This Saturday, 27 June sees the start of the seventh edition of the Gobi March, an ultra, ultra marathon that pushes participants to physical and mental extremes most of us will never know. 158 people from around the world are currently in a far flung corner of China's Xinjiang province, preparing to cross 250km of desert by foot, over seven days. Most will be happy just to make it over the finish line.
CT.net caught up with Shanghai-based husband and wife team Stephanie Hou (US) and Campbell Cave (NZ) before they boarded the plane for Urumqi, to find out how two people who have never even run a half marathon in their lives, are feeling about the trials and tribulations awaiting them over the next week>>>>

CT.net: Stephanie and Campbell, you are both about to embark on one of the most challenging adventures of your lives. With just a few days to go before the start of the race, how are you both feeling?

S: Crazy nervous, yet really excited!
C: Nervous. Excited.

CT.net: How did you first find out about the race and what made you decide to go for it? Have you taken part in any similar events before?

S: There are actually about 21 of us from Shanghai participating, including a large number of New Zealanders, Campbell being one of them. David Caselli, also a Kiwi, mentioned he'd just signed up for the race, and before I knew it, Campbell had put down a deposit! I had to go onto the Racing the Planet website to find out exactly what he'd actually signed us up for... this was only 6 months ago. So we dropped everything and started training. We've never even participated in a marathon, not even a half one, so this is a big step for us.

CT.net: You have to carry everything you need for seven days (except water), how heavy are your packs?

S: Mine is probably one of the lightest at 8kg, but that is only because my backpack is tiny and I physically could not pack everything I really wanted to in it. I had to make a lot of sacrifices and made sure to find the lightest of everything! It means that I can't take extra outfits (I will be especially stinky considering we are forbidden to shower or wash anything) and most importantly, no extra food.
C: About 12kg

CT.net: If you had to remove one item from your pack, what would it be?

S: Probably the hypodermic needles. They were on the required equipment list. They're super light, but quite bulky. I'm told they're for blisters, but I've got safety pins which are equally effective. That extra room could have allowed for more Slim Jims!
C: The sleeping bag definitely! In 50 C heat, it hardly seems necessary

CT.net: As a couple participating in the event, will you be sticking together through thick and thin or will it be every man/woman for themselves? How do you think being a couple will affect your performance and the experience as a whole?

S: Oh, I think this is a 'hey babe, love ya, but....' kind of thing. Campbell and I talked about it, and realistically, we won't be going at the same pace. Campbell is a lot faster than I am, and when I'm going, I don't like to chat much, I just do my own thing. But we do plan on doing the last 20km together! I'm really proud of doing this with him, and even though this race is only a week long, we've been training and organizing for the past 6 months so it's been great for our relationship having this shared goal.

CT.net: According to the website, 20% of competitors will run the entire course, 60% combine running with walking, and 20% will walk the entire course – which category do you see yourselves in?

S: Although I'd like to say I'll be doing a jog/walk combo, I'm going to say I'll be in the latter 20%. Talking to past competitors, I'm told one of the biggest mistakes that people make is not pacing themselves. 1 in 5 competitors don't complete the race, and I don't want to be that 1.
C: Jog/walk

CT.net: Do you have a target time you want to complete the race in?

S: Nope.
C: No way

CT.net: Stephanie, with only 20% of the competitors being female, do you think there will be extra pressure on you to finish?

S: Not for being female, no. I expect a lot from myself in general, so I better be unconscious for me not to finish.

CT.net: Shanghai is not the friendliest of places for runners, tell us about how you managed to train and what has been the most difficult part?

S: We've been very fortunate to join the Gobi group here in Shanghai. Most have been training for over a year, so when we joined, we were quite behind in physical fitness. Led by a Kiwi, John McKenna (a veteran Gobi participant), the group was regularly going to Hangzhou on the weekends for hikes. Our very first one was 32km, which I remember being severely painful, so much so, it hurt just placing my foot on the ground. However, through repetition and then increasing distance and elevation, it got much easier. towards the end, we were doing back-to-back marathons, with elevations of 2000m each day. In addition, we've been working out at One Wellness gym. For me, they have great classes (boxing, spinning, yoga etc) that are important when cross training.

One of the most difficult parts of the process has actually been training with the pack on. After only an hour, you can really feel the weight on your knees and bottom of the feet. I would also get a lot of curious stares at the gym when I'd wear the pack on the treadmill! In addition, we have had to make some serious changes in diet. I love to cook, and I love to bake but we really love to eat. That all had to go. I had to really make the effort to cook light, and portion the meals. This is still very hard, and I have to admit, I end up cheating all the time!

C: I got a personal trainer at One Wellness for weight training. I've lost 10 kilos through diet and exercise, and hope to continue losing. The hardest part is being consistent. There are many, many days where you just don't have the energy to go workout, and it's hard to refrain from joining friends at Sunday brunches (where it's all you can eat and drink).

CT.net: What are you most looking forward to about the event?

S: Meeting new people. Not only the other participants, but the locals. We will be crossing parts of the desert that are usually forbidden to foreigners, so this really is a great chance to see something few will ever have a chance to see.
C: No cell phones, no emails

CT.net: What are you least looking forward to?

S: The smells. Of me, of everyone else. We can't shower, we can't wash our clothes. Can you imagine sleeping in communal tents in ridiculously hot weather after running kilometer after kilometer? Eeeewww!
C: The 90km day, after walking four days' worth of marathons.

CT.net: What do you expect to gain from taking part in the race?

S: Every one of us will be pushing ourselves, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. We are abruptly taking ourselves out of everyday life—no phones, no TV, no material items, nothing. I'm expecting to be in basic survival mode in a desert where, for the majority of the time, I'll be by myself. Am I expecting to be hit by 'enlightenment' or to find a new path in life? It would be cool if it happens, but who knows. Will I be facing a lot of fears—walking at night with just a headlamp and getting lost with no water, being bitten by a scorpion or kidnapped by rogue camel riders? Absolutely! this is going to be an amazing challenge and I look forward to every moment of it.
C: New experiences, new friends and to see a new part of China.

CT.net: Your friends and family must think you are crazy, what kind of reactions did you get when you told people you’d signed up?

S: "You're nuts", "Mad", "Idiotic"—Most people though don't really understand what we're doing or getting ourselves into. Mostly they don't understand why, which is OK. Campbell and I are not doing this for charity, or for anyone else. It's for us as individuals, and for us as a couple. The scary thing is, Campbell is already talking about doing Atacama next.. aiyoooo!
C: They think we are mad. Absolute nutters! Which, we probably are.

Nutters indeed, but nutters with an incredible experience ahead of them and we wish them luck, strength and determination on their adventure.

If you're interested in finding out more, following the race or even embarking on your own extreme adventure, check out the Racing the Planet website for full details of this and other events (if the Gobi March seems too tough, they're also launching a new China event this August, the Taklamakan 100km).

We're also working to bring you details of more adventure sports and events in China. If you're the type that likes to live life with a healthy blast of adrenalin and know about an adventure sports activity that you think deserves some recognition, send us an email with the details, we'd love to hear from you!