Racing with Heart(-rate Training) - Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon 2014

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It's been 50 days, the longest we've gone without a race in year and that includes Ron recovering from surgery last August. We went from doing five races in the space of five weeks, capped off by doing two full marathons in the span of 4 days on different continents and we somehow forgot to plan a race for the month of February. So what's a Marathoner For Life to do?

After going three and a half years without setting a half marathon PR between 2006 and 2009, I improved my PR twice in 2010, 3 times in 2011, twice officially in 2012 (we have timing mat and traffic questions that may have made it four PR's), and three times in 2013. I've been getting faster, but the incremental improvement has been getting smaller every year. 

We've dedicated 2014 to heart rate training. After eight years of marathoning, it felt like the right time to take greater advantage of our Garmin technology and educate ourselves more on the nuances of the heart. We’re only a couple months into this journey and yet we’re already learning a lot.

First things first. We've been in recovery mode ever since completing the White Continent and Punta Arenas marathons. Since then, our weekly long training has been slow and steady, keeping our heart rates in the 130 - 135 beats/minute (Zone 1 - 2, depending on your calculation method) as long as we can. The idea here is to elevate your heart rate, but only to the point where your body can easily clear out any lactate build up easily and you never go into a state of oxygen deprivation.

Thanks to the advice of veteran marathoner, Al, we've been monitoring our heart rate on flat ground for miles at a time. We end our training when we can no longer sustain the low heart rate regardless of how slow we go. For a benchmark, the training pace was anywhere from one to three minutes per mile slower than race pace.

Susan has successfully experienced this phenomenon of spiking heart rate once,  after about 11 miles, with her heart rate coming up into the mid 140's without being able to bring it down. It was alarming when it happened so it was good to know what was coming in advance. Ron went nearly 20 miles before he spiked into the 140's. Regardless, our race in Dallas was going to be the test to see what affect this novel (to us) approach had on our race performance.

The results are now in. Apparently we've successfully increased our level of metabolic efficiency. Since we’re still new to the physiology of heart rate training, bear with us as we do our best to communicate our understanding of what is going on.

• Both of us were surprised to notice that we ate less during the race - a sign of greater efficiency. Ron actually didn't eat anything at all, a first for a half marathon.
• Both of us were surprised to notice that we drank less during the race. This could have just been due to the colder weather that day, but again, it's a sign of lower overall exertion.
• Negative split accomplished: a strong indicator that you tackled the course well is having reserve energy at end such that your second half split time is faster than your first. 
• Susan’s last mile of the half marathon was not only her fastest mile that day but it smashed her best timed mile pace by 18 seconds. An eight-time half marathon walker Elana paced Susan at the end of her 58^th half marathon, proving that anyone can inspire even the veterans among us.
• No muscle soreness later that day or the next day. Susan was quite tired after the race but physically our lactic acid clearance threshold seems to have improved preventing muscle soreness.

How did we feel right after the race? Ron felt great, like he didn't even work for a 2:36 walking half marathon that would have been a PR three years ago. Susan said, “This race seemed relatively good, but I didn't feel like I did very well”. It wasn't until Ron reminded her that a 2:40 walking half marathon was as fast or faster than most of her run/walk times.

Heart rate training further engaged! Stay tuned for more as the year progresses. 
Random References:
Heart Rate Zone Calculator at Digifit. Use as a starting point only. It does not take into account individual situations, weather, humidity, hydration and sleep.
Recent article at Competitor.com about training with the Lactate Threshold method as a different direction in building endurance.

Faces in the Crowd

On another note, Susan’s most vivid memories on the course often come from things that she overhears and observes. A shout out goes to the Team in Training Texas participants and coaches on the RnR Dallas half marathon course on Sunday. 

Overheard: “If you ever get into any trouble on the racecourse and need help, look for a TNT coach; they will always help you even if you’re not with TNT.” Great to hear! Most TNT coaches absolutely abide by this philosophy that they are there to help anyone in need to the best of their ability. In addition to it being the right thing to do, you never know who might sign up for TNT next season because a supportive encounter out on the race course.

Observed:  A non-TNT race participant was sitting down on the curb surrounded by several people. A TNTer ran up to her and said, “Don’t worry, my TNT coach is just ahead. I’ll call him and he’ll come help you.” Later that TNTer ran by me and I thanked her for what she did to help out a fellow racer who wasn't with TNT (not yet at least). It’s that spirit of camaraderie out on the course and the feeling that, ‘we’re all in this together’ that makes me proud to have been affiliated with the Team in Training organization for so many years.

Keep up the good work – GO TEAM!

Dallas was a great trip for the Rock n Roll Gypsies. We haven't seen Kevin since his 5-second walk-by at RNR Las Vegas.

Pre-race dinner at Ravenna. Kevin was able to get his Alfredo fix.

Al goes old-school with the original RNR Las Vegas singlet in 43 degree weather. He's also one of the hundred or so Legacy runners who've done all 5 RNR Dallas races.

Al, Susan and The Biggest Loser Season 5 contestant Dan Evans. Dan caught up to Al and me at the finish line, just in time for the three of us to have our pictures taken gawking at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. We were a little distracted in the last 50 yards of the race.

If you're looking for more races, The Biggest Loser Run/Walk has added a Theme Park Race Series with 10k and 5k races in the Six Flags locations. We've signed up for the two in California that landed on free weekends. Yay!

Veteran Rocker Joe Harris celebrated his 100th Half Marathon. Michelle Bogush, Jim and Beth Austin were also at the race, but we didn't see them at the finish tent, probably because they were freezing their butts off.

Joe at the finish line VIP tent. The 100 Medals were a gift from fellow Gypsy Beth Deloria-Austin.

This year's Rock 'n' Roll Dallas was the 5th year of the event. There were 9678 finishers in the half marathon compared to 10711 in 2013. The median finish time was 2:15:14. Weather this year was a typical (for March) low to mid-40's during the race and it didn't warm up much until noon. Bring some warm clothes if you are waiting at the finish line for a ride back since its a point to point course. Note that Uber operates in Dallas and there was a $20 credit for first time users in the Rock n Roll goodie bag. We splurged for VIP for Joe's party, so we were able to take the CGI Shuttle back to the Omni.

This was our second Rock 'n' Roll Dallas, last coming to the city when Susan was doing the commute in 2011. Ron had a goal of setting a personal best for the state of Texas, which he did by over 14 minutes. It was Ron's 57th half marathon (43rd Rock n Roll event) and Susan's 58th (44th). While we aren't likely to register for RNR Dallas 2015, we'll come back in the next few years.

We had a few good dining experiences to add to a great list complied at #CGIEats Dallas edition, written by the CGI superstar Shayne McCoy. Look for Shayne's Rock Blogs before your next Rock 'n' Roll race for some great tips!

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse
We started with the YO Queso and had the Buffalo Filet and Pecan Crusted Trout for our early dinner. Top that off with the Pecan Pie and Apple Tart and you should be set for your post-race celebration.

Price: $$$

Tiff's Treats:
After hitting Slickables after Rock n Roll Arizona earlier, I've learned to appreciate the fresh-baked cookie/ice cream sandwich. Tiff's uses Blue Bell Ice Cream. And they deliver.

Price: $

Yumilicious Frozen Yogurt:
Some of the more interesting flavors include Mango Habanero, Avacado Tart and Maple Bacon Donut. Flavors rotate daily, but there's always a selection for the adventurous and main-stream dessert aficionados. 

Price: $

When I Grow Up... - Rock 'n' Roll Arizona, 2014

"If I lived to be 200 and have Alzheimer's, I'll still remember that weekend" ~ Al Hernandez.

There's something to be said about longevity. People who live to be a hundred, who are married for 50 years or who continue to race year after year have earned our respect simply for doing what they're doing.  Such is the case for our friend Al, who completed his 250th half marathon at Rock 'n' Roll Arizona this January.

It was probably a good thing Al didn't see the decorations we had for our 50th half marathons in Cleveland and St. Louis last fall. It may have spoiled the surprise.

With Caryn, Susan and Ron doing the planning, the entire weekend was one long recognition of the accomplishment. Al is not the type to relinquish control of anything so we took it pretty seriously. Just a few looks at the weekend from our perspective.

Ron, Al, Susan, and Caryn at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Expo

Just to keep things lively, we gave Al a scavenger hunt game in the form of a bingo card. He had to find and take pictures with (among other things) a Marathon Maniac, an original Half Fanatics shirt, a Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Tour Stop shirt, an SA2LV participant, the drum core cheer station, and a Boston Marathon jacket. He successfully found them all.

After hitting the expo, we did lunch at True Food Kitchen. This is an excellent place for people with food sensitivities, featuring vegan, vegetarian, gluten free selections and items designed to fit an anti-inflammatory diet popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil. The presentation is about as good as the food too!

Al is a big fan of Despicable Me. Good thing too, since we three "accidentally" wore our minion shirts that day.
Not embarrassing at all!

At our pre-race pasta at La Bocca Urban we presented Al with a collection of pictures and well wishes from his friends. Susan spent over a month putting it together. Al said he nearly cried at a few of them. Thanks so much to the countless Half Fanatics, Marathon Maniacs, IronMan and Rock 'n' Roll folks who contributed pictures and quotes. 

Dinner was followed by a special dessert, ice cream sandwiches at Slickables. Slickables will be an absolute MUST the next time we visit Phoenix. They serve fresh premium ice cream inside cookies fresh baked with natural ingredients for $2 apiece. So good, you'll want to experiment with different combinations and can still do it on a budget. The selection depends on the day you get there, but they had my favorite snickerdoodle cookies to put around a good scoop of chocolate chip. 

Race day was more of the same. Custom Bib designed by Caryn, ordered from Races 2 Remember (R2R FB page).

Starting line interview with John "The Penguin" Bingham, arranged by our awesome friend Ann Wessling.

Caryn was having a good day so she pulled ahead. Al stayed with Susan and me for most of the race as this was our cool down race before doing two marathons the following weekend. We heard a lot of comments on the bib. About 75% of them were "Congratulations" and 25% were "You're CRAZY!"  After SA2LV, we now take the latter as a compliment. My favorite response was "yeah, we'll it's actually not that impressive. It took him 130 years to do it."

Even with the focus on him, Al still found time to help us. He remembered the low-tech video camera I used in San Antonio and Las Vegas and I mentioned I wanted to do the same for our Antarctica trip coming up. Al set me up with a new hat mounted Garmin Virb camera that can be controlled by a Garmin Fenix watch. I've been having a blast playing with the new features. RNR AZ was a great road test. I was able to capture some good footage on Antarctica before the battery gave out after three hours in near zero temperatures.

Shot from the hat-cam Garmin Virb. One of many that turned out well and many more that didn't.

This wasn't going to be a fast race for any of us. Al took pictures at each of the mile markers and the 5, 10 and 15 k signs. He had to take a few more to fill out the bingo card (which he finally finished just after the race).

Al and his Double-Down medal, enjoying a post-race refreshment with Ann Wessling - BINGO!

Given the immensity of the achievement, I was wondering why Al wasn't more excited about the day. He was, of course, in his own low key way, but he also said that it was nothing special. After all, he'd been in good health for over 30 years and it's just a matter of time and not getting bored of the sport. At that moment, he looked across the finish area and pointed out a man and woman. He had an prosthetic on his left leg below the knee. She was Misty Diaz, a woman with Spina Bifida who started on the half marathon circuit just last year. Al asked in a humble way, "What have I had to overcome?"

It's certainly a different perspective for me. We love coming back and we have the health and the means to do it. Some people aren't as driven or as lucky. It's good to keep in mind that we may not always be able to do the things we enjoy. 

But in the mean time, keep enjoying it.

250 half marathons. Maybe some day, when I grow up, I'll be like Al.

~~//~~

2014 was the 11th year for Rock 'n' Roll Arizona. The course changed slightly this year to finish in Tempe Beach Park instead of the parking lot of Sun Devil Stadium. Competitor once again did a great job recruiting volunteers for the full and half marathon courses. Weather was pretty ideal, but like it always is in Phoenix, it was pretty dry. Hydrate well when you're in town for this race.

This was our fifth RNR Arizona after racing in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (all at the half distance). For whatever reason, RNR Arizona's have not been our best races. Ron had to deal with mysterious chest pains in 2013 and an over-indulgence of fiber the night before in 2012. With a pair of full marathons coming in the next few weeks, we took it easy and enjoyed the moment for 2014. Someday, we may actually push this race since it's very PR-worthy. The course is relatively flat with the exception of a new hill at mile 8. Otherwise, with the long stretches of straight road and typical cool temps. Counting half and full marathons, this was our 68th event and kicks off 2014's quest for a fourth Rock Idol medal. 

Special thanks also to Kamika Smith for taking this picture. He made a side trip down after finishing a half marathon in Utah the day before, JUST to see Al finish his 250th.

We've already registered for RNR Arizona 2015. Like this should come as a surprise to anyone :)

Ever Wonder Who's Standing Next to You in the Corral at the Starting Line?

We've been to dozens of Expo clinic presentations and there's a common theme about marathoning being a "great equalizer". When the gun goes off, it really doesn't matter if you're a college student, a movie star, a CEO, an elite athlete, or a first-timer. Everyone follows the same course, regardless of speed, age, or technique. 

How people get there is a different story - it's usually pretty amazing.

I guess I should have considered that when we went on our trip with Marathon Adventures. Traveling to the bottom of the world to do a race takes a special kind of crazy. Doing it expecting to finish two marathons, potentially on consecutive days, takes things to a whole new level. It's people like us who can weather anything, including having to watch the Super Bowl in Spanish.

The room was so loud, no one could hear the commentators anyway. The only bummer was that the commercials were local ads only.

It's only after the races that we started to get a feel for this amazing group of individuals. I'm going to think about this the next time I line up in my corral at the start and look around.

Is there a world record holder here? Brett Weigner extended his record by completing the Seven Continent circuit for the ninth time. He's also the only person ever to complete an Ultramarathon at the North and South poles. Since we left Punta Arenas, he's finished (and placed in) races in Africa and the US National Snowshoe championships. One more Antarctica race will give him his 10th complete circuit.

Brent at the White Continent Marathon 2014. Photo Credit Imran Ahmed

Maybe I'll see a world record being set. Kristen DeSousa completed her Seven Continent circuit in just 89 days. At 15, she now holds an entry in the Alternate Book of Records for being the youngest person to complete the circuit in the shortest time as well as the youngest Canadian to complete the circuit. The Guinness Book of World Records does not acknowledge anyone under 16. Kristen is also doing this to raise money to build schools for underprivileged children in Nepal through the Children of the Mountain charity. Her mother Sharon ran with Kristen every step of the way.

Kristin with her medals from seven continents after finishing the Ultra at Punta Arenas

Maybe someone will start a run for a world record. Maria Conciecao started a quest to complete Ultra marathons on all seven continents over a span of just 42 days. She's doing this to raise funds for children in the slums of Bangladesh with the Maria Cristina Foundation. With Maria on her journey is Ziyad Rahim. He set the world record for the Marathon Grand Slam, finishing marathons on 7 continents in under 42 days. He is raising funds for CARE "Million Child Mission" that aims to educate one million children in Pakistan marginalized and NORMA, a degenerative disease that affects marginalized children in Africa. Maria and Ziyad finished that quest on March 9th at the Louis Massyn Ultra Marathon in South Africa.

Maria at the Punta Arenas Ultra Marathon. Photo Credit Imran Ahmed

Ziya at the White Continent Ultra Marathon. Photo Credit Imran Ahmed

Maybe there's a future star. Ten year old Nikolas Toocheck has finished four of the seven continents. He was recently awarded the Prudential Volunteer Service Award for raising money for Operation Warm. The "Running the World for Children" campaign has raised more than $28,000 to provide coats for impoverished children. Nik holds two single-age world records for the 10 Mile distance. This weekend, he claimed gold medals in the USATF Indoor National Championships for high jump and the 1500 meter racewalk. His father Daniel runs every step of the way with Nik, at least when Dan can keep up.

Nik and his father Daniel finishing at Punta Arenas. Photo Credit Imran Ahmed.

Maybe it's a country's ground breaker. Within a month of the White Continent / Punta Arenas event, Tee Morgan became the sixth black runner, the fourth black woman and, with Abi Adekanmbi, the first Nigerians to run seven marathons on seven continents. 

Tee and Abi at the Maritsburg Marathon, February 23, 2014

Sixty-eight people came from all over the world to run these races. Every one of us had a story to tell, but when we lined up - record holder, future record holder, future star, champion, or ground breaker - all we knew was that it was us against the course. 

During one of our last nights in Punta Arenas, we sat around a table at Okusa, having a few drinks and some chocolate mousse. We went around the table and talked about our next big adventures. Ambrose is going to race Kilimanjaro this spring. Soren is getting ready for Ironman Copenhagen. We found out later that Rob was competing in New Zealand Coast to Coast World Championship. He and his teammate won the 151 mile triathlon. John has finished 6 continents and will be speaking about his experiences at the Bixby Memorial Library in Vergennes, Vermont on March 21st. Esmail was targeting his 100th marathon in Napa in which he finished on March 3rd. We'll be getting the Bay Area gang together for a celebration this week. It's only been a month and a half, but I know a lot has happened since then.

I thought about how it felt when we were just starting out marathoning and how I loved to hear the stories and accomplishments of people who had been racing for years; I aspired to some day have something like that to talk about. It's good to know that we still find people who have done even more than we have and we know there's a lot more out there we can do. People have told us that we inspire them. I'm thrilled to hear people tell us that they've started racing, got back to racing or started on the path to a healthy life because of the stories we post. It's a great feeling to take control of your life. We love being someone in the corral next to you with a story to tell. 

The 2014 White Continent / Punta Arenas Tour Group.

If you happen to be in the corrals at Rock 'n' Roll Dallas in a few weeks, look around and you may find Susan and Ron (link to our blogger profile on Competitor.com). Hope to see you there! 

Choose the Path that Excites Your Soul - Punta Arenas Marathon and 50K 2014

I gave a speech at our company Toastmasters Club contest recapping the White Continent Marathon on Antarctica. The theme for the speech was about how life is full of choices and I challenged people to "make the choice that excites your soul." 

Once again, the elevator signs tell the story

That was the mindset for the Punta Arenas Marathon and 50K set up by Marathon Adventures. We stood in the hotel lobby at 4:50 AM and ready to walk across the street to the starting line. This would be our second full marathon on three days rest, easily the shortest rest we've ever done between full marathons. The course was a paved concrete sidewalk along the Straits of Magellan toward Tres Puentes pier. Temperatures were in the mid 40's F with a 25 mph wind and a forecast for rain. 

Pat Borque's start line video was just a tad over the Blogspot size limit. This link should be active for a few more weeks. Punta Arenas Start. I'll see if I can edit it down a little, but it's pretty complete as is.

The 5AM start for the Punta Arenas Marathon, Half Marathon and 50K. Our hotel (Diego del Almagro) in the background. Photo Credit Imran Ahmen (@photoimran)

It was perfect PR weather. That was the plan going in. We haven't tried to push ourselves in a full marathon for nearly two years and with our half marathon times down by ~15 minutes in the last two years, another PR didn't seem like a stretch. Knowing that anything could happen on race day, we had back up plans. If we didn't PR on the full marathon split, switch to the 50K. It would be our first and a default PR. Great logic, right?

The course was flat (less than 120 feet of total elevation gain) and other than the usual beautiful sunrise over the water there were very few distractions. A few people saw dolphins playing in the waves. There were a couple of early morning joggers and a handful of the neighborhood dogs playing chicken with passing traffic. Other than that, we had the course to ourselves. The commute started a few hours into the race and the cars were honking, cheering us on. 

There was a large population of stray dogs in Punta Arenas. This one was coming really close to grabbing the back bumper of passing cars. Photo Credit Imran Ahmen (@photoimran)

It was great to have spent a nearly a week with the group before this race. I recognized just about everyone on the out and back course. High fives flew left and right. After the Antarctica race was done, this felt like a long victory lap. No time limit. Lots of moral support.

I hit the end of the second lap at 2:37 for the half marathon split, about 3 minutes better than my target to beat a 5:19:20 walking marathon. Honestly, I was feeling a little drained from the last race and a 17 hour tour to Torres del Paine two days ago. Susan was right on my heels and well on her way to crushing her 5:43 run/walk marathon time from Rock n Roll San Diego back in 2007. The rain started in the middle of the third lap and though the forecast was a 50% chance of rain for the hours during the race, we had maybe 10 minutes total. It made for some spectacular rainbows over the inland mountains.

Photo credit: Trin Peng. Trin won the Female division in the first half marathon she competed (Antarctica) in and placed second in the next one (Antarctica). Either her career is looking bright, or she should retire on top.

Pam and Kurt did a great job managing the turn. Rachel was a fantastic cheerleader at the 50K mini-loop turn. About the only thing that I didn't enjoy about the race was that it was almost over. 

This is probably the only minute Rachel sat still. She probably did 50K worth of distance just dancing. 

I had a goal to stay under 40 minutes per leg for the second half to get me in under 5:18. I was on track until the last two miles. I ran out of the usual race food and went to a peanut butter squeeze pack. So much for preparation. I was feeling good, but I couldn't hold pace much longer. Thanks to Fiona and Soren for being my butt magnets. 

Fiona demonstrates the pose that we tell first time marathoners NOT to do. Soren went back to get Fiona so they could finish together. He then went out to pace me and Susan to the end of the marathon. Photo Credit Pat Borque Photography

I finished my marathon with a 5:19:02, a PR by less than 20 seconds. I knew Susan wasn't far behind me. She finished her fourth lap with a time just over 5:23, a PR by over 20 minutes. This is a moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Susan took the turn and went out for the last lap to do her first Ultra. It even caught the race organizers by surprise.

This is a woman who, 10 years ago, laughed when I said I wanted to finish a marathon. I was overflowing equally with pride and hunger.  Fortunately, the hotel breakfast buffet was open for another 30 minutes. I had enough time to run in, grab a sandwich and some coffee cake, fill an insulated bottle with hot tea for my awesome wife and run up and get her camera with enough time to go out and pace her in for the last half mile.

Yeah. I couldn't keep up with her. Photo Credit Phil Cha

Unlike me, she had been mentally prepping herself for the last lap all race. While she slowed down for the last 8K, she still finished in a total time of 6:29:18, about as fast as a lot of her early marathons. We now have an Ultramarathoner in the family, but I get to give her more grief now that I am TWO marathons ahead of her. 

Some of the best moments of the race as a TNT coach are late in the race. Going out to meet the last few marathoners and following them across the finish line is one of the most rewarding feelings you can get. It's great when you've spent 5 months training with them. It was just as moving for us to cheer on people we've only known for a week.  

Shauna was a bright spot for all of us on both races. I don't know that I've ever seen someone smile this much during a race. Just about everybody waited for her to finish.

A week. What a week it was.

It takes a whole new level of crazy to do what we did on this trip. This isn't something most people would even dream of doing. People on this trip were prepared for anything - harsh race conditions, possible early course closure, a second race on short rest. As far as I heard, everyone finished both races.

Everyone.

I heard about quite a few personal best times set during the week. Some ran their first marathons or half marathons. Some are closing in on 50 or 100. Seven people finished their Seven Continents on this trip and some will finish their seventh this year.  In this picture are several current and future world record holders. I bet that every person here can legitimately claim that they're the only one in the world to have accomplished some combination of races. The best part about the picture is that I think we've made some life long friends.

 

Race Director Steve Hibbs left a message in our Facebook group after the trip. 

"I have been fortunate to run on all 7 continents, in all 50 states and to visit over 40 countries. Much of that started back in the mid 1990's. Just about six years ago I decided to marry my passion for travel and running and create this company called Marathon Adventures. Since that time, I have met some of the greatest, friendliest, most inspiring people on earth! People who climbed the highest peaks. People who swam extraordinary distances. Pioneers in running. World record holders. Extraordinary moms and dads. Trend-setting kids. Rarely are any of our customers "normal." Each customer has a unique and fascinating story, which makes every Adventure amazing! And to top it all off, I have been able to include my best friends in these Adventures and create new friendships and partnerships I never imagined possible. It is truly a blessing to know each of you and I want you to know that I will NEVER take you for granted. I know sometimes I help to make your dreams a reality, but I want to thank you for making my dreams a reality, too! You all are the best!"

Punta Arenas was almost 9 years to the day since we had our first marathon training session. Every year has been better than the last. I like to think we got here because of the choices we've made. I'm glad we're following the right ones. 

The ones that excite our souls.

I took first place in the Toastmasters club contest, probably because people still can't believe that trip really happened. Honestly, I'm just now starting to believe it myself.

~//~

This was the second year for the Punta Arenas Marathon, Half Marathon and 50K, hosted by Marathon Adventures. In 2013, the race was held in late February. After waiting for four days for the skies to clear for the White Continent race, they made the call to hold Punta Arenas.  They found out later that they would leave for Antarctica THAT NIGHT. We once again count our blessings and hope we can somehow sell our 'weather luck' to the highest bidder.

Again, we can't say enough about Marathon Adventures. This was truly a trip of a lifetime.

The Punta Arenas Marathon is a simple course, basically an out and back along the water. For you data hounds, the Garmin Connect data from my Fenix are here. This is the third marathon in the Southern Hemisphere, our fifth continent, and both personal bests at the marathon distance and of course Susan's PR at the 50K. Complete race results are posted on Marathon Adventures site here.

We hope to coordinate schedules with Barb, Anne, Fiona, Soren, Donna, and Todd to get to Victoria Falls to cross off Africa. The Asia race is still to be determined, but we know it's just a matter of time. Follow our continuing journey at Marathoning For Life on Facebook.

A Race at the End of the World - White Continent Marathon, King George Island, Antarctica

This is the first of several blogs on our trip to cross off two more continents from our Marathon bucket list. 

We've raced on trail. We've raced in mid-20's temperatures. We've raced at night and a few hours of stepping off a plane. With all that experience, we were ready for anything.

We got to Punta Arenas, Chile on Friday, January 24th about 3 PM local time. After 19 hours of travel, we had a light dinner and a good 9 hours of sleep. We woke up Saturday morning with the hotel buffet at Diego del Almagro expecting to do the Punta Arenas Marathon on Sunday. The weather in Antarctica didn't look good enough for us to fly in, but they told us to be ready because things change quickly.

Boy, did they. At 1 PM Saturday, just as we were heading out to explore the city, our tour directors caught us in the lobby to let us know the forecast had cleared and we were going to get on a plane to Antarctica leaving Sunday morning at 12:45 AM. 

yikes

The preferred method of communication was the sign between the elevators in the lobby. Not everyone had a data plan and the wifi was sometimes excruciatingly slow.

It was hopeless trying to nap before dinner. We got one, maybe two hours of sleep. Pretty much everything we learned about pre-race fueling and rest went out the window. We had a group dinner scheduled for 8 pm with a briefing at 9:30 pm. The bus left for the airport at 10:45 pm. 

One flight on the board. Antarctica at 00:45

The airport was deserted except for our group of 68 marathoners and the DAP airlines staff who were flying with us and supporting the race. We had an inflight meal that almost no one ate on the two hour and 15 minute flight. There was also an open bar. I'm glad we had the good sense to pass on that also. We landed with just a few bumps on a gravel runway (!). Two and a half years of waiting and we were finally on Antarctica, just after 3 AM Chile time. The forecast predicted that we had about 8 hours to complete the half, full or ultra marathon.

Applying some lessons learned from the prior year, the efficiency of the race organizer's set up was phenomenal. The gear tent and two Teepee porta potty tents were ready before we walked up and the pace car was warming up within 10 minutes of us deplaning. We had almost no time to do any dynamic stretches before we started. We didn't even have time to get cold. Temperatures at the 3:19 AM race start were in the low 30's F (0 C) with wind chill in the teens (-8 C). Equipment list for those of you who were wondering. It worked out really well.

Top: Mizuno Thermo Cap, Garmin Virb hat-mounted camera. Light tint sunglasses, Serius facemask.
Core/Arms/Hands: North Face Flight series wind stopper jacket, Under Armor Cold Gear reflective/compression, Mizuno Thermo long sleeve zip for the last lap, Mizuno Thermo gloves inside Brooks Windstopper touch screen gloves. Charcoal hand warmers in between hand layers for last lap

Bottoms: CW-X compression tights, generic wicking underwear

Feet: Smart Wool ankle length socks, Solomon XT wings 3 trail shoes and gaiters.

Photo Credit:  Victoria Paz Ujević Stein

The course was a 4.35 mile round trip to the Chinese base with a total ascent of 2228 feet for the full. The half marathon went out for 3 laps, the full for 6 and the ultra for 7. Each event had a partial loop at the end to make it an official distance. It took about a half hour for the sun to come up bright enough for Susan to see with her prescription sunglasses with the lightest tint. Clear tinted glasses for early races are recommended, especially where footing is sketchy.

The downhill about a half mile on the way out was the only snow on the actual course. There was plenty around on either side of us though! 

It was summer in the Southern hemisphere. The course had breathtaking views of snow covered hills and ocean, but only a few stretches of ice or snow on the trail itself. We had a few patches of deep gravel or large river rock so we looked for the packed areas for better footing. Blogspot has a video upload limit of 100MB, so I've posted a 11.5 minute video of the course on Facebook here. 

The best thing about the multiple out-and-back loops was that we could see everyone and cheer them on. Coming back to the starting point is always a mental challenge, especially if the course or weather isn't friendly. The temptation to pack it in gets stronger with every lap, but the encouragement in this group really kept us going. There were a half dozen penguins near the 1 mile point that I'm sure added a few minutes to everyone's times.



Kerem and Rachel tag teamed for a few pictures in the middle of their race. Not many PRs that day.

I clocked in with a time of 2:55 at the half marathon split. I thought about keeping that up for a sub-6 walking marathon on a pretty brutal course, but the second race in Punta Arenas was coming up. It also started getting even colder, dropping into the teens with wind chill near zero F (-8 C / -18 C). By lap 4, a good number of us were adding layers. Colleen was keeping us updated on the weather window. We had dropped from 8 hours to 7, but we were still looking good for everyone to finish on the continent. Susan finished her first half split in 3:05 and took time on her last lap to take pictures. My Virb battery cut out after 3:10 so I couldn't take any finish line video. 

About the time we finished the half, Richard Biddle had finished a blazing full marathon split in around 3:10. He finished the 50K in 3:51 - a course record. The women's race was fun to watch as both leaders, Suzy and Witt, were wearing balaclavas so it looked like a pair of ninjas chasing each other.

Back in 2011, I stopped at mile 23 of a brutally hot Solar Eclipse Marathon to make sure Susan got through the sugar cane fields. This time around, she was looking stronger and emphatically told me to JUST FINISH and not wait. I did. A wardrobe change and the extra cold winds slowed my second half to finish in 6:21. I DID catch a shivering Susan before she went out for her final adjustment loop and gave her a pair of charcoal hand warmers and her down jacket. I waited for her at the finish line with a cup of hot tea for her 6:48 finish. Much of the second half of her race was spent with camera in hand.

Photo credits: Imran Ahmed (@photoimran)

I signed up for a different Antarctica race three years ago. Since that event included a long boat ride into Antarctica, Susan with her legendary sea sickness issues didn't want to go. When we found the Marathon Adventures Tour that involved a flight into Antarctica, she jumped on board. I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to share this journey with the love of my life.

I mean, who else would I want to be with when we go to the End of the World?

~//~

Marathon Adventures held the first White Continent Marathon in 2013. Flying to Antarctica can be unpredictable and the weather can change quickly. In the inaugural year, the race was stopped due to weather less than 6 hours in and several participants had to finish their mileage in Chile. While that created some controversy as to if that counted as a marathon, Marathon Adventures set out to make things right, inviting six of the 2013 group to come back with expenses paid, minus airfare to Punta Arenas for 2014. This year all six of them finished. Results are posted here.

The Marathon Adventures staff (Steve, Pam and Colleen) were very accommodating as long as you let them know what you need ahead of time. Given the technology situation, using the elevator signs for updates was a great idea for communication. Susan and I highly recommend them for destination races! We booked the trip through Kathy Loper Events. Kathy's tour package was essentially the same, but with one extra night of lodging. Kathy was very responsive to questions before the trip including the logistics of travel insurance, course information and schedules. For those of you thinking about signing up for the White Continent/Punta Arenas trip, just be ready to be flexible. Event travel plans can change quickly. Just roll with it.

Data from my Fenix including actual proof of location can be found on Garmin Connect. Here's the map. We really did it!

The White Continent Marathon was Ron's 13th full marathon and Susan's 12th. It was also our 4th Continent for full marathons. Once I get some sleep and get through a stack of work emails, we'll be working on the Punta Arenas Half and Full Marathon and 50K blog this weekend.

More coverage from the local newspapers and internet are linked on our Marathoning For Life page. 

"More than 60 runners from around the world enjoyed marathon in Antarctica" - La Presna Austral

"10 year old finished his second marathon in Antarctica" - La Presna Austral. Article on Nikolas Toochek

"15 year old Marathoner: 7 Marathons in 7 Continents" - YouTube replay of Kristen De Sousa's interview.

"Wyoming Runner Headed to Antarctica on Schedule to Break World Record" Runner's Web Artcile on Brent Weigner

"TEDxDubai 2011 | Maria Conceicao | Turning caterpillars into butterflies" Maria's Ted Talk describing the Maria Cristina Foundation to provide secondary education to children in Bangladesh.

"Three Area Residents Run a Marathon at the Bottom of the World" Kansas City coverage for Chau, Michael and Kerm.