Sleeping under the stars

It has been two days since the last blog due to our location between Ceduna and Port Augusta. In the last blog I wrote that my body was running on low and it continued that way on Saturday from Minnipa to Kimba. The 160km’s was again very rural with green pastoral lands covering both sides of the road and going as far as one could see. With rolling hills and green country side I heard Billy call out from the campervan that it just looked like something out of Tour de France. At the time I was climbing up a small hill and some of the fields also had a bright yellow colour from the flowers of canola plants.

I rode just out of Kimba into the Lake Gillies National Park area and we decided to have a camp out in the bush with a fire. As soon as we found a suitable spot just off the road, a fire was lit and we sat around all afternoon and into the night enjoying each other’s company. During the night the clouds that had been lingering around all week decided to disappear, putting on a fantastic show with the thousands of stars. It also showed us just how cold it can get of a night.

I was back on the road in darkness this morning, cycling in a mellow minus 2 degrees. I even put on a beanie under my helmet to try and get some warmth back in through my head. We travelled 45km’s to an old mining town called Iron Knob and did the weekly interview on 2KY/Sky Sports. This town was famous for iron ore and had the most profitable hotel in SA during its boom, but now is virtually a ghost town with only a few residents.

As the sun rose, I started to thaw out and began peeling off layers of clothing. Between Iron Knob and Port Augusta the roads reminded me of the Nullarbor. They were long, flat straights with low harsh vegetation and reddish sandy soil. I was happy to finally reach Port Augusta around midday for a shower, and to throw about a thousand loads of washing on. The support crew have once again been fantastic and only have four more days until another change over.

Regards Craig

Long slow climbs

Craig takes a breath

Support crew tackles the long straights

Enjoying the warmth by the campfire

All you ever wanted to know about ultramarathons

Mine country

Feeling much better today and I have just finished for the day at Leonora after travelling 130km’s. Jumped off the bike and felt like running for a couple of hours, but I don’t want to get too far in front of schedule. I am a day or so in front and have set myself up for two short days into Kalgoorlie before my next crew changeover. I thought for something different, I would answer some of the most frequently asked questions by people who come up and chat with me on the journey.

Q. What’s the hardest thing about a 92 day ultra-marathon?

A. Firstly, it would be being apart from Lisa and the kids for the 3 months. The other thing is knowing you have to wake up every day and somehow travel 150km’s on average. Sleep deprivation is also something I suffer from wondering each day what the weather is going to do to me and whether I am going to reach the 1 million dollar mark.

Q. How does your body recover each day?

A. I try and pace myself each day so my heart rate stays low and even. Because I’m not racing, I can cruise at my pace and retain muscle composure and minimize any damage. I also have a brilliant Russian scanning device from “Scenarhealth” that works wonders. Eating the right foods is also an important combination for muscle recovery and the replenishing of energy stores.

Q. What do you think about all the time when running/paddling/riding.

A. When I’m not being entertained by the support crew I either listen to music, or try to “zone out”. When I “zone out” I try to cut my mind off from the physical aspect of what I am doing and generally go into a deep trance. I obviously think about the reason for doing the marathon and sometimes I can’t remember what I have been thinking for hours.

Q. How do you work out what you are going to do each day?

A. I generally know what I will do each day as it depends on the landscape with water or land. The weather is a major factor with wind being the real threat to performance. If I know that the following days conditions are going to bad, I will make the most of good days and push a bit further. Over 92 days you must consider saving energy levels where possible.

Q. Will you really get 1 million dollars?

A. I actually believe we are capable of getting more. If 200,000 Australians all donate $10.00, then that is 2 million. It is just a matter of spreading the word and people taking 10 minutes to make a donation. 10 minutes commitment for my 92 days is relatively easy.

Regards, Craig