Here in OZZ with all the other MdS tragics

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I'm in an internet cafe in Ouarzazate. It's hot today, 38 deg C and cool at night.  Not too over the top. Just had a lovely Maroccan lunch and heard from other runners  that the tenperature seared up to 55C last year.

 

Have managed to get the pack down to 8.8kg without removing one calorie which is fantastic. Most of the other runners have packs weighing 10-15kg+.  I could go lower but if I do I'll need to assume that I have no margin for errors. In fact I need to add back a couple of items.  There is a french girl who has a 5.5kg pack. ie. not enough food. Appaerntly she'll be penalised if she doesn't go in at least 6.5kg.

 

Ouarzazate life is slow. The Atlas mountains are in sight and the snow capped peaks seem out of place compared to the rough dry earthy appearance of the city and surrounds.  The moroccan architecture is just brilliant, and I like that adobe render look.

 

The other athletes seem so obsessed with pack weight. Looks like my research and work has paid off.

 

Apparently Jack Osborne (son of Ozzy) is here and competing. Hope he doesn't get lost and follow in his father's footsteps by eating bats from a Garrison like that poor Italian policeman in the Discovery documentary.

 

In the morning we leave to the desert by truck. We'll spend the afternoon sweltering then Saturday is a full day of checks then Sunday we run.

 

No one has any idea of the course or the exact distances until Saturday afternoon.

 

I'm 10hrs behind AEST.  Sharing a room with an Americano called Tony. He seems fast, lean and relatively young for this sort of run (32).

 

Apparently there are seven film crews covering the event this year.

 

This will be my last post from civilisation. I will try to post from the desert from the media centre.

 

 

 

 

 

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