February 28, 2007

Last night was the combined banquet to celebrate the marathon.  The people from the Vavilov came over to the Ioffe, and we had a big cookout on the back deck.  TONS of food, including chicken, steak, salmon, veggie burgers, and some pretty amazing banana dessert that I didn't even try to exercise restraint with.  Also, two of our shipmates got married by the captain last night too.  And two humpback whales put on quite a show for us right near the ship.  Pretty amazing.

Well, we tried to have the kayak finals today, but after a bunch of getting dressed and into the zodiacs, we tooled around for a while as the winds kept picking up, but finally were cancelled due to high winds.  Darn it!  Our next chance that the two ships will be together is Friday morning, so maybe we'll race then.

This morning we went to went to Peterman Island.  Gentoo penguins, distinguished by orange beaks and little white bonnets on top of their heads, were everywhere.  After spending an hour or so on the island, we went cruising for a bit among icebergs and rocks.  We saw four different leopard seals.  The leopard seals hang out off shore, just waiting for penguins to venture out.  One false move, and the penguin is lunch.

Tonight we're supposed to have a campout on the island here.  We'll see how that goes--the wind keeps picking up, and weather can change from minute to minute.

February 28, 2007

[Written by Don the afternoon of Tuesday, 2/27/07.]
 
I just had the most amazing race--in a KAYAK!  They're having the Antarctic Kayak Championship here--it's us against the Vavilov tomorrow.  Today was the preliminary heat.  We have seven of us competing in the singles, and I'm one of them.  As we rafted together to wait for the start, two humpback whales slept only about 100 yards away.  We watched as the blew out their spouts and bobbed up and down in the water.

Finally we started the race, a 1 kilometer straight line to the zodiaks waiting at the finish.  Starting with slow, steady strokes, then accelerating and digging in, pushing and pulling as we went around as many of the ice chunks as possible.  I looked up, and out of the seven in the race, only Bruce was ahead of me!  I dug in, trying to catch him as the others disappeared from my peripheral vision.  I yelled, encouraging him and letting him know I was right on his tail.  We crossed the finish line in 5:52 and 5:59, giving me a second place finish and a place in the finals tomorrow!

Maybe I should give up running and race kayaks.  Or not.  But it sure was fun.

Antarctica Marathon

[Written by Don on Tuesday, 2/27/07.]  Yesterday was the marathon.  Not much for cold temperature--only around freezing, so not bad.  The bad part was the wind and snow.

We started at the Russian base and headed out through a mud field toward Collins Glacier. Because of a dusting of fresh snow and a little below freezing temperatures, the mud wasn't bad the first lap.  After three miles we reached the base of the glacier.  From there, it was a steep climb for a half mile to the turnaround spot, then back to the start/finish area.  Seven miles down.  Then out through the Chilean base, and a turn after a mile that would take us straight into the wind for the next two miles.  We went through a Chinese base as well, where they even had a water station for us for the first lap. The turnaround took us back the same way to the start/finish.

Now do it again, except that the mud had been tramped through enough that it was much harder to keep from getting your feet wet.  Pretty much impossible, actually.  The glacier seemed like a lot more of a climb this time--the consensus seems to be that they moved the turnaround out by another half mile or so.  :-)  The surface had gotten a bit colder and so it was just a little more slippery this time too.  On the way back, I saw two penguins, a gentoo and a chinstrap.  Back to the center, and only 6 miles to go.  Same drill, but at the place just before the 25 mile mark where we dropped our water bottles, I had also stashed a beer.  There's nothing like a cold beer waiting to pull you through the last miles.  After the turn, between 23 & 24, I watched a fur seal actually chasing my friend Tony and a couple others off the course. Pretty funny.  By the time I got there, it had gone off a bit and I was able to get some video of it.  A couple more chinstraps were near there for crowd support.  A mile and a quarter to go, and I stopped to drink a very nice can of Quilmes beer.  Actually, I drank half of it and left the rest there for Tee, who was only a half mile behind me. Finally--FINISH LINE--about 6:17 to complete continent 4 of 7!!!

February 23, 2007

We flew early to Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city. Just had a couple beers from the world's southernmost brewery, the Beagle Brewery, here in Ushuaia.

All is well. We board the ship, Ioffe, at 4:00 p.m. to head to Antarctica. You can find more information about our itinerary for the next 8 days by following the Antarctica link at www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm.

In Colonia, Uruguay

"It had a big head on it. At first I thought it was a snake." That was Melanie, describing the huge lizard three of my friends saw on a run this morning. I went out with James a little later, so we missed the lizard, darn it.

So after a nice, hot morning run (about 5 miles and about 80 degrees) I went back to the hotel gym and lifted a few weights and ran another mile on the treadmill. The next plan was an afternoon trip across the Rio de la Plata to the old city of Colonia, Uruguay. The town here is a big contrast to Buenos Aires, with lots of old shops, big trees lining the streets, and beautiful old gardens. It's like stepping back in time--some of the trucks and cars still in use here are older than me!

Interesting stats--this is the sixth country I've been in on this trip. USA, the Netherlands, Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay. I've slept three nights on airplanes. I've had beer made in every country I've been in. Except for Uruguay. Guess I better sign off now!

Buenos Aires

This won't be too long because the internet terminal I have isn't the best. Anyway...

It was tough getting out of Spain. Delayed flight from Valencia to Madrid caused me to miss the plane to Buenos Aires, so they routed me through Sao Paulo instead. So, I spent until nearly 2:00 p.m. getting all the way to the hotel in Buenos Aires. And it was my third night sleeping on airplanes in the last week. Sleeping in a real bed last night was pretty darn comfortable!

After checking in, several of us went for a short run, maybe 3-4 miles, to shake out the cobwebs of overnight travel. After a short nap, we all gathered for a reception for all who will be doing the Antarctica Marathon. There are about 185 runners, and we'll be taking two ships from Ushuaia to Antarctica, the Vavilov and the Ioffe. I'll be on the Ioffe. (Pronounced like Coffee, but with a Y at the beginning)

Today started with a bus tour of Buenos Aires, the highlight of which was a visit to the Recoleta district and the cemetary where Eva Peron is buried. A few of us then went and booked a day trip for tomorrow to Colonia, Uruguay, which is a ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata river. So, I'll be collecting another stamp on my passport tomorrow. Tonight, several of us will be attending a dinner and a Tango show. The Tango is the 'National Dance' of Argentina, so since I'm such a cultured guy, I guess I'll just have to check it out. :-)

All the best to everyone back home.

Lazy Monday

It´s an easy day here in Valencia, most of it spent just goofing around, seeing a few sites, drinking a couple beers. Tonight I have a late flight which will take me from Valencia to Madrid, then at 12:02 I fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina to join the Antarctica Marathon trip.

I found this picture on the Internet of a bunch of kids who are watching me back home. It's Mr. Long's fifth grade, a bunch of party animals, it seems.

Next time you hear from me, I'll be in Argentina.

Marathon #3!!

Cool and comfortable this morning, as I took a taxi from my hotel to the start of the race. I don´t understand the math on this one, but I had NO soreness left in my legs from the marathon in Luxor only two days ago.

I was there early, so I managed to find a cup of coffee. Not your typical American stuff--it was served in something a bit bigger than a shot glass and was pretty thick. They served two packets of sugar with it, and there was a good reason for that.

All the different running clubs were decked out in their colors. When you sign up for a race here, you give your running club name. I, of course, put Grand Rapids Running Club on mine. I think I´m the only member here.

Starting time was 9:00. I lined up near the 4:15 pace group, led by a guy who was doing a Grouch Marx impression--big cheesy painted on mustache and eyebrows, and a big fake cigar to complete the look. I had no inclination that I could run a 4:15 as my third marathon in a week, but it seemed like a fun group.

Starting gun! The route is all city streets until the last 7K or so. A few nice parks here and there, but lots of city. I fell in with a group of people from Great Britain for a while, welcoming the English speakers. That´s one of the things we take for granted I suppose, but in a country where the dominant language is Spanish (duh, it´s Spain) there are limited numbers of people to talk to. "Animo!" is the common cheer from the sidelines. ("I animate" technically, but more like "look alive, go for it" in context.)

I was feeling good all day, finishing the first 20K in two hours. I had a pretty good idea by then that it would be my fastest of the first three continents. Running a marathon marked in kilometers is fun too, because they go by a lot faster than miles. OK, there´s 42 of them instead of 26, but what the heck. All day I was following a member of the 100 marathon club (it was his 180th today) and I used him to pull me along. Somewhere between 35 and 36K I lost him. I think I passed him actually, but I just don´t know. It was about that time that we went off road and thorough what looked like a campus for the last 7K. People who had passed me all day were now in front of me, slowing down as we counted the kilometers up to 41. I encouraged lots of people as I passed, most of whom couldn't understand me but smiled anyway and were happy to have someone there. At 41, we started running down a long walkway which led by the stadium. I could look over and see the finish line inside the stadium, then ran past it and around the outside, finally moving over and down the ramp. Just 3/4 lap to go, past the 42K mark, 195 more meters to the FINISH. YES! Somewhere around 4:26 chip time, and 4:29 on the gun. Marathon #3 in the books!

The finisher medal was real nice--not a medal at all, but a crystal "trophy" with runners in the middle and the name of the marathon on the bottom. Very cool!

I wandered around until I found a taxi for the trip back. Legs still feel good. Not quite sure why, but I hope it keeps up. I get a week off now--Antarctica is scheduled for the 26th. Tomorrow I get to goof off all day in Valencia before heading for Argentina to meet the Marathon Tours Group.

Hey. Maybe I should mention this: CITY TO CITY RUN to Defeat Malaria. Donating Bti (bacillus thurengiensis var israelensis) to Equator Belt Countries. This bacteria naturally kills mosquitoes without disrupting personal health or environment, as opposed to spraying DDT. More info at http://malaria.pledgepage.org/

In Valencia

Today was spent travelling. About 12 hours before finally landing at the Valencia airport. I figured my air time so far in this adventure is about 22 hours. Total travel time including airports, taxis, etc. is probably closer to 35.

Something I forgot to talk about yesterday in Luxor. Much of the area we ran in is farm country, growing sugar cane, clover, and other various crops. People would be piling clover onto donkey-drawn carts to feed their animals. Other carts were loaded with sugar cane. On my third of the four loops, near the end, two older men were sitting beside the road keeping an eye on a couple piles of onions. By the time I was in the fourth loop, the pile had grown to enormous, with younger people down in the field bringing them up an armload at a time to add to the pile. Life in the area is simple, but everyone along the way was nice to us.

I finally checked into my hotel tonight, then took a taxi to the race HQ to pick up my race number and packet. Met my contact, Paco Borao, and he helped me out with directions and times, so I can get to the race on time tomorrow. My legs are feeling great, like I hadn´t even done a marathon yesterday. Don´t know why, but I´m not complaining.

Love to everybody back home. I never did see any scorpions or quicksand. The worst thing that happened to me in Egypt is that my shower didn´t work quite right and I had to take a bath instead. Oh well--maybe it will get more exciting later.

Marathon Number 2 - Luxor Egypt

Early morning breakfast, then a 45 minute bus ride to the start. Sunshine. Low of 50, high of 82. Sorry about all you people back home enjoying the snowstorms. The marathon started from a temple in some beautiful sunshine. (I'm really tired right now, so please excuse me if my lack of enthusiasm shows through.)

The course is a short (around 1K) out from the start/finish to a loop we would repeat four times. Turning right we went out past a variety of alabaster factories for the first kilimeter or so. To the right were some traditional Egyptian houses, similar to adobe houses. After about 3-4K was my favorite part of the course. We ran through a winding section, with the ruins of an old temple to the right, and small houses and shops to the left. Goats, sheep, a bull, and lots of donkey carts, and people going about their daily lives. A grandmotherly woman sat beside the road each time I passed in a black dress including head covering, only her face exposed. She smiled at me each time as I ran by and said good morning to her. Children joined us at different points along the course. "Welcome to Egypt." "What's your nationality?" "United States." "Ah. Good people!"

The kids made the marathon fun--running, asking my name, introducing themselves. About 8K into the first loop, I was joined by Nikki who is from England but teaches school in Cairo. She was running the half marathon, but we stayed together all the way through my second loop. When asked her name by some of the children, she said "Nicola." Turns out Nikki doesn´t translate very well into Arabic, but since there´s fifth graders reading this I won´t elaborate. On a short out-and-back, I saw my new friend Geoff, who was only a little bit behind me.

Into the third loop, I came upon Ali, another new friend who plans to do five events in the next short time to raise money for a charity. He was in his fourth and final loop, but had pulled a hamstring so was moving pretty slowly. After passing him I slowed down to do some video in my favorite little neighborhood. Geoff caught up to me and we ran together for a while, on and off for most of the rest of the race. Soon we came upon Robert, who was running on his seventh continent, but moving slowly as we were 8K into our last loop. I was feeling good and moving along well, encouraging him as I passed. Just past the 40K mark through the last aid station, I was still feeling good. The heat was taking a toll, but my body was reacting well. The last 1K as I turned toward the finish was full of traffic by this time, with all the tour busses and taxis. The finish line was a welcome site, as I crossed the line at 4:47:06 on my watch. Marathon number 2. Continent number 2.

My next challenge is to get up in time for my flight to Spain tomorrow.

Yesterday in Amsterdam, today in Egypt

I'm getting lots of questions from Mr. Long's class. Check the blog comments to see the things they asked me. Some of them are pretty good, many will be answered as I go along, so if I don't address it specifically, keep reading. Some are going to take more thought, so I'll have to get to them later.

-Do you get money for getting into the record book? Kayla & Haley M.
NOPE, Just fame and glory!! (I hope:-))

Yesterday I spent the day in Amsterdam, flying overnight from Detroit and landing around 10:00 a.m. (For those of you back home, it was 4:00 a.m. at the time.) With most of the day to layover in Amsterdam, I left the airport and took the train to Central Station in downtown Amsterdam. My first order of business was to see Anne Frank's house, a place where she and her family were hidden for quite a while from the Nazis. Knowing that part of history is one thing. Being somewhere that it happened, hearing the thoughts and feelings of the people who were there, is sobering. As I walked throught the hidden rooms where for months she was unable to go outside, I felt sad that things like that had to happen in our world. I learned more about her, including the fact that her family was betrayed and they were found and arrested and died in concentration camps. Anne Frank died, only a young girl, but she had a great story to tell and an effect on those of us today. When I get home, I'm going to finally read her diary, something I should have done many years ago.

My next stop was a bus tour of Amsterdam. Having slept on an airplane, I figured this would be a good opportunity to get an overview of the city, as well as catch a couple Zs here and there as I needed. Good call, because I seem to have missed a few minutes of the trip here and there. I DID, however, wake up in time to stop at a big windmill which is now a MICROBREWERY! We stopped for a photo opportunity, and I went in and bought a beer.

Back to the train/airport for the flight to Cairo at 9:00. We landed in Cairo around 2:30 a.m. and went throught customs, then I caught the plane to Luxor at 5:00. At 6:30 we landed in Luxor. Now the fun starts. As I left the terminal building, trying to figure out how to get to the hotel, I was accosted by about 20 taxi drivers, all wanting to take me there, but none of them would tell me how much. They wanted me to tell them how much. I started walking to his car with one of them, then another came up and the two of the started into a heated argument over who was going to do it. I finally just turned and walked away, and as they followed me, more joined in the fray and it was like a committee meeting before they got done with it. They finally all agreed and picked one among themselves. I found out when I got to the hotel that I paid about twice what I should have, but it was about a half-hour and I paid 15 euros (about $1 7) so I'm not totally unsatisfied.

At 10:30, we had the first event of the weekend, the Luxor Breakfast Run. It was really just a warmup run, but with the turnout of the downtown citizens, you'd have thought it was the Olympics or something. Probably only 25 runners or so, but also horses and carts, roller skaters, and lots of little kids joining in to run with us. We started at the Luxor Temple, (a ruins in downtown Luxor) and only ran about 2.5K (1.5 miles). I got interviewed by the local TV people too. Pretty neat.

Back at the Movenpick Hotel, I met an old friend, Scot McIvor, who I ran the Inca Trail with three years ago. We'll be running the marathon tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I'll keep an eye out for scorpions, cursed mummys, and quicksand. I'll see if I can post a picture now and then, but downloading them from camera to other people's computers is sometimes tricky.

-Are you having fun? Jacob
Everything I do is fun, Jacob. It's one of my rules.

February 14, 2007

Francine Robinson is posting this blog entry for Don Kern:

February 14, 2007:  Don called from Amsterdam at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (8 p.m. in Amsterdam) to say that he had spent the day "getting acquainted with Amsterdam" while he was on layover.  He visited the home of Anne Frank, which is now a museum.  (For more information about the Anne Frank Museum, and about Anne Frank's life, you can visit the website at http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2.)  Don will leave Amsterdam tonight for an overnight flight to Egypt.

Home for a day

OK, I was supposed to be home for 2 days, but United Airlines had better ideas. So, I was treated to a night in the Airport Hilton in Chicago.
Today I got home to find a couple great emails. Adam Jacobs at thefinalsprint.com has published a podcast featuring ME! Pretty cool. It's at http://thefinalsprint.com, if you're really bored sometime and would like to listen.

Michael Long's fifth grade class has me on a web page too! It's at http://www.hcs.cgresd.net/hillside/long/pages/class-news.php

And, I also got a very special email from someone I ran with three years ago, Tammy Gaghan:

Don,

I just had to send you an email after seeing your new running adventure posted on my running group's web page.
I have been meaning to send you a note since March 30th 2003.
I just wanted to thank you for running the last 10 or so miles with me during the Ocean Drive Marathon in NJ. It was my first marathon and you made the time fly by with your wonderful marathon stories. During one of your recent blogs you were talking about heroes, well you are sort of a hero to me.
You have inspired both my husband and myself into running all 50 States. I have completed 10 and he has done 18. He also wants to do 50 by 50. Our next one is The Country Music Marathon in April.
Both my husband and I competed on the CBS show The Amazing Race Season 8 along with two of our children who also share a love of running. I swear the reason we were picked was because of our marathons. So I guess this is also a thank you note because of your inspiration I was able to get on a TV show that I loved. .... It was cold that day of the marathon so just imagine me with a funny black baseball cap with ear flaps.

Now, I hope Tammy doesn't mind me sharing this, because things like this just bring tears to my eyes. We never know what influence we'll have on other people. Thanks Tammy!

Mercedes Marathon - North America

It was a long and hilly day, but the sun shone brightly on the Mercedes Marathon. Talk about Southern Hospitality! These people know how to show you a good time.
I ran into Steve and Paula Boone before the race and managed to get a little film of my start. Steve was, of course, running his second marathon of the weekend.

Somewhere between mile 1 and 2, I came upon four girls from Grand Rapids--including Tammy Nagy, Nancy Sullivan, Amy Vanwagoner, and Cyndi Lyons. Quite a surprise to find some folks from back home! We ran together for a bit before I went on ahead. I had started back in the pack quite a ways, so I gradually passed the 4:45 pace group, then finally the 4:30 pace group. Brian had been running with the 4:30 group, so he caught me and ran with me for a few minutes before dropping back.

About the time he dropped back, I passed George Higgs and we ended up running together for about 8 miles, picking up Terri Menghini along the way. George stopped to shed a layer or two, and Terri and I ran together until almost mile 18. As we ran down a residential street, there were signs in a front yard saying "GO KERN GO" and one with a drawing of the seven continents on it. I had to stop and say hello and get my pictures taken with the Larussa kids. They gave me an American flag bandana and said "Take us with you." I tied the bandana around my neck and finished the race with it.

Around 19 miles, the 4:30 pace team caught up with me again--down to the two pacers and maybe 3 or 4 runners. I stayed with them until we headed up a VERY LONG hill that went from about mile 21 to mile 23. Worked my way up that hill with a guy named Larry. Finally we started back downhil and into town. Just a block before the finish, George caught up with me, and finished just ahead of me. The finish line was a welcome site--and my first milestone on my journey to seven continents. Finish time was 4:30:39. One down, six to go.

Check Out This Page On al.com

Dear 7 Continents Blog:

Don Kern (cooladventures@aol.com) thought you would be interested in this item from al.com. (This page may also contain advertising.)

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1171103212248860.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

Alabama State High Point

Cheaha Mountain. Native American word for "high place." This is how I spent Saturday morning. Elevation, only 2407 feet. I travelled about 80 miles east of Birmingham early this morning, and was treated to a great view from the top. It's just a drive-up montain, but still was a nice view. Got back to town and went back to the marathon expo for a bit. Then met Brian for yet another futile attempt at finding a brewery. It seems that they passed a law a couple years ago, and there is no longer any beer brewed in Birmingham. What a travesty!!!

In Birmingham, Alabama

The adventure begins...

Flew into Birmingham this morning, and at 4:00 I met Sheldon Heygood with Fox 6 News for an interview.  We went to the park where the Start/Finish line is and spent a few minutes talking, followed by about 20 short runs up and down the street so he could get some film of me running.  Should air on the news tomorrow about 9:45.

 

I met a friend from Kalamazoo, Brian Molrony, who is also down here for the marathon.  We tried to find a brewery, but the one we went to had closed a while back, and the one that a couple girls sent us to down the street still serves beer, but, alas, doesn't make it any more.  So my quest for a beer glass from Alabama is fruitless so far.  I still have a couple days, however, and WILL NOT BE DENIED!!!

What's going on so far---

Thursday I sent out a press release.  Runner's World responded, they're bring it up in their editorial meetings.  WOOD Radio news interviewed me on Friday.  John Matlak interviewed me yesterday.  Sheldon Heygood from the Fox affiliate in Birmingham set up an interview for Friday when I get down there, and Adam Jacobs from thefinalsprint.com is contacting me on Friday night to do a podcast for his website.  This is pretty fun.

 

Meanwhile, I have a couple friends joining me for the last two legs of the adventure.  Paul Ruesch and Brent Weigner are meeting me in Australia, where we'll run, do a little mountain climbing, reconnoiter the local breweries, then continue on to Seoul for more of the same.  Paul has become like a brother to me over the last 10 years since we met on our first trip to Antarctica.  I think Asia is the only continent where he and I haven't had a beer together.  Brent is my bi-polar buddy - we've been to both the South Pole and the North Pole together.  And now, I think we've got Nelsen Peterson almost talked into meeting us in Korea. 

 

Still working on the last minute packing and planning, but everything's going well.  Michael Long's fifth grade is joining me on a virtual field trip, and I'll post as often as I can from around the world. 

The Countdown

 

A week from today I start my journey to the far ends of the earth--running seven marathons on seven continents in 35 days.  Nelsen Petersen from Kibo Productions was over last night, giving me some insight on how to operate my video equipment, getting me some good advice.  My airplane tickets will arrive via DHL today.  My passport is up to date.  My bags are nearly packed.

 

Michael Long's fifth grade class will be following my adventure on a "virtual field trip."  Anyone else is welcome to do the same.  I'll be blogging as often as I can as we go along, and will try to post some pictures too.  Last night, I sent out a press release (grab a copy off my website if you want) to try and drum up some good PR.

 

The journey will start in Alabama, then home for a couple days before heading to Luxor Egypt.  If all goes according to plan, before I get home I'll finish seven marathons (26.2 miles or longer), climb a couple mountains, make a bunch of new friends, and sample some tasty beers on every continent. 

 

Question from one of Michael's students--Which marathon are you most looking forward to?  My answer--the next one.  You do these things one at a time.  Hopefully everything will work out the way it's supposed to.  If it doesn't, I'm still determined to enjoy the journey.  This is gonna be a blast.