Day 4 in the Gobi

Completed stage 4 and had a relatively good day.  We started at 3am so we could be on the buses by 4:00am.  They drove us about an hour and half away to the start, down into the Turpan Basin.  We began running around 6:05am and for me the first two check points were fantastic. I´m able to run a lot more than I was able to in the Atacama.  As I say that though, getting to checkpoint 3 (the finish line) necessitated my walking quite a bit.  The final checkpoint took us up and down sand dunes, into deep canyons with just a single track.  We ran this environment for about 5 miles.  It was rather hot, and being a bit claustrophobic, I felt like the air was being sucked right out of me.  Coming down towards the finish was great sand running.  At one point, I looked up to the top of the cavern ledge to see someone on a camel waving.  As I waved back I knew that I was in close proximity of being able to rest my weary bones.
 
This camp site is so unusual but fantastic.  It is a recreation of an ancient village that was supposed to be an amusement park that never happened.  I can´t imagine why they built here...as there does not seem to be a village or town anywhere.  Our sleeping quarters are on the marbel floors of the museum.  I just hope that nothing comes alive in the middle of the night.  It is truly magical though and such a wonderful place to run.

 
Tomorrow is the looooooong day - 60 some miles, so my blog will not be posted until sometime Friday. 

Send all that positive energy, we need it!