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| Stage 5 |
| 22-May-2009 06:57:07 AM [(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria] |
For those of you who have
been kind enough to
follow my Blog and
progress, and to Peter
for sending me emails
correcting my spelling -
thank you. I've not
blogged from day 1 - day
2 James blogged, day
three we were too
shattered, day 4/5 went
on for 36 hours (I'll
get onto that in a
minute) and finally on
day 6, today, I'm
back!
I'll fill in the
details of stages 2 to 4
another time, if only for
my own memories, but for
now I focus on stage 5.
Let me start by saying
that the 100km stage 5
was one of the most
difficult undertakings I
have taken on for a very
long time, perhaps since
my military training. For
James, it was an ordeal
of epic proportion...
The day
started at 2am when we
were woken up and told
to evacuate our tents by
3am when they would be
taken down. After an
hour of taping my feet,
stuffing my sleeping
bag, preparing my bag
and generally faffing
around, I managed to get
out of the tent by about
3.40, just in time to
walk to the busses which
were leaving at 4am for
the 5 hour drive to the
start of the 100km stage
6. We made good time and
finally arrived at the
start point at about 8am
following which the race
was quickly started at
8.20am.
The first 40 km were
life sucking hot. It
felt as if, and was
probably close to 40
Celsius. Keeping
hydrated was difficult
in itself, but I
drank as much as I could
and managed just fine. I
have no real memories of
40-50 km, I was probably
on auto pilot as the sun
was setting. 50-60 km was
a killer. As I was
leaving checkpoint 5,
James walked in with our
Canadian tentmate, Dave.
Much is to be said about
Dave later, but for
now, suffice to say,
James walked straight
over to me with a big
grin and whispered in my
ear that Dave was a
gynecologist, and had
over the past 50 km
imparted the secrets of
how to satisfy a woman
in bed. That old line
about "Why do women
fake orgasms? Because
they think men
care." came to
mind, but I left James
there with Dave
wondering about how
happy his wife would now
be to see him on
Sunday.
Ted, Rob and I pushed
on... The sun had set
just as we encountered
some monster sand dunes.
Up steep soft sand slopes
and down the rocky
backside we stumbled -
all cursing the course
setter. When we reached
checkpoint 6, I was near
capitulation. I felt that
if the next 40 km were
anything like the 40 km
we had just traversed,
I'd just not make it. I
nearly threw in the
towel. I de-cotted
(threw my toys out the
cot) complained to
anyone who would listen,
and took in some food.
Alasdair (race manager)
came over to me and gave
me a short pep talk -
"I suggest you go
on." he said,
"I've not walked
the next 40 km
myself.", he went
on, "But I've been
told it is not as
difficult." By now
however, I'd become wary
of Alasdair's
suggestions. In his
morning briefing he had
said on day 1, that he
'suggested' we take on
water when crossing the
Fish River in the
canyon. That suggestion,
was more of a necessity
than a suggestion! When
he told us day 3 would
be "mostly
downhill" that was
completely incorrect -
it was mostly uphill and
they were very steep. And
his sense of distance was
greatly distorted. We
hear everyday at the
morning briefing that
the checkpoints were
"more or less than
10 km apart."
According to my GPS they
were invariably more than
10 km - certainly never
less! So his suggestion
that I should continue
was to me somewhat
circumspect... Though
despite my misery, and
my protest, I knew I
could and should
persist, so decided to
press on.
Ted has walked into
checkpoint, and without
wasting a minute had his
sleeping bag out and had
crashed on the spot -
and when I say on the
spot I mean that
literally.
James
walked in with Dave a
few minutes later - in a
bad way. He received some
medical attention, took
in some food and after a
discussion, we decided to
push on together. I
offered to wait with
Ted, but since he too
was not sure he wanted
to go on, said I should
leave him to sleep and
he would make a decision
when he woke up again.
The walk
from 60-80 km was to say
the least torturous. In
the black of night, up
and down rocky hills and
dunes. It was a slog.
James we suffering.
Doctor Dave walking step
by step with James
keeping up his spirits
and in his quiet way
offering the well timed
word of encouragement. I
believe, and I'm sure
James will endorse this
comment, but it is owing
to Dave's patience and
encouragement that James
made it to the 80 km
checkpoint. I should
also add my thanks and
appreciation to Rob
Saville who's words of
encouragement between
60-70 km helped keep me
going. I had decided to
take a sleep at CP8, but
Rob talked me out of that
idea - this said, it was
more an emotional
response to my condition
than a logical option.
Keeping going was the
only option and I knew
it.
When we arrived at CP
8, James went straight
to the doctor - another
very compassionate South
African - Ian. He treated
the biggest blood blister
anyone had ever seen on
James heel. After a few
tears of agony and
frustration, we pushed
on.
As
the sun was rising we
walked into the sand
dunes, rather I should
say alongside the dunes,
into the blistering heat
of the morning. By now
we had been up for 30
hours (we woke up at 2
am the previous morning
and it was just before 8
am when we reached CP8)
and we were exhausted.
Much to his credit,
James had been diligent
about his hydration, as
had I, so physically
with the exception of
his feet and my knees,
we were basically still
able to keep going.
The next
20 km in the oppressive
heat is hard to
adequately describe. Let
me only say that given
the time we had been
awake, the distance we
had traveled and the
incredible heat, it was
unbearable. Every step
for James we living
hell. Despite the many
pain killers he had
taken, his feet were on
fire. When at times it
was necessary to empty
our shoes of sand, he
was in agony finding it
near impossible to put
his shoes back onto his
swollen feet.
Finally we
covered the "more or
less", in this as
many times before MORE,
the next 20 km. Rob had
pushed on ahead, but
honoring the agreement
we had made to cross the
finishing line together,
he was waiting about
500m from the finishing
line. We crossed
together - Rob, James,
Dave and myself crossed
the finishing together.
For James superhuman
effort and his
achievement, it was
difficult to keep the
tear back. He had
endured under very
difficult conditions. I
sent him straight to the
medical tent, where after
examination it was
established the blisters
on his toes had gone
septic. Nurse Carly
cleaned up his feet,
gave his some pain
killers and sent him to
our tent to rest with
his feet elevated for
three hours to reduce
the swelling before the
serious task of draining
those blisters. Carly
helped James to the tent
and got him laid down
with his feet up on a
camp chair. She had
barely walked out of the
tent when James was
snoring. He was
finished. I fell asleep
myself and when I woke
up from what I can only
describe as the sleep of
the dead, I discovered
that James had returned
to see Nurse Carley. I
went to join him give
him some moral support.
I found James in the
medical tent with a
Doctor Ian (the South
African we met at CP8)
and Carley working on
his feet. It took them
over an hour to clean
and patch his feet.
We walked,
James back to the tent,
gave him some food and
put him to bed. I'm sure
by the intensity and
volume of his snoring
that we was in a deep
and comatose sleep -
gone to the world. (Ken,
fortunately for the
muffles, I sleep soundly
- they worked as you
described and it is now
understandable why Gail
is still married to
you!)
Unfortunately, because
of the serious condition
of his feet, James had
with great regret
withdraw from the race.
However, in my view,
finishing the 100 km was
his race, and he should
feel very proud of that
accomplishment. Dave,
Rob and I, all felt that
for James this had been a
Herculean effort and a
magnificent
accomplishment.
This
morning was a more
civilized start at 8 am.
The course traversed 20
km across the dunes onto
the beach where we saw
the campsite from a
distance tucked into the
dunes. Today was fun, and
Rob, Nicky and I took a
casual stroll having in
mind that we would be
unable to make any
difference to our race
position anyway. I think
I took more pictures
today that the rest of
the event.
After
finding my tent and
dumping my bag, I went
down to the beach and
took a 10 minute swim in
the freezing cold
Atlantic Ocean, my
theory being that the
cold water would help
repair my muscles.
Whether it works or not
I care little - tomorrow
is 12 km and I'll crawl
to the finish line if
that what it takes to
finish!
Thanks everyone for
all the emails. I've
just learned that I can
read the web blog so I'm
off to read any comments
that may be posed there
for me. Thanks everyone
for all your support.
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Comments (6) |
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| Stage 2 |
| 18-May-2009 07:30:18 AM [(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria] |
Hi Guys. (Written by the
faster brother James
Wellsted)
Hi Erma really miss
you, Stephen, Mia alot.
Thanks for the updates
on Stephen. I am very
tired and sore. The
first day was crazy. I
met so many people, all
suffering together. I
thought that I would be
the worst, but seems
there are a few people
more out of shape than
me! Today was a
bit better, although the
blisters have come out
with a vengeance and the
doctor is not very
helpful, she said that I
must fix the problem
before it becomes a real
problem! We wake up at
6am and then rush to
make the 8 am
start. We never know the
route until the day, and
we never know how long
each stage is until the
next one comes. We
walk most of the day as
you can see by my
times. I have not
seem much of Mike as he
is in front of me all
the time. Tomorrow he is
walking with me for the
day, before the 100km
killer. We spend
time together at night
and sleep next to each
other. Dad and Mom, I am
doing ok, I think the
little bit of training
is helping at this
stage. Mike is
doing very well, his
calf is holding up well
and I was surprised to
see how fast he walks.
He is looking to
complete in good
time. He also
keeps us laughing with
his crazy sense of
humor! Chai, Mike sends
his love, but right now
is repacking my bag as
he is not happy with my
weight ratios?? Linda,
correct Jesus did spend
40 days in the desert,
but no one made Him walk
in and out of the Fish
River Canyon in a
day! The other
people in the tent are
really nice. All
in all I am enjoying
myself and looking
forward to more of the
challenges ahead.
Thanks
everyone and keep the
messages of support
coming!
THANKS
EVERYBODY FOR YOUR BLOG
COMMENTS AND EMAILS.
PLEASE NOTE WE CANNOT
SEE OUR BLOG SITES
(THESE ARE UPDATED BY
RACING THE PLANET) -
THEREFORE IF YOU WANT US
TO GET YOUR MESSAGE
PLEASE GO TO
RACINGTHEPLANET.COM AND
GO TO THE LINK WHICH
ALLOWS YOU TO SEND US
EMAILS. |
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Comments (6) |
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| Scared of Scorpions |
| 12-May-2009 01:42:33 AM [(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria] |
I hope this post works,
this is the first time I
have every used a
blog. It is also
the first time that I
have attempted anything
so daunting.
I did not sleep
well last night. I
am getting quite worried
about this adventure,
that planned and agreed
on so long ago is now
coming to reality.
What training I have done
will have to be enough,
what is lacking there
will have to be
supplemented with sheer
determination and pain
management. Funny
though, last night
instead of dreaming
of blisters,
cramps, sunburn or the
like, I dreamt only
of scorpions. Funny
that. Maybe there is
a fear of stepping on
one, or maybe they will
be my only supporters as
I trundle through this
barren
terrain. Who knows.
My brother
arrives tommorow
morning, so finally
preparations will be
made, bags will be
packed and packed
again. And then we are
off. |
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Comments (10) |
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ABOUT
JAMES ERNST WELLSTED |
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