Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 99, October 2017 | Page 18

“Surviving the decent of the last jebel on day two sticks in my memory. Legs deep
in the sand making your way down the dune, it felt like skiing down a mountain
slope in the Alps! All I could think of was, ‘What an adventure!’ And that after being
in tears just two minutes before the decent, telling the organisers I didn’t think I
could go down the jebel by myself! Another highlight was finishing day three feeling
strong and very proud of myself, because day two was tough and had me at my
lowest point, so finishing day three on a high was good for me from a mental and
emotional perspective. I felt like I had ‘qualified’ for the 86.4km day four stage. In
fact, for some weird reason, I felt like I had finally earned the right to be at the
MDS!”
“I only have great memories of the MDS. I loved running in the desert. It is so
beautiful out there, and I loved everything about the race, the organisation, the
organisers, camp life, my tent mates, the routes… even the heat, and the six-hour
bus ride from Quarzazate to the desert! The opportunity to be part of an event like
the MDS, to run through the Sahara Desert, make new friends and to push your
limits is priceless! The cut-offs at the MDS are very generous, so if you prepare well
in the months before the event, you are almost guaranteed a successful MDS finish.
And memories for a lifetime!”
Next on the Bucket List
After years of dreaming about MDS, Moerieda says she has struggled to get going
again after coming back from the desert. “Some of my tent mates were doing
100km races within weeks of the MDS, but I feel I went into a kind of running
depression, because I was thinking what next? Fortunately, I have found some
answers to that question. I want to focus on building my new management
consultancy business, but at the same time, running has brought me so much joy
and opportunity, so I don’t want to let it go. And when it comes to running, the
simple, easy races just don’t do it for me… so my next big thing will be the Tour de
Geants, or Tour of Giants, in Italy in 2020.”
“It’s 330km with 24,000m of altitude gain, which is like climbing Everest three
times, and you’re given 150 hours to finish, so I don’t know if I can do it, but I have
to set myself a plan and then walk the motion, because I want to become a giant.
That’s the goal for 2020, and along the way I want to run the 110km Lavaredo Ultra
Trail in Italy in 2018, and I have put my name in the pot for the Ultra Trail du Mont
Blanc in France in 2019. I believe that you must run with dreams in your heart and
visions of doing something great, and that keeps me motivated. Thanks to MDS, I
feel like I have achieved something great, and I hope it will inspire others.”
Welcome to Blister Central!
“The opportunity to
be part of an event
like the MDS,
to run through