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

Another Marathon

Preparation before the start. The start.

Another year, another marathon. This was my third one and it was tough. Weather conditions were just perfect: bright sunny, temperature around freezing point and no wind whatsoever. The surface however was a different story; in places there was a layer of powdery snow which makes it feel like you are running in sand and forces you to always look for a better spot to run. Very tiring. Support was the same as last year (some refreshment stands along the way and some mobile support crews that were able to hand stuff from the runners personal bag that they were carrying in the vehicle. I didn't need any of that since the weather was good and I was carrying my own supplies) with 1 noted difference; This year Sheri was one of the support staff and so I received special encouragement and hugs twice (out and back , the second time accompanied by remarks from me to remind me never to do this again ) along the way.

I was doing quite well up until the final 2 miles of the race, when my legs totally cramped up to the point where even Sheri's encouragement couldn't get me to continue running longer than 2 minutes at a stretch. My final finish time was 3 minutes slower than last year.
Afterwards we were rewarded with a nice after party featuring food and drinks and a volunteer giving massages.
All in all there were:
23 full marathon runners
6 full marathon skiers
24 half marathon runners
6 half marathon skiers

My marathon times:
2006 (first marathon ever) 5:20
2007 4:18
2008 4:21



Dedicated to Pam for encouraging me to run my first marathon and inspiring so many people to run and dedicated to Sheri for supporting me and joining me during my training.

Running

So cold, it froze my beard.

This season has seen a lot of running again. When we just get down here in October, it is rather cold (-40F/C wind chill easily) and it is really a challenge to run outside. The alternative is an old gym which houses some 'crappy' treadmills and other fitness equipment. The treadmills often don't incline and sometimes lie about their speed if they run at all. In their defense I must say that they are old and are being worked very hard (.......numbers here........) Another bad point about the gym is that it is warm, smelly and lacking oxygen.

Quite a lot of races have been organized; some of which we have run. Turkey Trot (extra prizes for dressing up) Ob Hill up Hill (short distance but very steep) ; Scott Hut Race (5K) . And I joined a couple of people in a self invented Grand Slam, where we connected 4 recreational routes in 1 go. It earned us a commemorative trail marker and much respect.



On the bus to the start. Do I look scared? At the starting line. Running near the Willy Field Runway.

The master of all races was of course the Marathon. 26 miles on the sea-ice for runners and skiers. This year the conditions were less favorable than last year between -2C and 3C (28 to 37F) with wind chill temps at 14F/-10C. Wind speed of 24 knots (44 kph or 28 mph)
Not very cold, but very windy.
The numbers:
7 skiers (first place was an incredible 2:17:12)
18 runners (first place 3:36:51)
I came in 6th with 4:18:38 which is (I am proud to say) 1 hour faster than last year.

Sheri was one of the half marathon runners, and despite the fact that she has had a cold and not a lot of training she managed to finish in a decent time and not be overly sore the next day. Not bad for someone who isn't all that fond of running.


Start of the Turkey Trot.

Why January 8 is the best day of the season for Michiel! (Marathon!!!)

I have completed my first marathon ever!

For a very long time, I have had a latent desire to run (at least once in my life) a marathon. Knowing that there was a marathon in Antarctica facilitated both my decision to come and to run a marathon. Training in Alaska was an adventure because of possible wildlife encounters but training in Antarctica was an adventure because of the weather. Dressed with long underwear, gloves, hat, sunglasses and vaseline on my face I would set out on my daily run to Scott base, a 4 mile round trip with some little hills and one steep hill. Once or twice a week I would go for a long 14 mile run towards the airfield out on the sea ice. Sometimes I would run in the middle of the night because we are on nightshift and have constant sunlight anyway.

The race was organized by the Recreational Department and was open to skiers or runners. Along the course were several (unmanned) aid stations with water and some food. Seeing as this is Antarctica the racers were advised to also bring their own water as the water from the aid stations could freeze. In view of these changeable weather conditions there were also a couple of support vehicles which stored our extra clothing and several people from the Rec department who cheered us on. To our great fortune it couldn't have been a better day; not much wind and temperatures around freezing. Fortunately these last few days have been cold and that stopped the sun from making the snow all mushy.

I ran with 2 women who went for the same slow starting pace as I did and who also opted for the Jeff Galloway Walk Break method; 10 minutes of running interspersed with 30 seconds walking breaks. We had lots of fun, felt great and reached the finish in a leisurly time of 5:21 with a big smile on our faces and no pain in our legs. Even now, one day after the race, I still have no pain whatsoever in my legs and feel great (and still can't believe that I actually ran a marathon).

A big "thank you" goes out to Sheri who has been very supportive and who even came out to run with us for the last 10 miles of the world's most southern marathon and to Pam for telling me I could do it.