RacingThePlanet: Madagascar 2014 Blogs

29ish miles in 8:30. Rumour has it we were about 60th place (hmmm…not the goal, too close to the front but ok). -start of day was along the beach and then over volcanic rock, slip there and that’s the ball game. -we left the beach very sick of sand. -things opened up and we (today was an amazing group day with Steve, two south Africans we have a brewing bromance with, and a very nice woman named kara who is a beast on the course) decided to start a steady clip of 2 mins on and 3 mins off, we were way off time but walking was only option early. -running and walking became the steady hum of the day. -and we cruised, cruised, and cruised. -1.5 litters of electrolytes, 18 ozs of perpetuium, and a salt pill every hour, per pit stop. Super hot day but it worked. Peed twice on course, apparently a big deal. -rice paddies, river crossings, villages, smiling little ones (again), sand but not as bad as yesterday, wet feet not so fun, hot spots turning into blisters (not complaining, seen way worse), lower back feels like it may have cracked from pack, quick tape job from med tent, pack higher on shoulders (god bless crossfit and the less bit of upper body strengthen), shoulders go, tape there, find the right placement for pack, keep cruising. -we keep to the rep scheme (2 by 3)…and we remember to look up, and we take some pics. -arrive not having bottomed out -arrive feeling very cautiously hopeful about the stages to come.

Thorn: this back thing, feet, having a long day like this before the long day.

Rose: the blessing of being here, awesome five person team, Steve and the military precision of our race plan.

Final thought: race has not even started yet (stage five is the whole deal, next two days are just prep for that). I am healthy. I am happy. All is good here. It seems the blog comments are on a day lag (I read tonight what people responded from my blog before the race began. Regardless, please keep them coming- very heartening to read. My love to everyone oh so far away.