6.4.2011 the fourth day
I hardly slept, nor did the others. My heart was racing when I laid down. I am scared to hell and have enormous respect of this 82Kms that we will face today. I take all my time to prepare and am happy that I have enough water left to completely wash myself. What a great feeling. I decide to put on double compression and not the heat gear, i.e. underarmour shorts and the skins on top of it. I put nevertheless the Fenec shirt on, more seems to hot for me. Today I'll take the poles to offload my knees and legs, just to be sure that I'll survive the distance. On my way to the start I see the Moroccan no.5 lady, she's throwing up already. Today is Michael's birthday but I only realize it as Patrick Bauer announces it together with the other people. Well after the dismissal we hardly exchanged a word nor with Marc. A pity but that's life. The mandatory “Highway to Hell” comes out of the speakers and off we go. Today there is not a single cloud and we were told that yesterday’s temperatures went up to 52degrees in the shadow, which shadow?
I have taken off the straps on the shoulders as they were completely dried out and I feared more to get blisters than protection from them. While I am waiting to cross the line I feel all of a sudden a shock: I did not put up sun blocker ! If this will not turn bad...but no time to lose, off we go . We are again off for a beautiful landscape and loads of sand, I welcome the sticks although I am aware that I'd run faster without them. They are still a psychological support and I will never know what would have happened if I didn't have them. It goes u and down, red sand, black stones. Every bottle of water is welcome and I decide not to ever evaluate whether I shall take all water or not. It could help me even if I only pour it over my head.
Only after a long time I start to realize something obvious, my left bottles water is 3-5 degrees warmer than the right one and it is not because it is longer there but---because the sun always comes from the left. As from now on I decide to start drinking left first and to share this learning in the tent.
The control point approaches, I still feel very well and now it goes steep up. I maintain my condition above KM 49 and am very proud, I never ran that far and on top of it with 12kgs and such a heat. For myself I am already now a hero. ON CP 4 I saw Marc and Antonio, where are they now? Did they already pass me? Daniel was also here. I start to eat my nuts now but after the fourth mouth I spit them out and continue carrying them in my hands just to throw them away later. KM 50, the Jordanian guy , no2 in the ranking overtakes me. He is fast but not that much faster than I thought. I greet and encourage him and he greets back. Nice. KM 53 Mohamed Ahnsal comes I greet, NO feedback . What an a........he was the third elite runner to overtake me ( and they started hours after us..)
The heat becomes inhuman. I can barely stand it and watch my pulse: 125 what is wrong with me? I start to no longer see sharp. RED ALERT!!! I am close to a stroke!RED ALERT!!!I stop and try to calm down. My arms are soaking wet; a very very bad sign! Did I forget to take my salt pills ? I am no longer sure. Do I pour my water bottle over my head and lay down for a 30mins rest? I look around, we're in the middle of a salt desert, no bush, no stone, nothing. I watch the picture of my beloved. Will I fail here? Even while I am writing these lines my eyes fill with water. I seek help , psychological help from my three. I decide to wait until my heart rate goes back below 100. My watch says 55kms oh hell, this means another 30 or more to go. I try to put one foot in front of the other, pulse 90. This is ok and I try to calm down, nevertheless I can't see sharp. Some others are overtaking me now, all ask if I am ok . Yes I say but I am not sure, I hope the dizziness will go away. I walk like a snail now. In my head I think that at this speed I'll need another 10hrs for the next 30kms and then I realize that my speed is more like 1km/h than 3. Please, let the sun go down! Another look on the picture of my three, I love them. And now the most important part of the whole MDS starts, I must motivate myself and I tell myself what I thought so often during training: the slower you walk the longer it takes, only 8kms until the next CP and after what I feel like an eternity I mange to accelerate again and I finally find my racing speed again, there cannot be a worse point than what I just lived. Now I hear a voice ACHIM! It is Konrad who overtakes me, he also started hours later. What a great guy, running at that speed , recognizing me and talking to me. Bravo@!
The sun goes down further and I approach dunes as the little Japanese overtakes me and also calls my name. Great guys. Soon the sun will be gone behind the mountains, I must make it to the CP before!. And I manage it. As I come in the sun goes down. The TV team awaits me already, I take my water and lay down on the ground , pour the rest of my water over my head and give comments to them whilst preparing the night: Long sleeves Nike, frontal lamp, knick light. Hey: now it's just 21KMs and it is night, your realm, this is Uetliberg, not more! NO ONE WILL OVERTAKE me now, I am sure that I have managed this stage as of now. Daniel is also there. We quickly chat and off he goes, I prefer to get really ready and I'm determined to overtake him later. Now I'm just fixing the frontal lamp and start. Night, my terrain . I run like if I had not run today. Uetliberg speed. Soon I have Daniel, my body is readyand I arrive at the last control point. The pedometer is over by 10%. That makes it look like a 90Km run. Just 10kms left, a game! It is true night now and the lightsticks that are positioned every 500m are glowing me my way. Finally I can see the green laser that is pointed to the sky from the finish to guide us. What a magic in this clear sky. Hah there she is, Jennifer the English rasta. I overtake her and leave her quickly behind. Yess Macho man is back. Now I can see the 4 Spanish guys who overtook me long ago. The duck is fat at the back :) Hola il Suiza! They are greeting my, I greet back and they try to match my speed but quickly understand that they are no longer able to. Already at CP5 I packed away my poles, BESTFORM I am so proud of myself, incredible what a body can do. I ate the last Gel and keep on drinking. Yes I can even further accelerate, the finish is close ..I run over the line and a cry of joy comes out of my mouth. I've done it, no doubt anymore I'll finish the MDS now come hell or high water, my feet do not hurt although I feel my knee and my hips. I must make sure to put the sportusal on asap.
The TV team is there , congratulations from everyone, not many people have in fact already arrived, Volker is there, takes me in the arms, an outstanding gesture, he stays with us although he abandoned. He takes my backpack off, a real relief. I let myself fall into the sand and make the angel. What a feeling, 82kms behind me. Thank you Volker. The camera is running. Just relax just breath. After a few minutes I get up and get a tea, sit down and try to drink it. This doesn't feel ok, my worries realize and I throw up. Thank you German TV , nobody films, they are there to help me and hand me a handkerchief, I love them! Volker offers me to take me to the rest station but I am too proud and thank him. I walk away slowly and enjoy the feeling and get my water, it doesn't feel as heavy as the last days. Konrad, Consuelo and Denise are already in . I am deeply impressed, will I be able to beat Denise? All others from our tent are still missing. OK lets lay down, congratulate the others, hang up the flag and sportusal on the aching parts of the body. MP3 and relax.
All my articulations are hurting. Let's wash the feet, that runs well and they are in a great shape, even I cannot believe it. Let's cream them, no blister at all. YESSSS. After an hour I decide to prepare my dinner, Pasta Milanaise. It was never as good as tonight. Now Antonio and Marc are coming in. I learned that they stopped at the CP where I saw them. In fact Marc wanted to abandon and Antoinio did not let him , he forced and supported him always through he is the real hero of the MDS. Marc was already shaking at CP1, they were seeing the cardiologe and luckily everthing was ok. Marc is really suffering, also from his feet, I lend him my shoes to go to the red cross. He'll stay there a while. It is now around 3o'clock in the morning, Martin is coming in, I'm so happy for him and proud as well. He has really deserved it. Now Francis is also coming in. We're so excited that we cannot really sleep. What do the friends in Switzerland think now? Francis feet are looking terrible. I try to sleep now. Everytime I wake up I put on sportusal and scholl for the feet. It wil be much better tomorrow and imagine the time I'll have for recovery. The sun goes up, we are heroes! I go to the arrival to take some shots. I am feeling great.
12:10.20h, TE 2.3, 44ml, 6593 Kcal avg 125, 80-143 ascent 543, 494 descent
7.4.2011 Day 5 OFF
Gerardo arrives at 15.22h, Incredible, he's been out for 30 hours and god he suffered, the last KM he was completely dry, out of water. What an Uebermensch!
