Stage 4: Marathon des Sables

Related Posts

From the dessert:  Check-in, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5

Post-race report:  Pre-race, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4 (2), Stage 4 (3), Stage 5

Stage 4 (the long stage):  75.7km, lots of sand and dunes

The long stage is special for a lot of reasons.  For starters, there's two days to finish.  So, those who finish on the first day can take the second to rest.  "Just keep going.  No matter how, finish in the first day."  That's the recommendation from most race vets.  Unfortunately, those who don't finish on day one spend the night somewhere along the course, get up the next morning and press on.

Another unique aspect is the staged start.  Us mortals take off as normal around 8.30, while the top 50 overall and top 5 women let there nerves twitch until noon and head out under the mid-day sun (because being a top competitor isn't tough enough!).

pic by Mark Gillett

My day began with the same morning routine.  Only something was different.  I felt better than ever ;)

Following yesterday's success, it'd be crazy to change my approach, 'start at 1.5k run/ .5k walk, reduce through the heat, when the sun goes down, put it all out there.'

As I read the road book and pounded the day's strategy into my subconscious, our much faster tent mates continued to sleep.  They still had 6hrs to wait.

8.30-ish, and I was dying to get moving.

pic by Mark Gillett

Start to CP1 was the same as stage 3, 'Ahh, I'll finish last at this rate.'  'No, stick with it.  It's a long road ahead.'  Back and forth mentally and leap-frogging with some folks, it all eventually settled.

Out of CP1 and feeling good.  Then, the stomach struck, 'Ahh, really!?!  It's so early! Knew the extra dinner and breakfast were too much!' 

Alternating relatively flat sand and rock, I was into CP2 physically good but mentally deflated from 3 pit stops.  'This is going to take all day stopping every few k.'

With that, and full bottles of water, I pushed on.

The heat was turning up, and I had dropped to .5k/ .5k, except for some lengthy sand sections which were all walk.  As the course wound past an incredible mountain range, I wondered how long the mountains had been there.  Legs were going forward, but my brain was lost in the clouds trying to comprehend the enormity and history of this place.  Wow.

Up next, just before CP3, was a bush 'forest'.  It was odd that so much vegetation could survive in such a harsh climate.  Just another reminder of how amazingly diverse the desert really is.

CP3 came and while I was filling my bottles, the first elites came flying through.  'Wow, what took me 7hrs, they did in 4.'  

Straight out of CP3, I left my stomach problems behind (YAY!), picked up my spirit and went into the dunes.  As I trudged through, I noticed another elite pass about 5m to the left.  'Hmm, I'm following the same line as everyone else, except the elite guy.'  Saying this to myself, it dawned on me, he probably knows desert running a little better than the rest of us.  With that, I went 'off-course' and found some harder sand.

Honing in on his shoe prints (Hokas), I shut my brain off and just followed.  It took me where I never would have gone, up and down and zig-zagging, but all on harder sand saving some much needed energy.

5k of dunes and my most vivid memory is the sun.  So strong, I actually felt like my backside was on fire!  'Maybe black shorts were the wrong choice!'.

Eventually the dunes ended (phew!), and I hit CP4.  Standing in some shade, I could sense the gas tank was still full, 'keep it steady, bide time til the sun goes down.'

To be continued...