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Namib Race Blogs 2012

Alexander Schrantz

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Namib Race (2012) blog posts from Alexander Schrantz

31 October 2012 12:17 pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

Oy an even longer day, 12 hrs. Don’t have the energy to write more tonight. Will try to send more tomorrow

Comments: Total (3) comments

Sandy Graham

Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 11:33 am

Hi Hon... thinking of you and know you will make good decisions to stay healthy. Ca sends her love - hydrating wishes from SANDY to SAHARA. Expect no power for 7-10 days in NJ. Thanks for the umbrella - easy to find you. Love Sa

Kathi Ferrigno

Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 02:11 am

I hope you get enough rest so you have more energy tomorrow or would that be today? I saw the pictures of you with your umbrella. I'll have to check stage 3's pictures out. You need to design a backpack that holds the umbrella to give you free hands. Sandy wasn't too exciting here. Natalie got a few days off. Now she knows how I felt on snow days. No hiking tomorrow as the weather still is not cooperating. We were suppose to go to a place where elk are common. I hope you have a good hydrated day tomorrow.

Jayne Schrantz

Posted On: 31 Oct 2012 12:29 am

Hi Lovebug. Hoping you got a good night of rest and feel better today. Worried about you all the time! Hurricane Sandy has been an absolute disaster on the East Coast. Big problems for LBI. I think your mom's house may be damaged. Northern Jersey is without power still, so keeping up with your mom through Sandra. Hopefully we'll know more in a day or so. Your dad said they're okay, maybe a little damage at OP but not too much, hopefully. Grandma was okay, which I had emailed to check on specifically. Weather has turned cold here, so actually feels like Halloween! Austin is going as a zombie/ghoul. He's letting me paint his face green

31 October 2012 04:32 am (GMT+02:00) Cairo

After having 12 long hours on stage 3 to contemplate, I decided to pull out after finishing the stage. I was just not able to keep a reasonable pace in stages 2-3 and spent far more time out in the heat than I was planning. The magic umbrella helped but not enough. Getting into camp late also gives less time to get recovered for the next day and I was not ready for another 2 days in the heat. So, I'm back in Cairo and feeling fine. Will head back to HK tomorrow.

Comments: Total (2) comments

Patti Lewis

Posted On: 02 Nov 2012 12:29 am

I think the Iceland race looks good - much cooler I bet. 3 days hiking across sand dunes is a lot. It was hard for me to get to the top of one big sand dune at Sand Dunes Nat'l Park in Colorado! Anyway - home to the family - the real marathon of raising 3 boys!

Kathi Ferrigno

Posted On: 01 Nov 2012 01:17 am

So sad to hear you had to pull out. But, heh, what an accomplishment to finish 3 days. I'm glad you know when enough is enough. Congratulations on what you did finish. What's next? I'm sure you're already thinking about the next race (-: All my love.

30 October 2012 01:11 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

Had a tough day, 9.5 hours. Really struggled in the final section. Trying hard to get rested and recovered for tomorrow so will keep this short. Will take it very easy tomorrow hiding under my umbrella and safe as always. Miss you guys even more! TTFN

Comments: Total (4) comments

Patti Lewis

Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 06:53 pm

Rest up and HYDRATE. You are still in top half so pace yourself and you can get through. We survived "Sandy" but that appears to be a lot easier than your adventure. Still impressed! Love patti

Ken Schrantz

Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 04:24 pm

Hang in there. Looks like stage 3 is a long one. Three photos of you (with umbrella) from stage 2; one with your name. Saw another competitor with an umbrella. Hurricane Sandy skirted us and we only lost power briefly.

Kathi Ferrigno

Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 03:36 am

One more day down. Better to be slow and safe so you can finish in good health. Patti lost power early in PM. Grandma still had power earlier tonight. We still have power. Keep up your spirits and I'll 'talk' to you tomorrow. All our love.

Sandy Graham

Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 02:31 am

Hi Alex - glad you got through stage 2..Hurricane Sandy creating havoc across 1000 miles 16 states; Ca has no power; high winds; no rain. NYC subway battery park 4' water in subway; LBI winds at 75 mph; Ca sends her love. Forecasts are for power outages for days; airports closed, wall street, etc closed, washington dc closed, etc.. so...glad you are in the desert??? love Sa

29 October 2012 12:48 pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

Had a pretty good night at camp. Temperatures were nicely cool with a breeze. Really enjoyed the new sleeping pad. Got as much rest as can be expected. Very scenic spot beside a lake with a nearly full moon and sky full of stars.

Today’s stage looked to be not too hard but ended up being reasonably challenging I think for the first day. The temperatures started out comfortable and the expected 35C sounded much better than some of the 40-45C days in the Gobi. The first section was soft sand and I walked most of that. The second section was a fairly hard dirt road so I jogged that. By the third section it started to get quite hot so I deployed the umbrella. I was very happy to have it. The third and fourth sections were fairly soft sand and slow going. I jogged about a third of it. No snakes or quicksand.

Everything worked pretty well. Food and electrolytes were the right amount and I used them all. Still very hot now in camp but should cool off again tonight. Feeling pretty good overall. Did I mention that I was really happy about the umbrella? Going now to enjoy my freeze dried beef and potato casserole.

Thanks for the e-mails!

Jayne, Austin, James and Gabe – miss you guys!

Comments: Total (6) comments

Jayne Schrantz

Posted On: 30 Oct 2012 12:31 am

Glad to hear that you're feeling better than the Gobi race and that your umbrella is proving its worth. It's rainy and getting cooler here the week, just in time for next weekend's heat wave, no doubt. I've got a little of my voice back, but I'm not up to full-on nagging yet. Austin has decided he wants to either be a ghoul or an army sergeant for Halloween, so I'm going out to Toys R Us today to see if I can source the costume he wants. He's asked for a cap gun to go with the army costume. I'll put Bird's together tonight. Despite the fact that G is Super Cute in his new Turkish costume, I think he'll end up going out as Fighting Man. We really miss you. Thinking of you all the time. Fighto fighto, love bug!

Patti Lewis

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 12:43 pm

Great picture strolling with the umbrella! (you should send it in to see if you can get some marketing money) Very impressive journey - but not sure I'd appreciate the scenery. Stay safe and hydrated. Will follow as long as we can. Sitting here in Maryland waiting for Hurricane Sandy! Love Patti

Sandy Graham

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 04:10 am

Wow Alex... 'dancing in the sand' - a classic shot with your umbrella. Good mat, good sleep, and good food - lol - what more can you ask for! Ca and I are enjoying this.. love you Sa

Carolyn Weiss

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 03:56 am

Great picture of you #51. You and your umbrella. Love You! Mom

Carolyn Weiss

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 03:30 am

You sound full of energy. It must be the yummy dried beef and the umbrella. So glad the night's rest on the new pad was better than the Gobi. If you don't hear from us in next 2 days it will be due to power outages. Due a massive hurricane/noreaster (Sandy) hitting the east coast. Enjoy your journey! I'm going to scroll through the pictures as soon as they're up. Love you! Mom

Kathi Ferrigno

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 01:43 am

1 day down. Sitting here watching the Broncos and thought I'd check the site to bookmark it and you already completed your first day. Touchdown, Broncos! Sorry, got distracted (-: Your first day sounds like my first 25 miles of the century bike ride I just did. It was that last 25 that was tough against the wind. I hope all your days go as well as this first day. Anyway, keep it up and be safe.

27 October 2012 08:35 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

We leave by bus from Cairo to the first camp this afternoon. Everything has gone smoothly so far. My pack weighed in at 10kg, about the same as last year for the Gobi. Changes for this time: slightly bigger backpack to make unpacking and repacking easier (30L vs 25L); folding sleeping pad rather than inflatable which was not that comfortable and then got a leak (folding pad is same weight but bulky and has to be bungied to outside of pack); more variety of electrolyte replacements (dehydration was my biggest problem last time); lightweight reflective hiking umbrella (I haven't seen or heard of anyone using one in the RTP races, but I've used it for long hot races in Hong Kong and it can help a lot. It only weighs 200g). Looking forward to getting started!

Comments: Total (8) comments

Jayne Schrantz

Posted On: 29 Oct 2012 12:58 pm

Hi Lovebug, We had an okay Monday. G slept in really late, so I just kept him home from school. He played with Bella and Shirley much of the day. He keeps talking about us going up in the balloon because he saw a photo of that the other day. Not too much else exciting. Pretty quiet day for me since I have no voice! I'm going to have to get the boys' Halloween costumes sorted tomorrow, and we're going to carve the pumpkin tomorrow evening. Worried about you staying hydrated. I've moved on from the quick sand, but I'm still worried about snakes. And now hydration, as I mentioned. Hope Day 2 is going well. Fighto fighto! Miss you so much. XOXO, J

Kathi Ferrigno

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 11:46 pm

Good luck, have fun and stay safe, ie, hydrated. I'm curious about the umbrella. Good at keeping you shaded? Umm. Good for the beach? Ill be staying in touch, that is if we don't lose electric. With love from central PA.

Ken Schrantz

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 06:38 pm

Have a great march. Let me know how the umbrella works out. We have a hurricane approaching. Dad

Marilyn Sutherland

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 03:16 pm

Hi Alex, Have a great run and enjoy the journey. I'm impressed. You are such an adventurer in the true sense of the word! Love, Marilyn

Sandy Graham

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 02:16 pm

Hi Alex - It is Sunday morning and Ca and I are on phone while watching you on the Competitor briefing video. Your laugh is undeniable!! Glad you do such fun things.. we all enjoy it!! Good luck and stay hydrated.. Sa

Carolyn Weiss

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 02:16 pm

Hi Hon Very excited for you! We saw and heard you on the Competitor Briefing video. Your laugh is so distinctive. Sa heard you first and we knew in an instance it was you. Love to hear you laugh. Good luck and be wise as always! Love You! Mom

Jayne Schrantz

Posted On: 28 Oct 2012 08:20 am

Hi Lovebug. Been thinking about you all day. Everything is fine here. Lyndon slept over last night and just left about 30 minutes ago. I took the 3 boys to see a movie this morning. Austin and I are about to sit down to do his remaining homework. My cold is a little worse. :o( We'll check in again later. I hope your first day went well. Stay hydrated. Stay on the path, and watch out for snakes and quicksand. XOXO, J

Patti Lewis

Posted On: 27 Oct 2012 01:11 pm

Good luck! I'll be checking in to see how you're doing daily. Desert weather a little different than our "hurricane Sandy watch" here in the states. I'll keep Grandma update. Patti