Ultra special Mongolia
Two weeks ago we headed off to Mongolia to embark on our second, 3-day ultra marathon. Much to our delight, Joel (the eldest of our children) decided to come along and join us. Joel hadn’t done a run longer than 23kms before, so 100kms over three days was a huge undertaking for him.
The adventure started as soon as we boarded the plane. No sooner had we sat down than it was announced we couldn’t take off because of restrictions over Chinese airspace. We were stuck on the tarmac for 2 hours. Upon reaching Ulaanbaatar we boarded buses for what was” supposed” to be a 4-hour bus ride to our camp. Unfortunately our bus got lost, which really wasn’t surprising as the bitumen road we were traveling on disappeared thirty minutes out of town and we had to cross vast open fields until we found the next piece of bitumen road about forty five minutes away. After 4 hours driving we turned off the tar road and waited 30 minutes for the Camp manager to come and meet us. It was pitch black and no roads were visible, so without his guidance we wouldn’t have been able to find our way across the desert. By this time it was early hours of the morning, we were tired, hungry and all too aware that we had to be up in a few hours to run. However, this was all part of the experience of running in an isolated location and everyone took it in their stride.
Our camp, on the Northern edge of the Gobi Desert consisted of about 40 Gers, (round, white Mongolian tents) with a separate toilet block and eating hall. In the dark it looked isolated and barren the only relief coming from the mass of brilliant stars that formed a sparkling backdrop to this strange landscape. In the morning (after about 3 hours sleep), the landscape still looked isolated and barren and I couldn’t help but wonder how inspiring running 42 kms through this desert scape would be.
Still half asleep, we lined up at the starting post with the other 140 runners embarking on this crazy adventure. Some were doing the 100kms (which was our choice) and others participating in the 60km option. About 15kms into the race my body began to warm up and I started to appreciate the stunning landscape around me. Had I really thought it was barren and stark?? We ran through valleys surround by towering rock formations. We ran up hills with Mongolian worship sites erected on top where you could see breathtaking 360 degree views of the Gobi Desert. There were no trees, but native violets, bush rhubarb and wild flowers dotted the grasslands. The sky was a vast expanse of cobalt blue with barely a cloud in sight. Mongolia is a sparsely populated country, in three days of running we saw very few people just the occasional herder with his goats and sheep. On the last day we ran along a small stream while a herd of Mongolian ponies grazed on the banks, keeping a watchful eye on us. The course was tough but enjoyable, especially when you crossed the finish line at the end of each day.
Unfortunately on day two I took a tumble onto the sharp stones and ended up needing stitches in my chin. I was incredibly frustrated (grumpy!!) at not being able to finish the course for the day, but the doctor at the nearest checkpoint insisted I be bandaged up and bundled off to the local village hospital. (An experience in itself!). When I was stitched up, injected with painkillers and safely back in camp I stopped feeling sorry for myself and reflected on how lucky I was.
My fellow runners were incredibly caring and helpful. They put aside their own time goals to get me to the nearest checkpoint and make sure I had adequate medical attention.
The Local village hospital had an excellent doctor who took his work seriously. He was very particular about making sure I knew that Mongolians were well-trained doctors and that I was in good hands.
As I had only hurt my chin I knew I would be ok to run the next day. If I had done an injury to my legs or feet, then I would have had to miss out on the fun of day three altogether.
Day three is the shortest of the runs for those doing the 100kms. All participants do 21kms together. I was still feeling a bit fragile from my fall so decided to run with my husband and stepson and enjoy the surroundings. I have to say, I loved every minute of it. There was no pressure on me to run fast, so I could take photos, marvel at the scenery and chat to my fellow runners (much to my husbands horror as he feels running and talking don’t go together at all!). The mood in camp was euphoric as everyone crossed the finish and realized they had achieved their goal. Three tough days of running had been accomplished. The smiles, high fives and hugs said it all.
What I love most about participating in these runs is chatting to people and hearing their stories. One lovely lady had decided to give herself the run as a 50th birthday present. We had a mother and her 12yr old son competing together. Another young man convinced his 68 yr old father to run the 100kms (there was lots of cheering as he came across the line).
The highlight for both my husband and I was having Joel join on us on the run. He hadn’t trained as much as us, yet he fronted up each morning to the start line and didn’t stop till he crossed the finish line at the end of each day. He didn’t complain, (and i know there were a lot of sore muscles), he just put his head down and got on with the task he has set out to do. Joel proved to himself that with mental strength and determination you can achieve anything. We couldn’t be prouder of him.
The sense of camaraderie each afternoon after the hard work was done was fabulous. New friends were made and old friends were reunited. What was obvious by the last day was how empowering being part of this event was to everyone there. It didn’t matter if you came first, last or didn’t manage to finish (me) you had achieved a personal triumph that made you realize just what is possible if you set your mind to it. I would go so far as to say it’s a life changing experience.
A few of my friends have said to me that they could never do this sort of event. I want to tell you that ANYONE can do it; you just have to take a leap of faith and believe in yourself.
We are already planning our next one.
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