On the morning I left home for the Atacama, my wonderful wife Lori gave me a farewell card that said "Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone." She has always had a touch for saying exactly what needs to be said in the moment. Although I love the mystery and adventure of these races, leaving the comfort and security of my family and setting off to race across a foreign land all by myself still scares the #$#&** out of me. Of course, once your there and meeting people then it's all good. In fact, I've come to realize that that is probably the most rewarding part of the journey. For me the biggest thrill every day was coming into the tent at the end of the day and seeing Argi, Massimo, Joel and sometimes Nick, already completed and victorious. Then we'd wait for the rest of the crew to arrive. One by one, Kate, Chris, Matt and Inni would show up. Every day, all nine of us would cross the finish line and every morning all nine of us would start the new day. Through thick and thin, I'm happy to say we all made it! The race may be over, but the camraderie and friendships that are built in the desert through the trials and tribulations of such an undertaking will last a life time.

Congratulations to all of you,
Brett

Oh yah, another beautiful day in the Atacama. The dreaded salt flat stage was a scorcher. I had a lot of time to think out there as I shuffled along. Here is one of those thoughts. You know, tomorrow is a 76KM day. Yes, that sounds long and grueling, but imagine holding your 4 year old son's hand as his eyes slowly close and he falls asleep for the fight of his life. Open heart surgery. Then, you are asked to leave the operating room and wait for hours before the surgeon finally comes out to meet you. That is a long grueling day. Oskar, tomorrow I run for you!

Love,  Dad.

Tough, tough day. We treked through terrain that man kind has no business being in. Except for crazy buggers like us of coarse! Knee was very stiff and sore this morning. Made me think of my favorite quotes by Jungle Jim Hunter. "Will you be willing to go when you have nothing left to give?" The answer, of course was YES! I sucked it up and actually finished strong, coming across the finish line with one of my tent mates, Nick was a great way to end the day. Many people suffered today, including my tent mates Massimo from Italy and Chris from New York. Chris is one of the toughest guys you'll ever meet, being in the Gulf war and an ex New York police. Massimo was one of the front runners in the race. Fortunately they both finished but not without paying a toll toer the desert. All 9 tent 6 competitors are still alive to go another day. There's such a great bond between us all already.

Oskar. I'm very proud of you today for standing up for yourself at school. You are my main Jedi.

Lori. Love

My great family and friends. Thanks as always for your comments. I will thank all of you personally when I get home.

Kids and friends at the RMHSA. Keep rockin that house and never give up. You,re all HEROS!

Mom,dad. Doing great and getting stonger every day.

Peace out,

Brett

First off, thanks everyone for your messages. Keep em coming, they are very inspiring!

Today started out rough. My right knee has officially siezed up. Not to worry though. You know the saying "adapt or die?" I simply had to adapt to my surcumstances. While it is a bummer I may not be able to do much running anymore, I still go on at a good hiking pace. At first I was devistated, then I remembered something a great hockey coach, Jack Kilroe said to our team once. "It's not about the name on the back of the jersey, it's about the crest on the front!" and my crest is the Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta. I was informed by Jill at the house that the kids are making something for me. That is what this crossing is all about. I was so inspired and touched that. We are in this for each other. That's what makes this experience so wonderful. When I needed some help, they came through. So I will make sure I come through for them.

2 days down - 4 to go. Thanks again to everyone that has commented on the blog site. You guys are the best. And one more thing. Mom, dad - I am doing great - don't worry.

And one more thing. PaBob, if you see any pictures of me, I promise I'll shave when I'm done LOL!

Love you all - Brett

You know the old saying "no pain no gain."
Well, I've certainly had my share of lower leg pain lately but I'm pushing through to keep my milage up. I've had some trouble with my lower legs from the top of the ankle to my calf muscle but I've been dealing with it on a day to day basis. 
Electro-magnetic-frequency theropy seems to be helping so I'll continue to try this alternative form of healing. Fortunately for me, I have an uncle in the U.S who is a doctor and one of the foremost voices on magnet theropy. 
As runners, we all struggle with minor injuries and how to deal with them without sacrificing training time, but sometimes nothing beats a few weeks off with rest. I'm not there yet but it may be sooner than later.

Brett.

Recently I have been asked by my good friends at the Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta and DIRTT to speak in front of a small audience to help promote my Atacama Crossing fundraiser and the RockTheHouseRun. 
Now just to set the record straight, I have never been one for public speaking but the evening was great and I ended up having a lot of fun. My Ma-In-Law says this is an avenue of personal growth for me and I suppose she is right. 
Well, I figure if I could complete the Sahara 2010 then I can do just about anything, including speaking in front of strangers. Besides, it's all for a great cause and I really do feel honored to do it.
Tonight I will be attending a casual dinner at the RMH with Lori and Oskar. I can't wait to share Oskar's story and talk to the families about my Sahara adventures as well as my up-coming Atacama adventure.

Cheers,
Brett.

One down. Three to go! 
   With the Sahara Race behind me, I will now focus on the Atacama Crossing 2012. With my 40th birthday only two days away I can't help but reflect on my life up to this point and also what lies ahead. Discovering "Racing The Planet" has, without doubt, become one of the great highlites of my life (past, presant and future). I hope to become a member of the 4 Deserts Club with the completion of all four events by 2014. 
   I am thrilled to be raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta and look forward to beating last year's totals.
   Training has begun. Here goes something!

Love, Brett.