At 20K I felt pretty decent and as I was filling my camelback Budjargal flew past me and off into the distance. I took a few photos, as I tried to do each checkpoint, put my iPod on for the first time and set off in belated, and not particularly hot, pursuit.
We climbed a steep path up onto the plateau and suddenly I could see for what seemed like hundreds of miles in every direction. The whole rest of the stage was a trek down the plain, fairly dull but somewhat comfortable running. Everyone I spoke to found it tough though - I think the relentless nature of the trail made it more mentally taxing than anything else. I couldn't ever quite catch Budjargal though I could see him for most of the last 10K. He finished 10 minutes ahead, but in the grand scheme of things 10 minutes is not all that much. You never know, 10K could still be an option.
I'm starting to feel the aches and pains now and I've had a headache while may well be a bit of dehydration. I'm bloody hungry as well. At least there was a cold stream near the campsite so I got to clean off and cool down. I also got to see camels in our camp when I arrived. You don't get that every day.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Gobi Challenge Day 1
Course for Day 1: 28K total - 10K steady uphill through valley, 10K steady downhill through gorge, 8K up and down along dirt road.
Times: Owen: 2:27, Budjargal 2:46, Me: 2:51.
Waking up at 6am, feeling refreshed from a surprisingly good night's sleep in my ridiculously expensive new sleeping bag and on my now 2/3 length ridgerest mat, I was keen to get started. The previous day was a good chance to get settled in at camp and go through all the kit, but frankly it was a long buildup and everyone was ready to go. I made a few tricky decisions on kit: no mess tin - evn though it was the mug that had been up Mount McKinley recently; a spare T-shirt did make the cut - knowing I'd have hours to kill each day after the run; a front back (Owen managed to get rid of his but I needed the space) and finally a good amount of time spent taking all the food out of the bulky vacuum packs and into ziplocks. Every gram helps.
As the day began we assembled on the line, all fully kitted up with the exception of the 3 Mongolian runners who were doing the race "supported", meaning all their kit was in the van and they just carried water. Steve and Ali (Owen's parents) were up at checkpoint 1 waiting for us with water. Owen, Budjargal and myself went off at the same pace and quickly moved away from the rest of the pack. At around 5k the pace seemed too much for me and I dropped away from them. At that stage I couldn't see anyone in front or behind, something I'd experience quite a bit more. Everyone was feeling the thin air of the 6000ft+ altitude and also the steady uphill. I managed to run all bar the steepest uphill part and felt good going into the first checkpoint.
After a quick water and salt tab stop I charged on into te gorge - a beautiful 10K down through a narrow rocky pass with a stream running along te whole winding route. Most of us got wet feet, myself included. By the 20K checkpoint I was ready for a quick stop and a chat with Dave, the race organiser. Moving out of the gorge I climbed up onto a plain and then faced a continuous 8K of rolling, stregnth-sapping hills. Those last few K were a lot tougher than they looked. The similar terrain and constant up and downhill made it difficult to get any rhythm or perspective. I did manage to run down to the finish at a decent pace to see a very fresh looking Owen and a just-finished Budjargal. After about 1/2 hour Ian came into camp next and from then on it was a steady stream of the runners, the run-walkers and then eventually the walkers.
Physically I felt good. No major aches and pains over and above a long training run. Pretty happy to finish as quickly as I did.
Times: Owen: 2:27, Budjargal 2:46, Me: 2:51.
Waking up at 6am, feeling refreshed from a surprisingly good night's sleep in my ridiculously expensive new sleeping bag and on my now 2/3 length ridgerest mat, I was keen to get started. The previous day was a good chance to get settled in at camp and go through all the kit, but frankly it was a long buildup and everyone was ready to go. I made a few tricky decisions on kit: no mess tin - evn though it was the mug that had been up Mount McKinley recently; a spare T-shirt did make the cut - knowing I'd have hours to kill each day after the run; a front back (Owen managed to get rid of his but I needed the space) and finally a good amount of time spent taking all the food out of the bulky vacuum packs and into ziplocks. Every gram helps.
As the day began we assembled on the line, all fully kitted up with the exception of the 3 Mongolian runners who were doing the race "supported", meaning all their kit was in the van and they just carried water. Steve and Ali (Owen's parents) were up at checkpoint 1 waiting for us with water. Owen, Budjargal and myself went off at the same pace and quickly moved away from the rest of the pack. At around 5k the pace seemed too much for me and I dropped away from them. At that stage I couldn't see anyone in front or behind, something I'd experience quite a bit more. Everyone was feeling the thin air of the 6000ft+ altitude and also the steady uphill. I managed to run all bar the steepest uphill part and felt good going into the first checkpoint.
After a quick water and salt tab stop I charged on into te gorge - a beautiful 10K down through a narrow rocky pass with a stream running along te whole winding route. Most of us got wet feet, myself included. By the 20K checkpoint I was ready for a quick stop and a chat with Dave, the race organiser. Moving out of the gorge I climbed up onto a plain and then faced a continuous 8K of rolling, stregnth-sapping hills. Those last few K were a lot tougher than they looked. The similar terrain and constant up and downhill made it difficult to get any rhythm or perspective. I did manage to run down to the finish at a decent pace to see a very fresh looking Owen and a just-finished Budjargal. After about 1/2 hour Ian came into camp next and from then on it was a steady stream of the runners, the run-walkers and then eventually the walkers.
Physically I felt good. No major aches and pains over and above a long training run. Pretty happy to finish as quickly as I did.
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