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Stop Antarctica
Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet
October 1, 2005 |
The Sahara Desert, last stop before
the Antarctica |
What better
time to think about Antarctica than when you have just spent
seven days trudging through an arid, desolate desert in 50
plus degree Celsius temperatures. The mere thought of any
more bottled water raised to boiling temperatures in their
plastic by the sun or of sand embedded in every crevasse leads
to endless fantasies of an ice cold drink or a beer or some
ice cream.
For eighteen competitors who started this Sahara Race 2005
seven days ago, their thoughts are not only on the luxury
of an ice cold drink, but on bigger expanses of ice. These
eighteen competitors all qualify for The Last Desert Race
in Antarctica, January 2006 as long as they finish this current
race in the Sahara. In order to qualify, an individual or
team must have completed the three other races in the 4 Deserts
series. At the finish line of the Sahara Race 2005, the going
has been tough but Antarctica is right out there on everyone’s
mind. “It’s all about the icebergs now.”
says Joel Burrows, one of three members of the only team that
qualifies, Team Illinois. |
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The Last Desert
Race will debut in January 2006. Unknown to many, Antarctica
qualifies as a desert because of the limited annual rainfall.
There are ten competitor slots. Over 7 days, competitors will
traverse 150 miles, broken into three 50 mile stages. With
daylight lasting for 24 hours, competitors will not be racing
to beat darkness, but instead battling extreme elements that
can change at any time on the three overnight stages. They
will be transported by zodiacs at the end of each stage to
a ship where they rest up before the next stage. The ship
will move between each stage to give all competitors opportunity
to really see the area. |
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Founder and CEO
of RacingThePlanet, Mary Gadams, was thinking about Antarctica
from day one with the creation of the 4 Desert series. “The
concept was to cover the most diverse, pristine, harshest
weather on earth and on the way get to know some of the most
ancient cultures on earth that may soon be extinct. We couldn’t
do that without visiting Antarctica.” The series covers
the most arid desert, the hottest desert, the coldest and
windiest desert and deserts with ancient civilizations. The
4 Deserts is made up of the Atacama Desert (Chile), Gobi Desert
(China), Sahara Desert (Egypt) and now Antarctica. |
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Antarctica is
indeed the last continent for many of these racers. It is
the dream of a lifetime and most are determined to go despite
the $9500 price tag and three month lead time. David Kuhnau,
another member of Team Illinois says it will take “a
viper, scorpion or camel spider bite” at this point
to keep them from finishing the Sahara race and qualifying.
Team Illinois had Antarctica in their sights from the first
time they noticed the series on the RacingThePlanet website.
If they were not so determined to go to Antarctica, they would
not have participated in the Sahara Race so close to the Gobi
completion back in April. After this though, Nancy Burrows,
Team Illinois team member says” “we are now officially
retiring from hot weather desert racing.” Lisanne Dorion,
USA says its just one of those things she has always dreamed
of doing so therefore was a huge motivator in this Sahara
Race. She has even sold her house and set aside part of the
proceeds to fund the trip. Chuck Walker, USA dreams of the
day he can use a new moniker he has been carefully planning,
“I want to be able to say I’ve sailed every ocean,
crossed the great deserts, climbed the highest peaks and stepped
on every continent.” For Derek Kwik, Hong Kong, he wants
to be the first person from his home country to do this event.
Satoru Otsuka, Japan, when asked during a grueling part of
the Sahara Race said he is “always thinking of Antarctica”
when he is walking. |
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By definition,
the RacingThePlanet veterans who have completed three of the
4 Deserts are all well-traveled and tough individuals. Most
have raced on at least six of the seven continents. According
to Gadams, the stringent requirements for entry guarantee
that the individuals are not only physically fit, but also
mentally stable and able to react sensibly to sudden emergency
situations. That is why none of them seem overly concerned
that all their experience training for and performing in hot
weather desert races will not necessarily translate to the
cold of Antarctica. The cold also does not appear to be a
hindrance for any either. Paul Soo, Singapore says he is afraid
because he comes from a hot weather climate, but then he quickly
continues “life is a challenge and there is no point
in being scared of something.” Derek Kwik, Hong Kong
says “I hate the cold but the more you hate something,
the more you have to do it. If you don’t go outside
your zone, you won’t know what your limits are.”
Gadams points out that once an individual has done all four
deserts, “there is nothing you can throw at them that
they cannot handle. They will have been through it all in
terms of extreme terrain, weather and conditions.” |
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Gadams set out
to make the 4 Desert series more than just an endurance event
but a lifetime experience where you get an intimate view of
the environment the races pass through. For Scott Smith, USA
“this is the opportunity to go down there and not just
sit on a cruise ship but actually get to do something. That
is the only way to see a country.” Also for Paul Soo,
his motivation is the overall experience, “most important
for me every race is to enjoy it.” Lisanne Dorion ran
through every checkpoint asking if this was the way to the
penguins. Lisanne is known affectionately in her small community
as “that desert lady” because she is always seen
running around town with a backpack or spouting out desert
facts. She does that now, excitedly saying, “Seriously
I want to see the penguins. Did you know that the farther
you get from the South Pole the shorter the penguins get?
I am going to see the big guys!”
For the remaining qualifiers who are now
making their way to the finish line, there is not much that
can stop them from heading to Antarctica in January. The Sahara
Race has been a hard grueling race for all, pushing the envelope
of endurance but it is coming to a close. It is a good thing
since now the qualifiers can focus on racing in the coldest,
windiest desert. |
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Profile of a Runner: Kazuko Kaihata, Japan
Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet
September 29, 2005 |
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At
a little under 5 foot, always with a radiant smile on
her face, she is quiet and unassuming. Her race bio
describes her as "a housewife and mother of two sons
and a daughter". Yet she has covered a lot of miles
in her time and ask all the top runners who have run
near her in this Sahara Race and the first thing they
say is "amazing" with true respect in their voice. Kazuko
Kaihata aged 52, truly is amazing. She found out about
the Sahara Race through her friends who have run previous
RacingThePlanet events. She has finished scores of ultra
marathons, usually placing in the top three in the women's
field. She started about thirteen years ago when she
first ran only 300m and then had this "immense curiosity
to see how far I could run." She has not stopped since.
Her real |
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inspiration
Her real inspiration to start running was the death of a primary
school aged child. Kazuko has 3 other children, one daughter
and two sons. All have taken an interest in her running, her
youngest does it as part of his profession. Her middle child
was her support team during her Race Across America, where
he stepped in occasionally to run 2km with her.
The longest distance she has covered is 10,470km from St.
Petersburg to Vladivostok. "It was not a race, but a challenge,"
she points out. She has completed a whole host of other well-known
ultras around the world such as the Marathon des Sables, the
Desert Cup in Jordan, the Run Across America, Run through
Japan (more than 300km) plus the Osaka International Marathon
17 times.
According to Kazuko, the Sahara Race is the second toughest
race she has ever run. The toughest was the Spartathlon in
Greece where she finished almost unconscious with a temperature
of 40 degrees C. So far this race though, she says she feels
in good health.
Her lucky charm for this race is a small peach fabric pouch
with two bare feet emblazoned on it. It hangs on the outside
of her pack. She explains that in Japan its called an O'mamori,
which is a keepsake from a shrine that is dedicated to a particular
need or wish people have. This one is from a shrine in Osaka
where people pray for good running! Kazuko loves running but
in those rare cases when she feels tired or down, she says
she just takes it easy, walks and tries to enjoy the scenery.
Given today's 80km distance, she says "I expect to be relaxing
a lot!" She says she is having a good time here in the Sahara.
What she enjoys most is finding a group of people all with
very similar interests and being able to share a tent with
ten of them. Kazuko is currently ranked second among the women
competitors. |
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Stretching
the Limits
Profile of a Runner: Christine Evans, Australia
By Mason Dwinell / Sahara Race 2005 Volunteer
September 28, 2005 |
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The
sunrises and some athletes cover incredible distances
in the relative cool, and then as the heat begins to
bake everything in sight other athletes stretch the
preconceived limits of existence. The 30 year old Australian
Christine Evans has had a taste of both. During the
42k second stage she found herself pushing her limits
beyond her comfort zone. Excessive heat coupled with
a bit of dehydration pushed her body to its cracking
point. Seeking shade from a roving vehicle she was able
to recharge her batteries and still finish with a modest
result. Unfortunately her feet paid the price earning
blisters on eight of her toes and one gargantuan beast
under her left arch. With the 80k stage looming in the
coming hours, Evans hopes to minimize her pain as she
patiently bandages her feet to comfort thousands of
her future steps. This ultra endurance athlete loves
such adventures for the physical challenges as well
as the unique companionship of diverse competitors.
She is especially enamored by The Sahara Race due to
the small competitor field and RacingThePlanet’s
efficient organization. Looking forward Evans mentioned
that the sand storm two nights ago has put her a few
hours in arrears regarding sleep, however with the supportive
staff and the remarkable company found in her fellow
competitors she has found along the course encouraging
her onward, Evans is excited for the long march toward
Cairo. |
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Strands
of Inspiration
Profile of a Runner: Sandra McCallum |
| Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet |
| September 27, 2005 |
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Sandra
has been running most of her life but it was not until
2000 that she did her first ultra-marathon. She has
not looked back since, preferring the trail and natural
environment of an ultra to shorter distances. With 6
desert races under her belt, this is the first time
however, that on day one she had to question her ability
to do another one after the Sahara Race. "I felt like
my head was going to explode. Is it really the environment
or am I getting older?"
Sandra found about the 4 Desert series through word-of-mouth
and was anxious to try out the new adventure race series.
She has only good things to say about her experience
so far. She praises RacingThePlanet for the "spectacular
course" and says that what stands out for her is the
personal feel of the event. "It feels like a close-knit
family, between the racers and all the volunteers".
What is Sandra's secret? She describes a piece of wisdom
that a sports psychologist once told her. Rather than
a chain that is only as strong as its weakest link,
a better analogy to use is a rope, made up of many strands.
Each strand is an element of a racer's capability. If
one element or strand breaks, the rope still holds.
So if one element of a racer's capability breaks down,
like a bad blister or sore knee, the racer can still
keep going but they just need to strategize to make
all the other strands work. Sandra thinks of this often
while she is racing, especially during her dark moments.
She even carries a small piece of rope with her and
holds on to it when she needs the inspiration. What
is keeping her going now that she is almost halfway
through? "The rumor that there is an oasis at a checkpoint
during Stage 6!" |
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25
Years Leads to the Sahara for Husband/Wife Participants
Profile of Wade and Debbie Bloomer |
| Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet |
| September 26, Camp Table
Top |
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25
years after they were married in Grande Prairie, Canada,
Wade and Debbie Bloomer now find themselves celebrating
their wedding anniversary in the Sahara Desert. One
of them will be competing in the grueling race while
the other will be working just as hard as part of the
volunteer team. Wade is a 4 Deserts veteran who usually
participates with his daughter Jodie, however this time
his wife Debbie joins as a volunteer to cheer him on,
"She's been hearing all our stories from the last races
so now she gets to see it all firsthand," says Wade. |
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to Debbie, they have never really made a big deal out
of their anniversary. This time is different though and
is bound to be an anniversary they do not forget. Not
only because of the extreme surrounding but also because
this is the first time they have taken a long vacation
together due to their family business. Debbie and Wade
have two daughters, both now off at college so Debbie
says, this is the time when they start to focus on their
own relationship again. They have added on side trips
before and after this Sahara adventure in order to make
this a big vacation. They stopped in Amsterdam on the
way over and will spend 5 days after the race in Sharm
El Sheik. Wade, who will qualify for The Last Desert Race
in Antarctica if he finishes the Sahara 2005, says that
it all made sense and it is great to have Debbie here
with him to experience the whole thing. |
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to them both, they have had a great 25 years. "She's the
one who deserves a medal, even if I don't finish, she
gets the medal for 25 years," says Wade. |
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| Profile
of a Competitor: Brett Loller, Australia |
| Mason Dwinell, Sahara
2005 Volunteer |
| September 25, 2005 |
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Through the
heat of the day we witnessed heroism and sorrow, and felt
the authority of the Sahara in all her glory. Fortunately
and unfortunately the unassuming Brett Loller (31 years old)
had the opportunity to fully experience what RacingThePlanet
has to offer. About six months ago Loller learned of this
particular race while surfing the internet in his home town
of Adelaide, Australia. Previously accustomed to hiking and
walking, Loller joined a running club in preparation for the
250 long desert kilometers. He also spent his time “gathering
appropriate gear and driving my wife nuts”. His first
½ marathon was a month ago, and while a positive event,
it was nothing like RacingThePlanet’s adventure of a
life time. Working a minimum of 40 hours a week in a -20 degree
C freezer (his occupation) may not have been appropriate training
for the sweltering desert, but Loller hopes that existing
in such extremes will give him a physiological edge. |
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Unfortunately
today’s elements were a too much for Loller as he found
himself a bit low on electrolytes and choose wisely to accept
rides from support vehicles and brief medical attention. Despite
not fully completing the stage Loller is determined to put
the bib on in the morning and have another go at the mighty
Sahara. |
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| "Pre-Race
Temperament" |
Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet
September 24, Cairo |
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It is like old
homecoming, racers greeting each other like long lost friends
and swapping stories. Some have seen each other as recently
as The Gobi March, in April, while for others it has been
a few races past. Newcomers size up those around them, questioning
pack sizes and training methods. Excitement seems to be the
prevalent mood, rather than nervousness or anxiety about the
great distance they are all about to cover. Kevin Lin, winner
of the Atacama Crossing 2004, says confidentially, "I have
over 19 years of racing experience so I am excited, not nervous."
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Similarly for
Sandra McCallum, a veteran racer from Canada, she says she
gets into a meditative state before races because she knows
what lies ahead. She remembers her first event when she packed
3 months in advance, but now that she has done so many she
packs 3 days before and finds herself in an "even state" before
an event. |
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As competitors
go through the check-in process and compare notes with other
racers, the mood is clearly buoyant rather than tense. Racers
profess recent injuries and lack of training, all downplaying
their preparedness and confidence in what lies ahead. Some
are already exhibiting competitive streaks. During the check-in
process, weight and body fat is carefully measured and recorded.
As one racer watched his body fat percentage flash 18% on
the digital read-out, another peered over his shoulder and
said "aha, I am only 7%". |
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Returning racers
have come back with new strategies or things they are doing
slightly different. "This time I thought more intelligently
about food," says returning racer, Ben Ferguson who also says
that between his pack and himself, he is 20lbs lighter this
time around. For James Pethigal, it's all about the feet.
"I have different shoes and different socks." He says he has
spent months conditioning his feet with a special betadine,
salt and tea concoction working up to a 30 minute a day soak. |
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The race start
is now 20 hours away. The majority of racers has not only
checked-in but also has checked out this race's competitive
field. The general comment is this appears to be a strong
group, a lot of racers with serious experience returning or
coming for their first RacingThePlanet race. RacingThePlanet
Founder/CEO Mary Gadams says "On the one hand, I am excited
by the strong competitive field, in both the men's and women's
division. But on the other hand, this just means the staff
have to work that much harder to move the campsites each day."
By 11:30am, most have retired to their rooms for that last
shower and final rest before the buses depart with full police
escort to Camp Farafra. |
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Matt Chapman,
3-time RacingThePlanet racer from Australia, sums it up best
by saying he is "getting increasingly more eager just to get
out there and get started." |
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| “Volunteers
Along for their Own Journey” |
Cathy Cole/RacingThePlanet
September 22, 2005 |
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What
motivation lies behind an individual donating his time and
energy, in a remote location half-way around the world, to
support others about to run 150 miles? All volunteers seem
at first glance to fall into one of two categories. About
half have either been enticed to participate after crossing
Founder/CEO Mary Gadams’ path somewhere around the world
or they have come to live vicariously through the experience
of a friend, partner, sibling or child who is competing. Whatever
the reason, the facts are, they come from all over, are diverse
ages and backgrounds and hyped up about the adventure the
next 8 days will bring.
According to Gadams, she received over 60
applications from individuals wanting to be part of the volunteer
team for Sahara 2005, some even offering to pay for the privilege.
As with every race, she carefully sorted through the applications
and chose people in order to put together a diverse and experienced
team. Her goal is to have a team of individuals that best
mirror the diversity and backgrounds of the racers.
Some of the volunteers are veterans of a
RacingThePlanet event and others are getting the taste of
an extreme desert ultra marathon for the first time. Evelyn
Ferguson calls herself a RacingThePlanet groupie, having finished
the Atacama Race in 2004 and then returned to every race since,
as a volunteer. Zac Addorisio attributes his involvement to
a chance encounter with Mary in the Sahara desert back in
1999 during the Marathon des Sables. They met in the sands
of Morocco when Zac says, “We kept passing each other!”
Today he is playing a key role as the racers’ main point
of contact.
Even though her husband and daughter have
completed in multiple RacingThePlanet events as the only husband-daughter
team, Debbie Bloomer, from Alberta, Canada joins as a volunteer
for the first time. Her daughter Jodie, off to college this
fall, is absent this race so her husband Wade will run alone.
She claims she is “too much of a mother otherwise, so
this is a good race to step in and volunteer.” Sarah
Bauerle, from Pennsylvania, joins the staff to provide support
for her fiancé who is running in his first RacingThePlanet
event. She exclaims, “I have plenty experience being
his go-to girl at these types of events….plenty of experience
getting yelled at [by a racer]”.
Leslie Flaherty is brand new to volunteering
at sports events and her enthusiasm is contagious. She was
encouraged to participate by her husband St. John, who running
his second RacingThePlanet race, knows full well his wife
is a people-person and is perfect for this role. She explains
that doing this is just as much a growth and personal testing
experience for the volunteers as it is for the racers as she
says “it is important to step out of the box occasionally,
no matter how old you are, and take part in these adventures.”
Whether first-time or returning, the excitement
is palpable in the hotel training room. The volunteers are
clearly approaching their duties for the 7-day event, just
as a racer approaches the extreme athletic endeavor they are
about to embark on – as the chance to partake in an
incredible experience in incredible surroundings.
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