Mission 1000“I simply should take one step, one kilometre at a time… Extremely-running is a love-hate relationship,” stated Natalie Dau, in a voice message she recorded someplace alongside the jap coast of Malaysia.
The 52-year-old had lined a 3rd of her 1,000km run from Thailand to Singapore, and the going was getting robust.
“Right now is the primary time in 4 days I’ve questioned if I’d truly end this factor. I really like the problem of the game, love the rawness of all of it, however hate these low factors. And so they come usually,” she stated.
Natalie needed to clock a minimum of 84km a day – the equal of two marathons – to attain her aim of ending her run in 12 days.
Natalie is an ultra-runner – they race distances that exceed 42.2km, the size of a marathon. However she has not educated as an athlete all her life. She started racing solely in her late 30s to get fitter.
Whereas operating has taken off globally, most information reveals that development in Western international locations. Figures for Asia are arduous to come back by, though a number of international locations within the area host in style marathons, akin to Taiwan, Cambodia and Japan.
The problem is discovering extra takers amongst non-professional athletes who, like Natalie, run for causes, usually documenting their arduous runs on social media.
“Whether or not you are available in first or final, it would not matter. You have accomplished one thing virtually superhuman, one thing that solely 0.05% of the world’s inhabitants will ever do,” she stated.
But it surely takes a toll. She was sunburnt and exhausted from operating for hours below the searing South East Asian solar. Her hip had began to grab up on the primary day. On day three, she received a urinary tract an infection.
She finally crossed the end line in downtown Singapore on 5 June, together with a whole bunch of runners who had come to help her on a weekday.
Clad in shiny operating gear, they ran by the town’s industrial estates within the early hours, simply as daily-wage staff, with their backpacks and plastic lunch baggage in tow, made their approach to work.
Mission 1000Twelve days of ups and downs
“The longest I’ve run earlier than this was 200km,” Natalie advised the BBC the day after she completed her run. “I used to be on the lookout for a special approach to problem myself.”
She had the thought to run from the Thai border, by Malaysia, to Singapore in September. Over the subsequent eight months, a number of buddies got here on board to assist plan for the run, which was later named Mission 1000.
“I used to be a bit naive again then and knew little about what planning for such a run would take. My workforce requested me issues I hadn’t considered – what occurs in case you want a hospital? How can we plan the border crossings? What number of security vans will we want?”
By means of the 12-day ultra-marathon, Natalie despatched nightly voice notes to the BBC recapping the highs and lows of every day.
On day 5, she stated: “We had a second to have some breakfast from a roadside stall and loved the view for 5 minutes earlier than we headed off once more. Right now was an excellent day, however I’m not anticipating all days to be good. We’ve nonetheless received a protracted approach to go.”
Mission 1000She and her workforce would sleep simply two to a few hours every evening as a result of they selected day three that she ought to begin operating shortly after midnight to beat the warmth.
“Ending dinner at 8pm and setting your alarm for 11.30pm will not be plenty of enjoyable,” she stated in one other message.
Getting up every day was the “scariest”, Natalie stated after the run. “I’d get up each morning questioning, ‘What if I am unable to run immediately?'”
“The end line is so distant, you may’t envisage it. I could not even see the end-of-the-day end line… It’s a must to get your head mentally within the zone with out figuring out what that end line seems like.”
Nearing the top, she described her physique as “feeling extraordinarily damaged”. She plastered her toes as a result of they “have been all blistered”.
“I’m struggling to stroll, drained and simply need to get dwelling and see my household. I’ll attempt to take pleasure in tomorrow, however I actually can’t wait to cross the border [into Singapore], to be sincere,” she stated in her word on day 10.
‘Extremely-runners need to get uncomfortable’
Extremely-runners are “a sure character kind”, Natalie stated.
“In some components of the world, all of us dwell fairly comfortably. [So] persons are attempting to get a bit extra uncomfortable, and ultra-running is a very great way to try this.”
Past that sense of non-public achievement, Natalie stated she had hoped that Mission 1000 would empower ladies. The run raised about S$50,000 (US$37,000) for GRLS, a charity funding initiatives that encourage extra women and girls to play sports activities.
“Whether or not individuals donated or not, it was a platform to get a message out,” Natalie stated. “Additionally, doing this as an older feminine, I actually wished to show to individuals which you could hold difficult [yourselves]. We’re solely restricted by our personal beliefs.”
Extremely-running of this degree, nonetheless, stays a privilege as a result of it takes time and infrequently wants sponsors and help workers.
Mission 1000But others who participate in these runs say the fundamental sport remains to be open to many individuals.
“You want nothing however a pair of footwear,” stated John Ellis, a Hong Kong-based ultra-runner.
“The social and aggressive facet of races are enjoyable, however the world is a giant, fantastic place and it’s good to get on the market and see it whereas pushing your limits and discovering out new issues about your self.”
Mary Hui, a Hong Kong-based journalist who does long-distance path runs, stated it is also a “welcoming group”.
“Operating with a big pack, plenty of interplay earlier than and after, hours and hours of coaching with these individuals… You may discover that even the most effective runner can have a foul day on the paths. That may decrease the obstacles.”
When requested if the joys of finishing the run was price all of the ache, Natalie stated, the “journey and the expertise… That was price it”.
Would she do it once more? She questioned aloud and responded solely with nervous laughter.
