RacingThePlanet: Madagascar 2014 Blogs

Hello everyone.

Well it’s all but done…I finished the 77km long day (a little unkempt mind you) at 10.30pm last night…I’m relieved, a little tired and sore but very happy to have plugged though.

I started out the day with Jaime and our plan was to get a strong walk on and get through the heat of the day before reassessing the foot pain nd chafing. The morning’s stages were the now familiar dirt roads, vivid ochre cutting through course grasses, and connecting the endless network of small villages. The locals were out in force and we shared the ‘road’ with Zebu carts, bicycles and local farmers sporting massive machetes on their way into the sugar cane fields.

We were making pretty decent time as we left the main road and traversed single track through spinifex grass that led closer the an immense range of jagged grey Tsingy. We kept the massif to our left and pulled into the 38km mark in pretty high spirits. Jaime and I both determined that running was as uncomfortable as walking and so concocted a plan to chew through the final marathon. 2min of walking and 1min of running and we’d hold that tempo as long as we (that is; me) could maintain it. Jaime’s feet as mashed so I held my pain protests to myself and affected an amusing yet efficient waddle to get some breeze of the chafing…imagine Popeye jogging.

We started passing other runners and the evening’s trail was fast looking like the avenue of broken souls. The mid point rest/meal stop gave us a chance to wet socks after crossing a stream through a stunning green rice field. After dinner (jerky and some nuts) and recommenced or limp/shuffle plan. The sun set a text back African gold and we flicked the head torches and iPods on, “let’s just get this done.�

The next few hours were really rough and the sweat was murder in the chafing and each pace was compounding the irritation if blisters and pounding under bruised feet. We passed through eerily quiet villages, our head torches illuminated the eyes of all the livestock and it was quite a spooky little audience we had. Jaime was in much better form than me, despite his positively mutant feet, but we stayed together to see the day through.

After a final few km’s with the horizon brilliantly lit by sugar cane field fires (all standard burning off before harvesting) we counted down the last k’s and rounded into camp. Done it mate…bravo Jaime…I’d have been hours behind if I was trying to slog through alone.

A few bottles of water into a tub to ease the burning feet and scraped the bulk of the dust and grime off before trying to get some sleep. I haven’t had any sleep though, a little tough to get comfy but I’m shaping up for a shady nap under a tree very soon.

I have just had time to read some messages you have sent and I’m overwhelmed by the support and well wishes. I can’t thank my friends, family and colleagues enough for your support and encouragement. I hope I have done you some small service by writing well enough to have you know that you have been with me from the ‘get go.’

My very best to you all and, always, all my love to Leanne and James and Anna…my heroes and champion. Finally, to all kiddies, families and friends with loved one with autism…you get me through this, I owe you all far more than you can know.

It doesn’t end here. Until our next challenge together.

S