Hello world! 

It's been a long time since I've blogged, or written long form content. The last time I blogged here was 9 years ago - since Racing the Planet: Patagonia, my last RTP race. 

In 2012 I found the RTP races and originally intended to do the Sahara and Atacama races to qualify for Antarctica. Sahara had the Valley of the Whales, which as a paleontologist was a must see, and Atacama just sounded all sorts of epic. So what happened instead, of course, was I repeatedly got distracted by Roving Races - specifically Iceland (2013), Ecuador (2015), and Patagonia (2017). I planned to do Atacama in 2020, thinking I'll finally get going on my Antarctica qualification plane, but that got a tad curtailed by global and events. I'm definitely feeling fortunate that I can now qualify for Antarctica by way of the roving races I've completed. 

A lot has changed for me in the last 9 years. For one, I more confidentially call myself a runner now. I'm still somewhere at the back of the pack typically, and I still get overtaken by the competitive walkers at Auckland Trail Series events if I'm doing the mid distance, but I'm definitely a runner. 
I've also gained a lot more experience across different distances. I know what works and what doesn't to a fair degree (mini donuts definitely work even if not tested prior to race day, as does a nice cup of English Breakfast tea). 

At the same time, some things haven't changed. I still wear Inov8 shoes (and don't even question the minimalism that much at the end of a long training session), I still have multiple spreadsheets for gear and food, and I overthink every possible situation to try and prepare for every possible angle. While I haven't had my usual pre-stage race anxiety dream (there's always been one; in the past it's been forgetting a piece of mandatory equipment or coming last and missing cutoff) there's still time for that. 

I'm thoroughly looking forward to this adventure and everything it brings me. This is a chance to achieve a dream I've had since I was 9, and a dream race I've wanted to do since 2012. I can't wait!