TR Sweden

Trip Report
Stockholm Marathon
Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden/Norway
(6/11 –6/18/99)

Departed on Fri 6/11for Stockholm. Nicole drove me to Stansted airport which is about 10 miles from Bishop’s. Certainly is a lot more convenient than Heathrow or Gatwick.
Met a fellow marathoner on the plane. We decided to catch the bus together at Arlanda airport for the 40 minute drive into Stockholm central station. Then we proceeded to the Olympic Stadium to pick up our race packages. Bought a 3 day pass for the transportation system which turned out to a smart move since the host hotel was out in the suburbs next to the Globe Arena. I knew the metro and bus system very well by the time I left.
After I found the hotel and dumped my stuff in the room I headed to the Gamla Stan (Old Town) to play tourist and have my pasta dinner.
Stockholm is very pretty with lots of water around since the city is built on a number of islands.
The marathon was Sat but a 2pm start. So I toured some more Sat am and finally headed to the stadium at noon. Mid 60s at the start and mid 70s at the finish which is a little too warm. The course is two loops around the major tourist highlights of the city so I got to see a lot of the city I hadn’t visited yet. I also paid much more attention on the first loop. Started out slow since there were 13,000 runners. By mile 5, I was down to an 8 min pace and held that till the ½ marathon point which I passed at 1:47. Felt good so decided to push the pace to see if I could break 3:30. At mile 21 I was on a 3:30 pace but the wheels started to fall off! Struggled to run under a 10 min pace the next 4 miles until a beautiful Swedish women (blonde of course) passed me—in a bikini! So I decided to focus on the bikini and she dragged me the last mile in 8:15 and I sprinted by her on the final lap in Olympic Stadium to finish in 3:37:55! Even though I finished 6 minutes faster than Prague I was not as pleased with my performance. But I did find out that I am not in shape yet to run a sub 3:30!

Now that was out of the way I could play tourist for real, drink beer, eat whatever I wanted, etc. After a short rest and shower, I headed back to Gamla Stan and found a great restaurant on a little square. Everyone was eating el Fresco at 10:30 pm and watching the sun start to set. It didn’t get dark until after midnight.
I also started to realize how expensive Sweden is! The dinner specials cost $25 –40 and a beer was about $6 –8! Breakfast is normally included in the room price but you have to like pickled herring and deli sandwiches at 7 am. There is no such thing as bacon and eggs –even at MacDonalds –I checked!
I then had to choose between visiting some islands in the Stockholm Archipelago or using my Scan Rail Pass and heading north to make a loop around Sweden and Norway. So I took a 3 hour boat cruise through the lakes, canals and the Baltic Sea and then caught a 5 pm train north.
I made another important discovery! For a $25 upgrade fee I could reserve a semi-private sleeper coach on the night train. A hotel costs a minimum of $80 –100 so I used the trains as hotels for two nights Plus you cover 500 –600 miles while you sleep!
Back to my first night on the train travelling from Stockholm to Lulea (stop here and get out your world atlas –otherwise you will have no idea where these places are).
My roommate was a gentleman from Lulea. Fortunately he could speak English and he gave me a history lesson on Sweden, Lulea and politics. He was a staunch communist and would go off on tirades about capitalists so I didn’t bother to tell him that I was retired and living off our stock portfolio.
We arrived in Lulea at 7am on Mon morning. I left the train, walked around for 3 hours and decided to catch the next train to Kiruna, Sweden and Narvik, Norway. This train travels above the Arctic Circle and is advertised as the ‘ Most Northerly. Most Beautiful, Most Wild’ railway in the world. The first is probably true. But some of the scenery from Calgary to Vancouver is just as spectacular although maybe not as scary. When the train leaves Kiruna and heads to Narvik it passes over, through and around a mountain range that is 8 –10,000 feet. Coming down the Norwegian side it hugs the mountain on one side and on the other side is a Fjord from the North Atlantic. In many places when you look out the window you cannot see the tracks or any land –it is a sheer drop of 3 –5,000 feet into the fjord! The train finally drops down to sea level at Narvik which reminds me of small towns in Alaska or northern Canada. Arrived at 6 pm. Now about 100 miles above the Arctic Circle. The train station is closed. There is no taxi or bus. I have no idea where the actual downtown is and nobody speaks English! And it is raining and cold (35 degrees?) So I start walking and finally find a hotel about ½ mile from the station. $125 for a room –keep walking! Third and last hotel –farthest from the station- $70. Take it or sleep in the cold!
Now for a meal. Must have reindeer. Ask the desk clerk who fortunately speaks English. Go to the hotel up the street. Maybe I should run first because I haven’t run in 2 days since the marathon? Start out in the rain in shorts and a t-shirt because I did not bring any rain or cold weather gear with me. I pass several locals with ski jackets on and two runners with full Gortex suits on. Everyone looks at me very strangely. Decide it is too cold and maybe I should just drink beer instead! Stop at local grocery store. A beer is $5 per can – splurge and buy 2 cans to drink in the hotel room.
Drink the beer, watch TV-actually had BBC News channel. Shower and head for my reindeer steak. The steak only costs $25 which I figure is reasonable but a liter of rot-gut house wine to wash it down costs $35. The last time I order wine in Norway! Oh Yeah, I am hungry because I haven’t eaten since breakfast which I couldn’t stand so order a bowl of onion soup for $12. I can’t understand how anyone can afford to live in Norway?
Daylight does not go away here so I close the drapes to sleep since I think the bus leaves from the train station at 7am to go south to catch the closest railway line.
I am there at 6am in case I am wrong and need to go somewhere else. There are only two buses a day. Fortunately I am right and we depart at 7 am. It was a five hour ride to Fauske which is as far north as the Norwegian railway goes. It is 5 hours of the most spectacular scenery you will ever see. We went over, around and through mountains, under, around and over fjords. And at one point we had to take a ferry across a Fjord. Some of the tunnels were over 3 miles long and we just kept passing fjord after fjord with awesome scenery. Some day I would like to go back and take the bus route North out of Narvik which goes about another 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. That route is along the North Atlantic coast also.
Arrive Fauske and depart on the train at 12:15 pm. Scenery is still great but eventually becomes flatter and farmland as we go south. My roommate is a young cyclist from Toronto who has been biking the roads along the coast by himself for the past month and is going home. He tells me that Dallas is leading the series 2 to 1! Pass through Tronheim and then sleep and arrive in Oslo at 7 am. Go directly to the tourist desk. Bad news. No hotel rooms in Oslo. Beg and finally they come up with one 30 miles outside of Oslo for $250/night!
Make a reservation in case I really can’t find something else. Try to find a decent breakfast. Not possible. Make do with a pastry and coffee.
Take a city tour to get the layout. Oslo is fairly small. During the day I cannot find a hotel so decide I will move on by train to Goteburg, Sweden. Must do a run today. No showers in the station. Got an idea! Find a health club and ask to pay a day fee just to use their locker room and shower. Attendant thinks I am nuts but only charges $3 which is the cheapest thing I found in all of Norway. Did a hard 8 mile run along the Aker Brygge and through the Royal Farm. Shower and rush to the train station for a $10 Burger King burger and a $5 coke. Still don’t understand how anyone can afford to live here?

Getting tired now but must go on to Goteburg and find a hotel room that I can rent for the night instead of buying! Finally arrive 10:20 pm. As usual tourist office is closed but lots of hotels near the station. First stop a Renaissance Hotel, price $200! Keep moving. Go one block off main square. A clean 2 star hotel for $80. A place to sleep. Rise early and ask the clerk where to run . He recommends a bike path that takes me to a forest outside of town. There are dirt running trails that are well marked in a really thick forest. Pick a 10K loop that is well marked. What a great run! Wish Bishops had trails like this!
Back to hotel and breakfast. Surprise! They have Swedish meatballs and scrambled eggs.
I think I ate $80 worth.
Catch the train to Malma. Arrive 4 pm. Go to tourist office and book a hotel. Only $70 for a 2 star hotel near the main square (after I tell them their first 5 choices are too expensive). Malma is a neat little city, a university town with lots of young people hustling about.Walk around the central area. It is Happy Hour and it seems like the whole town is at the outdoor bars/restaurants enjoying the special prices –beer is only$7! Had a great dinner el Fresco in the main square at 10 pm with half the town. Then they all went of to nightclubs really dressed up but I had to hit the sack by midnight.
Next day I must rise early to catch the express train to Stockholm. Arrive 12pm. Decide to have a good lunch in the Gamla Stan before I catch the bus to the airport. Finally depart at 4 pm for Stansted.
Great to be back. Have 5 days to rest up before I leave for Tallinn, Estonia!

Trip in Summary!

The Stockholm marathon is a good race run through all the tourist highlights of the city.
Sweden and Norway are very, very expensive.
A Scan Rail Pass is a very good investment which will save you hundreds of dollars.
The women in Sweden, especially Stockholm are very beautiful and there seems to be an unlimited supply.
The natural scenery in Norway is the most beautiful of the two countries.
Take more than one week to see everything.

TR Czech Republic

Trip Report

Czech Republic

5/21 – 5/2/24/99

 

Prague Marathon

Prague, Czech Republic
Sun, May 23/99
Marathon # 133 – Country # 11

 I had been living in England for one month and had been training and running short races with the Bishops Stortford Running Club but I had not run a marathon since my ‘burnout’ in Mexico in Nov/98. It was time to find out if I could go the distance?

 I picked the Prague Marathon since it was a big, popular race in Europe and had a website that made it easy to find and register. Nicole and I decided to go to Prague for a long weekend to run the marathon and play tourist. We arrived on Fri so we would have time to explore the city before the race. We took a tour to enjoy all the tourist sites starting with Old Town. The center of the Old Town, appropriately named Old Town Square, has served as Prague’s main marketplace for over 1000 years. The square is home to most of the major sights, including the city’s famous Astronomical Clock that is part of the Old Town Hall. Old Town's ancient town hall (Staroměstská radnice) was established in 1338 after the agreement of King John of Luxemburg to set up a town council. Several old houses had to be knocked together over the centuries as the Old Town Hall expanded. A Gothic chapel and a neo-Gothic north wing were destroyed by the Nazis in spring 1945. The chapel has been reconstructed. The most popular part of the tower is the Town Hall Clock (Orloj). Originally installed in 1410, the clock was rebuilt by the Master Hanuš in 1490. It consists of three parts – the procession of Apostles, the astronomical clock and the calendar. The main attraction is the hourly procession of the 12 Apostles. The height of the tower is 69.5 m and it offers a great view of the city.

Then we walked across the Charles Bridge.  The Charles Bridge (Karlův most), named after the Emperor Charles IV in 19th century is Prague's most familiar monument. Designed by Petr Parler, it was completed in 1400 and it connects the Lesser Town with the Old Town. Although it is now pedestrianized, it withstood wheeled traffic for 600 years. There are thirty statues on the bridge, many of them have been replaced with copies. Originals are kept in the Lapidarian of the National Museum and at Vyšehrad. The magnificent Gothic Old Town Bridge Tower was designed by Petr Parler and built at the end of the 14th century. It is considered the finest Gothic tower in central Europe, mainly for its decoration. There are marvelous views of the Vltava River Valley, the Žofín, Střelecký Island, the Old Town and the Lesser Town.

 Next was the Prague Castle. It is the largest ancient castle in the world (570 m long, on average 128 m wide, area 7.28 hectares). Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Bořivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles. Prague castle has had four major reconstructions, but it keeps its classical facelift it took on in the 18 century during the reign of Maria Theresa.
The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence.

And of course there always has to be a church. St Vitrus Cathedral might appear ancient, but much of Prague's principal cathedral was completed just in time for its belated consecration in 1929. Its many treasures include the 14th-century mosaic of the Last Judgement above the Golden Gate, the baroque silver tomb of St John of Nepomuck, the ornate Chapel of St Wenceslas, and art nouveau stained glass by Alfons Mucha.

We concluded the tour back in Old Town Square (Starometske namesti) for dinner and drinks. Hotels in Prague were expensive but meals and beer were cheap!

Sun was ‘M’ –day! I wasn’t sure what to expect from my old ‘rested’ body? My longest training run had been 18 miles and I had no confidence that I was in marathon shape. The course started and finished in Old Town Square and crossed the Vltava River many times. Shortly after the start we passed many of the city’s tourist sites. We ran along the Vltava River beneath the seemingly never-ending hilltop castle, and crossed over the historic Charles Bridge, dotted every few meters with its parade of haunting Baroque statues. In the race’s first two miles alone, we crossed the Vltava River no fewer than three times, over three bridges, each one presenting an expansive view of the city that stands physically and historically in the center of Europe.

I wisely started slow and was happy when I reached 10Km in 55:58 and a split of 5:25.

Around the eight-mile mark we ran through the city center, getting lost in the knotty turns of the Old Town’s narrow cobblestone streets lined with tightly packed Gothic houses that date to medieval times. Along Na Prikope Street we passed Wenceslas Square, the walkway and boulevard that is the site of almost every important moment of Czech modern history, including the country’s declaration of independence in 1918, the Nazi invasion in 1939 and the popular demonstrations of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. I passed 15 Km in 1:22:34 and a split of 5:21/Km and the half in 1:54:43 and a split of 5:23. That was really slow and I felt good so I decided to lower the pace for the 2^nd Half.

I passed the National Theatre near 32Km and reached 35 Km in 3:07:19 and a split of 5:03 and pushed the pace lower again to cross the finish line in the Old Town Square in 3:43:31. My finish time wasn’t great but I was happy. I did not experience any problems and I ran a negative split in the 2^nd Half by seven minutes. Maddog was back! I had completed marathon #133 and country # 11. It was my first marathon and country since moving to England. I knew it would not be my last!

After a hot shower Nicole and I wandered around Old Town Square enjoying the sights and a few beers before we treated ourselves to a fantastic dinner with a bottle of wine for less than $50!

When we returned home to England I sent an email to my family and friends to tell them about the marathon and our wonderful trip to Prague. And a great idea stuck me? If I was going to travel and run marathons around Europe I should write race/trip reports after each race so that I could keep my family and friends informed. Yes – that was a good idea! I would start after the next marathon!

That was one of the best decisions I ever made. Without those trip reports that recorded my thoughts, observations and race statistics there is no way I could possibly contemplate writing a book about Maddog’s marathon adventures! (Believe me - it was not easy going back and writing this report 16 years later. But it was needed for the book!)

 

 

 

 

 

1999 The year of Life-changing Events

1999

The Year of Life-changing Events

 I began 1999 following advice and recommendations from the Baylor Sports Clinic in Dallas, TX to recover from ‘burnout’ in my running life.  I was concerned that I might never be able to run competitively again? That was an important event in my life.

 But little did I know that two more and very important life-changing events would also occur at the start of this year? Well that is a little white lie since I knew one was about to happen. I had made an important decision at the end of 1998. I would retire from my job as an executive in Marketing and Sales for a hi-tech company that manufactured telecom equipment. The retirement would be effective the 1^st week of Jan 1999! I had beaten my goal to retire at age 55 by three months! Now what would I do?

 That question was answered shortly when Nicole’s company Nortel, offered her a one-year foreign assignment in England. She was eager to tackle this challenge and since I had nothing to do – other than rest – why not? I encouraged her to accept the transfer. While she worked her butt off, I could travel around Europe – and maybe even run a few marathons after I recovered from my ‘burnout’?

 She needed to start the new job in March so we agreed that she should go ahead and I would stay behind to sell our house in Dallas and most of our belongings. We would not be returning to Dallas. She would retire when the assignment was over and we would move to our retirement home in Florida. We had planned for retirement and had purchased a house in Sarasota, FL in the mid 1990s. Since it was furnished we didn’t need to move furniture. We could sell our Dallas home and put our personal belongings in storage and Nortel would pay all the expenses. What a great deal and good timing!

 I was able to continue with my “REST & recovery’ program while preparing the house for sale and packing. I had to complete my month of rest and begin a 10-week training program with a professional coach that trained pro and elite runners in Dallas. Nicole left for England in March and I stayed to sell the house, pack and complete my training program. I successfully completed those tasks and was ready to join Nicole in England in April. By then she had rented a new 3 BR house in St Michael’s Mead, a new subdivision in Bishop’s Stortford, about 30 miles north of London. Nortel paid all the expenses on the rental house, provided a company car and a monthly stipend to cover additional costs of a foreign assignment. Essentially we lived for free in England for one year and banked Nicole’s entire salary. What a great deal!

 I had contacted the Bishop’s Stortford Running Club before arriving and was welcomed to join the club. I had completed my 10-week training program and was once again running but had no plans yet for racing.  I quickly learned that Running Clubs are much different in England than in the USA. As the members would proudly claim, “we are a bunch of drunks with a running problem”. The clubs are much more social. The BSRC had a clubhouse with meeting facilities, a kitchen and a bar with beer taps. On a typical meeting night members would meet for a run or race and then convene to the clubhouse for a shower, followed by a pot-luck dinner and beer! I really enjoyed my year with the BSRC.

After a few weeks of running in England I started to think that perhaps it was time to run a marathon again? And thus began a very extensive and valuable lesson on how to run marathons in foreign countries. I think it is important to explain and share these lessons and experience with you so you can understand how difficult it was – and take advantage of my experience.

 First recall that it was 1999 and the Internet was in its infancy and not very robust. ‘Big’ races like London, Paris, etc did had informative websites and the capability to register but races in small, poor , 3^rd world countries did not have the expertise or budget to develop websites. So the big races were easy to find, get info and register but there were few of those.

The smaller races were a much more difficult challenge. The most common places to find info on those races were running magazines such as Runner’s World, Running Times, AIMS, etc. Another source of info was race brochures handed out at race expos. Those publications provided race calendars and ads that provided the name, address and phone numbers for the race. Very few had email addresses to make the process quicker and easier. Let me explain the process. If I had time I could write the Race Director (RD) and request information. But that process needed weeks to complete and seldom worked because there would be no response? So the next step I tried was to call the RD. Didn’t work! If I called a RD in Greece for example he would answer the phone in Greek (or what sounded like Greek to me?) and I would reply in English  - and that was the end of the conversation! Next step and the one I found to be the most successful and thus became my primary method was to send a fax. I would write a concise fax in English requesting info and fax it. In most cases the RD could not understand or read English – but I usually received a response within a few days! How? The RD would give my fax to a race volunteer who understood English or – more likely – he would take it home and give it to his kids who spoke English. They would translate my fax to Dad, the RD, who would provide a response that they would then  translate into English. And Dad, the RD, would fax a response back to me. We would often exchange several faxes in this manner until I received all the necessary info. By then the RD and I were usually friends and he would often assist me with travel logistics and even invite me to stay with him and his family!

The 3^rd method was ‘word of mouth’ from runners I would meet at races. I would ask runners from other foreign countries if there were any marathons in their country and how to get info. Usually they would give me their email address so we could correspond and they would help me find and register for races. And in some cases where there was no marathon in a country I would ask local runners and their running clubs to help me organize one.

Using these methods that I learned through frustration and experience I was able to run 31 marathons in 31 countries (and accomplish my 1^st World Record) during our year in England. If I had perfected these methods earlier I believe that I could have completed 50+ marathons and 50+ countries in that year! My biggest handicap was finding marathons and setting up the travel logistics! Even with the robust internet that is available 16 years later I still have to revert to the other methods – particularly  ‘word-of-mouth’ to find marathons in small, poor 3^rd world countries!

I started with the simplest method – the Internet – to find and register for my 1^st marathon in Europe – the Prague Marathon. When we returned home to England after the marathon I emailed news of the race to my family and friends. And I realized that if I was going to run more marathons and travel more in Europe I needed to write race/trip reports after each race so that I could record the facts accurately. That decision and those reports were a significant and important event. My family enjoyed the reports and without those reports I would not have the material or memories needed to write a book about Maddog’s marathon adventures!

TR Mexico

Trip Report

Mexico

11/12 – 11/17/98

 

Cozumel Marathon

Cozumel, Mexico
Sun, Nov 15/98
Marathon # 132 – Country # 9
4:19:26

 A few weeks after the completion of the tests at the Baylor Sports Clinic in Dallas I met with my team of doctors to learn the results of their analysis and recommendations.

 First the good news. The tests indicated that my health and fitness were in the top 0.1% of athletes in my age group! My fitness and body age were equivalent to that of a male athlete aged 35 years old! (I was approaching my 55th birthday!)

And more good news. There was nothing wrong with me! There were no diseases or health issues!

 Then the bad news. I was “burned out”!

 What the Hell does that mean? Am I a piece of toast? Am I a piece of ‘burnt’ toast? They explained that because I was truly a ‘Maddog’ I had been overtraining and over-racing my body for the past few years and probably longer. I had been pushing my body beyond its limits too long and it was fighting for survival! The only way it could do this was to ‘shut down’ whenever I continued to ignore its cries and push it beyond its limits. It did this by literally shutting down – refusing to run or move. They described the symptoms and resulting actions that I had been suffering for the past year. In the early stages of the problem and symptoms whenever I suffered fatigue Maddog would blame it on lack of training and hard work and train harder. This became a vicious and predictable cycle. When my body started complaining I refused to listen to it and instead pushed it harder. After all exercise and more running will make my body stronger? Eventually something had to give or break. Usually these foolish actions resulted in an injury that would cause me to rest for months during which time the body could recover. But with no major injuries during the past few years I had essentially caused my body to break down!

 What was the solution?

 COMPLETE rest – NO running and NO exercise for one month! The team explained that if I were a normal person – a mere mortal – they would have allowed light exercise such as swimming and biking. However it was obvious that I was a ‘Maddog’ and if permitted to do those exercises I would probably swim 5 miles and bike 50 miles each day. Thus – NO exercise for one month! At the end of the month I MUST hire a professional coach to develop and supervise a ‘sensible’ training program that would slowly build up mileage and speed and include lots of ‘mandatory’ rest!

 I understood what the team was telling me – but I did not believe it! I could not accept it! I had been training and racing like this for years. I had friends/competitors who trained and raced harder than me and they weren’t ‘burned out’. I could not accept these results and recommendations!

 Instead I registered for another marathon. The marathon would be in a few weeks in Cozumel, Mexico.

I needed one more test/marathon to prove their results could not be true!

 So I booked a one-week vacation/marathon in Cozumel. Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. That means that it is HOT and humid.

 The Sports Manager and I arrived a few days before the race to acclimate. My good friend Edson, from NYC, joined us for the race. Sun was ‘M’-day. It was HOT and humid as expected and the course was flat and fast. But not Maddog! The race and my performance were a disaster. I passed mile 5 in 47:47 and a split of 9:26/mile. I reached the Half in 2:01:48 and a split of 9:24. I knew that the 2^nd Half would be much slower and I also knew that the Baylor medical team were right! I was ‘burned out’!

But being Maddog I still couldn’t quit so I struggled to reach 20 miles in 3:08:59 and a split of 9:43 and cross the finish line in 4:19:26. Not a PW but not a very good time or performance!

 By the time I struggled across the finish line I had accepted the truth as told by my medical team and vowed that I would follow their advice and recommendations. I started my 30 days of REST the second I crossed the finish line.

 I finished the remainder of our vacation and the year on ‘Rest’ sabbatical and contemplating what impact this terrible and significant prognosis and event would have on Maddog’s running life and indeed on the rest of my life. Little did I realize that there would be two even-more significant and important life-changing events arise early in the coming New Year?

 What were those events? They were significant enough to warrant their own report – and probably a chapter in Maddog’s book.

 Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

TR Australia

Trip Report

Australia

8/26 – 9/2/98

 

Noosa Marathon

Noosa Heads, Australia
Sun, Aug 30/09
Marathon # 130 – Country # 9 – Continent # 7
4:12:46

 I needed one more continent to complete my goal of running a marathon in all seven continents. I had been trying –unsuccessfully – to find a marathon in Sydney. However the Sydney Marathon seemed to be held intermittently and it had been cancelled for this year. So I searched for another marathon in Australia. I don’t remember how I came up with a marathon in Noosa Heads? The Noosa Marathon was a small but popular race held along with a much bigger Half Marathon race in Noosa heads located near Noosa National Park in the Shire of Noosa on the  Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia approximately 136 Km (85 mi) north of Brisbane, the state's capital.

Fortunately Nicole was able to schedule ‘work’ meetings in Sydney the week after the race so we departed early for Brisbane. After arriving in Brisbane we rented a car and drove south along the Gold Coast to spend a few days in Surfer’s Paradise to acclimate and recover from jetlag. On Sat we headed north along the Gold Coast to Noosa Heads near Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast.

I picked up my race packet on Sat and checked out the course. It was hilly but didn’t look too bad? The weather was HOT and humid as expected but it didn’t really matter. I had been struggling badly in training and races for the past four months and didn’t expect to run well? I had no injuries but I was struggling with fatigue and could barely break four hours in a marathon?

Sadly this race turned out as predicted. I reached 10 Km in 52:44 and a (5K) split of 16:13. When I reached 25 Km in 2:22:42 and a split of 6:43 I was totally fatigued and struggled to reach 30Km in 2:53:20 and a (5K) split of 19.01 where I hit the ‘wall’! I was finished! I had nothing left and struggled courageously (mostly walking) to cross the finish line in 4:12:46 – a PW (Personal Worst) for a marathon! I had completed marathon # 130 –Country # 9 and most importantly Continent # 7 but it was not a memorable way to accomplish such a significant goal!

After the race we drove back to Brisbane and flew on to Sydney so Nicole could attend her meetings while I played tourist and re-visited many of the sites in Sydney. Syndey is such a beautiful city with its spectacular Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the topless beauties on Bondi beach! In the evening we enjoyed visiting the Quay and Rocks for drinks and dinner.

But I was eager to get back home to visit my GP and other doctors to see if they could find out “what was wrong with me”? I underwent many, many tests over the next few weeks including every blood test known to mankind – and Nada – nothing! The docs could not find any problem to explain my symptoms of fatigue? Their only advice was ‘to stop running and rest”! That advice was not acceptable to Maddog!

One month later I tried to run a marathon in East Lyme, CT.  I started suffering fatigue at 10 miles and at 18 miles I became so dizzy and disoriented that I had to sit down on the road and cry because my body shut down and I could not move? I thought I had suffered a heart attack? Somehow I managed to get up and finish the race in a new PW. And I knew that I had a serious medical problem.

This time I contacted the Baylor Sports Clinic at the Baylor University Hospital in Dallas. They were renowned for working with pro and elite athletes to help them rehab and improve their performances. I was assigned a team of medical staff to work on my case. They reviewed all the medical tests that I had undergone in the past month. They reviewed my training/racing logs for the past three years. And they conducted their own battery of tests including two intensive sessions on a treadmill where I was connected to an EKG, breathing apparatus that looked like scuba gear and had IVs in my arms and legs so they could draw blood and muscle tissue while I was exercising on the treadmill. They tested and measured all the parameters of an endurance athlete.

When the tests were completed the team requested (advised?) that I take some time off from running and rest while they analyzed the data. That advice was still not acceptable to Maddog!

 

 

TR Hong Kong

Trip Report

Hong Kong

03- 06 – 03- 09/98

 

China Coast Marathon

Hong Kong
Sun, Mar 8/98
Marathon # 124 – Country # 8 – Continent # 6
3:46:39

This race was the 2^nd leg of our trip to Africa and Asia. And this will be a short report since I don’t remember much about the race except for the stress I was under!

 The Sports Manager and I routed through Hong Kong on the way home from Africa so that I could complete my 6^th continent in my quest to run all seven continents. Since we had visited HK before we weren’t interested in spending more than a few days to run the race.

 I picked up my race packet on Sat, the day before the race, and spent a lot of time talking with race officials about the logistics of the race because I had a problem! There had been sparse info on the race and I had made a ‘potential’ error in my logistics planning. I had assumed that I could/would finish the race under 3:30 and if necessary could probably push myself to finish under 3:15? The race started at 8 am on Sun so I had booked a flight out of HK at 1 pm on Sun. In those days 1 ½ hours was plenty of time to check in, go through security and board a plane. It would be tight but I was Executive Platinum on AA and always received special and fast service when flying AA!

 However I wasn’t expecting the marathon course to be on the northern outskirts of the city and I didn’t know that it was a tough and hilly course! Now I had to take a taxi to the start line and more importantly after the race I would have to grab a taxi immediately after crossing the finish line, rush to the airport and check in. Hopefully I would have time for a quick shower in the AA Executive Lounge – or my colleagues on the flight would not be happy! To help speed up the process we decided that Nicole would go to the airport early and check us both in - you could do that in those days! The local runners and race volunteers cautioned me that the course was very tough and I shouldn’t expect to finish under 4 hours! If I took 4 hours I would not make our flight!

 The marathon course was a half-marathon loop in Sai Kung Country Park around the High Island Reservoir. It was scenic but indeed very hilly! I reached 10Km in 52:21 and a (5 K) split of 25:53. I was close to a 3:30 marathon pace. I could not slow down! I passed 20 Km in 1:44:24 and a (10K) split of 52:13. I was holding a consistent pace but it was not fast enough to finish under 3:30? I don’t know if the pressure/stress caused me to slow down (I think it was the 2^nd loop of constant hills) but when I reached 35 Km in 3:07:49 and a (10K) split of 26:19 I knew I was NOT going to finish under 3:30 and that it would be tight to catch my flight! I crossed the finish line in 3:46:39 – grabbed a finisher’s medal and rushed to the entrance of the Park to catch a taxi. Luck was with me and I got a taxi right away and asked him to take me to the airport – FAST! When I arrived at the airport Nicole had already checked us in and had our boarding passes so we rushed through security. Heck – I even had time for a quick shower. We boarded the plane 10 minutes before departure time. Remember in those days - they didn’t close the aircraft doors until it was ready to depart.

 Shortly after we settled into our roomy seats In Business Class my legs started to tighten up. In hindsight I now realize how foolish I was to do such nonsense! Run a tough race and then immediately jump on a plane for a 12 hour flight? I am amazed that I didn’t suffer DVT more often?

 When I finished I was a wee bit disappointed in my performance and that I couldn’t break 3:30 until I discovered a few days later that I had  won 1st place in my AG (Vets 50+) and beat the female winner of the race by 1 min. All the times were slow so my finish time of 3:46 was actually very good!

 And more importantly I had finished Marathon # 124 – Country # 7 – Continent #6. Only one more continent to go!

 Stay tuned!                                                     

TR South Africa

Trip Report

South Africa

2/18 – 3/5/98

 

Cape Town Old Mutual Marathon,

Cape Town, South Africa
Sun, Feb 22/98
Marathon # 123 – Country # 7
3:52:21

 I had finished four continents and now it was time to make a ‘soft’ goal of completing all seven continents into a major goal! I planned a trip to complete 2 marathons/2 countries/2 continents in the same trip. Africa was the 1^st leg.

 The Sports Manager and I arrived in Cape Town a few days before the race to acclimate and recover from jet lag. It was summer in SA and HOT! We explored Cape Town for a few days enjoying a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain – 1086 m above sea level. It offered spectacular views of Cape Town, Robben Island, and the Peninsula. We visited Victoria Wharf often to sip cool wine & beer and enjoy cool breezes off the Atlantic Ocean. Did I mention it was HOT??

Sun was ‘M’-day. The race started and finished in the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the eastern foot of Table Mountain. The race started at 10 am. Did I mention it was HOT??? Thankfully parts of the course were shaded. I passed 10 Km in 49:10 and a split of 4:50/km – too fast for the heat! I tried to slow down but still passed the Half in 1:43:11 and a split of 4:59/Km. I figured the 2^nd Half would be much slower as it was now very HOT! When I reached 32Km in 2:46:15 my pace had slowed to 6:23/Km and I was struggling. Did I mention it was HOT?? I struggled through the last 10 Km to finish in 3:52:21 – my slowest time in years! But I had finished marathon #123- country # 7 and continent # 5! Now we could play tourist and enjoy ourselves for a while.

We rented a car and drove along the Atlantic Coast. The area is upscale and pretty and reminded me of California. We drove as far south as possible – to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, the most southern point on the African continent. We had difficulty avoiding the Chacma baboons because they are very aggressive. There is a penguin colony on Cape Point. Then we drove north along the east coast of the Peninsula to Simonstown on False Bay where there is another penguin colony at Boulders Beach.

Then we headed east to the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Valleys in Western Cape Province. These are wine valleys with many wineries. We quickly discovered that South African wines are great – and the wineries are small and informal and don’t charge for tasting! We stayed in the wine valleys for a few days enjoying the scenery and tastings and then headed south and along the coast of the Indian Ocean to Knysna which is part of the Garden Route. We drove along the Indian Ocean back to the Peninsula and Cape Town following the route of the Two Oceans Marathon. What a beautiful marathon course – but very hilly. And did I mention it was HOT??

Sadly it was time to move on to Johannesburg where a friend, Mike Howell, worked and lived. Before we visited Mike we enjoyed a 3-day safari in Kruger National Park. We stayed in a rustic lodge in the Park and saw many animals including the ‘Big Five’. I remember two important events. The 1^st event occurred as we were entering the Park and the guide/ranger stopped to show us a black mamba (snake) sunning itself on the road. He explained that if that snake bites you, you only have 5 minutes to live! I immediately decided that I was not running in the Park. The fence around our camp might stop a lion but it wouldn’t stop a black mamba! The 2^nd event occurred when we were stopped at a water hole to watch game and a lion had killed a gazelle. A bull elephant came to the hole for water and he became really pissed off that the lion had killed the gazelle. He charged the lion and when the lion retreated he was still enraged so he charged our van. Even the ranger was scared – and we also retreated to safety!

At the end of the safari we visited Mike. He lived in a walled compound (with barb wire on top) and 24 hour-armed security. He warned me NOT to leave the compound when running so I had restrict myself to a short 1-mile loop inside the compound. Mike showed us around JNB including Soweto. We enjoyed side trips to Pretoria, the capital and to Sun City – an African version of Las Vegas. Two days before we were to depart Nicole fell in Mike’s yard and broke her wrist. We took her to a Medical Clinic where they x-rayed the wrist and then set it in a cast that would allow for swelling on the plane. The treatment was 1^st class and the total bill that I paid by Visa was $150! When we finally got back home and went to our orthoped he was impressed with how good the care had been!

But we weren’t ready to return home yet. We had to make a slight detour and stop on the way home to run a 2^nd marathon/country/continent!

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

TR Nanisivik

TRIP REPORT
Nanisivik, Canada
Jul 3-9/97

Race Results:

Sun, Jul 6/97
Nanisivik, Nanavut, Canada
Midnight Sun Marathon
3:59:38
Marathon # 117

 This report is being written 17 years after the fact at the request of my friend Malcolm who is writing a book on Maddog’s marathon adventures. I advised him that this race was one of my most challenging and memorable races but sadly there was no race report.

 Regrettably this race was completed during a time period before I started writing race reports and up to now I never had the motivation or incentive to go back and write a report. Now I have that motivation!

 I had run the Antarctica Marathon in Feb 97 and I figured that since I had run the ‘South Pole” I should run a marathon close to the ‘North pole’. This race is in the mining town of Nanisivik that is located on Baffin Island about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle. There were additional incentives:

1) the race was organized and sponsored by the owner of a zinc mine in Nanisivik and rumors were that the mine was going to be sold and the race discontinued

2) although Nanisivik was currently part of the NWT of Canada the Territories were soon to be split into the NWT and a new territory of Nanavut and Nanisivik would be located in the new territory. Since there were no races in the soon-to-be territory and the likelihood of any races was slim the 50 States Club (that kept the records) decreed that anyone running Nanisivik could grandfather the race as the new territory of Nanavut. That sealed the decision since I would need to complete Nanavut to complete all the provinces and territories of Canada.

 As usual I had difficulty convincing my SM (Sports Manager) into going? My task wasn’t made easier by the condition that only runners were allowed to register for the 120 seats available on the charter flight from Ottawa to Nanisivik. She had to register for the 10K race. The price was very good - $1000 for a 5-day package including air fare. The bonus and incentive for the SM was the charter flight left from our native home town so we could visit family before and after the race.

 After a few days of visits with family in Ottawa we boarded the charter flight for Nanisivik. I was a wee bit surprised/concerned as the plane descended for a landing to see that there was no paved runway – only a long gravel landing strip? And we were on a 727! After landing safely we were greeted by representatives of the race and mine and escorted to our lodgings for our 5-day stay. Runners were lodged in empty houses that were normally occupied by mining families. Many of the houses had no furniture other than beds and maybe a table. We were provided with sheets/blankets or a sleeping bag. Somehow the race organization had not noticed that ‘we’ were a couple and had assigned the SM and me to separate houses for male and female runners. When I pointed out the error we were reassigned to a dorm or hotel that was used to house guests and miners for a short term. These lodgings were much nicer. The hotel had guest rooms with a common room with a small kitchen and satellite TV so we had access to entertainment and news. The downside was the bathrooms were also common and located at the end of the hall! All runners ate in the ‘Dome’ a large common building that housed a cafeteria, a small shop, pool/gym and library. Single miners and some families ate in the dome so we got to meet many of the miners.

 We arrived two days before the marathon and thus had time to explore the area. It didn’t take long! The region is barren of any vegetation other than some small lichen that grows for the few summer months when the temps average in the high 30s/low 40s and there is constant sunlight. On our first walk we noticed the lack of vegetation- the abundance of hills – and the bitter cold that bit through our light jackets with the constant winds. We were provided a bus tour to Arctic Bay, an Inuit village located on Admiralty Inlet about 20 miles west of Nanisivik. Arctic Bay is the only village or civilization located on Baffin Island other than the mine (the mine is now closed and all the buildings have been demolished!). The population is around 750 and the Inlet was still frozen.
The race committee had requested that runners bring T-shirts and running shoes for the Inuit. I brought two garbage bags of running T-shirts (more than 200) that I gave to the nurse at the health center. She was so pleased. She explained that she used them as bribes for the Inuit children (and parents) to visit the health center for checkups and vaccinations. The road between Arctic Bay and Nanisivik is the only road on Baffin Island and is thus the marathon route. The gravel road starts at sea level and climbs over three BAHs (Bad Ass Hills) to an altitude of 1750 ft!

 On Sat we were given a guided tour of the zinc mine. It was interesting and provided insight into the tough life of the miners. Miners worked for six months (7 days/week) and then were given one month vacation (expenses paid) anywhere in the world! The 10K race started at 9 pm on Sat night (remember daylight for 24 hrs). It was a tough hilly course that started in the center of Nanisivik and ran 5 K uphill before turning around to finish back in the town. I figured the SM would find it hard so I accompanied her as we walked/ran the 5 K course. It was tough but she did finish.  I was a wee bit worried about what I was doing to my legs because I had to run the marathon on Sun morning – less than 12 hrs later!

 On Sun morning they bussed the marathoners and ultra runners (a double marathon or 84 K) to the start line in Arctic Bay. Most of the town along with the RCMP in full red dress-color and bagpipers greeted us at the start. The temp was 28F with light snow at the 8 am start (this is July!) I wore running tights, a long-sleeve T-shirt and a throw-away sweat shirt and gloves – and I was cold! A friend of mine, Gordon Hartshorn, from Fort Worth, TX was also running the race. It was his favorite race? It would be his final race of a record 74 marathons in 74 consecutive weeks. It would also be his final race since he was dying of prostate cancer! Gordon had shared this sad and tragic news with me before the race. His son Mike was running the race with his Dad to support him on his final challenge/race! Gordon was wearing only his TX race shorts and singlet! I offered him my sweat shirt but he declined.

 The race was tough as we climbed 284m/940 ft to the top of the first BAH called ‘Pain in the Ass’ and continued up to the top of the 2^nd BAH called ‘Marathoner’s Madness’ at 498 m/1650 ft. After a short downhill we continued to climb to the top of the 3^rd BAH called “Terry Fox Pass’ at 530m/1750 ft. Then the course dropped 108m/360 ft to Nanisivik at the 20 mile mark. Unfortunately I knew what was next. The course dropped 422m/1400 ft over the next 5 Km from Nanisivik to the MOT docks on Admiralty Inlet. Then we had to turn around and run the same 422 m/1400 ft back up to finish line in the center of Nanisivik! As I neared the top of that final BAH I passed Gordon coming down. He was wearing a mukluk – a fur coat- that an Inuit had given him on the course because he was suffering from hypothermia. He was in really bad shape but refused to quit!

 I crossed the finish line in 3:59:38 – the 2^nd slowest time (up to that race) I ever ran a marathon (20 secs faster than Antarctica) and I was happy and proud of it! The footing was much better/easier than Antarctica but the course with all the BAHs was much more difficult! After crossing the finish line and putting on a warm-up jacket (it was still cold) I walked back on the course (down that miserable BAH) to meet my friend Gordon. I met him about half-way down the hill and walked with him and Mike to the finish line. As we approached the finish line Gordon removed the mukluk and asked me if I would take it since he wanted to cross the finish line in his traditional race gear – TX race shorts and singlet. After he crossed the finish line he came to me and thanked me for my support and friendship (we had run many states together in our quest to finish the 50 States). Choking back tears I told him that I was proud and honored to be his friend! One month later Mike called me to tell me the sad news that his dad had passed away. If you want to hear a story of a real runner and courage then just look up Gordon Hartshorn!

 After the race the mine sponsored a gala celebration dinner in the ‘Dome’ with steak and beer to celebrate the race and Canada Day. Many miners/volunteers were invited and this was considered one of the biggest/best celebrations and social events of the year. We enjoyed talking to the miners and learning how they coped with the desolation and remoteness of the mine and job?

 We were scheduled to depart on Mon but the weather was too bad with snow and high winds for the charter plane to return. We were forced to spend two extra days in this Arctic Paradise before the plane could land and return us to Ottawa. After our return to civilization we spent a few more days visiting family. The local newspaper in my home town had learned of Maddog’s exploits and requested an interview. They wrote a nice article about a “local native running a marathon at the North Pole”.

 My decision to run Nanisivik while I had the chance was the correct one. The race was held the following year and then cancelled when the mine was sold and closed down. Some diehard runners resurrected a race in Arctic Bay a few years later but I never saw the need to go back after the Territory became Nanavut. My feeling was “Been there – Done that- Ain’t ever going back”!

 

Post note:
I am surprised that I remembered as much as I did. If any of my friends that ran this race with me in 97 or other years have any other important facts or information to make the story more interesting or accurate please send me the details and I will update my report.

TR Antarctica

RUNNING the POLES
By John M Wallace

In June 1995 I completed one of my major marathon goals –to complete a marathon in all fifty states plus the District of Columbia. What could I do now to keep me motivated?
I decided like many members of the 50 + DC Club (an informal club whose members had run or were attempting to run all 50 states + DC) to run all twelve provinces and territories of Canada. I also set a ‘hidden agenda’ to run all seven continents, a goal that that I could work on while focusing on the main goal of Canada. Little did I realize that these two goals would lead me to the two greatest marathon challenges and adventures of my running career – running the South and North Poles!
A year later, in the summer of 1996 while I was planning my schedule to complete the Canada goal I learned that Marathon Tours of Boston was planning a second Antarctica Marathon in February 1997. Their advertisement stated that the second marathon could very well be the last due to logistical and environmental reasons. Fearing that it might be my only opportunity to run Antarctica and complete my hidden agenda, I decided to send in my deposit to reserve an entry. I asked me wife if she wanted to go also and was surprised by her answer “are you crazy”?
So I reserved a single slot and continued running marathons in Canada and every so often would ask me wife again about Antarctica and get the same response. In November it was time to make the final payment for Antarctica and a final sales pitch to my wife to accompany me. I also had more information by then. Marathon Tours had contracted two ships from Marine Expeditions to accommodate a total of 100 runners or passengers. They were offering two different 12-day packages. Both packages were all-inclusive from New York or Miami and routed through Buenos Aires, Argentina. Package # 1 included one day in Buenos Aires, one day in Ushuaia, Argentina and ten days on the ship. Package # 2 included three days in Buenos Aires, one day in Ushuaia, Argentina and eight days on the ship. Knowing that my wife would love to visit Buenos Aires I used Package # 2 as the incentive to convince her to join me. Her major concern or fear was the trip across the Drake Passage. This is where the three oceans; Pacific, Atlantic and Antarctic meet and is famous for the roughest seas in the world. But she was willing to accept that danger (and probable seasickness) for the reward of three days in Buenos Aires.

In February 97 the time to start the big adventure arrived! After an overnight flight we arrived in Buenos Aires. Marathon Tours had accommodated all runners in a first class hotel and arranged an introductory cocktail party so that we could meet each other. This would be our only opportunity to meet those runners on Package # 1 before the marathon because they were departing the next day. For those on package # 2 we had three days to explore Buenos Aires. It is a beautiful city with a European feeling and architecture (a nice change for those from America). There are many places to visit in the city itself but after a few days in a big noisy city my wife and I were happy to escape across the Rio del Plata River on a hydrofoil to visit the small town of Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay. But now it was time to continue our journey on to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. We spent one night in Ushuaia and were able to get in our last training run- up and down a glacier at the northern end of the town. The most notable feature of our day in Ushuaia was seeing all four seasons in microcosm: bright warm sunshine, dripping rain, followed by snow and a stiff wind that proved to be a harbinger of what we would encounter in Antarctica. The next day we boarded our ship or home for the next eight days. The Akademik Ioffe was a Russian ship that had been built and hardened for travel in Arctic waters. She and her sister ship that the other group had departed on, were built and used as ‘spy’ ships to track enemy submarines in the Arctic Ocean during the Cold War. But now that there was no Cold War they had no work and were leased out for tourist expeditions to Antarctica. Needless to say these were working ships and not luxury liners. But they were comfortable and the Russian crew was friendly and the food was basic but good. The expedition staff, those that actually took us to shore and escorted us around the continent were Canadians and very experienced and knowledgeable.

After steaming through the Beagle Channel, the ship entered open waters and rounded Cape Horn to enter the dreaded Drake Passage. We were lucky on our trip. The waves were only about 15 to 18 feet whereas they often exceed 30 feet! Nevertheless some unfortunate people were not able to leave their cabin for the two days that it takes to cross the passage. Suddenly the seas calmed as we approached the continent of Antarctica.
During our trip across the Passage and in fact every day except marathon day the expedition staff offered lectures on Antarctica. These lectures included history on early explorers such as Shackelton, geography and the nature and wildlife of the continent. These lessons not only kept us busy but also prepared us well for what we were to see and experience.

After we left the Drake Passage and approached the South Shetland Islands, we began to see small ice floes. And finally on the third day at sea we were to experience our initial landing on Antarctica! It is important to note that Antarctica is a large landmass that is continuously covered by an ice cap that can reach a thickness of over 10,000 feet. The ocean ice surrounding Antarctica varies in size throughout the seasons and expands at the rate of 1 mile per day in the winter. There aren’t any piers or docks in Antarctica; all landings are wet. In order to step onto land in Antarctica, we had to scamper down a gangway off the side of the ship and jump into a Zodiac, which is an inflatable boat with an outboard motor. The Zodiacs transport up to 10 passengers at a time; they land on the beaches, and we swing our legs over the side, and step out into the ice-cold surf.
Once on land we visited penguins (hundreds of thousands at some sites) and seals and marveled at the enormous ice caps and glaciers. The expedition staff took us on tours in the Zodiac along the coast and around huge icebergs to explore glaciers calving into the ocean and to see seals and whales. The scenery is so amazing and awe-inspiring that is very difficult to describe in words.
The expedition staff picked a number of landing sites based on weather and ocean conditions. Each site offered something different, from wildlife to hot springs in a cove off Deception Island. Yes, we donned bathing suits and sat in Antarctica surf heated up by water boiling up from a volcano.

On our 3rd evening at sea we were steaming up the coast of Antarctica towards King George Island, the site of the marathon. That night as were sleeping we were awakened by a violent shudder of the ship and then our personal items such as hair dryers, etc. that we had foolishly left out of drawers were flying around our cabin. We had run into very bad weather and seas! The next morning we had arrived at the marathon site. King George Island as well as the mainland of Antarctica, is governed by the Antarctica Treaty system, which establishes that while no country may claim sovereignty over any part of the White Continent, countries may establish scientific bases there. This was especially true on King George Island, where seven nations maintain bases. And one of them, Russia was to host the marathon that year.
However we had a major problem! The weather was so bad and the seas so rough that the expedition staff declared it too dangerous to attempt a landing. To make matters worse, our sister ship had arrived earlier and managed to disembark her runners and they were going to start the marathon without us. There was almost a mutiny. We had all spent several thousand dollars to come here to run a marathon –and we couldn’t get off the ship! But wisely, cooler heads finally prevailed when confronted with the fact that someone could easily die if we attempted to land. So we watched with frustration from the ship as our fellow runners on land started the marathon. We were then advised to have some lunch while the expedition staff monitored the seas and tried to reposition the ship to see if they could find a safer position to attempt a landing. Half way into our lunch the ship’s horn blew and the expedition staff announced that we had five minutes to get ready to attempt a landing! Thirty hectic and dangerous minutes later they had all the runners from our ship safely on shore. What a state of confusion and turmoil existed. Our fellow runners were almost two hours into the marathon and we hadn’t started!

The marathon course started at the Russian base and consisted of a double figure-8 loop.
The first loop ran out from the Russian base towards the Uruguayan base through shoe-sucking mud that had been made worse by our fellow runners, across an ice-cold glacial stream and then up the Collins Glacier. It ascended 1100 feet to the top before returning back down the glacier and through the same stream and mud to the Russian base. The next loop headed in the opposite direction on muddy and very hilly trails out past the Chilean base to the Chinese base and back. That represented a half marathon –for the full marathon you did each loop twice.
There was no race support, no water stations, etc. We had to take four water bottles with us which the expedition staff dropped off at specific points along the course.
The weather was horrible as mentioned, about minus 2 degrees Celsius, snowing and blowing gale winds. Nobody was sure how to dress for the race. I unfortunately overdressed. I had polypro tights and top on plus a Gore-Tex suit over that to stop the wind.
By the time I made it to the glacier (about 4 miles) I was cooking. But I had to wait until I got back to the Russian base to strip off the Gore-Tex suit and replace it with a simple nylon jacket to stop the wind. The mud was a terrible problem for me. I had never run in mud before and was afraid that I was going to lose a shoe with each step. The glacier was probably the most difficult challenge, the footing going up was slippery but coming back down was worse. It was so steep and slippery that I lost control a few times and had to resort to an old ski trick of turning back up into the hill to regain control.
But nature had some other surprises and obstacles to throw at us also. The staff had warned us to stay clear of all wildlife on the course because they might regard it as their territory. Boy, were they right! Several of us were chased off the course by Sea Lions and were constantly dive-bombed by Skuas, a seagull-like scavenger bird. But everyone persevered and all 100 runners finished their races.

I had determined instantly at the start that time was not important in this marathon –survival was. I didn’t even rush when taking off my Gore-Tex suit after the first loop, an act that took more than five minutes. But as I neared the end of the race and realized that I was close to four hours then it did become paramount that I beat that four-hour target! This self-imposed target probably helped me become a better ‘mudder’ as I abandoned my concern and caution about the mud and just ran through the damn stuff. I think that I actually crossed the line in 4:00:03 but a gracious timer gave me an official time of 3:59:59! This was without a doubt the most difficult marathon to get to and then to run in my entire life!

Many runners were out on the course for several more hours and the captain of the ship and the expedition staff allowed everyone to finish in spite of worsening weather and their concern about getting everyone back to the ship safely. The euphoria on the ship that evening was amazing in spite of the tiredness and pain felt by all. Even the non-runners such as my wife were celebrating. She and several others had volunteered to help with the race and had stood outside in the cold for over five hours! Talk about troopers!

The following two days we visited many more sites on the islands and mainland of Antarctica. With the calmness of having the marathon behind us, the glaciers and icebergs seem to get bigger and more awesome as we traveled further south. On our last day in Antarctica we met up with our sister ship for a celebration and award party. Unfortunately this led to some strife and turmoil because of the staggered start (essentially two separate races). Then it was time to head back across the Drake Passage, round Cape Horn and return to Ushuaia. Again luck blessed us, as the seas were not too bad.

Upon arriving in Ushuaia and departing our ship, my wife and I took one last look at the ship as it was being prepared for another expedition; then each other; smiled and said jointly “ I enjoyed it, I’m glad I did it –but I wouldn’t get back on that ship if they give me the tour for free”!

So that is our story. But there were 100 runners/passengers on that marathon trip and they all had stories and I feel that I must share at least two of those with you. One is a story of courage and the other of romance and humor. First the courage. There were a group of ‘World Team’ members on our tour. World Team is a group of physically challenged athletes. They were all heroes in my mind but one story in particular comes to mind. This individual, a gentleman had one prosthetic leg. On his first loop down the glacier he caught his good leg in a crevasse and sprained it severely. But he continued on and finished the marathon seven hours later!

The story of romance? A couple from our hometown, Dallas, TX had just got married the weekend before the trip and thus the marathon trip was their honeymoon. Unfortunately the groom was prone to seasickness and became afflicted the moment that we left Beagle Channel. We only saw the bride for the first three days as she left their cabin to get medicine, crackers, etc. for her new groom. He was the runner and planned to run the marathon. She was not a runner but had faithfully (true love?) trained to run her first-ever half. He was very weak on race day due to dehydration, no food, etc and ran very slowly -but finished. The bride on the other hand felt good and after completing her half marathon decided to continue on and accompany her new husband – and she finished with him! But---- the next day she was so sore that she could not get out of bed and for the rest of the journey all we saw was him as he came out to get her food and medicine? At least that was their story? (I always wonder if they are still married?)


A final side note: I did complete my hidden agenda or goal to run all seven continents on August 22, 1998 at Noosa, Australia.