Note: In April, I competed in the 2012 Marathon des Sables, a seven-day, 150-mile stage race in southern Morocco.
I found a rope’s end while lying on the Berber rug of a medical tent during Stage 4 of the Marathon des Sables. When I climbed out of the tent and into the wee hours of a Sahara Desert night, I realized that it was my own. I let go of its frayed end while a million pinpricks of stars flickered in an African sky above me, and I felt so freaking free.
I’m not doing well in my attempts to blog about Marathon des Sables. I’m at this point so-danged tempted to just plain skip it and move on! However, it was such a life-altering experience that not documenting it would be more painful than the discomfort incited by trying to write about it.
I can’t believe that it’s Marathon des Sables time again! Where has a year gone? With a bit more packing, a last sauna visit, one more night at home, and then a fair bit of traveling, I will shortly find myself in sunny, sandy, south Morocco. There is so much about this year that feels deja vu-ish; there is also so much about my 2010 visit to the Sahara that will be different.
While I felt comfortable with my 22-minute cushion, I expected Luz to go for it on this 4th and final stage.
