Oued Moungarf to Ba Hallou - 37.5 km
Allowed Time: 10.5 hours
The routine was now firmly set. Wake 5.30am. Berbers walk past tent on way to first tent in our line 6.00am. Dress, eat, pack, 'sac-a-caca', sun cream, water, Tent 140 huddle (Anj: may odds be for ever in our favour). 08.15am. Start line 8.30am. Long briefing 8.40am. ACDC 9.00am. Go!
'Eat' today consisted of strawberries and porridge. I ate two spoonfuls and could eat no more. It was so sweet - that was it on the packed breakfasts front for me. It does sound crazy that during a week running in the desert where your body burns fuel like there's no tomorrow, you don't actually want sweet food. You crave savoury and it wasn't just me, it was everyone.
It meant that I was going to have to be smart with my food from now on, as I still had 3 more breakfasts, none of which I was going to eat. Nor was I going to eat the 'Mighty Bars' I had brought, 500 calories in a fruit, nut and protein-packed 100g flapjack. This meant I would be losing 3,500 calories, which is a lot in such a demanding environment when you only brought 19,800 for the week.
'Eat' today consisted of strawberries and porridge. I ate two spoonfuls and could eat no more. It was so sweet - that was it on the packed breakfasts front for me. It does sound crazy that during a week running in the desert where your body burns fuel like there's no tomorrow, you don't actually want sweet food. You crave savoury and it wasn't just me, it was everyone.
It meant that I was going to have to be smart with my food from now on, as I still had 3 more breakfasts, none of which I was going to eat. Nor was I going to eat the 'Mighty Bars' I had brought, 500 calories in a fruit, nut and protein-packed 100g flapjack. This meant I would be losing 3,500 calories, which is a lot in such a demanding environment when you only brought 19,800 for the week.
In his briefing Patrick Bauer informed us that there were only 978 competitors taking the start line. We were now down by 51, the race really beginning to take its toll.
The morning also included a Team Eire photo, with the additional Irish we had met in the first few days. During the briefing, my Joe Duffy impressions ("We'd a woman on there from the Sahara area....") were met with more bemusement than amusement, so they were promptly abandoned.
Ahead of us for today was a 37.5km jaunt through the usual terrain in 36 degrees. The stage included the ascent of the Al Opath Jebel at 17km, at an average of 12% gradient followed by some fun in the dunes.
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| Some Of Team Eire On Stage 3 - BR: Phil, Paul, Ann Marie, Niall, Patrick, Eoin, Daniel FR: Linda, Claire, Rachel |
By now I was used to running with Daniel and we pushed each other well. We had initially passed each other a couple of times in the early kilometres of the stage but ended up running 4 on/1 off all the way to CP1 just after 10km, which was in the middle of rolling sandy dunes, which lasted until 14km. .
We both used the 'grab water and go' strategy and away we went along the rolling dunes toward the jebel. Just before hitting the jebel, Niall, Paul and Ann Marie caught up with us and the five of us climbed together through a narrow rocky gorge with sandy sections.
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| Paul, Daniel, Niall And Ann Marie Before The Ascent of Al Opath Jebel |
CP2 arrived at 23.5km after a fun but very steep descent from the last of the big dunes. No messing around again and Daniel and I were on our way towards CP3. After another couple of kilometres of rolling dunes, we were met with some stony terrain which allowed us to speed up.
At 27.5km, I knew we were due to hit some 'oued-style' terrain. When I read the Road Book, I did not like the idea of a 5km oued section, but it turns out this oued was more dry mud than soft sand. Parts of it resembled pavlova, where you put your foot on it and it crunched through but it was shallow and did not hamper progress.
It was here we came across Anj and Sian. Sian was moving gingerly - she had damaged her knee in a fall at home the previous year and had undergone surgery to deal with it (under Anj's medical care of course). She was bravely soldiering on, with General Coia Bell acting as Mrs. Motivator!
We pushed on to CP3, knowing we would only have 5km left. The Road Book indicated 3km of good going, with a final 2km of rolling sandy terrain. Daniel and I decided not to run, to preserve energy for the 81.5km nightmare that awaited us the following day.
We kept the pace up as we left the checkpoint, deep in discussion about life and why we were both there. This was Daniel's second MDS, but he had some good reasons to come back and I could tell he was motivated to be there.
We past the Ba Hallou ruins (thought to be pre-Christ apparently) without giving them a second glance and then once again we could see the finish. Not surprisingly it was 2km away through rolling sand mounds. Only one thing to do - head down and go - and we marched our way in to the finish.
I was exhausted. Even the sugary Sultan tea we got on arrival each day did nothing for me. I made my way back to the tent via the water tent, doing my best not to drop my bottles from tiredness and pains in my feet. The speedsters were in - Patrick and Ian flying the flag for the tent again. Anj and Sian were not too far behind me and Alex and Rich marched in smiling - 7 out, 7in. I was 407th for the stage and around 380th overall.
Chicken Tikka in soup form from the roof of the tent for dinner (again I added too much water) along with some nuts and a Pepperami mini from Sian and Anj. Pepperami are the new black as far as I was concerned - meaty, savoury, salty, fatty, tasty, flavoursome sticks of goodness.
Our emails were delivered and I was in stitches at my sisters' emails. One of them had accidentally sent an email to Mohamed Ahansel telling them that her son, Sam, needed glasses and the other sent me an email with "all the news from home", of which the news that her brother-in-law Pat had bought a new tractor and everyone was admiring it. We all had a good laugh, especially at the notion of Mohamed Ahansel opening my sister's email.
After the food and some medical care 'a la Phil', I was feeling better. There was a slight sense of apprehension in Tent 140 that night when I got back from the email tent and we were getting ready to go to sleep (8.00pm). Alex and Rich were planning at which checkpoints they would have a rest or a sleep at. Ian and Patrick were doing their best to psyche each other out, in a friendly manner of course. Anj and Sian were sorting out their kit, getting ready for the long day.
I got into my sleeping bag and read the Road Book again. Tomorrow was the key to the whole week - get through it in one piece and finishing the Marathon des Sables, something I had wanted to do since I saw it on a Transworld Sport Special television programme, was a real possibility. Food and water strategy would need to be spot on and I had my plan in my head. And with that plan rolling around my brain, I rolled over and slept uncomfortably again for another night!
Road Book for Stage 3:
Maximum authorised time : 10.30
Km 0 : Go S/SW (course 195°) on flat, slightly stony terrain.
Km 2,7 : Hilly, stony terrain.
Km 3,7 : Touh Ilh Jebel to the right. Go S/W (course 221°) until CP1.
Sandy passage then variably stony terrain.
Km 5,4 : Sandy terrain, sand mounds with camel grass then small dunes. Stay on course.
Km 7,7 : Enter dunes. Take course 221° until CP1.
Km 10,6 : CP1 at dune exit. Go W/SW (course 253°) to follow large dunes on the right-hand side. Sandy, rolling terrain.
Km 14,8 : Sand ends. Go West (course 264°) until km 17.1. Variably stony terrain.
Km 17,1 : Start of climb up Foum Al Opath Jebel (average slope: 12%). Rocky gorge.
Km 18,2 : Jebel summit. Go West (course 277°) until CP2. Sandy descent.
Km 20,4 : Enter dunes. Take direction 277°.
Km 23,5 : CP2 at dune exit. Go N/W (course 325°). Variably stony terrain.
Km 23,9 : Take direction 325° and cross dunes.
Km 26,9 : End of dunes. Go N/W (course 312°) until km 27.5. Stony terrain.
Km 27,5 : End of stony terrain. General direction North (course 356°) until CP3.
Follow marking to keep Rheris Oued on the left. Oued vegetation and dirt track.
Km 32,5 : CP3 at foot of a hillock. Stay on course (course 357°) until Ba Hallou ruins, leaving Rheris Oued
to the left.
Km 35,6 : Ba Hallou ruins. Same direction. Sandy terrain, small dunes and camel grass.
Km 37,5 : B3 finish line.
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