Southern Cross Marathon

Published January 27, 2020

Goodbye New York, hello South America. Journey to the Bottom of the World. With only 2 marathons to go, spirits CRAZY HIGH again. It’s not only possible, it’s gonna happen.

BUSINESS CLASS to Santiago. Stretched out & logged most my sleep hours. Customs, bag retrieval – the BIG bag, my new NYC-export full of Antarctica supplies… but first, Chile.

Scored McDonald’s Americana while transferring to the Domestic Terminal – ‘Cuarto de Libra con Queso’. QUARTER POUNDER! Calories, calories, calories. Burning 4000+ a day 🍔

Touchdown: Punta Arenas. Crowded 4-hour flight to Patagonia, the land of Magellan.

13-mile ride into town. Hurry, hurry, quick. Change of clothes – it’s race day in 15 minutes! Today’s 26.2 would be a 3:30 AFTERNOON START (after spending 16 hours in the air).

Airplane stiff but SUPER EXCITED. Know what to expect; I’ve been here. Bike path ‘longside the Ocean. 6 laps. Sun won’t set ‘til almost MIDNITE. Bottom of the World. YES!

Hotel lobby PACKED. GREAT energy! Tomorrow’s White Continent runners there to greet us. THEY have their own Quest – most African Americans to race Antarctica, EVER. Majority from the Deep South. My PEOPLE. 20 would join the afternoon marathon. AWESOME!

Sis yesterday; Southerner run-company Day 7! God gives us exactly what we need.

High 5’s & shout-outs every lap… whatta SPIRIT BOOST. Out, back. Out, back. HUGE SMILE. SOAKED in every second. WIND. Cloud cover. Sideways RAIN. Sunshine. WIND again. Patagonia summer 🌞

Two days ago, armor dented/spirit broken/no more. Today – a 5^th place FINISH!

Auckland, Perth, Singapore, Cairo, Amsterdam, New York, Punta Arenas. Just ONE remaining!

Shower, quick nap. 1 a.m. team meeting. Antarctica Day! 🐧