Have you ever experienced the runner’s high? Read this interesting story from the NY Times and let me know about your own euphoric experiences out running.
Stage Re-Cap
Stage 2
Roadbook
Description of today’s course and weather
Results
And a recap from my student, Jeff Arricale, who is doing great!
Have learned that the doctors treat any ailment with salt pills. If you're depressed "take a salt pill", if you have blisters "take a salt pill". The salt pill will obviously cure all ills. The people here are amazing.
Ran today with a gentleman from the Canadian Judo Olympic development team. Met a woman who has climbed all seven summits and she is not even 30. Goal is to beat the 72 year old great grandmother. So far I am 2 for 2. It's very humbling getting my *## kicked everyday. There is an ABC film crew following my every move. Trying to have some fun with it, though very weird. My feet are full of blisters, back hurts from the pack, and it feels like I'm in a microwave oven - hot. Just trying to drink, eat, maintain nutrition and make it to next point.
Correction: Leigh Corbin (479) took offence that our website introduced Marianne Demarco (482) as the only skirted runner. Please note that Corbin is also wearing a skirt, and so is Peggy Gaudet (490). Unlike Marianne, Corbin and Peggy both opted for the little black number though.
On her own?: Georgia Stansell (534), from Alaska, left her native snow to meet the challenge of the Moroccan dunes. A rather drastic change of scenery for this brave runner who most of all wanted to know if she was the first representative of Alaska to explore the area. It’s most likely.
And Greg Ryan is profiled.
Featured Competitor Blog
Meagan McGrath is part of the Dreamchaser contingent - she hails from Canada. She has a great website, including some audio posts that she made before the race started.
Featured MdS Veterans
A Dreamchaser MDS Veteran who Just Completed TWO Marathons this Past Weekend – Winning One & Placing Third in the Other...
It has been my privilege to coach Mike Wardian in the past, to attend his wedding, and now to watch him continue to achieve amazing things. I asked Mike about his MDS experience and he told me his favorite day of the MDS was running the 50 miler on my birthday. He said, “Could not have chosen a better way to spend my birthday then being out in the sand and heat and running, so cool.”
Take a moment to read how Mike won the National Marathon in Washington, D.C., on Saturday and placed third in the Knoxville Marathon the next day. Read here.
Stage Two Memories from MDS 2007
Elizabeth Smith was so sweet to share with us her memories from last year. Especially pay attention to her final sentences…the competitors draw much strength from e-mail deliveries each night.
I found Day 2 of Marathon des Sables (which I did last year - 2007) to be the most challenging -- maybe not physically but certainly mentally.
The motto of my tent (**Tent #61**) was NEVER QUIT and I kept repeating those two simple words. Yet still, as we headed up the massive climb about halfway through (it was probably about 12:30 pm at this point), I just became nauseated, dizzy and just downright sick. My tent-mate and friend Leslie Martin stopped as she was going past me and waited for Doc Trotter to come to check my vitals and in the end, he gave me anti-nausea medicine and Leslie and I carried on together - she in her flip-flops as her shoes became unbearable and me in my out of body state.
Leslie was such an enormous help to me and the whole of Tent #61 knows I never would have completed that day without her. She stood behind me as we made the climb (and had to hold onto a rope) in case I started to fall backwards.
The last 10k of that race (as we entered sundown) were probably the most beautiful of the entire race. I've never seen something so beautiful in my life and imagine I may never again. The undulating sand dunes started to change colour as the sun began to set and Leslie and I were breathless with the view. Never mind her feet/ankles from the stress - she powered on with unending optimism and in my case, took me along for the ride.
After we got back to the tent, MDS veteran Toby (who is doing the race this year, too) told me that all you have to do is get through the first 3 days and the rest is easy (yes, that means he says 80k day is easy). Well, he was right. After I finished Day 3, I knew I'd never quit but based on my experience, Day 2 was the toughest so if you haven't sent your friends and family a note today -- do it! They could really use your support!
(And yeah for 2007's TENT 61 - see their happy faces below!)
Featured Dreamchaser Adventure
Registration for the 2008 Grand Teton Races is OPEN
Now in its fourth year, the Grand Teton Races will take place on Labor Day weekend, August 30-31, in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Alta, Wyoming. The family and crew-friendly races consist of three distances: Trail Marathon and 50 & 100 Ultramarathons. There is also a kids fun run for the little ones. Register early before it's full. Jay and I would love to see you there!!!
6 comments:
30 year old did the 7 summits, this is amazing. the year I ran MDS I met the man who was the 5oth to do the 7 summits. wish I knew how to get hold of him. Lisa is you have any way to reach him let me know, he said he has a book.
The race in the Tetons looks like a good one. Might have to look into this. Your coverage on the MDS is good, thanks for doing this.
From Tom is South Africa
So much for Ted saying he was going to take it easy on Day 3, eh? I was going to be quite surprised if he actually slowed down his ranking on purpose...he tends to be much too competitive for that! My guess is that once he realized that he was probably going to be in the top 50 no matter what, he just decided to go for it and do the best he could.
Exciting! All the Dreamchasers seem to be hanging in quite well.
- Amy
Hey,
Toby will be demoralized when he hears there is a comparison of an
American bloke as "clooney." He was featured on the MDS web last
night/today but I reassured Toby that he was the one and only Clooney
:) . But I have to say- the boy was quite cute :) .
Liz
Hi Lisa
It looks like all of these people are doing very well in the race and many are moving up in the rank after each day. I don't even know any of these people but have been watching close and it has been fun.
Mike who was running with Laurie looks like he took off today and she was right behind your husband Jay. Do teams split like this or did they just decide to seperate?
One day this race will be on my list but first have to get 5 kids through college.
Charlie
Will be back to work the races this year if I can stay home that long.
Steve
Teams are made up of 3 people and they have to sign up as a team before the race starts.
Many decided before or during the race to run together, it helps to pass the time:)
Lisa
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