Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who supported me while I was out in the desert, your emails were really appreciated. Thank you also to everyone who has been busy sponsoring me in the last two weeks, the grand total now stands at £2,761 and I'm keen to keep going and get the remaining £1,239 to make £4,000.

I will post a full race report in time, along with plenty of pictures of sand.....but in the meantime, here is a rather scary picture of me just across the finish line. I was trying to smile, but the emotion was rather getting to me.......

There are lots more fantastic (!) photos at junglemoon.co.uk

Sprint finish

33 hours 37 minutes and 58 seconds later, and it's all over. 123rd place overall out of 800 starters. Last stage was the fastest pace (no surprises there) covering 10.9 miles in 1hr 39 minutes, and coming 97th, Paul's best placing apart from the long day when he was 109th - proving that whether it's a sprint to the line or the long hard slog, he's a bit of a star. Spoke to him on the bus after the race (drinking Pepsi and feeling a bit ill after the day's exertions) and again in the evening after he'd had his first proper food at lunchtime (steak haché/frites), and a shower, and he was wandering around in the warm evening air before their meal last night. He sounded fine, is very pleased with himself, thank goodness for that, does that mean he doesn't need to do it again (??????), and was looking forward to another day of taking it easy, and bit of shopping, on Sunday. Oh and in case you're wondering, he'd had just one beer, but I haven't yet gathered if it was pre-shower or post!

Thanks Emma

Just a quick email before the concert starts (the Paris Orchestra are here...no, really, they are!) to say thank you to Emma for her message on the food bag that had my tortilla in. It said: Flour Tortilla. We get chocolate cake, you get tortilla. Keep Going!
Thanks Emma, I will! Just 17.5 k tommorrow, so about 11 miles, havent checked terrain yet, but I guess 1:45 to 2 hrs? Depends how I feel. Felt very tired today, and all that effort to move only 6 places up the rankings, 118 th now, but that could just as easily go up as well as down tommorrow, I'll take the 109 th long stage placing as my moment of glory, that and finishing!

Stage five, in his master's voice

42.2 km today, full marathon distance and a Personal Worst in 5 hrs 7 mins. Still, given it was 46 degres at CP3 and sandy, and I've just run 116 miles in the past 4 days, I'll settle for that. Only came 127th though, so there must be some excellent runners out here....I wait to see the overall standings. Today's start was good stoney running to CP 1, and I could still see the leaders going over the hill ahead. 2 climbs followed then sand.....I was on a 5hrs30 schedule though and was up on time the whole way. After CP3 we hit good stony running again so I put the foot down....pleased with the result. Also ran through a settlement today, so lots of palm trees, kids asking for water and gateaux and low mud brick buildings. In answer to email questions: it's definitely pod racing country, for anhsal read anakin, they both fly over sand. Sandcastles, haven't built one, but took a photo of a real live one today. Right, last email from the desert, hopefully back on text tomorrow, 11m to go.

Stage five - just a marathon

Well he's done it again - exceeded all expectations and turned in a cracking performance and a time of 5 hours 7 minutes - his fastest pace so far at 8.23k/hr. Overall placing seems to be 118th, although these change sometimes. Still first British woman, and all set no doubt for a sprint finish to the line tomorrow over about 11 miles, ready for that Ice Cold Beer in Ouarzazate in the evening. Shower first or beer first? Votes please.

Fame at last!

Paul has been in the local paper many times with his various exploits, but never before has he been featured on the billboard, so ta da! here he is, outside the local newsagents!! Story inside and good pictures of a child helped by Facing Africa, and one of Paul in his full kit outside a very non-desert looking Silver Mill Cottages. Today the Wharfedale Observer, tomorrow who knows?

Blog Central, Silver Mill, Otley.

Rest Day

Why does he send emails just when I'm going to bed? Honestly, sooooo inconsiderate. Here are today's words of wisdom from the man himself:


Bonjour! Nice day? Well, sunny here and a bit boring, but definitely need the rest as tomorrow is marathon day. Mulling over tactics, might set out at quicker pace but if its too much revert to plan A. Feet came throgh yesterday well. Blister on top of left big toe seems to have healed. One new one under right big toe, so pierced it with safety pin, drianed the gunk and dressed with salvon and tape, no problem walking on/running. Today I officially MING! to teh heavens, but then so doe severyone else, really looking forward to a shower in 2 days time! To recap yesteday, the best route so far for stunning scenery, three big climbs, not just the first on the website, ridge running, immense salt flats shimmering like lakes, dunes, oasis at cp 2, sunset and running in the dark (which is just like running in the dark anywhere but more sandy). Came 109 yesterday, now 124 overall. Pleased, but shame not to have broken into top 100. Limit up, so till demain.

Stage four - long day?

Email from Paul:

Well yes, it was, but 11 hrs 4 mins it was perhaps my quickest speed so far. I had a 10 hour plan mapped out, and a tad disappointed not to break 11 hours, but the dreaded soft sand did for me again, I am beginning to loath it! Still, pleased with my result, and wait to find out the placing tomorrow - rest day. No injuries to report...yet, but I haven't taken my socks off yet, not expecting anything though. Amazing scenery today and reached the first big climb in third place (the top 50 runners set off 3 hrs later _ saw one at CheckPoint 4, he was flying and it wasn't anahal (leader).) A few other climbs slowed me down, as did the last hour in the dark, but hit a great surface with 10 mins to go and sprinted!

Paul finished 109th in the stage, taking him up to 119th place overall. Better not tell him that under 11hours for stage 4 would have taken him into the top 100 overall........

4 euros/minute

4 euros/minute is the price of a satellite phone call from Oued Ahssia to announce a brilliant time of 11hours and 4 minutes for 75.5k!! Phenomenal. I thought he would do 13-14 hours, so clearly once again Paul is surpassing expectations. He says he would like to have got under 11 hours......typical.
He sounded very chirpy and relaxed, still just the 2 blisters, but is now missing a leisure sock and his foilbubble stove windshield due to a windstorm last night - for the first time he didn't repack his rucksack - lesson there for us all...... He asked me to thank EVERYONE who has emailed and sent messages of support, they are much appreciated and he said to keep sending them!!
So a rest day tomorrow when he can look at a bit more sand...then marathon Friday and 10m ish Saturday......

Signed, Mission Control.

Your views please

Found this picture when I was trawling the MdS website for any news of Paul on this, 'the longest day'. Having seen most of his kit at close quarters (on the dressing table in the bedroom for most of March), I think this might be him at the back of this photo looking at the view instead of concentrating on the rope rail. The orange sleep mat is a big clue I think, although they do appear elsewhere.

Anyone else think so?? The photo is on the Darbaroud website under Day 4 photos if you want a better look , but I'm not skilled enough to improve the resolution any more!!

Pamela

Day 3 Stage 3

Another excellent performance from Paul on Tuesday, 25.1m in 5hrs 48mins, moving him up to 148th place, and 11th British person home. The person he has leapfrogged is Sharon Gayter, so now Paul is the 'first British woman'. When Paul started to run races, especially local ones, his target was always to beat the first woman - a realistic but challenging target, given the fantastic quality of female runners out there. So the competitive side of him (I know, you'll all be suprised by this) will be quite satisfied. Probably the boost he needs before he tackles the 46.8m 'long day' on Wednesday.

We've got everything crossed - again. There are some fantastic photos on the darbaroud website, well worth a visit. Here's a taster.