{"id":23936,"date":"2017-02-26T19:22:56","date_gmt":"2017-02-26T19:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/natural-organic-blog\/?p=23936"},"modified":"2017-02-26T19:22:56","modified_gmt":"2017-02-26T19:22:56","slug":"shelley-bolle-crossing-atacama-top-natural-race-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/shelley-bolle-crossing-atacama-top-natural-race-supplements\/","title":{"rendered":"Shelley Bolle on crossing the Atacama & the eco staples that saw her through"},"content":{"rendered":"

Human beings are wonderful, crazy, curious creatures that will put their bodies through all sorts of gruelling experiences for the sheer purpose of seeing whether we can, of pushing through to a new level of self and of finding those elusive pockets in life between agony and pure nirvana that make it all so crystalising, so beautiful, pure and worth it.<\/p>\n

We asked Shelley Bolle<\/a>, running enthusiast, to share her recent journey of high performance endurance with us in crossing the Atacama, some insights and top supplement picks for endurance athletes.<\/p>\n

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What is the Atacama Crossing? It\u2019s a 250 km foot race through the Atacama Desert (the driest desert in the world) over 6 stages\/7 days. The race is self-supported, meaning all your belongings for the week are carried on your back, in a pack.<\/p>\n

So, what do you need to bring? The mandatory equipment list is 6 pages long, which includes the usual medical kit, emergency items and all your food for the week (minimum of 14000 calories, which is enough sustenance, IMHO, for a 3-year-old). Drinking water is all provided for you throughout the course, and hot water in the mornings and evenings (to make your porridge and freeze-dried meal that day).<\/p>\n

Sleeping quarters consist of a big round tee-pee type style tent with a thin groundsheet, but you must bring your own sleeping bag (and sleeping mat, if you want to add that weight to your pack!) – \u00a0not to mention your \u201cluxuries\u201d such as a toothbrush and iPod!<\/p>\n

With extreme temperatures, long distances and being exposed to the harsh elements, this is one helluva challenge. The first 4 days are \u201ceasy\u201d distances, no more than 44 km, and then day 5\/stage 5 is known as \u201cthe long march\u201d at 77 km, which then runs into day 6. The last day is a quick 8km \u201csprint\u201d to the finish line in the picturesque town of San Pedro.<\/p>\n

\"shelley-offical-race-portrait\"<\/p>\n

What did the Atacama crossing reveal to me?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The crossing of the Atacama wasn\u2019t what I expected. I knew it would be tough, but not THAT tough. I knew I\u2019d make friends, but I didn\u2019t expect to make the kinds of connections I did. For me, so much of it was about the people. I met the most incredible people from all over the world.<\/p>\n

I formed bonds that I didn\u2019t think would be possible to form in just a week. 43 nationalities, 1 crazy family! I was also (pleasantly) surprised that my race was hugely social \u2013 almost more so, than physical.<\/p>\n

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What was the hardest part?<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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The hardest part was the mental space. After a while, your physical space becomes kind of expected. Almost like your body was like “oh okay, we’re running through a desert, rad” and goes on auto pilot. Mentally you’ve got to stay determined and driven and focused and positive. It’s hard to do that when you’re exhausted and scared and in pain. The Ashwaganda is GREAT for this. Although it is more a recovery type powder, it had such an effect on my emotional state, acting almost like a natural anxiety medication.<\/p>\n

\"tent-two-best-2016\"<\/p>\n

Other mentionable noteworthies of my running experience<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n