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The Grand Plan this year is to raise more awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and raise more funds for research into finding a cure for this crippling, devastating disease.
Well, we're back home at last - and Annie completed the Everest Marathon in 8 hours 47 mins, finishing in a creditable 59th place! The race was won, as usual, by Nepalese and Sherpas taking the first five places but the first "tourist" was a UK-based Kiwi girl - Anna Frost, who smashed the existing Ladies record by nearly 30 minutes, finishing in sixth place in the amazing time of 4 hours 35 minutes!
Yes, we expected it to be tough but there were times when we seriously doubted we would reach the start in one piece: acclimatisation was very difficult - the altitude, the intense cold, the "Kumbu cough", tummy bugs - all conspired to make the trekking extremely difficult. Our first visit to beautiful Nepal and the Sagarmantha National Park became a testing "Boot Camp". Camping in a two-man tent on frozen ground in temperatures as low as -20C is not pleasant, even fully-clothed in thermal gear, in a thick down sleeping bag. Frozen zips on the tent made regular night-time visits to the loo frustrating and exhausting. We were drinking up to five litres per day and it had to go somewhere! Although we paid close attention to personal hygiene and water was always boiled and treated with iodine tablets (yuk) we both suffered from nausia, vomiting and loss of appetite. Most people lost weight - some as much as 8 kilos! Our Sherpas were a charming bunch and did their best to provide a suitable varied diet but it tended to consist of rice, potatoes and eggs, with the occasional sardine or piece of undistinguishable meat!
We had been told that the difficult part was getting to the start and that was certainly the case. One extremely fit Welsh lad had to be evacuated down to Katmandu by helicopter and took no further part. Several competitors twisted or sprained ankles on the way up - the terrain is boulder-strewn, loose and dramatic - not comfortable running surface!
Anyway, we made it! The race started from Gorak Shep (5180 m) at 6.30 am prompt on a cold, bright, moonlit morning. Rich manned the second marshalling post at about five miles, supplying drinks and snacks and offering medical aid. All runners had checked through by 8.30 am, allowing him to pack up and join the sweep team, following the race back down to Namche Bazaar at 3440 m. Although this is "downhill", it manages to include 1070 m of seriously steep ascent, and he was very pleased to make it back before dark!
No doubt you will hear more about the trip over the next few weeks but if anyone asks " will you be doing it again?" the answer, from both of us, will be a resounding NO!
Please help fight Cystic Fibrosis by sponsoring Annie's Everest Marathon Run.
