As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, one of my favorite things about running ultra marathons is meeting people from a vast variety of backgrounds, all coming together with the common goal of finishing a race that is harder on the mind and body than most people can fathom. Even more so than during the Gobi March, there was an abundance of people throughout the race in Madagascar that I feel genuinely inspired by.
In the months following the 2013 Gobi March, when I struggled under the weight of a nearly 12 kilogram rucksack, I actively considered each item that I had brought with me. Many things I regretted, some items worked, and a few I wouldn’t have changed for the world. Earlier this year, taking into account what my post-Gobi feelings, Rich and I tried our best to change what we could, within reason, for the race in Madagascar.
It has been several days now since the end of Racing the Planet`s 2014 Roving Race in Madagascar. Rich and I are happily tucked away in Cape Town and enjoying not needing to move. We`ll be discussing the race in further detail in the days to come, but for now, as we know some readers may have missed our race updates, we`d like to take a moment and share those posts with you.
Rich and I have avoided swarms of locusts, survived fights to “DIE” airport, and have averted the worst that food poisoning could throw at us. Overall, I think we’ve done quite alright in keeping strong, sleepy, and happy in the lead up to this week long, 250km adventure through Madagascar.
Yesterday, after spending 4 days traveling from Melbourne to Sydney to Johannesburg, Richard and I arrived in Antananarivo – Madagascar’s capital city. This is the last stop on our way to Antsiranana, the starting point of our upcoming ultra marathon. Though we’re only spending a day and a half here, it has been quite easy for us to get an overall sense of the city and what we have to look forward to over the next 2 weeks. Contine reading
Ever since I first announced that I’d signed up for my first Ultra Marathon, the Gobi March, back in July 2012, people have been asking me why. Why would I put myself through the training, through the pain, through the long days on my feet? There were a lot of remarks about me being crazy, or having a death wish, and their needing to “prep a coffin” for me. For every nice sentiment I received about my desire to compete, there were 19 others telling me that I was either insane or that I’d break down or that I wouldn’t be able to make it through.
Anyone who was there with me at the Gobi March ultra marathon in 2013, or read my blog posts during the race, knows that I did not have an easy time of it. There are so many things that I did wrong and so many things that I must do differently if I am to have a strong go at the 250 kilometer Madagascar ultra marathon in August/September. Learning from last year does not necessarily mean success this year, but it means that I’m one step closer to sorting out what does and does not work. So, with less than two months to go before I set foot on that starting line, here is a look at how I’m changing things up.