Cliff's Diary for the 2008 Race
Arrival
After many months of training, countless kms, many reconfigurations of my backpack and experimentation with food, shoes, clothes and hours and hours spent fund raising for Ovarian Cancer Australia, I am here! Tomorrow I board a bus for the 5+ hour trip further out into the desert and then jump into the back of an army truck for the last few ‘cross sand’ kms to our camp for the first two nights. Saturday is the admin day where our packs are checked, medical reports scrutinized and generally we spend hours getting as nervous as hell! The race starts on Sunday although I won’t know the distance we run each day until we are handed our race books on Saturday.
Although I have not run the number of km’s I was hoping for over the past few months (I hovered around 80 – 100 per week whereas I was aiming at 120), due to work commitments and an overwhelming desire to stay home and play with Sophie, I am feeling quite strong and confident that I am better prepared, mentally and equipment-wise, than last year. Hopefully I will have all my toe nails at the end of the race.
A week or so ago we were advised that this years race is the longest in its 23 year history and the 1st day, referred to as the ‘acclimatization stage’ where it is usually a little shorter and easier to gently ease runners into the race, will be very tough. No gentle easing into the race this year!
Day 1
I am unashamed to admit that today almost shattered me physically and emotionally. The distance (32kms) is not the issue at all. The day started with 14kms through the Merzouga dunes _ the largest in Morocco. The highest peak was 800 feet. One guy in our tent fainted 500 m from finish line and many people took 8+ hrs. It was 14kms of huge dunes, 10km of flat with rock that can cut through shoe and then 4km of very undulating dune. Very hard and emotional. But thinking of the strength Gary (Shell workmate) is showing in supporting his wife as she battles ovarian cancer and my beautiful girls at home gave me the strength to finish. Please keep the emails coming. I am dreaming of coke, oranges, watermelon and choc mint ice cream!
Day 2
A few extra bits about yesterday _ MDS have said it was the toughest 1st day in the history of the event. And a 6 hour sand storm started at 4am. After the almost mental breakdown yesterday today was just physically tough. 36kms over mainly flat but very sharp rocks. I have a few blisters. My little toes look like snails without the shell and having been hit with a sledge hammer. I did the first 12k in 88mins, next 12 in108 and it got slower from there as I walked more than jogged. One of my tent mates fainted 500Mtr from end yesterday and another took over 8 hrs. I am a bit sore but ok. Looking forward to hugging CMMM and SMMM and eating 40kgs of oranges and watermelon. Keep the emails coming _ a huge boost at night. Tomorrow is 40.5 then the big one _ 75.5kms. Now, where can I get an orange...
Day 3
A few extra notes about yesterday _ it was 46degrees, blisters started on both feet and Keith (tent mate from Qld) had to drop out. He is a 3.15 marathon runner but came down with chronic diarrohea. Today was only 40.5kms but did include some large dunes. My feet are so bad I have swapped shoes with Keith. They offer more support but I think the damage has been done _will be tested in the 75.5km stage. I ran quite well today (for me) and did the first 25.5 in 2hr 24nin (which included a 200 metre 25degree rock climb) but had to crawl the last 15km in 3hrs! Out here inhibitions disappear. I am showering using a 1.5ltr bottle of water with holes in the lid. Quite refreshing (but very cold). Last night was the coldest since arriving. Wore all my clothes. A word has not been invented to describe how bad I smell.
Day 4
The following should not be read by those with a queasy stomach or a hightened visual imagination- you have been warned:
Today was the long day – 75.5kms. It started with a sand storm that commenced at 11pm and went through to 5am. Ate sand all night. It is the day we all look forward to and dread at the same time. Even with the blisters and pain of the past few days I was ready and wanted to run a good pace. I did the first 46kms in 7.5 hours (good pace for me). Just before the 46km checkpoint I started feeling strange pains in my left foot. I stopped at the CP and checked the foot – I had lost all the skin on the soul of my foot. It looked like a bunch of Japanese whalers have gone to work on my foot with their big slicey things. Incredible pain and lots of blood. The Dr wanted me to drop out but then I remembered what my boss Scott said – that I am stubborn just like him – so I continued and did the final 29 kms in 9 hours! I finished just before the disqualification period. The next day was the rest day and I spent almost 2 hours in the Medical tent – they had no idea what to do so ended up peeling off the remaining skin and pumping me full of drugs. My right foot is pretty bad but not the mess of the left. I got in very late and with lots and lots of tears. Felt quite silly crying but could not stop as the pain had completely overtaken me. But as Chrissy knows, and Scott has learnt, I am stubborn (but I prefer committed) so will do all I have to to finish.
We were also told today that Day 4 was not 46 degrees but in fact 52 degrees!!
Day 5
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Today was the marathon stage and after the past 2 days, if I can get through this, I will be making it to the finish line. 42.2kms! I can do that easy in a training run, no worries! WRONG. First thing first – if my employer had a drug policy in place now, I would fail. I was so doped up with way above the recommended dose of pain killers that I could not even do simple maths in my head. I started with focus and had to walk every step – (I did the marathon in the 2007 MDS in 6.5 hours) I was in the last 50 to cross the line, but I made it – 11 hours, 29 minutes and 59 seconds. 3 doctors suggested I drop out during the course of the marathon. The drugs had 2 interesting affects. Firstly I had to have 3 sleeps on the course. One time I just stopped on the track and sat down for 30 or so minutes in a trance. Another, I fell asleep on a small sand dune under a tree. I made it in to the finish by 35 minutes – still losing blood. Thus far I have vomited, had diarohea, and passed blood in my urine. I was told not to worry about the last issue as it is common in elite runners – but I am NOT an elite runner!!!! That night was also interesting – the drugs gave me hallucinations and every time I closed my eyes I saw monsters and strange creatures reaching out to me – very disconcerting. One of them even looked like Barry Hall! I was also told that one guy needed 5 IV drips and a girl had to helicoptered out from a sand dune – I think I was a lucky one.
The doctors again tried to convince me to drop out but in my effort to prove Chrissy and Scott correct (that I am stubborn), I stayed in. Only 17 kms tomorrow – how hard could it be????
Today’s temperature was over 50 degrees.
The most important thing is that my name is not read out at the beginning of the day as those who have dropped out. I hope I have not disappointed anyone with my slow going, but at this stage, just finishing is my ONLY goal.
Day 6
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| Cliff crossing the finish line and being hugged by MdS founder Patrick Bauer |
It was only 17kms and I used to do that as a very regular run when I did not have time for a long outing (17kms is almost the exact distance from my home to The Wilderness Shop in Box Hill and return). I started near the back of the pack (as I could not run but was hoping for a brisk walking pace) and soon found myself about 50 or so from the camel. I felt good in the position and just focused on one step after another. As time passed more people passed me and by the 9km check point I was about 20th form the back. Just after the check point (6kms to go) I had a complete blow out in both feet and could not move anymore.
The doctors pulled over and gave me pain killers and, opposite to the past few days, refused to let me pull out so 2 of the doctors walked with me the last 5 and a bit kms. At this point I was very last and the camel was so close I could turn and touch its nose. True! The last 5kms was through a town and even though the main group would have run through over 2-3 hours before, there were many many people out and clapping as I passed. Police cars pulled over. Army trucks stopped. Busses stopped. Kids on motor bikes stopped. They all stopped and clapped as I hobbled passed. It was more than I deserved and I felt overwhelmed. But I was soon to find out that the two people who get the most admiration are the winner and the last to cross the last stage.
Finally I saw the finish line 500 metres away and dozens of people ran up to me to walk with me to the finish line. At the end was Patrick Bauer himself (the sadist who created this race) and as I crossed the line I fell into his arms and he kept kissing and hugging me (still waiting for the flowers – felt like a 3rd date!). I had TV cameras, press etc shoving microphones in front of me, taking pictures of the photo I carried of Chrissy and Sophie around my neck and all along I had what felt like 100’s of people (in realty 50 or so) patting my on the back, hugging, kissing and lifting my arm up. Felt very strange. I came last. Not in the overall race but on the last day. And I was being celebrated. 5 hours later some of this footage was shown on the news in London (one of my tent mates spoke to his daughter as she was watching the news and I came on the screen!) as well as elsewhere in Europe.
Based on the results of the first 2 days, and my level of fitness, a top 200 placing was well on the cards. Even though I ended up walking most of the 3rd stage and all of the final 3 stages I still came in the 500’s. But as I said in an earlier posting, my medal looks exactly the same as the guy who came 5th. And I completed the longest edition in the history of the toughest footrace in the world.
I would also take this opportunity to state very loudly and very strongly – I will NEVER EVER do anything like this again! |
