Hey, Flat Stanley is here with me. So far he's been to Beirut, Atlanta, and Florence, now he's in South Africa. I'll post some pictures of him and his around-the-world trip soon.
It's summer here, somewhere in the upper seventies. Hope you're all enjoying the snow back in Michigan.
and the adventure continues....
Marathon Don.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday, 30 November - Morning
I didn't manage to hook up with my local contact, so I got a hotel, enjoyed a nice quiet meal at a bar called Finnezz just a short walk away. Nice steak, baked potato, glass of the house cabernet. Quiet evening.
Hanging out for a bit, just stopped and got a hair cut. Pretty exciting, eh?
Next stop is at the race site to pick up my race number this afternoon. Between now and then perhaps a bit of siteseeing and shopping.
Oh--at breakfast this morning I heard Christmas music. White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland were among the selection. What's interesting about that? It never snows here, except sometimes inland on the higher mountains.
If all goes to plan, in the next 12 days I'll run 4 marathons. Geez, just typing that last sentence was scary.
and the adventure continues....
Hanging out for a bit, just stopped and got a hair cut. Pretty exciting, eh?
Next stop is at the race site to pick up my race number this afternoon. Between now and then perhaps a bit of siteseeing and shopping.
Oh--at breakfast this morning I heard Christmas music. White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland were among the selection. What's interesting about that? It never snows here, except sometimes inland on the higher mountains.
If all goes to plan, in the next 12 days I'll run 4 marathons. Geez, just typing that last sentence was scary.
and the adventure continues....
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Mr. Long's class
Again, Michael Long's kids are hanging out with me for the trip. They sent me some questions:
-Did you see any exotic animals in Lebanon? Christine & Maria
You mean like fifth graders? Nope. No other animals either except a few stray cats.
-What did you NOT like about Beirut? Rocco & Daniel
I don't like that so many of the buildings have been bombed due to the political stuff between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.
-What kind of food do they have in Lebanon? Shawn & John
It was pretty much like what we get at home.
-What was your best time for an Asian marathon? How many marathons have you ran in Asia? Justin & Kyle
I've done three marathons in Asia now--Israel in 1998 in about 4:40, South Korea last March in around 4:35, and this one in Lebanon in 4:57.
-Did you see any wild animals in Italy? Brandi & Rachael
No. I was in downtown Florence. I did see a lot of artwork though.
-Have you ever run a marathon in Italy before? If so, where? Vicky & Crystal
Nope.
-Are the people friendly in Italy? Would it be a nice place to live? Noah & Julius
Yes, I thought they were friendly. If I were going to live there I think I'd work on my Italian a bit though. :-)
-Is the pizza in Italy different from the pizza served in America? Sean & Taylor
It's thin crust, and I never saw anything with pepperoni on it.
-Is there anything you didn't like about Italy? Emily & Natalee
Trying to get out of the country. The check in people at the airport left me quite frustrated.
-Did you like your finisher medal in Florence? James & Trenton
Yes, it was pretty nice.
-Is that blood I see on your shirt after the Florence marathon? I bet the medal is not as nice as the GR marathon! Mr. Long
Yes to the first question. And you're right--GR Marathon medals are MUCH cooler!
-How many marathons have you ran in Africa? What is you PR for Africa? Sandy, Chris & Dominik
Two so far--in Tanzania and in Egypt. Best time was in Egypt in February.
-How much money does it take to do a marathon on all 7 continents? Miranda & Julie
Won't know for sure until I get all my credit card bills. What would it cost you if you didn't live out your dreams????
-How did you start running? Caitlen & Cierra
I started with my kids at the beginning of track season one year.
-Did you see any exotic animals in Lebanon? Christine & Maria
You mean like fifth graders? Nope. No other animals either except a few stray cats.
-What did you NOT like about Beirut? Rocco & Daniel
I don't like that so many of the buildings have been bombed due to the political stuff between Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.
-What kind of food do they have in Lebanon? Shawn & John
It was pretty much like what we get at home.
-What was your best time for an Asian marathon? How many marathons have you ran in Asia? Justin & Kyle
I've done three marathons in Asia now--Israel in 1998 in about 4:40, South Korea last March in around 4:35, and this one in Lebanon in 4:57.
-Did you see any wild animals in Italy? Brandi & Rachael
No. I was in downtown Florence. I did see a lot of artwork though.
-Have you ever run a marathon in Italy before? If so, where? Vicky & Crystal
Nope.
-Are the people friendly in Italy? Would it be a nice place to live? Noah & Julius
Yes, I thought they were friendly. If I were going to live there I think I'd work on my Italian a bit though. :-)
-Is the pizza in Italy different from the pizza served in America? Sean & Taylor
It's thin crust, and I never saw anything with pepperoni on it.
-Is there anything you didn't like about Italy? Emily & Natalee
Trying to get out of the country. The check in people at the airport left me quite frustrated.
-Did you like your finisher medal in Florence? James & Trenton
Yes, it was pretty nice.
-Is that blood I see on your shirt after the Florence marathon? I bet the medal is not as nice as the GR marathon! Mr. Long
Yes to the first question. And you're right--GR Marathon medals are MUCH cooler!
-How many marathons have you ran in Africa? What is you PR for Africa? Sandy, Chris & Dominik
Two so far--in Tanzania and in Egypt. Best time was in Egypt in February.
-How much money does it take to do a marathon on all 7 continents? Miranda & Julie
Won't know for sure until I get all my credit card bills. What would it cost you if you didn't live out your dreams????
-How did you start running? Caitlen & Cierra
I started with my kids at the beginning of track season one year.
Thursday, 29 November 2007 in Port Elizabeth
Arrived safely in Port Elizabeth. So far, I've spent 50 hours in the air, and I'm at my destination for my 4th marathon.
It's pretty amazing so far. Yesterday I arrived in Cape Town (Kapstadt in German and Afrikaans) and was met at the airport by Kim, one of Hans' staff. She dropped me off at Hans' house--more of a villa, actually. Beatrice (the cook/housekeeper) made me a sandwich and some tea, and shortly, S'jane (Hans' wife) came home. She's a ball of fire--wanting me to experience as much as possible in the short time I'd be there. We started at the winerys--first to Groot Constantia, walking around the grounds and through some of the buildings. Then a drive around another winery.
Here's something interesting--at the end of each row of grape vines, they plant roses. It is supposed to ward off diseases and keep insects away from the grapevines too. Plus they look pretty. Then she dropped me off at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens so I could see the Bob Dylan Hard Rain exhibit and wander the grounds a bit while she picked up one of the boys from school.
Back to the house, and Hans was home. Hans and I met only once before, on a trip to the North Pole in 2003. They had to go to an art function of some kind at 7:00, so still it was a bit of a rush. But S'jane had a plan. They dropped me a Table Mountain so I could take the cable car to the top. From up there, you could see the Cape of Good Hope, the dividing point between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. I watched the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean for my first time.
A quick taxi ride took me down to the waterfront to Ferryman's Tavern, which just happens to have (believe it or not) a brewery. I had a couple pints of Ferryman's Ale and some smoked salmon, and soon Hans and S'jane joined me.
Back at the house, Hans and I sat and enjoyed a glass of wine and discussed our adventures, past and future. A nice end to a nice day.
It's pretty amazing so far. Yesterday I arrived in Cape Town (Kapstadt in German and Afrikaans) and was met at the airport by Kim, one of Hans' staff. She dropped me off at Hans' house--more of a villa, actually. Beatrice (the cook/housekeeper) made me a sandwich and some tea, and shortly, S'jane (Hans' wife) came home. She's a ball of fire--wanting me to experience as much as possible in the short time I'd be there. We started at the winerys--first to Groot Constantia, walking around the grounds and through some of the buildings. Then a drive around another winery.
Here's something interesting--at the end of each row of grape vines, they plant roses. It is supposed to ward off diseases and keep insects away from the grapevines too. Plus they look pretty. Then she dropped me off at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens so I could see the Bob Dylan Hard Rain exhibit and wander the grounds a bit while she picked up one of the boys from school.
Back to the house, and Hans was home. Hans and I met only once before, on a trip to the North Pole in 2003. They had to go to an art function of some kind at 7:00, so still it was a bit of a rush. But S'jane had a plan. They dropped me a Table Mountain so I could take the cable car to the top. From up there, you could see the Cape of Good Hope, the dividing point between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. I watched the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean for my first time.
A quick taxi ride took me down to the waterfront to Ferryman's Tavern, which just happens to have (believe it or not) a brewery. I had a couple pints of Ferryman's Ale and some smoked salmon, and soon Hans and S'jane joined me.
Back at the house, Hans and I sat and enjoyed a glass of wine and discussed our adventures, past and future. A nice end to a nice day.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Finally out of Italy
Well, I was pretty happy with Lufthansa until I tried to get out of Italy with them. After FOUR+ HOURS in line yesterday, I ended up back at my hotel, then taking a train to Bologna today. Nicer airport, same inefficient check in procedures, just without any cancelled flights. Anyway, I'm in Frankfort at the airport and heading for South Africa in a few minutes (I hope) if they get the plane maintained. We're delayed about an hour. I think it's another 12 or 13 hour flight. Hope I sleep good.
It's all part of the adventure
Well, I'm still in Florence. The flights from the Florence airport were all cancelled yesterday due to the fog. So, after 4 hours in line I got booked out of Bologna tonight, so I have one less day in South Africa. Darn it! Took a taxi back to the Hotel Unicorno, sent a couple emails to South Africa to let Hans know I won't be there this morning, and went to get some supper.
Had some Nastro Azzurro beer brewed in Rome and a roast beef and spinach sandwich at 15 Tavoli. Nice, low-key tavern, not very expensive.
So, today I went to the train station and found out that at 1:14 there's a train to Bologna. 15 Euros for a ticket. Now all I have to do is get to the airport when I get there. Should be easy.
and the adventure continues....
Had some Nastro Azzurro beer brewed in Rome and a roast beef and spinach sandwich at 15 Tavoli. Nice, low-key tavern, not very expensive.
So, today I went to the train station and found out that at 1:14 there's a train to Bologna. 15 Euros for a ticket. Now all I have to do is get to the airport when I get there. Should be easy.
and the adventure continues....
Monday, November 26, 2007
26 November 2007 Last day in Italy
I'm here in Florence, sitting in La Borsa ristorante for lunch, enjoying a beer and a pizza.
This morning, I just walked around, enjoying the day, seeing the sites, taking pictures. The city is full of statues and sculptures, many of which were old when the America was discovered. Florence is a beautiful city. It's like being stuck inside a piece of artwork--pastel colors, ancient architecture, narrow streets. Stone structures built hundreds of years ago, still in use.
Lots of beautiful little cafes. Lots of shopping opportunities. Someday I'll be back to run again, but to spend more time here, just taking in the sites.
Tonight my flight leaves for Cape Town, South Africa.
This morning, I just walked around, enjoying the day, seeing the sites, taking pictures. The city is full of statues and sculptures, many of which were old when the America was discovered. Florence is a beautiful city. It's like being stuck inside a piece of artwork--pastel colors, ancient architecture, narrow streets. Stone structures built hundreds of years ago, still in use.
Lots of beautiful little cafes. Lots of shopping opportunities. Someday I'll be back to run again, but to spend more time here, just taking in the sites.
Tonight my flight leaves for Cape Town, South Africa.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
25 November 2007 RACE DAY!
Check this out!
Ciao DONALD,
Firenze Marathon, Fastum gel and Groupama will thank you for your participation in XXIV Firenze Marathon.Here following your result.
Largo Gennarelli (1/2 mar.)
2.19.12
Piazza Santa Croce
4.36.13
Yes, that's right folks, NEGATIVE SPLITS.
So, this week it's 4:57, 4:42, 4:36 for the first three of seven!
9:20 a.m. race time. My calculations were that I could walk to the end of my street, follow the river and walk to the race venue. And, sure enough, at the end of the street I saw all kinds of marathon runners walking exactly the direction I planned on! Cool.
After depositing my bag at the appropriate truck, I walked a bit farther and there were busses to shuttle us to the start about 1K away. Nice. Got there and met a few Americans--there were bunches of people with the AIDS training team. Nice to hear some English.
The whole day was like being in a painting. The beautiful architecture and pastel shades were amazing. I started behind the 4:45 pace team--red balloons flying high. Managed to stay about the same distance back for a long time. Ran back and forth with a bunch of the same people, including a couple name Graziano and Nicoleta (their names were on their backs) until about 20K. Aid stations only ever 5K, so I made sure to really tank-up on liquids when I found an aid station. "Salts", "The" and "Acqua" at each one. The salts were some kind of sports drink. The is tea--sweetened and hot. Nice. Figure out acqua for yourself. After 15K there was some food as well--bananas, little chocolate pies, even some little ham sandwiches. It's the first time I've had a ham sandwich during a marathon. I don't know what happened, but around 19K the baloney levels in my blood increased, and I started running faster. Finished the first half in 2:19:12, and kicked it into another gear. I felt GOOD! Just kept rolling. At 31K I passed the red balloons and never saw them again. Long loop around a beautiful park along the river, turning toward the finish at around 34K. Still rolling! I was passing people the whole second half, and feeling amazing! 39K and we ran past the baggage claim area. I picked up some more. 41K was my fastest split of the day--until I hit the 42K split! Wow! 195 meters to go and I picked it up some more. My third marathon in a week, my fastest, and a NEGATIVE SPLIT!!!!!
I'm having fun in Italy. Hung out near the baggage claim at the Aids training tent, cheering on runners until past the 6 hour mark. I had already picked up my bag and was hanging out for a while when Graziano and Nicoleta came through. Headed back for a shower and some rest, then went to a ristorante and had some pizza and a whole bottle of wine. Surprisingly, I can still type!
Three continents down. Four to go!
and the adventure continues....
Ciao DONALD,
Firenze Marathon, Fastum gel and Groupama will thank you for your participation in XXIV Firenze Marathon.Here following your result.
Largo Gennarelli (1/2 mar.)
2.19.12
Piazza Santa Croce
4.36.13
Yes, that's right folks, NEGATIVE SPLITS.
So, this week it's 4:57, 4:42, 4:36 for the first three of seven!
9:20 a.m. race time. My calculations were that I could walk to the end of my street, follow the river and walk to the race venue. And, sure enough, at the end of the street I saw all kinds of marathon runners walking exactly the direction I planned on! Cool.
After depositing my bag at the appropriate truck, I walked a bit farther and there were busses to shuttle us to the start about 1K away. Nice. Got there and met a few Americans--there were bunches of people with the AIDS training team. Nice to hear some English.
The whole day was like being in a painting. The beautiful architecture and pastel shades were amazing. I started behind the 4:45 pace team--red balloons flying high. Managed to stay about the same distance back for a long time. Ran back and forth with a bunch of the same people, including a couple name Graziano and Nicoleta (their names were on their backs) until about 20K. Aid stations only ever 5K, so I made sure to really tank-up on liquids when I found an aid station. "Salts", "The" and "Acqua" at each one. The salts were some kind of sports drink. The is tea--sweetened and hot. Nice. Figure out acqua for yourself. After 15K there was some food as well--bananas, little chocolate pies, even some little ham sandwiches. It's the first time I've had a ham sandwich during a marathon. I don't know what happened, but around 19K the baloney levels in my blood increased, and I started running faster. Finished the first half in 2:19:12, and kicked it into another gear. I felt GOOD! Just kept rolling. At 31K I passed the red balloons and never saw them again. Long loop around a beautiful park along the river, turning toward the finish at around 34K. Still rolling! I was passing people the whole second half, and feeling amazing! 39K and we ran past the baggage claim area. I picked up some more. 41K was my fastest split of the day--until I hit the 42K split! Wow! 195 meters to go and I picked it up some more. My third marathon in a week, my fastest, and a NEGATIVE SPLIT!!!!!
I'm having fun in Italy. Hung out near the baggage claim at the Aids training tent, cheering on runners until past the 6 hour mark. I had already picked up my bag and was hanging out for a while when Graziano and Nicoleta came through. Headed back for a shower and some rest, then went to a ristorante and had some pizza and a whole bottle of wine. Surprisingly, I can still type!
Three continents down. Four to go!
and the adventure continues....
24 November 2007
Arrived Florence early pm. Taxi to hotel was regulated, however, due to the really bad exchange rate still cost me about $50 to get to the hotel.
Walked about .5K to the central station and caught the #10 bus to the expo. Nice expo. Met one of the race officials who told me the race director would be in around 5:00, but after about 5:30, I got tired of waiting and really needed some rest. Caught #10 back to the Hotel Unicorno. Sleep came easily, snoozed for a while and then read the rest of Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, and slept some more.
Walked about .5K to the central station and caught the #10 bus to the expo. Nice expo. Met one of the race officials who told me the race director would be in around 5:00, but after about 5:30, I got tired of waiting and really needed some rest. Caught #10 back to the Hotel Unicorno. Sleep came easily, snoozed for a while and then read the rest of Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, and slept some more.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Hills for Breakfast. Turkey for Dinner
It was a rainy morning in Atlanta. About time, the locals would say--they've been in a drought for a long time. Holding off for one more day might have been nice.
It wasn't bad though. Not a downpour, just a little rain. Marathon number two of seven would get underway at 7:30.
The lovely Francine was running with me, and it made the day a lot more fun. We looked for Brian before the race but didn't find him. Didn't see him after the turnaround either. Don't know how we missed each other. William started the wheelchair race about 10 minutes before the rest of us. We did see him on our way out--he was probably 6 or 8 miles ahead of us.
The race was small--around 600. The half-marathon was the bigger race, starting 13 miles away and a half-hour earlier. So by the time we would finish they'd all be home eating turkey.
The course--rolling hills all the way. Not a lot of flat spots. They even name the hills to make them feel "friendly." It didn't help.
Attitude. We ran the hills together, pretty much ignoring them. No choice--we were just there to have a great time and finish the race. The rain continued for most of the first half, then the sky brightened a bit.
Thirteen miles, Francine had gone on ahead so she could make a pit stop. I passed her, and got to the half-marathon split mats. I stood there and waited, we crossed the mats together and then stopped for our traditional half-way kiss. Over halfway done! Cool!
From just past 18 to just past 20 is a long, gradual downhill. It's a good idea, but what goes down must come up. But 20 miles--the day seemed to be going by fast. We looked ahead and saw a long uphill ahead of us.
A few months ago, while running a 5K with Carly, I taught her something about hills and attitude. On the next hill we came to, Francine asked her if she wanted to walk up it, and Carly said, "This ain't no hill, Mom" and proceeded to kick our butts running up it.
So I said to Francine, "This ain't no hill, Mom." We smiled and dedicated the hill to Carly, running uphill for about a full mile, one of our best miles of the day. We also passed a ton of people on the way up. In fact, we ran the whole rest of the way passing people.
I started to bog down just a bit at around 22, so I started singing. That always brings the baloney level in my blood up the proper range, and the course suddenly got easier. Next thing we knew, we were at the 25 mile mark. Another surge. I was running on pure attitude and having a blast. Rolling hills in the 26th mile let us pass another 20 people or so. We looked for the 26 mile mark, but instead looked up and saw the FINISH LINE. Mile 26 must have been our fastest mile of the day! We kicked for the line, raised our arms together in victory. Just under 4:42. My second marathon of the week was about 15 minutes faster than the first. Continent # 2 is now complete.
We waited at the finish area until Brian came in at about 5:38. Officially beyond the course limit, but he managed to talk them into putting his results into the computer. That was state #16 for him.
We laid around for a bit, recovered, went out for some really good food at a tavern down the street. And at the end of the day, hearing noise outside, we looked out the window to see one of the greatest fireworks displays I've ever witnessed for the lighting of the Christmas tree at Macy's. It was a wonderful day.
and the adventure continues....
It wasn't bad though. Not a downpour, just a little rain. Marathon number two of seven would get underway at 7:30.
The lovely Francine was running with me, and it made the day a lot more fun. We looked for Brian before the race but didn't find him. Didn't see him after the turnaround either. Don't know how we missed each other. William started the wheelchair race about 10 minutes before the rest of us. We did see him on our way out--he was probably 6 or 8 miles ahead of us.
The race was small--around 600. The half-marathon was the bigger race, starting 13 miles away and a half-hour earlier. So by the time we would finish they'd all be home eating turkey.
The course--rolling hills all the way. Not a lot of flat spots. They even name the hills to make them feel "friendly." It didn't help.
Attitude. We ran the hills together, pretty much ignoring them. No choice--we were just there to have a great time and finish the race. The rain continued for most of the first half, then the sky brightened a bit.
Thirteen miles, Francine had gone on ahead so she could make a pit stop. I passed her, and got to the half-marathon split mats. I stood there and waited, we crossed the mats together and then stopped for our traditional half-way kiss. Over halfway done! Cool!
From just past 18 to just past 20 is a long, gradual downhill. It's a good idea, but what goes down must come up. But 20 miles--the day seemed to be going by fast. We looked ahead and saw a long uphill ahead of us.
A few months ago, while running a 5K with Carly, I taught her something about hills and attitude. On the next hill we came to, Francine asked her if she wanted to walk up it, and Carly said, "This ain't no hill, Mom" and proceeded to kick our butts running up it.
So I said to Francine, "This ain't no hill, Mom." We smiled and dedicated the hill to Carly, running uphill for about a full mile, one of our best miles of the day. We also passed a ton of people on the way up. In fact, we ran the whole rest of the way passing people.
I started to bog down just a bit at around 22, so I started singing. That always brings the baloney level in my blood up the proper range, and the course suddenly got easier. Next thing we knew, we were at the 25 mile mark. Another surge. I was running on pure attitude and having a blast. Rolling hills in the 26th mile let us pass another 20 people or so. We looked for the 26 mile mark, but instead looked up and saw the FINISH LINE. Mile 26 must have been our fastest mile of the day! We kicked for the line, raised our arms together in victory. Just under 4:42. My second marathon of the week was about 15 minutes faster than the first. Continent # 2 is now complete.
We waited at the finish area until Brian came in at about 5:38. Officially beyond the course limit, but he managed to talk them into putting his results into the computer. That was state #16 for him.
We laid around for a bit, recovered, went out for some really good food at a tavern down the street. And at the end of the day, hearing noise outside, we looked out the window to see one of the greatest fireworks displays I've ever witnessed for the lighting of the Christmas tree at Macy's. It was a wonderful day.
and the adventure continues....
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday
Another relaxation day. Coffee at Caribou Coffee, a bit of shopping, a nice lunch at a deli.
William Tan is here! A friend from my last Antarctica trip, and he's trying to break the same record as me, except in a wheelchair! I ran into him at the expo last night. We'll be doing the last three marathons together!
Dinner with the lovely Francine and my friend from back home, Brian Molroney at Rock Bottom Brewery. Alas, they have no beer glasses, so I'll just have to come back to Georgia sometime to collect a beer glass. Darn it.
William Tan is here! A friend from my last Antarctica trip, and he's trying to break the same record as me, except in a wheelchair! I ran into him at the expo last night. We'll be doing the last three marathons together!
Dinner with the lovely Francine and my friend from back home, Brian Molroney at Rock Bottom Brewery. Alas, they have no beer glasses, so I'll just have to come back to Georgia sometime to collect a beer glass. Darn it.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Donald Kern
Phone 616 293 3145
cooladventures@aol.com
http://www.cooladventures.net/
After being denied world record in March, Don Kern from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Attempt Guinness World Record™ By Running Marathons On Seven Continents In 25 Days
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 21 November 2007.
On 18 November, 2007, "Marathon" Don Kern will begin an attempt to break the Guinness World Record "Marathon on each continent - Shortest duration to complete (Men)" by running in organized marathons on each of the seven continents in 25 days. Scheduled conclusion is 12 December 2007.
In February and March 2007, Kern successfully attempted finishing marathons on all seven continents in 35 days, only to be denied the world record by Richard Takata of Canada, who finished the feat in 30 days.
Details of the tour and tour blog are online at www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm. The first of seven marathons was completed on 18 November in Beirut, Lebanon. The second will be attempted on Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta, Georgia.
To meet the criteria for the Guinness World Record ™, all of the marathons are officially organized events, recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) or other international running bodies. None are contrived just for the purpose of this world record attempt.
Affiliated charity: Alternatives in Motion, a local Grand Rapids charity provides new made-to-order wheelchairs and other mobility devices to people who need them. Any funds raised will go directly to Alternatives in Motion.
Kern is an IT Consultant, freelance writer, and the Race Director of the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. He has run 150 marathon or longer races, in all fifty states, in sixteen countries, and at the North Pole.
For additional information, contact Don Kern, or visit www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm
CONTACT: Donald Kern
Phone 616 293 3145
cooladventures@aol.com
http://www.cooladventures.net/
After being denied world record in March, Don Kern from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Attempt Guinness World Record™ By Running Marathons On Seven Continents In 25 Days
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 21 November 2007.
On 18 November, 2007, "Marathon" Don Kern will begin an attempt to break the Guinness World Record "Marathon on each continent - Shortest duration to complete (Men)" by running in organized marathons on each of the seven continents in 25 days. Scheduled conclusion is 12 December 2007.
In February and March 2007, Kern successfully attempted finishing marathons on all seven continents in 35 days, only to be denied the world record by Richard Takata of Canada, who finished the feat in 30 days.
Details of the tour and tour blog are online at www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm. The first of seven marathons was completed on 18 November in Beirut, Lebanon. The second will be attempted on Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta, Georgia.
To meet the criteria for the Guinness World Record ™, all of the marathons are officially organized events, recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) or other international running bodies. None are contrived just for the purpose of this world record attempt.
Affiliated charity: Alternatives in Motion, a local Grand Rapids charity provides new made-to-order wheelchairs and other mobility devices to people who need them. Any funds raised will go directly to Alternatives in Motion.
Kern is an IT Consultant, freelance writer, and the Race Director of the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. He has run 150 marathon or longer races, in all fifty states, in sixteen countries, and at the North Pole.
For additional information, contact Don Kern, or visit www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm
Tuesday
Back in the USA and well rested, today was just a pleasant day. Sat at Caribou coffee reading for a while, went to the airport and picked up the lovely Francine & Carly, who will be joining me for leg 2 of my quest. We got back to the hotel, of course Carly was starving so we went out to a nice little restaurant for breakfast before Carly's dad Jim picked her up. (Jim lives in Alabama.) So Carly's off to spend the holiday with relatives she hasn't seen before and to meet some more of her cousins. TLF and I spent the day shopping and doing a little cross-training.
Dinner was special. The Palm Restaurant. The Palm is one of the world's nicest restaurants, coincidentally started by Dr. Rick's grandfather. (Rick is one of my training partners, Grand Rapids Marathon pace team guy, legendary pickle juice mogel.) When we arrived, there was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, compliments of the Ganzi family to accompany our meal.
A great relaxing day. Nice.
Dinner was special. The Palm Restaurant. The Palm is one of the world's nicest restaurants, coincidentally started by Dr. Rick's grandfather. (Rick is one of my training partners, Grand Rapids Marathon pace team guy, legendary pickle juice mogel.) When we arrived, there was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, compliments of the Ganzi family to accompany our meal.
A great relaxing day. Nice.
Monday, 19 November
It was pretty much a blur, since I left my hotel at 12:30 am in Beirut, which is 5:30 pm in Atlanta. About 3 hours flight at 3:30 to Frankfort, then 9 hours from Frankfort to Atlanta. My total flight time so far is about 24 hours. That's just air time.
Sunday was a pleasant end of a marathon day. After a little R-and-R back at the room, I went over to the Radisson. Just as I arrived Mark (race director) was getting out of his car. We walked in together, and sat in the big lobby/lounge area. Quite a cast--Marek (Warsaw RD), Massimo (RD of a 12K in Italy that is run in many cities simultaneously), Norrie from South Africa (Course measurer for this course and, among others, the Atlanta Olympic marathon course), John Tyszkiewicz from England (Nearly as crazy as me when it comes to adventure stuff). Great conversation over a couple of the local Almaza beers. Then Mark took me over to his office, giving me a great education on sponsorships and media enroute. He wrote a verification letter for me to document my finish for the Guinness people.
Back at the Radisson afterward, John was still sitting and talking when I walked back in. We walked about a mile or so to Gammayzeh area and found a restaurant, Copper, where we could get some steak. Somewhere around 10:00 we headed back, where I finished packing, set my watch to wake me up in 1 1/2 hours, and snoozed for a bit.
Sunday was a pleasant end of a marathon day. After a little R-and-R back at the room, I went over to the Radisson. Just as I arrived Mark (race director) was getting out of his car. We walked in together, and sat in the big lobby/lounge area. Quite a cast--Marek (Warsaw RD), Massimo (RD of a 12K in Italy that is run in many cities simultaneously), Norrie from South Africa (Course measurer for this course and, among others, the Atlanta Olympic marathon course), John Tyszkiewicz from England (Nearly as crazy as me when it comes to adventure stuff). Great conversation over a couple of the local Almaza beers. Then Mark took me over to his office, giving me a great education on sponsorships and media enroute. He wrote a verification letter for me to document my finish for the Guinness people.
Back at the Radisson afterward, John was still sitting and talking when I walked back in. We walked about a mile or so to Gammayzeh area and found a restaurant, Copper, where we could get some steak. Somewhere around 10:00 we headed back, where I finished packing, set my watch to wake me up in 1 1/2 hours, and snoozed for a bit.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday night - One down, 6 to go.
Well, sleeping last night wasn't very productive. Jet lag and resting earlier in the day had me wide awake at bed time. So, I laid there, relaxing, knowing that rest would be good. Sometime after one o'clock I fell asleep. And between 2 and 3, Paul called me. "Hey man, it's the middle of the night." "Dude, where are you?" "I'm in Beirut." "Oh, this phone call must be costing you a fortune. I got your Antarctica stuff. Look forward to seeing you in South America."
Two hours later, my alarm went off. As I walked out the door of my hotel to head over to the Radisson to catch the shuttle, a small bus with four runners saw me, stopped and asked where the Radisson was. "Come ride with us." They gave me a ride in exchange for the right directions. Good thing too, because the bus driver was going to turn right when he should have turned left if I hadn't been there.
Andy Kotulski was there, celebrating his 68th birthday by running his 590th marathon. We boarded the buses and as I was talking to a young couple behind me, someone lifted up my cap to see who I was. "I thought that was you!" Scott McIvor said. Scott is the only guy I know who has done a marathon on all seven continents AND summitted all seven summits. We ran the Inca Trail together in 2004 and met again in Luxor last February. His wife Suzette was there as well.
Race time! Still cool and comfortable for the start. The Lebanese national anthem played and we were off. The first 5K was a spectator-friendly run around a park, back past the starting line. Water every 2K or so, with separate Gatorade stations occasional as well. Several times we were fed bananas and dates as well. The dates were delicious. I ran back and forth with a young Lebanese guy until about 10K before going on ahead of him. By 16K, the field had stretched out to where I couldn't see anyone in front or behind me. (Note: While there were 18000 in the event, only about 340 of them were in the full marathon. About 13000 in the 10K and 5000 in the 5K.) Fortunately, with the blue line to follow there was no danger of getting lost. At around 18K, we would start a long out-and-back section. Just as I got there, the lead vehicle came through and I saw the leaders. They were about 11K ahead of me at that time. We continued on to Golden beach where we would make a 3.5K loop around the parking lot. On the way back, however, water suddenly got scarce, and the temperature climbed to 35C degrees by 10:30. I started picking up half-empty water and Gatorade bottles to make sure I stayed hydrated in the heat. The next time I would get a fresh bottle of Gatorade was around 32K. I had plenty, but was no longer throwing away bottles without using them all. Between 34 & 35K the course would take us within site of the finish line, then just past 35K we would head up an incline called "Horror Hill" on the map. It really wasn't that bad, and in fact it was kinda nice after running flat for so long. We then started down a street that was a 2K long party of sorts, lots of music and people. 35K and I picked up a kid doing his first marathon. He stuck with me for about 3K as we made the turn and followed the Mediterranean the rest of the way toward the finish line. At 40K I took a long swig from the Gatorade bottle I was carrying, then handed it to a fellow runner who looked like he needed it. At about 41K we finally passed a water station with WATER! I drained a bottle and headed for home.
A big Polish guy was just ahead of me and I worked to catch him. We ran together for a little bit, and I managed to find out that he spoke 4 languages, just that none of them were English. We made the turn for the finish line, and he took off like a shot, and in spite of the fact that he probably outweighed me by 50 pounds, there was no catching him. FINISH at 4:57, not bad for the heat. Marathon #1 is in the books.
Two hours later, my alarm went off. As I walked out the door of my hotel to head over to the Radisson to catch the shuttle, a small bus with four runners saw me, stopped and asked where the Radisson was. "Come ride with us." They gave me a ride in exchange for the right directions. Good thing too, because the bus driver was going to turn right when he should have turned left if I hadn't been there.
Andy Kotulski was there, celebrating his 68th birthday by running his 590th marathon. We boarded the buses and as I was talking to a young couple behind me, someone lifted up my cap to see who I was. "I thought that was you!" Scott McIvor said. Scott is the only guy I know who has done a marathon on all seven continents AND summitted all seven summits. We ran the Inca Trail together in 2004 and met again in Luxor last February. His wife Suzette was there as well.
Race time! Still cool and comfortable for the start. The Lebanese national anthem played and we were off. The first 5K was a spectator-friendly run around a park, back past the starting line. Water every 2K or so, with separate Gatorade stations occasional as well. Several times we were fed bananas and dates as well. The dates were delicious. I ran back and forth with a young Lebanese guy until about 10K before going on ahead of him. By 16K, the field had stretched out to where I couldn't see anyone in front or behind me. (Note: While there were 18000 in the event, only about 340 of them were in the full marathon. About 13000 in the 10K and 5000 in the 5K.) Fortunately, with the blue line to follow there was no danger of getting lost. At around 18K, we would start a long out-and-back section. Just as I got there, the lead vehicle came through and I saw the leaders. They were about 11K ahead of me at that time. We continued on to Golden beach where we would make a 3.5K loop around the parking lot. On the way back, however, water suddenly got scarce, and the temperature climbed to 35C degrees by 10:30. I started picking up half-empty water and Gatorade bottles to make sure I stayed hydrated in the heat. The next time I would get a fresh bottle of Gatorade was around 32K. I had plenty, but was no longer throwing away bottles without using them all. Between 34 & 35K the course would take us within site of the finish line, then just past 35K we would head up an incline called "Horror Hill" on the map. It really wasn't that bad, and in fact it was kinda nice after running flat for so long. We then started down a street that was a 2K long party of sorts, lots of music and people. 35K and I picked up a kid doing his first marathon. He stuck with me for about 3K as we made the turn and followed the Mediterranean the rest of the way toward the finish line. At 40K I took a long swig from the Gatorade bottle I was carrying, then handed it to a fellow runner who looked like he needed it. At about 41K we finally passed a water station with WATER! I drained a bottle and headed for home.
A big Polish guy was just ahead of me and I worked to catch him. We ran together for a little bit, and I managed to find out that he spoke 4 languages, just that none of them were English. We made the turn for the finish line, and he took off like a shot, and in spite of the fact that he probably outweighed me by 50 pounds, there was no catching him. FINISH at 4:57, not bad for the heat. Marathon #1 is in the books.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Saturday
Spent most of the morning walking around, seeing some of the sites of Beirut. It's really a beautiful city, and if the political stuff would get over with it would be much better. A lot of the downtown area is barricaded, so navigating is a little hard at times. There are armed guards all over the place keeping things safe, so no need to worry walking around the streets.
Walked all the way to ABC Mall to pick up my race number and the kid at the registration desk gave me the number of Mark Dickinson, the race director. I called him and he invited me to go to lunch with them. He's excited to have me start my journey here. I also found out that out of the 18000 or so people in the race, only 340 are in the marathon. Around 13800 in the 10K, and 5200 in the 5K. Get this--on official registration closing date, only 1000 were registered. Talk about screwing up the logistics!!
I also met Marek Tronina, the race director of the Warsaw marathon. I may go run his marathon next September. Might be fun.
Spent the rest of the day just hanging out, doing a little siteseeing. Time to catch a beer, a light supper, and wind down for the night. Looking forward to a nice day tomorrow.
and the adventure continues....
Walked all the way to ABC Mall to pick up my race number and the kid at the registration desk gave me the number of Mark Dickinson, the race director. I called him and he invited me to go to lunch with them. He's excited to have me start my journey here. I also found out that out of the 18000 or so people in the race, only 340 are in the marathon. Around 13800 in the 10K, and 5200 in the 5K. Get this--on official registration closing date, only 1000 were registered. Talk about screwing up the logistics!!
I also met Marek Tronina, the race director of the Warsaw marathon. I may go run his marathon next September. Might be fun.
Spent the rest of the day just hanging out, doing a little siteseeing. Time to catch a beer, a light supper, and wind down for the night. Looking forward to a nice day tomorrow.
and the adventure continues....
Friday, November 16, 2007
Arrived in Beirut
Got here just fine, but had a bit of an adventure coming to the hotel from the airport. The taxi ride was pretty intense. Seems that no one here cares about lanes, lights, or any of those other nice things that we've become so accustomed to in the US. Oh well.
The taxis have no meters here, so you need to negotiate ahead of time. I never learn. Anyway, I paid about twice what I should have to get to the hotel, but arrived safely nonetheless. There's no visa requirement here (for Americans), so customs was a breeze. The only thing they check for is if you have a stamp from Israel in your passport. Fortunately, I've gotten a new passport since I was in Israel in 1998.
The rest of this day is unplanned. I'm going to find some supper pretty soon (we're 7 hours ahead of home here) and do a little jet-lag recovering.
The taxis have no meters here, so you need to negotiate ahead of time. I never learn. Anyway, I paid about twice what I should have to get to the hotel, but arrived safely nonetheless. There's no visa requirement here (for Americans), so customs was a breeze. The only thing they check for is if you have a stamp from Israel in your passport. Fortunately, I've gotten a new passport since I was in Israel in 1998.
The rest of this day is unplanned. I'm going to find some supper pretty soon (we're 7 hours ahead of home here) and do a little jet-lag recovering.
One more time.
It's November 15, 2007, and I' sitting at O'Hare Airport. November already. I've spent most of 2007 on a continual high.
It started some time early in 2006, when I hatched a scheme to set a world record by running marathons on all seven continents in thirty-five days. The ensuing months brought a lot of planning, searching for marathons, preparing for the trip. I had already signed up for the marathon in Antarctica throudh Marathon Tours. Now the plan is to find other marathons on either side of it to complete the process.
If you followed my progress, you know that I was successful in my quest, except for one thing--Richard Takata beat me to the world record, finishing in 30 days, a few minutes before I finished my fifth of seven in Ushuaia, Argentina. Maybe I shouldn't have publicized so much ahead of time.
There are two marathons held regularly on the Antarctic continent. The second one is being held on December 12th at Patriot Hills. It's organized by one of my bi-polar friends Richard Donovan. (Richard and I have been to BOTH poles together.) After the slight disappointment last winter, my brain wouldn't let it rest--I had to search both sides of the Antarctic Ice Marathon and find out if it was possible to do it in less than 30 days.
It's pretty easy to find marathons in the US, Europe, and Asia. Africa, South America, and Oceania aren't quite as easy. But after a few hours on the Internet, and a few emails back and forth to South Africa and New Zealand, the plan came together. (To see the whole plan, go to www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm) I called Marathon Tours and had them book the flights.
16 November, early in the morning in Frankfort, Germany.
Carly's class is studying geography this year by doing a "Flat Stanley" project. Seems that Stanley was flattened when something fell on him and it made it quite easy to mail himself to far away places. So while Stanleys are in the mail this week to parts unknown, I have a Stanley with me, ready to travel around the world. First stop--Beirut, Lebanon
It started some time early in 2006, when I hatched a scheme to set a world record by running marathons on all seven continents in thirty-five days. The ensuing months brought a lot of planning, searching for marathons, preparing for the trip. I had already signed up for the marathon in Antarctica throudh Marathon Tours. Now the plan is to find other marathons on either side of it to complete the process.
If you followed my progress, you know that I was successful in my quest, except for one thing--Richard Takata beat me to the world record, finishing in 30 days, a few minutes before I finished my fifth of seven in Ushuaia, Argentina. Maybe I shouldn't have publicized so much ahead of time.
There are two marathons held regularly on the Antarctic continent. The second one is being held on December 12th at Patriot Hills. It's organized by one of my bi-polar friends Richard Donovan. (Richard and I have been to BOTH poles together.) After the slight disappointment last winter, my brain wouldn't let it rest--I had to search both sides of the Antarctic Ice Marathon and find out if it was possible to do it in less than 30 days.
It's pretty easy to find marathons in the US, Europe, and Asia. Africa, South America, and Oceania aren't quite as easy. But after a few hours on the Internet, and a few emails back and forth to South Africa and New Zealand, the plan came together. (To see the whole plan, go to www.cooladventures.net/sevencontinents.htm) I called Marathon Tours and had them book the flights.
16 November, early in the morning in Frankfort, Germany.
Carly's class is studying geography this year by doing a "Flat Stanley" project. Seems that Stanley was flattened when something fell on him and it made it quite easy to mail himself to far away places. So while Stanleys are in the mail this week to parts unknown, I have a Stanley with me, ready to travel around the world. First stop--Beirut, Lebanon
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