Stage 6 (Final Stage) - Jungle Marathon - 17th October

At last, after getting a good rest on the previous day we were now fired up for the final Stage of the Jungle Marathon. The base camp was buzzing with a lot of excitement as all those on the start line now knew they were nearly there.

The final stage was 32km long and was staged along the banks of the river Tapajos. You would think this would make things easy but as the sun came up it was clear we were in for a hot day, exposed to the baking sun for several hours.

So with lots of sun protection we set off, Mark, Dermot and myself and as we had done on all the previous days kept to our normal pace. Most of the remaining competitors jogged off but no need to change our game plan now.

Apart from having a camera crew in a boat following us for several minutes the first 10-15 kms were pretty uneventful. But as the sun got hotter Mark and myself decided to push on and get out of it as quickly as possible. So leaving Dermot just before CP2 we increased our pace significantly, still walking though.

As we got closer to the finish line we decided to get our national flags flying. I managed to pin mine to my walking pole and Mark used an old stick found on the riverside and managed to get his flying at full mast too. So with the poles sticking in our rucksacks and flags fluttering proudly in the wind we were well and truly excited about reaching the finish line a few kilometres away.

It took us 5hours 25mins to cover the Stage and the last few hundred yards were pretty unreal. The finish line was in the main square of Alter de Chao and as we approached from the river we got several shouts of encouragement. From the river front we legged it up a series of steps and with the finish line only 20 yards away we held hands and jogged across the finish line together, coupled with a big shout of joy from both of us. We were immediately presented with our medals (well, a plate on a string), and got hugged by a few other competitors who had just finished before us.

I must admit I thought I'd be a lot more emotional, even after I gave Mark a big old bear hug. I think we were both still shocked that we'd just finished one of the worlds toughest ultra events but we were both physically and emotionally drained too. And I can safely say that I wouldn't and couldn't have done it without Mark.

Since returning from the race I've had a lot of time to think about the race and every once in a while I find myself grinning like some deranged fool, when I think about what I achieved. The jungle marathon is one of a few ultra events that I've done and given the fact that less than 50% actually finished it this year makes it an even more remarkable achievement.


I'm not sure whether I've got the 'ultra bug' out of my system or whether I'd like to do something even more extreme. But even if I don't do anything else, at least I can say that "the jungle marathon did not beat me", "I beat the Jungle Marathon" and no one can ever take that away from me.

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Stage 5 - Jungle Marathon - Thursday 15th October

The long stage finally came and I got myself well psyched up for the day ahead. Mark and myself discussed our strategy and we both agreed that we would push on through the night and not stop until we got to the finish line. The 'method in the madness' of a non-stop 55 mile stage was to ensure we did not have to finish the stage in the blazing heat of the following day. It just made more sense to finish in the cool of the night, regardless of the effort required. This would then give us all of next day to recover before our final stage on Saturday.

We had a few targets to hit that day and the first and most important one was to get across another 'dreaded' water crossing.

Not many pictures today as my batteries and camera were badly affected by the high humiidty and I was trying to make sure I had a working camera at the finish line on Saturday.

Thankfully it was a little shorter than the previous days one butI was still not looking forward to it. So off we went and straight in. This time I was a little more relaxed but it still took a lot out of me by the time we reached the far side.

And once out of the water on we marched, only this time without Dermot who had decided to do some jogging as at the other side of the water was a nice big open track which encouraged a lot of people to run and make up time. However, as Mark and myself walked along we suddenly saw a whole pack of racers running back down the track towards us, telling us to turn back . We had all missed a turning off the track into the Jungle, about 200 yards from the water crossing.

So back down the track we go and we finally found the tape which we should have been watching out for ourselves but like a lot of others we were in 'sheep' mode too. Into the forest we go and then lots of the front runners who had also taken the wrong route eventually came jogging past. And after about 30 minutes Dermot also caught up with us. At this stage he was glad to see us as his earlier plan of running was not going too well so he stayed with us as we did our usual speed marching through the jungle.

Thankfully we made good time and pace through each of the checkpoints and we knew we'd make the infamous Check Point 4 by 3.30pm. If we didn't get to and clear that checkpoint by that time the organisers would not let us continue due to the fact we would still be in the jungle by nightfall, when Jaguars are a lot more active. And it would have meant a nightly stopover at that CP and then finishing that stage in the blazing heat of the next day.

But before we got to CP4 we had our first real bit of excitement. As we came down one of the jungle tracks there was a group of racers stopped. They called out that a swarm of nasty stinger bees/wasps or hornets were across the track ahead. Knowing that we could not make another route round them we quickly made the decision to run the gauntlet and just race right through them. So one by one, in 10 yard-15 yard intervals, we raced down the track, slapping and swiping at anything that came our way. So off I flew too with arms waving everywhere and with the adrenaline pumping I managed to clear massive fallen logs without stopping. I must have covered 110 metres with hurdles in 10 seconds flat. But I also managed to get several stings on my ass, plus I also sprained my ankle trying to clear one log so I was not happy once I caught up with the other guys. A sore ass and a sore ankle I was really feeling sorry for myself. If the ankle got any worse I knew that I'd have to pull out of the race. However, I had myself mentally prepared for this and knew exactly what to do. I won't go into detail here, it's too personal, but it did the trick and when we got to the next checkpoint I took on some anti-anflamitory pain killers and went into my own world for a while. After about 1 hour, it was almost miraculous, the pain started to disappear and I was 'back on form' again. Although, next day my ankle had turned a few shades of blue it was clear I had some damage.

As we made our way from checkpoint 3 to 4 we came across another racer we knew very well, young Vicki. She was not in a good way and she was clearly struggling. With a long stick supporting her she was also close to tears as she had managed to pull a muscle in her leg and she was really suffering and feeling sorry for herself. However, she was now in good hands as all 3 of us gave her a good pep talk, a few strong pain killers and invited her to stick with us and we'd do our best to get her to Checkpoint 4 in time, and then if she wanted to push on from there we'd get her to the finish line too. So she perked up a lot and by this stage we pushed on again, doing our best not to lose too much pace while also trying to ensure we weren't going too fast for the injured Vicki. I must say she really dug in and although still in pain she soldiered on relentlessly, a really gutsy young lady.

We got to Checkpoint 4 around 2.30pm and on arrival here was lots of people hanging around. The medics were doing their usual work of on the spot repairs to peoples feet and giving out pain killers etc where needed. Although a few looked like they had had enough too. We stopped for about 15 minutes to get some food on board before loading up with 2.5 litres again and on we pushed to Checkpoint 5. CP5 was the checkpoint that was outside of the jungle and it was also exactly half way to the finish. So we planned to stop there for about 1 hour to get a big meal on board, take a well deserved rest and then do some final checks on our feet etc before we headed off for the last 27 miles.

By the time we reached CP5 it was still light but only just. It was situated in a small village and we had a warm welcome from the locals and race volunteers. We were ushered into a small hut where we gladly plonked our weary asses and proceeded to load up with some badly needed food. At this point I managed to get down another breakfast and some energy gels as the next lot of stages was across some sandy tracks and beaches so we needed to load up with enough energy as possible. Plus by now it was starting to get dark so we also had to wear our head torch and also put Glow sticks on our backpacks so other competitors could see us in the dark too.

After about 1 hour we finally decided to push on. At this stage we had 5 people in our pack and as we headed off from CP5 I saw my first major piece of wild life. A massive Tarantula was making its way across the sandy track about 200 yards from the CP. We all had an excited look but quickly pushed on into the night, knowing that we still had so much to do.

I must admit I did find this part of the race a lot more interesting as the noise levels of all the bugs and stuff was at Volume 10. And of course you don't see very much either apart from the occassional pair of eyes which are reflecting in your headtorch. At first they spook you but when you get up close all you'd find was a massive Toad sitting by the side of the track. No jaguars around there! Plus we had to be on the lookout all the time for either little ribbons or glow sticks which had been placed along the tracks.

As we pushed on from checkpoint to checkpoint it was clear that tiredness was setting in with some people but we all agreed we need to push on. For me it wasn't such a problem as I hadn't slept that well until now and my body was used to only a few hours of sleep by this stage. For me all I needed was some water and my own thoughts to drive me along.

From CP7 to CP8 it had to be the most difficult section for most of us. Very tired by this point we now had to endure nearly 15km of sandy tracks and beach front along the river. I took point for most of this stage, constantly trying to pick out the faint glow sticks in the distance. I knew this was going to be difficult for everyone but I also knew that we needed to stay going so it was a mainly long silent march until we got to CP8.

However, there was a real sting in the tail before we got to CP8. About 4 kms from it the organisers had put in another water crossing. So in the early hours of Friday morning we headed down a track only to see a 100 metre water crossing. Well, after a few..well lots... of expletives we waded in and made our way across. Not the most enjoyable part of that stage but I think it did wake everyone up. Nothing like a dip in cold dirty water to do that!

We pushed to CP8 which was located in a small village at a bus stop and were greeted by 2 lovely lady volunteers from the UK. They could tell we were shattered and poor Vicky was really feeling it. Sore muscle in her leg, nasty chaffing causing even more pain, and her ring finger had swollen up, where she was stung earlier, to the point where she could not remove her ring. After 15 minutes we pushed on again knowing that we were not too far from the finish. We also knew that once we completed this day we 'would' then make it to the eventual Finish line so it was great to finally think you were so close to finishing the infamous Jungle Marathon.

From CP8 to the finish line it was a long hard slog. Now we were back on 'community trails and tracks'. These were sandy in places, sapping all our energy, to rocky roads which were digging in to a massive blister I had now got on the ball of my left foot. As we pushed on into the early hours we knew we just had to keep focussed on the fact that we were nearly there. And once we saw the sun rise it gave our bodies that extra bit of life to keep pushing on. By 6am on the Friday morning we had split up into 2 pairs. I was with Dermot who could only keep going a steady pace in order to take his mind off the pain of his many 'massive' blisters. And Mark was a few hundred yards behind doing a great job in helping Vicki through her pain and discomfort. So as we finally reached the beach where they placed the finish line we still had about 300 metres to cover. Dermot and myself then held back for the other 2 and as a team of 4 we crossed the finish line at just after 6.30am, which was exactly 24hours 01 minute and 28 seconds after starting the race on the previous day. What a day, what an achievement, what a race, what a bunch of nutters!

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Stage 4 - Jungle Marathon - Wednesday 14th October

Well Stage 4 finally arrived and I was not looking forward to this one. Although it was meant to be a 'rest' day, only 24km of fairly flat sections, before the longest stage tomorrow it was what they had at the start of this stage that was making me feel a little uneasy. It was a 350 metre swim across the river Tapajos. The thing is I'm not a strong swimmer and with 100+ competitors hussling to get across the river as fast as possible meant that it made things twice as difficult. Also bear in mind that we were also pushing or dragging our rucksack in a waterproof bag so I only had 1 arm free to propel me forward. Plus the rope they had strung across the river was about as much use as a Chocolate Fireguard, as people pushed it so far underwater I could not reach it unless I stuck my head underwater too.

Thankfully I was swimming with Mark 'Tough Guy' Cooke who could see I was struggling as we got half way across. He grabbed my bag and let me push on until I got my breath back before he helped young Vicki who was in a serious panic and was seriously struggling. Thankfully we all got across safely, although now totally soaked for the stage ahead.

The rest of this stage was pretty uneventful and we made quick progress through the jungle and community trails. We maintained our speed marching and like the other days so far were joined by Dermot who by this stage was on constant pain killers for his badly blistered feet. Man, this guy is something else. He would load up with pain killers, and then maintain a slow pace until they kicked in after which he would hold a good pace for the rest of the Stage. This suited Mark and myself as we were all of the same opinion that we didn't need to make a mad dash to the finish each day. We were there to get to the finish line in one piece and make sure that we were 1 of the now rapidly reducing group of racers who had initially started only 4 days before. In fact by the end of Stage 4 there were approx. 90 racers out of the original 126.

The last few pictures on this blog post were taken while we stopped off at one of the final few checkpoints. It was just after we'd been exposed to the sun for the longest time since starting the Jungle Marathon. Given that we had been under the forest canopy for most of the time until now it was so different to now be under 40 degree heat which was even more uncomfortable than the high humidity of the jungle. Suffice to say we were gulping down litres of water as we went through this stage and on average we were drinking up to 10-15 litres of water every day just to stay well hydrated.

Thankfully the finish for this stage was at one of the many small villages we were now starting to see more and more of. This meant we had purpose built places to hang our hammocks, rather then trying to find a pair of trees that were the right distance apart. And as we had got there in good time we had loads of daylight left to get ourselves sorted for the following day i.e The Long Day (90km).

After another 'tasty' meal and a quick check of the feet, which thankfully did not have any blisters up to this point, it was time to relax and get a good nights sleep for the long day ahead. But before we could get our heads down we once again had to attend our nightly briefing. This was where the race director, Shirley, would provide updates on racers who had pulled out and also provide some last minute details of the following days stage. In this case it was details of the Long Stage and amongst all the information provided were details of when we had to reach the infamous Checkpoint 4. If you did not reach and clear this checkpoint by 15.30 hours then you would have to stay there for the rest of the night as it would have been too dangerous to continue due to possible attacks by Jaguar as the light faded. This information encouraged people to get their pace strategies organised to ensure they could reach CP4 and have enough time to then push onto CP5 which was clear of the jungle, and all the nasty things you don't want to meet at night in the middle of the jungle.

Race briefing over it was down to another night of interrupted sleep and dreams of another early morning swim across the river Tapajos. Boy I was really looking forward to all that again!

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Stage 3 - Jungle Marathon - Tuesday 13th October

Well after another restless night in the hammock, and what seemed like just another few hours sleep we are up again at around 6am. Another 'lovely' dehydrated breakfast of Porridge and dried Strawberries to set me up for the long day ahead.

Stage 3, 38km long, consisted of a combination of Stages 1 & 2 i.e. steep climbs and swamps. In fact our Stage guide showed 21 climbs and descents, 3 swamps and 3 water crossings. I was really looking forward to this!

And just to make matters even more interesting we were also heading off later than expected due to some additional 'ass covering' by the organisers. The start was delayed as the organisers waited until some medical staff arrived at camp to update everyone on the condition of the 2 critically ill racers who collapsed after Stage 1. News was not very encouraging and the organisers then proceeded to read out an additional Disclaimer which we all had to sign. A severe case of 'ass covering' but to be honest not worth the paper it was written on. This was closely followed by another reminder on 'salt intake'. This whole episode was causing much confusion but finally there was now some simple advice on how much to take and how to test if you were not taking enough salt. (Just so you know you take a pich of salt and stick in on your tongue. If it tastes 'nice' you need more salt but if it tastes real bad then you had enough.)

And for the record I was taking Succeed S-Caps, which are just short of being pure salt with a combination of Sodium and Potassium. Plus I was also taking Nuun which are an Electrolyte and also contain small traces of Sodium.

Anyway, onto Stage 3 where by our reckoning we had to be back by 1pm in order to make the time cut-off. Getting to the finish after the cut-off time could lead to disqualification or depending on how late you were back could lead to a time penalty for the next stage.

So, on we surged through the jungle and as this was our 3rd day of jungle acclimitisation I was feeling pretty strong, after the scares of cramps on day 1, and was happy to march along at a good pace. By Stage 3 we now had our regular 3rd team member in Dermot who armed with 2 walking poles was cutting a decent pace under the canopy.

At one stage I took point and kept up a good pace for a a few clicks. And at one point as we made our way through the forest that I heard a shot from Dermot to stop. As I turned round he said that Mark had whacked his head on a low hanging branch and as he turned the corner his face had streams of blood flowing down. Mark looked a little shocked, as I must have done and we then had to do our first emergency procedure.

Here we are 1,000's of miles from home and someones head is pouring with blood. We stopped on the track and after making a quick diagnosis I soon realised it was justy a nasty graze and that the initial burst of blood was slowing down. So a quick look in my rucksack for the 'compulsory' Gauze initially proved fruitless and then I thought it would not have been enough anyway. In the meantime several other racers came past, offering support, but we had it under control. A final brainwave of mine was to get one of my, thankfully very new and clean white socks, onto the cut and then fix the whole thing in place with my spare baseball cap. It was a perfect fit and on we marched again. After another 500m I got Mark to stop and we double checked that the bleeding had stopped, which thankfully it had. But we decided it best that we continue for a more permanent solution once we reached the next check point. It was still pretty amusing to see Mark with a bloody sock sticking out from his cap as we made our way to the next checkpoint.

And it was while we made our way further along this stage that I somehow managed to up the pace without realising it and after about 1km I heard a cry from Dermot along the lines of 'Are you trying get to the finish first today" as he mooched past me and dropped the pace to a more reasonable level. I must admit I was on fire that day and was glad I was part of a team as that sudden rush of blood and pace could have taken its toll later in the day. That's the great benefit of being with other people in that they can sense the pace is too much where you may not and as such get things back on track.

The stage was dotted with dirty smelly swamps which we managed to negotiate successfully, although very slowly. I think it was that day when at one point I was at the back of our group when I placed my right onto what I believed to a firm point under water. Alas, my leg dropped deep into the swamp mud and in 1 second I was up to my waist. Now standing lob-sided I cried out to the other guys and Mark later recalled that my face was a real picture of 'panic' as I struggled to get my foot out. What I was most scared about was pulling my leg out but without my trainer. This could have spelled disaster as a lost shoe could have meant the end of my Jungle Marathon.

Anyway, after some patient manoeuvering I finally released my leg and eventually made it across the swamp. Of course the other worry you have in swamps is being attacked by bees or hornets, and as your movement is so slow you would not be able to escape their wrath very easily.

As the day progressed Dermot was starting to struggle with the pace. This was mainly due to the pain he was suffering with nasty blisters on his feet. Even though I had given him some strong pain killers along the way and he also had more at the checkpoints it was proving a tough task. Knowing that we had to be back by 7pm and knowing we had several severe climbs at the end of the stage, Mark and myself decided to push ahead to ensure that we at least got to the finish in time.

So we left Dermot, although feeling somewhat guilty for doing so, but when you pay out a large amount of money and train like we did, the last thing we wanted to do was get kicked out of the JM because of late arrival at a stage finish. You have to be selfish in these situations and thankfully Dermot understood our decision as we steamed on ahead.

After the last few punishing climbs, which were very steep and where we heard what we were told was a Jaguar growling, we managed to make it to the finish around 5.45pm (almost 10 hours after we started that morning). And about 45 minutes later Dermot also made it, with 30 minutes to spare. All that was left to do was get the hammocks up and grab some food before settling down for the night. Glad the day was over and totally whacked I think I had my best nights sleep i.e. 3 hours.

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Stage 2 - Jungle Marathon - Monday 12th October

Stage 2 consisted of 22km of swamps, mud and flat tracks. Plus of course lots of jungle tracks. With very little elevation on this stage it was pretty straightforward apart from the nasty swamp sections. The problem with swamps is that you really don't know how deep they are as the bottom is mainly made up of all the leaves that fall from the trees. So in some sections where it looked shallow, sods law it turned out to be real deep and vice versa.

And it was during this stage that we had our first encounter with bees. These nasty little flying stingers were also to feature on the long stage where they very nearly caused me to pull out of the JM.

Anyway, during one section of swamps we were slowly making our way through and another Irishman who had by now joined our steady pace, Dermot, was leading us. Mark, myself and a few others were about 5 yards behind when all of a sudden Dermot cries out "Arrgghhh! Bees, Bees, I'm being attacked by loads of bees". Of course we all backed up as poor Dermot struggled to get out of the swamp and onto drier tracks where he could leg it. By this stage Mark had worked out another route just left of the bee hive but these little stingers don't give up too easily.

As we tracked about 5 yards left of the hive the now 'very disgruntled' bees were making a beeline (pardon the pun) for anything within range and as I was bringing up the rear of the 4 person train I started to get some stings up the rear. Thankfully Dermot had distracted and drawn most of the bees and we all managed to get away with a few stings each.

As we caught up with Dermot it was clear he was in a lot of discomfort and although we initially felt sorry for him, after he told us he was stung all down his leg and head, it did cause a little laughter as we recalled his 'manly' cries of "Arrgghhh, Arrgghh" as if being attacked by a ferocious Jaguar. For the record the bee hive was for some reason at ground level and it was as a result of him initially stepping onto the hive that caused him to get the initial surge of bees onto his legs, closely followed by them stinging his head. Thankfully they weren't the much feared Hornets which are just downright nasty and dangerous as one competitor in 2008 found out. He (Roy from Canada) was stung so badly by hornets his neck swelled up and blocked his airways and he eventually passed out. More about that one in a later post.

Anyway, apart from that little episode the rest of the Stage carried on without much difficulty and we reached the Finish with plenty of time to spare.

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Stage 1 - Jungle Marathon - Sunday 11th October

Stage 1 of the Jungle Marathon was meant to be a 'sharp shock' to the system, even though it was only 15km long. The start of the race consisted of a short hike before a very short river crossing.

The main part of the stage consisted of lots of steep climbs and decents this stage was designed to 'break' the weaker competitors and I must admit although it was very very tough I did enjoy the physical challenge on this stage. Especially the technical climbs and the equally steep and technical descents which if you made a single mistake could have meant the end of your race. Plus if you decided to push too hard it could burn you out and leave you drained for the remaining stages.

As the stage went on we managed to find our race pace which consisted of a brisk walk and at no point did we run. No point in running in the oppresive humidity unless you are planning to win the race. As it happens we stuck rigidly to our race plan and it paid off as we got to the end in around 5hours 40mins and I still had loads of energy despite the never ending climbs and descents.

As we settled in for well deserved rest in our hammocks the evening was to be interrupted by a series of cries of 'Medics and Medico' as a number of competitors collapsed. This was very un-nerving for everyone as 2 of the guys were stretchered off on a fast boat to Santarem where they were admitted to hospital under emergency conditions.

We subsequently learned that the 2 guys were in a critical condition and both had 'fitted' for several hours and were put on life support systems. This news certainly brought home the reality of how your body can be affected if you don't take on board all the advice of the medical staff. Some people were just pushing too hard too soon and some people were just not hydrating properly and were either taking on either too much or too little salt.

Finally got my head down in the hammock at 8pm but did not sleep well. In fact did not sleep well throughout the race. It didn't matter as I always started each day with a body full of adrenaline which meant I never felt tired.

I AM RAISING MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK: http://www.justgiving.com/Jungle-Marathon-2009
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Final Preparations at Itapuama Base Camp

Well, we eventually reached our base camp at Itapuama which is a small settlement on the banks of the river Tapajos. The Tapajos is a 'massive' tributary of the Amazon which is equally impressive.

The great thing about base camp is that we manage to get our hammocks setup in the same hut as 2 of the Female elite runners. Always good to see how the 'pros' prepare for such events and I'm surprised to learn that they eat the same things as us and don't have any little 'trick' bits to give them the edge.

Base camp time is made up of several presentations about the wildlife we could encounter and advice on how to keep properly hydrated and our salt levels in order. As the humidity in the jungle can be as high as 90% we were warned that loss of sweat and more importantly salts would play a major part in how we perform. This was to ring true when after the first stage was finished there were 4 racers who were withdrawn because of hydration and salt related issues. More on this on my Stage 1 report.

The remaining time in base camp was made up of final medical checks where our ECG was checked and we had some final words of advice from the chief medical officer. Thankfully I was passed fit and after a final kit check it was head down for what I hoped would be a good nights sleep before the race start on Sunday 11th October.

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