Tuesday 15 April 2008

Race report - Part 2 (finishing the race)

This is the second part of my race report. If you have not read the first part, please scroll down and you find the first part below.

The first the stages of the race had left me with sore feet (I could definitely feel blisters coming on), and a very sore neck and left shoulder. At the third check point (CP3) me and Andy had been cooking some dried freeze food. I had chosen potatoes and bacon, mixed together with a package of noodles. The only lesson learned is to use an adequate amount of water. I had to eat my meal with most of the noodles cracking between my teeth, pretty much like eating uncooked pasta.


Stage 4
The meal made me feel much better and with head torch on we left the check point an hour after we arrived. Glow sticks on the markers showed the way, however at times they were were longer apart then what we could see, so at times we were still left unsure if we were walking the right way. The fact that the markers had bicycles on them seemed like a truly bad joke at this point! *smile* This together with the complete darkness made me feel very small.

Me and Andy walked together for the first hour, but then Andy pulled ahead and left me trailing. I didnt want to push to stay with him, since I knew that I had still some 50-55km to go. I was still feeling fairly good at this point and at times during the stage I started to jog again.


During the whole stage I was sticking to my energy intake of an energy bar or a gel every 45min or so, and mixing electrolyte drink with water. It was very interesting to learn how the taste of gels, water and electrolyte drink changed during the race. At times water tasted very bland and I was craving anything sweet (like the electrolyte drink) and at times I couldnt stand to put anything sweet in my mouth.

Eventually I reached CP4 and after taking off the backpack I started to cramp up. I took some time on my back, looking at the stars, drinking and eating an energy bar. Korbis and Amy was at the check point keeping me company and boosting moral. I was more exhausted then what I remember, since I completely forgot to document my stop at CP4 *smile*

Stage 5
I set off on the fifth stage feeling fairly good. The pain in the shoulder was gone and the only thing hurting was my feet. I had taken some pain killers at CP4 and they started to work and I could pick up the pace and jog again. After about 2h or so on my own I was in the absolute middle of nowhere. Suddenly I heard hooves on the ground and looked to my right. Two springboks ran past me less then 10m from me. My heart raced and I had to stop. The two springboks nearly gave me an heart attack!

I looked ahead and could see two eyes looking at me. I assumed it was one of the springboks looking at me so I started to walk against it. As I came closer it came into the outer range of my head torch. I could see it was not a springbok but a hyena! My hear raced again, but this time didnt slow down. What should I do now? I stood there waiting for it to attack and tried to figure out what I should do if it did. The hyena didnt move and I was unable to, so we stood there for what seemed to be an eternity. I decided that I would have to make the first move. So I went ahead and walked straight ahead. The Hyena didnt move at all and as long as I turned my head and looked back it was staring at me. It was later explained to me that it was probably a brown hyena and not a spotted one, so I was perfectly safe. One thing that the encounter did do was to boost my energy levels and I picked up a slow jog again.

Towards the end of stage 5 I was feeling very low. I guess this could be expected since I had been running for close to 100km after all. I had started to hallucinate at times and the glow sticks on the markers seemed to be moving around and flying in the air. Towards the end I saw a very strong moving light. I thought it might be the lantern of a ship since we were getting close to shore. It turned out to be Steve, the race director who had come out to meet me the last could of hundred meters. Again I took 20min to lie down and relax before I filled up water and was on my way again.

Stage 6
There is nothing good to tell you about stage 6. I was at the lowest point in the race, and I was not at any point during the stage certain that I would be able to finish the race. I was in such a poor state. At times I looked at my GPS and saw that I was moving in a pace of 3km / hour. Mentally and physically I was exhausted.

It felt as if I was going to a very, very dark place. A place in my mind I was not sure I wanted to see. I had pushed my body and mind to the edge and now I had to turn back, somehow gather strength to get back out of the misery. A car with some local fishermen stopped and asked what I was doing. When I told them I had been running since 9am last morning they shocked and wished me all the best. They really helped me to push up.

The road seemed to go on forever and the only thing I could think of was to take one more step. The only way to finish the race was to get to the end point so no point of resting or even sit down as this was what my body kept telling me.

Another car came up and it was Korbis and Steve. Their happy faces always helped throughout the race. Steve got out and said he would walk 20-30min with me to the last turn of the route. As we walked together the sun rose and light returned to our world. I felt a surge of energy from the company, the light and the knowledge that I was very close to the finish line. With 2km to go Steve left me and I started to jog. I ran the last 2km and I was feeling good. The blisters under my feet hurt with every step, but it was a good pain.

Finally I came to the tent and I could see people standing up, waiting for me, clapping their hands and taking photos. I couldnt believe it, I had done it. In 22 hours and 24minutes I had finished the race! I got my sleeping bag out and sat on a chair. That was the first time in 22h that I properly sat down. What a feeling. I was now truly an Namibian Viking!

5 comments:

mpb276 said...

Hi Joakim,
Tom (my achilles hurts) Gibbons passed me the link to your blog as he's mentioned you many times to to me.
Just read it all, started by reading the race but then went and read all the training posts as well. What a cracking read, made me laugh in lot of places.
Well done on completing the Namibia run.
If you're still looking for Crazy Races you should do the monopoly board, run to each place in order and take a pic of you with the road name in the shot, you'd probably have to take some ladders with you though!

Anyway, I look forward to reading your future posts.
Well done again.
Browny.

Anonymous said...

Hej Jocke!
Jag är såååå imponerad!! Vilket bravad..Du har i och för sig alltid varit målmedveten, men detta trodde jag aldrig. Hoppas allt är bra med dig och att du tar igen dig lite nu.
Sköt om dig!
kram Emma

Anonymous said...

Joakim - you are one crazy fool, but I really really admire your determination and drive with all these extreme crazy running events you do. Keep it up! I can't imagine the sense of accomplishment you must be feeling right now. What next - are you gonna swim the channel? Hugs - Raj :)

Anonymous said...

My goodness, i feel a mixture of nausea and immense awe at what you have achieved. The pain and craziness of it makes me feel a bit sick but at the end of it all you've acomplished something that will get you through anything life throws you.
Well done!
Abi xx

Anonymous said...

Wow - jag ar sa imponerad! Och faktiskt lite rord - en sadan arlig och intressant lasning av racet. Och avundsjuk - vilket javla kansla att klara av det - att du gjorde det! Det vore roligt att traffas snart i London. WELL DONE och Kram Asa Andersson