I am schedule to leave for the third Antarctic Ice Marathon which will take place at 80 Degrees South (approx. 500 miles from the south pole) on December 7th. The Marathon is basically a 26.2 mile endurance run on snow, in some pretty brutal conditions so I am somewhat apprehensive about what to expect.
Running in these conditions will be difficult in itself, but coupled with snow gear and extra layers of clothing will most likely make it more an endurance test than a race. There are things to consider such as the larger shoe size required to accommodate sock layers, the flexibility of protective leg layers and the fogging of goggles from respiration. As any runner will attest, shoes are a runners best friend, and any change in shoe style (or size) can greatly change the experience.
I have attempted to train using some of this equipment, for obvious reasons have not tested it all at once (in case my sister reads this..... "It would be too hot Annie"...).
The training for this has been pretty basic, I would run approx. 15 miles during the week, followed by a long run of 12-20 miles over the weekend. No more than any other marathon I have done, no less either. I do wish I would have worked in some speed drills to strengthen me up a little bit more, but life was too busy as it is.
Working on getting all my gear together now. I found myself looking to buy gloves, hats etc. and thinking "those are nice, but boy, do they look hot"....... Think about that, is that not a pretty dumb thing to pass through ones head when gearing up for a trip to the coldest place on the planet? I am still kicking myself in the head (figuratively) about that (once again in case my sister reads this.... "because I want warm things when I am there"....).
OK, that is enough for now, and in case he is reading this "Happy Birthday Dad".
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Why?
Every year more than 1.2 million Americans develop cancer, within this stat is the fact that every 30 seconds a new cancer is diagnosed. Seems like a lot, and pre 2007 would have simply been another number that I would have glanced over and really not given much thought to.
I might have memorized the stats and cataloged it within my brain for an eventual meaningless wager, figuring I could really build up the question and then throw out the stats hoping someone would say "I bet it is not that much". That is the way I roll.
But, then 2007 hit and people that mean a lot to me were affected by the disease. The number now means something to me. The first was my dad, Richard, who passed away after 8 years of living with leukemia. It was his passing that sparked me to do something, albiet something different, but none-the-less something. That something was to run a marathon at the south pole (or as close as I could get to the actual pole) and attempt to raise some money for the Leukemia Society in the process (more of this later).
I know that to most reading this (if anyone reads it at all), the cancer statistics are simply a number that can evoke the feeling of "too bad for them" then go on with their lives ordering cheeseburgers and pondering their deep thoughts of particle acceleration and thermal dynamics. But I figured that I could do my part to at least raise awareness and hopefully raise some money for a worthy cause.
So, why post a blog? I am not the type to sit here providing musings of feelings and personal thoughts (I will hold that to a minimum for your benefit and mine), but I have decided to provide some insight into the reasons, the training and the race itself.
I might have memorized the stats and cataloged it within my brain for an eventual meaningless wager, figuring I could really build up the question and then throw out the stats hoping someone would say "I bet it is not that much". That is the way I roll.
But, then 2007 hit and people that mean a lot to me were affected by the disease. The number now means something to me. The first was my dad, Richard, who passed away after 8 years of living with leukemia. It was his passing that sparked me to do something, albiet something different, but none-the-less something. That something was to run a marathon at the south pole (or as close as I could get to the actual pole) and attempt to raise some money for the Leukemia Society in the process (more of this later).
I know that to most reading this (if anyone reads it at all), the cancer statistics are simply a number that can evoke the feeling of "too bad for them" then go on with their lives ordering cheeseburgers and pondering their deep thoughts of particle acceleration and thermal dynamics. But I figured that I could do my part to at least raise awareness and hopefully raise some money for a worthy cause.
So, why post a blog? I am not the type to sit here providing musings of feelings and personal thoughts (I will hold that to a minimum for your benefit and mine), but I have decided to provide some insight into the reasons, the training and the race itself.
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