Atacama Crossing

Another 7-day stage event, this time in Chile and at altitude.  The format was the same as the MdS: approximately 250km, shared tents, albeit ones with walls, and self-supported (but hot water was provided, as well as your cold water rations).

The first two-days went according to plan and I was 2nd lady.  Disaster then struck as I picked up a sickness & diarrhoea bug that was going around camp.  All I could eat and keep down was a gel and 5 jelly sweets a day - for three days - but managed to stumble through a marathon and 50-miler.  I rapidly had to re-think my expectations re. finishing in the top three - just finishing was going to be a challenge!

The terrain was much more varied and tougher than the MdS: ice-cold rivers, salt flats,  canyons and deep dunes.  The Atacama is a very beautiful desert - it's pink rock is breathtaking especially at sunset, but the salt flats are insane.  Just like sand, you quickly learn that there are very many varieties: soft, hard, muddy, wet and some that are so down-right jagged that they cut your shoes up.  It was often difficult to get a rhythm running, and because I was going so slowly after Day 2, I was on my feet for much longer than expected and my feet blistered pretty badly.

Nevertheless, the camaraderie around the camp kept everyone going (even an Austrian runner who came with his own camera crew, who kept on getting lost!).  I managed to stumble the last 10k to my medal. Not how I planned but at least I didn't pull out.  Over 21lbs lighter by the end, it was the toughest race mentally I'd got through.