Thank you to everyone that has followed me, love the comments and the feedback. Stage 4 is done but oh, the memories will last a life time. We started on a hill from camp and slowly descending into this beautiful canyon with a waterfall, needless to say standing under the cooling water was blissful but onwards with the stage. Running across an endless plane with the heat founding down on us, my farmers tan is done to a perfection. The moment we arrived at the  checkpoint before the salt flats, surprise we got a can of coke: this is the best part! Ice cold coke just before you start running in the playground of the devil. As one of the crew said at the check point over and over you will be miserable, you will be miserable. Guess what: I wasn’t miserable, I owned my shit and went through it. But needless to say it wasn’t over. Running with the Atacama Legend Ash, he kept saying there is a water hole coming up we have to swim. This was one amazing moment jumping in this pool of ice ice cold water, feeling renewed and ready to crush stage 4. Then reality set in; stage 5 is about to commence.

Stage 5, just so we do not get too relaxing we started with a 13km run in salts flat again. WTF this was brutal, and it was only a fraction of what is to come.

It was not my best starts and most of you can relate to this part I am about to share. When nutrition blows up in your face, when the body refuses to take in any solids. Well you have to say mind over matter but here matter, matters running 80km with a back pack you need calories. Well good news check point 2, we got oranges priceless. So at least I have something in me but the day was young and the road is long. With wind pelting the sand against your body so fiercely you can’t see anything, climbing a dune out of hell and ending up on a surface that you have to take a double take to make sure you are not on Mars. BUT I LOVE IT! Getting to checkpoint 5 which is where you can eat something and NO people we are not served pizza and beer, you get hot water and you have to eat your yum yum freeze dried food. Well I got some bone broth in me and felt better.

Time to move on, walking briskly and oh boy my walk is super good now. So we were told do not go of course there is mine fields, k cool I got this. While walking with my head down, something said look up and there he was My Benji, the best volunteer ever. Taking a video of me with in my don’t come near Anim Mode. My body was shutting down and smiling wasn’t in the recipe at that moment. But he gave me the courage I needed to push on. Pushing on I did, one foot in front of the other. The scenery became unbelievable beautiful and the the sun was setting. A glorious moment of what these races are about. Memories that will last a life time. Onwards, the sun is down the air became cold and with no food in my body the cold became worse. But what will my excuse be if I quit? It was cold I didn’t eat enough, no friggin’ way this mind will not be broken. Walking in the valley of the moon I reminded myself why I am doing this, BECAUSE I WANT TO!.

Walking alone is testing but it is so amazingly beautiful to be stuck with yourself and the only way out is forward. This best part seeing a glimmer of light in the far and knowing each step you give is closer to your goal. It doesn’t have to be big fancy steps but little steps that makes sense. The drum! I hear it, I smile and there it is the finish of the long march and I did it, I DID IT. The volunteer “Lady Nat” and yes  she is a LADY, she grab me and hugged me so hard absorbing all the emotion that was coming out.

Thank you all for joining me in this journey,

Anim

What a day, wow started out nice with a little Tina in my ear, switching to Miley and singing along smiling until yes until we started the frozen broccoli, holy shit it was rough but that was only the beginning. Blasting music in my ears not to notice the terrain, it was bad but we were so lucky with the weather. It was cool and a slight breeze, did I say it was hard well, it was hard. The best was yet to come running up and down dunes, razer sharp rocks. Loved it, it was so cool to see the camp from a far and knowing it is not over. Running over a hill and crossing another river, yes another river, then well the finish is up this crazy ass hill and the finish is at the top. Stage 3,is in the books, kudos to Tina, Mumford and Pink and Miley they came through for me and pulled me up every hill. The days was a success, tomorrow is another story until then.

Wow what a day, at one point I felt a little down and all I can think of is what my David said to me during an iron man race, mommy are you whining are you whining mommy, it put a smile on my face and I just kept going. What another awesome day, Stage 2 done, running through the slot canyons and crossed the river so many times. The first few times was omg this is so awesome….then I lost feeling in my feet , for those who ever ran  out of the swim during a triathlon and you feel like running on stumps , well this is up there but we did this  for about 5km.But it was fantastic and hard. So far the course is living up to its reputation hard, fricken hard  and just more hard. Running on ground so dry it is cracked but when you hear those drums bringing in the athletes you smile and know stage 2 is in the books. The recovery starts and it was mentioned day 3 or stage 3 will be harder, the salts flats oh boy…

Day 1 started with a bang, a little cold this morning but very refreshing. The course was spectacular and the views well I didn’t spend to much time looking up, due to the fact that the footing was uneven. It started  warming up very fast and  before we knew it was 35 C felt like 40C, but we kept on trekking . We did run into a little snag, as we descending the big hill we saw a few flags missing more than a few. It was a funny sight seeing 15 people walking around  in circles looking for course markers. Reminding me of ants walking around looking for a hole. We knew this was not normal and well we finally decided to head into a direction. One of the support crew on a motor cycle came and directed us into the direction we were suppose to go into. Hot dry is an understatement but we didn’t come here not to experience the whole Monty and then some.

The case of the missing markers was solved just a farmer that removed them, but we all got in safe and like I said obstacles happen and then you deal with it.It was a mental challenge , lol tomorrow and the days that will follow will be harder so this was my test. Shit happens deal with is cupcake. It answered my why and I ended up meeting an awesome running partner this is what it is about. Atacama I want to lift my head enjoy , finish and that is the goal. The leaders just crushed my excuse I am old lol, no excuse cupcake.

Editor's Note:  A local shepherd took one kilometer of course markers on Stage 1, and several competitors either stopped or went slightly off course until the situation was corrected.  

It is sandy, dusty but beautiful. The sky is blue everyday and the life is an amzing reminder of what we miss when we are driven to achieve more make in the busy cities. Moved from my luxury tent living to the host hotel where the runners are gathering. The air is filled with excitement of stories and ideas if how I  can make my bag lighter , without compromising what is needed. It is the type of gathering I love seeing all these amzaing athletes with so much experience,I still feel like such a rookie.

2 Days before we start I am taking a moment to reflect. Sunday will be day 1, and it will also be the eve of Rosh Shashana, I will celebrate with Benji Saturday night because under the rules of te race we cannot share food or anything when te race start but Saturday night we can. I do want to wish everyone a sweet and healthy New Year.

My story comes down to a few simple things , my reason for racing is what I call the " Benji Effect", filling my journey with my own selfawareness and mindfullness of the foundational reasons what matters. To explore your limits, to take on risks, to feel  to fear most of all to smile at naysayers and know who you are and owning what you have become. In my first race this year in Namibia  a racer said to me " it is not like you are going to win". I had no comback because this was not my goal. This race and all the others that followed I devoted to my father. A man that believed hard work you can achieve anything just be yourself.

My road took a detour and one of my friends found out she had breast cancer and had to undergo fairly aggressive chemotherpy. dedicating a race to people is not tfor personal gain it is to show gratitude for being fortunate enough to be able to do something life changing and share with some who can't 

This is a road worth taking, do something that makes you feel alive. The Atcama Crossing will be tough,hot,dry and will challenge me on every level and then some. 

Twenty days to go; super excited to go to the Atacama! Watching the videos of the race it seems so beautiful, serene but it does look pretty tough. This  year has gone by so fast I almost dont want it to end. When I completed Namibia 2019, I was on this cloud of wonder for weeks after I felt  I was floating. I have to mention when I was in mandatory gear check in I met Mary Gadams and was stoked to have met the founder. She mentioned to me something that stuck with me, she said "you will become on with the earth". I thought: yeah right, that only happenes in movies. This movie became a reality; I did become one and I was ready to absorb it. I set out to conquer Namibia, Gobi and Atacama, not knowing how different each experience will be. 

Namibia enriched my soul, Gobi not so much. Maybe because everthing that needed to test me was not always welcome, when you have only one option and that option is to finish and quiting is not even an option. I completed the race but it left me confused and angry. I woke up some demons of reality and did not want to deal with them. But that is the uniqueness of these races; it touches you on levels you never knew you had, and that is the most amazing part that one has to go to the depths of your soul to find clarity and perspective, I LOVE IT!!

Each race is different, don't have expectations; that will disappoint you, prepare best you can, follow the guidelines as  they are there for a reason.

This brings me to Atacama's altitude: I didn't even get close to 300 meters! Oops, oh well, I just have to listen to the advice they  share on articles from Racing The Planet  in regards to running a race like this with all these elements because so far they have not steered me wrong.