Marathon Des Sables 2005 race diary entry
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Steve Partridge - Marathon Des Sables - Day 1 & Day 2 (corrected)
Everyone is receiving their email messages and loving them. Thank you. Do keep sending them.
It is extremely difficult to get reports out as the queues for the sat phone and email are very long so don't worry if a loved one is not in touch for a couple of days. The course is so long that there is little time left at the end of the day to email, cook food and attend to one's needs before night sets in.
Day 1 Cont.d
3 overseas runners dropped out today.
During the evening we were entertained by the berber drivers, who danced around the fire and chanted an old berber folk song. We curled up on the desert floor and slept.
Day 2
Today we got a clue as to what we are - grub. Two vultures swirled around our heads whilst we raced to Checkpoint 1. The stage then became progressively harder and more extreme until it became the hardest Stage 2 I've ever seen. To begin with, it was hotter than 40 degrees and hilly. The first range of hills hit us after Checkpoint 2.
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We walked up and down what the cartoon drawing in the road book has as little 'friendly' dunes, but which would not have seemed out of place in North Wales! We then descended and crossed a flat plain for 11km. These are demoralising as the Checkpoint can be seen for ages but never comes close. Then the fun started and the course went on steroids as we undertook the final stage of the 6km and climbed up a 933m mountain, (2500 feet to you - 500 foot less than Snowden) of sharp rockface with sand dunes 80-100 foot high. It looked like the north face of the Eiger and was covered with wind erosion which created craggy ditches. "I didn't bank on this" said one of the Welsh team, but then none of us did! As we went down, one runner broke her leg and 11 dropped out. We finished this off with a short but severe dune section and finished around 6 in the evening. According to Justin French we burnt about 5700 calories today and 3500 yesterday. Despite the muesli and all the food we are all losing weight. Elizabeth Evangelista suffered vertigo this morning - but not now, as she conquered her fear to get over the mountain - clinging to the rockface she showed real guts and determination as she climbed up and down the rock - absolutely inspiring!
Tonight it is dark and everyone is asleep. I am sitting in the desert writing this under a sea of stars - you really should be here. Tomorrow is 41km and another world away.
If you are interested in results then check www.darbaroud.com
Thanks for all the emails which are coming through to us.
