So we started out as normal on Thursday morning - me with a bit of a late start as I was taking my time with my morning rituals. I was at the very end of the pack, but quickly pushed up a few spots through the first leg of the stage to around 128 or so at CP1. It was a long 13.7km on a dirt road. Then, it was another 8+km to CP2 and things were going well. I was slow and steady and walked with a Texan named Will who works & lives in Malaysia now. We kept each other company, talked about everything, and motivated each other to push through at a constant 3+ mph pace. At CP3, I checked in and refilled my water getting ready for a very hot (it was already unbearably hot) 14km through sand, salt flats, and a giant sand dune through the Valle de Atacama. It was intense! I drank all of my water and Colin & I teamed up for the rest of the long day. The stage was really tough as temperatures and the UV went through the roof. My shin was feeling pretty good most of the day and I'm not sure if that was the result of Tylenol every 6 hours or that it's actually getting better. Either way, we arrived at the base of a HUGE sand dune that was very steep and we had to climb the bastard! Well, actually it wasn't as much of a bitch as it appeared to be, but it was still tough. I took 50 steps (I counted them), took a rest and a sip of water, then 50 more... repeat... until I got to the top. The view was incredible! The volunteer at the top told us we could see all 4 of the previous stages from there because we were so high and overlooking the whole Valle de Atacama. Who knows if that was really the case, but it was still amazing! We had a 2+km trek across the top of the ridge to the other side through very salty terrain. Again, I have lots of pictures! On the other side, it was a steep walk down a rocky, salty, sandy path to CP4 where we refilled once again. I relaxed a bit by raising my feet up and I had Riita capture the moment with my camera. :) As the sun started to set and the wind picked up (WOW! Did it pick up!) we pushed on another 13+km to CP5 - the rest CP. The intense wind brought us a sand/dust storm that we had to turn our backs to and squat so we didn't get pelted in the face with rocks & sand. It was also bringing in a super powerful electrical storm over the other side of the mountains. The light show we got while we trekked through the moonscape was awesome! Actually, Colin and I discussed that the views here are awesome - by true definition of the word. We arrived after a long 13+km to CP5 right around 9 pm. We relaxed, Colin shared some soup (tasted so good!) and we closed our eyes for a bit while we waited out the storm. Sam was there and told us that we couldn't leave until the lightning passed, so we took it easy. Around 10:45, we got anxious, packed up our gear and informed the staff we were leaving and we were quickly told to get into 4x4 trucks instead. What?!? We were taken to a bus and transported to our final destination of the day - Camp 6. We were told that there was worse weather moving in and it was a hard decision, but they had to pull everyone off the course. I was really disappointed! We got back around midnight and were told to just go to bed and await further information in the morning. We were 18km short of completing the full course! I didn't want to come home with a medal (they said we wouldn't be dq'd and we'd still be considered finishers) and know that there was roughly 12 miles I didn't set foot on. Thankfully and with full credit to the amazing staff, at 7:45 am, Sam woke us and told us that we had an option: 1) Go back out to CP5 or CP6 at 9 am and complete the course today or, 2) stay in camp and still be considered 'finishers' without the last 18km completed. So, without any hesitation, I jumped at the chance to board a 4x4 at 9 am and head to CP5 where Colin and I were pulled last night. So, after about 3 hours 20 minutes this morning, the two of us walked (along with everyone except 2 people that got pulled - not sure why they chose to stay in camp, but that's not my business), we finished last night's long stage! So... I'm proud to say that I have officially walked every inch of 143 miles and will joyfully stroll into San Pedro tomorrow probably around 11:30 am! Success! Pending a disaster in the next 16 hours, this race is done! Although I didn't run really at all or get anywhere near the time/place I was hoping for, I pushed through some wicked pain over the last 5 days, met some incredible people, and saw landscapes that only exist here in the Atacama. It honestly makes me tear up a bit thinking about this week. I can't wait to enjoy some pizza and a cold Coke tomorrow afternoon and some beers tomorrow night! I also can't wait to take a shower - Haha! My yellow shirt is disgusting, but I've worn it every day and I figure it's now my trademark so I'll where it one more time tomorrow! I'll update everyone sometime tomorrow afternoon with my final 7 miles and the finish line celebration. Thank you so much for all of the support, emails, and blog comments this week. It truly inspired me to push through the pain and claim the title 'Finisher' of the 2012 Atacama Crossing.

Yesterday was brutal! The hardest 'marathon' you could ever imagine. We started the day in bushes and muddy salt flats that, with every step, you'd sink. But, it got easier for a bit along a long dirt road. We made a left onto a dirt trail and headed out to some sandy dunes & rock/slate areas. It was incredibly hard to walk on. The dunes were intense! Some were so high that, if it weren't for others going before me, I would have been really scared to go down! I'm talking 30 plus feet high! Then we had to climb up the other side by digging in with our poles & hands. Crazy! But, pretty cool, too! My shin really started hurting along with the heat intensifying. It's around 90 or so degrees, but the UV is very intense! I spoke to my tent mate who did Sahara and he said tonight that although Sahara is hotter by degrees, this feels hotter! This is certainly a wicked environment! Colin and I finished together after many many more dunes. Then camp was beautiful! We were on top of a ridge that overlooked all the mountains and it was amazing! Also, we were right near Chile's largest observatory and I think the 2nd largest in the world. So cool! My appetite is still good and I was able to do the RCE part of 'RICE' last night for my shin - rest, compression, and elevation. This morning, it was feeling very good and at CP1 I took 1000mg of tylenol which helped a lot! Today was just as wicked as yesterday! There wasn't supposed to be any elevation, but we had 7 plus miles (my guess) of sand dunes and more of the shale shit to stumble across for the first 2 1/2 hours! However, the oasis that we walked past at the bottom of a canyon made the Grand Canyon look silly. We walked through the town of Tocanao and I got a pic of an old local woman. Ha! Then it was pure hell for 7 hours! The next 7 miles or so was flat flat flat rocks & sand to a tree line CP2. The trees were very unique and had giant thorns on the branches. I took pics! At CP2 we had to fill up completely with water because we had 8 or so miles of salt flats next in the dead of heat and no other resting spot. It was amazing, but really really hot! No clouds, salt flats as far as you can see, and a small trail to walk on. It still took me nearly 3 hours to get through and at EXACTLY 8 hours into today, my shin exploded with pain! Ugh! I pushed through to CP3, got some tylenol and Colin and I pushed through the last 2 miles together to camp - once again. He's my new Atacama buddy and we'll probably walk most of the long day tomorrow together. He's just a hilarious 60-year old British guy that has done incredible races all over the world. We get each other to the finish line each day after walking by ourselves for most of the day. It's really great! Camp tonight is really cool. We're next to 2 natural slightly-salty ponds that everyone jumped into. I went in up to my waist and then wiped down my legs and feet. It's crazy - aside from my shin, I feel perfectly fine. I'm not really sore and I still only have the 3 tiny blisters. I'm definitely going to slug through tomorrow and be done! I can't wait!!! In 30 hours or so, I hope to be finished (with the exception of 7 miles of flat road back into San Pedro on Saturday). I might not be able to get on a computer tomorrow because of it being the long day, but I will write as soon as I can. Thanks for all the messages, they mean so much!

Must keep it short tonight, I only have a few minutes. Today was long, hot and very tough! I am having a hard time with my shin, but I

Last night I had some freeze dried lasagna and some tea

Things here are good. Yesterday was interesting - we had a pre-race meeting at 8:00 am and then

So, the last day and a half has been interesting. It has been more surreal than anything, actually. The climate swings quite a bit - pleasant in the morning and evening with temps in the low 70`s and incredibly dry. However, around 1 pm, it gets very warm. Not hot necessarily, but warm. The issue though is the UV Index. While walking around town today, I found a rather interesting sign with a stoplight contraption attached to it. It was a UV sensor with a warning sign - green, yellow, orange, red, and purple. Purple indicating that the UV Index was dangerously high which, at 7500 feet of altitude in the desert, was (and from what I can tell always is) certainly the case. So, sunscreen is definitely my friend as will be a legionnaire

So, I was mistaken. The west coast of South America is actually two hours ahead of the east coast of North America! Talk about a hard lesson in geography! What's more interesting is traveling to places where, unless you know the language (Spanish in this case), it is rather troublesome to communicate & it certainly makes for a short learning curve. I will say that a smile goes a long way and I've been pleasantly surprised at how kind most people have been. Despite the incredible distance and time it takes to get here - not to mention multiple flights, different airlines, and varying dialects - I'd most certainly come back. First impressions are significant and I've enjoyed getting to know our sister continent. By the way, $140US and a little piece of paper (visa) stamped inside of my passport gives me entry into Chile for another 9 years! On the topic of dollars, Chilean Pesos currently trade at about $465 per US dollar. Seems like a bargain until what you thought was $1.89 can of Pepsi was actually $1,890 Pesos - ie. about $4US! Live & learn - when in Rome (or Chile), right? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the lack of sleep. I haven't had more than 15 minutes, but I'm not sure if it's the anticipation of the race, all the caffeine I've been consuming, or the simple fact that a cramped 737-800 and airport loudspeakers don't make for good environments to crash. That said, in an hour, I'll be boarding my third and final flight to Calama (800+ miles northeast of Santiago), then board the Lincancabur bus to San Pedro de Atacama - the starting & ending location for the race about 90 minutes southeast. I hope the Hotel Altiplanico lives up to my expectations. If you get a chance, check out their website - the place looks incredible! More to come once I'm at altitude and away from airports & jet fumes. Oh, and for anyone interested... Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and the infamous Cinnabon are all thriving here in Santiago. Let's hope the same holds true in San Pedro. I can't wait to indulge in the gooey, disgustingness of a Cinnabon at the end of the Atacama Crossing! Just kidding... maybe!?! Hasta luego!

So, as of the beginning of October, I have completed some tortuous events.  I really don't know what to expect when I get to Chile on March 1st.  The altitude scares me most.  I've never been above 6,000' of elevation and San Pedro de Atacama will be pushing 10,000'!  But, I've come to the conclusion that, if I can beat myself up physically over the next 5 months, my cardiovascular system should be able to deal with the decrease in oxygen.  Fingers crossed, at least!  

I also have been exploring different electrolyte replacement strategies, high calorie foods, endurance enhancing drinks, and overall hydration regimens.  After spending many days & nights on the Appalachian Trail over the last 3 years, I feel pretty comfortable with a lot of these things.  Cramping has been a concern in the past, but I think I've remedied that.  

I guess now it's just a matter of long-distance, multi-hour endurance races to prepare.  Unfortunately, it's turning cold in Virginia so my training environment will be a little different than the warm/hot desert in Chile.  

So far in September, I've pushed myself through 35 miles of kayaking, hundreds of miles of cycling, and well over a hundred miles of hiking/trekking. Now I'm gearing up for 2 marathons, 30+ miles of hiking, and a 50-mile trail run over the next 10 weeks.  

More to come... But, I'm glad to be blogging.  Comments & suggestions are welcome!