16th Marathon Des Sables April 2001 - Part 4 - Page 1

Pretty bleak landscape.Seems like the road to nowhere, across dried-up river beds and then some hideously stoney ground. Still, I'm only totally elated not to be in the dunes again. Legs feeling rather fragile..mind you, I guess all that climbing tones the thighs tremendously!

A chap of at least 150 has just overtaken me. How demoralising! Here am I, hobbling along at a snails pace, and old father time passes doing the four minute mile...must try to up my speed...probably need an energy boost. Think I'll try one of those energy gels. Double-caffeinated-orange-chocolate-flavoured-energy-boosting-life-threateningly-disgusting-slime...! Ugh! That should be issued with a government health warning. They have got to be kidding. Followed the instructions and take it with several mouthfuls of water. Think there is a typo as surely they meant several litres? There is now a big glob of goo stuck half-way down my oesophagus that has no intention of entering my stomach in the forseeable future. All those digestive juices on red alert anticipating its arrival are going to have a long wait. So glad I have a further 30 with me in assorted flavours. Think they might be going on the throwing-out-of-my-back-pack-because-I-cannot-cope-with-the-weight-any more pile this evening...Cannot stop thinking how delicious an ice-cream would be. What I would give for a 2 litre tub of Ben and Jerrys chunky monkey, complete with the necessary sofa underneath me, remote control by my side, copy of “hello” on my lap, dog at my feet, telephone in my hand.....
Realise I need a pee. Not too many (well,none at all actually) bushes to hide behind, but as probably all competitors barr none are in front of me, I am fairly safe to just find a little spot. Take off my pack, pull down my shorts, squat, and then just as I am in mid-pee one of those jeeps that all the organisers seem to charge around in appears from nowhere heading directly towards me. Ive clearly not been spotted. My options are either being run-over, (but that would be so inelegant with my shorts round my ankles) or, executing an olympic-level acrobatic manoeuvre involving rolling over my left shoulder and doing a triple backflip as I pull up my shorts and grab my pack..............seem to have lost some of my youthful suppleness, and certainly a large percentage of my street-cred, as I get stuck half-way into the roll and end up with my legs over the top of my head and my shorts still round my ankles. Ever the diplomats, they drive on past leaving me to my embarassment. Still,I guess there is little chance of them having recognised me..........

CP3 appears in the distance. Rather relieved, as I am virtually out of water. Cannot believe how much I am drinking. Try to always keep a tiny drop until I am actually at the control point,..goodness, listen to me,...I almost sound as though I have some sort of strategy!!!