Hey all!! I did it!  We finished around noon with a huge love fest at the finish line.  The cool thing to do this week was run with your country flag.  I of course didn’t run with a flag, but I did get a photo with the Peruvian and American flag at the finish.  We were treated to thin crust pizza that were it not for my hunger and excitement would have surely tasted like cardboard.  But it was amazing.  I drank a few beers before showering and am now relaxing before our awards banquet.  I’ve looked through the stage photos on the web site and can’t believe I actually just did this event.  It was tough.  I’ve definitely reset my threshold on physical pain and mental toughness.  While I felt very prepared and physically capable during the event, my limiting factor was my feet.  The blisters were manageable and once you start moving their pain diminish.  I just had trouble getting through the bone and muscle pain in my feet.  I’ve never felt anything like that in my feet.  The terrain was nearly unbearable at times and all I could do was shuffle along, obvious by my slowing stage times.  I guess I didn’t do enough training on my feet, the problem with having a desk job!  Overall I’m very happy to have been stubborn enough to continue and finish this thing.  And though at tough spots during the hot conditions and terrible terrain I cursed the rocks I stepped on and the sun rays that reflected on my face and the race organizers for making it nearly impossible to continue, I did have thoughts of what another race like this might look like for me and can now say I enjoyed the experience…only because I did it and it’s over.  It’s over.  Thank you all so much for the well wishes and thinking of me during this.  There honestly were times that I didn’t quit because I knew you all were hoping I’d do well and I didn’t want to disappoint you.  I have lots of stories to tell and look forward to meeting up with you all and sharing.  Cheers from San Pedro de Atacama!

Erik

I did it!!  Well, only 7K left for tomorrow AM.  Yesterday was the long day 73.3K.  I was running across a salt flat during the heat of the day.  It was 118F.  The salt flats are bright white so the sun reflects back up onto your body.  It was the hottest and toughest thing Ive done.  13K of hell.  I also hiked along a thunderstorm for 3 hours for the next 13k stage.  It was night with a full moon so I could see the clouds rolling and the lightening striking.  With no artificial light I could see detail Ive never seen before in a storm.  It was amazing.  Unfortunately the course turned right into the storm and as I arrived at check point 5 it poured rain.  Yes it’s the driest desert in the world.  Supposedly.  I stopped for an hour to lie down, pop and re-bandage my foot blisters, and eat and as I prepared to leave that check point the race organizers withdrew the remaining competitors from the course because of the weather.  We were able to finish the last 19K today, which Ive now done so only 7K to go.  We get pizza at the finish line tomorrow! I have some serious crotch itch, white and pus-filled blisters on my feet, and chaffing.  My body got into a rhythm, poop in the morning, tolerated heat and salt hydration well, started about 2 hours of smelly farting around 3pm each day, and loved ambien and vicodin.  Vicodin saved me.  Many stories to follow.  Thanks for all the encouragement and following along.  See you soon!!

Erik

Im alive!!  Sorry for lack of update yesterday.  i was in a bad place.  My feet are destroyed and the only thing holding me back from finishing earlier each dsy (to get out of the sun).  But we`ve done 4 stages.  Tomorrow is the long stage.  45 miles or so.  Tomorrow is it.  Last day.  Sat is just a 10k.  Piece of cake!  The heat is brutal and the terrain horrific on the feet.  Salt flats today was like walking on glass bear foot.  Ive never done anything so difficult.  My feet hurt so badly I just shuffle along.  unfortunately Thom and Aaron quit.  Thom injured his feet but Aaron was going strong.  2 positives is that our tent now has more space and Aaron left me his vicodin.  I think between a half tab of vicodin and ambien I was apneic on a few occassions sleeping. 

What I wish I did differently:

-trained more race and terrain specific

-brought a huge sleeping pad

-brought pain pills

-brought less food (though my tent mates like my hand outs)

-used hiking poles

My tent mates are fun.  4 chileans on a team.  2 spanairds, who are near the lead.  One guy has bozo-the-colown hair, sings every morning, and runs around camp in his speedos.  Another has visits from his wife and they lie around the tent showing PDA.  The rest have completely shaved bodies.

The scenery is amazing!! Stories later...

You wont hear from me tomorrow because I`ll be hiking through the night.  Friday.

The test of will has started.  We had 4 river crossings today, which made my blisters worse.  I`ve never wanted anything to be finished so badly before in my life.  The day started wonderfully. The scenery for the first quarter was beautiful.  I didnt think it could be better than yesterday.  But the last 10K was brutal.  Hot, hot, hot.  The ground was so soft.  My feet would sink into soft holes.  There was one section that was a huge downhill sand dune.  It was like snow skiing.  My traps have never hurt so badly.  I lie in the tent for an hour after finishing and can barely move my arms.  by the end of the stage my hands were so swollen I thought I might cut off circulation in my wedding ring finger from the compression on my band.  Did I mention its hot!! There is a salt water lake right in front of me that I wish I could jump in were it not for needing to rinse with fresh water after.  They only give us 3 bottles of 1.5 L water at the end of the stage that must last until the first water stop the next day.  I brought way too much food.  My pack weighed in at 10 kilos, not bad but still too heavy.  Too nauseated to eat.  Right now I wish I could toss everything out. 

Tomorrow will be the test.  If my feet worsen I`ll be calling it quits.  We ran by San Pedro today and I dreamed of a cold shower, bed, and pisco sours.  I wont feel badly about pulling the plug either.  We`ll see!

Thanks for all the emails of encouragement.  I appreciate it!

I love you Jessica!!!

Erik

We are alive.  I made it to San Pedro on time with all my lugage.  The scenery from the bus ride was beautiful.  I kept thinking that was the best way to see the Atacama Desert.  San Pedro is a cute desert town catered for tourists that want to get dirty and spend a lot of money.  There are a few dirt roads that lead out of town...to nowhere.  Thom, Aaron, and I did a bit too much pre-race liver preparation, found a desert party somewhere outside of town and started the pre-race day with 2 hours of sleep and raging hangovers.  For the record, piscos sours in Peru are far better than in Chile.

We drove to the first camp site on Saturday.  10 guys to a tent, shoulder-to-shoulder, and already stinky.  Despite hundreds of years without rain, it poured the first night.  The tents are cloth canvas, not water proof, or resistant, just permmeable.  Nothing like starting the first stage dehydrated, tired, and wet.  And it is terribly cold!! Wow, I didnt expect that.  Fortunately I had ambien.  I slept for several hours before the rain filled out tent with water and the rocks beneath our sleeping bags hurt too badly.  Thom slept in a hole.

I finished the run today feeling strong, without cramps, and confident.  And I made a lot of urine.  Well hydrated.  I did get 2 huge blisters on heels.  Not good.  There popped and drained so I hope taping tomorrow works.  Im very happy I got new shoes though.  Id have quit had I used my old shoes.

The scenery is amazing.  Rainbows of Earthy colors wiith Andean white caps in the back ground.  The heat and wind is demoralizing.  Tents in camp fly apart. 

So far, so good.  I love you, Jessica!

Erik