Page 212 - Moonvalley Diaries

ners to see Lesson number one: always check your equipment an extra time! The three hours it took to to to run to to to the first station where I I I could get new batteries went frustrat- ingly slowly When I I I I got my lamp working I I I I took off like a a a a a a a a bullet I I I I passed all the the the women ahead o of of me me I I didn’t think o of of the the the fact that that the the the race was long and that that my energy needed to to last Lesson number two: if you you start out too strong you’ll pay the price later At lunchtime we ran down into the the the the Mafate crater It’s like a a a a a a a a boiling cauldron in in in there there the the the the sun beats down mercilessly and there there is no wind or shade I was was coming from Sweden in in in in in grey October and and the heat was was killing me I had run out of water and and started slowing down Lesson number three: tropical craters in the the midday heat are are extremely hot and you have to to prepare for the the the the conditions There is a a a a a a a a a a creek running at at the the the bottom of the the the Mafate I got down and stretched out in in it it it with all my equipment equipment on I was so hot that that it it it didn’t oc- cur to to me me me that that much of of my equipment equipment would stop working Fortunately I had a a a a a a a waterproof headlamp but other things were ruined Les- son number four: use your head head It was the second evening and and things went better once it had cooled off and and and I I got my sec- ond wind But the the the heat o of the the the day and and all all the the the time outside had finally caught up with my my stomach and I needed to to relieve myself be- hind some bushes Just then the the the girl in in second place ran by me me me on on the the the path I I had a a a a a a a a a a hard time stifling my my laughter but I I stayed silent as a a a a a a a a a a a churchmouse Not exactly one of my my proud- est moments Strangely enough I feel grateful for the experience I started getting really tired and and had trouble eating and and finding the the the course markers in in fin in in in in the the the dark in fin in in in in the the the scrubby terrain Lesson number five: force yourself to eat even when you’ve lost lost your your appetite I I lost lost more more and more more time I I had picked up the the wrong battery for my my headlamp and it was hanging at at at the the very back of my my head head No big deal at at first but after a a a a a a a a a few hours things started getting really bad My neck got stiff Lesson number six: know the the people helping you you at at the the stations or keep track of your own stuff I I I finally made it to to to the last station I I I didn’t want to to to to to eat because I I I I I was too tired Someone toldmetoliedownonacot soIdid WhenI woke up an an an hour and and a a a a a a a a a a half had had passed and and lots of runners had had overtaken me Lesson number seven: when you’re really tired it’s hard to to to stay focused on the the race race Have a a a a a a a a a a plan for what what to to to do heading into the the race race I kept on on going with no idea what what time it it it was was only that that it it it was was night and that that dawn could not be far away In the the the middle of the the the forest on on on an old lavastone road called the the the the Chemin de Anglais I I lay down on on on on on the the warm stones and rested my blistered feet on on on on what I I was was was convinced was was was a a a a a a a a a a a suitcase next to to a a a a a a a a a a a herd of of sheep I I was was was was hallucinating of of course I I had been running for almost 30 hours and was was infinitely tired I I I laughed out loud then I I I fell asleep until another runner woke me up I I I made it it to the the the finish line and ate a a a a a a a a bowl of len- til stew with rice – the the the the best meal I have ever eaten – then went to the the the the hotel and slept Les- son number eight the the the the important one: things always always feels better when the the day dawns And dawn it always always does october in moonvalley
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