I found this post still in my draft box from over a year ago. It appears to be unfinished but I thought I would summarize how it ended up now and let it out there:)
What did I get talked into, you might ask? I got talked into running a flippin' marathon! And it was here, in Antarctica!!! Crazy, crazy, crazy. A marathon, that's fine right? People do those quite often. Its kinda normal. Well, yeah, but one,I didn't train a lick for it and two, it's in Antarctica, the harshest continent! I've barely run since being here in Antarctica, like, seriously, only about 5 times (the 5k turkey trot, the 10k race, and about 3 times on the tred mill for maybe 3-4 miles). So, how'd I get talked into attempting 26.2 miles? My farthest run prior was 13.1 miles in last year's half marathon and before that I topped out at 6 miles-ish as my longest. I was talked into it by some others that also had never run a marathon and who also hadn't really trained. We could all be naive together! If they could do it, so could I right? Those people were: Travis (the main convincer), Bev and Abe. I was really undecided about it even up to the morning of the race. I was tempted to just do the half again bc I knew I could do that bc I did it last year. But...then, how cool would it be to say the one marathon I did, to cross it off the life-bucket list, of course, was in Antarctica? But on the flip side, it is a HARD place to run! It takes a lot of thought and prep to do it. Like, what the heck do you wear?? It is COLD here and you have to dress warm but you also do get hot when you are running. Layers, its all about layers. But the weather is also unpredictable so it is hard to dial it down to be not too much and not too little.
Summarized ending: I did end up running the full marathon after all....probably a somewhat stupid idea in hindsight as I basically injured myself and was hobbling around for a solid 2 weeks after the race and still feel some of the repercussions occasionally (esp in one knee)! But I am still glad I went for it! Bev and Abe were great marathon buddies....we were all equally unprepared and slow. I think my time was around 5 something hours, if I remember correctly. Travis DID NOT run with me...basically because he was too busy KILLING IT, ha ha! He finished in 4 something hours and then proceeded to practically freeze to death waiting for me to finish:) Running that race was probably one of the harder things I have done in my life...but only after mile 17 or so because that is when the hips and knees started to complain in the form of pain. Afterward, I had absolutely no interest in running another marathon, but now, a year of forgetfulness later, I wonder how I would fair in warmer weather with a bit of training under my belt? ha ha. Kudos to any marathon finisher! I still think all you Ironmen are absolutely crazy!
What did I get talked into, you might ask? I got talked into running a flippin' marathon! And it was here, in Antarctica!!! Crazy, crazy, crazy. A marathon, that's fine right? People do those quite often. Its kinda normal. Well, yeah, but one,I didn't train a lick for it and two, it's in Antarctica, the harshest continent! I've barely run since being here in Antarctica, like, seriously, only about 5 times (the 5k turkey trot, the 10k race, and about 3 times on the tred mill for maybe 3-4 miles). So, how'd I get talked into attempting 26.2 miles? My farthest run prior was 13.1 miles in last year's half marathon and before that I topped out at 6 miles-ish as my longest. I was talked into it by some others that also had never run a marathon and who also hadn't really trained. We could all be naive together! If they could do it, so could I right? Those people were: Travis (the main convincer), Bev and Abe. I was really undecided about it even up to the morning of the race. I was tempted to just do the half again bc I knew I could do that bc I did it last year. But...then, how cool would it be to say the one marathon I did, to cross it off the life-bucket list, of course, was in Antarctica? But on the flip side, it is a HARD place to run! It takes a lot of thought and prep to do it. Like, what the heck do you wear?? It is COLD here and you have to dress warm but you also do get hot when you are running. Layers, its all about layers. But the weather is also unpredictable so it is hard to dial it down to be not too much and not too little.
Summarized ending: I did end up running the full marathon after all....probably a somewhat stupid idea in hindsight as I basically injured myself and was hobbling around for a solid 2 weeks after the race and still feel some of the repercussions occasionally (esp in one knee)! But I am still glad I went for it! Bev and Abe were great marathon buddies....we were all equally unprepared and slow. I think my time was around 5 something hours, if I remember correctly. Travis DID NOT run with me...basically because he was too busy KILLING IT, ha ha! He finished in 4 something hours and then proceeded to practically freeze to death waiting for me to finish:) Running that race was probably one of the harder things I have done in my life...but only after mile 17 or so because that is when the hips and knees started to complain in the form of pain. Afterward, I had absolutely no interest in running another marathon, but now, a year of forgetfulness later, I wonder how I would fair in warmer weather with a bit of training under my belt? ha ha. Kudos to any marathon finisher! I still think all you Ironmen are absolutely crazy!
10 cool things about running the McMurdo, Antarctica Marathon:
1. One of the few places that the number of miles run for a summer marathon is more than the temperature in Fahrenheit (12F, -2 Wind-chill)
2. The entire marathon is run on top of the ocean
3. Tipping a cup of gatorade towards your mouth, only to be hit in the teeth by a solid block of ice
4. Energy bars were kept on the grill at aid ...stations to keep them thawed enough to eat
5. Band aids were placed on nipples not so much to avoid chafing, but as an additional layer against frost bite
6. Aid stations were stocked with hand warmers
7. Beardcicles and Snotcicles
8. Aid vehicles were snowmobiles
9. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not available for over a month before the race, nor were they available to help cramps during or after the race
10. The post marathon waddle could easily be mistaken for an emperor penguin
1. One of the few places that the number of miles run for a summer marathon is more than the temperature in Fahrenheit (12F, -2 Wind-chill)
2. The entire marathon is run on top of the ocean
3. Tipping a cup of gatorade towards your mouth, only to be hit in the teeth by a solid block of ice
4. Energy bars were kept on the grill at aid ...stations to keep them thawed enough to eat
5. Band aids were placed on nipples not so much to avoid chafing, but as an additional layer against frost bite
6. Aid stations were stocked with hand warmers
7. Beardcicles and Snotcicles
8. Aid vehicles were snowmobiles
9. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not available for over a month before the race, nor were they available to help cramps during or after the race
10. The post marathon waddle could easily be mistaken for an emperor penguin
Are you going to run the Mpala Marathon. Your time will be faster when chased by buffalo, elephants, and lions...
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