Thanks for your patience in waiting for this post. After we completed the race I'm afraid that sitting down to read or type a blog was a bit beyond me, and a fair bit of the trip back was spent lying down keeping the nausea at bay. However, I'm now on the home stretch, sitting in buenos aires airport with another couple of hours to wait for a flight and thought I should post an update.

So, the last stage. After a false start in the morning (I'm sure you've already read the details from others' blogs) we finally managed to get out in the snow for the final stage about 5.30pm. Most gratefully too as it was really our last chance and i don't think any of us would have felt like the race had been completed if we had to count day three as the last day. So as short as it was, it was perfect. The loop was small (1.5km) but pretty much flat. Most of us had to start out at walking pace as we were moving in single file trying to carve some sort of path in the deep soft snow. As people started to spread out though it became easier to start running.

It was overcast and snowing, we were in the most beautiful place on earth, penguins were making us laugh as they ambled along beside us, in front of us and around us (and occasionally held us up as they crossed our path or indeed jumped into our tracks and waddled in front of us) and it was just so much fun to be out actually enjoying running. I think that was the most fun I have ever had on a last stage, it really did feel like we were out on a weekend run with friends. No times to beat, no places to try and make up, just the pure joy of running.

Fergus started out with the leaders as usual and it was great to see him enjoying the day too. It was even better however after a few laps as I came through the checkpoint and I realised he'd stopped to wait for me and we were going to finish the Last Desert together. An incredibly special moment in an awesome day and a perfect finish to the series.

The Drake Passage was, apparently, incredibly calm on the way back. No 70ft waves, no rocking so much the furniture flew across the room. Didn't seem to make much difference though, and the first day or so I pretty much stayed in bed and couldn't eat. The next couple of days were better, but it really did knock me around. I also think it's pretty safe to say there's not much that could entice me to get back on a boat for more than a few hours. Ever .

Antarctica itself is so incredibly beautiful and the pictures, as fantastic as they are, don't, can't, do it justice. Much seems familiar after watching documentaries and having spent time in mountains and on glaciers, but it doesn't prepare you for the pristine beauty of the ice and the snow. Or the majesty of seeing a humpback whale lazily roll up to the surface and gently curve it's way back through the waves with barely a splash. Or the (admittedly unintentional) comedic talents of penguins as they poop, shag and slide on their bellies. And it certainly doesn't prepare you for the unearthly glow that icebergs have, even on overcast days where it looks like someone has turned a turquoise blue light on under the iceberg. It's truly a spectacular place and comes highly recommended. Don't forget the seasickness pills!.

For all those future competitors, the next(and probably last) post will include some thoughts on kit etc. which may help your planning. But for now, on to the next leg and the long flight home.

Apologies all, but Kate's currently indisposed.... After successfully finishing, she's now lying down in a dark room holding seasickness at bay as best she can. She should be back on her feet in a day or two, and there will be a full update to follow...!

After about 46 hours of travelling, we arrived in Ushuaia about midday on Monday. Despite a general strike in Buenos Aires we didn't have any troubles with flights or bags so both of us and our kit arrived safely and at the same time. After checking in, the afternoon was spent catching up on sleep and following a light dinner I still managed to sleep for another 13 hours overnight. Awoke yesterday with a splitting headache, sore throat, painful sinuses and, weirdly, one rather bloodshot eye. Which (truthfully!) had nothing to do with the effects of good, or even bad, Argentinian red wine. We are staying a bit out of town and decided the best thing to do was get up and about, so we got the bus into the town centre, wandered around a bit then walked the 7km or so back to the hotel. Following the brisk walk in fresh air, and swim, spa and sauna at the hotel later, I awoke feeling much better today.

Ushuaia is lovely - feels very much like a frontier town and the situation, especially that of our hotel, reminds me a bit of Queenstown. The mountains are beautiful and a storm last night left them covered in a dusting of snow. Everyone has been very lovely to us, even when we mangle their language, and the food really good.

We're getting a taste of the weather to come as the temperature reached all of 1degC today and the wind is quite strong and bitingly cold. And as I look outside now, it has just started to snow. Although, as I have been reminded by a number of people today, it's going to get much colder than this...

We're all meeting tomorrow (Thursday) about 2pm for our final briefing before boarding the ship and the 2-3 day journey across the Drake Passage to our first race point. Since so much is weather dependent, unlike the other races where the long day is usually day 5, it's highly possible that we'll start the race on day 1 with a long stage of 100km which freaks me out little, but it will be nice to get some km in the bag. It does feel somewhat like this is my first ever race - there are so many unknowns that mentally I think it's going to be very important to be entirely relaxed and just take each day as it comes and do the best I can whenever we're out there for however long and whatever the weather.

Thanks for all your comments so far - nice to know so many of you are playing along at home! Feel free to mention (geographically challenged) polar bears in your comments but really, any and all comments/ emails are always appreciated and eagerly read.

Nicole, your idea about reading Christian's blog is a good one (am most interested to hear what the children make of this...) and I think reading others' blogs is generally a good idea anyway as everyone will have a different perspective on the race which is always interesting.

Wyndham, unfortunately there are still many jokes to come. They don't stop. It's like sharing a room with a talking Christmas cracker only without the paper hat.

Well that's it for now, off for a jog in the hotel gym to keep the legs turning over followed by a bit of a swim in the heated pool. A last bit of luxury before the sea sickness starts.

Not sure when we'll be able to blog next, am guessing in a couple of days. Till then, Cheers Kate

So the loungeroom has looked like a clothes bomb went off in it for the last 2 weeks, and although we are leaving in a few hours it doesn't seem to be getting any more organised, or indeed more packed. *Sigh*
Well, nothing like a little more procrastination, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to start my blog..
It's hard to believe the race is almost here - I am not sure how other competitors feel but I feel like I have been so focused on the race itself (training, kit, food) that it's really only just starting to sink in that we are going to Antarctica. We truly are incredibly lucky to be able to race in such a remote, wild and beautiful place that not many people will see in their lifetime.
I feel reasonably fit and healthy for the race. After a most enjoyable but rather gruelling two week holiday after Gobi (8 cities in 2 weeks, 45 hours on planes and about 25 hours in airports) I landed in in London with a cold that turned into a rather nasty bout of bronchitis which lasted just over a month and meant I didn't really run for about 2 months after the race. When I started running again in September I couldn't even get a full lap around Hyde Park (7km) without having to stop and walk and catch my breath.
I will be forever grateful to my wonderful friend Lori for introducing me to the joys of bikram yoga which helped enormously with my breathing and I am sure was instrumental in getting me back on my feet much quicker than I would have been otherwise. I have been enjoying the training though and whilst running around London can get a little tedious at times, for once the weather here is beneficial to training for a desert...
Well I guess I had better go and pack, so we actually get out of here today. Looking forward to catching up with friends and meeting the other competitors in Ushuaia