Slideshow!!
The ‘Gobi March’ combines long days, extreme temperatures and difficult terrain into one of the toughest foot-races on the planet. In 2007, faced with record flooding, blizzards and temperatures up to 50 degrees, competitors struggled to continue from stage to stage. Come out on Wednesday, August 15th to experience the race first hand from three Victoria competitors with amazing photos of the race and the people who make up one of the most remote places on earth.
Where: Frontrunners Westshore
When: Wed Aug 15th 7:30pm
Cost: By donation
#133–735 Goldstream Avenue
Victoria, BC
Canada
V9B 2X4
Phone: (250) 391-7373 Fax: (250) 391-7374
Oak Bay Rotary
I also had my first public talk on the race at the Oak Bay Rotary Club. Check out our bulletin. I shared the stage with 3 other dynamic rotarians (Hazel, Steve and Jerry) and it was fun!
The Times Colonist wrote a follow up article today. My computer at work has a virus. Seems as though everyday life is settling in. I’ve found movers to move my things (this is move number 23 or so). I’m restless its true.
I’m exercising about 2-3 hours a day still, walking, riding my bike and lifting boxes/cleaning. Tonight I get to revisit something I missed while training: music! The The FlyFunk Experiment is playing at Hermann’s Jazz Club tonight. Don’t miss another great local talent Jan Stirling on piano, who is playing there tomorrow night too.
A huge thank you for the continued donations! The Rotary Club of Oak Bay presented me with a cheque this week and my other teamates have reported donations as well. Yay! Rumour has it that my camera is back in the country….
We are still waiting on Rob to return. In the meantime, Donald came across an interesting article on a virus that hit racers in Squamish. Still enjoying the sunshine here at home and reflecting on the race. At night I’m dreaming that I’m back in the Gobi, fitfull amounts of sleep possibly the result of over indulgance in coffee. That’s all for now. I gave my Gobi Bear a bath and sand left a ring around my sink. Sand, sand everywhere.
Home
Whew. Home again. Rob is still in Thailand and he has my camera…so pictures will be posted as soon as he gets home. I think he is due back a week from today.
I’m feeling zombie like, my internal clock still on Beijing time. I’m happy to have eggs for breakfast instead of mysterious chow mein and seaweed salads. Everything feels calm for the moment but I’m sure its like the coasting down a hill before you start pedaling again.
Moving
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It’s post -race and we have all returned to Beijing. The mood was bitter-sweet as we did not complete all stages as a team however at the awards banquet we were surprised as Team Gobi was awarded the “Humanitarian Trophy”. We were surprised as many of the other teams and competitors had done an outstanding job at raising money and awareness for different charities. Our sponsors and those who made donations for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation are the ones that made this possible. Thank you!
This race has had a different effect on each of us. For me, I am thrilled to have had this experience. The journey has been incredible. From running on the goose to running through a Tajik village - it’s still quite surreal!
Once we return home we will be holding a slide show for those who are interested in hearing more about the race. Thank you for your support. Donna, Donald and Rob.
Stage 5 (80 km cont.) Last night the sun set on the camp and I put on my headlamp and headed out onto the course. We are camped a couple of kilometers from a large ridge of sand dunes and as the sun set, glow sticks were not yet in place. A few of us walked (hobbled) out in hopes of giving competitors a light beacon of direction for the finish line. The dust and sand blew consistently and it made the air very thick. The stars here are incredible. I listened to daft punk on my mp3 player and invented a “knee dance” to keep warm (this is were you dig your mangled feet into the sand a couple of inches and bend at the knees) after a couple of hours of guiding in competitors glow sticks replaced us volunteers. Read the rest of this entry »
Donald: “I love this stuff! And I miss everybody.”
Donna:
Today was hot. I was feeling it more than the boys but the mood for the stage was good. I am a slow runner but I have a talent for hopping along the parts that are technical and that makes the boys happy because its fast for them!! We have been running in the mornings while it is cool and walking the majority of the later part of the stage when the sun is hot. I am trying to run most of the down hills when it is hot but it is a challenge for me. Today’s race ended at the top of a hill! We are staying in mud buildings with Tajik families and it is pretty incredible.
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We have landed in Bejing it is 9:00 pm and we have all been up for 24 hours.
We met two fellow Canadians (Paul and Dave from Calgary) on the flight that are also competing in the Gobi march. They are staying somewhere else tonight in this city of over 20 million. We will meet up with them again on our connecting flight to Kashgar.
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All updates will be posted on the mainpage.
Thanks Atomic!
