Dreams don’t die. It’s not a Stop ‘n Done action, no Finish Line, no goal ribbon. Old dreams feed the next Adventure. Open mind. Meditate, be prayerful. Answer doesn’t seem plausible/completely impossible, OK. OK to be scared, but – it’s never NO.
Call it out to the universe, an out-loud YES. Important to hear yourself audibly, positively respond YES.
GROW, DREAM, EXPAND, ADVENTURE.
2 schools, a podcast & a radio interview – 2 weeks of fame. Same for other runners who made the White Continent trek but…the Family’s moving on. My Maniac brother Seth completed another marathon. Next, Jorge. A half by Emilio. Life forward.
Personally, found myself stuck. Not depressed, more stagnant – the ‘what’s next’ lull. Guy caught between dreams. Work. Treadmill run. Walk the dog. Laundry. Treadmill run. Work. Walk the dog. Wednesday, trash day. Antarctica was more than a ‘destination’ location. Put a lotta energy into the journey. Now that adventure, history.
Penguins vs Polar Bears. Question came up in all 4 interviews: was I scared in my tent, in Antarctica. Of polar bears? Respectfully, I’d say no – wrong Pole. Penguins at the South Pole, polar bears in the North. Silly question, short laugh…but seed planted. What if?
What if... all 7 continents AND both Poles, both ends of the Globe. Another ultra, another xtreme adventure. Travel to Yellowknife (Canada’s Northwest Territories). Day later, 3-hour charter to Somerset Island in Nunavut’s Arctic North.
Northwest Passage Marathon. Email & 2 calls to a guy named Tessum (currently, wintering in Quebec), trip-deposit wired (balance due next March). Check, done ✅
August 2020. Penguins vs polar Bears. BOTH Arctics, crazy EXCITED!
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- PS Audio Newsletter
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- dashing, bold adventure
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- 2 weeks of fame
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- August 2020
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- Nunavut’s Arctic North
Weber Arctic: The Arctic Beyond
The Northwest Passage Marathon is the Canada’s northernmost marathon and Nunavut’s only marathon! The race course covers 42 kilometres over the tundra of the high Arctic, and with the possibility of seeing muskoxen, polar bears, arctic foxes and more, the Northwest Passage Marathon is unlike any other. As part of a week-long adventure at Arctic Watch, this adventure welcomes runners from across the globe to experience the best of the High Arctic while completing a truly unique marathon. At 74° north, Arctic Watch is not only an incredible location for wildlife viewing but is also a unique and stunning landscape to enjoy on foot.
Located 800 km north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Northwest Passage in Cunningham Inlet, Somerset Island, Nunavut, is the most northerly fly-in lodge on earth – Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge. Situated at 74° North and being a marine environment means the weather can change quickly – as much as 10°C in an hour. Normal daytime temperatures range from 8° to 14°C, and warm days can go as high as 21°C.
Blinders off, drapes open, DAYLIGHT again. Loooong days of light, bottom of South America. Quick shower, banana. Day’s run clothes readied. Marathon morn.
Lotta opportunity past week to jog Punta Arenas’ boardwalk ‘long the Strait. Constant headwind every day. At your back going out, steady struggle Diego de Almagro-return. Today’s START? Calmest Magallanes day of the trip. Kissed the brass toe yesterday 🙂
Smaller crowd than White Continent but same subset of runners. Not everyone saw the beauty of a FREE marathon. Surprisingly though, day’s 50k participant list almost double Antarctica. Flat bike path course – [just a] matter of mentally ticking off laps again. 7 out-n-backs, one short loop to the Pier. Stay on the ‘pink’ path, that’s the one measured.
Emperor’s New Clothes. Either shrunk my Colorado-flag shorts or grew 4 inches. Unfortunately, only run clothes left in the bag. Ugh. Deep breath, I got this. Head up, walk with confidence, no one will notice. News CRAWL: ‘that time I ran in South America without pants’. ADD a new Chilean haircut – folks, I got comments. HA!
First three laps, a fun run – a FAST fun run. Stayed with my bestie Katya. She’d run a PR & win the women’s Half.
Head spinning, went out way too fast first 13 miles. Lap 4 (first on my own) was sucking wind. Reigned it in next 4 miles. Walked, video’d dolphins, then paced an even steady clip. Wind blew ‘Punta STRONG’ last 2 laps. Timing bang on. Focus’d, head forward, [wind] took the mental outta my finish/help mute the crazy. push, PUSH, push. High fives to my run FAMILY. LOVE these folks! ❤️
2 countries, 2 continents, two 50Ks – new South America PR, another 2nd place finish. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Hung 30 minutes more, pic posed with day’s women’s winner. Watched the last of my Circle (Jorge) walk-in the marathon. Well done man. Injured this trip, guy had nothing to prove – he’s a Boston finisher (3:15 marathoner).
Let’s how we roll bottom of the Globe. AND sometimes we run without pants. LOL>
Punta Arenas 50k, Marathon & 1/2 Marathon®
Punta Arenas, Chile
January 19, 2019
Place Finisher City/State Country Event Time
M1 Silviu Ursu, Iasi Romania 50 Kilometers 4:54:40
M2 Keenan Haga, Louisville, CO U.S.A. 50 Kilometers 5:19:25
F1 Ly Nguyen, Houston, TX U.S.A. 50 Kilometers 5:24:34
M3 Seth Kramer, Wilton Manors, FL U.S.A. 50 Kilometers 5:33:49
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- Chilean haircut
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- won the Half (again)
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- 2nd place FINISH
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- ‘that time I ran in South America without pants’
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- ultra SMILES
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- 2 continents, two 50Ks
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- South America PR
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- postcard MEMORY
DOLPHINS!
Deplane, hike, set-up camp – and MARATHON. All within an hour-half window, 30 minutes behind our RD’s intention. He also needed to measure an alternate course, assuring 62 runners who started White Continent would complete their intended distances.
Last January, registered for the event’s 50K. Had only completed 6 ultra runs IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. So why here, why Antarctica? Too many stories from runners past of events that measured short – Alaska 3 years ago, Reykjavik August 2018. Antarctica would be a one-n-done travel destination. Not arriving home to find I’d missed my bottom-of-the-World marathon by a tenth or two-tenths a mile. All in today. 50K.
No water bottles, no electrolytes, no worry. Hydration vest ready. What I did need? A urinal. 8 miles into today’s run, begged a paper cup outta Support Staff. Filled it twice, diligently emptied both times into the community O’rine can. Notta best case but did my eco- part. Bit jealous of our chinstrap spectators – never saw them use the community can.
Half-marathon, marathon, 50K. 9 laps plus two short loops to the Chinese Research Station. Last minute instructions re: today’s impromptu course. Lined up, ready – FLOOD of pics. 60 Antarctica dreams realized. Chilly/ready to run, but no begrudging runners their Start photos – marathoning bottom of the GLOBE, epic.
75 minutes ago, I was backpacking clothes & sleep essentials. No chance to mentally psych myself out. NO idea what internal clock my body was running. Garmin said I pushed forward 4 hours, iPhone still read Chilean time. Either way, generous time cutoff – finish before midnite Cinderella, start of the Island’s 2 hours nightfall. TWO hours, that’s it (almost never summer-dark), white dusky overcast the other 22. (Aside from toileting) most difficult aspect of camping. Messes with your biorhythm/inner gut, the lack of darkness.
Race Start. Went out fast, no surprise there. Settled in after finally thankfully emptying my bladder (quick paper cup aim & disposal). Would get a chance to complete the task 4 miles later in our proper piss pot. Blog preview: NEVER used the black pot. NEVER more than the Ramen provided at tonite’s finish. NO way, NOT happening, NO way – beware the black pot with a bag! Ick.
Couple inclines to Bellinghausen (Russian Station), one BIG hill. Course reverse back to Camp, flat mile to China’s Great Wall Station AND repeat. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Lotta laps. Generally notta FAN. Today, LOVE LOVED seeing my RUN FAMILY. iPod shuffle stuck on John Denver. 15 songs over ‘n over ‘n over (sad but true). Dropped the buds 18 miles in, downed a peach (Punta mercado import), then kicked it STEADY.
Loose rock, snow melt on the flats, still maintained a 10 min/pace. Power walked UP all hills after lap 2. Not a lazy meander – arms pumping, UP with purpose. Colorado trail ran the path back to Camp. Fast fly. Worst I could do is FALL HARD. Trail miracle – no scraps, no blood, no bruises. Not my norm – top 10 clumsy, generally wear a lotta dirt.
Stayed just ahead of Seth, ‘nother American Maniac. Push, push, push. Guy NEVER stops. Lack of aid stations. No GU, no electrolytes. Cold & hilly. My kind of race – where ‘back of the pack’ runners who NEVER time-benefit from race fuel, we SUCCEED. Only marathon win EVER, during a blizzard (Jan 2016). Fitting I’d finish 2nd in Antarctica.
Upbeat, high five attitude. Didn’t mentally go dark ‘til the 2 short laps at the end. 50K winner Silviu stayed & encouraged (waved his Romanian flag); my White Continent bestie, Katya ran alongside/paced the final mile. Thanks friend 🙂
6-hour FINISH, sixth continent COMPLETED. My 2nd best ultra, a 2nd place FINISH.
Hung around & walked-in Lin, nite’s 50K women’s winner. Folks were there for me – LOVE passed forward.
Special THANKS to my tent mate Jeff. I finished super cold/physically shaking. Couldn’t hold my hot Ramen reward. Dude helped me strip down, handover fresh DRY clothes. Lot to ask of a complete stranger. Super appreciative, thanks man.
Marathon finished, strike that. ULTRA-marathon’d Antarctica tonite. Absolutely ANYTHING is POSSIBLE!
White Continent 50k, Marathon & 1/2 Marathon®
King George Island, AntarcticaJanuary 15, 2019
Place Finisher City/State Country Event Time
M1 Silviu Ursu, Iasi Romania 50 Kilometers 5:33:32
M2 Keenan Haga, Louisville, CO U.S.A. 50 Kilometers 6:06:39
M3 Seth Kramer, Wilton Manors, FL U.S.A. 50 Kilometers 6:23:03
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- White Continent SMILES
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- push, PUSH, push
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- mercado import – YUM!
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- Bellinghausen (Russia)
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- Great Wall Station
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- chinstrap SPECTATORS
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- one to GO
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- D-O-N-E
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- post-race CONGRATS
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- 6th continent SUCCESS!
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- bottom of the World
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- 2nd place FINISH
