First run

Well, it was a forced run back to town yesterday, as I left my scooter back at work the night before due to a big night out drinking with work. Was quite please, not only with how the night went but also how I went the next day with a hangover - covered the 11km in just over an hour.

Today I hurt - never had muscle pain after such a short run so guess it is time to get back on track and proper training soon.

Unfortunately the planned 100km Oxfam will be for 2009 - the race sold out within a few hours and before I could get a team of 4 runners together. I will still try to find a spot in a registered team which needs a replacement if one of their runners drops out, but no big sweat if it is not working out in August.

There are a few smaller races and maybe one or two marathon in the 8 months of 2008 to run anyway. 2009 is my wife's year and my running adventures need to be kept on a back burner as I may not be allowed to go too much overboard; nevertheless 'Run 4 Vision' will continue helping The Fred Hollows Foundation and there will be many opportunities to rise money for this Charity in the months to come. I look forward to watching next years Marathon des Sables from the comfort of my home....not.

Have been working hard on my Race Report and sorting out the photos so I hope by end of this long weekend I should be ready with it all.

Happy running

Back in town and not running.....yet

Well, every adventure has an end. After a long flight back to Sydney I arrived to rain and cold weather - just perfect to start another marathon at work.....clearing up 400+ emails!
Since Dubai I developed a shin splints in my right leg and it took the whole week now to get rid of the pain...I will give my body another week or so just to recover fully before start some kind of training again.
Already have a new project in mind, which I missed out on last year - the 2008 Sydney Oxfam Trailwalk (http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/sydney/). Still looking for two more keen team member - any volunteers? Denis, my local running buddy, and I are planning to start training next week. All for a great cause and I hope we can register pretty soon as this race will 'sell out' very quickly. I believe we should be able to finish the 100 km under 15 hours - or at least that's the goal.
Before starting that new challenge I will work on my Marathon des Sables Report this weekend and make sure you will have very soon access to all my photos as well.
Thanks for the patience - should not be much longer...but I had to un-pack and wash my smelly running gear first :-)

"Recovering in Dubai"

If you ever have been in Las Vegas - forget about it, Dubai is 10x crazier and getting bigger everyday! What a place - the Tourist Bus only stops at shopping malls and most of them are the biggest in the world! Currently the tallest building is being built (900m - when finished!), over 8'000 construction sites currently worked on, Dubai holds 70% of all cranes in the world! Of the 1.4 million people living here 80% are expats from over 129 countries. The rulers are making Dubai the 'greatest place' in the world by 2015. Currently an airport the combined size of London Heathrow and O'Hara Chicago is being finished (more plane traffice between 1 and 3 am the Sydney during one day; a 'Dubai Land' 3x the size of Disneyland including a hotel with 6'500 rooms (!!) is being built plus the worlds first underwater hotel (ocupancy is 92% for all hotels here - so everyone makes $$'s). Artifical islands symbolising the worldmap for 10 - 20 milllion $ a 'country' (island) and the famous Palms are all being under construction....
I tried to avoid the shopping devil but after 3 days I lost the battle and I am glad Uli is not with me because an additional visit to the Gold Souq would have blown out the Credit Cards! It is a cheap place to shop currently and with expected 15 million visitors a year by 2010 it will certainly stay a shoping paradise!
So, after 4 days 'recovering' and putting back all my lost kg I will be on my way to Sydney tomorrow.....and then start thinking about training for a next adventure (just don't tell Uli yet)
See you soon
Markus

All over :-(

Dear all
Just came from the Prize giving ceremony and a great dream & adventure has come to an end . First of all I like to thank you all for the great support emails I received every night at the camp & through Yahoo emails!
Thanks so much - these mails meant a lot out there in the desert believe me! My tent mates got jealous if I had more emails then them .
Knowing that I am not running alone out in the desert but for a purpose & having all your support made it definetely easier during the hard phases in every stage (and believe me there where quite a few hard phases to get through)
I believe that after my wake-up call on the first stage I managed my water, my energy & my mental strength well over the next 5 stages & I honestly felt that if we could have ran a few days longer I could have improved even more - but then again we did not race for time or position (only about 20 - 30 runners really where in this to win) but we ran for survival & finishing. And finish we did!

The last stage was a 17.5 km sprint & knowing that my parents & Uli are proudly waiting for my at the end I only arrived about 35min behind the winner. Running through the villiage with my blown-up Aussie Hand & having the town people & kids cheering me on was a unforgettable end of an unbelievable week!
Today at the prize giving ceremony I found out that I ended up in 224th place out of 802 starters & covered the 245.3 km in a bit over 38hrs - the winner finished just over 19hrs!! We were told by MdS veterans that we can be proud, as we finished not only the longest but also the hardest & one of the hottest races ever.

I will now spend a few days with my parents & recover my sore feet & knees plus probably but the 4 kg I lost back on again. Taxi drivers in Ouarzazate making a killing right now as about 500+ tourist are in different stages of NOT being able to walk more then 20 meters.

It will take me a week or two to set-up & sort out all the photos & videos I took during my race but I will have them available soon for you to re-live my sahara adventure - thanks for your patience.

See you all soon back Down Under!

Markus

Day 6: 42.2km - Update from Markus

I was looking 4ward to seeing my parents & Uli today & ran as fast as the desert allowed me to. It was hot but a little wind from behind helped me along flying over dunes and dried lakes towards the finish. I am starting to like this race & wish it would go on for a few more days...getting the hang of this stage race. I arrived faster then I thought & Uli & my parents only arrived 5 min later but I was allowed to re-run my finish for photoshots! It was great to have them there - wll keep me going fast 2moro for the final stage of 17km :-(. Yesterday I recovered well & we received a cool can of coke for changing our race number for a new one (for TV). We also had a video presentation of the first 3 days of our race! How those Maroccans fly over those dunes is in-human! 2nite we get a concert from the Paris Opera in the desert - can't wait - it will be an emotional last night in the sahara. An adventure is coming to an end - new friends made, new personal frontiers discovered. Cheers

Day 4: 75.5km - Update from Markus

The desert was kind to me yesterday - had a great run & enjoyed (almost) all of it. I have not checked my time or place, so refer to darbaroud:com. Scenery was stunning but also very challanging. Imagine Arden Str from Coogee to Bronte - 5x as long/2x as steep/covered with sharp rocks & covered in powder sand; now prior climbing, do not wash for 5 days & go for a 6 hrs run in 45°. Thinking about Uli & my parents waiting 2moro at the finish kept me going strong yesterday. All your support email helps heaps for the moral. I saw big, grown up men in tears for hrs shuffling with blistered covered feet across the desert. I met smiling girls running lighted footed over the hills & tried to keep up with the leader (for 20m) - a great day in the desert! 2day R&R - still people coming in after 30 hrs of walking nonstop! Will try to reduce wight of pack more & hope 4 another good day for the marathon stage 2moro. Cheers

Press Release - Stage 4

All competitors have got the same thing in mind: the worst is over… At 7 am this morning, 19 runners had given up just before or during the stage. Others kept arriving all through the night, making the finish line a very moving scene. All kinds of reactions could be seen: most often joy of course, but also pride, tears or sheer disbelief to have finally got through. The long line of head lamps guided by a green laser in the middle of the desert made a deeply poetical image, definitely the most striking moment of the race, suspended in time, to remain forever in everyone’s memory. Be they competitors or staff. Needless to say, top runners arrive before nightfall, as did Moroccan competitor Touda Didi, who left her female challengers way behind. Unless something drastic happens, she should finish this stunning week with a well deserved title. She is two hours ahead of the second woman, Simone Kayzer, who will find it extremely difficult to catch up with her, despite her great experience on the MDS. On the men’s side, Al Aqra is only sixteen minutes behind Mohamad Ahansal : not an impossible gap to fill. But the Jordanian will have to run a phenomenal stage tomorrow, and bet on some sudden weakness from the Moroccan favourite - something unlikely to happen from an athlete on top shape, well on his way to succeed his brother. This “resting” day – only truly restful for the lead of the race – allows bodies to have a break, especially after huge temperature variations (35°C difference between night and day) and a course most competitors described as “really complex”. Tomorrow is the classic marathon day, a last test before the fairly easy final stage. Despite tiredness, and a blasting heat, there’s a definite sense of relief on the bivouac, nearly a holiday feel…This stage is a “tour de force” not only for the runners but also for the organisation: everyone has to give its best, especially in the night time. A laser will be guiding the competitors who also have luminous sticks and distress flares. Doctors and race officials are spread along the course in six check points. They will not getting more sleep than the runners, staying up all night, under the supervision of two most useful helicopters. Today more than ever, managing the race is a real challenge. Some competitors plan to run straight to the next bivouac; others will be making good use of the last three check points to get some rest and have a bite to eat.Coursewise, the heat is in two phases: an extremely difficult first one, with a terribly steep climb (25% slope factor), and an easier 2nd one, with flat and straight grounds, an opportunity for the lead of the race to have a bit of a fight.One thing’s for sure though: tomorrow night, all competitors will be champions.


---------------------------------------------------------------

I have yet to receive a mail from Markus today, but looking at the results on the official website, both Markus and Josh completed stage 4!
Congratulations guys! What a fantastic and unbelievable achievement!!!

Phillippa

Day 3: 40.5km - Update from Markus

Do not invite me to the beach when I am back - can not guarantee the reaction. I have enough of sand & dunes for a few years. Today was hard with dunes followed by dry lakes & dunes again & a steep mountain in the middle of it. Kept my pace from yesterday & often also my own way a few 100m away from the main track - great to walk where nobody probably ever walked before. Josh - being heavier had more difficultiy over the dunes & I left him half way - had a great day all in all, no new blisters, back a bit sore & knee holding up well. Kept some fuel in the tank for 2moro. 3 stages done - 3 to go. 2moro the big one - 75km. Plan to walk/run through so no mail from me till Thursday. Hope to finish in 12 hrs - now the backpack is getting lighter & I can start to run the MdS! It is hard to describe the scenery - after ever dune it looks different & the mountains are out of this world. I hope there are photos on the race website which show the beauty of this place! Sleepingbag is calling now