Antarctica Marathon 2012 - Best. Experience. Ever.

After 2 days on the drake passage, the Akademic Ioffe (our ship and home for our 10 day trip) finally arrived at the South Shetland Islands off the coast of the Antarctic Peinsula.  It was the day before the race and you could sense the excitement amoung the runners to finally be in Antarctica.
We dropped off Thom (race director and owner of Marathon Tours) and his team to set up the course on King George Island, while we went on an excursion to Robert Point (to see our first colony of Penguins...and) to stretch our legs!  You can only imagine how happy 100 runners were to get off the boat and be able to move around!

After a fun afternoon with the penguins, it was back on the ship for our pre-race dinner (lots of pasta and carbs, of course).  Everyone was wondering and anticipating what we would learn from the team setting up the race. 

After dinner, we were handed out our bib numbers and then we assembled so that Thom could brief us on the Marathon course and the schedule for the next day.

There were a total of 100 runners on board (the maximum they were allowed to take ashore).  89 registered for the full marathon and 11 for the half marathon.  The race was scheduled to start at 9am (sharp).  Thom gave us a run down of the course.  We would start near the Russian base and run about 2.2miles towards the Uruguay base.  Then turn around, run back to the start/finish area and another 2.2miles passed the Chilean base and out towards the China base.  Then back to the start/finish area again.  And repeat that exact same course 2 more times.

The map of the course they showed us at the briefing (along with the elevation of half the course):

I wasn't too excited about seeing all the spikes in the elevation chart.  I know they warned of hills....but that doesn't change the fact that I hate running them.  Thom warned us that the course would be tough - and promised that no one would come in under 3 hours.  And if anyone could break 3 hours (which has yet to be done) that he would buy all their beer the night of the race.

After the briefing....Camille and I got our gear ready.  We needed to bring 3 bottles of water that we would drop at various points on the course (start, and then half way to the Uruguay base, and half way to the China base).  We also couldn't take anything that could potentially blow away...So my GU chomps went in an altoid box!  We stretched and used the stick and foam roller to loosen up our legs as much as possible and made sure to get to bed early the night before the race.  We were nervous...but excited for the next day!

Just like every other morming, we woke up to Andy's (the OneOcean Expedition Leader) voice over the intercom with a "Good Morning, Good Morning.  It's 6am in the morning.  Breakfast will be served at 6:30."  And he probably told us how great a day it was going to be for a marathon.  Camille and I eventually rolled out of bed, got some breakfast, put on our gear, stretched a little..and then headed down to the gangway to line up for a Zodiac to get to shore.

I think they told us the temperature was about 30-35F degrees...but it was SO incredibly windy that it felt much, much colder.  I didn't want to take off my red suit...but we had to get our shoes on and get organized.

Emily, Me, and Camille - Taking a pre-race picture!

Gathering at the start....waiting for Thom to say "3...2....1....GO!"

The video I took at the start of the race of everyone excited to get going:

Everyone always asks me, "how do you even run in Antarctica?...Are you running on a big sheet of ice?"  Nope.  Not ice.  Not even snow.  They used to run on a glacier...but they can't run on it anymore.  It's apparently unstable.  Instead, we get to run on lots and LOTS of mud and even some rocks.  Awesome [I think I'd prefer snow]. 

Despite the grey, muddy look in all these pictures - the view is actually quite scenic.  

Even chickens [aka: Stirling the Aussie] run in Antarctica

The course was HARD.  Really hard.  Mostly because of the weather.  Also because of the mud.  And the hills didn't help any.  It has to be up there as one of the hardest things I've ever done!  The winds were the worst.  They were just brutal.  They estimated that the winds were somewhere between 40 and 50 mph.  You know when you are running and your right foot almost knocks into your left foot because of the wind....and you nearly trip yourself....that it is pretty dang strong.

As mentioned above, you go out and back 3 times on each side of the start/finish.  So, thankfully for about half the race you have the wind at your back.  But man, when that wind was against you...it was so miserable.  Walking against the wind was miserable...never mind running. And walking uphill against the wind...well, that sometimes felt nearly impossible.

The first (and 3rd, and 5th) part of the race out to the Uruguay base was the hardest part.  Lots of hills and very muddy.  Muddy like this:

And it just got worse the more everyone ran over it.  By the third leg... the mud was acting like a suction. There was momment I thought my shoe was going to come off. It didn't, thankfully.

The hills, by some standards, weren't that high...The highest the elevation ever got was about 225feet.  BUT there were a LOT of ups and downs...and some of those short hills were SO steep.  Ugh..I hate hills.  This is the elevation chart from someone's Garmin watch during the race:

The windchill also made it SO much colder.  Probably feeling more like 5f to 10f degrees.  My gear held up well though.  Only my hands and face got cold.  Thankfully I had stuck some hand warmers in my fuel belt that I put inside my gloves to warm up my hands.  They were a lifesaver.

At one point it started snowing.  And because it was so windy, the snow was just whipping across you. All I wanted to do was bury my chin into my chest...but then I couldn't see where I was going.  That just wasn't very fun.  Thankfully it didn't last for too long - maybe a mile or 2 of the race?  I was happy when it stopped.

The sign we saw as we approached the Uruguay base and realized you had to turn around and do the hardest part of the course again but this time against the wind!!

Moss!  About the only green thing you find in Antarctica. 

Some people smile when they see the camera on the course....I just wave my arms around like a crazy person and make weird faces.  Clearly, I have the best reactions to cameras.  I'm so photogenic. 

When I tell people about the out and back course that is repeated 3 times - I can tell by people's reactions that they are thinking that they would get bored of doing the same thing over and over... and over again.  But I actually really liked the course this way.  For 2 reasons:

  

1 - you could break it up into shorter runs in your mind.  And it really helped make the race not feel as long.  When you tell yourself "just 4 more miles....I can do 4 more miles".  It makes it not as daunting.  And....

2 - It was great that you are continually passing the runners on the course because everyone was cheering for each other.  You felt like you had a lot of support and people cheering you on. I loved that!

                                                                                                           

I was so happy to see this sign.  Even happier to see mile 25 and 26.

Near the China base....

Thom was right... no one would finish under 3 hours.  But Terence (from Australia) finished in an amazing 3:07. I was actualy right there when he finished.  But I had a whole 13.1 more miles to go!! I was just a tad bit jealous of him being done...

And my girl Camille also rocked it.  She came in second place in the womens finishing in 4:40! [And guess what her longest training run was? A 10-miler! Amazing.]

Crossing that finish line was a good feeling (if you couldn't tell from the huge smile on my face)!!! After nearly 4 years on a waitlist...I had finally crossed it.  I was so happy to just finish!  It took me a whopping 6:40!  But I didn't care.

I was really worried the days leading up to the race that I wouldn't be able to do it.  I've read from previous years runners that you need to add an hour to an hour and a half to your usual marathon time.  I'm a slow runner so I knew I would be cutting it close.  I made it to the halfway point at 3:07 [The cutoff was 3:10 give or take] and decided I would go until they kicked me off [luckily that never had to happen].  Fifteen people that were signed up for the full ended up changing to the half during the race either because it was harder than they thought and chose not to go on or because they didn't make the halfway cutoff in time.  It was really a tough race...and everyone there did an amazing job!

I got a little dirty......

We worked hard for this piece of hardware......

Shortly after crossing the finish line, we were on a zodiac and headed back to the boat.  I very quickly got cold.  So, the first thing I did when I got back to the boat was take a HOT shower.  It felt so good. The second thing I did was eat.

Getting one last picture of the finish area before getting on the zodiac back to the boat.

Everyone's shoes on the boat after the race...

Running this marathon was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  It really is hard to describe the feeling you get when you cross the finish line.  It feels better than you can ever imagine.  Everyone I met on this trip had a reason for being there...whether it was to run their last marathon on their last continent, or maybe cause their friend convinced them to do something crazy, or to run their first ever marathon in the most remote place they could think of or maybe cause they just wanted a fun adventure.  Whatever the reason...I guarantee that everyone that crossed that finished line was happy they did it and was proud of their accomplishment!  I sure was! 

A big congratulations to all 100 runners!  And thank you to Thom and Marathon Tours for making such an amazing experience even possible!!   Best. Experience. Ever.  Can I please go back?

The Gear

This is what I plan to wear:

Head to Toe:

Head: Nike Running Skull Cap

Ears: Asics Thermopolis Headband

Neck: Asics Thermopolis neck gaitor

Top Base layer: Under Armour Coldgear Mock Turtleneck

Top Mid layer: Nike running sweater (with hood)

Top Outer layer: Nike Element Shield Jacket

Hands: Road runner thermal gloves

Legs: Road Runner wind-front running tights

Feet: Cold Weather Drymax running socks

Shoes: Saucony Xodus trail running shoes

And some sunglasses - mostly in case it is super windy and need to protect my eyes.

Hopefully it's enough!  It's all packed in a small carry-on.  Didn't want to put it with my checked bag...just in case. 

The Antarctica Marathon

There are only 2 Marathons in Antarctica.  One that takes place at the end of November and you actually fly to the continent.  The trip is fewer days and it's more expensive.  So, Camille and I opted on the more affordable Option 2....a 15-day trip with Marathon Tours to the South Pole via Ship.  After a few days in Buenos Aires, we will make our way down to Ushuaia - the Capital city of the Teirra Del Fuego Province.  The very southern tip of Argentina.  Once there, we will hop on this boat with OneOcean Expeditions....

And "cruise" on down to Antarctica.  I've read that as you pass over Drake Passage, the waters can get pretty rough.  So, I'll be bringing some Dramamine with me and hope I don't get sea sick.  Not really sure if I'm prone to that or not.... I guess I'll find out soon enough.

It will take about a day and half or 2 days to get to King George Island, one of the South Shetland Islands (A group of Antarctic Islands off the coast of the mainland).  This is where we will be running the race.  The only other people (besides us) that will be there will be the researchers from various countries that are stationed at their respective research base.  Them and the penguins.  Not your typical marathon where there are usually lots of crowds to cheer and support you on.

The race is different every year depending on the weather and conditions.  And on where the researchers say we can and can't go.  So, the race organizers will go and set up the day before we race.  They used to run on a glacier - but apparently it become unstable a couple of years ago.  So, unfortunately, I don't think we'll be doing that.

These are some things we've been told:

1. Be ready for 0F to 30F degrees.  [I don't know what you think...but running in 30F degrees is a lot different than running in 0F degrees.  So I've been trying to figure out what to bring to be prepared for either extreme and somewhere in between.  Hard task when you have 50-60 degree weather to run in every day here in Cali.]
2. The wind can drop it another 10 degrees.  [Awesome].
3. "Be prepared for mud. If the weather is warm there is a high possibility of a lot of mud.  Shoe gaiters or other type gear may be a good idea." [Got the shoe gaiters.  I'd much rather run on snow than in ankle deep mud...which they experienced one year on this race]
4. We have to bring our own H20.  [They'll drop it for us at 4 locations along the course..but we have to provide our own water bottles and fill up water on the boat before the race.]
5. GU, ShotBlocks, ect... : "you will not be allowed to bring the individual gels packets to shore. We suggest that you purchase the larger bottle of gel liquid and put it in plastic gel flask(s) for use in the race.   Solid carbohydrate blocks, such as shot blocks and energy bars must also be removed from the wrappers and put in permanent type containers. Items containing nuts or egg products may not be allowed on shore."  [Seriously?  Yep. Seriously.  It's a serious infraction if you don't follow the rules.  So I'm thinking I might go buy some Altoids, empty the container and fill it with my GU Chomps.  Any better ideas??]
6. Hills, Hills, and more Hills [I already mentioned this in a post below...Not looking forward to this part. But I will survive!]
7. Bathrooms? Portable toilets will be available in tents at the start/finish area and two remote parts of the course. There is no indoor facilities for changing clothes or to stay warm.  [And you know how a lot of marathons you see people on the side of the road doing their business...No can do in Antarctica.  This would result in immediate disqualification.]
8. Time Limit - 6.5 hours [Seems like plenty...unless you are running against 40mph winds as one girl that ran the marathon said she experienced]



A picture from MarathonTours.com

Marathon Tours website says this about the marathon....

"The course on King George Island located off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula has marked gravel roads that connect the scientific research bases of Uruguay, Chile, China and Russia. Great care is taken to leave behind zero impact on the environment in this sensitive ecosystem. We are now restricted to having a maximum of 100 passengers ashore for the event at any one time. We guarantee that you will experience a most challenging running experience as well as an experience of a lifetime."

I can't believe this is all just 2 weeks away!  I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious.  Almost 4 years after signing up for this thing...it is finally here.  I don't think it will really hit me until I'm getting off the boat and stepping on to The Last Continent. 

20 Miles

Or just under 20 miles.  That's going to be my longest run.  And it's what I ran this past Saturday.  I felt really good for the first 10 miles and actually did the Dish 2 and almost a half times to start.  By mile 14 though I was kind of wanting my run to be over.  But I pushed through it and reached my goal.  I did take a couple of walk breaks in those last 4 or 5 miles. 



I'm happy that I'm going to be tappering now.  My legs need to rest up before the marathon.  It's less than 3 weeks away! I can't believe it.  I leave in 10 days for Argentina!! I'm scared to death.  But I think I might actually be able to finish this thing.  I'm counting on some really good adrenaline, determination, and praying for as good of weather as we can possibly get down there!!  

The Dish and Hills

"The Dish", as they call it, is one my favorite places in Palo Alto.  It's a 3.5 mile hilly loop in the Stanford foothills.  It got its nickname because there is a big ol' Satelite Dish off the trail.

I've walked The Dish many times.  Espescially in the summer and espescially when I was on my mini retirements.  It's just a fun way to get exercise and get some sun.  [Obviously this picture was taken when I was getting more sun cause I have a little bit of a tan...]

 

All the times I've walked this thing, there will be a few people that will go speeding by me as they run on by up those crazy hills.  I would always think to myself that some day I should really try running that thing. 

This might be a good time to tell you - I hate running hills.  HATE it. I'm just not good at it.  My heart races like a crazy maniac.  And I think when I'm trying to get myself up the dang hill that I forget to breath so then I start panting like a crazy person.  So, I tend to avoid hills when I go for runs.

But then I got an email from the Antarctica Marathon director in early January that said this.... "How is your training going? Run hills, hills and more hills! It is a strength runner's course with lots of ups and downs."

Ugh!  Not what I wanted to hear.  And of course, there is no elevation chart or anything on the website because the course changes pretty much every year depending on the weather conditions and where we are allowed to run.

But I still googled..and found this from someone that ran it in 2007 - yep...lots of ups and downs.

I guess the only saving grace is that besides those 2 big spikes they don't look like they are too big of hills....but they do look a little steep.  After realizing this - I started freaking out about hill training.  So i've been trying to incorporate the dish into my workouts.  This is a 6.3 mile run that I do every week that incorporates the dish and you can see the elevation at the bottom...

I'm really hoping that running The Dish is going to prepare me enough for Antarctica.  On my long run last week, I ran it twice.  I'm thinking on my run this weekend that I might try to do it at least 3 times.  Hills = Evil to me.  And good always conquers evil, right? :)

Cold Running

Jules and I woke up at 6am Saturday morning to start our run in the dark and in about 23f degrees...which sometimes felt colder when the wind would blow.

I learned one very important thing ---->  I need more layers!  23 degrees is a lot colder than I thought!

Before the Run - Early and smiling. Obviously before the run.

The run was so hard for me.  I think when I thought Utah would be a good place to get a cold run in, I totally forgot to think about the whole elevation factor.  We went up city creek trail in Salt Lake (which is allllll uphill) until I had it with hills....and then with the exception of a few more inclines we stayed pretty much either downhill or flat for the remaining miles.  

And my upper body was cold pretty much the entire run.  Legs, hands, head were fine.  But my core and arms -- cold, cold, cold.  Good thing I figured that out before going to the South Pole!

How I felt AFTER the run.  DEAD tired.

My legs felt like led by the end of the run. It was not very encouraging.  I'm blaming the 4500ft increase in elevation between CA and UT. Thank goodness Antarctica is at sea level!!!

Now - time to go buy a running jacket that is windproof!!!  

Cold Run...or that's the plan!

I'm leaving for Salt Lake tonight to go try to get a colder run in before going to Antarctica.  I'm supposed to run 15 miles tomorrow morning with my friend Julie (bless her soul for running with me!).   I guess they haven't been having too cold of a winter - so looks like I'll be getting up early to get as much cold air time as I can......  [And then you'll probably find me at Cafe Rio gorging on the best Pork Salad ever].