Marathon Number 5!

Pre-Race Stretching

   

And...off we go!

  
At the end of each marathon I do down here I mutter: "never again" and at the beginning of each season I think; "why not?" So I trained throughout the season to get in a reasonable shape, but not following any schedule I never quite know whether I will be ready in time. As soon as possible (October or so) I try to escape the crowded, boring and oxygen-deprived gerbil gym to run outside. It requires a bit more time and planning to get the clothing right, but I wear less than most people would expect because by running you create your own heat.

This year I participated a bit in the preparations of the event by sharing my marathon experience with others during a couple of meetings with runners. Partly because of gorgeous weather and the absence of wind the run itself was excellent for the first half. The second half I was met with pain in the ball of my foot which was being exacerbated by the very loose snow. Initially the various support vehicles and aid stations did not have any painkillers for me, but after a while a snow machine pulled next to me and handed me some. The wonderful support system also allowed me to ask for the bag that I had prepared in advance and change into a spare pair of shoes which allowed me to finish the race. I felt that all this and stopping for breaks would surely result in a bad time, but I had almost the exact same time as other years. 4 hours and 17 minutes resulted in the first place (out of 3) for runners over 40 years old and 6th out of all 17 full marathon finishers.

There would have been 3 runners from South Pole, but flights were canceled so they ran laps on their airfield instead. There were also 10 or so half marathon runners and full marathon skiers. After the welcome home ceremony and free massages, we enjoyed a nice ice cold water dunk in one of the science labs tanks that normally contain sea creatures that are being studied. Next year number 6?



Going Strong



Pain Killer Delivery



Change of Shoes



Unexpected Spectators



Always time to pose for a picture.





My Certificate




The Route



There was also a journalist from the New York Times who wrote about us:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/sports/30antarctica.html