The final stage in to the treasury was nothing short of magnificent...I was so excited to have achieved a personal best for myself and I knew Carolyn would be waiting for me at the finish line. As I ran through the Petra sight and made my way to the finish line at the treasury I was full of emotion I had to pinch myself.......I was truly here in this beautiful place full of so much history....I was tingling all over ...the path then started winding around through the back entrance of the ancient city of Petra Indian Jones style of course....then down through the siq (a narrow canyon)... to the finish line in front of the treasury.......Indian Johns you would have been proud of us all.... well goose bumps were all over me....the crowd was roaring as I came through in front of the treasury and then in between two camels positioned either side of the finish then up to receive my medal .....It couldn’t get any better than this.....or could it....OMG Col ......Yes Col he was there to greet me at the finish line and put the medal around my neck .....I was totally in shock....crying and stupidly saying to him is it really you.....there isn’t a word that could describe how I felt......I hoped this feeling would last forever that I could bottle it up and just realise little bits of it every day of my life......

I took it all in and cheered other competitors on as they too came through the finish line..... as always many of them I had become very close to we had shared parts of each other’s lives and all had great respect of each other at what we had all just achieved......

The journey never really ends and after a shower back at the motel the awards banquet and a wonderful slide show of photos of the past days....it was all hard to believe a week had past. The next day we would all go our separate ways and back to the normalities of our lives but deep down a part of us had all changed, bonds had been formed and lifelong friends had been made..... to all my wonderful tents mates, fellow competitors I ran with, chatted with and ate dinner with...stay safe stay happy and hope to see you in another desert in the future.... to everyone that followed me and kept me going I thank you ......you all made me feel very special it is a very humbling experience to read your comments I hope in some way I may have inspired you also to give whatever it is in your life that you think you would like to achieve a go as if someone had told me I would have achieved what I did in this race I would have just laughed at them and said .......No way... so anything is possible you just have to DREAM BIG.......... Sandyx

I am struggling to write this as I am so teary…feeling very emotional and haven’t even crossed the finish line…just love all you guys out there following me and your wonderful words of both encouragement and faith that I could just get the job done….Yellow jelly beans sure help near the end of the long stage Deano don’t tell any one they are my magic drug…..was a tough course I am so over rocks have to say out of all the deserts I have done that was one of the toughest long stages so many climbs and descends that went of forever and then through crushed rock and boulders under feet…. But I did it with a final longer length of some road running even run up those hills as I just wanted to get into camp but not with out a cruelled descend down the side of the cliff and two massive falls picking myself up and trying to follow glow sticks down the cliff face… so it was certainly a slide in that is for sure….I was very happy….I had completed the long stage …tomorrow is going to be magical and we have just under 6kms and the end at the treasury in Petra….feel teary thinking about it…

So many wonderful positive comments I feel very humbled by them all    I am sitting here looking out of the cyber tent at the mountains and the sun shining on them and thinking how lucky I am. Deano think I sang every single one of those Born to Run songs after you put that in my brain…Andy you told me to treat the first four days as training days and all I can say is gosh you sure set some hard training days…but all good ready for the long day tomorrow…the down times will come and go and the high times will be great…the scenery has sure been gorgeous today we went over and through rock formations and this beautiful arch OMG I had to stop pinch myself truly amazing….Had a great run and felt strong and the end…Of course by now there is war wounds my waist is covered with tape everywhere from the rubbing of the pack along with my shoulders…blisters on only two toes and a nice blood blister near my bunion…recovery has been good …so bring on tomorrow…

Carolyn has been doing  a great job with the volunteering so awesome having her screaming cheers of excitement when she sees me..and no Rohan have sold her of for camels…but geez we went past a camel racing track yesterday it is serious business over her and they can be worth millions….

Today started out with a run through a canyon and rock scrambling quiet fun really fell on my backside as I slide down a boulder. Lots of loose sand today and lots of uphills and down loved the down hill in the sand dunes awesome.. just giggled to myself..most gorgeous scenery but again ….canyons and the most magnificent rock formations…how lucky am I to be running out here….okay did have a rather down moment after I left the last check point we had been through a village an headed out to just a boring type sand area and I knew it was 10 odd kms to camp so I just kept on ticking the legs over running thinking of home and knowing everyone was watching and waiting for me to get in.and when I heard the drums of the finish line and camp I was so excited another day done….woot hoo

Well not sure were to start but today was much warmer after freezing all day and night the day before. We had no cyber tent after first stage as was so wet tent leaking and everyone huddled into a very small space. It was hard to not wish for it all to go away…but deserts have a way of throwing challengers at you and that it did for everyone. I was lucky enough to get in by 12.30ish which meant I was able to get warm and get food into me…lots of competitors were out in it for a long time … they set up fires to try to warm everyone up but by 6pm I was in my bed and the only time I got out was to go to toilet which was a hike away…

Today Day 2 was wonderful loved it scenery was breathtaking and I love the variation of the run…had a great great day…took it a bit easier and did my ususal shuffle run were the surface was tougher eg sand…lots of it well of course it’s a desert.

Check in is done and we have had the briefing weather is very chilly at present ...not what I was hoping for but fingers crossed for Sunday.  We have had the briefing and guess what lots of sand for the first three days no surprise on that one ... Really just can’t wait to get out there now and then whatever it will be it will be...

Miss everyone at home will try my best to keep blogs up to date from the cybertent , keep a smile on my face and stay positive ..... Talk soon from Wadi Rum... xx

I think the realisation has finally hit me ….. I am going on a plane to Jordan in 5 days’ time….. I guess life is so busy with working trying to fit in training and making some time for your family that you kind of dismiss it and at times it doesn’t feel really……….. …. Yeap we all know what it is like. So then what happens is we just get on with the day to day things and collapse in bed at night and do it all over the next day…  My brain has little time to think about the fact that I will be leaving in days other than the date in my diary and the mess in the spare room as a constant reminder that I better get it all packed.

Well its nearly the weekend so my mission is to have everything packed on Saturday if not panic will set in on Sunday as I am working right up to when I get on the plane on Tuesday night. I know once I get to the airport and check in, the excitement and nerves will flood in but not without the emotions of leaving my hubby Colin home this time. Oh yes as we know our families make huge sacrifices for us to be there too…the hours of training and all the organisation of getting gear and food together, they too are part of…. so without them we would not make it to the start line.

So every day they will be in my hearts I have their photos with me and when things get tough I will look at those photos and remember the sacrifices they have made for me to be there and know they are cheering me on from home..... …

I am very lucky in life I have the support of my wonderful husband, children and a tribe of gorgeous grandchildren …..and of course don’t forget my awesome friends …everyone supports me in so many different ways……..each with their unique ability to make me feel good about what I am doing…… so to you all I will try to make you proud and in that do the very best I can with whatever is thrown at me in the desert…… run, walk or crawl I will get to that finish line.

To my wonderful friend Carolyn who is coming to her first desert with me as a volunteer I better apologies now as somewhere along the way I would imagine a meltdown will happen and when it does …… …I am sure you will have some comforting words to say like “suck it up princess” and at that point I will be on my way to finish another day …. 

To all the desert warriors see you in Petra… Sandy