The Race! Days Six and Seven

Days six and seven of the Marathon des Sables 2013

News from the field...

Day 6 - Today wasn't so bad, apart from being dog tired and everything aching a fair bit. The terrain was relatively kind, lovely open flats and dried up lakes.  I had intended to run as much a possible but the heat got a bit too much so was forced into a walk from cp 1 to cp 2 where I met Daz.  We were in good spirits so continued in our individual races, but just before cp 3 I met him again and he wasn't doing so well.  I really thought I was going to have to get the medics involved, especially when he started wondering off in the wrong direction and wouldn't respond when I called him!  We spent the rest of the race together and crossed the finish line when I promptly burst into tears (again!).  I then spent the next hour crying about everything, reading your emails, watching others cross the finish, phoning home, everything set me off!  A two year journey and I've done it, I've completed the Marathon des Sables!!!

Day 7 - Today was a 'fun run' which wasn't competitively timed and I have never seen such a slow start to a 'race'.  The countdown reached zero and everyone wandered over the start line, chatting and laughing.  The elites were part of the main field and not sprinting into the distance and the rest of us could chat to people we wouldn't have normally been with.  The whole 7km were over dunes so the terrain wasn't easy but nothing mattered, sore feet, rough terrain, dehydration, none of it mattered.  The only sad part to the day was that Rob and Mark weren't with us.

The Race! Days Four and Five

Days four and five of the Marathon des Sables 2013

News from the field...


Day 4/5, 54 degrees, 76km - Well I keep thinking this race can't get any more difficult and emotional and I'm proved wrong every time.  I started the 76km long stage yesterday at 8.30am and finished this morning at 5am. I spent the time with my tent mate Daz and so glad I did as we both suffered fairly severe heat stroke. I nearly passed out on the course and Daz wasn't aware who was around him at one point. We stopped at the checkpoint and recovered and then went on through the night, me getting very emotional with exhaustion, bursting into tears across the finish line.  Another tent mate withdrew early on so this desert has now claimed two of my tent mates.  It's currently 35 degrees in the shade and people are still coming across the finish line! I have to say though that the people here are absolutely amazing, everyone helping everyone, no matter the cost to them.  Today is rest and recovery, my feet still aren't blistered but my gaiters are failing and my skin is raw from sand in my shoes. Still, no injuries, just ache!

An update from home while we wait for news from the field

Dear Laura's readers, this is Emma-Louise, Laura's sister. Whilst we wait eagerly for an official update from Laura in the desert, I thought you would like to know what has been going on. As others went to bed at a more civilised hour last night, Mum, Dad and I remained glued to the internet waiting and watching for the time to appear at each checkpoint next to Laura's name to indicate that she had safely passed through. After a restless few hours sleep and some rapid visible hair loss from Dad (he never doubted her, he's just a good father), we awoke to the news that we had quite literally been dreaming of. Here's what happened...

At 08:35 yesterday morning (Moroccan time) Laura set out on the horrendously gruelling 75.7km leg of the Marathon des Sables. Nearly 21 hours later at 5.12 this morning she crossed the finish line on the hardest day of the 'Toughest Footrace on Earth'. What an achievement!!!! It's not over yet though, she has another 42km to run on Friday which is the last timed leg of the Marathon des Sables. How amazing (and exhausted!) must she feel and how proud are we all?!?! :-D

I shall post any news I receive from her as soon as we get it.

Thanks for reading!

Emma-Louise

The Race! Day Three

Day Three of the MdS 2013

News from the field...

Day 3, 38 km, 40 something degrees with no breeze - Well today I met the Sahara desert and she bites! Endless sand dunes for miles, baking hot (even for me) and I ran out of water again. I thought yesterday was hard but I'll do those mountains twice over if I don't have to repeat today. At one point I wanted to cry but I don't think I had enough water in me.  Somehow I made it to the end and even managed to run some parts of the course.  We didn't get any emails yesterday but got both sets this evening and I have to say I really did cry then! Thank you so much to everyone for your words of encouragement.  It meant even more today as I started the race with one less tent mate.  He bravely fought the desert yesterday but the medics forced him to retire and had to give him a 6 litre drip!  He's ok now but that and finding out that a further 17 people were forced to retire yesterday brought home that this is real. Overall I'm holding together well, emotional but feet are still blister free (miracle!!!) if slightly swollen and no injuries so far...

The Race! Day Two

Day Two of the MdS 2013

News from the field...

Day 2, 18 miles, 10kg pack, 40 degrees.  Well, if yesterday was an introduction to the desert, today was an introduction to extreme! I can confidently say that I have never experienced a harder 18 miles in my life. There were numerous Did Not Finish-ers, flares going off and tears from the field in general.  I really had to dig deep today as the temperature entered the 40's, 3 huge mountains and I ran out of water. Unfortunately I started the day dehydrated so have had headaches, nose bleeds, dizzyness amd sickness. On the positive though, I made it through with no injuries or blisters and I'm in good spirits (apparently one of the most cheerful too). I received emails from home last night and reread them when it got tough, they really helped me through, so thank you to everyone. One of my tent mates isn't back yet and it's now dark so going to try and find out what's happened...

The Race! Day One

Day One of the MdS 2013

News from the field...

Hey, this place is amazing. So pretty. Race today went well. Pack is 10.5kg so walked today but finished feeling good and no blisters or injuries so can't ask for more than that!! Had dunes, mountains, rivers (with and without water) and rough rocky terrain today, introduction to everything in one 23 mile day. Loved it!! Survived a sand storm or two and had to sit on my tent to keep it from blowing away which was fun.  Tomorrow has a 1000m mountain to climb! Didn't expect anything quite that big but... bring it on!

Running is a Team Sport

When you imagine a runner, I'm guessing you'll picture an individual pounding the streets or trails and you would be forgiven for thinking that running is a lone sport.  In my experience this couldn't be further from the truth. If it wasn't for the many, many people who have supported me, I am confident I would not have made it through the endless training sessions towards the Marathon des Sables, the toughest foot race on Earth.

As I'm about to leave for the desert I feel so humbled and grateful when I look back over the last two years.  There are so many people I'd like to thank, but firstly I should start by thanking everyone who sponsored me and donated to my charity, the British Heart Foundation.  Without your support this whole journey would have been for nothing. Your support has helped a major charity fight against a number of heart related diseases and has also helped make this whole experience such a rewarding one for me.

I'd also like to thank all my friends and family who, for the last two years, have heard about nothing else except the MdS.  Endless (generally one sided) conversations, with me looking like a Duracell bunny on a sugar rush, going on and on and on about running, the desert, kit, scorpions, training and racing. I realise I've talked about nothing else for two years and I really do appreciate that none of you have ever said "change the record Laura," despite wanting to, I'm sure.  I promise from now on I'll attempt to make the conversations much more varied and entertaining.  Thank you all for indulging me.

In order to fund the Marathon des Sables I have been working two part time jobs where I have met nothing but support and encouragement from friends, colleagues and customers.  James Parker, from Suter's Yard, the biggest little bar in town, has been amazing and supported me throughout, giving me permission to use his bar to promote the race and raise money.  The staff there have also been amazing, giving up their time to help me fundraise, covering my shifts when I've been too knackered to work or been off on yet another training race and supporting me in more ways than I'm sure they even realise.

My second part time job is working as a Hostess in the VIP lounge for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.  The club generously donated two match tickets towards my fundraising efforts which is greatly appreciated and helped move me a lot closer to my target.

Finally on the jobs front, a massive thank you must go to Dr. John Turner, my incredibly patient Ph.D. supervisor, who has supported this ridiculous adventure at perhaps the most difficult time of my career. I promise from now on, chemistry will not come a poor second and I will start writing that thesis!

There are a few individuals who I have to mention separately as they have gone above and beyond and kept me going throughout this sometimes difficult journey. A very special thank you to Julia, Katie and Sarah, (the 'A' team) and Woody. Thank you for all your words of encouragement and your endless help in putting together amazing fundraising events. Also, thank you to Chris Gallop for constantly reminding me, 'I'm nuts' and to both Chris and Mariusz for helping me move house just days before I fly to Morocco.  Finally, thank you to Adam Close for encouraging me to become a better runner and for his infinite patience when I couldn't quite make it up those hills.

A special thank you must go to my Mum and Dad.  As I'm sure you can appreciate, they've had some concerns about me running across the desert and I'm fairly sure I'm responsible for one or two sleepless nights.  However, they've supported me regardless of their own worries and I'll always be grateful for that.  Mum and Dad, you're amazing parents and without your guidance and encouragement over the last 34 years, I wouldn't even have had the guts to attempt such a feat.

Finally, I have to thank Emma, my sister, my inspiration and my best friend.  Emma has travelled across the country to be at the side lines of every single race I've done in the run up to the MdS. She's waited patiently in the cold and dark for me to drag my sorry backside across yet another finish line. She's counselled me when things have got tough and been there to celebrate the victories.  She's listened to my doubts and helped me find the confidence in myself.  My wonderful sister has been there for every step, leap and faulter towards the desert and without her I could not have got this far.  I can't even begin to express my gratitude and appreciation for having someone so special in my life, so I'm simple going to end with, thank you Emma, I hope one day I can be half the person you are.


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I'm running the MdS to support the British Heart Foundation. Please take a moment to visit my sponsorship page and donate whatever you can afford. Many, many thanks
www.justgiving.com/lauranicholls2013