Stage 3 Marathon des sables Part 1

I had just left checkpoint 2 only stopping long enough to fill up my water bottle and change socks. The last leg had been a bad one for my feet as in out of nowhere 5 blisters have popped up. I blamed it on myself for doing  a bad sock change. The blisters are mainly between the toes and just bothersome. The heat has crept up steadily and is now north of 120 degrees fortunately there is no wind. I would hate to have had some wind cooling me down and miss out on the hottest temperatures of the whole MDS. The ipod is playing in my ears and provides a good distraction to the stunning heat. I start off the leg jogging then walking using a run walk startegy with a ratio of 80% walk and 20% run. That quickly becomes a 99% to 1% run / walk survival mode. On this section there is a lot of support vehicle activity going on with the Doc Trotters medics staying very busy. There are places along the route that a vehicle can get to and with this heat a lot of people are getting zapped. I go through a little grove and pop out the other side to find a Brit standing off to the side looking confused and holding his flare. I quickly jog over to him and inquire what is up? He replies,"I can't get my flare into my pack." I say"No worries I thought you were going to shot the thing. Let me help you" Relived that this guy is not about to pop his flare. I push it down into an outside pocket it is tight but after a struggle it goes in. I pat him on the back and say "Good luck mate" off I go. There is only about 5 miles left in the stage and despite the heat I am going along well. Life throws stuff at you never when it is expected but usually on a Tuesday afternoon out of the blue. I am feeling grand despite my feet's new blister friends. I am thinking just be patient and finish this leg keep enjoying the day. I need a drink so time to hydrate so this heat doesn't take me. I reach back and grab nothing my water bottle is gone.