The strong winds that brought a sandstorm through the camp last night continued to blow today during Day 4. Last night had been particularly interesting for those who, like me, had secured a spot near the door in the camp. Sand got into everything! Conditions today were very warm and blowy, and I stuck to my plan to maintain a consistent pace to ensure I have enough in the tank for tomorrow’s 80km stage.

It’s amazing how important the email messages of support are proving to be. I was alone for most of the first two stages and I continued to recall the awesome comments of inspiration from so many special people. THANK YOU!!

The course again was challenging, made up of a number of sand dunes varying in height, salt flats, and, no surprises – soft sand everywhere. I passed the time by dreaming of being on my favourite beach, with views of the water, a cold drink in hand and that special someone at my side… Well, whatever it takes, right? Positive thinking seemed to work wonders, and there was no stopping me today, despite the intense heat, strong winds and challenging terrain.

For those of you struggling to imagine what it’s like out here, I’ll try to explain. Imagine carrying a pack weighing close to 15kg on your shoulders. Then add the weight of three litres of water. Then add the fact that the water and sports drink you are carrying are heated by the Sahara sun, so your body is taking in the heat from those as well. To top it off, the blisters on your feet are making the extreme terrain and heat even more challenging. All up, it’s just another day at the office really…

At the first checkpoint I noticed that my blisters were causing some issues. The doctor advised me that it wasn’t urgent, and it could wait until the next checkpoint or until the end of the day. So I tipped the sand out of my shoes and decided to suck up the discomfort and push on to the next checkpoint.

I carried on solo until the second checkpoint, where I met up with Deborah Kelly, an Aussie from Brisbane now working in Singapore. She wasn’t looking too flash, so we agreed to carry on together to make it home. It was a great support to be able to share the remainder of the journey and to help each other across the line.

The distances seem to keep stretching out as the event continues. Today I was told by the same person who misinformed me on Day 2 about the ease of the remaining stage, that today I was on course for only a few more kilometres of easy travel before I would hit the finish line. Again it was completely untrue. The distance felt like double, and was filled with sand dune after sand dune.

I finished today in just over 11 hours and I’ve now managed to have my feet taped. I have blisters on the front and back of both feet, which will really add to the challenge tomorrow when I face the long 80km stage. I was told this evening that the end of tomorrow’s stage will mark the end of the race. We will then be bussed into the Pyramids to run the final 2km for a photo. All that really matters now is that I have 24 hours to complete the 80km course. I will need to draw on all the strength I have to make it across that finish line.

Looking forward to reporting from the other side – wish me luck!!