Losing your baggage is constantly in the back of your mind while you fly: The remaining component you need is the hassle of being left with the best clothes to return for a whole ride. That became the case for Peter Messervy-Gross last week, who was going to Mongolia to finish the Mongol one hundred. Part of Rat Race Adventure Sports’ Bucket List races, the Mongol 100 takes vicinity over Lake Khovsgol, a more than two million-year-old lake. ITheiciness freezes over, leaving some of the purest sparkling water within the international as a picturesque racing degree.

The logistics and the scenery had been what drew Messervy-Gross to join the race with his friend Marcus Liddiard, both hailing from Jersey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. Previously, the longest he had ever run was a Paris marathon that returned in September with 26 wine stations with cheese, pork, and oysters. Messervy-Gross was determined to give it a pass. [Run faster, stronger, and longer with this 360-degree training program.] For five months, the duo trained and purchased new kits, gaining knowledge of the harsh conditions they’d endure at some stage in the race.

These have been the kind of kits heroes wear as they triumph over unexplored lands or declare victorious new records,” Messervy-Gross told Runner’s World. “I even grew a beard to stave off the cold. A few days before the race, the two boarded planes for a layover in Moscow, and then they went on to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Everything changed into going first-rate until they reached the baggage claim after landing: Messervy-Gross’s luggage had not arrived. They learned that four other travelers who were additionally racing suffered equal fate.

We were assured they would flip up, but simply in case, I changed into recommended to look for some extra appropriate footwear,” Messervy-Gross stated. “I had traveled in denim and a couple of trainers. That wasn’t a big deal for everyone else doing the race. They headed to a branch save within the metropolis, where they had their choice of shoes from many large name brands. Unfortunately for Messervy-Gross, they didn’t stock size 13s. So he was caught with the best of his four- to 12-month-old leather-based dress shoes.

The unlucky element approximately the diminutive Mongolian stature is they seemingly never, ever have ft larger than a size eleven,” he said. “So, no new footwear for me. The institution headed to the installation camp at the lake during the primary nighttime, with days to go earlier than the race. With the assurance that his luggage would flip up tomorrow, he settled in with the race crowd, a mix of runners, adventurers, and officer people. Good news arrived the day after today, as four out of the five missing bags had arrived. The straggler belonged to Messervy-Gross, but he remained optimistic, even though a chunk fearful.

My journey had taken a chunk of a turn,” he said. “A hundred miles in a pair of trainers and types of denim wasn’t pretty what I had in mind. The excellent news becomes that the kit was nonetheless on its way and would ‘in all likelihood’ turn up tomorrow. No worries. But the bag by no means showed. The race director advised him to rummage an outfit with the other racers if they were. It seems they were very inclined. People who I had met and didn’t realize from a bar of soap had been offering me their garb and device,” Messervy-Gross stated. “The weather on the lake is intense, and people added their package to deal with the discomfort of the surroundings. Giving it up supposed they have been putting themselves in a worse-off function, and they did it in a heartbeat. It was virtually incredible.

In a few hours, he changed into a complete set of thermals, socks, and underpants from fellow racers to add to his lightweight gloves, lightweight Patagonia jacket, and a bright orange hat with flaps to cover his ears. He also was given ice grips for his shoes. With that, he becomes prepared. Well, as equipped as he can be given the circumstances. The night earlier, it started to sink in what he changed about to bear. Would his feet live warm in leather shoes? Would the makeshift outfit resist the freezing temperatures? He had no concept, however, he turned into going to do all he could to complete. After hugs from fellow racers the following morning, they ran off. For Messervy-Gross, the latter wasn’t much of a choice.

I ran with Marcus and (another racer) for a few kilometers, but like the tune says, ‘These boots were made for walking,’ no longer jogging,” he said. “We made it to degree one, and the good information became that my toes were hot and toasty. Messervy-Gross ran a maximum of the way for the primary day, but it became ugly on his toes. The race occurred over four stages over four days, so he walked most of its people on days two and three. At the end of each day, heat eased and kicked his feet out in their leather prisons, but the damage getsquite awful.

It became now not very comfortable,” he said. “My feet swelled up a piece and had some pretty massive blisters and lost toenails. My little toes had been a chunk of a large number. By the very last stage, he changed into hurting and, at one point, in a completely difficult region, although he observed solace on the open ice from an unexpected source. I had sore feet, changed into struggling, and quite a lot spent,” he said.

The digital camera boys (from Rat Race), Leo and James, pulled up after me in their van, wound down the window, and James gave me a steely look before urgent play. Northern Mongolia, on a frozen lake, listening to N.W.A.’s ‘Straight outa Compton’ pumping from the stereo. I started walking again. Finally, after four days of hiking, he crossed the finish line to a roar of cheers. He changed into greater than pleased to be executed, but he was excited to show his race into an adventure he by no means may want to have anticipated.