13th March 2007 interview with Ray Zahabia running 7500 kilometers across the Sahara Desert in Africa in 111 days. 2nd November 2006-20. February 2007. In six countries and nine ecosystems in the West, from Senegal in the Atlantic Ocean and ends at the Red Sea in Egypt in the east.
"There is no trace of any waste of the world's second largest
Desert for a short time. "
Ken: Nice job on the wholeSahara faster than anyone in history, not a man who used to do, we are afraid for your life at any time during your 111 days?
Ray Zahabia: "In 111 days, I mean really, who fear for my life that do not necessarily fear for my life, I tell you that although I was not ready anxiety. I was out of fear, but fear not for my life. I was thinking, what makes you so at the time of his ignorance is bliss, I think one of those things, and then concentratedwas not my attention, is my main concern is not about what would happen to me if I shoot someone or something to be afraid of, or kidnapped or something else. But what was frightening to me was not to stop. "
"I think we did the distance was obscene, indecent distances every day. And when we started the Egyptian border, as we have up to 100k per day and then the last 60 hours is 300K I mean, can not be stopped, he ran crazy, it was so difficult. "
Ken:Ray, how long did it take to adapt to you, to civilization, if you return after 111 days?
Zahabia Ray: "Oh, what kind of cultural shock what? Now! Now!, As I finished, I had a dream in Canada, dreams of when they are out and I love Africa and I loved the people, and I liked it all that we have, but ran home, returning home was great, I love racing and I still, but I could not wait to go home. "
Ken: When you hearquite comfortable during the trip, we knew that you complete the 7500 km?
Ray Zahabia: "Expedition 7500 K in length. I would say at 7100 K, because I had injuries, I had everything I had dysentery. And people say, there is always a time we thought it's not too late? Daily thought I could not in my view, a goal. It would be foolish and presumptuous of me, you know I have to quit every day the possibility of such a thing, the distance I ran onThat was when I came across in my entire life. "
Ken: You can not really prepare for what some of these dimensions.
Ray Zahabia: "No, I came across ka 30-40 days before I collected or not." You know what happened, I had a tremendous amount of weight. I was just like any other light, my racing weight of about 147-48. I came into this heavy, I went in at 160 pounds, because I knew that I lose too much weight. And I was in was 120 pounds at one point thatI on the Ruhr. I came out of it about 130 so you know, has been up and down. "
Ken: I've probably lost a lot of weight each day from a loss of water due to extreme temperatures, as well?
Zahabia Ray: "Well, in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali and Niger, was the top plus 45 degrees Celsius and then it became very cold, and then pouring rain in northern Egypt and Libya."
Ken Ray, what kind of food and replace the fluid you duringShipping.
Zahabia Ray: "I only drink Gatorade and has been an incredible amount of carbohydrates and on. Solids, dude, we have eaten what they could lay their hands on. Sometimes we go to villages to larger villages and we have to be evaluated over the cakes and crisps and all that, high-calorie stuff. "
Ken: Do you eat dried fruit as dates?
Zahabia Ray: "Not much, but more importantly, what you eat, you eat, because it almostotherwise. Our expedition team, we had a cook or chef and his rice and pasta and other basic things, like vegetables, if we receive it. I had very little protein though. "
Ken: Have you vitamins and supplements?
Zahabia Ray: "Yes, we are vitamins, maturity, your muscles are simply wasted, and it was really fun, but really a kind that we ourselves are in a catabolic state that our muscles lose all the time, so you" was a race against timewith our bodies, if we were further 1000 kilometer had expired when I was in Egypt, I was out! "
Ken Ray in the interview with George, you are now saying, after the first contest in 2004 in the Arctic, it seems that you have said about this ultra-marathon endurance sports from the beginning, and was captured. "This is what I want to do forever" has done? And trying to record more in your future?
Ray Zahabia: "YesYou know, I know, but the long journey, and K 7500, never again. It is too far, but I think I have other plans, I have other shipments I want to do. You know, I tossed around the idea of the whole Newfoundland Newfoundland nonstop. I had my things they know never done this, I mean just a crazy idea, but no, there are many preliminary views on the world market and in the Sahara, my store have all the possibilities, other expeditions, and all options other races7500 K. This has not been so brutally incredibly hard, so you know when you are in the desert, there is someone to pick up your hand, and then along you need to run yourself, end up doing just that. "
Ken Ray of an article in the Ottawa Citizen quoted 25 When completed in February 2007, was the Red Sea have your say in the article: "I do not know if I was expecting glorious rays of light or something. But t did it happen"
Ray Zahabia: "No, you knowsaid that this sentiment will be large, which was not a disappointment, it was just like us, have we done, we walked her ass for 111 days and there are in the Red Sea launched its done. You know what I thought was just there, the expedition ended. It was a fantastic feeling and it was amazing, was mentally preparing for the mission as not just spray and just so hungry, that are objective. I mean, my legs are full of tendinitis and you are still running, asand you have tunnel vision ended. "
Ken: Ray, it was difficult to walk 250 km in the Amazon jungle or a hard day in the Sahara for 250 km?
Ray Zahabia: "This shipment was the hardest thing I've ever done, since its removal more difficult each day, the first week was not so bad, but if you can find it in perspective, more than ten days we have been anywhere from 700 to 800 km run. I mean, it's just not the same thing. "
Ken, but in this contextOf course, it will be worse, because of the huge your race.
Zahabia Ray: "It is true, then the conditions are so different in the Amazon jungle has been complicated by the fact that you wet all the time and do your swimming and feet are broken immediately during the first five hours and the feet" has been around. In the desert heat, sand and wind conditions, as long as you physically exhausted and worn out in the sandThe number of your brain stops working properly, so that there are two completely different things. "
Ken: a hypothetical question: what if Ray, a 22-year-old Ray Zahabia with 3 years experience of running 7500 kilometers across the Sahara was over? Cigarette smoke escape.
Zahabia Ray: "No, because you do not think that I might not have the maturity, if that's what you mean, I definitely do not have time experienceI know it does not mean forgetting, I started with a couple of years, so when I got my first pair in the race in the desert, I learned a lot, you know that I learned a lot and when I mountain bike race I was struggling, I have was never really my thing, I tried really hard but the guys were too fast. There are drivers that only technically kick my ass you know! I managed to climb faster than anyone else, but I've never been so they can get what the gut. For me, as my firstI knew that the race really going for me was something I seemed to be all in order. Therefore, caution gate in time to learn what is required of the people around you. So every time I went to a race. I would say, okay, I know I can run, I do not know how to prepare mentally and get them to work on my weaknesses. "
Ken: Ray, when he ran for 111 days, became sick after graduation?
Ray Zahabia: "I started a bunch of Pro biotics, ifI went home and I had to take a few days. I'm sure you have every opportunity to get a parasite, parasites, and if I have a concert, like everyone else. But there is so long your body adapts to its surroundings, 3 and 4 ½ months. "
Ken Ray has an article that said she lived a day in your life with your wife in the past in mind as you are, you are in an area that trance where she felt no pain and the time passed easily?
Zahabia Ray: "I experienced a day just to passTime. I want to without having an iPod and I just want to run for 2 or 3 weeks, sometimes even without music or something, which I think is a day to live in Chelsea, wake up, go to coffee with Cathy know go out the door then go to work, go home. I want to do one step after another, so that each step in the desert was a step in real time, to know what is needed. "
Ken: Ray, what you plan to go mountain biking in an endurance event?
Zahabia Ray: "ITrans-Rockies, it was brutal, I have the Trans-Alp and Trans-Rockies was a more technical, so they were really good and the climbs and I think it is a pure experience of the mountain, where, how, a trans-LP is the a road race put on mountain bikes. Large dramatic increases, amazing, shot down in a spectacular setting of illness, but not as a technician TR. TR is mountain biking at its root, you know? And Trans-Alp is 1200 or 1300 processor, and is a breed of mass, so thatEvery day 1,500 people are taking off at the same time. "
Ken: Did you for nothing?
Ray Zahabia: "It's fun, but you are crazy, the fear of me, her fear is the unknown."
Ken: Are you going to do any road-bike race?
Zahabia Ray: "No, No, No, they are strong enough that it is not my thing you know, 24 hours of adrenaline, I made some of them and I wanted to."
Ken: Ray, National Geographic makes a video documentary of your trip, with Matt Damon to saythe whole consignment, which means you have the most incredible record of your performance when it's all for you sunk?
Ray Zahabia "This is a documentary produced by Live Planet, and Matt Damon and will premiere sometime in autumn. This is a documentary about the expedition, in fact much more, it takes up water in Africa. The expedition is in the design through a process of Independence found out Matt DamonMatt is not good, but what I would say this together, come, come together in planning the expedition. I think Matt Damon is a big friend of man, I mean, it's true! The guy is genuine and water in Africa is something that is very important to him and his importance to us that the runners, so we decided to remember who went with this movie and the possibility of being part of it, hey its awesome! "
Ken: all together as the perfectMarriage?
Ray Zahabia: "Absolutely, I think, as you know."
Ken Ray drove from the Yukon last week? If your journey of joy or pain?
Ray Zahabia: "No, Yellowknife.
Ken: I heard, was less 6C.
Zahabia Ray: "I felt it was about 40 I was with and hosted a race actually his idea to my friend Scott, but in the process of organizing this race together and call the Rock and Ice Ultra and experience, incredible kick ass eventNorth of Canada, I think it was all highlights of what you learn in this country. So people from around the world may be there, its awesome! "