Well despite my best efforts to keep everyone updated on my progress through the blog, I was too tired and sore at the end of each day to even think about writing anything - and besides, the media tent had usually shut down by the time I had finished the stage.

So a quick summary of the past few days - difficult, draining, awesome, inspiring, gratifying. I have taken quite a few photos which I can share with those that are interested, but as usual with scenery of such grandeur, the photos can never do the panarama real justice.

Yesterday was our long day and most of us started racing (hoblling/crawling) at 0730, with the "racing snakes" starting at 1030. By early afternoon, the front runner passed me and I continued to go at my "slow and steady finishes the race" pace. After some spectacular sections of the course which relieved the ardour of the 73km stage, I hobbled into camp at 0130 on Friday morning.

I'm not going to hog the blog and tell you everything that has happened as there are other people waiting to blog or send emails, but I would like everyone to know that Terri, my wife of just over one year, has done a spectular job as a volunteer and I am very proud of her.

Anyway, we are both fine, Terri is resting now after getting in from her check point and "sweep" at about 0730.

Today is our rest day and there are many "hobbling wounded", myself included after suffering a huge blister across the bottom of my right foot midway through yesterday's stage.

We fly back to Vancouver on Sunday evening and I will write some more about the Atacama experience at that time.

Thanks to everyone for the emails you have sent me, they were great to read each night and I will send you a personal email of thanks.

Off now to tend to my blister, and eat, sleep and rest.

Not surprisingly, I don

Having talked with one of last year's Atacama competitors who used the Go2Altitude training for

Hi there

Hope this gear list is a bit easier to read than the one on the side column.

Still doing some fine tuning as we all probably are.

Getting very excited now that the website has been launched and we have a bit of idea what we are getting ourselves into thanks to the cool flyover.

List updated as at 7 August 2007

Comments: Total (0) comments No Train, No Pain 14 Jul 2007 Share 14 July 2007 09:39 am (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time(US & Canada); Tijuana I thought I would start this blog so my family and friends could follow the events leading up to the start of the Atacama Crossing, and also allow me to share my experience and thoughts during and after the race. Comments: Total (3) comments Posted On: 14 Jul 2007 08:35 am Love the dogs! Mary Posted On: 14 Jul 2007 04:07 am Very nice blog, my friend. Love the pics of the pups! I'm very anxious to get to Chile and start this whole adventure. Now...back to the tapering...where did I leave my margarita?? Posted On: 13 Jul 2007 10:03 pm Love the ´No Train, No Pain´ method Gary. Keep it up mate, the World loves a taperer ... or was that a trierer?   Privacy policy and cookies: By browsing this website you accept cookies used to improve and personalise our services and marketing, and for social activity. Read our Privacy Policy for more about what we do with your data, as well as your rights and choices – including how to manage cookies. Allow cookies × Signup For Newsletter First Name: Last Name: E-Mail Address: Select Country: Select CountryAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling Islands)ColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatia (Hrvatska)CubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEnglandEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndividual Neutral AthleteIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea (North)Korea (South)KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern IrelandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovak RepublicSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUS Minor Outlying IslandsUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (US)WalesWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenYugoslaviaZaireZambiaZimbabwe Sign up for Newsletter × Form Submited Successfully Thank you for registering for the RacingThePlanet newsletter. Close