Mission Accomplished!

I'm fresh back home from my 244 km desert stroll with my feet up and it seems like a good opportunity for a few initial reflections. It still doesn't quite feel like I've done it, after over two years of planning and obsessing about kit and training, its done! Even looking through all my photographs, it doesn't quite seem real yet...

The week I spent in the desert was everything I had hoped for - a great physical and mental challenge and a really intense experience. The landscapes the stages took us through were stunning and other-worldly; every time I was feeling tired physically or mentally I would look up and the views would help me out of head and push me on. The environment was the first (though not only) thing that attracted me to the race and it certainly didn't disappoint!

The time went so fast but when we were out there it was difficult to remember a time before it started. It was a real bubble; the limited communications resulting in isolation (in a good way) from the outside world, along with Patrick's special MdS Time (or Bauer Meant Time as I heard someone call it!) - 1 hour behind Morocco time.  One of the best things about the 'MdS life' you live for those few days is its simplicity 'all' you have to worry about is running, self-maintenance (feet, food etc.) and sleep. Oh, and a lot of queuing!

Definitely one of the best things about it for me is that while it is grueling and a huge challenge, very ordinary people like me can do it. It expands your horizons and opens your eyes to what you are capable of if you put your mind to it.

Despite the efforts to get rid of them, my ITB issues did impact on my race both physically and psychologically. I took the first three stages very easily, not sure how my body would respond to the distance and environment. In retrospect I think I could have pushed quite a lot harder those first few days but I was determined to finish the race and didn't want to do anything to compromise that.  I may have been a little over cautious (a psychological effect of the injury) but better that than ruining the culmination of two years planning and training! I only felt a few twinges when running those first few days which gave me the confidence to push on for stages 4 and 5. I ran most of the way to the first check point on Stage 4 and my ITB flared up - annoying but not unexpected which makes me think it was a good idea I was conservative over the preceding stages. This was a bit of a pain for the rest of the stage because it stopped my making faster progress on some of the flat planes throughout the stage which could have cut down on time on my feet which was one of the things I found most challenging. Stage 5 however was another story, with no further long stage to worry about I could push my leg further and not worry so much about failure - only 42 Km to go by that point after all! A good opportunity to punish it for slowing me down earlier on :)

Overall it is well organised (if inefficient!) event with great support from the volunteers both in the bivouac and especially at the checkpoints on the course. I was fortunate to have the company of some great people in my tent (Tent X) who were very tolerant of me over the week and I thoroughly enjoyed being around them all. We all finished which was a great collective achievement - many of the tents did not have their full compliment by the end.