Lottery entered in April, golden-ticket pull 3 months later.
Osaka Marathon. Asia, my 7th continent.
Thanksgiving celebrated Saturday. Snowpocalypse Tuesday.
D.I.A. 3:30am Thursday. Roads plowed; airport open. Going West – far far West.
LAX breakfast burrito. Bloody Mary. Next stop: Japan. O’er the Pacific, past the International Date Line. Touchdown: Osaka. Kansai Airport.
5pm, FRIDAY.
Taxi. Hotel check-in. Sleeps. ‘Happy Morning Run’ tomorrow.
Welcome to Japan. Land of the Rising Sun.
And this Sunday, my 7 Continent FINISH 😊
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- Los Angeles ➛Osaka
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- o’er the Pacific, past the International Date Line
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- hotel home #what3words
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- Asia, my 7th continent
Welcome to Japan
4 years & a 100 marathons ago. Just north of the border, my journey began. First run in kilometers, first outside Team USA. Alberta, Canada. Goal: 2 provinces annually & it started in Banff. Lake Louise hike with Toronto-bestie Sarah, bib pick-up at a local curling club, wedding [not mine], marathon the following day. Banff National Park, my North America run. Well… my first North America race in kilometers. 7 Continent goal wouldn’t kick-in ‘til Continent #3. Like most of us, just didn’t DREAM BIG enough 😊
Destination: Europe. Italy, Iceland, Austria. Celebrated marathon #100 w Sis in Dublin. But my first…that was Moscow. Red Square, Kremlin. Past revisited. 4 years outta college, biggest/most influential career/life boost. Anything is Possible mantra sparked. Reconnected with Dima, now married. Language flooded back. So many memories. I’d finish Sunday with a first-time marathoner. Life’s moments best when shared.
Continent 3: Australia/New Zealand. On-the-left/self-drive two weeks with my bestie Dawn, both North & South Islands. Longest flight EVER, L.A. to Auckland. Rotorua. Christchurch. Franz Josef Glacier. Queenstown. Oamaru. Hobbiton. And… a marathon.
São Paulo Brazil. Largest city in South America. First-time I felt completely foreign. Hot & balmy. Brought home more than my 4th continent medal. Sis named him Pepe. 6 months of Colorado doc visits, before folks realized I harbored home a parasite – whole nest of ’em.
Elephant, lion, hippo, cheetah, giraffe – Africa’s Big 5 – and my fifth Continent. Knysna South Africa. After an initial fender-bender (sorry Hertz), had the most FANTASTICAL life adventure. Yes, elephants DO snore. WOW destination. I’ll come back to Africa 🐘
ANTARCTICA. Journey to the bottom of the World. NEVER EVER did I dream I’d be snow-tenting on Earth’s most remote continent. Crazy cold sleep even in… summer? Penguins. frigid Antarctic water. Place & time I’ll never forget. Forever LIFE IMPRINT.
6 down, one to go… Sunday’s 42k in Osaka, Japan will complete the set. Absolutely ANYTHING is POSSIBLE! ❤️
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- North America
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- Banff Marathon
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- Europe
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- Moscow Marathon
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- Australia/NZ
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- Kirikiriroa Marathon
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- South America
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- Maratona de São Paulo
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- Knysna Forest Marathon
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- Africa
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- White Continent 50k
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- Antarctica
Wrote it down. FREAK’d out. Prayed. Out-loud voiced to the universe.
Followed all the steps, set my Goal.
8 months ago, I committed to Triple 8. Seemed so fantastical, more DREAM than GOAL. So… unlike other crazy challenges, I didn’t blog. Needed to keep it safe. Incubate.
It’s not sensible. I get it. I’m a back-of-the-pack runner but…
Anything is possible. I BELIEVE. My faith is STRONG.
Past 6 years, they’ve not all been FANTASTIC finishes. Just as much ugly as exhilaration. But the journey – MY journey – of that I’m proud. I’ve LIVED. I’ve taken chances.
Russia, New Zealand, South Africa – ANTARCTICA. Another 10-week challenge. My first QUADZILLA. Twice around the USA, all 50 States. Canada 2020. On track, 9 provinces in.
Auckland, Perth, Singapore, Cairo.
Amsterdam, New York, Punta Arenas, Antarctica.
8 marathons, 8 continents, 8 days.
Flights secured. Evac insurance purchased.
Breathe. Let it sink in.
If it doesn’t scare you/doesn’t push you – it doesn’t change your SOUL ❤️
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- 8 continents, 8 days
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- aim HIGH: goals that SCARE, inspire CHANGE
DAY 1 January 21, 2020 Auckland, New Zealand (Zealandia) ·
With the announcement of Zealandia our newest continent, we start there and run our way around to Antarctica. We are pleased to be competing in The 3rd Annual 8th Continent Marathon organized by the Auckland YMCA Marathon Club. Auckland weather is relatively mild in January with expected high temps in the range of 20-25 degrees Celsius (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit). The race will begin in the early morning and have a time limit of 7 hours.
DAY 2 January 22, 2020 Perth, Australia (Australia) ·
The 2020 Triple 8 Quest will once again be competing in The 4th Annual Swan River Marathon & Half-Marathon in Perth, Australia organized by a local race organization. Perth has warmer weather than Auckland, where high temps can range from 25-35 degrees Celsius. The race will start early in the morning, hopefully avoiding those extreme high temps. The course is also flat as the race runs along the Swan River. Runners will have a 7 hour time limit.
DAY 3 January 23, 2020 Singapore, Singapore (Asia) ·
For our third race we will fly to the beautiful country of Singapore, where we will compete in the 4th Annual Singapore Beach Marathon. The weather in Singapore is warm and humid all year with temperatures typically in the low-80’s to low 90’s Fahrenheit for high temperatures (26-34 Celsius) with lows in the upper-60’s to mid-70’s. The course is flat and much of it is shaded as the race is held in a park along the shore. We run along a path that is well lit in the early morning hours and will be able to see a beautiful sunrise. Following the race we should have time to do some quick sightseeing of Singapore, including a stop at the infamous Raffles Hotel. Runners will have an 7 hour time limit.
DAY 4 January 24, 2020 Cairo, Egypt (Africa) ·
In 2020 we will return to Cairo, Egypt in Africa for our fourth race. We will be running in the 6th Annual Marathon Cairo & Half-Marathon in Cairo, Egypt. Our runners from the 2017 Triple 7 Quest were all very overwhelmed by the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone in Cairo. The marathon is run through the streets of Cairo, which do remain open to traffic. But given the early start the traffic is light. There are numerous volunteers who help provide directions and aide along the course. Runners will have a 7 hour time limit.
DAY 5 January 25, 2020 Amsterdam, Netherlands (Europe) ·
In 2020, we will return to Amsterdam. There we will compete in the 4th Annual Sri Chinmoy Inspiration Marathon & Half-Marathon will be held at Amsterdam Bos near Schiphol Airport, held by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team. The race course will be mostly flat, with a couple of very small undulations. Temperatures will be 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit above zero (8-12 degrees Celsius). Runners will have a 6 hour time limit.
DAY 6 January 26, 2020 New York, NY, USA (North America) ·
After Amsterdam, we will fly to the United States where we will take part in The 5th Annual Icebreaker International Marathon & Half-Marathon held at Eisenhower Park in Garden City, New York. The race is hosted by The Greater Long Island Running Club. Runners will have a 7 hour time limit.
DAY 7 January 27, 2020 Punta Arenas, Chile (South America) ·
Our penultimate race will be held on the southern tip of Chile in the coastal town of Punta Arenas (commonly known as the gateway to Antarctica) in Patagonia, Chile. There we will compete in the 5th annual Southern Cross Marathon which will take place on a course that runs along the Straits of Magellan. The temperature varies in Punta Arenas; anywhere from 20°c to 0°c. But one thing is certain; it will be windy! Runners will have an 8 hour time limit.
DAY 8 January 28, 2020 King George Island, Antarctica (Antarctica) ·
The final race will be The 8th Annual White Continent Marathon held around the research bases of King George Island in Antarctica. The weather in Antarctica is highly unpredictable as the mercury can drop to -20°c with windchill. There will be plenty of crowd support along the course; from scientists to penguins, skuas and seals. After the race, we will visit penguin colonies and then camp for the night in the polar tents. Our scheduled arrival date is January 28th. However, we have a 3-day window to fly in should weather not cooperate. There is no time limit for the final race.
