Almost two months after Marathon des Sable now but the feelings and smells and emotions from the race are still alive, This year finally I had the opportunity to run one of the most amazing races on earth in the most remote place too… Since the first time I saw MdS on TV i fell in love with it, the desert , the sun and rocks and the competitors who were real super humans who battled the sands and dunes with such a determination.

After years of wanting I made it this year there and the feeling was incredible together with almost 1100 others we set on an adventure in one of the hottest places on earth.

After 3 hours flight from Paris we descended at Orazazate airport met by Patrck Bauer himself and some of the crew and volunteers who will take care of us for the next 6 days during and after the race till departure.We were all organsed on coaches and driven for 5.30hours into the desert where the bivouac was already prepared and waiting. On site were two helicopters, one plane and quite a few jeeps and lorries to carry the whole party to the next camp every single day… Quickly found the Tent that was assigned ( as the only Bulgarian in the race there was not much confusion) and after making it as homey as possible I went around for a walk.

The next day was medical and equipment check and after breakfast we went for the mandatory inspection. At home in London my bag weighted around 9.5kg which was pretty normal but after last minute add ons and few more jelly babies the final weight at the Bivouac went up to 12kg with the three full bottles, which was a tad annoying. The rest of the day was free to go around and get yourself mentally prepared for the race ahead….

Day 1 (38km) - I woke up at 5.30h frozen to death and after cursing myself for taking the sleeping bag from my jungle adventure in Cambodia and not getting actual desert one, I got about getting some brunches and dry bushes to light and boil some water for porridge. First morning in the desert looked beautiful with the Sun already showing its might… Everyone around looked excited and buzzing we came here to race and that is what we would do… Sahara he we come…

With 5 minutes to go and after quite an amazing display of Moroccan drummers everything went silent for a second…than on the speakers we heard “Highway to Hell”….only there and than it hits you the realisation of you going on live changing adventure in a place where a touch more of 10 000 people have been in the past 28years….

I simply love those moments after you start a race and everything calms down and you can only hear people around you breathing immersed into their thoughts, everyone into the universe they have created to deal with the demands of ultra running.

By the time we hit the 25km mark I felt like a weekend warrior I was really struggling and my legs were so heavy, ok the Dunes we went through did not help the situation but still. I expected more from myself…. By the time I finished there was nothing left in me the constant sand dunes and dunettes ate into your reserve like a hungry animal. I collapsed in my tent while my muscles were cramping so badly I had to restrain myself from screaming… It went on for around two hours I managed to get some food into my system and than felt better, went for a little walk around the bivouac were the picture was more or less the same the shock of the first 38km was visible in every tent, that day we lost around 20 competitors one of whom was the last years winner. But this is MDS and you just keep going.

Day 2- 30.7km

We started with flat stony terrain kept going over few km of dunes and at 7.5 km the party started the climb to Hered Asfer jebel across some hilly routes. I felt quite good, after the initial shock my body seemed to cope better today with the temperatures and my bag-pack. Once you go into the meditation mode and you know what needs to be done the rest is just keep your head down and get on with it, that is my attitude towards all of my adventure runs. A lot of times people I know or friends are asking me what is my plan for the race how am I going to approach it… And the answer is always the same my strategy is to start running and after 250km to stop no more no less that is it, and in a mean time try and have some fun. After all I am there for the experience and for the passion that brings you together out there in the wilderness.

It is 16.5 km and I am good the accent towards Joua Baba Ali jebel is around 15% Its getting tougher out there and day two looks like it will be long one again. I am well hydrated and even manage to have a little sing a song on the way, people around seem to be quite chatty as well which is what is about. There are over 1000 destinies out here and people are so interesting they reasons for being here are all just a fun to listen to and I take it with both hands chatting with everyone and generally being me….

At 24th km we reached Check point 2 and I decided to stop for 10min and eat one of my raising bars I had with me, had a bit of water too and got ready to tackle incredibly difficult accent up El Otfal jebel with 25% average slope to the summit at some parts we had to literally climb up rocks on the way up… But the view from the top was breathtaking as far as your eyes can see Sahara desert was blossoming in front of our eyes.

That night in the bivouac after the stage everyone was talking and exchanging stories about crazy adventures and far away lands…. I just love how homey can the ultra running family be you are surrounded by people who share your crazy passion and all you talk about is running and different experiences around the world. Once or twice a year you meet up with people you have met somewhere around the planet while running and the feeling of meeting your old friend is overwhelming you live on the separate corners of the planet but when you meet you share an adventure and a experience that will stay with you forever the connection there is amazing.

Day 3- 38km

The first 10.4 km were very flat with just a few stones and it was but than came the Dunes and sand it is a Sand Marathon after all, it was extremely hot and by CP 2 I felt slightly sluggish and a bit dizzy although I had my salt tablets and electrolytes to keep me hydrated. So I made the decision to stop and check myself at the medics tent it was still early in the race so cant risk it all. The Doc gave me some sort of hydrating solution and I felt considerably better after about 10 more minutes I was on my way. I was running steadily till the bivouac really wanted to keep in good shape for the next stage which was make or brake….

Day 4- 75.7km….

First 11.5km I did not feel at all very slight sandy accent began from the start but my legs were in good shape and I managed to even sing for a while. I knew after this stage it is only 42.2 to the finishing line of one of the hardest and most beautiful races on earth.I had a plan to keep pushing till CP4 were we had a cut off time and than I would sit and take 30-40min for a dinner some hot soup and maybe bolognese and than will keep going… I wanted to be at the Bivouac and sleep in my tent and just recover the whole of the next day which was day off. Around 30th km I was so hot my hands were swollen and even holding the bottle was quite a task. The sun was showing no mercy I could feel the temperature must have went up a lot but did not know how much and as I found out later it has been around 55C…. at some stage I started to smell roasted peppers very strong smell I could almost taste the peppers… I expected to see a pepper running in front of me and thought if it happened I would not chase it… My gaiters were in quite a state by than the only thing holding them was kinezo tape and a good will , at CP3 I sat down changed my socks retaped my gaiters and kept going. My goal was to get to the 45th km were I could sit and recharge.

3-4km before it I caught up with a guy who ran out of water and really needed a drink so I had almost full one of mine bottles and we just shared it. All these adventure races are about the comradeship you encounter while racing in the most hostile places on earth… I got to the check point and managed to gather some dried bushes for small fire where I had my meatballs and spaghetti, people were coming and going we chatted a bit with father and his son competing together in the desert. And I bet their bond after it will be unbreakable not only because they are father and son but also and comrades in something amazing.

I stayed almost 50 min and by than it was getting darker and we lighted our lamps and also the flairs we got at the bivouac, than with few others we decided to stick together through the last 30 km . It is much better to have a company and endure with someone else the long stage. I never imagined how dark is the desert during the night… Not a ray of light can disturb the mighty Sahara and it feels special it is so calm and beautiful you can forget yourself in there. We went through 9 km of Dunes guided by green Laser pointing from one CP to the other, we were moving quite fast through the night occasionally encouraging each other and thinking of the day off we were getting tomorrow allowing the body to recuperate And ready itself for the final assault on day 5. My feet we getting quite a banging the gaiters were in shreds and sand was getting in from everywhere but I did not want to break the tempo and decided to wait till the next CP to fix them. The last check point was at 65 km than another 11km to the finishing line we picked up the pace but it felt like ages the pain was excruciating and every step was like a little death, but we were closer…. At some point we saw the lights of the bivouac which was relieve but the last surprise was 4 final kilometers of camel grass which is short and prickly and you don’t really want to tangle your feet in it and fall facedown… As I found out it was not pleasant…

So after almost 16hours we arrived at the camp and the feeling of relieve was amazing, this stage could have break me but I kept going and I knew I would not give up consciously, I was only praying not to collapse from the heat or break a leg than the race would have been over. The next day was spend recuperating getting my feet looked after in the medical tent and just laying around really, reading mails from friends and family felt so good the encouragement was immense. Than only I allowed myself to think of the possibility that tomorrow after 42.2km I might just manage to complete one of the most difficult races on earth it sort of brings new life to your battered body and anything else looks unimportant….

Day 5- 42.2km come morning 5.30h and everyone seem to be in a very lets get on with it mood, only a marathon to the end woow happy days. The weather did not share our excitement though extremely hot conditions and the last push looked like it will last forever. There would be a touch of wind from time to time and I would thank for it for I knew it might not last we went through stoney valleys and incredible dried rivers. A lot of people were struggling with the heat and on the checks points you will see the pain they were going through. At 25km I ran past the Welsh army Mayor I was running with few days before and gave him my jelly babies for I really got fed up of them. He looked spend, almost zigzagging across the road looking white faced. I decided to stay with him till the next check point and support him as much as I can. I was walking behind him and spraying water on his head and neck as much as I can spare and we kept going, from time to time I would give him the old motivational talk like ” get on with it soldier my granny runs faster than you”…etc after few km he managed to talk a bit and I knew he was coming alone… The mental battles you have with yourself sometimes can easily equal a fully blown war it is scary. I kept feeding him with sugar and wine gums and in a few hundred meters we saw the flags for the check point number 3 and the last in the race…. We ran the last bit and after I filled my bottles with water I started the last 12 km to the bivouac and surprising with myself by going quite decent pace. The road went through small village made a quick right turn than slight up hill and there was the sight I longed for the past 5 days the white tents of the bivouac a mere few miles away. The feeling was indescribable I ran as fast as I can while singing Highway to Hell, the last 50 meters were emotional, tears streaming down my face I crossed the line and hugged Patrick Bauer. After years of dreaming of being there I finally achieved one of my biggest challenges physical as well as psychological I knew this adventure will change me forever. Will I do it again hell yes…..Marathon des Sable 2014 here I come!!!