Yesterday was very disappointing but I understand why race management had to stop the race.  My plan was to start in the back and pass runners all day.  I was hoping around 50k my training would have allowed me to pass other competitors.  I hit cp#1 in 73^rd place and kept an even pace.  By cp#2 I was in the high 60’s.  from cp#2 to cp#4 was about 20k and summits a 10,000 foot peak.  At 6000 ft. it started to rain and I was prepared as I had a garbage bag from camp with 3 holes cut in it.  I put it on and kept going it rained on and off to about 9,000 feet.  When it got steep I broke out my trekking poles and started to pass other racers.  When I hit the summit I was in 49^th place.  It was actually so  cold it hailed several inches.  I have been carrying 2 salami and whole wheat pita sandwiches the last 125 miles and decided it would be a good time to eat one. A racer named Steve who is also running for autism was right behind me at the summit.  He looked spent and was very cold.  He didn’t have a garbage bag the first couple of cp’s and was wet.  I gave him my other sandwich to help him recover on the run vs. sitting at the top and freezing.  In my darkest moment in Atacama a runner from England named Stewart helped me and got me to the finish and I felt I needed to return the favor.  Steve was so cold he couldn’t use his hands.  I helped him put his gloves on and we ran the downhill section fast in order to warm up.  Other races had some problems but nothing extremely serious.

 

We passed right thru the overnight camp at cp#5 and started to blaze to cp#6.  The back of the back runners were started to run into trouble at the summit so the closed the course when I was 2k short of cp6.  About 22k short to the stage 5 finish.  I managed to keep my sleeping bag and spare clothes dry so I immediately changed and was ok.  Had to wait 4-5 hrs. for a bus which was a bummer.  They sheltered us in a yurt for today and we will resume with a longer stage tomorrow to make up the distance.

 

I wanted to thank all my Atacama friends to all the well wishes.  My goal is to run all out tomorrow to the finish and try to pull a respectful finish to an amazing journey. We are they first international runners to pass through this part of the world and it has been an amazing experience.

 

I wanted to dedicate yesterday’s run to Steven Miller, Mitchell Brenkus, Eric Kreppel, Nickoli Mckenzie, Kyle Gravitch, Ti Baker, and William Sehy.

 

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me messages, too many to thank but your support really makes a difference.

 

My next post will be from the hotel after I cross the finish line.

 

Chris

After 22 hrs on three separate flights, an overnight layover and a 5 hour car ride with a totally lost driver that we could not communicate a single word with, we made it to the competitor hotel in Bole, China. I met another racer in Shanghai that I ran the Atacama desert with named Brett. We did the remainder of the journey together which made it a lot better since no one and I mean no one speaks English, or even understands common international hand signs for things like eating and drinking. It makes the simplest thing like checking into a hotel a 45 minute process. We are 12 hours ahead of eastern standard time so I am trying to get into a normal sleep pattern. I have all day today to get my kit in order before competitor briefing and gear check tomorrow. After that we get on some buses for a short drive to camp 1 to spend the first night in the desert. The race will start Sunday morning at 8 am (that's 8pm Saturday night for everyone in New York). While we are in China, we will be within 5 km of the Kazakstan border. Pretty cool, but the sun does not set until 10-11pm since we are so far northwest from Beijing. I am feeling confident with my gear and food selection and I think my full race pack will come in under 19 pounds, so I am pretty happy since that is 4 pounds less than the start in Atacama. I think I am going to go for a easy 4-5 mile run today in an effort to sync up and get into a normal pattern. Before things get crazy I wanted to mention that no one could take on something like this without the support of friends and especially family. I am a very fortunate man to have the very best of both. Internet here is very difficult so I probably will not be posting again until I hit camp 2. Thanks again for the support! Chris

Hey Everyone, This weekend I will be making finally preparations for my next epic adventure, the 2013 Gobi March. I am sure most of you already know that I am running to raise awareness and funds for GRASP. During the run if you wish to donate please go to www.runforgrasp.org. The format will be the same as my trek across the Atacama Desert in northern Chile in March of 2012. I can't express my gratitude for the messages I received via the 4Deserts website during that week and I would love the encouragement (once again) from back home. If you have a moment use the "email a competitor" link : http://www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/email or comment on my blog posts. Thanks so much & I look forward to bringing back incredible pictures, awesome memories, new friends and another 4 Deserts medal!

Vermont 50 Ultra Run September 30, 2012 I drove up to Brownsville, VT to run the Vermont 50. It is a well-known mountain bike and ultra run that has been around 19 years. I looked at previous years results and noted a usually high DNF rate of 15%. As an ultra runner its sometimes better not to know a course. When your feeling really bad and know its only going to get worse due to a big climb it can make those little voices in your head to quit to get louder. I chose to study the course and develop a plan to start slow and walk all the up hills. That plan would have worked if it were not for the 9000 feet or so of accumulated elevation gain. Too much walking leads to a DNF. It was already raining when the race started at 6:25 am. Prior to our start, all of the mountain bikers rode the same course. With the rain and bikers, I knew it was going to be a mudfest. The first mile was gravel road and downhill, then level for another 2 miles. I started around at a 9:30-10 min pace until I hit the first long uphill climb. I walked the hill and then hit the trails but didn

Does the thought of an average person running

Pine Creek 100k Challenge September 8, 2012 The Pine Creek Challenge takes place in the

Next weekend I am attempting my longest single stage run, the Pinecreek 100k Challenge. To begin my fundraising campaign, I am seeking sponsors who will pledge $1 for every kilometer I run. Please go to www.runforgrasp.org find out more and to donate. 100% of all donations go directly to helping teens and adults with aspergers syndrome. Please share and spread the word.