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
Pride Prejudice and Zombies
Another December marathon, ‘nother predawn Friday at DIA. Denver to Baltimore, Baltimore to Charleston. Kiawah Island this weekend, South Carolina. Ritzy-gated community 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. Palm trees & ocean – far cry from last week’s Kentucky mud fest, but an all familiar forecast. Rain & 45 degrees – bring it on Carolina, I’ve got this! Down to 5 states after tomorrow’s 26.2 🙂
Past the guard shack, East Beach check-in. Bib pickup, Expo & weekend condo registration – one stop shopping. Crib accommodations walking distance from Saturday’s Start (Memorial Day sign-up has its perks). Dinner at the Ryder Cup, 15-minute drive ‘long the ocean. Pitch black/overcast – still, smell of salt in the air 🌴
Condo scuttled early, whole lotta runners – literally THOUSANDS – bit overwhelming after a full travel day. Tomorrow’s a fresh Start…with a late weather surprise. Winter Storm Diego waiting ‘til 2pm to strike the Island. I’d be marathon-finished & indoor manicotti-feasting before the first sheets of rain. Happy day.
Morning. Daylight. First time seeing me outdoor digs, dark came early nite prior. Inlet water, manicured greens, moss-draped oak & golf carts. Whole lotta those. Disney-reminiscent, maybe too perfect. Folks appear/disappear, behind-the-scenes perfection perpetually maintained.
Blink. Focus. I’m here to run.
Cued waaaaay back, 5:30 pace group. 12-minute first mile – sooooo many runners, who knew? [combined Start: Halfers peel’d off mile 5] Kept pace tight the next eight miles. Eyed the 4-hour bunny. Second outdoor run since Kentucky, been injury sidelined. River crossing gone awry.
Parasite-pill popped at 15. Lost my pace posse but maintained a healthy bounce. Steady 9:45-10 min/mile numbers. Found walking aggravates the pull. Palm tree gazed, playlist zoned. New Miley riff. Yeh, I said it. Proud & loud, we all got vices. Beat, beat, beat. Random collection of pulse.
21, 22, 23 – ticking ‘em off today, just another long run…tune obsessed, route lined with putting greens. Wind a-blowin’/chill in the air, time to wrap this puppy up. Storm’s movin’ in. Mylar blankets & tropical palms, marathon SUCCESS. #138 in the books, South Carolina x2 part of the past.
Hot shower & something Italian. Outta lasagna, outta the rain. No worries, manicotti calling. Touristing would have to wait ‘til morning. Mother Nature thanks – run done & just in time.
Kiawah Island Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the Finish at 12:26
Course time: 04:22:35
Pace: 10:02 min/mi
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- hello Charleston
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- golf MECCA ⛳
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- Kiawah’s Ryder Cup
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- marathon morn Deer
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- whole lotta runners
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- live oak canopy
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- palm trees & putting greens
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- South Carolina SUCCESS
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- chilly December FINISH
7am Start. Could see day’s kickoff banner from my front window. Vans, tents, participant cars rowed neatly – and RAIN. Been in the forecast all week. Expected but now, reality. Double-shirt’d, rain jacket, hydration pack, pair of old Newtons. One last run. I get attached, hard time letting go. Save all shoe farewells for mud/torrential rain. 2 pairs at home await their last stand/surrender races [summer’s Salomons will see Antarctica].
Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Mrs. White – Mansion’s Clue residents all dressed to run (holding tight/staying dry) loitering the outside door. Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Louisville (Kentucky’s Lou-vul). Quick hello/goodbye – 7 minutes ‘til Start. First to abandon the community stoop. Slow-walked ‘cross Green Mill bridge, soaked in the buzz/pre-race noise/runner chatter. RD warned ‘deep mud’ and remember ‘you paid for this’.
2 laps, 6 hour time goal. Plan: Bang out the first lap quick.
Combined start. Half, Full, 50, ONE HUNDRED MILES. I’d run my Lap 1 with Anthony (from West Georgia). Young guy. Runs only trail, only ultra-distance. 100 miles today, great life spirit. His crazy? Eats McDonald’s hamburgers every 5 miles. Do the math. That’s TWENTY pancake-flattened Mickey D’s, pre-planned/purchased, in separate plastic bags. LOL> Why junk food? High calorie, not real meat/easy to digest. Hmmm.
Half-mile in, first climb UP, 800ft. Lotta UPs & downs this day. Kentucky Appalachia. Enjoyed the wooded sections, summers here must be stunning. Ran right & left of mud – kinda funny in hindsight. First lap, one of the lead runners – trail still in good shape. 145 racers later, lap 2 would be a slog-a-thon. Hugged tree-line, less downpour.
BAPTISM. GPS read 3.45 miles. Fully body submersion. No stats next 8 miles.
Thought ‘screw it’. Creek crossing. Hit it hard, fast, right thru the center. Don’t pansy out/rock-hop over/around – suck it up, PUSH hard, quick in & out. Must’ve been 3-4 feet deep. One step, two step, krrr-plunk & DOWN. River rushing, full head immersion. Instinctively hands reached/searched, pulled myself UP & out. OMG – did that just happen? And I kept running. Seriously though, what were my options? It’s a trail race. No aid stations, no medical, I’m deep in Kentucky. Tell ya this – no longer worried about rain. HA!
Heard a runner behind me retell the story. Guy up there is a bad ass. Pulled himself outta a river & just kept running. Me a bad ass? Thanks man. Tag. I’ll wear that. Met 100-miler Anthony soon after. Good company. Heavy rain, big hills, MUD, wet leafy down stretches. Left the backwoods near mile 12. Stomped off 2lbs of trail mud, met Anthony’s Georgia crew, passed Green Farms Mansion, crossed the old wooden Mill Bridge.
Lap one, done. Water refuel, pretzels, oranges – notta lotta food, that’d come later.
Hung with Georgia thru Baptismal Creek. Was holding him back, much slower slopping in mud. Run a-ok, walking – not so much. Think I cheerleader-split downriver, groin pull. Guys my age not that flexible.
And the heavens opened… Big heavy drops. Stung, hit hard. Down the bill of my cap. All by myself now. Tough conditions, Kentucky slog fest. Core builder. I’d need this for Antarctica ❄️
Tunes turned on, kept moving forward. Only one way out – and that’s the Finish. 2 laps & done.
Only one mental meltdown, maybe mile-half from the paved-road finish. No Garmin, didn’t know. Said my goodbyes, giving up the body. Dark moment. Appalachia had won. Completely entirely absolutely ALONE.
And then…a familiar tree, a memorable bog, a pink flag – I’m not lost, I’m ok. Wipe your eyes. New tune, foot forward.
Mansion now in sight – AND that Bridge. That beautiful Kentucky bridge. D-O-N-E.
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- Green Mill Bridge
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- 2 laps & done
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- Kentucky Tough Mudder
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- 6 hour FINISH
Falls 100 Trail Marathon
