It was a long and painful day. Very, on both counts. Oddly enough, despite the severity of my situation, I never once thought of dropping out.  In the end, I was able to hobble, limp, and otherwise move forward, and finished the 86km trek in 19 hours and change. The biggest problem was going down as I could not bend my left knee thanks to the pulled groin and then hip flexor. The flats were fine as I could use my hip to swing my leg forward and I made good time on those sections thanks to my fitness. The hills were also okay provided there were no obstacles.

As I reflect on the week, I am torn between disappointment at being robbed of a chance of a good result, feeling proud of myself for pushing through so far with the injury, and feeling stupid for the damage that I caused to my legs. Really, I’m not exactly sure why I finished…maybe to see the course, maybe to get the medal, maybe for the fitness, or maybe simply to not fail. But in the end, the effort was probably unnecessary. I didn’t need to put myself through it, and I didn’t have anything to prove to myself. And I took way too many drugs this week. It was what it was.

I took one step out of the gate today and new that my race was over. The pain that shot up and down my leg was searing. I kept on walking but even the walkers were moving faster. I could not put any weight on my left leg, and could not lift it up over soft sand without a sharp jolt of pain. I almost started to cry. I came here to finish top 10 and with a healthy groin, I’m sure I could have done it. Three days running with the top guys and staying right in the mix every day, even with my injury getting worse. But not today.

The race is over but the adventure is not. I did not drop out of the race. I walked at the best pace I could muster and eventually finished stage 4 in 7.5hrs and in a wold of hurt. My overall ranking no longer matters. I will likely drop to 100 or so when it is all over, but I will finish the race. Tomorrow is a brutal 86km, but I can’t wait to get at it. I think, in the end, that finishing this race in the pain that I am in will prove almost as rewarding as a top 10 finish, if only because of the challenge. Running at my pace is easy…less time on course and more time to recover. Walking 86km in agony is much more difficult. I’m not even sure I can do it, but I will try.

So there you have it. Another learning experience, and a great boost to my confidence. I keep knocking on the door and it won’t be long before I get in.

And did I mention that Jordan (the deserts that is) is one of the most beautiful places on earth?

So today was extremely difficult…for me. I started the day in the top 10 and kept a good pace but my groin started hurting so much that I had to walk the last 5km. And again watch people slowly pass me. I think I dropped down to 15^th spot on the day, which is still ok considering the injury. Other than the pain, I am finding my fitness level very high and confident I could compete for top 5 if my body would cooperate. As it stands I am probably top 15 at this point and likely to keep falling. The doctor told me that I have a serious muscle strain and normally should rest for a week. I reminded her that I still had 130km to go, so she gave me some more painkillers and showed me a few stretches. I am actually quite sad to be in this situation, but such is life. The beautiful scenery makes things seem better, albeit temporarily. I am going to finish the race, at any cost…even if I have to walk…which is starting to look highly likely. So please don’t worry as you see my slide down the standings. It is what it is.

Well, here I am. Days 1 and 2 were very cold and wet, almost Icelandic but not quite. The scenery is absolutely stunning…different coloured sand and the most amazing rock formations everywhere. Add in some camels and this place really feels special…like no place I have ever seen.

The race has been both good and bad for me so far. I have been dealing with a bad groin pull since the last half of stage 1. I woke up today in so much pain I was wondering if I would even be able to walk, let alone run. After 400mg of Ibuprofen and a slow start, this got better before going back to bad near the end of the stage. I am flirting with the top 10 and was in 7^th place for most of today until the groin acted up. I am happy to be back at camp now, resting and stretching…and just hoping I can keep it going. It is very frustrating to be so close and running with an injury.

Elite athletes are not the only ones who can secure sponsorship. In fact, I would argue that some of us lesser talented folk can not only extract greater benefit from sponsorship but, in turn, can also provide more exposure for the sponsor. After all, who sees those guys at the front of the pack anyway? It's the runners in the middle of the pack who have access to more people who are more likely to be looking for products and services (and more likely to pay for them).

With that said, I am pleased to announce my association with Kinemedics - an Ottawa/Canada-based company that will be supporting me as an athlete as I move forward in my evolving career as an ultra trail runner. I am very excited to have their knowledge and expertise in my corner as I take on a challenging year of racing including the 4 Deserts Grand Slam and Ultra Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF). As we are late in getting things going, I will not be sporting any fancy logos in Jordan :)

Kinemedics is a recognized leader across Canada in the sports medicine field. For over 16 years, they have provided patients (including professional athletes), sports therapy experts, and other health care professionals with the best possible equipment, services and expertise for the treatment and prevention of injuries.

Kinemedics will be supporting me in a number of different ways that will make my training and ability to compete in races a whole lot easier. This will include the ability to train and recuperate on their exercise and rehabilitation equipment on my return to Ottawa this summer (including the revolutionary Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill), as well as access to first aid and rehabilitation supplies, training, injury prevention, and rehabilitation/recovery advice, and other support.

In the past, Kinemedics has sponsored great athletes such as fellow Canadian and ultra runner, Ray Zahab, in his famous run across the Sahara in 2006 (7,500km in 111 days, without a single day of rest).

And now it's my turn to tackle the Sahara. It might not be as far as Ray, but it will still be one heck of a challenge for me. See you all in T minus 4 days!

Iceland, my first RTP race, is now a distant memory. I learned a lot about gear, physical and mental preparation, and managing all of the non-running aspects of a stage race. I learned a lot on my own, through trial and error, but also benefitted immensely from the gear selection and professional advice so accessible through the RTP store – literally a one-stop shop for everything that you need for your race. Overall, I was both pleased and disappointed with my result in Iceland. I could have done slightly better, but also could have done much worse. 

Fast forward to Jordan…although not so fast, I suppose, as there are many other races to worry about before stepping onto the plane at HKG in February. 

First up is the 100km Hong Kong Trailwalker team event on 15 November – a local staple that attracts top competitors from Hong Kong and internationally. Although a charity event, it has morphed into a race that has become extremely competitive. Teams must contend with concrete, dirt track, sand, rocks, and a lot of climbing…with elevation topping out at just under 5,000m. I have managed to get onto a good team this year, along with Matt Moroz of the 4Deserts team, and we are hoping to get around the course in a smashing good time. J minus three months.

Next up is the Hong Kong leg of The North Face 100 Asia Pacific series on 15 December. With total elevation surpassing 6,000m and a 24-hr cut-off, this is one tough course!  My goal will simply be to finish at a comfortable pace and see where I end up. Performance will be weather-dependent…as always. I ran a 30km section of the course a few weeks back and, at the end, had nothing left in the tank. Climbing, climbing and more climbing…this course boasts some of the toughest climbs in Hong Kong. But the views are stunning. J minus two months.

The final prelude to Jordan will be the Vibram Hong Kong 100 on 18 January. This is one of my favourite races owing to how well it is organised and the support that it receives (I believe that RacingThePlanet is an official sponsor/partner). And the course is simply stunning – well worth the trip to Hong Kong for international competitors. Again, this race attracts top international competition, and even more so in 2014 now that it is part of the new Ultra-Trail World Tour. Having completed the course in over 18 hours last year (my first real year of trail-running), my goal is to be faster in 2014. How much faster has yet to be determined. J minus one month.

And then onto Jordan one month later. I am much less keen to get my pack ready than I was in Iceland, although I am sure that will change soon. I can recycle most of my gear and know what works and what doesn’t. Plus, I live 3 stops on the MTR away from the RTP store so can easily pop in and out for last-minute gear (and food) as required. My only questions at this point relate to the climate in Jordan. And of course running in the sand, a challenge that I am both excited and wary of.  

It is hard to get excited just yet for the first desert of 2014, but I will get there. I promise.