"You're As Ugly As A Mud Fence On A Rainy Day..."‏

We arrived safely this morning into the dreary, depressing town of Urumqi and were greeted with a bit of a surprise. In every race you can expect the unexpected when it comes to terrain and course direction, however the staples of a desert race remain so for a reason. Dry, hot, arid, and hot again. Desert race. The clue is in the name. 

It's been as hot as 127 degrees Fahrenheit in the Turpan Basin this week and as hot as 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Urumqi, however just as we've arrived it's plummeted to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit with sideways gales of rain and threats of flash floods. If Urumqi was god awful ugly in the sunshine then you can imagine it in the cold and rain. "You're as pretty as a mud fence on a rainy day" as one of my German friends used to say. Not only that, but this is sandstorm season here in the Gobi Desert, and just days ago a sandstorm blew in like a Hollywood disaster movie. Residents hid inside their homes with their windows and doors locked shut as the dust storm swept through the region advancing 70ft a minute. 

 

Day turned to night as tons of dust temporarily blocked out the sun and reduced visibility to around 600ft. But suddenly the storm calmed and the mile-high cloud settled back to Earth again, leaving villagers with a major clean-up operation. Every spring strong winds blow across the Gobi creating huge columns of dust and sand, which are then dumped nearby. The dust can cause frequent power blackouts, transport delays and respiratory illness.

 

 

While impending sandstorms and today's rain have sent the Uighars and Han scrambling for shelter, it's also sent competitors scrambling back to their hotel rooms for last minute adjustments to their packs. But no one seems absolutely sure what adjustments are to be made. Extra pairs of socks? Swimming googles? Another waterproof? An additional tube of
Hydropel? Runners are a meticulous bunch. Months of preparation bordering on neuroticism exploded thanks to a last minute changing of the goalposts.

I've got to admit that regardless of the weather, what's in my pack is in my pack, and as long as temperatures don't become dangerously low, then I'm more than willing and ready to get out there in any conditions.

Arriving in Beijing amongst some friends was nice and began to get me in race mode somewhat, however arriving in Urumqi and seeing guys like Red Bull sponsored runner, Austrian Christian Scheister, and his three-man personal film crew, gets me amped up and reminds me what kind of talent these races bring to the table.

There are some serious athletes here and it's going to be a battle out there. New Zealander, LisaTamati, who was New Zealand Sportswoman of 2008 – ran the length of New Zealand – 2200km in 43 days. She has twice completed the Badwater Ultramarathon through America's Death Valley--a race so grueling that the competitors' shoes can melt on the 135 degree
Fahrenheit asphalt. Guys like Dan Parr from Hong Kong and Frenchman Olivier Theriet will compete for the top spot with Scheister. I won't compete with these guys for honors but just having them around gets the competitive juices flowing and reminds me that it's time to break down barriers, to push limits, and to get the most out of myself both physically and mentally for the next 6-days.

Game on boys and girls!

Good running!

Rp