Marathon des Sables: Dune Runner
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008, 3:42 PM by Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet author Brendan Sainsbury is currently running the daunting Marathon des Sables, a 150 mile (240 km) ultra marathon across Morocco's Sahara Desert.
Brendan reports:
"The race started with a fanfare of loud rock music as 801 nervous participants lined up for what the organisers had promised would be the hardest first stage in the event's 23 year history; They weren't joking. Within 1km of the start we were running through the starkly beautiful, but brutally punishing, Erg Chebbi dune field, a sandy rollercoaster that went on for 14km and quickly reduced my legs to quivering pieces of spaghetti.
Dune running is a frustrating business - rather like trying to eat soup with a fork - you take two steps up and slide back at least one as the sand saps your energy. The second half of the run was slightly easier as we tackled a flat, rocky plateau that trapped the heat like a microwave oven and led to more dunes and a killer finish. Throughout the stage I stuck to my simple game plan of 'Don't stop' and stumbled in at 90th place with minor cramps and a sore back. My body suggests I may have taken it a little too fast. Time will tell."
Labels: Africa, Marathon des Sables
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2 Comments:
Brendan (Mr. Crazy),
The House of Happiness is hooting and hollering in a hyperthermic frenzy of good wishes. You are in 90th place! Don't belittle those magnificent spaghetti legs of yours
It's only 9 degrees here and the RCMP say they are happy to have you off the highway!Drink deeply from your inner springs of strength! Gary & Jennifer
Go for it Brendan. Jamie and Matty are cheering you on back in gloomy England! we just got back from Austria where it was -5 degrees, so we are a little envious of your sunshine!!See you at Gatwick next Monday.
T
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