Well, what an emotional experience. It's very difficult to find the right words to describe the
ups and downs of that amazing week in the desert. It was tough, it was euphoric, it was painful, it was
rewarding, and I’d do it all again.
For those of you who don't know what the race involved, it was a 250km footrace across the Sahara Desert in Egypt, over 7 days. The distances for each day were roughly 40km a day for the first 4 days, then 86km on Day 5/6, and the last day was 2km (a 'ceremonial' finish at the Pyramids at Giza that was untimed). The race was self supported, which means that everything I needed for that week I had to carry in my backpack. The only things provided by the race organisers were bottled drinking water and a tent to sleep in at night.
Highlights and what went well
There were lots of highlights of the week. I got to meet and spend time with some
fabulous people and form friendships with some extraordinary people. And I had the most awesome tentmates - very supportive and positive, and we all finished, hooray! And the scenery and beauty of the desert was just amazing.
A lot of my race preparations and strategy worked really well (such as my hydration and nutrition and my legs felt strong thanks to all the strength training I did). I was advised by a fabulous supporter Neil that I would walk much more than I planned, and as it turned out I pretty much walked the entire course. Not ideal, but I got to the finish line, which was my primary goal. I was also fortunate that I could train through the Dubai summer, so the heat of the Sahara really didn't bother me (apart from one really tough section on Day 3, when checkpoint 4 never seemed to appear - it was brutal and many people felt the same.
Lessons learned
So what would I do differently next time? Well first of all, don’t change your backpack at the last minute and make sure
it is comfortable.
Learn more about blister prevention and treatment. I thought I had this covered, as I
normally don’t get blisters, so I had compeeds as well as tape. However the blisters I got during the
race were nothing like I have ever experienced. They were huge and painful and I had no experience in
dealing with such blisters, even though I had read (and re-read) the excellent
book “Fix Your Feet”.
I would also try to find ways to cut down the weight in my backpack. The starting weight of my pack (without water) was 11kg, which was way too much for my small frame.
I wonder now also whether I would wear waterproof shoes again, and I think I would instead wear breathable shoes. And I would consider different gaiters. The gaiters were great for keeping out large bits of sand, but were no help against the talcum powder like sand that accumulated as clay (when mixed with sweat) on my socks at the balls of my feet and stuck to my innersoles. They were also quite snug above the ankle, which logic would say was a good idea, but it meant that getting them on and off each day over my blisters and taping was incredibly painful.
The course and the race organisers
The course was a mix of terrain, and despite the perception that it was going to be all sand and dunes, there was actually a lot of rocky terrain. I loved the sand, and the sand dunes. I hate rocks, especially with blistered feet. Let's hope that my feet are in good shape for the 2013 Gobi March (which has a lot of rock).
The race was well organised, and I would definitely do it again. The Racing the Planet team were awesome, as were the medical team.
The course was marked with pink flags and on most stages, the halfway point between checkpoints was marked. The second half always seemed longer! Checkpoints were roughly 10km apart. At each checkpoint you would get a minimum allocation of 1.5 litres of water and you could get medical assistance and take a rest, but had to leave by the cut off time which was set for each checkpoint.
What was in my pack?
There were a number of mandatory items that I had to carry
with me. They were:
Item
|
Equipment used and
comments
|
Backpack
|
Salomon Sky 38.
Too heavy (900 gm), too bulky (38l), too uncomfortable. Why I thought I needed a 38L backpack is beyond
me. I also made a basic error
with this one and broke the rule of ‘nothing new on race day’. I was unhappy with the pack I’d
bought originally, so I bought this pack only 1 week before the race. Idiot. The quest is on for a better backpack.
 |
Sleeping bag
|
Vango Ultralite 200, rated down to 5 degrees. Ok, it was warm and comfortable and
compact, but weighed 900gm.
There must be a lighter version out there somewhere.
|
Headlamp, backup light and flashing red light
|
Only used the headlamp, and the flashing red light which
was attached to the backpack for the long march into the night.
|
Compass
|
Not used.
|
Safety pins
|
Needed to pin Sahara Race badge to backpack, as well as
hang clothes out to air on the tent ropes in the evenings. Some people used them to pop
blisters too, but I had needles with me for that purpose.
|
Multi-tool
|
Useful for cutting micropore tape and elastic tape for taping feet, as well
as cutting up kinesio tape for muscle support. Really only used the
scissors.
|
Whistle
|
Not used.
|
Survival blanket
|
Not used.
Thankfully.
|
Sunscreen
|
Banana Boat Sport SPF 30, 90ml. Used on legs only at start
of day and at a checkpoint halfway through the day. I had more than enough. Would pack a smaller bottle next time. Race requirement was only 30ml.
|
Lip sunscreen
|
Care Plus face and lip sunscreen, SPF 50. Necessary and
used several times a day. Handy
to carry and apply when on the move.
|
Blister kit
|
Micropore tape, elastic tape,needles, alcohol wipes and
compeeds. Unfortunately
the blisters I got required taping and the compeed didn’t do the job. I had used a compeed on Day 1, but it
basically melted into my sock! I did tape my own feet but the medical
team re-did it for me.
Several times. The
medical team was awesome.
|
Medication
|
See notes below.
|
Hand sanitiser
|
Absloutely necessary. One small bottle was just enough, but would pack 2 next
time (don’t scrimp on hygiene).
|
Toilet paper/wet wipes
|
I bought toilet paper specifically designed for camping,
and it was useless and shredded like confetti. I tossed it in favour of wet wipes. Wet wipes were necessary to ‘wash’
every day as well as wipe sand and grime from your face. Two packets.
|
Compression bandage
|
Not used.
Thankfully.
|
Lightweight jacket/top
|
Only needed on a few nights when it was cooler in
camp and also one night I slept
in it.
|
Shorts (1 pair minimum)
|
See notes below.
|
t-shirts with sleeves and race patches
|
See notes below.
The tops had to carry the 4 Deserts logo patch as well as your
national flag patch on both sleeves.
|
Shoes
|
See notes below.
|
Socks (minimum of 2 pairs)
|
See notes below.
|
Headgear with neck protection
|
InnerFight safari hat, it was great.
|
Sunglasses
|
My favs, Rudy Project.
|
Food (minimum 14,000 calories)
|
See notes below
|
Eating utensil
|
Used a long
handled titanium spork.
Lightweight and practical and I would use it again.
|
Electrolytes
|
Elete electrolytes – see notes below.
|
Hydration system (capable of carrying 2.5 litres)
|
I had a 2 litre water bladder which I used for carrying my
water for most of the race. I
also had 2 x 750 ml sports bottles (I ditched one on day 3), and I basically
never used them. I had to keep
one so as to meet the minimum 2.5 litre carrying requirement.
|
Other equipment was optional, and I also took the following:
Item
|
Comments
|
Sleeping pad
|
Not really needed on the soft sand camp sites, and it was
bulky. Also too long and I
tended to slide off and into other people on the nights when our tents were
pitched on a slope. Will
consider a different and smaller pad for future races.
|
Bag liner
|
To add extra warmth. Not needed as it was never cold enough to use.
|
Trekking poles
|
Useful if you plan to walk instead of run. Glad I took them, but query if I
would use them in future events.
|
Zip lock bags
|
For storing freeze dried food (takes up less room than the
original packaging), medication, first aid items etc. Ikea bags SUCK. I used them to store my freeze dried
food and the bags all shredded,
leaving me with sprinkles of freeze dried food throughout my bag.
|
towel
|
Not needed.
Didn’t have access to running water or showers!
|
Toothbrush and toothpaste
|
Hmmm. Not
sure why this is listed as an optional item. And being able to brush my teeth
was a small but nice creature comfort.
|
Watch
|
I didn’t take my Garmin as it would’ve required recharging
and I didn’t want to bother carrying a solar charger with me. The wrist watch was fine. I was able to gauge my speed and
progress based on time elapsed and distance covered. It was a useful distraction too,
having to calculate in my head how far I’d come and how fast (slow) I was and
what time I would make it to the next checkpoint and to the finish line.
|
Camera
|
Glad I took it.
Lots of great memories.
|
Buff
|
Useful for keeping sand out of lungs when the support and
media vehicles flew past and threw up clouds of sand and dust. Also useful to cover up nose and
mouth when visiting the stinky toilets at the camps. I did try wetting it and wrapping it
around my neck for cooling, but it wasn’t very effective. Also good for covering up greasy unwashed
hair.
|
Ipod
|
Not really used.
I listened to music on Day 4 and I listened to the support comments at
the end of the long march. I
might pack it again – not bulky or heavy, and a nice treat to have. I don’t usually listen to music when
I run anyway, so I probably wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t pack it. Apart from listening to the
messages of support, of course!
|
Flag
|
Took a tiny UAE flag which I pinned to my backpack. It faded quickly with all the sun
exposure.
|
Warm hat
|
Only used it on the night of the long march, especially
the cold and windy section on the plateau which we crossed after 10pm. Would reconsider taking one next
time, a buff may suffice.
|
Gaiters
|
See notes below.
|
Flip flops/casual shoes
|
A must for around camp after being in trainers all day,
especially when going to the toilet.
I wore salomon recovery slides.
Comfortable but bulky, so I would use something different next
time. A few people wore the
hotel slippers (from the hotel where we stayed before race briefing and start), which would probably be fine.
|
Sports bra
|
See notes below
|
Tin cup
|
A number of people who had done the event before didn’t
take a cup, but just cut the 1.5 litre bottles in half for a clean container
every night. My concern was the
release of chemicals from the plastic once hot water hits it, but I would
take this option in future as it is a lot more hygienic than using the same
badly cleaned out mug each day!
|
Kinesio tape
|
I used this on my neck and shoulders to help with the pain
and discomfort of the backpack, which weighed in at 11kg on day 1 (without
water). It helped and
lasted all week.
|
Scented oil
|
I used a small bottle of Arabian oil, in an attempt to
smell a bit better!
|
Nutrition
Race rules required that we carry a minimum of 14,000
calories. Here’s what I packed
for 7 days:
Item
|
Comments
|
Total calories
|
7 freeze dried dinners
|
Consumed one a night for dinner. Mostly Expedition Foods brand, which were excellent – 800
calories, low weight, tasty. Favs
were the spaghetti bolognese and the vegetable tikka. Also had 2 packs of Backpackers
Pantry brand macaroni and cheese. Flavour was ok but the noodles refused to
rehydrate properly. I was so
hungry, I ate them, even though they were slightly crunchy
|
5,616
|
11 gels – honey stinger brand and Gu
|
I had 3, they were hard to digest and not appealing, even
though I had used them in training.
I gave the rest away.
|
1,240
|
14 waffles – Honey stinger brand
|
These were awesome!
I think I gave one away, but ate the rest. It was good being able to break off small pieces and nibble
on them, and not have to eat them all in one go (which was one of the
challenges with the gels)
|
2,240
|
4 energy bars – Clif and Lara bars
|
Nice textural change, especially the Clif panforte bar,
tasted like a Christmas fruit and nut cake, yum!! Also enjoyed the slightly sour taste of the Lara cherry
pie bar.
|
980
|
1 packet energy chews – Honey stinger brand
|
Nice textural change as well. Would take a few more packets next time.
|
160
|
7 protein recovery powders – High 5 banana flavour
|
I had one, gave the rest away. I thought I would have one each day when I came into camp,
and then have my dinner later, but I came in so late each day, I just had my dinner and went to bed!
|
1,785
|
100gm crushed salt and vinegar crisps
|
These were GOOD! A lovely crunchy salty sour hit, I only needed a few
spoonfuls at a time.
|
516
|
20 dates
|
I had a few for breakfast each day. Next time I would pack pitted ones
(the dates were a very late addition to my nutrition list, but a good
choice).
|
460
|
9 maltesers drinks
|
Mixed with hot water before going to bed. Awesome.
|
891
|
4 galaxy hot chocolate drinks
|
Gave these away.
Made my tent mates happy :)
|
485
|
200 gm coconut oil
|
This was my breakfast (a few spoonsful) together with a
few dates and some coffee beans.
Lots of people started the day with a heavy, carb loaded meal, but I preferred something light and
easily digestible, and I had practised this in training in the lead up to the
race, and found this worked really well. The coconut oil was great too for mositurising lips and
face
|
1,638
|
7 packets of beef jerky
|
Ate 2. The
peppery ones were disgusting.
Gave the rest away or threw them out. Wouldn’t take them again and would probably take some
other salty treat eg more crisps!
|
490
|
- I was given just over 52 litres of water for the week (35 x 1.5 litre bottles). This did not include the hot water I had at the camp sites. Water was to be used for drinking only, and not for cleaning.
Hydration and
electrolytes
I trained with Elete Electrolytes for months, and found that
it really agreed with me. I
also like the fact that it is flavourless, convenient and easy to use, and it
doesn’t make your hydration bladder go all stinky and disgusting. I only just had enough with a 120ml
bottle, I ran out at the end of the long march.
Medication and
supplements
As advised by Coach Marcus, I took vitamins every day –
magnesium, vitamins B, C and D, as well as fish oil. I also had Brufen (Ibuprofen) for the evenings and
panadeine for managing pain. I had
melatonin with me, but I was tired every night so I didn’t need to use
them. I also had immodium with me
but thankfully I didn’t need to use them. I also was taking cold and flu tablets, but ran out on
Day 2, and the medicine that the race doctors gave me was ok, but really didn’t
help manage my cough.
I also had a small container of tiger balm, which was good
for rubbing on my niggly ankle on days 4 and 5. It was also
useful for trying to unstuff my nose and congested lungs, and was handy to
apply under your nose when going to the toilet at the campsites (to mask the smell).
Clothing
Shorts
I wore CWX ventilator Tri shorts (http://cw-x.com/ExploreProducts.aspx?gender=womens&product=tights&by=collection&sub=ventilator)
, which had ventilation holes on the quad area, and provided support into the
hip flexor and core areas. I’d
wear them again in hot weather as they were comfortable and I didn’t feel hot
in them. Only thing to be aware
of, use sunscreen under the shorts where the ventilation holes are – you can
get sunburnt through those holes!
I also packed some skins long compression tights, which is what I changed into at the end of each day and slept in. Comfortable, and good to assist recovery.
Tops
I wore 3 tops – Asics, Patagonia and Pearl Izumi. All were white and long sleeved with
built in SPF, which were perfect for sun protection on the arms. The Asics and Pearl Izumi tops survived
the race, the Patagonia top looks wrecked and shabby. They were all comfortable to wear, although the Pearl
Izumi was my favourite. I may consider wearing wool tops next
time, as they would be more versatile – cool during the heat of the day, but
warm in the cooler evenings. And
apparently they are better for odour management.
Socks
I wore toesocks and injinji toe socks, which I wore in
training and seemed to be fine for minimising blisters. Unfortunately I got lots of blisters
during the race and as my toes were taped up, it was extremely difficult to put my socks on and over each of
my toes when they were taped. Lesson learned. Be prepared with ‘regular’ socks in case you end up with
taped feet. And practice this in
training. I really didn’t
anticipate having my feet and toes taped so much, but I know better for next
time.
Shoes
The shoes I wore were men’s shoes – Salomon S-Lab 4s, which
again were fine in training, but I wouldn’t use them again, I would instead opt
for a breathable shoe to allow for sweat and moisture to evaporate from the
shoe when on the move. Even
though they were waterproof (which I thought would be helpful in keeping the
sand out), they still accumulated sand, but it was the very fine talcum powder
like sand that got in, even through the gaiters and the waterproof shoes. At one checkpoint, I had to take my
shoes off and remove the thick layer of clay that had built up on my innersoles
in the balls of my feet (a combo of the fine sand and sweat – I could have made
a small vase from the clay I removed).
Gaiters
Gaiters were Raidlights, very light, but they damaged easily
on the rocky terrain, and I ended up with a few fine holes by day 5. Also, with my blistered heels and
bandaging, it was extremely painful to remove them at the end of the day and to
put them back on in the morning.
I’d look for a different option next time.
Cap
I was proud to wear my InnerFight branded safari cap, which
was comfortable and was great for keeping the sun off my neck.
Bra
I wore 2 different Nike one piece sports bras, which I
really wasn’t 100% sure about when I was packing. They were comfortable, but tricky to remove and put on over
your head each day, especially with a tent full of guys! In future, I’d opt for a sports bra
with a more conventional design (like a regular bra). I had one of
these with me, and I would take a few like that with me next time.
Training
Medical issues
I made it to the last day in better condition than quite a few people. Yes I had a cold. And yes I had blisters. And for large parts of the race, my feet felt like I had rocks and broken glass in my shoes. But many people had blistered feet, so my suffering wasn't unique. But some people didn't manage their hydration/electrolytes well in the heat, and required IV drips. A number of people withdrew for medical reasons.
As well as that, I lost voice on day 5 (the morning of long march), I had a heat rash along my lower back and hips (where the backpack rested), and I got eaten by sandflies. I also had an ankle niggle from Day 4, which is slowly healing, and seems to be a case of my muscles compensating for an old ankle injury. Nothing major. So all in all, I am pleased that I was in reasonable physical shape at the end of it, with nothing major to report.
Music and memorable
moments
I was fortunate to share the long 86km march with tentmate Shannon and we kept each other going for those 23 hours, and we reached the finish line at sunrise. It was great to cross that line together. And we marveled at the brilliant night sky, with thousands of stars and no light pollution. It was beautiful.
Final thoughts
It was an absolutely amazing experience and yes I would do it all again. Despite the pain and discomfort, it was only temporary. I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone and did something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. And I hope to be able to do many more of these types of events. Gobi 2013 here I come!
