Diary of the Marathon des Sables 2002 by Andy Whelan
The following is a journal of my participation in the Mds. Some of it is copied from some notes I wrote whilst competing and the rest was written when I arrived back in the UK.
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Thursday 4th April 2002
Myself and Ian ROLFE (Rolfy) set off from Gatwick to Quarzazate. When we get to Gatwick its obvious as to who else is competing in this event. About 160 Brits have entered the race, with about 595 competitors worldwide entering. A lot of the Brits look a tadge serious. Myself and Rolfy have a baguette each then hit McDonalds having a Big Mac and McFlurry each. Our eyes glazed from the Beer sesh the night before. For some reason other competitors looking at us as if we each have a chicken on our heads. Flight was mellow enough. Landed at the airport and bussed to the hotel, only about 10 mins away. Check in then go to room and sort our kit out. Our rucksacks constantly being packed and repacked, trying to ditch kit to make it lighter. At the end of the night our rucksacks weigh around 14 kgs. To add to this we have 1 and a half litres of water, a distress flare, emergency blanket and salt tablets. Total weight to begin with is 17 Kgs. Friday 5th April 2002
Depart from hotel at 0915 hrs. Breakfast was ok, everyone being careful about what they eat due to the horror stories of people getting food poisoning etc. We each get a lunch bag and some water. We arrive at the bivouac somewhere in the sahara at 1500 hrs. Stampede to tent area (tents are poles with some hessian attached) 9 persons to each tent of same nationality. We stay together for the duration. Our Tent Number is 58:
Tent 58:
Paul Pringle – (Teacher)
Tim PARKES – (Squaddie)
Charlie POOLE – (squaddie)
Ian ARCHER – Postman
Ian ROLFE – (Copper)
Charlie Newington-Bridges – (Banker)
Dave REYNOLDS – (Banker)
Andy SHOREMAN – Squaddie
Andy WHELAN – (Copper)
I knew Tim and Charlie Poole from when I was a squaddie a few years ago. Charlie did this event in 2000 so we asked him for any top tips or advice. His main advice being to pace yourself with the aim being just to finish the race. Dinner supplied and dark at 1900 hrs, bed for 2000 hrs.
Saturday 6th April 2002
Registration and Inspection day. Long and boring with lots of waiting round. Running numbers collected (mine was 481). Kit inspected and weighed to ensure you have the minimum of 2000 calories for each day (I had about 3500 for each day). Water ration card issued and all clothing and baggage not being used is collected and returned to the hotel. Meals provided by race organisation. Notes from my diary: “getting nervous, am I fit enough ?, slight headache and queasy stomach, probably just nerves. Had a small bottle of red wine with dinner, Rolfys birthday (48)”.
Sunday 7th April 2002
Race Day 1 –26 km. Kicked out of the tents at 0600 hours so that they can be moved to the next camp area. We are now self sufficient so cooking my breakfast. Breakfast consisting of Pasta vegenaise (freeze dried), and a sachet of complan. This is my breakfast for the next 7 days, just the meal varying. “cold last night, had to get up for piss at 0430 hrs” The race began at 0900 hrs, temp in the 30’s and a tadge windy. Did the first 4km with Rolfey then opened out my pace a bit. No running as my aim was to finish the race without being binned with dehydration etc. “took 4 hrs 17 mins, no blisters. Feet and me tired. Rolfey got in about 40 mins after – Good effort” Made my dinner , another freeze dried meal, recovery drink. Throughout the day I ate an energy bar, some gels and a couple of pepperami sticks (how I loved those pepperami sticks). Sorted kit out and bed by 1930 hrs, sand getting everywhere in the tent.
Monday 8th April 2002
Race Day 2 – 36km. Up at 0550 hours. Usual routine. Going to the toilet is fun, there is one provided but breathing apparatus required, found myself a suitable spot in desert. Race began at 0845 hrs. Quite a few small dunes today with some bigger ones thrown in at the end. “7 hrs, hard as hell, absolutely bolloxed. Shoulders in bits from rucksack and small blister on my left heel. Rolfy had another good day, really worked hard. He’s got some big blisters on his left foot, gone to Doc trotters to get them sorted. I’m not looking forward to tomorrow, shoulders really tender and don’t want blister to get worse, taking some Bruphren just hope I get through tomorrow, taking the race a day at a time” Bed at 1930 hrs. everyone else in the tent ok, a few with blisters but moral is still good.
Tuesday 9th April 2002
Race Day 3 – 31 km. “Rolfy sacking the race, his feet in bits, not going to talk to him too much, will leave him alone” Up as normal, usual routine. “Shoulders not too bad, took some Bruphren. Took me 6 hours to complete the race. Blisters on heel have grown” Made me dinner, sorted my blisters out and iodined them.
Wednesday 10th April 2002
Race Day 4 – 71km. The big one, the day most of the competitors worried about. This stage would be different to normal. The dunes day is normally on day 3, but for some reason the race director has put the dunes in from 35 – 58 km. These dunes being the large ones measuring up to 120 feet high. You have 35 hours to do this one, so you have time to stop for a rest and snooze or to cook yourself some food. Race began at 0910 hours. “started off with Ian, Andy and Paul. Andy had to sack it at checkpoint 2 because of huge blisters. Nightmare, just hope mine don’t get worse. Feel selfish in a way because I’m gaining strength because by seeing the state of other competitors feet I realise how lucky I am which kind of gives me a boost. Ian and Paul stop halfway through the dunes for a rest and sleep. I keep going. Its pitch black when crossing the dunes which helps me because I can’t see how tall they are. At times crawling on all fours to get over them, only to be met by strong winds which nearly blow me off the top”, get through this stage in 16 hours and arrive at the camp at 2am, shagged, a bit of scrot rot and blisters still sore” straight into my sleeping bag.
Thursday 11th April 2002
Get up at 8am ish, “bimble out the tent for a dump, really windy so dodging used toilet roll that some mingers haven’t bothered to bury. I don’t feel to bad considering the mileage I’ve done” today is a rest day for those who have finished the leg without stopping, others come in throughout the day, the last arriving at 7pm. I spend the day lounging round in the tent, sand blowing all over the place. The others in the tent are still doing well, felt sorry for Andy, he is a fit chap, Para Commando trained in the army, doesn’t seem fair that you can do all the training for the race and spend nearly 3k yet have to sack it because of a poxy blister. Bed at 1900 hours, marathon day tomorrow.
Friday 12th April 2002
Race Day 6 – 42km. Routine as normal, race begins at 0900 hrs. Start off strong for the first hour, then hit wall. Absolutely no energy “felt like a zombie, no energy whatsoever. Maybe not eaten enough, not sure but I struggled through today, really hard work, probably the hardest day of the lot. Never any question as to whether I’d finish or not but it was such hard work. Head down and plodded on, had to stop twice for a dump and scratched one of my cheeks on a thorn bush of some sort. Ouchhhhhhh” Got to camp in 8 hours, had food, sorted my blisters out and lounged around on my bag. Another blister on the ball of my left foot, decided not to burst it, just taped it up. Tomorrow was only 12 miles, felt like I had the race in the bag, kind of proud of myself, but focusing on getting to the finish line. Bed at 2000 hours
Saturday 13th April 2002
Race Day 7 – 20 km. Up early, brekkie etc. Rucsack now weighed hardly anything, all the food from Day 1 had now been eaten up. Everyone congregated at the start line, Castles in the Sky being played on the loud speaker. “really amazing, kind of emotional, looking round at everyone else, just enjoying the moment as I doubt if I’ll ever be there again, it’s a one off and taken me 5 years to get the bottle to do it” Race begins at 0900 hrs, slow run to the first checkpoint which is half way, takes an hour, temp in the 40’s but feel good. Collect water then feel my blister burst on the ball of my foot, oucchhhhhh, hurts like hell so run becomes a walk. Have to stop for yet another dump, avoid any sharply pointed plants. Crack on with walk, blister stinging and feeling squelchy. Can now see the town where the finsh will be, leave the desert and end up on tarmac road. Can now see the finish line “became emotional when reaching the finish line, not blubbing, just lump in throat and kind of pleased yet sad that it was over, arrived at finish line, given medal and water, then sat down next to market square. Took my trainers off, sock a bit soggy where blister had burst then went and swapped my trainers with one of the locals for some local kit” got the bus back to Quarzazate, we all stank as we’d worn the same stuff for a week, I was minging. Arrived at the hotel, collected our baggage then found our rooms and showered. Had dinner, ate until I couldn’t eat anymore, a few beers then hit the sack. My foot was sore, but some people could hardly walk and the state of some of the feet was amazing. Everyone else in the tent finished. The next day was chilling out at the hotel, handing in the flare and salt tablets, collecting the finishers tee-shirt and buying souvenirs. In the bar for a few beers that night then leave the hotel at 0600 hrs the next morning for flight back to Gatwick.
Marathon Des Sables Kit List - Andy WHELAN
Meal Pack Days 1, 2, 3 & 6
2 x Main Meals = 900 Kcal
1 x Nuts = 550
1 x Complan = 251
4 x Gels = 284
Recovery drink powder = 328
2 x Peperami sticks = 200
Dextrose tabs = 150
Energy Bar = 211
3 x Sweets = 200
3 x iso powder – 663 Total Kcals = 3730
Meal Pack Day 4
2 x Main Meals = 900 Kcal
1 x Nuts = 550
1 x Complan = 251
5 x Gels = 350
Recovery drink powder = 328
2 x Peperami sticks = 200
Dextrose tabs = 150
2 x Energy Bar = 422
3 x Sweets = 200
4 x iso Powder = 884 Total Kcals = 4235
Meal Pack Day 5
2 x Main Meals = 900 Kcal
1 x Nuts = 550
1 x Complan = 251
2 x Peperami sticks = 200
2 x iso powder – 422 Total Kcals = 2320
Meal Pack Day 7
Muesli = 200
Complan = 251
1 x Gel = 71
1 x energy bar = 211
1 x iso powder = 221 Total Kcal = 954
Wearing
Rail rider shirt
2 x shorts
Bridgedale socks
Hat
Sunglasses
Trainers/Gaiters
Heart Rate monitor
2 x Walking Stix
Buff
Rucsac
2 x Bridgdale Socks Dioralyte
2 x 1000 mile socks Buphren
Friction Gel Loperamide
Betadine Spray Savlon Spray
Factor 50 Camera/film
Glue HH Thermal
Contacts Flip Flops
P20 Journal/pencil
Canesten Bottle Top
Compass whistle
Head Torch Knife/torch – small
Ear Plugs Venom Pump
Lighter/matches Safety pins
Signal Mirror Wipes
Loo roll 2 x shower cap
Paper suit Compeed
Sleeping Bag/Mat Needle/thread
Mess tin/Spoon Zinc Oxide Tape
Toothpaste/brush
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