Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
I'm HOME!! Finally. Flew overnight to Dallas, this afternoon arrived back in GR. The lovely Francine picked me up at the airport.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Quick update
Arrived back in Punta Arenas at 8:00 p.m. Catching up on my blog, then tomorrow going to the airport and figuring out how to get home as quickly as possible. We'll see how it goes.
Henri's Finish!
22 December 2007
MAYBE they'll bring the Iluyshin in today. Well, actually in the very early hours of tomorrow. They're waiting for some more weather info. By 11:00 they still haven't made the call, before lunch they are talking like it's going to happen. Probably tomorrow morning. They are starting to clear the runway now.
We have the afternoon to ourselves, so Brent and PH Staffer Rachel decided to talk Henri to finish his marathon. Finally, our photographer Bertrand convinced him by agreeing to do it with him. So, Brent, Rachel, Susan, Christian and I went out on the snowmobile with a sled behind it and dropped Henri and Bertrand off on the course. Because the first loop around the mountain range was still marked, we used that part of the course.
We stopped every 2K to set up aid stations. The whiteout conditions of race day had been replaced with a beautiful clear day. We got to see all the mountains that we missed on Thursday. It was great.
When we rounded the last pass in the mountains, you could see Patriot Hills camp. It was still nearly 8 kilometers away. The other day I couldn't see it until just about 15 minutes before I got there. Quite a difference.
So, Henri, seventy-two years old! finished his marathon. And Bertrand did a half-marathon. Nice ending to a nice trip.
Tomorrow, the Ilyusion lands and we go home!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home
And now, my mission finished
The most important part awaits.
Home!
Where love awaits
The arms I've missed
The lips I long to kiss.
Adventures
Always fun
Always interesting
Rarely predictable
But adventures only count
If you make it.
Home
MAYBE they'll bring the Iluyshin in today. Well, actually in the very early hours of tomorrow. They're waiting for some more weather info. By 11:00 they still haven't made the call, before lunch they are talking like it's going to happen. Probably tomorrow morning. They are starting to clear the runway now.
We have the afternoon to ourselves, so Brent and PH Staffer Rachel decided to talk Henri to finish his marathon. Finally, our photographer Bertrand convinced him by agreeing to do it with him. So, Brent, Rachel, Susan, Christian and I went out on the snowmobile with a sled behind it and dropped Henri and Bertrand off on the course. Because the first loop around the mountain range was still marked, we used that part of the course.
We stopped every 2K to set up aid stations. The whiteout conditions of race day had been replaced with a beautiful clear day. We got to see all the mountains that we missed on Thursday. It was great.
When we rounded the last pass in the mountains, you could see Patriot Hills camp. It was still nearly 8 kilometers away. The other day I couldn't see it until just about 15 minutes before I got there. Quite a difference.
So, Henri, seventy-two years old! finished his marathon. And Bertrand did a half-marathon. Nice ending to a nice trip.
Tomorrow, the Ilyusion lands and we go home!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home
And now, my mission finished
The most important part awaits.
Home!
Where love awaits
The arms I've missed
The lips I long to kiss.
Adventures
Always fun
Always interesting
Rarely predictable
But adventures only count
If you make it.
Home
More life at Patriot Hills
21 December 2007 Friday.
Our mission done, we now await the weather conditions for our transport back to Punta Arenas. As soon as it's suitable, the Iluyshin will be here, bringing in a load of fuel for the camp and taking a load of passengers back.
Everyone here is anxious to get home for Christmas, speculating on tomorrow's weather, wondering about the logistics to clear the runway, get the plane here, and get us back out. Antarctica, however, isn't like anywhere else on earth. There are no scheduled flights. We're at the mercy of the weather and the logistics people to get us out of here.
The Four Poles
If you've seen the South Pole on TV, you've probably seen the "Ceremonial South Pole." It's that striped pole with the silver ball on top of it, surrounded by the flags of several nations.
A few meters away is the actual Geographic South Pole, where all of the lines of latitude converge. The marker is a metal post with a medallion on top of it. Because it's located on nearly two miles of ice, the post drifts northward a few feet every year. Every January first, a new post with a new medallion is positioned over the exact pole. From there you can see the row of posts from previous years, going off into the distance.
The South Magnetic Pole, exactly opposite of the one in the north, is actually located off the coast of Antarctica in the ocean. It tends to move a little every year, roughly in a circle. In the center of the circle is the Russian base, Vladavostock. (CHECK THESE FACTS)
The other one, the "Pole of Relative Inaccessibility," is a human-contrived point that is the farthest average distance from all the coastlines of Antarctica. It's the closest thing man has come up with to being "in the middle of nowhere."
We spent the day recovering from our marathon efforts, relaxing a bit, enjoying the great food. We had a short meeting after lunch to award everyone with a finisher medal, and after dinner we drank up the wine and beer they had for us, then I broke out the bottle of Chivas Regal that I brought from Punta Arenas to celebrate our marathon. A few of the guys played cards late into the night, some of them loosing thousands in the process. Thousands of Chilean Pesos, that is. Ten thousand is roughly twenty dollars in the U.S.
After midnight, the train left for the South Pole, then to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility. What a neat adventure for them! Fred and Sue are on that train.
Our mission done, we now await the weather conditions for our transport back to Punta Arenas. As soon as it's suitable, the Iluyshin will be here, bringing in a load of fuel for the camp and taking a load of passengers back.
Everyone here is anxious to get home for Christmas, speculating on tomorrow's weather, wondering about the logistics to clear the runway, get the plane here, and get us back out. Antarctica, however, isn't like anywhere else on earth. There are no scheduled flights. We're at the mercy of the weather and the logistics people to get us out of here.
The Four Poles
If you've seen the South Pole on TV, you've probably seen the "Ceremonial South Pole." It's that striped pole with the silver ball on top of it, surrounded by the flags of several nations.
A few meters away is the actual Geographic South Pole, where all of the lines of latitude converge. The marker is a metal post with a medallion on top of it. Because it's located on nearly two miles of ice, the post drifts northward a few feet every year. Every January first, a new post with a new medallion is positioned over the exact pole. From there you can see the row of posts from previous years, going off into the distance.
The South Magnetic Pole, exactly opposite of the one in the north, is actually located off the coast of Antarctica in the ocean. It tends to move a little every year, roughly in a circle. In the center of the circle is the Russian base, Vladavostock. (CHECK THESE FACTS)
The other one, the "Pole of Relative Inaccessibility," is a human-contrived point that is the farthest average distance from all the coastlines of Antarctica. It's the closest thing man has come up with to being "in the middle of nowhere."
We spent the day recovering from our marathon efforts, relaxing a bit, enjoying the great food. We had a short meeting after lunch to award everyone with a finisher medal, and after dinner we drank up the wine and beer they had for us, then I broke out the bottle of Chivas Regal that I brought from Punta Arenas to celebrate our marathon. A few of the guys played cards late into the night, some of them loosing thousands in the process. Thousands of Chilean Pesos, that is. Ten thousand is roughly twenty dollars in the U.S.
After midnight, the train left for the South Pole, then to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility. What a neat adventure for them! Fred and Sue are on that train.
RACE DAY IN ANTARCTICA!!!!!
20 December 2007
Start at 7:12 a.m. Preparing last night, people sent snacks and extra gear out to the three aid stations. My choice was to carry whatever I needed in the small backpack that they gave me in Punta Arenas. After starting my watch and adjusting gloves, etc. I ended up at the back of the pack for the start. Gradually I passed a few of the others and settled into a pace. I was feeling great after too-many-days rest.
The previous day they had driven one of the big cats over the course to mark it for us, and over about 18 hours it solidified quite well and kept us from sinking in. Still, there was no push-off because the snow would give way under the pressure of our shoes and loosen under our feet. It would be slow-going all day.
The first loop of the course was around the small mountain range, the Patriot Hills. We ran out of camp, keeping the mountains on our right, toward the first aid station tent, five or six miles out. Even that short distance seemed like a long time. Finally, after an hour and 22 minutes I got there. I only got about half a cup of liquid there. Kinda reminded me of Chicago. They told us that someone would be along on a snowmobile soon to give us some more.
Weather conditions were cool, maybe around ten degrees Fahrenheit, with a light wind in our faces for the first leg. A mist of snow was falling, and before the first aid station a little glaze of ice covered my glasses. Quite foggy, so the beautiful course we heard of was mostly obscured by the low visibility.
I pulled out the sleeve of cookies from my pack and ate a couple of them as I continued. Now the mountains were between us and the camp. We were actually between two mountain ridges at the time, but the low visibility and poor contrast kept us constantly vigilant in finding the next orange flag.
With the wind at our backs, I soon realized that I was getting too warm and stopped to take off my outer jacket--my wind layer--to allow the sweat to evaporate instead of pooling in my sleeves and soaking my gloves as it ran out. After nearly an hour, the promised snowmobile arrived with some hot lemonade. I didn't drink a lot, because he told me that the next aid station was only about 2 Ks away.
Well, the "two kilometers" was a bit off. After a while the trail curved around to the right and headed slightly up hill through a pass in the mountains. Nearly an hour after seeing the snowmobile I finally reached the next tent. I drank a couple of glasses of hot liquid, but had to be very careful to avoid burning my mouth. Now we were headed back to camp.
Nearly 11:00, still no camp. The sweat from my body wicked away from my skin into the outer layers, so the sleeves on my outer shirt were now frozen. Still, I was comfortable as I kept my legs in constant motion through the loose snow. I knew the camp should be visible soon, but with the fog and the low- contrast conditions it was impossible to see. I ran, alone in a world of white, only a couple of runners in the distance in front of me.
At 11:15, I could make out the camp in the distance. Just after 11:30 I arrived at the finish banner, nearly 4.5 hours for the first 27 kilometers. Still feeling fresh and strong. I went into the dining tent, drank four glasses of "juice" (orange flavored sugar water) and scarfed down three cookies and went back out the door before my outer layer thawed out. I actually passed three people at that point by keeping the stop short. We headed out of camp for the final loop, toward a DC6 plane that crashed a few years back. Soon Susan Holiday caught up with me, and together we searched the all-white horizon for the next orange marker. The contrast was getting worse, and in this direction there were no mountains for landmarks. Only white.
We struggled to see the trail, but would frequently wander off to the side, beginning to sink into the snow. The markers weren't frequent enough to keep them always in site, so working together felt pretty good at that point. Because the loop was long and narrow, occasionally we could see some of the other runners heading back toward the finish, letting out a whoop and raising our arms to encourage each other. We were too far apart for words, but the sentiments we felt.
Finally, after an hour and a half, we could see the final aid station tent. Fred and Sue Morris were there, waiting with warm drinks. We stopped for a minute and made the turn for home.
Toshio caught up with us and passed us. As we headed back toward camp, the wind picked up, hitting us in the face from the left, and blowing snow into our faces. I slowed down for a minute to put my wind jacket back on. Now the markers were even farther apart and harder to spot. Toshio passed Susan, and I kept them both in site, along with a couple more runners farther ahead. At least I knew I was going in the right direction. More and more I would loose the track and end up in the soft snow. Still, I made my way toward the finish. 2:25 p.m. The end is in site, but still a long way. Gradually specks in the distance became tents, people came into focus, and finally I spotted the finish line. At 2:40, seven hours and twenty-eight minutes after starting, I raised my arms and crossed the finish line. I stood under the banner for everyone to take pictures.
William was there in his wheelchair, and I went over to give him a hug. Unfortunately, I seriously misjudged the stability of the chair, and the next thing I knew we were both flat on our backs, lying in the snow laughing like crazy. People tried to help us up, but William was waving them off and telling them "Take a picture."
My mission now is nearly complete, the only thing remaining is to get home. No, I didn't make the world record I had planned on, but I did accomplish a few things.
I took two days off my personal record, completing the seven continents in just under 33 days.
I set a world record by running all seven continents TWICE in only 307 days.
I'm the only human on the planet who has ever run all seven continents twice in one year.
And to top that off, a beautiful woman, proud of me, her heart filled with love, waits for me to come home.
Start at 7:12 a.m. Preparing last night, people sent snacks and extra gear out to the three aid stations. My choice was to carry whatever I needed in the small backpack that they gave me in Punta Arenas. After starting my watch and adjusting gloves, etc. I ended up at the back of the pack for the start. Gradually I passed a few of the others and settled into a pace. I was feeling great after too-many-days rest.
The previous day they had driven one of the big cats over the course to mark it for us, and over about 18 hours it solidified quite well and kept us from sinking in. Still, there was no push-off because the snow would give way under the pressure of our shoes and loosen under our feet. It would be slow-going all day.
The first loop of the course was around the small mountain range, the Patriot Hills. We ran out of camp, keeping the mountains on our right, toward the first aid station tent, five or six miles out. Even that short distance seemed like a long time. Finally, after an hour and 22 minutes I got there. I only got about half a cup of liquid there. Kinda reminded me of Chicago. They told us that someone would be along on a snowmobile soon to give us some more.
Weather conditions were cool, maybe around ten degrees Fahrenheit, with a light wind in our faces for the first leg. A mist of snow was falling, and before the first aid station a little glaze of ice covered my glasses. Quite foggy, so the beautiful course we heard of was mostly obscured by the low visibility.
I pulled out the sleeve of cookies from my pack and ate a couple of them as I continued. Now the mountains were between us and the camp. We were actually between two mountain ridges at the time, but the low visibility and poor contrast kept us constantly vigilant in finding the next orange flag.
With the wind at our backs, I soon realized that I was getting too warm and stopped to take off my outer jacket--my wind layer--to allow the sweat to evaporate instead of pooling in my sleeves and soaking my gloves as it ran out. After nearly an hour, the promised snowmobile arrived with some hot lemonade. I didn't drink a lot, because he told me that the next aid station was only about 2 Ks away.
Well, the "two kilometers" was a bit off. After a while the trail curved around to the right and headed slightly up hill through a pass in the mountains. Nearly an hour after seeing the snowmobile I finally reached the next tent. I drank a couple of glasses of hot liquid, but had to be very careful to avoid burning my mouth. Now we were headed back to camp.
Nearly 11:00, still no camp. The sweat from my body wicked away from my skin into the outer layers, so the sleeves on my outer shirt were now frozen. Still, I was comfortable as I kept my legs in constant motion through the loose snow. I knew the camp should be visible soon, but with the fog and the low- contrast conditions it was impossible to see. I ran, alone in a world of white, only a couple of runners in the distance in front of me.
At 11:15, I could make out the camp in the distance. Just after 11:30 I arrived at the finish banner, nearly 4.5 hours for the first 27 kilometers. Still feeling fresh and strong. I went into the dining tent, drank four glasses of "juice" (orange flavored sugar water) and scarfed down three cookies and went back out the door before my outer layer thawed out. I actually passed three people at that point by keeping the stop short. We headed out of camp for the final loop, toward a DC6 plane that crashed a few years back. Soon Susan Holiday caught up with me, and together we searched the all-white horizon for the next orange marker. The contrast was getting worse, and in this direction there were no mountains for landmarks. Only white.
We struggled to see the trail, but would frequently wander off to the side, beginning to sink into the snow. The markers weren't frequent enough to keep them always in site, so working together felt pretty good at that point. Because the loop was long and narrow, occasionally we could see some of the other runners heading back toward the finish, letting out a whoop and raising our arms to encourage each other. We were too far apart for words, but the sentiments we felt.
Finally, after an hour and a half, we could see the final aid station tent. Fred and Sue Morris were there, waiting with warm drinks. We stopped for a minute and made the turn for home.
Toshio caught up with us and passed us. As we headed back toward camp, the wind picked up, hitting us in the face from the left, and blowing snow into our faces. I slowed down for a minute to put my wind jacket back on. Now the markers were even farther apart and harder to spot. Toshio passed Susan, and I kept them both in site, along with a couple more runners farther ahead. At least I knew I was going in the right direction. More and more I would loose the track and end up in the soft snow. Still, I made my way toward the finish. 2:25 p.m. The end is in site, but still a long way. Gradually specks in the distance became tents, people came into focus, and finally I spotted the finish line. At 2:40, seven hours and twenty-eight minutes after starting, I raised my arms and crossed the finish line. I stood under the banner for everyone to take pictures.
William was there in his wheelchair, and I went over to give him a hug. Unfortunately, I seriously misjudged the stability of the chair, and the next thing I knew we were both flat on our backs, lying in the snow laughing like crazy. People tried to help us up, but William was waving them off and telling them "Take a picture."
My mission now is nearly complete, the only thing remaining is to get home. No, I didn't make the world record I had planned on, but I did accomplish a few things.
I took two days off my personal record, completing the seven continents in just under 33 days.
I set a world record by running all seven continents TWICE in only 307 days.
I'm the only human on the planet who has ever run all seven continents twice in one year.
And to top that off, a beautiful woman, proud of me, her heart filled with love, waits for me to come home.
Life in Patriot Hills Camp
19 December 2007
By definition, it's a nice day whenever the plane arrives here. That's because the plane can only fly on nice days.
It was warm in the sunshine after we arrived yesterday, so Brent went out to the runway and marked off a half-mile course so William Tan could do his marathon in his wheelchair. Most of the group went out and supported him, walking the one-mile loop, starting somewhere just after 5:00 p.m. He continued to roll, back and forth, until at around 3:00 this morning he became the first man ever to complete marathons on all seven continents in a wheelchair. Twice he has tried to do Antarctica on King George Island, but the course and the time restrictions have stopped him. But now, he's a world record holder, doing all seven in less than 29 days.
Patriot Hills Camp. Getting off the plane was almost like coming home. I lived here for most of January in 2002, along with Brent. It's been updated a bit since then. The "ice toilets" are much nicer, two of them in a small arched tent with a wall down the middle. All of our waste is sent back to Chile for disposal, so we relieve ourselves in numerical order--#1 in the urinal which goes into a small drum, and #2 into another toilet. There's a sit-down toilet for women and then they can dump their pee-bucket into the urinal. The solid wastes go into black plastic bags to be bundled up and sent back on the planes. At night, we keep pee bottles in our tents to avoid having to get bundled up and going out.
"Night" is relative here. It's really light twenty-four hours a day here, and we run our clocks on Chilean time, since that's where the HQ is for our tour company.
All the water here comes from melted snow. There's a big pile of it outside that they shovel it into bins and bring it in to melt in a big metal bin near the stove.
We always have lots to drink, hot water, cold water and "juice" in big coolers. The kitchen staff are all amazing--every meal here has lots of variety, and is very well prepared. We also have snacks available all the time. Meals at 8:00, 13:00, and 19:00.
9:30, the morning briefing. Weather at the South Pole isn't too promising for today. At 11:00 we'll get a camp tour. As to running the marathon, they have to groom and mark the trail, so we won't be running today. The two feet of new snow has totally wiped out the trail that they had for us last week. After driving over the trail, it needs to freeze over and solidify so we're not sinking in as far. MAYBE we'll run tomorrow.
11:00 Tour. The runways for the Twin Otter airplanes that they use to take the smaller planes to the Pole, to Mt. Vinson, and for other expeditions are the first stop. Then on to the ice cave. It's a dugout area, about then feet below the surface, where they store food for the season. It's a constant negative 20 degrees Celsius (-4 F). Strings of 12V Christmas lights powered a car battery light up the chambers. Solar panels are used to recharge the battery. There are many of them around the camp, as everything here runs on battery power. No lights are needed other than in the cave, of course.
12:45 Weather briefing. Looks like some winds coming in tomorrow afternoon, so we'll try and start the marathon first thing in the morning.
By definition, it's a nice day whenever the plane arrives here. That's because the plane can only fly on nice days.
It was warm in the sunshine after we arrived yesterday, so Brent went out to the runway and marked off a half-mile course so William Tan could do his marathon in his wheelchair. Most of the group went out and supported him, walking the one-mile loop, starting somewhere just after 5:00 p.m. He continued to roll, back and forth, until at around 3:00 this morning he became the first man ever to complete marathons on all seven continents in a wheelchair. Twice he has tried to do Antarctica on King George Island, but the course and the time restrictions have stopped him. But now, he's a world record holder, doing all seven in less than 29 days.
Patriot Hills Camp. Getting off the plane was almost like coming home. I lived here for most of January in 2002, along with Brent. It's been updated a bit since then. The "ice toilets" are much nicer, two of them in a small arched tent with a wall down the middle. All of our waste is sent back to Chile for disposal, so we relieve ourselves in numerical order--#1 in the urinal which goes into a small drum, and #2 into another toilet. There's a sit-down toilet for women and then they can dump their pee-bucket into the urinal. The solid wastes go into black plastic bags to be bundled up and sent back on the planes. At night, we keep pee bottles in our tents to avoid having to get bundled up and going out.
"Night" is relative here. It's really light twenty-four hours a day here, and we run our clocks on Chilean time, since that's where the HQ is for our tour company.
All the water here comes from melted snow. There's a big pile of it outside that they shovel it into bins and bring it in to melt in a big metal bin near the stove.
We always have lots to drink, hot water, cold water and "juice" in big coolers. The kitchen staff are all amazing--every meal here has lots of variety, and is very well prepared. We also have snacks available all the time. Meals at 8:00, 13:00, and 19:00.
9:30, the morning briefing. Weather at the South Pole isn't too promising for today. At 11:00 we'll get a camp tour. As to running the marathon, they have to groom and mark the trail, so we won't be running today. The two feet of new snow has totally wiped out the trail that they had for us last week. After driving over the trail, it needs to freeze over and solidify so we're not sinking in as far. MAYBE we'll run tomorrow.
11:00 Tour. The runways for the Twin Otter airplanes that they use to take the smaller planes to the Pole, to Mt. Vinson, and for other expeditions are the first stop. Then on to the ice cave. It's a dugout area, about then feet below the surface, where they store food for the season. It's a constant negative 20 degrees Celsius (-4 F). Strings of 12V Christmas lights powered a car battery light up the chambers. Solar panels are used to recharge the battery. There are many of them around the camp, as everything here runs on battery power. No lights are needed other than in the cave, of course.
12:45 Weather briefing. Looks like some winds coming in tomorrow afternoon, so we'll try and start the marathon first thing in the morning.
Arriving in Antarctica
18 December 2007
4:50 a.m. William called me. "Did you get the phone call?" "No." "Me neither, I guess I'll go back to sleep."
5:00 a.m. Brent called. Be in the lobby at ten to six. Bring your passport.
We're leaving for Antarctica, finally. Officially, my world record attempt is over, having expired at 6:17 local time last night. Aroud 7:30, we boarded a Russian Iluyshin plane. Not your normal commercial flight. The whole plane is open, no panels on the ceiling, overhead cranes on rails running down each side. Stacked down the center is all the cargo, strapped down by cargo nets and tarps. A big snow cat in the back, about the width of a semi truck.
There were rows of seats running along each side of the plane. We strapped ourselves in for the 4.5 hour flight to the Patriot Hills.
Seat backs and tray tables? No problem. There weren't any. Just the bench-like seats where we would hang out for the next few hours. At 12:40 we got the word: "Get your gear on, we're about to land.
It was nearly a half-mile walk from the blue-ice runway across to the camp. Soon though, they came along with a big tractor and wagon that we all jumped on. We met at the Patriot Hills camp dining tent for a lunch and a briefing. Steve Jones, the camp manager, gave us a briefing. We're now in a world that few people will ever be. About 800 meters (2600 feet) above sea level. 500 meters of that is snow and ice.
The dining tent is a long, arched tent with the kitchen area in the back. It's where we'll eat, read, fellowship for the next few days. Accommodations were in clam-shell tents, plenty roomy with two beds in each one. Quite nice. Brent and I teamed up--we're used to each other and know that we can sleep in the same room.
4:50 a.m. William called me. "Did you get the phone call?" "No." "Me neither, I guess I'll go back to sleep."
5:00 a.m. Brent called. Be in the lobby at ten to six. Bring your passport.
We're leaving for Antarctica, finally. Officially, my world record attempt is over, having expired at 6:17 local time last night. Aroud 7:30, we boarded a Russian Iluyshin plane. Not your normal commercial flight. The whole plane is open, no panels on the ceiling, overhead cranes on rails running down each side. Stacked down the center is all the cargo, strapped down by cargo nets and tarps. A big snow cat in the back, about the width of a semi truck.
There were rows of seats running along each side of the plane. We strapped ourselves in for the 4.5 hour flight to the Patriot Hills.
Seat backs and tray tables? No problem. There weren't any. Just the bench-like seats where we would hang out for the next few hours. At 12:40 we got the word: "Get your gear on, we're about to land.
It was nearly a half-mile walk from the blue-ice runway across to the camp. Soon though, they came along with a big tractor and wagon that we all jumped on. We met at the Patriot Hills camp dining tent for a lunch and a briefing. Steve Jones, the camp manager, gave us a briefing. We're now in a world that few people will ever be. About 800 meters (2600 feet) above sea level. 500 meters of that is snow and ice.
The dining tent is a long, arched tent with the kitchen area in the back. It's where we'll eat, read, fellowship for the next few days. Accommodations were in clam-shell tents, plenty roomy with two beds in each one. Quite nice. Brent and I teamed up--we're used to each other and know that we can sleep in the same room.
Don's Anticipated Arrival Home
Posted by Francine Robinson on Sunday, 12/23/07:
RESULTS FOR 2007 ANTARCTIC ICE MARATHON -and-
UPDATE ON DON'S ANTICIPATED ARRIVAL HOME
The results are in for the 2007 Antarctic Ice Marathon and 100K. They can be found at: http://www.icemarathon.com/live/169.html. You can read some interesting details about the events--including information about some of the participants, as well as the weather conditions--by clicking on the following link, which will take you to the "Live Updates" page: http://www.icemarathon.com/live/164.html.
As to Don's expected arrival home, the latest update indicates that the Ilyushin-76 (IL-76) plane landed in the Antarctic today and the race participants should be back in Punta Arenas, Chile, between 19:00 and 20:00 Chile time. I spoke with Don last night, and he said there is usually an early flight out of Punta Arenas each day to Santiago, and he will try to get on that flight Monday morning. From Santiago he will book the first possible flight back home, probably connecting through Dallas. So...it looks like he will be home for Christmas! Once Don has the specific flight information, I will post it here.
RESULTS FOR 2007 ANTARCTIC ICE MARATHON -and-
UPDATE ON DON'S ANTICIPATED ARRIVAL HOME
The results are in for the 2007 Antarctic Ice Marathon and 100K. They can be found at: http://www.icemarathon.com/live/169.html. You can read some interesting details about the events--including information about some of the participants, as well as the weather conditions--by clicking on the following link, which will take you to the "Live Updates" page: http://www.icemarathon.com/live/164.html.
As to Don's expected arrival home, the latest update indicates that the Ilyushin-76 (IL-76) plane landed in the Antarctic today and the race participants should be back in Punta Arenas, Chile, between 19:00 and 20:00 Chile time. I spoke with Don last night, and he said there is usually an early flight out of Punta Arenas each day to Santiago, and he will try to get on that flight Monday morning. From Santiago he will book the first possible flight back home, probably connecting through Dallas. So...it looks like he will be home for Christmas! Once Don has the specific flight information, I will post it here.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Don has done it again!
Thursday, 12/20/07, 11:45 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DON! For the second time this year, he has completed seven marathons on seven continents.
On Thursday morning, the Antarctic Ice Marathon participants began the marathon at 07:00 Chile time. The website indicated they were running under "tough conditions and snowfalls." Don called me briefly around 2:45 p.m. ET to say that he had finished somewhere around 7-1/2 hours. I don't know much more than that, because he was using a satellite phone with limited minutes, plus I was in the middle of a 3rd grade Christmas party at Carly's school which was a bit noisy, as you might imagine!
At this point, Don believes it will be Saturday before they will be able to leave Antarctica, and of course, it will depend on the weather conditions.
I will check the marathon website tomorrow for any more updates and post anything pertinent to this blog.
Again--please join me in congratulating Don for another amazing accomplishment!
CONGRATULATIONS TO DON! For the second time this year, he has completed seven marathons on seven continents.
On Thursday morning, the Antarctic Ice Marathon participants began the marathon at 07:00 Chile time. The website indicated they were running under "tough conditions and snowfalls." Don called me briefly around 2:45 p.m. ET to say that he had finished somewhere around 7-1/2 hours. I don't know much more than that, because he was using a satellite phone with limited minutes, plus I was in the middle of a 3rd grade Christmas party at Carly's school which was a bit noisy, as you might imagine!
At this point, Don believes it will be Saturday before they will be able to leave Antarctica, and of course, it will depend on the weather conditions.
I will check the marathon website tomorrow for any more updates and post anything pertinent to this blog.
Again--please join me in congratulating Don for another amazing accomplishment!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Update on Antarctic Ice Marathon
Posted by Francine Robinson:
Wednesday, 12/19/07, 10:30 p.m. ET
I just checked the Antarctic Ice Marathon website for the latest update on the marathon. Some of you who have been reading Don's blog regularly may be aware that Neuroscientist Dr. William Tan, of Singapore, was competing to become the first wheelchair participant to complete a marathon on all seven continents. I had the pleasure of meeting William at the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. He's a super nice guy! And I'm pleased to say that HE DID IT! Congratulations, William! He finished in 9:48:52. Apparently the weather conditions were pretty good for Antarctica when he began early Wednesday morning: -8C, clear blue skies, and no wind.
The website further indicates that there will be a briefing on Thursday for the rest of the marathon participants at "06:00 Chile time" (two hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone). It is hopeful the race will begin at 08:00, since the storm that was predicted never materialized, and the weather is "quite balmy for Antarctica."
Don will try to call me (on a satellite phone that will be available to the participants) as soon as possible after he has completed this marathon. I'll post something after I hear from him.
Wednesday, 12/19/07, 10:30 p.m. ET
I just checked the Antarctic Ice Marathon website for the latest update on the marathon. Some of you who have been reading Don's blog regularly may be aware that Neuroscientist Dr. William Tan, of Singapore, was competing to become the first wheelchair participant to complete a marathon on all seven continents. I had the pleasure of meeting William at the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. He's a super nice guy! And I'm pleased to say that HE DID IT! Congratulations, William! He finished in 9:48:52. Apparently the weather conditions were pretty good for Antarctica when he began early Wednesday morning: -8C, clear blue skies, and no wind.
The website further indicates that there will be a briefing on Thursday for the rest of the marathon participants at "06:00 Chile time" (two hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone). It is hopeful the race will begin at 08:00, since the storm that was predicted never materialized, and the weather is "quite balmy for Antarctica."
Don will try to call me (on a satellite phone that will be available to the participants) as soon as possible after he has completed this marathon. I'll post something after I hear from him.
Monday, December 17, 2007
6:30 pm phone call
Brent came over and told us to pay our bills tonight. It looks like we'll get a 4:30 wakeup call and fly south. Looks good. We'll see how it goes.
Cautiously Optimistic
We had a briefing today at 3:00. Runway is being cleared. Possibility that we can fly in tomorrow morning. We'll get an update at 6:30 tonight, and may leave tomorrow morning sometime between 4 and 6.
Maybe it will work yet. We'll see.
Maybe it will work yet. We'll see.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Corrida Enap 2007 10K race. Sunday, 16 December 2007
Before breakfast, we ran into Vick, a guy who's staying at the hotel here, also a runner. He told us about a 10K race this morning here in PA. So, we ate breakfast and grabbed a taxi out to the race.
The day was rainy, and we soon found out that there were a lot of different races, but divided by age groups, not by choice. People over 51 were supposed to run the 6.5K race. The 10K was (I think) men only under 50. Vick, Brent and I told them we were going to do the 10K anyway.
The start wasn't until 11:00, so we hung out with some of the local guys who spoke some English. The shorter races all started before the 10K. At 11:05 we all started. About a block into the run, they diverted the "Senior division" runners around the corner as the 10K continued straight. Seeing Brent's white beard they assumed he was a "senior" and the guy was quite insistant that he make the turn. So he did. Vick and I continued on. (Vick's 67, by the way.)
I was running dead last for the first 4K. Actually, during that time four young guys realized that they were in over their heads and dropped out. So I had a motorcycle escort. I kept Vick and a doctor from the hospital across the street from the race in site, and just ran steady, knowing I'd catch up sooner or later. Finally some of the youngsters started loosing steam and we reeled a few of them in. As we got to the center of town I finally caught up to Vick and we ran the rest of the way together. We also picked up an adventure racer who had just finished a 4-person 1000K relay in Patagonia, and ran with him for most of the rest of the race. Around the Plaza and back toward the start/finish line, a little over 3K to go. Runners in front of us weren't very far away--we were doing well for a couple old guys. Finally the finish line, just over 55 minutes. Vick said it's the fastest 10K he's done in a long time.
We were greeted as if we were heroes. They really appreciate that we would run the race with them. Somehow they got wind of the fact that Brent and I were heading to Antarctica.
We stayed for the awards, but really weren't sure why, other than MAYBE Brent would win an award in his race. He didn't. The awards were great though--first, second, third got medals and wrapped presents. DFL (Dead Freakin' Last) in each race got a really nice medal. But at the end of the ceremony there was a surprise. They called the three of us and one other guy who's recently moved to Punta Arenas for work, recognized us for coming, made a big deal about Antarctica. They gave us each a small medal and a present--a small running backpack. Every clapped and made us feel pretty welcome, then afterwards many came up and wished us well and congratulated us.
So, that was my morning. We hopped a taxi and came back, soaking wet and cold. The hot shower felt great.
The day was rainy, and we soon found out that there were a lot of different races, but divided by age groups, not by choice. People over 51 were supposed to run the 6.5K race. The 10K was (I think) men only under 50. Vick, Brent and I told them we were going to do the 10K anyway.
The start wasn't until 11:00, so we hung out with some of the local guys who spoke some English. The shorter races all started before the 10K. At 11:05 we all started. About a block into the run, they diverted the "Senior division" runners around the corner as the 10K continued straight. Seeing Brent's white beard they assumed he was a "senior" and the guy was quite insistant that he make the turn. So he did. Vick and I continued on. (Vick's 67, by the way.)
I was running dead last for the first 4K. Actually, during that time four young guys realized that they were in over their heads and dropped out. So I had a motorcycle escort. I kept Vick and a doctor from the hospital across the street from the race in site, and just ran steady, knowing I'd catch up sooner or later. Finally some of the youngsters started loosing steam and we reeled a few of them in. As we got to the center of town I finally caught up to Vick and we ran the rest of the way together. We also picked up an adventure racer who had just finished a 4-person 1000K relay in Patagonia, and ran with him for most of the rest of the race. Around the Plaza and back toward the start/finish line, a little over 3K to go. Runners in front of us weren't very far away--we were doing well for a couple old guys. Finally the finish line, just over 55 minutes. Vick said it's the fastest 10K he's done in a long time.
We were greeted as if we were heroes. They really appreciate that we would run the race with them. Somehow they got wind of the fact that Brent and I were heading to Antarctica.
We stayed for the awards, but really weren't sure why, other than MAYBE Brent would win an award in his race. He didn't. The awards were great though--first, second, third got medals and wrapped presents. DFL (Dead Freakin' Last) in each race got a really nice medal. But at the end of the ceremony there was a surprise. They called the three of us and one other guy who's recently moved to Punta Arenas for work, recognized us for coming, made a big deal about Antarctica. They gave us each a small medal and a present--a small running backpack. Every clapped and made us feel pretty welcome, then afterwards many came up and wished us well and congratulated us.
So, that was my morning. We hopped a taxi and came back, soaking wet and cold. The hot shower felt great.
Saturday 16 December
Nice morning. Brent and I took a taxi up to Magellanes National Reserve to run some trails. We were last up there together in 2002 and had a pretty good run there, so we were excited to get back. We really picked the right day too, sunny, not too windy.
We started following a row on orange stakes marking a mountain bike trail through the woods. Trees are mostly deciduous, but with very small leaves. Big leaves wouldn't stand a chance--the heavy winds that are nearly constant here would strip them bare in a few minutes. Trees are gnarled and twisted, many are covered with beard-like moss that hangs from them.
We followed the trail through the woods and it turned uphill, slowing us to a walk for about half a mile. As we climbed the mountain, at any break we could look down over the town of Punta Arenas and the straights of Magellan.
Switching to another trail marked with red markers, we continued to the top of the ridge. We took a chance on another trail coming back down, and soon found ourselves on something that may have been a long, gradually winding ski run which took us all the way to the bottom again. We had to work our way down a bank and cross a small stream and climb a fence to get up onto a gravel road. Looking up the road, we spotted orange stakes again a few yards up and got back onto the trail. A nice run/walk of about 5 miles.
Back at the hotel for the 5:00 briefing. Things are looking better at Patriot Hills. Maybe we'll be able to fly there on Tuesday. My world record quest will officially fall short this time. Next briefing at 3:00 Monday. I wonder if this hotel rents rooms by the month?
We started following a row on orange stakes marking a mountain bike trail through the woods. Trees are mostly deciduous, but with very small leaves. Big leaves wouldn't stand a chance--the heavy winds that are nearly constant here would strip them bare in a few minutes. Trees are gnarled and twisted, many are covered with beard-like moss that hangs from them.
We followed the trail through the woods and it turned uphill, slowing us to a walk for about half a mile. As we climbed the mountain, at any break we could look down over the town of Punta Arenas and the straights of Magellan.
Switching to another trail marked with red markers, we continued to the top of the ridge. We took a chance on another trail coming back down, and soon found ourselves on something that may have been a long, gradually winding ski run which took us all the way to the bottom again. We had to work our way down a bank and cross a small stream and climb a fence to get up onto a gravel road. Looking up the road, we spotted orange stakes again a few yards up and got back onto the trail. A nice run/walk of about 5 miles.
Back at the hotel for the 5:00 briefing. Things are looking better at Patriot Hills. Maybe we'll be able to fly there on Tuesday. My world record quest will officially fall short this time. Next briefing at 3:00 Monday. I wonder if this hotel rents rooms by the month?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Perspective.
Yesterday morning (Friday) I slept in a little bit, watched a little TV before breakfast. For a few minutes I was feeling bad--something I've worked hard for this year is starting to look out of reach.
Around noon, I went for a run. Up the hills, heading out of town onto the gravel roads for about 5 miles before turning around. I replayed all the events of the last month in my mind as I ran. The great friends I made in Beirut. Winding through the streets in taxis which narrowly (but always) avoided colliding with each other. Eating at the Palm with my favorite woman in the whole world, and finishing a marathon with with her by my side. Being "stuck inside a postcard" in Florence. Hanging out with friends in South Africa, seeing rhinos, zebras, giraffes. Driving through the New Zealand countryside, running a marathon with my best friend in Vina del Mar. And even coming down here, stuck in Punta Arenas with some really great people.
Most people get nothing like this in their lives. In fact, most people don't even do things like this in their imagination. And this is the SECOND time this year that I've run all the continents.
All the while, as I run around the globe, something even better waits for me at home. No matter how far away I get, people who love me back home are still there.
Life is so wonderful. Sometimes I wonder if I must be in a movie or something. I've got some great writers. Wonder what they'll come up with next year?
So, record or no record, I'm good. It's an amazing year. An amazing life.
Around noon, I went for a run. Up the hills, heading out of town onto the gravel roads for about 5 miles before turning around. I replayed all the events of the last month in my mind as I ran. The great friends I made in Beirut. Winding through the streets in taxis which narrowly (but always) avoided colliding with each other. Eating at the Palm with my favorite woman in the whole world, and finishing a marathon with with her by my side. Being "stuck inside a postcard" in Florence. Hanging out with friends in South Africa, seeing rhinos, zebras, giraffes. Driving through the New Zealand countryside, running a marathon with my best friend in Vina del Mar. And even coming down here, stuck in Punta Arenas with some really great people.
Most people get nothing like this in their lives. In fact, most people don't even do things like this in their imagination. And this is the SECOND time this year that I've run all the continents.
All the while, as I run around the globe, something even better waits for me at home. No matter how far away I get, people who love me back home are still there.
Life is so wonderful. Sometimes I wonder if I must be in a movie or something. I've got some great writers. Wonder what they'll come up with next year?
So, record or no record, I'm good. It's an amazing year. An amazing life.
13 December 2007
On Thursday, Brent, Christian, and I went to see some penguins at Magdalena Island. It was about a two hour boat ride there, and we had about an hour to wander around, getting acquainted with the locals. They were a formal lot, most of them wearing tuxedos.
They were Magellanic penguins. Cute little guys, about a foot and a half tall. One of them tried to eat my shoe. I found out something cool about penguins. They're white on the front and black on the back. Why? Predators seeing them from the bottom while they're swimming see white, which blends in with the light of the sky. Predators seeing them from the top see black, which blends in with the dark of the ocean. So their coloration is actually a way of protecting them from getting eaten. Cool, eh?
These penguins raise their chicks in burrows to protect them from predators. They dig them out with their feet. We saw one penguin digging, dirt was flying everywhere.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
At 1:00 we had a briefing. Doesn't look good. We're definitely not leaving for the ice today. Or tomorrow. Or Saturday. I have until Monday at 4:17 pm Eastern time to finish the marathon in Antarctica. Otherwise, the only world record I'll have is for running all seven continents twice in the shortest amount of time. A bit of a disappointment. Still have some hope of flying on Sunday, and most everyone on the trip is game for running within an hour of when we get off the plane. Everyone would like to be home before Christmas. Me included.
So, this afternoon, Brent and I are going to go see some penguins. Just what I need. More penguins.
Anyone know of any marathons in South America in the next three weeks or so? Maybe I start on 17 December in Antarctica and finish on 13 January in Disney World. That means I have to do a bunch of marathons between now and then. I'm only half serious about this, but I can't shut my brain off. Oh well.
So, this afternoon, Brent and I are going to go see some penguins. Just what I need. More penguins.
Anyone know of any marathons in South America in the next three weeks or so? Maybe I start on 17 December in Antarctica and finish on 13 January in Disney World. That means I have to do a bunch of marathons between now and then. I'm only half serious about this, but I can't shut my brain off. Oh well.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
From today's La Prensa Austral
CORRERAN 42 KILOMETROS EN EL SECTOR DE PATRIOT HILLS
20 maratonistas de todo el mundo desafían al continente antártico
- Entre ellos figura un corredor de 71 años de edad y el primer parapléjico en hacer maratones en los siete continentes.
Por Roberto Hofer rhofer@laprensaaustral.cl
Por Roberto Hofer rhofer@laprensaaustral.cl
Durante esta semana, Punta Arenas es la puerta de entrada a un poco usual certamen deportivo, el cual nuevamente llevará a una veintena de atletas de todo el globo a correr una maratón en territorio antártico.
Se trata de la tercera versión de la “Antarctic Ice Marathon & 100k” (Maratón de Hielo y 100 Kilómetros Antártica 2007), evento internacional que tendrá lugar en Patriot Hills, y el cual debería haber comenzado ayer. Sin embargo, la mala condición meteorológica, con nieve cayendo durante más de un día, mantenía a los corredores en Punta Arenas a la espera de poder salir mañana con destino a la península antártica.
Esta prueba congrega a competidores de Estados Unidos, Bélgica, Francia, Australia, Suecia, Malasia, Japón, India, Irlanda, Austria, Brasil, Gran Bretaña y Singapur, entre ellos una mujer. Menos de la mitad de ellos ha ido a la Antártida con anterioridad. Además de ganarle al frío, ya que correrán 42 kilómetros con 196 metros a temperaturas bajo cero, vienen motivados por distintos fines benéficos.
El certamen es promovido por Polar Running Adventures, entidad organizadora de la Maratón Anual al Polo Norte, y tendrá el apoyo logístico de Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions (ex Adventure Network International).
El atleta senior Brent Weigner, profesor de geografía, 58 años, coordina esta atípica maratón, con el currículo de haber completado más de 150 maratones. Será su sexto verano en la Antártida, adonde ha corrido maratones o tramos de 100 kilómetros en la isla Rey Jorge, Esperanza (Península Antártica) y en isla Decepción.
Este nuevo trayecto, cercano a las montañas Ellsworth, abarcará desde Hercules Inlet a Patriot Hills. Más que prepararse, él vive en medio del frío en Wyoming, a 2 mil metros de altura, y al igual que la generalidad de los corredores ya ha corrido en el Polo Norte. Todas las personas además vienen con la ropa apropiada, y es probable que los cuatro días planificados se vean acortados a tres.
HOMBRE DEL “GUINNESS”
El estadounidense Don Kern, experto en computación, 51 años, busca batir un nuevo Récord Mundial de Guinness, al cerrar un ciclo de maratones en los siete continentes en 25 días (la actual marca mundial es de 30 días). Este verdadero “ironman” completará la cifra de 156 maratones o carreras más largas durante este periplo antártico.
Desde 2002 que viene viajando al continente antártico, y el verano pasado hizo también maratones en los siete continentes (febrero-marzo de 2007), pero en 35 días. Será su segunda vez este año en unir el mundo, tras partir el mes pasado en Beirut, corriendo luego en Georgia (Estados Unidos), Sudáfrica, Nueva Zelanda y Viña del Mar.
ENTUSIASMO A TODA PRUEBA
Tener una edad avanzada o estar postrado tampoco son impedimentos para participar de esta prueba.
A sus 71 años, Henri Girault, uno de los tres participantes franceses, será el corredor más longevo que recorrerá las planicies antárticas. A los 43 años empezó a correr y desde entonces en 560 oportunidades ha cumplido trayectos de 100 kilómetros. Su año más movido ha sido 1988, señaló, ya que hizo 37 veces dicha distancia.
Otro caso excepcional es el de William Tan, médico y neurocientífico procedente de Singapur. A sus 50 años, este atleta paraolímpico intentará ser la primera persona en una silla de ruedas en completar una maratón en los siete continentes.
También espera poder completar una distancia de 100 kilómetros en la pista de aterrizaje antártica, longitud suprema a completar dentro de las ultramaratones. Su impulso permitirá destinar 10 millones de dólares a distintas causas benéficas como los niños con leucemia, la prevención del Sida y la compra de sillas de ruedas para niños de países pobres. Esto, además de dedicar este desafío a su suegro, quien sufre de cáncer.
Los atletas
La siguiente es la nómina de los competidores: Susan Holliday (Gran Bretaña), Don Kern (USA), Mike Ketchmark (USA), Gavin Melgaard (Australia), Fredrik Nerbrand (Suecia), Seow Kong Ng (Malasia), Toshio Ohmori (Japón), Raj Patel (India), Mark Scanlon (Irlanda), Christian Schiester (Austria), Adriano Seabra (Brasil), Neil Standring (Gran Bretaña), William Tan (Singapur), Brent Weigner (USA), Mark Andresen (USA), Peter Bell (Irlanda), Marc de Keyser (Bélgica), Bernardo Fonseca (Brasil), Henri Girault (Francia) y James Heddle (Gran Bretaña).
Late on 12 December
When we got back to the Hotel Diego del Amagro, the guys from ANI were there. They told us that we definitely won't go tomorrow, maybe 50% chance for Friday, possibly Saturday. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, we're stuck in Punta Arenas for a bit longer. Darn it!
12 December 2007
I was supposed to break the record today. Instead, we're still in Chile.Yesterday we got the news that we wouldn't be going Tuesday or Wednesday, so eight of us got a minibus and driver and went to Torres del Paine National Park. It was nearly noon by the time we left, and the speed our driver went it was quite a long drive there. It was worth it though. Pretty nice scenery, with the mountains in the distance, becoming more snow-capped as we approached. The trip was over six hours.
Frederick, Susan, Peter, James, Mark, Mark, and Mike were with me. (Check icemarathon.com for more info on the team and daily updates.)
Many of the trees along the way were stripped bare by relentless winds in the area. A lot of them look like they're growing sideways.
(Around noon)
I'm sitting at the Hosteria Las Torres, in a beautiful lodge with amazing views of the mountains in every direction.
When we arrived last night around 7:00 p.m. it was raining a little and the wind was stiff enough that we had to fight to reach the front door. We rented some rooms and then proceeded to the hotel restaurant for a meal. Well, meal might be a bit of an understatement. Their buffet is amazing. Fresh salads, smoked salmon, leg of lamb, roast pork, chicken, beef. And a dessert table where you could easily hurt yourself.
Mike decided that we needed a bottle of wine for the table. Then another one. We ended up with five bottles of Terrunyo Carmenere before we were finished drinking it. And that was just because they ran out of stock. So we switched to a nice Pino Noir for a few more bottles. Somewhere around 11 or so we moved over the bar. I finally called it a night around 12:30. A couple hours later Peter and Susan came back to the room. Most of the other guys were still at it. (For those of you who might be concerned, keep in mind that the drinking was over the course of five hours or so, and there was plenty of food and water involved along the way, so I never got drunk. This time, anyway.)
It's raining sideways this morning, but we decided to hike the trails anyway. We were just going to go up an hour and back then drive around some other parts of the park, but decided to spend more time hiking. The higher we got, the better the scenery. Still, I have a mission to accomplish so I didn't hike for too long. Probably about 2 1/2 hours. We grabbed some lunch when everyone got back and headed back toward Punta Arenas.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Don is still in Punta Arenas.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007. (Posted by Francine Robinson)
Don called this morning from Punta Arenas. The Antarctic Ice Marathon group is still unable to get to the race site because of the weather conditions in Antarctica. There is a meeting scheduled early this afternoon to let the group know what is going on, but it appears it will be at least two full days before they can even think about going. Don said that the best case scenario is that they will be running on Friday, which would still keep him under the current world record. Stay tuned for future developments!
Tuesday morning in Punta Arenas
Hey--we'll find out in a few minutes if we go this morning. Waiting on Antarctica weather.
If you want to follow the adventure on the marathon website, go to www.icemarathon.com and click on the live updates link. Pretty cool. Plus you'll meet a bunch of my travelling companions.
More later.
If you want to follow the adventure on the marathon website, go to www.icemarathon.com and click on the live updates link. Pretty cool. Plus you'll meet a bunch of my travelling companions.
More later.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Nature of Antarctic Travel
Well, we were supposed to go to Antarctica today, but it didn't happen. We have to have a good window in the weather first. So, we hung out around Punta Arenas instead. Did a little shopping, went out with a few of the guys for some beers and some dinner. Ran into a couple Americans who are driving motorcycles from Santiago to Ushuaia and then up to Bolivia and talked to them for quite a while.
You kids in Carly's class and in Mr. Long's class--have you located Punta Arenas on the map yet? We're at the very south end of Chile in South America. My hotel is right on the Pacific ocean. Pretty windy here too.
You kids in Carly's class and in Mr. Long's class--have you located Punta Arenas on the map yet? We're at the very south end of Chile in South America. My hotel is right on the Pacific ocean. Pretty windy here too.
10 December 2007
What a weekend! Saturday I woke up in Wanganui, New Zealand at about 1:30 a.m. and with my body so far off schedule, there was no getting back to sleep. The marathon was tough, I didn't have a particularly good run, but I did stay strong all day.
A quick shower and trip to the airport, arriving in plenty of time for my 1:00 p.m. flight to Auckland. Then an overnight flight took us back to Friday for a little bit before starting Saturday all over again. Dr. William Tan and I are now travelling companions for the last three marathons. He will set the world record for doing the same thing I'm doing, but in a wheelchair.
Santiago, and my secret weapon--one of my best friends, Paul Ruesch (see Australian and Seoul from the previous record attempt) picked us up at the airport. He traded his smaller car for a Toyota Forerunner at Avis, and we loaded up all our stuff, including William's racing chair and headed for Viña del Mar for the Costa del Pacifico marathon.
We picked up our numbers, met Rodrigo, the race director, and went to the next room for a pasta dinner. Pasta, sauce, soft drinks. That was it, but it was free. We left William there and went over to our hotel where Paul had a small but comfortable room for us. We went out for a beer, then headed back and called it a night.
Marathon #6
We got up early and had breakfast and went back to the headquarters hotel to catch the shuttle to the starting line, about 30 miles away. Got William loaded on the same bus with us, started talking to Diana, a pretty young Irish girl who had been travelling around South America for a couple months. She ended up running the whole marathon with Paul and me.
The early marathon was pretty hilly, but none of the hills were especially steep. I was amazed at how good I felt, right from the start. Legs were a little sore, but not bad. It was a great day, overcast, comfortable temperature. We ran through the farm country, then past a big industrial area where mountains of coal were used at a power plant. The ash from the coal would go across the road to be used in cement. The sand in the area was used there in a big glass plant we ran by.
Paul would talk to everybody in Spanish as we went by them. We just talked the whole way, enjoying the day, enjoying the extra company. With about 18K to go, we turned along the coast and followed the ocean all the way to the finish line. At 33K or so, William sent me a text message telling us that he had finished. We continued on, picking off a runner or two along the way, all of us still running strong. At just past 32K there were "to go" distances painted on the road every half kilometer. We followed the countdown. Just before the 42K mark, I called Francine and put her on speaker phone so she hear us finish. YES! Six down, one to go! We met a couple of Diana's friends, and the five of us got a beer at a little bar right by the finish line and watched the rest of the people finish.
Now, we were about 8K from the hotels and couldn't find a taxi, but Paul managed to help a guy back out of a parking spot, and then negotiated a ride most of the way back for us. Then we walked a couple of blocks and caught a taxi. I'm sure that guy didn't appreciate how his car smelled after he had three sweaty, stinky runners in it, but we sure did appreciate the ride.
After we cleaned up, we went and picked up William for the ride back to Santiago. He and I landed in Punta Arenas at 12:30 this morning, and we're ready for number seven. Hopefully we get to the ice real soon. Today isn't looking too promising, but there is a possible window in the weather this evening.
Hello Ashley and Amber. I love you. (My grand daughters!) Love you too, Carly.
A quick shower and trip to the airport, arriving in plenty of time for my 1:00 p.m. flight to Auckland. Then an overnight flight took us back to Friday for a little bit before starting Saturday all over again. Dr. William Tan and I are now travelling companions for the last three marathons. He will set the world record for doing the same thing I'm doing, but in a wheelchair.
Santiago, and my secret weapon--one of my best friends, Paul Ruesch (see Australian and Seoul from the previous record attempt) picked us up at the airport. He traded his smaller car for a Toyota Forerunner at Avis, and we loaded up all our stuff, including William's racing chair and headed for Viña del Mar for the Costa del Pacifico marathon.
We picked up our numbers, met Rodrigo, the race director, and went to the next room for a pasta dinner. Pasta, sauce, soft drinks. That was it, but it was free. We left William there and went over to our hotel where Paul had a small but comfortable room for us. We went out for a beer, then headed back and called it a night.
Marathon #6
We got up early and had breakfast and went back to the headquarters hotel to catch the shuttle to the starting line, about 30 miles away. Got William loaded on the same bus with us, started talking to Diana, a pretty young Irish girl who had been travelling around South America for a couple months. She ended up running the whole marathon with Paul and me.
The early marathon was pretty hilly, but none of the hills were especially steep. I was amazed at how good I felt, right from the start. Legs were a little sore, but not bad. It was a great day, overcast, comfortable temperature. We ran through the farm country, then past a big industrial area where mountains of coal were used at a power plant. The ash from the coal would go across the road to be used in cement. The sand in the area was used there in a big glass plant we ran by.
Paul would talk to everybody in Spanish as we went by them. We just talked the whole way, enjoying the day, enjoying the extra company. With about 18K to go, we turned along the coast and followed the ocean all the way to the finish line. At 33K or so, William sent me a text message telling us that he had finished. We continued on, picking off a runner or two along the way, all of us still running strong. At just past 32K there were "to go" distances painted on the road every half kilometer. We followed the countdown. Just before the 42K mark, I called Francine and put her on speaker phone so she hear us finish. YES! Six down, one to go! We met a couple of Diana's friends, and the five of us got a beer at a little bar right by the finish line and watched the rest of the people finish.
Now, we were about 8K from the hotels and couldn't find a taxi, but Paul managed to help a guy back out of a parking spot, and then negotiated a ride most of the way back for us. Then we walked a couple of blocks and caught a taxi. I'm sure that guy didn't appreciate how his car smelled after he had three sweaty, stinky runners in it, but we sure did appreciate the ride.
After we cleaned up, we went and picked up William for the ride back to Santiago. He and I landed in Punta Arenas at 12:30 this morning, and we're ready for number seven. Hopefully we get to the ice real soon. Today isn't looking too promising, but there is a possible window in the weather this evening.
Hello Ashley and Amber. I love you. (My grand daughters!) Love you too, Carly.
Notes from Mr. Long's class
What was your favorite animal you saw on the safari? Maria & Christine
Probably the rhino's. They're pretty cool.
Did the cheetahs do anything other than lie there? Julie & Miranda
Not really, but when they got up I sure rolled the window up fast!
Is it hard to run in warmer weather when you are not used to it? Emily & Vicky
Yes, warmer weather does slow me down a little bit.
Did you see any type of deer on your safari? Taylor & Rocco
Yes, a lot of gazelles.
Do you like kiwi fruit? Did you try any in New Zealand? Julius & Sean
Yes and no.
How far ahead in time is New Zealand from Michigan? What will be the time difference from New Zealand to Chile? Caitlen & Sandy
NZ is 18 hours ahead of Michigan. Chile is 2 hours ahead of Michigan.
Have you ever played rugby? Will you watch the All Blacks while you are in New Zealand? John & Shawn
I haven't played rugby, but I do like to watch the All Blacks. Expecially like the Maori chant that they do before the game.
Do you think you will enjoy running in a New Zealand marathon? Is a marathon organized differently in NZ than in the US? Crystal & Cierra
It's about the same--but every marathon has its own character. You can read my report on it that I posted on Saturday.
Other than sheep, what other animals have you seen in New Zealand? Brandi & Rachael
Just cattle and a few birds.
What has been your favorite wine that you have had in; Italy, S. Africa and New Zealand? Will you have some in Chile? Mr. Long
I really couldn't tell you the names of them very well, but I really enjoyed the wine at my friend Hans' place in South Africa. In Chile, I only had beer so far.
Are you nervous about trying to break the world record? Which marathon have you liked the most on your current trip? Daniel & Chris
I don't usually get nervous--whatever happens, happens. I think Florence was the best marathon, but then running in Atlanta side by side with Francine was pretty special.
What is the main food you eat the night before a marathon? What about the morning of the race? James & Trenton
Unlike a lot of marathon runners that load up on pasta the night before, I pretty much eat whatever I feel like eating. The morning of--same thing. If it's an early start, I might just have a power bar or some Fig Newtons or something.
Probably the rhino's. They're pretty cool.
Did the cheetahs do anything other than lie there? Julie & Miranda
Not really, but when they got up I sure rolled the window up fast!
Is it hard to run in warmer weather when you are not used to it? Emily & Vicky
Yes, warmer weather does slow me down a little bit.
Did you see any type of deer on your safari? Taylor & Rocco
Yes, a lot of gazelles.
Do you like kiwi fruit? Did you try any in New Zealand? Julius & Sean
Yes and no.
How far ahead in time is New Zealand from Michigan? What will be the time difference from New Zealand to Chile? Caitlen & Sandy
NZ is 18 hours ahead of Michigan. Chile is 2 hours ahead of Michigan.
Have you ever played rugby? Will you watch the All Blacks while you are in New Zealand? John & Shawn
I haven't played rugby, but I do like to watch the All Blacks. Expecially like the Maori chant that they do before the game.
Do you think you will enjoy running in a New Zealand marathon? Is a marathon organized differently in NZ than in the US? Crystal & Cierra
It's about the same--but every marathon has its own character. You can read my report on it that I posted on Saturday.
Other than sheep, what other animals have you seen in New Zealand? Brandi & Rachael
Just cattle and a few birds.
What has been your favorite wine that you have had in; Italy, S. Africa and New Zealand? Will you have some in Chile? Mr. Long
I really couldn't tell you the names of them very well, but I really enjoyed the wine at my friend Hans' place in South Africa. In Chile, I only had beer so far.
Are you nervous about trying to break the world record? Which marathon have you liked the most on your current trip? Daniel & Chris
I don't usually get nervous--whatever happens, happens. I think Florence was the best marathon, but then running in Atlanta side by side with Francine was pretty special.
What is the main food you eat the night before a marathon? What about the morning of the race? James & Trenton
Unlike a lot of marathon runners that load up on pasta the night before, I pretty much eat whatever I feel like eating. The morning of--same thing. If it's an early start, I might just have a power bar or some Fig Newtons or something.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
SIX DOWN
Quick note--finished marathon in Viña del Mar in just over 5 hours. A couple minutes faster than yesterday. More when I get to Punta Arenas I hope.
Six down, one to go. Everybody pray for good weather so we can get to Antarctica!!!
Six down, one to go. Everybody pray for good weather so we can get to Antarctica!!!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Short report on New Zealand
Hey! Five down, 2 to go.
Today I finished the marathon in Wanganui, took a quick shower, drove to the airport and got on a plane to Santiago. Arrived in Santiago just before I left Wanganui. Pretty cool, eh?
Paul picked us (William Tan and me) up at the airport and will be joining us for this marathon. William is on the same quest as I am, but he's doing it in a wheelchair. We're doing the last three marathons together.
Back to NZ for a minute. Several runners joined the walkers in the early start at 6:30. A 1:00 flight meant that starting at 7:30 would be too late.
The course was four loops of about 10.5K each. Along the river, we headed north to the first of three bridges. We crossed it, then went north a bit further for a loop through a park on a combination of grass, gravel, paved paths. Back under the bridge heading south to bridge #2 in the middle of town near the start. We crossed it, looped around under it, and crossed back. Then went on south to the third bridge. Again, we crossed under it and looped back onto the bridge to cross it, then looped back under it again and continued on to the finish. Three more times. Same course.
I wasn't feeling near as good today as I have the last couple marathons, but still stayed strong all day. Just needed to get through it in time to get on the plane. The lack of kilometer markers made it difficult to maintain a regular pace. Oh well. No sports drink on the course for the first two loops either. However, about 3K into the third loop I found a little baggie of chocolate pieces that some unfortunate runner had dropped. Cool! So, now I had a little more energy to burn.
Two, then three loops, only a little over 10K to go. I gave up on time goals and just concentrated on finishing. About 5:03 and I was done!
Now I'm in Viña del Mar, Chile, have my race number, met the race director, and ready to run in the morning. Got a bit of sleep on the plane, but hoping to get a good night tonight. Then it's off to Punta Arenas tomorrow night for the trip to Antarctica. All is good.
Today I finished the marathon in Wanganui, took a quick shower, drove to the airport and got on a plane to Santiago. Arrived in Santiago just before I left Wanganui. Pretty cool, eh?
Paul picked us (William Tan and me) up at the airport and will be joining us for this marathon. William is on the same quest as I am, but he's doing it in a wheelchair. We're doing the last three marathons together.
Back to NZ for a minute. Several runners joined the walkers in the early start at 6:30. A 1:00 flight meant that starting at 7:30 would be too late.
The course was four loops of about 10.5K each. Along the river, we headed north to the first of three bridges. We crossed it, then went north a bit further for a loop through a park on a combination of grass, gravel, paved paths. Back under the bridge heading south to bridge #2 in the middle of town near the start. We crossed it, looped around under it, and crossed back. Then went on south to the third bridge. Again, we crossed under it and looped back onto the bridge to cross it, then looped back under it again and continued on to the finish. Three more times. Same course.
I wasn't feeling near as good today as I have the last couple marathons, but still stayed strong all day. Just needed to get through it in time to get on the plane. The lack of kilometer markers made it difficult to maintain a regular pace. Oh well. No sports drink on the course for the first two loops either. However, about 3K into the third loop I found a little baggie of chocolate pieces that some unfortunate runner had dropped. Cool! So, now I had a little more energy to burn.
Two, then three loops, only a little over 10K to go. I gave up on time goals and just concentrated on finishing. About 5:03 and I was done!
Now I'm in Viña del Mar, Chile, have my race number, met the race director, and ready to run in the morning. Got a bit of sleep on the plane, but hoping to get a good night tonight. Then it's off to Punta Arenas tomorrow night for the trip to Antarctica. All is good.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
5 - 6 December 2007
Wednesday. Now it feels like I've lost a day. Oh well, I'll get it back on Saturday.
Drove around for a bit, shoping, getting some local cash from the ATM, picking up a plug so I can use my computer and charge my batteries here.
On the way back to the airport to get my suitcase, I spotted the Cock and Bull, an English style pub and BREWERY. Had a couple tastes, then bought a pint of Classic Draught and a bowl of soup.
Got my bag and headed south toward Wanganui.
New Zealand is a rugged country. Beautiful, mountainous--ancient volcanoes worn down by millennia make up the lush green hills and valleys. Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep dot the countryside. I made my way south on two lane roads through little towns along the way.
I'm driving on the left side of the road. The steering wheel is on the right. And it's a standard transmission. Kinda fun. They can tell I'm an American here because when I want to turn I turn on the windshield wipers. :-)
I stopped for the night in the town of Taumarunui. It's a pleasant, roll-up-the-streets at 9:00 town. Decided to snooze a bit from 7 - 8:30 then head out for a bite to eat. I've given up on getting over jet lag--I'm only going to be here for three days anyway. So I'll eat, sleep, and whatever else when I feel like it.
Ate a nice little dinner and watched a movie on TV until midnight. Slept for two hours, then was wide awake until after 5:00 a.m. Oh well. Read half of a Sherlock Holmes book I bought in Auckland. Slept for three more hours and got up around 8:30 before heading out for some breakfast and to continue my way south.
Arrived in Wanganui, the next marathon site, at around 2:30. Found a room at a backpacker inn, and walked around town in the rain for a couple hours.
That's about what I know for now. Maybe I'll do something interesting later.
Drove around for a bit, shoping, getting some local cash from the ATM, picking up a plug so I can use my computer and charge my batteries here.
On the way back to the airport to get my suitcase, I spotted the Cock and Bull, an English style pub and BREWERY. Had a couple tastes, then bought a pint of Classic Draught and a bowl of soup.
Got my bag and headed south toward Wanganui.
New Zealand is a rugged country. Beautiful, mountainous--ancient volcanoes worn down by millennia make up the lush green hills and valleys. Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep dot the countryside. I made my way south on two lane roads through little towns along the way.
I'm driving on the left side of the road. The steering wheel is on the right. And it's a standard transmission. Kinda fun. They can tell I'm an American here because when I want to turn I turn on the windshield wipers. :-)
I stopped for the night in the town of Taumarunui. It's a pleasant, roll-up-the-streets at 9:00 town. Decided to snooze a bit from 7 - 8:30 then head out for a bite to eat. I've given up on getting over jet lag--I'm only going to be here for three days anyway. So I'll eat, sleep, and whatever else when I feel like it.
Ate a nice little dinner and watched a movie on TV until midnight. Slept for two hours, then was wide awake until after 5:00 a.m. Oh well. Read half of a Sherlock Holmes book I bought in Auckland. Slept for three more hours and got up around 8:30 before heading out for some breakfast and to continue my way south.
Arrived in Wanganui, the next marathon site, at around 2:30. Found a room at a backpacker inn, and walked around town in the rain for a couple hours.
That's about what I know for now. Maybe I'll do something interesting later.
Notes from Carly's class
Hello Marathon Don and Flat Stanley! We wish you well in your adventures and thank you for showing Flat Stanley these new and interesting places. We have some questions for you too. Have you met any children or visited any schools in the towns that you have been racing? Does Flat Stanley get to run with you?
I haven't visited any schools anywhere. And Stanley hasn't really been training for marathons, so I let him just hang out while I'm running. :-)
Are you going to any other places? From Amanda
Keep reading Amanda. There are a few places to go.
When are you coming back? And did you have a good time so far? from Abigail.
I will be home around the 19th of December.
Are you having fun.
Taylor
I wonder if you are having a good time? You could blog me back.
Evan, Carly's friend
Hi Taylor and Evan. Yes, I always have fun, it's one of my rules.
Dear Don
Hey it's me Carly Just saying (or asking) what was your fastest marathon?? I also wanted to ask if you have seen any snow or rain yet?? I love you and miss you very much.
Love Carly
Haven't seen any snow yet, but it's been raining the last two days here in New Zealand. I'm hoping it stops before the marathon on Saturday.
Love you too, Sweetie.
I haven't visited any schools anywhere. And Stanley hasn't really been training for marathons, so I let him just hang out while I'm running. :-)
Are you going to any other places? From Amanda
Keep reading Amanda. There are a few places to go.
When are you coming back? And did you have a good time so far? from Abigail.
I will be home around the 19th of December.
Are you having fun.
Taylor
I wonder if you are having a good time? You could blog me back.
Evan, Carly's friend
Hi Taylor and Evan. Yes, I always have fun, it's one of my rules.
Dear Don
Hey it's me Carly Just saying (or asking) what was your fastest marathon?? I also wanted to ask if you have seen any snow or rain yet?? I love you and miss you very much.
Love Carly
Haven't seen any snow yet, but it's been raining the last two days here in New Zealand. I'm hoping it stops before the marathon on Saturday.
Love you too, Sweetie.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
The days kind of ran together--lots of travel.
Saturday after the race, we went to Irene's mom & dad's house for dinner. Wonderful people, and her mom is a GREAT cook.
Sunday after breakfast, I left for the airport, got a few minutes to shop through an open-air bazaar. Bought a set of rhino bookends.
I arrived back at Cape Town airport and Hans picked me up there. He had spent part of the weekend diving for crayfish (think lobster without the big claws). So Sunday dinner would include some pretty good seafood, along with good wine and conversation.
Friends Nicoloa and Henri were there, with their new 2-year-old son Alex. Alex's father is a relative of Henri, and is dying very soon, so they're busy adapting to the new adventure of parenthood.
After dinner, Hans and I sat finishing the bottles of wine that were currently opened, discussing adventures past and future. We took a break for an hour or so for a rest break, then reconvened for more conversation until bed time.
I borrowed a short book from the bookshelf, "The Marathon" by Dieter Streckor and read it overnight. Morning and Hans was off to work, and I hung out with the family until Kim picked me up for the trip the airport.
I started flying at 1:40 or so on Monday afternoon. Got into Auckland, New Zealand after 10:00 last night. Finally got a room and laid down to sleep just after midnight. My luggage took a later flight from Johannesburg to Sydney, so I'm hanging around Auckland for the day until I get it.
Saturday after the race, we went to Irene's mom & dad's house for dinner. Wonderful people, and her mom is a GREAT cook.
Sunday after breakfast, I left for the airport, got a few minutes to shop through an open-air bazaar. Bought a set of rhino bookends.
I arrived back at Cape Town airport and Hans picked me up there. He had spent part of the weekend diving for crayfish (think lobster without the big claws). So Sunday dinner would include some pretty good seafood, along with good wine and conversation.
Friends Nicoloa and Henri were there, with their new 2-year-old son Alex. Alex's father is a relative of Henri, and is dying very soon, so they're busy adapting to the new adventure of parenthood.
After dinner, Hans and I sat finishing the bottles of wine that were currently opened, discussing adventures past and future. We took a break for an hour or so for a rest break, then reconvened for more conversation until bed time.
I borrowed a short book from the bookshelf, "The Marathon" by Dieter Streckor and read it overnight. Morning and Hans was off to work, and I hung out with the family until Kim picked me up for the trip the airport.
I started flying at 1:40 or so on Monday afternoon. Got into Auckland, New Zealand after 10:00 last night. Finally got a room and laid down to sleep just after midnight. My luggage took a later flight from Johannesburg to Sydney, so I'm hanging around Auckland for the day until I get it.
Monday, December 03, 2007
1 December 2007 Aspen Pharmacare Crusaders Port Elizabeth City Marathon
Marathon #4 of 7
Overcast and comfortable for the 5:00 a.m. start. Jan and I walked from his house about three blocks to the race site. His wife Irene was doing the official results for the race. I made a point of going to meet Graham, one of the race coordinators. They all knew I was coming, it seemed. My big goal for the day was to finish under the 5 hour cutoff. Next was to finish faster than in Florence on Sunday and keep my streak going of doing each marathon faster.
The marathon had only about 340 people. They wore their license numbers, mostly sewn onto their singlets. In South Africa, everyone is in a club, and they buy a license for the year. So they don't have specific race numbers for any given race. We got little tags that we'd pin to our shirts and turn in at the end so they could post our results. I had to buy a "temporary license" in order to run in SA.
The weather was fairly comfortable, and I went out just a fraction faster than in Florence. I was feeling strong, even though my previous marathon was only 6 days ago. At about 18K, the sun came out for about three kilometers. As I approached the half-way mark, it occurred to me that the way I was feeling, I could run another negative split. It was getting warmer, but I felt good and was still running steady. It was along straight run from 17 to 21K, and at 21K my split was 2:17:20. that would make the half-way mark right about at 2:18, over a minute ahead of Florence.
"OK, Marathon Don, let's see what you've got."
I stayed on it. Kept my pace and didn't spend much time at that aid stations. Every three kilometers another aid station, serving water in little plastic sachets and little glasses of Coke. I carried packets of energy gel with me and used one about every hour. At 25K, I was still a little ahead of pace. Keep pushing. The 27K aid station took me by surprise, I was thinking it would be at 28K. (Divide by 3, Don.) I grabbed a quick coke and a bag of water and kept going. Still not fading.
30K, and still on pace. 33K I got a cookie and a couple jelly babies (think gummy bears) at the aid station. 9K to go and I'm at 3:35:28. No time to goof around. At 38 I was starting to feel fatigued, but turned a corner and thought about what it would feel like to say "Two negative splits in the same week!" The final aid station would be at 39K, but it was a little early. I breezed through it, taking a final drink and setting my sights on the guys in front of me. "Relax your legs and run, Don." 40K. "DON'T SLOW DOWN." I encouraged other runners as I passed them, trying to get someone to pace with me to the end. No takers. Past Jan & Irene's house into the last kilometer. Made the final turn back toward the start line. 42K - 4:33:50. Got it! 195 meters to go as I turned onto the grass to the finish. 4:34:47! YES!
First half - 2:18:00 Second half - 2:16:47. Did it!
Post race, Jan was there a the Harmony club tent. I went over there and had a couple beers with the guys and made some new friends. Before too long, Irene came over and got me. They called me up to the announcing stand, introduced and interviewed me and made a big deal about my record attempt. Pretty neat. Later on they called me up and gave me one of the staff shirts. (The race didn't have a shirt for the runners.)
Oh, did I mention that I was the first American finisher of the race? (Yeah, yeah, the answer to your next question is "one," but the rest of you COULD have entered.)
Lots more to report when I get to New Zealand on Tuesday or so.
4 down. 3 to go.
Overcast and comfortable for the 5:00 a.m. start. Jan and I walked from his house about three blocks to the race site. His wife Irene was doing the official results for the race. I made a point of going to meet Graham, one of the race coordinators. They all knew I was coming, it seemed. My big goal for the day was to finish under the 5 hour cutoff. Next was to finish faster than in Florence on Sunday and keep my streak going of doing each marathon faster.
The marathon had only about 340 people. They wore their license numbers, mostly sewn onto their singlets. In South Africa, everyone is in a club, and they buy a license for the year. So they don't have specific race numbers for any given race. We got little tags that we'd pin to our shirts and turn in at the end so they could post our results. I had to buy a "temporary license" in order to run in SA.
The weather was fairly comfortable, and I went out just a fraction faster than in Florence. I was feeling strong, even though my previous marathon was only 6 days ago. At about 18K, the sun came out for about three kilometers. As I approached the half-way mark, it occurred to me that the way I was feeling, I could run another negative split. It was getting warmer, but I felt good and was still running steady. It was along straight run from 17 to 21K, and at 21K my split was 2:17:20. that would make the half-way mark right about at 2:18, over a minute ahead of Florence.
"OK, Marathon Don, let's see what you've got."
I stayed on it. Kept my pace and didn't spend much time at that aid stations. Every three kilometers another aid station, serving water in little plastic sachets and little glasses of Coke. I carried packets of energy gel with me and used one about every hour. At 25K, I was still a little ahead of pace. Keep pushing. The 27K aid station took me by surprise, I was thinking it would be at 28K. (Divide by 3, Don.) I grabbed a quick coke and a bag of water and kept going. Still not fading.
30K, and still on pace. 33K I got a cookie and a couple jelly babies (think gummy bears) at the aid station. 9K to go and I'm at 3:35:28. No time to goof around. At 38 I was starting to feel fatigued, but turned a corner and thought about what it would feel like to say "Two negative splits in the same week!" The final aid station would be at 39K, but it was a little early. I breezed through it, taking a final drink and setting my sights on the guys in front of me. "Relax your legs and run, Don." 40K. "DON'T SLOW DOWN." I encouraged other runners as I passed them, trying to get someone to pace with me to the end. No takers. Past Jan & Irene's house into the last kilometer. Made the final turn back toward the start line. 42K - 4:33:50. Got it! 195 meters to go as I turned onto the grass to the finish. 4:34:47! YES!
First half - 2:18:00 Second half - 2:16:47. Did it!
Post race, Jan was there a the Harmony club tent. I went over there and had a couple beers with the guys and made some new friends. Before too long, Irene came over and got me. They called me up to the announcing stand, introduced and interviewed me and made a big deal about my record attempt. Pretty neat. Later on they called me up and gave me one of the staff shirts. (The race didn't have a shirt for the runners.)
Oh, did I mention that I was the first American finisher of the race? (Yeah, yeah, the answer to your next question is "one," but the rest of you COULD have entered.)
Lots more to report when I get to New Zealand on Tuesday or so.
4 down. 3 to go.
Kragga Kama Game Park 30 November 2007
I arrived at Jan and Irene's house in the early afternoon after a relaxing morning. Irene suggested a trip to Kragga Kamma Game Park, about 5K away from their place. I went there to have a look.
Driving up to the booth, before even entering the park, an enormous ostrich came up to check me out. He kept coming closer, just to see who was there.
As soon a I entered the park and rounded the first bend, four giraffes were waiting for me. They were just sitting around, seemingly looking at something off in the distance. Around the next bend were white rhinos. Then wildebeasts.
The whole park was like that--one group of animals after another. Gazelles, zebras, warthogs. In the middle of the park is a cheetah enclosure. Double gates guarded the entrance & exit. The sign said "Do not open if there are cheetahs between the gates." "Duh!" I thought.
I drove around the short loop, and not one cheetah. OK, I'll drive around again. This time, around the back side of the loop, two cheetahs were just hanging out, walked out in front of my car and just flopped down on the road in the shade in front of my car. They decided I could just wait a while if I wanted to go anywhere. Finally, I revved my engine a little bit and they got up. I rolled up my window pretty fast at that point.
The whole trip took only a little over 2 hours, but what a bunch of great animals!
Driving up to the booth, before even entering the park, an enormous ostrich came up to check me out. He kept coming closer, just to see who was there.
As soon a I entered the park and rounded the first bend, four giraffes were waiting for me. They were just sitting around, seemingly looking at something off in the distance. Around the next bend were white rhinos. Then wildebeasts.
The whole park was like that--one group of animals after another. Gazelles, zebras, warthogs. In the middle of the park is a cheetah enclosure. Double gates guarded the entrance & exit. The sign said "Do not open if there are cheetahs between the gates." "Duh!" I thought.
I drove around the short loop, and not one cheetah. OK, I'll drive around again. This time, around the back side of the loop, two cheetahs were just hanging out, walked out in front of my car and just flopped down on the road in the shade in front of my car. They decided I could just wait a while if I wanted to go anywhere. Finally, I revved my engine a little bit and they got up. I rolled up my window pretty fast at that point.
The whole trip took only a little over 2 hours, but what a bunch of great animals!
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