Ba Hallou - Oued Ahssia 2-3 April 2008

Race Day 4/5 - Long Stage

Distance: 75.5km

Time :  15 hr 23

Water : 19.5 litres

Temperature : 47ºC

This is it!

This is the biggie!

This is the one it’s all about!

Can’t wait to get started. Can’t wait for dark! Can’t wait for the zylooms to come out!

And .. we are now officially Team Go!

Me, Gavie, Des and now our wee jock, Graham, joins forces. Together we are unstoppable and uncontrollably happy for this long, long day.

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We belly laugh, sing, swear and simply enjoy ourselves on the course.

From the start we are off and running with a steady, sustainable pace set by the Gavster at 5/5. That's 5 minutes run/5 minutes yomping, power walk.

We only slow this cracking pace at obstacles e.g. Something like El Oftal jebel, with a 25% average incline, would be considered an obstacle .. and also a good place to overtake 115, 116, 117 ..

Yet in the throws of learning about “Sunshine Mountain”, “I Don’t Want to go to War” and a multitude of other dirty ditties the day and the check points just fly past.

At CP6 before dark all thoughts of stopping and eating are pushed firmly from mind .. we are going straight through ..

This is the way to make up real time .. we are on fire ..

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And then the lights go out .. in all ways ..

Between the 13^th and 14^th hour I am staggering.

 In a dark only lit by head torches the powder fine sand stirred by feet and jeeps hangs thickly in the air.

It leaves me with an almost seasick delirium.

My boys were my only focus.

Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

Walk straight. It’s the quickest route home.

Keep going. Keep going.

And then .. bink .. I am out of it. Strong again. Nausea gone.

Bizarre.

 Unquestioningly we push on.

Powering home now with Gavie driving the train.

Days highlight?

Team Go. Together we are invincible and SO funny! I love my boys.

And now a whole day off!