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Atacama Crossing Blogs 2016

Troy Byers

9

Posts

Atacama Crossing (2016) blog posts from Troy Byers

07 October 2016 12:13 pm (GMT-04:00) Santiago

Hey everyone.

Comments: Total (5) comments

Trish Winter

Posted On: 09 Oct 2016 11:52 am

Bravo! What an amazing adventure.

Laura Gayvert

Posted On: 08 Oct 2016 10:50 pm

Congratulations!! You are amazing! So proud of and amazed by your strength the and perseverance. Tomorrow there will be beer and rest... And hopefully a shower. :)

Bethany Buck

Posted On: 08 Oct 2016 02:33 am

Nicely done, my friend! You are a rock star!

Karen Kennerly

Posted On: 08 Oct 2016 02:11 am

Congratulations babe!! You are AMAZING!!!! Love you!!

Tyler Fox

Posted On: 08 Oct 2016 01:23 am

Way to go Troy!!!! That's amazing. You should be crazy proud of yourself!! I am in awe of your crazieness. ; )

05 October 2016 02:12 am (GMT-04:00) Santiago

Hi everyone!

Comments: Total (8) comments

Laua Gayvert

Posted On: 07 Oct 2016 03:24 pm

You are amazing and we are amazed by you. Push through!!

Amanda Haddock

Posted On: 07 Oct 2016 02:11 am

Finish strong, Troy! I can't wait to hear all about this awesome adventure. You are truly an inspiration!!

Amy Melle

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 05:25 pm

You've got this Troy! It can't be worse than Roanoke Mountain or Peakwood at the Blue Ridge Marathon, right? Seriously, sending good vibes positive thoughts your way.

Tyler Fox

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 05:23 pm

Home stretch Fabrizzio! Home Stretch! May there be showers and beer waiting for you at the end of this ordeal. Can't wait to hear the full details.

Lisa Belasco

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 01:41 pm

Troy, I have decided that I can no longer call you the Mayor of Payne Street. From now on, you are the WARRIOR of Payne Street. (And yes, we will continue to claim you even though you went and moved away.) Great job powering through such unimaginably difficult conditions. I can't even imagine... Stay strong! Lisa

Brian Buck

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 01:29 pm

You got this man!

Beth Buck

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 12:20 pm

GET IT, TROY!!! HOME STRETCH!!

Karen Kennerly

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 03:33 am

You continue to be an inspiration to everyone babe. I can't imagine how difficult this has been but you are doing it!! Only two more stages to go!! Feel free to bring home any cute Chilean pups that need homes too:-) love you!

04 October 2016 09:42 am (GMT-04:00) Santiago

Hi all, stage 3 complete.

Comments: Total (9) comments

Keith Byers

Posted On: 06 Oct 2016 12:13 am

You are amazing brother. Hang in there but continue to evaluate yourself and be smart. I want to hear some good stories in a room with beer and a dart board.

Cindy Bruce

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 04:59 pm

I'm so impressed with all the amazing things you've done so far, it's quite the feat! What you're doing is incredible!! Sending you all manner of good vibes and tons of encouragement!!

Alex Bargh

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 04:55 pm

What day is it? It's HUMP Day! So you are more than 1/2 way after today. Congratulations on your adventure and know that everyone is amazed at what you have accomplished.

Dori Ames

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 04:46 pm

You are one badass! This is such an incredible feat of endurance, I'm so impressed.

Karen Kennerly

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 04:39 pm

Hang in there babe, you can do this!! You are stronger and tougher than any terrain you might cross. I'm SO proud of you, no matter how the race ends. I'll echo your poster in the basement, DIG DEEP! You can do it!! I love you!

Monica JustAmarathonrunner

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 02:40 pm

You are doing well!! Keep up the good work!! Half way through already! Cold beers are closer - day by day, step by step! Keep walking/running!

Tyler Fox

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 01:23 pm

Troy, just as everyone else says, you are amazing! I can't believe you even signed up for this, let alone you're out there doing it. Looking forward to hearing about your new, intimate relationship to sand. Halfway through!! You're doing great!

Rebecca Wulffen

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 12:26 pm

Amazing, Troy! What you're doing is truly awesome!

Beth Buck

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 12:00 pm

I can't imagine what your mind and body are going through right now. Know that we are all so proud of what you've accomplished, and cannot wait to hear all about it in person once you get back - whether that's after 3 stages or all 6. You're incredible, Troy!!!

03 October 2016 12:28 pm (GMT-04:00) Santiago

Hi everyone.

Comments: Total (9) comments

Dutch Byers

Posted On: 05 Oct 2016 02:08 am

Just remember - Pain is weakness leaving the body! Good Luck Bro - ur Awesome!!

Karen Kennerly

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 08:17 pm

We're all behind you babe!! I've been posting pics from the race on FB and everyone keeps asking how you are! I'm so excited for you and so proud of you!! This is an amazing experience and accomplishment!! Love you!!

Alex Bargh

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 12:40 pm

Congrats on completing Stage #2. Tomorrow you can enhance your keyboard challenges as we are all excited to hear about your adventure. :)

Lisa Belasco

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 12:30 pm

I'm reading it, too! So impressed that you are doing this, Troy! Glad to hear that you are feeling better.

Beth Buck

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 12:21 pm

Hang in there T-Bone!! You're *amazing*!! We're definitely rooting for you, and know you can do it!

Brian Buck

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 12:21 pm

You're a bad-ass man bro! Keep pushing and keep posting when you can.

Laura Gayvert

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 11:13 am

We are reading. You are running. You win! Too bad you don't have voice-to-text. :). We are the wind beneath your wings! Hope your sand deflection foot-garb didn't melt. Keep going!!

Anne McClain

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 01:53 am

I'm reading this! Great work Troy keep pushing forward!!!

Tyler Fox

Posted On: 04 Oct 2016 01:13 am

Wrong! I'm reading! Keep it up buddy! Sorry to hear about the rough start, take car of yourself!

02 October 2016 05:06 am (GMT-04:00) Santiago

Hi All,

Comments: Total (1) comments

Laura Gayvert

Posted On: 03 Oct 2016 11:26 pm

Hang in there Troy! That's a rough way to start, but hopefully you'll get a great nights sleep tonight and feel ready to go tomorrow. I don't need to tell you what you need to do because Lord knows you know better than I do just know that we are all behind you and rooting for you and think what you were doing is truly amazing. Love ya! Sleep tight !

21 September 2016 04:12 am (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)

Comments: Total (8) comments

Anne McClain

Posted On: 29 Sep 2016 11:26 am

Checking in!! Go Troy cheering you from Pittsburgh

Robert McClain

Posted On: 29 Sep 2016 11:15 am

Good luck Troy!

Trish Winter

Posted On: 28 Sep 2016 10:17 am

Good luck!

Troy Byers

Posted On: 26 Sep 2016 12:05 am

Thanks Keith!

Keith Byers

Posted On: 25 Sep 2016 11:44 pm

Cheering you on brother.

Troy Byers

Posted On: 25 Sep 2016 08:12 pm

Thanks Laura! Tim, the gaiters are glued to the soles on the side. I'm hoping the glue holds out in the heat and sand. Trying to keep as much sand out of my shoes as possible. They are a very light nylon.

Tim Hammack

Posted On: 25 Sep 2016 05:10 pm

Do your gaiters wrap the soles of your shoes? Those may technically be "very thin rubber rain boots" rather than gaiters! (Gaiters are a band around the lower leg that covers the shoe or boot mouth). All the same, considering how much of a heckling I received from the wife when I chose to wear a passport-money-belt, designed to be worn around the neck, which gave the appearance of me having... "junk in the hood"... I should cut you some slack about choosing efficacy over fashion!

Laura Gayvert

Posted On: 25 Sep 2016 04:10 pm

Those boots are fetch

20 September 2016 11:36 am (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)

test

Comments: Total (4) comments

Troy Byers

Posted On: 21 Sep 2016 04:05 am

I think Ann and I were assigned the same username and she did the test. Therefore, I have no idea if it worked! Corn nuts. Got it. That might just make me hungry, but I'll roll with it. Not trying to put on any extra weight, though I'm still eating at peak training levels even though I am tapering down, so probably throwing on a few pounds. And Tim, save that quote for later; I just tonight booked my ticket to East Africa. Climbing Kilimanjaro in January!

Tim Hammack

Posted On: 20 Sep 2016 08:58 pm

And, if you truly find you cannot take another step, think about that leopard Hemingway described, its carcass dried and frozen, close to the western summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. "No one has explained what it was seeking at that altitude." -Ernest Hemingway, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"

Matt Tomashek

Posted On: 20 Sep 2016 05:52 pm

I'm guessing (maybe incorrectly) that part of training involves putting on extra weight which you know you will lose during the run... Or is that more for cold weather events? I will pass on a piece of advice I learned during my high school wrestling days, when it seems you can't go another step "Think Corn-nuts!" I have no idea what it means, but it seemed to work...

Tim Hammack

Posted On: 20 Sep 2016 02:41 pm

Did the test pass?

13 September 2016 01:51 am (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)

i finally got out for a problem training run; ran a marathon in all my gear with heat index over 100 degrees (F)/ about 38 degrees (C), I think. Went well though I realized some changes I must make to my pack. I haven't run for more than 4 hours in a while, and realized that the long time out there in the heat and humidity took a mental toll on me. Hoping that the beauty of the Atacama keeps my mind of the misery.

Comments: Total (0) comments

01 September 2016 03:05 am (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)

Suppose I better start this thing as time is slipping away.

Comments: Total (3) comments

matthew kroehler

Posted On: 13 Sep 2016 07:21 pm

Troy, Are you currently in the Washington DC area? Atacama will also be my first 4deserts race. I live and work in DC. If you're still in town and want to get together or chat sometime, I'd welcome the opportunity. I've been figuring most of the stuff out on my own. See you in San Pedro. Matthew

Troy Byers

Posted On: 13 Sep 2016 01:56 am

Thanks Mathieu. That helps. I got out for a training run in a marathon this weekend with hot and humid weather. My pack is heavier than yours, I think, but I'm trying to keep it light. I bet Iceland was wonderful. See you in San Pedro. Safe travels!

Mathieu Deliens

Posted On: 12 Sep 2016 09:07 am

Hi, I am not really a veteran but I ran the Iceland one 3 years ago. If I had any advice before the race: 1) pack light, mandatory item + sleeping mat to isolate yourself from the cold. My pack will be around 7kg. 2) Get some gaiters to aovid the sand/debris getting in your shoes. The raidlight ones are good 3) Don't forget earplugs given the amount of snoring in the tent at night. 4) Poles (that is a very personal one (many will disagree) because I am French and we use It quite a lot in Europe), but even if I intend to run most of the race, it helps a lot on flats/slope to release weight from your quads (transfer 30% energy into your upper body. Good to see that you have the chance arrive in altitude before the race, that will help a lot. I will just arrive the day before the start, so see you there.