25^th Marathon des Sables 2-12 April 2010

After all the training the running the countless marathons that I had covered the pounding of many miles on many empty roads in the middle of winter, that date that I had been excitedly awaiting and to a little degree dreading was finally here.

The few days leading up to the 31^st of April was like being in a slow motion picture of watching myself over the last 6 months doing nothing other than work, charity, run, work, sleep, run, buy kit, check kit, run, sleep, work, charity, and it had gone in a flash.

 You never for some reason expect the penultimate date to arrive but it always does, so I had packed my bag and re packed it two days before, double and triple checked and knew that I would be throwing away more kit when I got out in the desert to lighten my load, but for now take more than one needs, just to be on the safe side of course.

 Flight leaves Heathrow terminal 4 at 6.10 31^st April to Casablanca on a royal air Maroc AT801, looking back now I should have taken plenty of coca cola and oranges, but little did I know. We had a non direct flight to Ouarzazate via Casablanca. So the Journey began on the plane there was approx 243 brits all going out for the same thing the 25^th MDS, spot all the red raid light back packs every where. Lots of nervous happy smiles, saying oh shit oh shit what am I doing. Many people finding them selves many doing it just to do it.

Others a once in a life time get off your ass achievement to show their mates that they could run walk drag them selves across along the hardest foot race in the world know to man and come out the other side and tell the tale.

Me I thought just why not, that was it really why not and whilst there raise as much as I can for facing Africa.

 We landed at approx 9.30pm local time and then had to wait 2-1/2-3 hrs for our connecting flight so I sent a few emails listened to some tunes and drank some nice Moroccan sweet tea. The pastries though I gave a miss, we then boarded after midnight and had a very short flight to Ouarzazate Airport. Then landed and it was approx 1am, then the time to get through customs was painfully slow 1-1/2 hrs and it was almost 1.30am. Thank god it was just a small trip to our hotel Berbere Palace Hotel. I was very happy to get to the hotel and laid my head down at about 2.30am.

 The next day was ours to do as we pleased, it was a case of just eat as much food as you can in a day, then sit by the pool and think about what the next week would entail. Their where of course lots of horror stories and tales of people collapsing, getting lost, the usual high tempo boy’s kind of stuff. But everyone was in a high confident mood of expectations and just wanting to get on with it.

That night we had a big buffet of food that got demolished in the space of a couple of hours, cans of beer, bottles of beer, vast amounts of bread, pasta, fresh fruit, you name it, it was eaten.

We than had to be ready the next day Friday the 2^nd April to leave at 8.30am, got back to the room at 9pm and packed my back pack for the umpteenth time, checked all my safety gear, made sure I had enough food, and got an early nights sleep.

 The 2^nd of April at breakfast was more of the same eat eat eat, it was a little subdued as everyone was chomping at the bit to get going, we where allowed to take our suitcases with us for the next two days, so we boarded the coaches and sat down to a 6 hour journey. We had various stops on the way and we where given our last proper meal at Lunchtime, which was eaten at the side of the dusty road leading deeper into the desert. Devouring the last taken for granted biscuits, oranges, salami, chocolate pancake, fresh bread, babybel, and orange juice. Little did I know that I would be on a massive craving trip in three days time, we where also given the 2010 MDS road book which gave us in exact detail maps and pictures of all the ground an courses we would run over. There was also all the rules and regulations to abide and a page of penalty points you could get from various things, from having extra water, having an IV drip, all of these would be turned into added on minutes, it was a great read and also a hard read looking at the land we would be running over, it suddenly dawned on me that the ground would not be mostly flat but a lot of hills and mountains too.

After 6 hours of driving along dusty roads and tracks we arrived on the edge of nothing but desert and more desert. There was a mad scramble to get off the coaches and to board the Army transport vehicles so you could claim your place in your bivouac. I got settled into bivouac 124 with a couple of people that I already knew Rory Coleman and Jenn Salter, Rory has done 6 MDS”s and Jenn was on her second, she came 9th the year before and wanted to get a better spot this year, also a friend of Jenn’s Lou who was also on her 2^nd MDS.

Then the other house mates where Tim, Alex and Andy, Tim, we where all at various levels of running skill but we all got on very well and settled into our home for the next week.

 We got introduced to each other then settled in and went off for dinner, this evening of the 2^nd April we where fed well, fresh bread, hot soup, braised lamb and cous cous, apple pie. All washed down with a litre of water and a cold can of coke.

 3^rd April 2010

The second day in the camp was the day to get rid of your suitcase and to sign your life away, with ECG test, passport and full medical in hand, we queued tent by tent to wait for a running number, an emergency flare, a pckt of salt tablets, kit check, bag check, food check and ankle tag to record your every step. We where asked where we ready, where we confident, where we fit enough, the answer to all was yes of course. Then suitcase was taken away and placed amongst another 800 others, the rest of the day went very slowly, doing nothing was very difficult for me, and it was a new place for me. Not having anything to do or even think about was another thing to get use too, as was the no lap top, no emails to answer back to, which was a real revelation. I lied down I slept I thought and got chatting to the other tent mates. The time past and before you knew it the sun was going down again. So here we where the night before the day of unexpected everything, this was all new and strange, but I was glad and very excited to be here. Everyone in the tent had brought a sleeping mattress bar me, as I knew it would be extra weight to carry, so I then had a number of sleepless nights to adjust to the stony floor, plus the air is still hot till midnight, then it gets freezing cold from 1am till 4-5am, this took some tome to get use too, as you slept outside your bag or on top of it till it cooled down. It seemed very strange at first to be tucked up in a sleeping bag at 8pm and getting ready to sleep. Was I nervous hell yes, looking back I was not expecting it to be as hard as it was though, that’s for sure.

Day 1 4^th April 2010.

So we all woke at 5.30am as the sun was coming up and I hardly slept a wink, the freezing cold air had already given me the start of a cold and as for my back, sleeping on a bed of rocks was not in the itinerary and it was like a herd of elephants had done a mornings yoga session on my back. The burbers would come along at approx 6-6.30am to take away the tent over our heads, so we where left sting on our bags and the very thin carpet, this became very annoying by the end of the week. It was freezing cold and it seemed to take forever to get everything together as this was the first day of many and no routine in place.

Breakfast was porridge with raisons and sultanas with a splash of baby milk powder hhmm yummy, get the fire lighters lit on your tiny little stove, fill the kettle with water to simmer, undo the pre packed porridge and place into a cut water bottle base, add water and stir, this was the routine for the next week. I would go off this porridge mix very quickly.

So a check over the kit after breakfast, got into my smart brand new running gear, which was going to be completely trashed by the end of the week, pretty much brand new trainers and a back pack full of food. As the week went on and the food got ate it got lighter and lighter, which was a true blessing.

I oiled myself down with sun cream, filled the water bottles, which we had to collect every morning at 7am. We where given two tags which we had to keep with us at all times, one was for water and one for the doctors. They where secured by a pulley string and attached onto our backpacks. So every time we went through a check point and gave us water it was punched by the staff so they could see we where taking the right amount of water, but also to see if we took on more. Then the other card was for the doctors, which again showed how many times we had been to Doc trotters.

Looking around at people it was nervous excitement on a lot of faces; a lot of people had too much food that was left on the ground, as they suddenly realized it actually weighed a lot. Also a lot of luxury un important equipment would get ditched over the week, as every ounce and gram that you could get rid which was not essential kit it was just dead weight to carry as I found out myself.

At 8.30 we where all ready and slowly wandered over to the starting line, the bag weighed a lot, then with the front pack too which contained, nibbles and snacks, venom pump, ibuprofen, foot kit, sun cream, sun goggles and some little chewy sweets, with two water bottles full of 1.5 litres of water I was then thinking shit this is heavy now.

As all 1,100 entrants surrounded the starting line we will rock you was pumped out over the loud speaks, Patrick Baur spoke not related to the infamous Jack, he said goo luck be careful drink water take your salt tablets, birthdays where read out and we all sung happy birthday terribly, then at 1 minute to 9am the 60 second countdown begun, helicopters hovered above our heads, then we where off. What lay ahead was 29km, the first stage in a pretty much straight line all the way from HIS to KHERMOU.

Thoughts where racing through my head as I ran, shit this is hard, the ground is bloody stony, my kit weighs a lot and what the fuck am I doing here.

We ran mainly over stony ground the first 10km and over Jebels which I would hate at the end of the week, these where large hills or mountains, we had a lot of climbing on this first run, over large boulders and rocks which was hard going.  There was a madness to the first race as everyone so super keen, either to get to the front or prove a point, lost of people where going way to fast and I knew there would be a slowing up later down the field.

There was only two Check points (C.P) on this race, on KM 13.4 and K22.2 after this there was the first field of sand dunes one of many that where to come. This first race was a little teaser of what was to come. On the first race I ran I clocked 3h56.13 seconds a very respectable 195^th, I was thrilled with the result, which I did not find out till two days later.  So I came in at Lunch time, went straight to the tent took the bag off, shoes off, socks off, no blisters no marks nothing who said your feet get trashed mine where perfect.  Jenn Salter was already in the tent Rory Coleman followed, I stuck my legs in the air against the poles supporting the tent, and it felt great in this position.

So back in one piece I closed my eyes and had a nap, after an hour got changed into some skins recovery pants, they really helped. My knee was giving me a little grief so I stuck the tens machine on it for 30 mins. This is a little had held electrode device which send s electric currents into your joints via cables which are joined to copper wires which have stick pads on which you secure to your skin. It then sends the electric waves through your skin into the aching joint. I was a little pissed that my knee was giving me agro as it had been fine for a long time, I then stoked up the little stove, made dinner, the lovely chicken Korma added some crushed salt tablets and it tasted like heaven, I would highly recommend expedition meals to anyone they where all delicious.

Sun came down at 6.30 then it was dark soon after, lay on my sleeping bag looking at the next day of 35.5m and 3 CP’s and a mother of a hill of 25% gradient at the end, oh what Joy.  I lay with eyes shut ear plugs in eye mask on, felt like I was in a BA lounge hhmmm hardly, the ground was bloody stony and I slept terribly. It was hot and muggy till midnight then again freezing cold, body vest came on and into the bag trying to find a place between pebbles that where niggling my back was not easy. I guess I had 6 hrs sleep tops, but it was nice not to be doing anything else than resting.

Day 2 5 April 2010.

So 35.5km from Khermou to Jebel el Otfal this was going to be a hard day, we where told it was going to be a scorcher of a day 46c, trying to get in a routine now, woke up at 5.30am, with blocked nose cough bloody cold night again, stove on ate breakfast by 6pm, tent taken away by the berpers and there we where again open to the cold. You start getting warm on the face by 7.30. Had a mint tea then got kit together, massaged the bottom of my feet and put on the shorts, top and socks. We took it in turns to get the water, we had already figured out it was pointless to queue for water, a typical English thing to do even in the desert. So we waited now till 8am to collect our 1.5 litres of water. ½ decanted into a 750ml bottle and the remaining mixed with electrolyte in the other bottle.

We had 3 CP’s today and it was 11km to the first one, we ran the first 3.8km on stony ground which was so bad for the feet, which I did not really know till later in the week, when they completely deteriorated, we ran over the Jebel Amessoui, then descended the other side into a field of stones, it was like someone had placed them exactly a cm apart, so there was never a clear path for your feet. First CP was 11km filled up on water and took a tablet of salt, and popped another electrolyte into the other bottle. We then had dunes ahead and mountains to climb, I started the climb up Hered Asfer Jebel and it was another 8 odd km to the next CP. This is where I came into trouble, I was running along the very stony path and twisted my bad right knee badly, I had a shooting pain through the knee, and it was agony. I then took two ibuprofen to try and halt the pain; this was a little silly thing to do, as I took them on a fairly empty stomach. I then carroe don and kept taking water and electrolyte, after an hour the pain was still there so I took something even stronger.

This next stretch of desert was long and straight on deep sand with stones, the sun was starting to beat down on me and I started to feel a little sick and exhausted, I found drinking water was getting more difficult and it got to a point where I just could not drink anymore as it made me gag. My head was dizzy and I just thought it was because I had pushed myself a little at the beginning. I could see CP 2 ahead in the distance and I was relived it was near. I started to walk as the legs just packed up. I tried to eat some cereal bar but the mouth was too dry to swallow anything.

I thought this was getting a little worrying, on passing through the CP, I collected my water and had my card punched. Then the Doc looked at me and pointed to my very raised veins and said that I was dehydrated. I then went to the medic tent and sat down, I was so tired I took off my bag and closed my eyes the doctor came over and said my skin was thin because I was dehydrated. I had to drink some water before I could leave, I tried to drink some water, I then was sick. Worse thing one can do when dehydrated. I was then told I could not leave for at least an hour. I told them I had taken painkillers, which was the problem; I slept for an hour, and then took some water and a pill to stop me vomiting. I had to drink a litre before I could go anywhere and eat a snack, and take on salt. I was very pissed off with my self, losing a lot of wasted time sitting inside when I was loosing my great position.

But what lay a head was a 25% incline over the mountaintop to the decent to the camp, hence I needed my strength. I set off in the searing heat, this was now very tough, and I lost valuable minerals and water and was feeling like shit. Starting the climb it was sand first, then rocks all the way up to the top. This was now mountaineering not running, the last part was so steep that we used a rope to pull us up. The view was stunning at the top, I could see the camp in the far distance and only 5km to go, got to the camp in 7h 5mins in 550^th place, I was not happy, but I was back which was a relief. I went to get my cup of sweet tea, which was delicious, a pure sugar rush to the head made me feel better. I walked to the tent and a couple of them had returned, comments where that I looked pale and with drawn and tired. I was still feeling weak and needed sugar and food. I took off my bag, shoe sand socks, the toes where now looking a little sore and blistered, I needed to ten to them, I cleaned them up, dabbed them in iodine and wrapped some of the toes in gauze and tape. There where a little few blisters on the base of the feet which was all I wanted. My mouth and body craved lemon, orange, coke anyone give me coke.

I stoke up my stove put on water to simmer and got out a chili beef, I cut a used water bottle up and took the base and added 3 crushed salt tablets and the chili beef, poured in the water and waited ten magic minutes then ate it all down in a few minutes. The salt tasted like heaven. I was still not looking all that great or feeling any better, we had on the camp a Del boy or Rodney trotter called Robert, whom could get anything or at least try.

Rory in our tent asked me if I cared about my time as he said that I should get a drip, but I did not want a penalty of 2.5 hours, so he very very kindly asked for a can of coke for me, he said he would see what he could do, he returned 30 minutes later with not only a can of coke but chilled too. I looked at it for five minutes and asked all the Tent mates if they wanted any, they all very kindly turned it down. I then took a first taste and it was heaven, pure sugar rush to the body, I felt a million dollars, I drank the coke slowly and enjoyed every drop. The blood came straight back to my head and also the colour to my cheeks. Then it was a pepperami and a big cup of sweet tea, all this extra sugar was heaven and did the trick, at 7pm we got emails again it was a joy to read so many messages from you all it made me smile and happy to get best of luck wishes.

The routines continued the same, getting ready to sleep by 8pm slept a little till midnight, then into bag and sleep another few hours.  

Day 3 April 6^th 2010

The same procedure in the morning, blocked nose, freezing cold night and bloody stones sticking into my back all night, we had 40km today from Jebel et Otfal to Mouchanne, breakfast on, I was getting sick of porridge by now and started to swap them for something savory instead, this was a much better way to start the day more salt. I was a little stiff today so I used a tennis ball on my glutes and the back of thighs, it hurt like hell but the pain lasted a few minutes. The body was getting use to the running and extra exercise; today I knew was going to be tough. I still was not on top form and the weather today was going to be a staggering 48c. I had to be careful to drink the right amount of water today and to make sure that I ate as I ran.

The starting time was 9am, kit checked over socks and trainers on, smeared on more sun cream and bottles of water where filled and we headed to the starting line, again the procedure of birthdays where read out and any things we needed to be made aware of, the music started and the 3^rd race started. Today was a much simpler course with no dunes in sight but there was a dried lake to go over in the middle of the day when the temperature would be touching 50c.

I started the run but the bad news was it was over stony ground, 12.8km of the ruddy stones, the feet where starting to feel the pressure of all the running, I took my two salt tablets between each CP with 1.5 litres of water, continued to nibble on 1 pepperami a day and a cereal bar.

I felt good all the way to CP 2 then we had the flat dried lake to cross, there was nothing around at all in any direction, you could close your eyes do a 360 degree turn and get lost very easily, as every direction looked the same.

I waited for a tent mate and then we decided to do a very quick walk to save energy, the heat was really killing. I kept on the water and salt tablets and kept on the quick march.

This stage seemed to go on forever; I still did not feel all that great, by the time we reached CP 3 covering 35km I was done. The heart had knocked me for six and with 5km left to go the end was a very nice site. Went through the CP collected my 1.5 litres water and doused my head in most of the water, it was heaven, and I poured some of it over my tired limbs and sat down for ten minutes. Had a couple of bites of pepperami and another salt tablet and carried on. After CP 3 we passed a castle in the middle of the desert over a sand dune and the finish line was in sight. I then ran the last km, I had not put in a great time, but seeing as the next day we where covering 85km I thought this was wise.

Crossed the line in 7Hr 10'mins, position for this day was 504, off to the tea van for the sweet mint tea and collected water, back to the tent dropped the bag, sat on the sleeping bag and took off the socks and trainers, the feet where getting worse each day. I stuck them up against the poles for 30 minutes; it was such a delight as they slowly came back to life. I wandered off to the doctors and got them treated; neat iodine placed onto raw feet is one of the most painful thing ever, till u get use to it of course. Time went very quickly in the evening as it just took forever to do anything. I massaged my legs, knee’s and thighs with the tens machine the electrical currents massaged the tired muscles and it felt very good.  I ate two dinners tonight washed down with ½ litre of sweet tea, I felt very sleepy and laid down outside my sleeping bag at 7.30pm, the emails came around and the messages where so nice to read, it was great to have contact from the outside world. I stuck in the earplugs and eye mask as I wanted to get a good rest for the next day of 85km, the camp can sure be a noisy place.

Day four 7^th April 2010

All I wanted on this day was to finish it well, the body felt good after a good nights sleep, the body was not aching and it just seemed like routine now that the body had to run for its life every day. It was weird as there where no aches or pains at all, the back pack was now getting a little lighter with all the food consumed and it felt a damn sight easier to run with.  Another savory breakfast of spag bol it was divine truly, extra crushed salt added and 1/2 litre of sweet tea. I then throw away everything that was extra that was not really needed, the solar power charges, the iPod and iPhone arm band holders, some bandages, anything that could get the weight down I got rid of.

I looked at my feet and they where not looking any better, I took a reel of tape and gauze to them and protected them as much as I could by padding each toe and heels.

This was going to be a test of tests 85km in one stint with 6CP’s most of the field would take at least 20 hrs to complete this stage.

The real athletes or pro’s started 3 hrs after us, so at the starting line at 9am and we where away, leaving Taourirt Mouchanne to Oued El Jdaid, the horror of this stage was the 25km at the end.  We went through some amazing landscapes and I felt the body was now in tune with taking the salt, drinking 8-12 litres of water and taking salt tablets.

I did not run much of today but marched like a lunatic instead, I drank the right amount of water between each CP and took all the salt I needed and ate every 5 minutes, and I even treated myself to two pepperami’s, which was a great treat. I listened to music all the way, striding and running to the music, the time flew by. We had a large amount of dunes today and after CP 2 the leaders of the race passed me on a large salt flat, it was Mohammed Hansel he was almost floating on air.

The bad news today was the amount of flat ground that was covered in little pebbles that you had to run and walk over; this was the most painful thing ever. The feet I felt where getting to breaking point, but you just push on and no pain killers this time.

At CP 4 it was almost getting to dusk, the feet where now hurting, I found a couple of sticks that I used to help me walk with and take some pressure off the feet, this helped hugely, but the pain was intense, I stopped at the doctors to get them treated, they where in a bad way, they strapped them with fresh bandage’s and tape around the sole, socks back on and away I went.

Then from here in was 25km of sand dunes, I thought when I reached CP5 I would stop and get something to eat, so marching on in the dark with head torch on an with the help of luminous sticks to find your way and the lights of the runners in front.

Once I had reached CP 5 I stopped and took the bag off and lit my stove boiled water and had the most delicious Shepherds pie, I had also saved from the hotel a little pckt of hot chocolate, I had saved it for this day and this moment, I poured the simmering water over the powder and the smell was beautiful, it tasted heavenly, it was quickly followed by a ½ litre of sweet tea.

I was then just getting my kit together and some saw me getting up with sticks and they then learnt me their poles which they where not using, this was just magic, it made me even quicker and I passed a lot of people using these. The night was very dark and it was very eerie as there where many times’s at night that I was on my own, even at day time when this happened it was fine as you knew you where not far from anyone. But at night you could not see a thing. The sand dunes where hell I could feel my feet screaming at me to stop, but I just kept going, I felt the left heel give way a little and was sure that it was fine. I carried on into the night and crossed the line at 1.30am with a time of 16hrs 38 minutes, I came in 313^th.

 I headed back to the tent and took off all my kit, socks shoes and bag, the pain in my feet was brutal, they where sandy and dirty an torn to shreds, the pain I felt in my heel was because I had 3 large holes in it and the flesh was ripped, the skin on the soles of my feet near the toes had gone, the toes looked like they had been hit with a claw hammer. I thought fuck it get to sleep deal with it in the morning, so I just cleaned them and doused them in Iodine, I was happy with today and the next day we where off.

A day of rest oh what joy.

8^th April 2010

Today we rested I had my feet treated and looked after, I massaged my legs and knee’s and ate well all day, one other delights was the tent stayed up and we where not disturbed, the other was that we where given a soft drink, either fanta, tonic water or coke. Well I can tell you that the coke was consumed with in seconds, it seemed that the amount of water that had been drunk had intensified the taste buds an everything tasted just sublime. The bag was getting lighter and lighter; I slept a lot that day it was so nice for once not to run.

Day 6 9^th April 2010

In the morning I bandaged my feet up heavily, so that the pain would stay away, the only thing was that I had to run them in to get the binding soft which was oh so painful, running on bare flesh almost is one of the painful things yet I have encountered.

The bag was lighter the food was fast disappearing and the end was in site, today was 42.2km from Owed El Jdaid to Erg Znaigui. Another day in the desert, we set off at 8.30am today the role call of birthdays was done and we disappeared into the desert.

This was a great day I ran the whole stage and felt good, everyone I think felt good after the day of rest, the day went to plan drank well fed well, but the ground was horrendous on the feet, it was like walking on hot coals and having daggers stuck into the feet at he same time. I pushed myself hard this day and I took just over 6h to complete the 42.2km.

Crossing the line in 382nd place got my hot tea and water and headed back to the tent.

So here we where after a very very mad week of ups and downs, the feet getting trashed, getting sick on the 2^nd day, did I enjoy what I had put myself through yes I loved it. Doing something extraordinary like this was sheer madness but why not, how often do you get to test your self mentally and physically like this most likely never.

It was a feeling of sadness as well as absolute happiness, I had been away long enough and it was time to head for that finish line.

Day 7 April 10^th 2010

So the last morning of the last day the usual routine of waking up at 5.30, get the breakfast on and have a large brew of sweet tea. I finished with the chilli con carne and then peered inside my bag and it was empty, it weighed nothing, I dumped anything else that I could, any extra food that was not needed, I bandaged the feet again and I had to take the soles of my shoes out so the feet could fit into the trainers. As this was the last day the tent stayed up, I filled my two water bottles for the last time and smeared on the last bit of sun cream and headed off to the starting line at 8.30. There was an air of relief and pleasure that this was to end.

People where battered and bruised and where so tired, many minds had been tested to their limits, many people had dug so deep to find the courage and strength to carry on when they knew they should have stopped.

So here we were the last 21km to the end from Erg Znaigui to Merzouga, off we went with we will rock you banging out loudly, many many happy faces, mine included. I walked the first ten minutes to get the feet soft and pounded then started to run, I was overjoyed this was the last day and I was going home.

Everyone was quick today, the whole course was sand dunes and more sand dunes, once more they picked the hardest ground for the last stage, after the first CP you could then see the finishing line, you don’t know what this was like, I almost choked. The end was there, the bi silver teapots that marked the end was in sight for the very last time.

When I was almost 1 mile from the end I just sprinted to the end, I did not care that my feet where almost going to drop off, the pain disappeared with the thought of ending this race. When I saw that line and had 100yrds to go I was immensely sad and tears started to well up, my feet where throbbing like hell then I just kept passing people who must have thought I was mad. I then crossed the line in 2hs 30minutes, I was almost hyperventilating with the pain in my feet, I had a chap from discovery channel with a camera in my face, with tears running down my face and wheezing like an old man, I said did you get that  !!! I laughed out loud and thought to myself god what an adventure and how lucky I was to be able to do this, would I do it again yes I really would.

I collected my medal personally from Patrick Baur and with one of my tent mates wandered over to a hotel 50yrds away whilst we waited for the coaches. I ordered 4 cokes and drank them instantly, it was heaven such heaven.

I removed my trainers and place them under the table, the feet also knew that this was it no more running. I left them there under the table and walked away, the best place for them I thought.

Thank you all for all the messages and for those that sponsored me in Aid of Facing Africa. Its still not too late, link below.

http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/cgi-bin/fa.pl?action=show;cuid=315  

This is one of the fastest men on the planet, he completed the whole 250km in under 20 hrs his name is Mohamed H'Ansel. An amazing man in an unforgettable country, every person that entered and completed the race is a winner whether you finished first or last. To be able to put your body through the mental and physical side of this race is a tribute to all that entered.

Results in I came 318th out of a thousand odd entrants and 133rd in the 40-50 category so very very happy !!

Please don't open if you are shocked at gore. The state of play on ones feet was horrendous, my feet went from bad to just terrible after the 2nd day. The constant pounding of rocks boulders sand causes horrific damage other than just miles of running. The last two days I taped and bandaged them up so I could just about run. Having to remove the inner sole to fit my feet inside my trainers was very painful. Once they where on and I walked then ran after approx 20 mins the pain kind of disappeared as you just concentrated on getting to each check point......

A beautiful sunset this morning before the last stage....... No more freeze dried food no more re-using tea bags, no sleeping on stones under your sleeping bag. The human body is an incredible thing, to keep pushing and punishing it day after day and it still carries on. It has def made me more appreciative of the simpler things in life. Hot water, fresh lemons,tissue paper, soap, a can of ice cold coke, bread, a good nights sleep....