Reflections on MdS 2011

For me, MdS 2011 was a struggle. Don’t get me wrong – I loved being there, I loved the people, I loved the atmosphere, I loved my tent-mates, I loved the vast plains we crossed, I loved the black rocks and I loved the dunes. But I struggled.

This year when I finished I cried. I have experienced other races when I thought I would be so overwhelmed that I would cry, but I actually never have before. This time I cried because for once I felt that I had plumbed the depths of my resolve, into my heart and soul, to pull out this race finish.

If you are reading this, then you probably know that I had a baby last year. He had his first birthday on our first day on the bivouac.

Kees is my first child and I never imagined what a difference he would make to my outlook on life. I never imagined how much I would miss him and Byron (my husband) while I was away!

One of the reasons I wanted to run MdS again this year was because I felt like I was ‘just’ a stay-at-home mum and that I needed the chance to get out and be myself again. What I discovered was that ‘myself’ now isn’t the same ‘myself’ that I used to be.

To be fair – most of the new self is unchanged. What has changed is my focus, and so instead of being able to concentrate on myself throughout the race, I had to learn how to finish a tough 250k in the heat and sand, carrying all my own food and supplies for a week, while all the time thinking about what the ‘boys’ would be doing at home. That is much harder than it sounds.

It didn’t help that I wasn’t fit enough (reminder – next time, TRAIN) but I stayed within my capabilities and came out of the race in great shape.

Each day was an adventure. The stages were varied and we had an amazing array of terrain to cross. The second half of the week was really hot (you know it is hot when even I am saying it is hot). The ‘rest day’ after the long stage was BAKING. I was glad to be in my tent, but not so glad that the tent was a black blanket not very far above my head. All you could really do was stay lying down to stop your brain from cooking.

I found the long stage, well, long. 82km, and I really struggled mentally until CP3. I had convinced myself that CP3 was halfway (although it wasn’t really) and every step from the start until that point was difficult for me. It was also very hot. I remember approaching CP2 and thinking how nice it would be to change my hot water (that I had been carrying in the sun) with cooler water from the CP. I was VERY disappointed when I got my allocation and it was almost as hot as the stuff I had been carrying! Honestly, that water was hotter than I have a shower.

I made it to CP3 and from then on it was easier. I cruised in and out of the next 3 CPs (and 44k) with little difficulty, and my pace picked up. I found some old friends and made new ones in the dark that night – it was really great. My three bestest tent buddies (Jay, Ricky and James) and I had the tent to ourselves that night and there was much giggling over our adventures during the day.

The marathon stage was also tough – it was hot and there was a lot of flat sand (my nemesis). I think I must be about the only person who dreams of huge plains of black rock roasting in the sun – so much better than the sand!

Thankfully, I had wonderful tentmates that were hugely fun and entertaining. There were times that we were laughing so much we were keeping other tents awake at night. Ricky, the First Nation, French Canadian and his stories about his foot-in-mouth friend, James and his MdS gag ideas, Jay and his war stories from races like MdS and the Jungle Marathon. And on the other side of the pole, Gael, Ali, Antony and Adam – all too funny and wonderful companions. Thanks again to Ali and Adam for the hot water! Next time I will definitely carry a stove. Or at least some fuel tablets. No more relying on the sun to heat my dinner in a ziplock bag for me! Foul.

So all in all, it was great, but difficult. My achievement this year was very personal. I am only an average runner, middle of the pack, so it is never about winning for me, but rather about the journey. This year I was the proudest of myself that I have ever been.

But most of all, I want to thank my family for supporting me in my crazy adventures. Thank you Byron for being the most loving, supportive and encouraging partner I could ever ask for. You lift me up and enable me to achieve heights that I never imagined possible. Thanks to my parents who stepped into the childcare breech without complaint. And thanks to Kees for providing me with inspiration, motivation, and just for being the cutest baby in the world!

And thanks to everyone who followed my adventure, and particularly those who supported and encouraged me throughout the race – I couldn’t have done it without you!

Post-race festivities

Well, my 2 days in Ouarzazate were great before flying home. Proper food. Clean. Beds. A selection of clothing. What bliss!

On Saturday night I met up with the ‘crew’ for dinner, and then second dinner (like a hobbit) and then off to bed at a reasonable time.

On Sunday we had a leisurely breakfast, followed by a walk down to the hotel where the MdS Boutique was set up to shop and pick up my FINISHERS t-shirt and for the awards ceremony. Most of my buddies had to stop off at the Doc Trotters clinic to have their feet tended to again :)

The awards ceremony was fun, if mostly in French. After the ceremony, somehow was honoured to be invited back to Touda Didi’s home (2 x womens winner) for lunch. It was great – the Moroccan boys were there – Mohamad and Lahcen Ahansal, Samir and Lhoucine Akhdar and Rachid Elmorabity(this year’s winner). Touda Didi of course, as well as some Frenchies including Laurence Klein (this year’s womens winner) and Damien Vierdet (4th place). Jay-B was there (so I had at least one person to talk to in English) and we all enjoyed homemade Tagine and Couscous. Sooooo good.

Afterwards Samir took me shopping for my new, genuine, all-the-way-from-the-Ouarzazate-market Tagine, where we met up with some of my tent-mates and Samir provided a great haggling service for all our shopping needs.

Later that night we headed to the local Discotheque where we danced all night and only just made the bus to the airport in the morning! The disco is amazing - filled with runners and all their war wounds, race officials as well as a smattering of tourists, wondering who all the strange people are, dancing around on bandaged feet.

As usual, for me, the best part of any trip is experiencing the local culture, so my friendship with the Moroccans plays a big part in my highlights.

Stage 6 - FINISHED!!!

Hi everyone! Well, just a lazy 17.5km today to the finish line. I managed to make it in one piece, uninjured and still with only the remains of one blister on my right foot. Compared to some of the people I see hobbling around here I am extremely fortunate. Of the 15 0r so Aussies, 4 guys had to drop - one got a stomach bug and crashed in his tent on day 2 (before even started). He needed a couple of IVs to get his hydration back up, but by that time he had missed the start of the stage. The other three had really bad infected blisters on their soles - they all look pretty miserable. All of the Aussie chicks managed to finish though! Today we had a pretty straighforward run to finish in a town. It was amazing to have all the locals cheering you on through the 4 or so kms through the streets to the finish. Almost as amazing as the cold coke at the end! However, we all agreed that the most dangerous part of the entire race was the bus trip back to Ouazazate... we had to travel up the most amazingly steep, rocky mountain, where if the bus had gone over the edge it wouldn't have stopped rolling for a very long time. This went on for 15km at least, and most of the bus had to draw the curtains to avoid looking down :) It was another amazing experience for me. Completely different to 09 but still excellent. They days were long, sandy and very hot for the 2nd half of the week (once the sand had cleared from the sky and the sun could get in!). My tent mates were brilliant - there was much laughter and we all had a great time together. My Moroccan friends again did well. Mohammed was knocked off by his friend Rashid who is the new champion. Samir came in 6th I think and Lhoucine 12th or so. I think they finished first team though, which is great for them. More updates to follow - I am off to bed now for a nice sleep in clean sheets after a decent, not freeze-dried, meal. How wonderful! ine xxx

marathon satge

Well, hardly a marathon pb, but I certainly managed to finish today faster than I anticipated. Again, considering my lack of training, I am very, very happy with my progress. By next week I should be fit enough to run the race! I have held up well and the body is in good shape - hopefully better than when I started :) Today was a great mix of terrain, with climbs, flats, sand, an oasis, a town and loads of little kids running with us for parts. It was hot, particularly towards the end where we ran over a vast open plain covered in black rocks. I was very excited to see the giant silver teapots (yes, teapots) that mark the bivouac at least 3/4 hour sooner than expected. 2morrow is a 17k final leg, and then it is all over. I can post some more stories once I get back to town. Today is our last day to receive race emails, so dont send any more. Thanks to everyone for their support - it has been great!

Wish me luck for the finish :) ine

long stage

Well, I have survived the long stage - 82k in a bit over 16hrs I think. VERY happy. Yesterday was hot - 45 according to the staff here, so I took it easy for the first half until the sun went down. Then of course you have to take it easy because it is dark and you have already done 50k. The course was hard, with a mamoth climb, dunes and a massive dired up lake (which wasnice). The dunes were close to a villiage and when it got dark kids stole the glo-sticks marking the course so loads of people got lost. Luckily a local guided me to the CP. It is all good tho- I feel fine and only have 1 blister still from day 1. Today we are laid up in the tent (which is HOT) watching to see just how close to the bivouac people will pee and crap. I guarantee it is closer than you think! Clothes are also interesting... nothing but undies and anti-chafeing tape seems to be popular. There are also loads of blue plastic booties for people with open blisters.

Marathon stage 2morrow! i x

Hi everyone! Just got my emails for the past 2 days... thanks so much 4 the messages and birthday wishes! Today (for you) will probably be the last day you can email me via the race, so after that I will be back on ine_kuiper@hotmail.com. Today was very hot and I thnk tomorrow will be the same. The marathon course looks very tough which equals slow. Today we have had much fun watching people strip naked to wash themselves, like 5m from their tent. Unbelievable. On stage 3 I discovered that my tent-mate Ricky, was carrying his own tent!! We have persuaded him to drop it so his pack is now 1.5kg lighter. He thought it would come in handy if caught in a sandstorm. He only carried it for 110km :) my tent crew is great but as I am the only aussie they keep making fun of my accent- as if I have one! Next update after tomorrow's stage. thanks again, ine xxx

Third stage

38km today, and about 30km of soft sand. Torture.

When we were out of the dunes we were running in flat sandy valleys. Such hard work. There was one amazing climb up a massive rock mountain, and despite being a mamoth climb,it was great just to have a break from the sand! one of today's highlights for me was running through a village and having these beautiful little girls hold my hand and run with me. So sweet. I had an upset stomach today, which limited how much I could eat, and hence my energy levels. I hope I am feeling better tomorrow - I am trying to work my way through some bland foods tonight, so I will see how that goes. Long stage tomorrow, 81km, so you won't be hearing from me until the day after.

Thanks so much for the emails! Wish me luck for tomorrow... ine

second stage

Last night the wind came up and nearly blew the bivouac down.

Today was no improvement. Sand everywhere and glale force winds all day. Apart from that the stage was great. I took it easy (as I want to go into the long stage in goodshape) and had fun chatting to a few people along the way. I spent most of the stage with Tim from the UK,and also Mike from canada who helped me through the dunes yesterday. I feelreally good today, which is probably because there was only about 6km of dunes - much better! Now we r bunkering down in our tents trying to limit the sand in our clothes, food, sleeping bag etc. not much luck so far. Thanks for yesterday's emails-it was great. Caroline and Anton - I really miss you both!

Would you believe there is talk of rain tomorrow? Jay says I'm a jinx...

First stage completed

Well, stage 1 is done and dusted. 12km of rock and then 13km of DUNES. Then 7kms of rock to the finish. It was a tough day. 3 hours in the dunes with your pack at its heaviest is not a barrel of laughs... I really need to change where I put my food etc to make it easier to get on the run. But the dunes are unbelievably beautiful. They are massive - really sand mountains, not dunes.They are so golden and the sky behind them is so blue it is just like a movie set. Buggers to cross though! I finished in just under 7 hours, which I am happy with given the toughness of the stage. Tomorrow is longer but with only 3km of dunes.

Yay! Off now to rest.

7 kilos!

So this morning we are getting picked up in the busses and heading out to the first bivouac, which means that this will be my last post before the race starts (unless there is a flood. Again.). Bus ride today, check in tomorrow and then start the first stage on Sunday. I packed everything up yesterday into my pack and weighed it at an amazing 7 kilos! That makes me officially one of the lightest packs in our group and the envy of many of the other competitors. Muwah, wah, wah, wa. My main weight saving comes from the food, which I have strictly capped at the minimum 2,000 calories a day. Aside from that, almost everything has come out of its original packaging into a ziplock bag. To give you an idea of how far this goes, I even have my sunscreen in a ziplock bag. Well, actually I have double bagged it, just in case… I thought the extra weight of an extra ziplock was well worth avoiding having sunscreen over everything! Aside from the pack success, I am feeling very under-trained and apprehensive about the race. Hopefully my conservative race strategy (constant forward movement is my motto. Note, no mention of speed…) plus my light pack will save me from dying in the desert and ending up a desiccated corpse under a sand dune. I will be very happy with just a finish, so I am gunning for any spot in front of the camels I have met a great bunch of people here (all much fitter than me!) and we have been meeting up in town for our meals… mostly at the same place since we all ate there on the first day and haven’t got sick, so we figure it is a safe bet. Most of our group are Aussies and Canadians, with a couple of Kiwis thrown in. Ouarzazate is a lovely town. It is funny here that many of the shops are closed during the day and only open for a few hours at night, when the town really comes alive. All the locals come out and mingle in the square; there are kids playing soccer and parents doing their shopping. It is really amazing. Well, that is about all I have to report for now. Please don’t forget to email once the race starts – go to http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php and click on the link to contact a competitor that should be appearing soon. I am not sure if it will come up before the actual start or not, but just keep an eye out. Emails are a real highlight, so it would be great to hear from you! ine x

Starting to get organised

So, I have almost prepared all my food and pack ready for depature to the first bivouac tomorrow. Today Jay is running a seminar on backpacks, so hopefully I will be reminded of some things that will cut my pack weight even further. As it is I already have one of the lightest, so hopfully it will stay that way! Yesterday I had lunch and dinner in Ouazazate. I had a delicious tagine for dinner... yummmm! The food here is so nice and so cheap! And when you order a fruit juice, they go and squeeze it for you fresh. Fantastic. Not much else to report just now - I'll update again before we head out tomorrow morning with details of how to email during the race etc. ine x

Arrived in Morocco again!

Well, I am here in Ouazazate. The flight went well - I met up with 3 Aussies in Dubai and we all travelled together on from there. We had an 9 hour transit in Casablanca, so we all lobbed down to the airport hotel and had a great afternoon drinking beer (250ml Heinekens - or 'throwdowns' as we called them) by the pool. I met up with Jay (the CHAMPION organiser of the US/Aus contingent) at Casa airport, and was picked up at the airport by Mohammed Ahnsal - 4 x winner and good buddy from my last visit. Today I am re-packing all my food into ziplock bags and calculating the calories. Hopefully I will be at a decent weight by the time I have finished with it! More updates to come soon... ine x