Atacama Crossign 2013 is completed. A great finish today in San Pedro after a short but fast 6 mile stage into town from camp. Lots of vibe & emotion at the end, everyone stoked to be back & in one piece (kind of). All look sunburnt & battered which I think is a great look. Pizza & beer wasa  fitting feed after a calorie depleting week in the boonies living off freeze dried food & snacks.
Awards ceremony tonight & should be fun. I have already seen a few racers in town after a shower & I hardly recognise them, should be funny.
Congrats to all starters & finishers & the excellent hard working crew that nursed us through the last 160 miles of sand, salt, rocks & water....Epic!

Hohaly moly! Stage 3 completed in a round about 6 hours....tough, tough, tough. We were introduced to crud today which is a cross between crusty salt pan & mud that has formed into a kaos of holes, splits & mounds. its almost impossible to run on properly without rolling your ankles 7 twisting your knees....very frustrating stuff. i fell a couple times & twisted my right knee a good one which might give me some strife tomorrow. The crud led to sand & spinifex scrub, again very hard to run on. The sun is really beating today as well. yesterday we had 43 C. today feels hotter. After some more crud we got into some big dune country after check point 3. Tough going & leading on to a high scarp that was very sharp rocks & feeling fully exposed to the beating sun. At the end of the scarp we had to slide down a big dune into the canyon then traverse about 1/2 mile down the canyon with the walls looming either side & hot as an oven. To get out was a very tough scramble up a dune of very fine sand, it really was the one step forward one step back scenario. By this time i was feeling totally obliterated & it was a true grind to get up that dune, was seeing a few stars at the top. A couple miles later at a large rock outcropping looming over the landscape I passed one of the film crew who told me it was only a couple miles to camp. They top up my water bottles & let me go. That last couple miles into camp 3 was brutal, by this time it was getting close to 14:00 & extremely hot. after climbing a massive dune I could see the camp off in the distance but the trail there was circuitous & tough as nails. After climbing at a snails pace out of the big dune country the trail led then back down to the canyon floor with a technical route through the bottom before another tough climb out. If that wasnt enough grind just before the finish line was another drop down then a sandy climb out to th finish. I have no shame in saying i was totally wrecked after that stage. My feet are very sore from sliding around in the shoes on th euneven ground & i must have used every single leg muscle today keeping balance on the crud & sand. I think i got 14th postion today so at least i am staying consistent. I really needto recover this afternoon & evening so i am ready for tomorrows stage. After that the 5th day is the Long March of around 45 miles so thats going to kick everyones butt. Thats the way it is. sore but happy. See you all later....

Stage 1 is in the books....A good day to introdue myself to stage racing. About 21 miles under the belt in 3 hours 40 minutes or so. 14th spot i think? the start was at 8am & very cool after a chilly night so it was nice to get unerway & make some heat with the cardio engine. The course was fairly diverse for today but the main theme was gibber rocks on vast flood plains river deltas. difficult footing when you are carrying a +20 pound pack so i experienced a lot of rolled ankles. I am using trekking poles convinced that they are really helping for balance & getting over rougher parts of the course. the hardest part of the run was always being in oxygen starvation from the +10,000 feet elevation. At times it felt like i was suffocating & had to back off the pace until I had caught my breathe again. The landscape is vast & at one point i could see miles to every horizon 7 no body but my own soul traversing the landscape, it was cool feeling & mademe feel very small & insignificant. Its difficult in this very arid enviroment to tell how much you are sweating so youu need to be on top of hydration 7 replacement of electrolytes on a constant basis. Towards the end of the stage there was a long 4 mile climb through a stifling canyon. the grade wasnt to steep but enough that i couldnt keep a constant run pace 7 resorted to walking. The last aid station was at the top 7 it was downhill for the last 3 miles into camp 2. i could see the tnet city in the distance but it never seem to get closer. It was well glad Aussie to see the finish line for the day after rounding a snadhill. have spent the afternoon chilling out 7 recovering while hanging out with th erest if the racers near the finish line to cheer everyone over. Time for some eveing calories 7 wait for the evening chill to come down then it will be a long sleep in the bag until tomrorows round up & off for stage 2....cheers!

Howdy all races, staff & support crew. I have made it to San Pedro de Atacama & enjoying the vibe around this pleasant little town. Beait weather & not to hot. I was amazed I didnt lose anything in transit. I managed to take most of my stuff into the plane cabin but had to check everything for the Santiago to Calama flight. It was a tight connection so made it onboard about a minue before they departed. I figured theer was no way my luggage would make it but there it was at the other end. Spending the day eating & resting. Only a couple sleeps now until we head off into the unknown. YEH! about time I say. Lets go....

After laying all my gear out on the floor to check off I stood back & mused about how it would be possible to fit it all in my pack. I was pleasantly surprised to find after some gentle persuasion & re-arranging, viola! It all went in. Its not pretty but that dont matter.... I will try & take my whole pack into the plane cabin with me as I have an uncanny knack of having my luggage lost by airlines. One time I lost a bag between Copenhagen & Miami & it turned up 2 months later after having gone to Bolivia & Peru. It had not been opened or tampered with....Of course I will have to check in the knife, trek poles & those huge safety pins as I am sure security will not let me through with those items. It is all coming down to the wire now & personally I am tired of waiting, I just want to start & get this thing underway so I can feel the expanse of the Atacama wrap around me, get dirty & sweaty & enjoy something really unique with a bunch of like-minded souls from around the globe. Some people dont see the point, but for me the point is right there. Off to the desert....

Yesterday I prepared my gear to head out for another training run. Nothing major just a trot to test out some new adjustments on the pack, etc. The day before I got stung by something, either a bee or wasp that got under the lumber strap & whacked me right in the middle of the stomach. Today I have a big lump there like a golf ball, a bit tender but seems ok once I get the pack on. Before I ran out the door I checked my email as I was waiting for something important to come in. The email was in the inbox & I had to check the contents, I was dying to know the contents. This is what it said: Congratulations! You have been accepted to compete in the 2013 Badwater Ultramarathon, presented by AdventureCORPS, Inc. You are part of a select group who will participate in what is recognized across the globe as

This afternoon I finally had a chance to get out & try my new Aarn pack filled with all the "stuff" I will be skull-dragging across the Atacama. There is a rehabilitated garbage dump outside of West Palm Beach, Florida that has a big hill (of garbage) that is now covered with grass & palms. It is surrounded by a large park which is almost 5 miles around if you take the trails, so I hauled me gear out there & took an afternoon run. Today was sunny & warm reaching 85F (26.5C) & it didnt take me long to crack a sweat. It felt good though & I trundled along getting a feel for the pack & weight. I made various adjustments on the way & thought about different ways to pack the items to give the best shape to the pack so it fits the contours of my back the best & most comfortable way. The trail winds through dense scrub & canopy through sand & over roots, hard pack & grass. I liked the way the pack felt. Anything the Kiwi's design is usually damn good, they have a different way of looking at things when they solve a design problem. They are also avid outdoors people (how could you not be in such a beautiful country as NZ) so they have their finger on the pulse of what is needed in the pursuit of top notch wilderness gear. I have high hopes for the Aarn Marathon Magic 33 & glad I made it my choice for the Atacama. An hour later I arrived back at the carpark content with the shakedown run. After last weekends 50 mile ultra race I am working on keeping things simple this week as we head into the wind up before the race start. I did a good bike ride yesterday afternoon on my tri bike which help loosen up my leg muscles that were still feeling the effects of the 50 miler on Saturday. I depart Florida on Tuesday for Chile so between now & then I will take it easy, maybe get a surf in & another bike & then taper further for the race start. Most of you will be zeroing in on travel this week including me. We will all be zooming towards Chile like moths to a lamp. I would say the countdown is upon us.....See you all in the South!

With under 2 weeks to go until race start I figured I needed to get some more training in this weekend so drove across Florida to run the Everglades 50 mile trail ultra. My intention was to take it easy & just give my body some conditioning for time on feet but as usual it became more than that....I led the pack for the first 41 miles through the bush, swamp & prairies. Clearing all the spiderwebs with my face made me look like an ultra ninja at times & I toe punted stumps, rolled ankles & slipped my way through the Everglades mud. At mile 41 a youngster smoked passed me which led to a gruelling 9 mile sufferfest to try & catch him before the finish line. In the end I had no more coal to burn & bagged 2nd place only four minutes behind the winner. Official time: 7 hours 34 minutes. Whoa! Am I sore today! I most probably overdone it only 2 weeks from the start in Chile but its hard to stop when you get out there on the course. I hope my body thinks so as well...... Best wishes for everyone's last minute training & taper. Lets start this thing!!!

On Monday I spent the day travelling back from British Columbia to South Florida, where the yacht I run is docked in West Palm Beach. From the cold to the humid. I arrived in late so didnt have a chance to run so had to wait until last night after work to get in some pavement miles. I ran without the pack & it felt abnormally light & free. I wont do that again before the race as it felt to good. I did get propositioned by a lady of the night when out there. Shows running can sometimes be a strange experience no matter what they say. On arrival back onboard the vessel I was greeted with a big pile of deliveries of various equipment & bits & pieces I had ordered online for the race. My new Aarn Marathon Magic pack was the first thing I grabbed to check out. Looks good so far, just need to load it up & go run with it. Lots of other stuff to go through & start sorting & working out how to pack. At midnight I crawled off to bed, satisfied I was finally getting all my kit together. Applying late to do a race like this isnt recommended but on the other hand I hate wasting time so when the opportunity arose I jumped on it. Today I will go back to sea so will have to rely on the treadmill in the boats gym. I dont really like treadmills but you have to use what you got, right......

Today was a gorgeous day in British Columbia with pearly blue skies to run under. I hefted my 10 kilo pack again & headed out the door to run the trails down by the Fraser River. I felt fatigued after the run yesterday but its important to do back-to-back training & getting used to running on tired legs for an event like this, so I put my head down, started slow & after a while warmed up in the sun.. The hills really slowed me down but I ran every one even if it was snail pace.You have to be stubborn to finish an ultra & sometimes that is the only thing between a runner who finishes the race & the one who DNF's. In every long distance run you go through high points & low points. Its the ones who wait out the low points who will continue on. For most of us we dont have the luxury of time to train as much as we want or need so I feel its more beneficial if you are lacking time to get the most out your training session, that means forgetting about junk miles & do less miles but with more intensity. It may hurt more at the time but I reckon its better than wasting time being out there if you can get it done faster. Today I shortened my run from 13 to 11 miles but slogged it out a bit harder & faster. Its amazing sometimes when you dont feel like doing the chore but after you get going your engine starts to fire on all cylinders. Thats why when one side of you is making excuses about why you should have a day off you should just get out there & start slow & usually after you warm up you get it on & end up with a good workout. Excuses are easy thats why they are not part of any training plan.....

Another day, another run. Because I am running out of time to do specificity training for the Atacama I needed to up the ante a little today or risk not getting any conditioning for running with stage racing weight so I found a bigger pack than I have been using & searched the pantry for things to weigh it down. A big bag of flour, a big bag of brown sugar, a large bottle of ketchup, an even larger bottle of vinegar, 2 litres of water & some calories to help me hump it all. The bathroom scales announced it was 21 pounds so I tied myself to it & headed out the door. I am still in British Columbia so starting a run is a bit chilly until you stoke the furnace with enough coal to loosen up & get the brakes off. I took the first mile steady as the new weight was, well, weighing on my knees & hips. Soon enough I was feeling some sweat & drifted into daydreams as I thumped down the trail. I used my trek poles today & got into a good cadence. The hills lslowed me down some but over all as I ticked off the miles I noticed my speed wasnt suffering to much from the extra weight I carried today. At the 7 mile mark I stopped for 3 minutes, dropped the pack, sucked down a gel & gulped some water, turned around & headed back. I was satisfied that I was still feeling perky when I got back & called it a day. The pack I was suing was an old North Face day pack & certainly not set up for running with, got a bit of shoulder chafe but nothing to bad. Cant wait to get my Aarn Marathon Magic pack & see how that handles the chores. Another training day in the books & still time for more before the last week of taper before the start......get out there!

To use or not to use trekking poles? I have heard a lot of comment at ultra races about the benefit or waste of time to take & use poles for long distance. I have not done a race using poles yet but am now the owner of a set of Black Diamond Ultra Distance carbon poles. These fold into 3 sections & are very light weight. I have been training with these lately & have a few opinions if I may to anyone that is considering poles for Atacama. Firstly, you will be carrying more weight even if these are light weight carbon. If you count grams then this point may turn you off immediately. When carrying the poles I dont use them all of the time, usually on the uphills or to balance better over tricky terrain. That means that you still have to carry them in readiness if you dont have them stored in or on your pack. After an hour or so your forearms & shoulders can feel this extra weight hanging off your hands. If you plan to try them in Chile then you need to condition your body just to carry this seemingly miniscule weight. In the act of using the poles it is also a workout for different muscles including pecks, shoulders, back & arms. More muscle use equals more energy required, more O2, more sugars & carbs, proteins for recovery, etc. This has to be taken into account when doing a long distance with poles. It is generally accepted that the poles help to get up inclines, especially when carrying a pack. I have to agree with this statement. With the pack on I can lean further forward into the hill, thrust the pole out forward & lean/ pull on it to lighten the load on my feet, legs & hips to get up the incline. Its a workout for your arms but I find you can make a quicker or easier climb using the poles. On the flat & downhill I just carry them still in each hand but hanging low at my side. I hang my hands fairly low in my running form anyways so after awhile I hardly notice they are there. I also find them good for tight cornering when you can lean low & put out a pole on the inside to help balance then use the outside pole to help push out of the corner. I am blind in one eye so I have poor depth perception even in daylight so the poles also help me on really technical terrain when I am not sure what the footing is going to be like. Carrying poles is more equipment, weight & co-ordination & makes things a bit more tricky when you want to keep running while opening a gel or taking a drink, nothing impossible but when you are getting fatigued & seeing double it just means more concentration needed. It also means you cant carry a hand-held bottle. I like a hand-held but have experimented with poles & its to much complication. When I first started training with a weighted pack I could really feel the extra stress on my knees & hips but when using the poles i notice a definite easing on these areas as you tend to take some of your weight off by leaning on the poles. Using the poles whilst running requires a little practice to get the co-ordination right but if you can ride a bike its no big deal. I think the benefits of using poles for stage racing whilst carrying weight, if you are not 100% conditioned to running with weight, outweigh the extra weight & complication of using them. I will try them out during Atacama.....

Shoes are always a big question mark to run long distances. There are many choices & all runners will have a different opinion on what works best. Its a very personal choice & one you may take years in whittling down to find what works best for you. After running five 100 milers I have tried a few different brands & styles in differing terrains. I am still working on finding the best for my paws. For the Atacama Crossing I will wear a pair of Salomon S-Lab 5 Soft Ground. I have not been to this desert before but looking at pics it looks like the terrain will very varied from softish salt crust & sand to rugged rocks & gravel. I think this shoe will handle this sort of terrain. I like the Salomon products & find the shoes well designed, comfortable & robust. Recently I wore a pair of Salomon Fell Cross in the HURT 100 mile trail ultra in Hawaii & was very happy with their performance. I have also worn a pair of XR Mission on the Pinhoti 100 mile trail ultra in Alabama. Hoka is a very up & coming brand & I have used a number fo their models on different ultras & very impressed with their comfort. One thing that I found unnerving was when I used a pair of the Stinsen Evo trail model on the rugged 120 mile Fat Dog ultra in British Columbia, Canada. Comfort from the terrain was awesome but I tended to roll my ankles more due to the height of the soul. These shoes were very big in size for me as my feet swell in heat so i think my foot was also rolling around in the shoe which didnt help. I notice they are getting extremely popular in trail ultras. I have also worn the Bondi B model in the Keys 100 mile ultra in the Florida Keys & now have a later model of that shoe which is my primary go to shoe for long tarmac/ concrete running. The Hoka is exceptional for hard surface comfort where long hours of pounding pavement can wear your body down. Brookes are another favourite of mine & I have used the Cascadia 7 trail shoe for many off road miles. They are awesome. I also used the Glycerine model on a 100km tarmac ultra with good success. I use the PureFlow model for shorter distances up to as long as the marathon length in an ironman distance triathlon. Great shoe, though to minimilist for me for any longer distances. It may take the purchase of many different shoes to find what works for you best & in what terrain. i always put an aftermarket insole into my shoes to help foot support. If the laces are the old style I replace them with an elastic no tie type, this allows the shoe to stay comfortable when your feet start to swell. Dont forget that in heat & when you may become a little dehydrated your feet can swell much more than you expect so your shoes need to be at least half a size & sometimes one to one & half sizes bigger than you normally wear. It can be an excrutiating time half way through a long race to find your shoes are to small. I learnt from experience in the Keys 100. I wore a pair of Hoka Bondi B which I thought were big on my feet but after 50 miles they felt like viceson my feet. At the 60 mile aid station one of my big toe nails was floating around in my sock. I didnt dare to take of the shoes as I wouldnt get them on again & had no spares. the week after the race I lost 8 toenails. Funny now but not so pleasant then..... Your shoes will be one of the most important selections you will make for a race like this.......

After a late entry into the Atacama Crossing 2013 i finally feel like I am getting it all together albeit with only weeks to go until we all meet in Chile & embark on this endeavour. This will be my first stage race & i am very interested to see how my body performs in this new format. I am a stubborn dog so hope to get through the race within my best abilities even though the altitude is a new factor to run in. I have been to this altitude before but only to cross passes not on a sustained basis. The heat I hope wont be to much of a surprise as I have spent most of my training last year in South Florida & the Bahamas during the height of summer & competed in a number of 100 mile ultra marathons in hot & humid conditions. 3 weeks ago I finished the infamous HURT 100 miler trail ultra in Hawaii which has an in-ordinated amount of climbing & descending as well as humid conditions. The last 2 weeks since I have signed up for Atacama I have been training in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I packed 9 kilos in my small Ultimate Direction pack & have been knocking out some miles getting use to carrying this type of weight. It requires some different technique to run & offset the weight & I feel the added weight working harder on my knees & hips. So far so good & not really a lot of time to do more so it will be what it will be. As I said, one of my most endearing features is being a stubborn dog when it comes to endurance sports so chin up & slog on.... Looking forward to meeting you all on the edge of the desert.