Wrapping my head (and stomach ) around it

Many of the questions I received surround what I ate, and how I prepared myself mentally for what was about to do.
The first one is easiest.  I practiced with all the foods I was going to take so I knew that my digestive system could and would function well on light weight, high calorie foods.  That being said.. my menu plan went out the window after the first day.
I learned a valuable lesson on my second ever 50K, the Run on the Sly, late summer of 2010.  At mile 26 aid station there was DELICIOUS looking water melon floating in ice water.  Those who know me closely know this story. In go a couple of boiled potato pieces at the aid station, and along with me go a couple of hunks of water melon.  Exactly .2 miles later my stomach responded with a WHAT THE.. oooooowaaaaaaaaa. And out came all of it, taking the wind out of my sales (and everything out of my stomach). My erstwhile coach, Bev Anderson-Abbs, Western States champion and elite ultra runner, when learning of the debacle, responded with the first of two quotes I will forever remember her for: "had you TRAINED with  water melon Ed?????"
The second quote was "Of course 50 miles is a long way.. why do you think we invented cars?"... but thats another story.
Back to MdS cuisine.  At the outset I planned on Natures Path Organic Oatmeal with Flax (Instant) for breakfast along with some Starbucks "Via" instant coffee to start the day.  Lunch would be Top Ramen, only chicken flavor, and Cliff Bars for snacks with a Cliff "Builder" Protein bar at the end of the day.  Dinner would be an assortment of Backpackers Pantry meals, all some combo of Chicken and Rice. At the end of Stage One I saw that the oatmeal was not sufficent and stopping for "lunch" simply didnt happen.  All the energy gels I brought were simply taking up room (and precious weight) in my pack.
Day two brought a bout a change that thankfully I had prepared for.  Out went the energy gels and the oatmeal.  Breakfast was now Top Ramen and coffee...laugh if you will but I never "bonked" the whole race. Lunch, and my saving treat became my "trail mix" of soy nuts, sunflower seeds, almond slivers, M&Ms (wouldnt melt) and cut up "sweedish fish" candy.  They seemed to stand up to the heat better than gummy somethings....This approach served me (pun intended) really well since I had trained with all of it and I never had any digestive craziness the whole week. Leaving me plenty of time to focus on my blisters!!!
As to the second question.. how did I prepare mentally? I will speak to this later during the stage reports but suffice it to say that you cant really prepare yourself for how hard this event is.  There is nothing remotely like it in my experience. I keep coming back to a bumper sticker I saw about 6 months before the race that stuck with me..
"You never know how strong you can be...until you have no choice but to be strong."

Stay tuned and run happy!

PreRace Morocco

There was so much leading up to the race in Morocco that it became part of the fabric of the adventure. Those last few days I met many of of fellow competitors including 4 time MdS champion Mohamed Ahensal who was one of the most gracious elite athletes I have ever met. Checking into the Riad Salam on Monday night I spent the next 3 days with final cutting trimming and, of course. Some shopping.

The view from my room, pre race.

Some shopping in town introduced me to Tangine.. the little clay posts used to cook meats and vegetables. I ate Tangine almost every day. Chicken, Lamb, Beef. I can't begin to describe how good this was.

  As everyone arrived, including our erstwhile "Den Mother, Jay Batchen from Dreamchasers we had a bit of a class on packing.. which of course resulted in yet more cutting, and trimming and analyzing what to bring.

 So once again.. back to the room, which bore a striking resemblance to something out of a bad Elvis decorating class.

 

But finally. It was Friday and off to the desert we all went. Loading on to several buses we stopped briefly to pick up race officials and the long awaited Race Book! We learned the course, and the length of the legs..

And stopped at a luxurious roadside "cafe" for lunch.. the lunch was actually QUITE good.. but it was a harbinger of things to come in terms of our comfort level for the next week

After just about 6 hours we had gone as far as the buses could travel. We were loaded onto military transports for the remaining 15 minutes across sand and rock to our first Bivouac.

we were fed by race organizers on that Friday and Saturday for the technical check in but starting Saturday after dinner we were expected to be totally self sufficient except for water for the remainder of the race.

Saturdays technical check was a bit of a zoo.  Although we lined up at appointed times according to our bib numbers it still took a lot of time standing around in the hot sun.  Ultimately, bib, flare, timing chip and water ration punch cards in hand we felt like official competitors. Next up.. Stage One and an introduction into Race Director Patrick Baur's sense of what constitutes a "sandy rise"

 

To the Brink and Back

I am working on a day to day race report but to satiate all my inquisitive readers.. ;-P
Here is a piece my employer did on the campus blog to tide you both over!
There is a public link to some of my pictures up on Facebook.


California State University Chico

Now that the dust has settled!

Came back to a maelstrom of things at work and wanted to let my experience at MdS settle and gain some perspective. So thanks to all for your patience. I am going to spend the next few posts on the race and the experience and try to communicate if possible the amazing "foot print" that this adventure left on me.

I met some of the most amazing people in a country that is almost impossible to describe.  The harshness of the environment and the landscape were, at times overwhelming. In complete juxtaposition to this starkness was the hospitality and friendliness of the  Moroccan people. I can't begin to describe how hard this race was, nor the graciousness of the Moroccan people I met but I will try over the next few posts.

I also met athletes in my fellow competitors that I know will be life long friends. We laughed so hard at times I had tears in my eyes and my sides hurt... We also shed equally hard the tears of emotion and physical effort laid bare by what we collectively experienced, each at such a personal level.
I can't wait to share my experience ...

Home again home again jiggity jig

Three days of travel....in the same clothes (thank you Air France for loosing my bag) and I am back in Chico. I am "assured" that my suitcase is going to be on todays flight from Paris to SFO but I find myself taking a pragmatic attitude about it.

 As soon as I get settled here at work I will upload some pics and final race information. My head is still swirling a bit. I can't actually believe I finished this damn thing and as many of you have surmised, at several points I wasn't sure I would.  I am still hobbling a bit, feet still "knackered." Thank you again for all the encouragement, the support and the well wishes. It truly made the difference. :-)

Run Happy
Ed

Altered Expectations

The long stage is over and for anyone who has been following on the race site you no doubt see that it was anything but a running stage for me. Taking just under 22 hours, I elected to run through the night and not sleep at any of the check points. I use running loosely as with the terrain and my blistered feet it was anything but a run except for between CP 4-5 when I actually felt awesome under the 2AM African sky. Short lived however and while I started out from the last check point with 10K to go at dark chasing the laser they shoot up for us,I arrived well after sun up. I managed a run in but like others had an emotional finish of this VERY hard stage. A couple of hours in the medical tent for my feet which are in the words of my Aussie tent mates "knackered"... tomorrow will prove interesting running to say the least but I am determined to finish. ed

Tough and Thanks

First, thank you everyone who has sent e-mails. It means more than you can imagine. Stage 3 was very tough and very emotional. Lots of sand, sun, and blisters. I have more bandages on my feet than you can imagine. Tomorrow starts the long stage and I am nervous. Thanks everyone!