Many thanks!

Thanks to all of you who have given me wonderful gifts, beads, notes, Facebook replies advice and emails.  I'm getting a little choked up right now thinking about how wonderful all of you are.  Thank you!!!!  A special thanks to Paul, my husband, who made this all possible and provided me with support and love through the good and bad.

I'm headed out to the airport in about an hour, house is straightened out, client's homes are straight, bags are packed, electronics charged and good byes said.  I'm nervous as hell but looking forward to this wonderful adventure.  Morocco and the Sahara are such foreign concepts to me that I can't really imagine what this will be like.  My ankle is hurting and swollen still.  I've not really stayed off of it like I should but I'm sure it will be fine and something completely different will be a bigger challenge.

I will be sending one email a day to my husband during the race and he will repost the email here if you want to follow my progress.

Thanks and love to all!

Dusty

April 3 - April 9, 2011 Send me an email in the Sahara!

Check my progress and/or send me an email! 

Click on the  in the link above to send me an email from April 3 - April 9. My race number is 597.

If you want to look at the overall standings, click here.

The Marathon des Sables website if you're interested in checking out the race in general.

My goals for this race are:

1) To finish

2) Maintain 3 miles an hour overall

3) Not cry more than once a day

4) Laugh a few times a day (Thanks Ed!)

Marathon des Sables 2011 Itinerary

2011 MARATHON DES SABLES ITINERARY

TUESDAY, MARCH 29 (DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR TRAVEL)

Fly from Jackson, Wyoming to Salt Lake City

Fly from Salt Lake City to Paris, France 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 (DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR TRAVEL)

Arrive in Paris, France

Fly from Paris to Madrid, Spain to Casablanca, Morocco to Ouarazazte, Morocco

THURSDAY, MARCH 31

?

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 (DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR TRAVEL)

8am: - All competitors rendezvous in Ouarzazate, Morocco (OZZ) and board buses to the first bivouac. (Exact rendezvous location to be announced; location of first bivouac, and the race course, is not known until we board the buses.)

8am - 4pm (estimated): Bus transfer to first bivouac; box lunch & water provided en route.

7pm: Dinner provided by race organizers at first bivouac; first night in the tents

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

7:30am: Breakfast provided by race organizers

9am - 3pm: Administrative & Medical check-in begins. We will check-in according to race numbers; times will be posted at the bivouac.

Noon - 1:30pm: Lunch provided by race organizers

5pm: Pre-race briefing

7 - 8:30pm: Dinner provided by race organizers. (Runner self-sufficiency begins after dinner.)

SUNDAY, APRIL 3 thru SATURDAY, APRIL 9

(DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR MOST DAYS OF RACE)

6am: Tents dismantled; breakfast is self prepared.

7 - 8am: Distribution of 1.5L of water. THIS IS TECHNICALLY A CHECKPOINT!  

8:30 - 9:30am: Start of the daily stage (except for the long stage); distances vary by day

Average Stage Distance (miles)
Stage 1:           18.2
Stage 2:           22.1
Stage 3:           23.6
Stage 4:           48.4
Stage 5:           26.2
Stage 6:           10.2
Total                147.7

Check points: water is distributed at each check point, which will be marked clearly on the race ration card; medical assistance available at each checkpoint (and at points along the course)

Average Check Point interval (miles)

Stage 1:           6.1
Stage 2:           5.5
Stage 3:           5.9
Stage 4:           6.9
Stage 5:           5.2
Stage 6:           5.7
Avg                  5.8   
Number of Check Point per stage

Stage 1:           2
Stage 2:           3
Stage 3:           3
Stage 4:           6
Stage 5:           3
Stage 6:           1

Arrival at bivouac: Distribution of 4.5L of water; dinner is self prepared; email & sat phone tent open to competitors.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

Final stage FINISH LINE!

Box lunch provided; board buses for return trip to OZZ; dinner at hotel 

SUNDAY, APRIL 10 

8 - 10am: Breakfast at hotel; rest of the day is free; lunch is on your own

TBA: Finisher t-shirts distributed

TBA: Award Ceremony & Cocktail Reception

8pm: Dinner at the hotel (included in race entry fee)

MONDAY, APRIL 11 (DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR TRAVEL)

Fly from Ouarzazate to Casablanca to Madrid, Spain

Spend the night in Madrid, Spain

TUESDAY, APRIL 12 (DOUBLE HYROCORTISONE FOR TRAVEL)

Fly from Madrid to Atlanta to SLC to Jackson, Wyoming

Africa here I come

In the last two days, my ankle feels so much better.  I feel hopeful that it will not hurt in eight days when the race begins.

I have a hectic 24 hours ahead.  Murphy's Law is in full force.  The two weekends before my trip (last weekend and this weekend) are full of preparations for my clients.  One client flew in and out of town last weekend and the other client this weekend.  What this means for me is lots of cleaning and driving to and from airports.  I'm very happy to have such great work but I sure wish it were at a different time.

I've run a couple of days this week.  Half run and half walk actually and that's when my ankle started feeling better.  Probably just coincidence.

Once I go to and from Jackson Airport for my clients tomorrow, I am hoping I can focus on Itinerary, packing, medicine prep and just getting focused.  I leave for Morocco on Tuesday.  I am also hoping to put together a few posts with info on my trip preparation in case it can help someone else to plan a trip or so it will help me in the future!