No New Year’s Eve plans this year. Lazy relaxed nite. Welcomed 2018 from the comfort of my own home – but first…after receiving an urgent email reminder, set my New Year alarm: specifically 12:15am Mountain Time.
Been in contact with 3 different companies to register for Antarctica. Each have a limited # of entries. No openings on the UK site ‘til March 2020. Best hope for 2019: Minneapolis-based Marathon Adventures. Alarm set for 11:45pm New Year’s Eve.
Registration for the 2019 White Continent 50k, Marathon will open tomorrow January 1, 2018.
The tentative dates for the 2019 WCM are Saturday January 19, 2019 to Sunday January 27, 2019. But please note, those dates could shift one week in either direction.
Please note that we are limited number of seats on our flight and we have a long waitlist of passengers from 2018 and many others interested. As such, if you want to confirm your 2019 entry we encourage you to register quickly to avoid missing out.
Again, registration opens January 1, 2018. We look forward to having you join us for the 7th annual White Continent Marathon in January 2019!!
Thanks and Happy New Year!
Steve Hibbs
Chief Adventurer, Marathon Adventures
Watched New York/Times Square ring in the Year, then off to bed for a 2-hour snooze. Alarm buzzed right on queue. Booted up the laptop, took out the pup, celebrated 2018 vicariously thru Ash & Tom’s New Year pics – 5 more minutes.
Like magic, countdown timer disappeared at 12:15. Link appeared & I plugged in my personal details. Passport #? Passport #? ARGH. Upstairs fast – scurried to its ‘safe’ non-travelling spot in the closet – then back to my kitchen laptop. Timed out. Refreshed the page, re-input 12 lines of data, payment cart appeared. Payment cart, YES! $1,000 deposit – one THOUSAND dollars.
Am I in? Fraud alert tagged my transaction. Thanks Discover but ARGH. Quick call, charge now a pending transaction. Still no confirmation. Am I in? Too keyed up to sleep, watched an hour of Netflix before drifting off – penguins, seals, icebergs, Antarctica.
Keenan,
Hello 2019 White Continent Marathon Adventurers!
If you are receiving this e-mail that means your entry for the 2019 WCM is confirmed. Apparently there were some issues with runners not receiving a confirmation e-mail following initial registration. But please note that we have received your entry and you are confirmed.
During the race, our runners are cheered on by penguins and seals. Following the races our runners are able to enjoy excursions to a penguin colony, where they see Gentoo, Adelie & Chinstrap penguins. They also explore the nearby Russian Research base and their ornate Orthodox Church.
The 2019 WCM will once again be camping overnight in Antarctica. It is a great experience! That’s right the 2019 White Continent 50k, Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Adventure will be sleeping overnight in Antarctica the evening before the race. This will guarantee that everyone will finish their race in Antarctica.
ANTARCTICA! Life-time dream realized. Absolutely ANYTHING is possible! ❤
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- Happy New Year!
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- Sis’ New Year’s Day bowl of black-eyed peas, a Southern tradition
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- best dog EVER
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- ANTARCTICA!
For the family who THINKS they have everything. Late Christmas present from my punk little brother – LOL>
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- Bro, are ya kidding me?
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- you heard the joke? “a Polar Bear, a Yeti & a Redneck walk into a bar…”
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- forget PJs, save the BOX 🙂
New Year’s Eve – time to reflect on another year past, another year of growth, another year of INCREDIBLE life adventure. Absolute no better time to say THANKS – new places/new faces, laughs shared with family & friends.
Family/2017 LIFE highlight
High in the Rockies, one exit past the Continental Divide, Ash & Tom’s Colorado wedding over Memorial Day weekend. Team Wilpiszeski filled the arena with laughter, dance & sheer noise. Whatta FUN family – EVERYONE left Silverthorne crushing on Jersey.
The Haga Clan? Let’s just say this Father-Daughter brought it. Memory I’ll never forget. Three time zones represented, family ‘cross the USA – ALL flew in for Ash’s BIG day. BIG LOVE, proud Papa, thanks FAMILY ❤
Travel
- New Zealand · two weeks, two islands, LIFETIME of memories. Ran EVERY day – Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Franz Josef Village, Queenstown, Dunedin, Oamaru, marathon finish’d in Hamilton. Palm trees, glaciers, geysers, glow worms, whole lotta sheep, Fiordland Nat’l Park, Hobbiton & penguins too! Nothing left undone.
- Nova Scotia · two week vacation squeezed into a 4-day weekend. Cape Split hike, toured Grand-Pré & Peggy’s Cove (Nova Scotia’s iconic lighthouse), my first Cèilidh (music/storytelling nite) PLUS a 4th Canadian marathon. What an adventure! To the Cavanaughs, Gillis’ & Schofields – I am indebted. Thanks from the bottom of my American heart ❤
- TOTALITY (Casper WY) • Great American Eclipse on my BIRTHDAY. Like nothing I’ve EVER experienced. Skies darkened, white light glowed around our extinguished Sun. [Next 2 minutes] ‘diamond ring’ visible to the naked eye. Surrounded by sunset & stars, soaked up the cityscape lights of Casper below (street-lamps triggered by the mid-day eclipse). WOW!
- Dublin IRELAND · Marathon #100. Ran this day side-by-side with Sis. Cancer SURVIVOR celebration!
Marathoning
Completed 27 marathons this year (including one ultra) – upping my FULL stats from 78 to 105 finishes. 2,017 miles+ logged in 2017 (GOAL COMPLETE). Haven’t missed a month marathoning since December 2013, that’s 49 consecutive months. Next BIG thing – marathon on EVERY continent (including Antarctica) by May 2020.
Easy to get caught up with an ‘out with the old, in with the new’ attitude.
So while I’m super eager/anticipating what lies ahead in 2018 – I am grateful for a life well lived. I am grateful for the past 365 days – laughs shared, high-altitude hikes, new places/new faces AND of course, my best pup Ro. Nothing left undone 🙂
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
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- whatta sunrise – WOW!
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- beautiful pinks over the North Atlantic, marathoning tomorrow
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- TOTALITY camping adventure
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- the River Liffey
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- walking the bride
Father-Daughter Dance
- sub-4’d this year (first since 2015), but didn’t PR
- scored my best 50K time, but no 52-mile Bighorn finish
- 2,017 in 2017 – this WILL happen – plus the 75 miles missed from last year’s journey
- & this Sunday, I’ll FINISH marathon #100 in Dublin Ireland 🍀
SURVIVOR.
That’s what the t-shirt reads – the unexpected gift that arrived last weekend from Sis. Same sister also running 26.2 miles, marathoning side-by-side/stride-by-stride on the Emerald Isle this Sunday.
- 22 marathons completed, one more to go
Last treatment: December 22nd. Marathon’d New Year’s Day in Florida. Clean bill of health: January 15th. Dates still vivid in my head – like remembering someone’s birthday. How long ‘til the mind lets it go?
Fall time, 2018 goal-setting time. Started tri training today, 2014 was my fittest. Ironman Year. Nope, no Ironman in my near future, just back on Plan. STRONG in 2018. Time to finish what I started.
- new Marathon PR – tri training at a steady consistent 9:50 pace. Not even sub-4 pace. However, trusting the plan. Chilly Start, overcast skies, no headwind, landscape: a mix of quick pop-ups & flats – sometime/somewhere early Spring or late Fall 2018, it will happen. Replacing Cape May, New Jersey as my PR locale.
- Bighorn 2018 – No marathoning after Memorial Day. Bighorn, my only race in June. Focused all-out effort. 52 miles. Registration reminder set: January 5th. Physically AND mentally ready.
- Run the Year ‘Gap’ Year – running harder, faster, longer but running less. No counting miles, no month-end blog posts, trusting the plan. Mix of cycling, swimming & high altitude hikes. 2018 focus: Bighorn.
- 50 State Déjà Vu tour – Celebrating Sis’ BIG birthday with an ALL uphill 50K in Hawaii: Hilo to Volcano. Point-to-point ultra, NO downhill. Literally to the top of Volcano. AND it was HER idea ❤ Minimum of 15 states in 2018.
- Another province, another continent. Target year: 2020. Marathoning Canada‘s 10 provinces AND all 7 continents. Even Antarctica? Yep, even Antarctica. Currently on a wait-list for January 2019. Will find out in 3 months if I snag one of 30 spots. THEN nickel-n-diming for a year to save the $$$. Yikes – and WOW!
Can’t LIVE if you’re afraid to DREAM. Look at the shirt – I’m so much more.
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- unexpected gift from Sis — same Sis also running 26.2 miles in Ireland this weekend
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- 2018 goal setting
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- PROUDLY wearing Sunday – thanks PS Audio!
