Head over Heels 2014

In the Desert part 2

September 17, 2014Aysha1 Comment

Sunrise in the desert. And our 2 storey home.

Can you see them? Emma and Mike head off into the early dawn.

The desert is amazing and beautiful. Our days settle into a routine. 5.30am start. The stars are still out which is, of course, wonderful, “It makes getting up early worth it” I say to Mike and he agrees. Emma and Mike leave as soon as it is light. Emma running, Mike on the bicycle. We clean up the camp and set off. I am very strict in the desert. I’m not sure how quickly things decay here but I’m guessing slowly, so we have a “leave no trace” policy. Poo paper goes in the poo bag. Not everyone is happy with this but no-one wants toilet paper blowing across the desert.

I never knew there was so much life in the desert. We can see hoof prints round our camp.

At 8am (10 miles down the road) Robert lights a fire (he has become our fire man) and he calls, “Aysha, you’re wasting my fire.” I have to get snappy with the porridge. No milk, as we have no fridge. Porridge with salt. I know this sounds horrible but as long as you put it in at the beginning it tastes delicious. Then, after it is cooked, I add cinnamon and honey – in time, at the request of the team i also add two apples and a banana. Around eating, which must happen within 20 minutes of stopping, Emma needs a massage, sunflower oil works surprisingly well. Emma also needs to use her roller and to stretch.

9am Emma and Mike set off again for another 10 miles or so. We have to pick a nice spot for lunch.

Mid run stretch on the only line of hard ground.

11am is the long lunch break waiting for the heat of the day to pass. Eating, sleeping, repacking the back of the car, massage for Emma.

3pm Emma sets off again for her final 10 miles or so, depending how she is feeling.

The sand is tough to run, she slips back with every step and its harder on her leg muscles. The wind is also against her. At the end of the day, we only have wet wipes for her to wash off the dust and sand. Carrying only 100 litres of water in total for 5 people means we have to be careful with the water we use as we don’t know where we’ll fill up next. But I rarely hear any complaints from Emma.

In the Desert

September 13, 2014September 11, 2014Aysha5 Comments

Emma and Mike head off through Henties Baai and into the desert.

Fortunately, we have 100 litres of water, firewood, and a flame torch (yes, I know that’s cheating but its in the tool box, seems a waste not to use it).

We meet for lunch. I’m really pleased I bought the awning to put up shade for Emma. Its hot but there’s a breeze. Avocado and tomato sandwiches. We lay out the yoga mats as seats. We’ve not done any yoga yet, but the mats are useful to sleep on, sit on, as a massage bed and as a ground floor to the tent to make sure we’re not stepping on snakes or spiders. They make good padding too around fragile items in suitcases.

At every stop we set out the solar panel to charge up the leisure battery. For anyone who wants to know we got the kit from Holly Brook Power supplies.

I’ve also tried out the washing machine, which was suggested by two other travellers who are famous for the idea (I’ll look up their names when its not 3am in the morning before we set off again). It involves putting your clothes in a sealed container with water and washing powder and letting the rocky road shake everything up. I’m impressed my clothes come out pretty clean. Mike puts up an ingenious washing line for me.

Emma sets off at about 3pm after the heat of the day. She runs a total of 38 km, a gentle first day! She’s incredibly chipper at the end and offering to help.

Despite the emptiness of the desert there are animal prints and holes near our camping spot.

Robert gets a fire going and I cook chicken curry without the chicken. I deliberately choose foods that don’t waste water. We’re faffing around afterwards until Mike calls us over to see a baby puff adder. We must have almost parked on top of him. After that we decided boots were a must at night and to pack up and head to bed as soon as possible.

“We’re almost there, we’re almost at the start”

September 12, 2014September 16, 2014Aysha2 Comments

We, Emma and I, have been frantically busy getting to this point. 18 months of preparation, planning, training. For Woocash, 3 months of working every night on the car.

We’re almost there. We’re almost at the 31st August. We said we’d start in August and we like to do what we said.

27th August: Mike and Emma are exhausted from their flight. To make sure that their luggage was under the restricted weight limit, Emma wore all her clothes (leggings and trousers) and transported a small baby’s worth of CLIF bars in her pockets.

Emma's CLIF bar baby — Emma’s CLIF bar baby

As soon as Emma and Mike arrive, I whisk them off to the best Sushi Restaurant ever. It hasn’t even opened yet. We’re allowed in as its run by our lovely new friends Barbara and Keletso Nyathi. Either its very cheap or they give us a whopping discount for such delicious food.

The first night we are all together, we sleep 4 of us in the 2 man roof tent. Top to toe like sardines. Surprisingly, comfortable and warm. But no wriggle space. And the wind catches the tent and makes it flap all night.

28th August: we have our first TV interview with One Africa TV and a radio interview at Radiowave.

Kirsty at Radiowave, just as bouncy a person as Emma

Turns out loads of people listen to radiowave we go on to meet people all across Namibia who have heard about us.

We, also, drop off Cleo to have her extra fuel tank fitted. But when we go to collect her and pay, at the end of the day, their card machine isn’t working. The owner insists on a passport as a guarantee. I can’t leave mine as I need it to get that amount of money out the bank, so we have to leave Emma’s.

Then its off for the best First Aid Training I have ever had, at Maerua Medical Centre. We learn how to put a drip in anyone who starts to dehydrate. Emma insists its not going to be her.

28th August is a 5.30am start. Emma’s passport has been stamped well short of 90 days. For no known reason 30 days is all she has, which puts a lot of pressure on her to run fast! If we can, we want to get that sorted.

7.30am we pick up Emma’s passport from the 4 x 4 centre and leave Mike’s in its place.

8am we’re at the Namibian home office to resolve the visa issue. They say it will take until next week and cost about 580 Namibian dollars. We decide to find another solution.

8.30am I’m at the bank asking for a bank transfer but there is no agreement between the UK and Namibia bank and so its impossible. Luckily, someone advises me to keep putting my card in the ATM until I have all the money. There’s a maximum you can withdraw at any one time but not a maximum to how many times you can do this.

9am Hand over the money to Mike and Woocash to pay for the car.

9.30am Meeting at the British High Commission, who sets us up with a meeting with the Mayor of Henties Baai. Emma writes a press release whilst I chat to the Mayor’s office. She’s skilled like that.

Then rest of the day is running about getting kit for the car and trying to find an internet cafe. It seems everyone has a smart phone except us and no-one needs an internet cafe. Robert, from the SEED Project, flies in from Harare, and Gunther picks him up from the airport for us again as we run out of time.

Its a late night again.

30th August
We have last minute items to get before we head for the coast and a water container to return that’s leaking already. We finally set off and 6 hours later we meet the Mayor of Henties Baai, who turns out to be lovely. She wants to have us round for breakfast before we start but there’s no time. (Henties Baai, looks gorgeous to me, I like it a lot)

31st August

We’re HERE! We’re at the coast and Emma’s about to start!!

Henties Baai in the early morning. I think its beautiful.

Collecting Cleo, Emma and Mike

September 10, 2014Aysha2 Comments

We meet amazing people, again. Liliana and Emil Schmid have been to 180 countries and been travelling for almost 30 years. We’re a bit star struck.

The incredibly nice and inspiring Liliana and Emil, gave us lots of confidence after all the scare stories most people tell you

http://www.weltrekordreise.ch/a_starte.html — and their fantastic car – also a toyota landcruiser

After getting some good advice we leave, reluctantly, and the kind owner of Loubser B & B (tel: 091 128 7347) gives us a lift to Woker Freight Services, who are the import agents. I’m bouncing with excitement to be getting Cleo. The agent comes in looking serious. He warns us that boxes in the car have been opened and things have been stolen. We turn silent and sit and wait to be taken to the car. All of Woocash’s mechanics tools are in there plus the stove and other essential items. Its a quiet journey to Cleo. I get out and check her over.

A few boxes opened and emptied but they left the rugby ball and Emma's Ice packs, which are very important to Emma. — A few boxes opened and emptied but they left the rugby ball and Emma’s Ice packs, which are very important to Emma.

The metal chest is still padlocked. I am overjoyed, nothing has been taken. Cleo has been roughed up a little but no serious harm done. The plan to save time and money paid off. Now, its a 4 hour journey to collect Emma and Mike from the airport.

“What’s that smell?” I ask Woocash. Its a burning kind of smell.

Ten minutes later, water started spraying out the engine onto the windscreen. Cleo’s radiator hose had popped off.

With the help of a friendly Namibian, Cleo is swiftly back on the road but restricted to a paltry 45mph. We would never make it to the airport on time. With no way to contact Emma, I called a friendly taxi driver (Gunther) and asked him to stand with a sign and collect her and Mike from the airport.

Windhoek to Walvis Bay to collect Cleo

August 26, 2014Aysha1 Comment

(Apologies for the lack of photos but the internet connection is too slow to upload them).

Whilst Emma and Mike are flying to Windhoek, Woocash and I head to the coast to pick up Cleo. We’re hoping that she has all the kit still with her. Sending Cleo by Ro-Ro (roll on roll off) instead of container became the only option as sponsorship failed to come in and the dates started to slip. Ro-ro is faster and I’m conscious of the coming African summer, but you have to leave the car unlocked. We locked everything up in a big old chest and we padlocked all the items together and gave the key to the Captain.

We head to the coast in a combi, which I would definitely recommend to other travelers. You can catch the minibus taxi from Rhino Park in Windhoek. The 14 seater minibus waits until all the seats are filled for the journey. It costs N$150 each and takes 5 hours. There is a locked trailer into which your luggage goes. We had one bag but they might charge if you have more. One of the other travelers, as he got on the bus, made a comment about preferring the back to the front … because in the front there is nothing in between you and whatever you are going to crash into. Naturally, then, someone else happily piped in about how a car crashed into the side he was sitting on when he last traveled in the minibus.

The driver turns out to be awesome. Highly skilled at predicting other people’s bad driving. The travelers are friendly, and the lady behind me starts singing (beautifully) to pass the time. Its hot and and I put up a hoody as a screen from the sun. The road is smooth tarmac.

The journey entrances me. I have never been in a desert before. Beautiful and uncompromising, overlapping brown and crème sand dunes, some small, some huge, and in the distance blue mountains.

There are warning signs for “Sand” and “Fog”. My mind wanders to thinking about water tanks, how much water we can carry and where we will be able to fill up. We arrive at the coast and turn left. This area is famous for shipwrecks and I feel sorry for the sailors who landed here.

When we get out the taxi, it is cold and windy.

Windhoek, Namibia

August 25, 2014Aysha5 Comments

I can’t believe we are in Namibia. The last few months have been frantic, getting the car ready, getting the necessary equipment, trying to get sponsorship. And now we are here. We are almost at the beginning.

Just arrived! Having caught the early morning flight from Cape Town

Namibia is cold, not cold like the UK, but there is no central heating in the houses. The night we had to camp I barely slept for cold. It brings into perspective what it is like for people who don’t have money for warm clothes or a duvet. Windhoek seems wealthy but there are also those who live in shanty houses, and struggle for food and basic necessities.

But the cold will be good for Emma, it is cool enough to run until about 11am.

Nambia is also dry. We are in a desert. I’ve learned to keep lipsalve with me at all times. And the nights are long. It is dark from 6pm until 6am. Windhoek is pretty safe during the day but its best to be home by night. A couple of nights ago two men broke into the hostel and attacked one of the guests with a knife. He was swift and clever enough to be able to defend himself but the intruders stole several laptops. It is a reminder to be careful.

What strikes me most, however, is how friendly and helpful most people are. Villa Moringa, a gorgeous place, where we stayed initially, are storing most of our kit for us, whilst we sleep in cheaper places.

Drs Keletso and Barbaria Nyathi, who run Maerua medical practice have been looking after us. I contacted Keletso after reading his profile on Explorers Connect. (If you are planning an adventure you should check out Explorers Connect). Keletso is a doctor and ultra runner interested in adventure so, I thought he might like to join us. Sadly, due to work commitments he couldn’t but, he and his wife, have welcomed us, given us essential advice on what we need to do to be legal and will be teaching us first aid. They are incredibly hard working, constantly laughing at life and a pleasure to be with. I can’t wait for them to meet Emma.

New friends, Drs Keletso and Barbara Nyathi of Maerua Medical Centre, Namiba.

Indira, Keletso and Nyathi’s receptionist, has been showing us around. She welcomed us into her story and educated me on what life is really like to grow up in Katatura. She took us to her grandmother’s house where she was raised and to a local restaurant. For dessert, we went to the meat market where we discovered the most delicious Namibian spice to have with a BBQ.

We have also been preparing for Emma, Mike and Cleo’s arrival: finding out where to get the last bits to kit out the car (Cymot); contacting radio stations (Kosmos, RadioWave, One Africa); making sure our agent who will be getting the car through customs has all the necessary documents; and getting to know the city.

Tomorrow, we shall set off on a 5 hour minibus taxi journey to Walvis Bay to fetch the car, Cleopatra. Fingers crossed she comes through with everything intact.

Things we learnt:

Its winter bring warm clothes in August

August is peak season, book accommodation in advance

Its very dry

You can buy almost everything here that you can get in the UK

You need a GB sticker for the car

You need to get a Cross Border Certificate for cars on a temporary import

Paint your car white, everyone else has, its probably a good idea.

Cleopatra – the movie star

August 8, 2014freedomrunningLeave a comment

Cleo is finally off on her travels to Africa. Before she left she made you this movie about her assets (with a bit of help from Womenclimb)!

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Moving comfort

August 6, 2014August 7, 2014freedomrunning1 Comment

I have to be honest, I had never heard of Moving Comfort and it was only by chance that I came across them. But… they have become one of my favourite brands of sports wear that I’ve ever come across. A few months ago I wrote a blog post for Sports Sister online magazine. You can read my blog here. In return for writing blogs, they send contributors a gift of a Moving Comfort sports bra. The type of bra I received was the ‘Juno‘, all of the bras they make have their own unique name. My initial thoughts were that this was extremely generous of both Sports Sister and Moving Comfort to give away free gifts. Then after testing out the bra I realised how extra lucky I was to be given this gift. The bra is incredible.

Review – Juno bra

The material that the Juno bra is made with is really soft and feels great on your skin. It’s also pretty thick and durable so I have no doubt that I will be using them for a long time. This is especially useful when you are running with a pack on you back and there is a change of rubbing. The material across the front has qualities similar to neoprene. It absorbs moisture from your skin and dries off pretty quickly so you don’t feel sweaty and wet while exercising.

The shoulder straps are adjustable with velcro which is brilliant as, lets face it, not every woman is exactly the same shape. This is also really good as if you are training extra hard one day you can adjust the straps to get more support and if you don’t need them so tight one day then you just loosen them. You can also undo them completely if you decide to sunbathe in the park after a run!!!

The bra has both racer back and a three-hook adjustable chest strap. I find this absolutely brilliant as the only bras I would run in are racer back so that the straps don’t slip down and become a nuisance while I’m running but it’s also fantastic to be able to make the chest band to the fit that I want it. Having three hooks makes it far more supportive and sturdy than two hooks. Moving Comfort bras also come in a massive variety of vibrant colours and patterns so there is something to suit everyone.

After wearing this bra for a while I then wrote to Moving comfort and asked if they would be interested in supporting my African run by providing me with the bras I will need for the run. Fortunately for me they were very interested. And I soon received a few bras.

Lollipops???

July 30, 2014July 30, 2014freedomrunning1 Comment

So… lots of people keep asking me questions about the specifics of the running side of things. I have the answers, but I’m just not very good at expressing the answers so people probably think I don’t have a plan. I do have a plan. I’m just keeping it all a secret. Only joking. I’ll try and give you a little insight…

My running speed used to be approximately 7:30 minutes per mile. This included training for my run across South Africa in 2011. This was mostly because I didn’t have the time to run slower as I was too busy. I have recently come to the conclusion that running faster is not good for me, it makes my muscles tight and causes me injuries. The outcome: I now do all of my running at least a minute per mile slower. I aim to always keep between 8:30 and 9:30 per mile. This is just for my training; I am currently running between 10 and 15 miles per day.

When I am in Africa my aim is to break my day into 3 x 10 mile runs. When things are going well and I am feeling fit (or running downhill) I want to be running at 10:30 minutes per mile, therefore each 10 mile section will take me 1 hr 35 minutes. When things are not so great, when I’m stiff first thing in the morning, running up hill, generally feeling rubbish, I will aim to run at around 12 minutes per mile meaning that 10 miles will take me 2 hours. If I am hoping to travel 30 miles a day then I should have a maximum of six hours running per day. And if I take one day off of running per week then I will be running 180 miles per week. A marathon a day adds up to 183.4 miles per week, so if I just run a few extra miles one day per week then my trip should hopefully equate to running a marathon a day.

I have spent many many hours studying the maps of the route and I have got the entire route distance to add up to 2584 miles (obviously this is probably not going to be the exact distance I will run, as I’m sure I’ll get lost at least once!). 2584 miles is equal to 98.6 marathons. If 10 miles takes me a maximum of 2 hours to run then the whole run across Africa should take 516.8 hours of running! According to Runners World, if I run 10 miles in 2 hours I will burn 950 calories, so I will need to take in 2850 calories per day just to cover the energy used running! Over the distance from Namibia to Mozambique this would equate to 245,480 calories I will burn. This is the equivalent of 1,014 bowls of white rice, 2,337 bananas or 4,909 lollipops!!!!

Lollipops-lollipops-30287699-500-346

Wow, I got a little bit carried away writing this. I really didn’t intend for it to go off on a tangent like that but hey ho!! Bring on the lollipops.

Emma

Berghaus

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014freedomrunning4 Comments

Team HOH became unbelievably excited a couple of days ago when a huge brown box arrived filled with shiny new Berghaus kit. We are exceptionally lucky to have been supported by Berghaus who have given each member of our team a waterproof jacket to be worn in Africa. This has been a massive help to us as all the kit needed to complete a trip like ours adds up to a big expense. This is possibly more exciting to me (Emma) than to the rest of the team as Berghaus have made a jacket specifically designed for running. Im sure that most runners out there will agree with me that finding a jacket to keep you warm and dry, and comfortable while running long distance is not easy. Thankfully, I haven’t put the jacket to the test yet as the sun has been out, but as soon as I get the chance I will put a review up for you to see my thoughts.

My first thoughts about the kit we received are that Berghaus are onto a winner with the colours of their womens clothes. I imagine that most women into outdoor sports will agree with me that we don’t all want to wear pink, red or purple!!! I hear lots of women regularly complaining about the colour options available to us, and unfortunately we can’t just choose XS mens, its just doesn’t work like that. The colours and style of the Berghaus jackets are gorgeous. Really shapely and great choice of colours. Well done Berghaus!!!!