Newsletter
Online Store
Login
RACE INFO
RACE INFO
RACE INFO
Atacama Crossing Blogs 2012
7
PostsAtacama Crossing (2012) blog posts from Rob Young
10 March 2012 10:15 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Hola! Ok, all done. Turned out to be a quick 7km last run this morning into town, through the cheering crowds and across the line to receive our medals, pizza and cold coke. Heaven. For four of us who were back after pulling out last year, it was particularly sweet - demons gone and all that. We're all back in our hotels now - having showers, shaving, having showers again, and gradually becoming human once again. Prizegiving banquet tonight and then everybody off to catch flights home in the morning. What a fantastic experience, I had a few dark moments in the first couple of days but came through the other end, so all good. Thanks again for all the messages and support. Awesome race!
09 March 2012 06:09 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Hi Everybody, well first of all I'm so sorry for not posting a message till now. Have been just too tired when I come in each day, just needed to lie down. Have just finished the long march (Stage 5), so just a little ceremonial run to San Pedro and the finish line tomorrow.Thank you for all the messages - much appreciated. Don't know what happened to Stage 3 time but I was the last one in that day, so the updater had probably gone to bed already. No time or energy to be funny but am done and am safe, so all good. See you all soon.And by the way, never again, never again, never again. Somebody invite me to go golfing.
Comments: Total (9) comments
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 01:42 pm
awesome, awesome, awesome!!! way to go FT! what's next besides coast to coast?!!!
see you soon to celebrate!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 12:58 pm
Rob, absolutely fantastic achievement mate - truly awesome to have nailed it. It was only 6 weeks ago that we were all chatting over brunch about it and now its a done deal. Inspirational - many congratulations and look forward to having a beer to celebrate. 8 - } xx
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 10:21 am
Woohoo! Enjoy the home strait 10k. You deserve that medal!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 09:51 am
Congrats Rob. Good on ya! Your smile finishing stage 5 said it all. Fantastic achievement yet again. Safe trip back and you mentioned "never again, never again, never again." WHERE IS THE LOCATION OF THIS RACE? ;)
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 07:21 am
Fantastic achievement Rob, got a bit worried a couple of times when your time was not listed but great to see that you made it, just a gentle stroll to the finish now. Clare & Phoebe will be in Shanghai next week - if you see them there's a very well deserved beer for you. One question though - what were you wearing on your legs??
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 05:23 am
Great stuff Rob! Looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back to Kerry Sports.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 04:47 am
Congratulations - absolutely fantastic. Very very happy for you. We're feeling very tired just thinking about it and all we did today was a walk up One Tree Hill!!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 03:28 am
What an achievement! Well done! Never again huh? We'll see how long that lasts!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 02:51 am
That is awesome news your through stage 5.. nothing will be difficult after you finish this event.
We never doubted you would finish. A hell of an achievement ... Safe travels home to Shanghai.
01 March 2012 08:07 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
After a 36 hour journey from Shanghai and an overnighter in Santiago, I have now arrived at San Pedro de Atacama - the official meeting point for the race. San Pedro is very cool - narrow dusty lanes, adobe walls, multicolored blankets and stray dogs, just what you would expect a small Chilean village in the mountains to be.
Visitors here almost exclusively seem to be long haired, unshaven backpackers on a shoestring - wearing dirt encrusted t-shirts, rainbow coloured baggy pants, and sandals - the rigidly enforced dress code for backpackers all over the world. The locals are similar except they have darker hair, darker skin, speak Spanish, and to their great credit wear jeans instead of those ridiculous rainbow coloured baggy pants.
In this environment I sashayed through town this afternoon in my neatly pressed bermuda shorts and blue cashmere sweater, smelling of Johnsons peach scented body wash.
"Hola" (Spanish for hello) is rolling off my tongue quite fluently now, and this monumental linguistic accomplishment could well be making some people think I might be a local, unless they are either particularly astute observers or waitresses watching me get into a fluster as I search the menu for something that looks remotely familiar. Fortunately many restaurants have adopted the original English names for several dishes, like quesadillas, tortillas and paella for example. You'd think the Spanish would have their own words for these sorts of things by now wouldn't you?
Right then, this is my last update until the race gets underway, at which point the length of my postings will become proportional to my level of bubbliness. Which means you can expect no more than a couple of sentences by the end of the first day, petering out to single words and possibly even just a couple of random letters by the end.
Away we go ...
Comments: Total (24) comments
Posted On: 09 Mar 2012 11:39 pm
Only one day to go, Rob. I walked for 6 hours today, balmy weather, zero altitude, flat roads and my feet are killing me. I don't know how you've done it, you're absolutely amazing!
Posted On: 09 Mar 2012 12:14 pm
Nearly there Rob! Keep going x
Posted On: 09 Mar 2012 11:49 am
Hope you made it to the end of day 5 before they closed the route :o) Rest those feet well for the final attack!!! t xxx
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 04:02 pm
Rob,your almost at the end.. I can feel it and im sure you can.CP1 down, your pain is going,as you,ll not feel it next week because you,ll be at the pub having a pint. only a few more hours.Anyway, you'll not see this until tomorrow night.Rap your feet and get on with the job.Only a few more km to go.. Easy! You don't want to go back;)
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 03:38 pm
thinking of you marching along as all us lazy shanghai folk go to bed! sorry your feet are feeling the strain. just keep in mind that you're nearly there! :o) t. xxx
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 11:51 am
Long March day! Good luck Rob, 20 hours from now and you'll be done..Your on the starting line as I type this. I'll be glued all day/night on your stages.One foot at a time and don't let the top guns give ya shite!!! (I think I mentioned already :) Hey, great swimming pool at the camp site!!
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 04:17 am
You were missing in action Rob! Great to see stage 4 is done, your some man, fantastic job, well done you. You were the topic of conversation in the Pub last night! Dave and Patrick send their best to you.John Coyle also ( email) hope you feel over the moon. I hope your taking no shite from anyone about you leggings!!Dee say's hi.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 03:35 am
thank god, there you are! we were starting to think they had misplaced you or something... 2/3rds of the way there! keep chugging along!!! t. xxx
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 12:52 am
I'm so proud of you, Rob! Four down, two to go. Can't wait for the blog update once it's all over.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2012 12:43 am
Hi Rob .. Panic was setting in for us in Shanghai because the site did not show you finishing stage 3. Now we can see you finished stage 4. Legendary status is just two stages away. One hour at a time and one stage at a time .. Best of luck over the next two days. I think this is a done deal with two stages to go .. Best of luck ..
Posted On: 07 Mar 2012 05:27 pm
Well done on Stage 3. You appear to have stayed under the radar without no time recorded, but still in the race. Good job - 2 more days of this and you should win.
Sounds like a tough day with a slight 30degree incline at the end. Couldn't they find something harder?
Keep on trucking. DC Liz and Steve
Posted On: 07 Mar 2012 02:11 pm
howdy!!! bit confused that your stage 3 time is not up on the website but hoping it's just a blip in the system! c'mon rob! t. xxx
Posted On: 07 Mar 2012 12:12 am
Hi Rob,
Keep going!!! Best of luck to achieve what you are starting out to do. We are all sending you good vibes from the Kerry but you are a long way away so I'm not sure how that works! I hope you use our little words of encouragement to go that extra step! See you back in 'sunny' Shanghai soon, with not too many blisters!
All the best,
Romayne
Posted On: 06 Mar 2012 06:17 pm
Well done you Rob! Your on stage three as I write this. Two top guns have just pulled out I see. Head down as it looks like you may have 11/12hours to do today.(6hrs in!!) How's the tan come'n on? :) Feet up,rest,rest and take no shite from the guys up front ;) I belive today is the worst so look forward to tomorrow. O'boy, you have some explaining to do about those leggings!! So much for a tan .... :) enjoy the coffee!
Posted On: 06 Mar 2012 05:11 pm
go you good thing!
Posted On: 06 Mar 2012 10:22 am
Go - GI Joe - Go!! Ken & Barbie asked me to send their best wishes too. Hurry up and finish so we can all stop worrying. xoxo
Posted On: 06 Mar 2012 08:04 am
Good job - now remember, 3 freeze dried meals a day, plus a can of peaches. Don't be tempted into catching lizards for dinner. Pace yourself , redemption is only 250km away. Your C2C coach, Steve
Posted On: 06 Mar 2012 07:15 am
2 stages down...nearly halfway!
keep going rob!!!
t. xxx
Posted On: 05 Mar 2012 09:17 am
Well Done Rob, one step at a time and all will be well.
Take Care
Posted On: 05 Mar 2012 07:59 am
hey rob! we were checking on your progress at the gym this morning! :o) keep the shufflin' up, try to avoid those pesky blisters and keep us updated when you can - GOOD LUCK!!! t. xxx
Posted On: 04 Mar 2012 12:07 am
All the best Rob! Can't believe that I was just north of you two weeks ago, what a shame I couldn't stay on to support you. Your blog is brilliant, very entertaining! Looking forward to the single word updates.
Love Janine
Posted On: 03 Mar 2012 03:23 pm
Hola Einstein - seems you've almost assimilated in and gone totally local! Don't forget to come back though. Your family loves you, I assume ....... Re language, you might also try uno bottla cerveza, but only after you finish! Do they have happy hour over there? Go hard!!!
Posted On: 03 Mar 2012 10:55 am
Good luck Rob! I'll be with you every step of the way from my comfy sofa in the UK.
Laughed so much reading your blog, promise me that when this is over, you take up a career as a travel writer! I'd pay to read it! Viv x
Posted On: 03 Mar 2012 03:17 am
Best o'luck Rob. We'll be with ya every steep of the way... The hard part is behind you now, 7 more days and your done! You,ll have a nice tan out of it. Raining here in Shanghai.
16 February 2012 03:36 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Looking in the mirror last night I noticed for the first time a teensy bit of muscle definition in my left calf. This was a very exciting discovery and represents a major milestone in my race preparation. After a bit of trial and error I discovered that if I faced away from the mirror, raised my left heel, and clenched my lower leg as hard as I could, then it looked it's best. I quickly put on my best cycling shorts, sauntered very casually into the lounge pretending nothing was out of the ordinary, then quick as a flash spun around, clenched my lower leg, looked at my wife over my shoulder and said, "Notice anything?". I won't repeat exactly what she said, I found it a bit offensive to be honest, let's just say it wasn't the answer I was looking for. Training-wise I did quite a big session last weekend and hope to do the same this weekend before spending the final two weeks getting into a positive frame of mind. I stay positive by repeatedly chanting, "... I won't screw it up ... I won't screw it up ... I won't screw it up ...".
Comments: Total (5) comments
Posted On: 29 Feb 2012 09:32 am
Well I am surprised that your wife is able to say anything. I think she is playing you very coy - don't be surprised if she is at the finish line with pompoms.
Ps - I think standing on one leg on the flight to A could help develop the other calf. Gurney says 'train hard - u won't get these days back.
LC
Posted On: 29 Feb 2012 08:32 am
You're going to skip through this so easily that you'll be wondering what to do next when you pass the finish line. You'll be the guy doing a few extra star jumps over to the side. Update you'r blog. It's been 13 days!
Posted On: 29 Feb 2012 02:41 am
I could have sworn you had two of those muscle things when we say you in January and were looking like the fittest retired publican in the world. GOOD LUCK old boy. We'll be following you. Rick and Jane XXXX
Posted On: 28 Feb 2012 01:57 pm
i had a muscle once. cc is pretty sure though i got it by bumping into the side table.....anyhow, in your case, all that rice carrying will surely pay off! atacama, watch out! we're all rooting for you and will be watching you! keep us updated and have a great time--jiayou!!
Posted On: 16 Feb 2012 11:52 pm
Hey Rob, not long now and we will all be hoping those muscles get us through the desert..... I have been looking at my knees and hoping they hold up .... as I am crawling in each night..ha ha ha.....ohh arhh that might not be a joke!! Take care good luck with all the Squishing and sqashing in the backpack by the way no more tears save them for the desert
Sandy Suckling
29 January 2012 12:30 pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
I'm very impressed with my OMM 32L pack - a good size, although I still seem to have trouble fitting everything in. Trying to get 100 items of assorted sizes and shapes into a neat and tidy order is tricky work and my daughter's annoying insistence on helping made it even worse - in fact last night the two of us got so frustrated with the whole task that it ended in tears. Finally my wife, ever the disciplinarian, stormed into the lounge and shouted, "That's enough! Stop crying, stop stamping your feet on the floor, stop throwing your toys around the house. Stop it now!" Then she turned to my daughter and said, "And the same goes for you!" It has also been the time for small "race specific" preparations that distinguish true professionals like myself, and I have just had a very productive two weeks in New Zealand. I spent quite a lot of time on the sunny beaches for the sole purpose of familiarizing myself with the sand conditions we will face in Chile. Several days I lay on it for hours and hours, just to adapt. I have also begun a cultural immersion program - specifically learning Spanish. Again, with the "race specific" focus of the professional that I am, rather than general conversation I am concentrating on the phrases which I am most likely to actually need during the race. This includes things like, "Help ... help me ... please help ..." and "Excuse me Sir, did you see which way the other people went?" and "Hello amigo, how much for a ride on your donkey?". I am confident that my very serious and very detailed preparations will reap dividends during the race.
Comments: Total (5) comments
Posted On: 27 Feb 2012 11:24 am
Among your "need to know" phrases, don't forget "No mas!"
Xiao xin!
Posted On: 10 Feb 2012 07:37 pm
hey there Rob - cant wait to meet you in the Atacama - you fellow Kiwi - i will try not to call you a jaffa!!!!. I love your sense of humour, and I'm glad your training is going as well as mine. As a retired publican do you have any contacts for dehydrated wine?????? cheers Megan
Posted On: 08 Feb 2012 02:29 am
If you can't fit it into your 32L backpack don't take it Rob!!!!
Posted On: 08 Feb 2012 02:14 am
Reading between the lines I feel fear ... You will finish and get back on your bike ... Team Wilier Shanghai needs you ..
Posted On: 30 Jan 2012 01:15 pm
LOL. Cannot wait until the next one. Looking forward to meeting you in Chile.
10 January 2012 05:08 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
My training has begun in earnest. My race pack should weigh around 12kg, so rather than train with a lighter weight like I did last time, I am training with a heavier weight this time. I have experimented using different things in the pack - the round weights from a dumbbell are hopeless because they roll to one side and pull me awkwardly to the right (or left) as I walk ... um ... I mean run. Bottles of water are also hopeless because they slosh around and also roll to one side. Exhaustive trial and error has resulted in a 10kg bag of rice as being my filling of choice. It's heavy, it's just the right size, it moulds nicely to my back, and it doesn't move around. Then one bulky jacket to make it look good and a couple of bottles of water on the straps bring it to a perfect 15kg. I use long grain organic white rice, but other types would probably work just as well.
15kg does of course feel surprisingly heavy - the first time I put it on, I staggered backwards, tripped over the sofa, and possibly looked a little bit silly trying to get up again. Fortunately my daughter was the only witness and when she stopped laughing I swore her to absolute silence. Those of you with daughters will know that the way you do this is to link little fingers, sing a rhyme (something to do with turning into a dog) and touch thumbs. This is ten year old girls' equivalent of the mafia's omert
Comments: Total (5) comments
Posted On: 14 Feb 2012 08:20 am
Hi Rob. Great to read your training techniques. Dave has passed me the bag of rice you left at his place in NZ, so I"m trying for my next C2C. Do you have any tips on diet? Have u considered an all lettuce menu for the race? I guess it would be light and your wife wouldn't miss it from the pantry. Your mate, Peter Rabbit, was raving about it the other day. Lettuce rocks.
Remember to 'love the sand' - it is afraid of you. gobi Warrior
Posted On: 15 Jan 2012 03:50 pm
Great post, Rob! Sounds like you are making good progress. I also love running stairs in Chinese high-rises. Just be careful though. Once when I was running up the stairs in my building I was so focused on my feet that I almost ran into a neighbor's grandmother carrying out the garbage!
Posted On: 14 Jan 2012 03:24 pm
i can totally picture samantha doing that. hahaa! well, at least you're training w a pack that's vegan/cc approved! and a 12kg pack? what new stuff are you packing? crazy. looking forward to your next entry!
Posted On: 13 Jan 2012 07:49 pm
Dear Rob, try to take your wife with on your workouts, than she will feel with you! My girl friend is often out with me, and she is already cheering for AC! I already told Shrimathi that I am also running with rice in my backpack. It seems to be THE method. Since we don't have so huges bags in Europe (10 kg! I can't imagine how it looks like ...), I added polenta packs, an italian corn sort. Here in Switzerland we have a lot of mountains, so I don't need to look for stairs ... See you there!
Posted On: 12 Jan 2012 01:55 pm
I'm laughing so much Rob, love your writing :) BTW, isn't brown rice the healthier option? See you in the Atacama!
03 January 2012 08:09 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Hurray, I have finally signed up officially to do Atacama 2012. I was a starter at Atacama 2011, but pulled out on the second day because I was absolutely knacke
Comments: Total (2) comments
Posted On: 05 Jan 2012 09:58 am
Your some flower!! Best o'luck and wish I could do it with you. Don't bring any jam jars on this trip!!
Posted On: 03 Jan 2012 03:04 pm
Rob - Loved reading your first blog entry for the year. It will be fabulous having you at the event again and, yes, I think that conversation with your wife DID go well! :) Alina
Comments: Total (13) comments
Posted On: 27 Mar 2012 07:30 am
Posted On: 13 Mar 2012 02:32 am
Posted On: 13 Mar 2012 01:32 am
Posted On: 12 Mar 2012 12:20 am
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 02:53 pm
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 01:02 pm
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 03:46 am
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 02:57 am
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 02:54 am
Posted On: 11 Mar 2012 12:33 am
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 09:36 pm
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 09:24 pm
Posted On: 10 Mar 2012 07:22 pm