Happy Trails

There are innumerable folks to thank before leaving for the Gobi

- Stan, Keisha, Liz... I can't say enough about you... 'til we meet again
- Seamus, for showing me another side of life
- All the folks at Heart of the Bride, and the Walker family.  What you do for the world is incredible
- Jeff, Mark, Tim, Glenn, Kerry, Mike, Linda, Ernest, Sarah M, Chris, Christin, Kristin, Eddie, John, Brooke, Sarah R, Tracy, and all who made the long runs/walks/hikes bearable this last year
- The two wonderful couples whose weddings I missed so I could train for this.  I love you
- All the neat missions I've volunteered for and collaborated with
- Allison for the nutritional expertise
- Erin for the footwear expertise
- My boss for getting it
- My family... you all realized I lost it a long time ago!
- My dog just because

Here are the links to follow next week
Daily UPDATES and how to WRITE me
RACE BLOG

This journey isn't just 150 miles.  It's lifelong.  Looking forward to discovering where the path leads

catch you on the flipside

Staging

Everyone on the team's been traveling these last couple of weeks...

Kitwe to Chilubi

Kitwe to Ndola

Ohio to Texas

California to Urumqi

I have a bad tendency to pack the morning of a trip.  Since this one's a little different, I'm packing at least the day before

The "staging" mat used to be a dog bed.... before that it was my comforter when I lived in Ohio. Amazing that most of the equipment on the mat is going to fit in that small black pack at the top of the picture

I'll be eating 2000-2400 calories a day between freeze dry, bars, and salt snacks.  The rest of my energy will come from 10 lbs of body weight I gained in the last two weeks (another type of staging!)

For those who've asked, I'll try to keep my metabolism aerobic for most of the hike, but there's no telling what my body will resort to when the consumed calories burn off.  The biggest issues are hydration, blisters, and sun exposure. Hunger, should it happen, can be ignored...

Wonder what I'll want to eat when I get back to Cali?

Nkalamo

Lions

Keisha Garber... three years ago gave up a successful business and a life of travel and adventure for a call to missions in Zambia.  Has participated with multiple organizations and given her heart countless times over to various beautiful movements in and around Kitwe.  Zambia is her home, and Christian Aid ministries is fortunate to have such a passionate spirit among them.  Her calm wisdom and rational approach to third world obstacles is a true blessing to the team.  She is a lion


Liz Rini... grew up wanting to fly military aircraft like her dad.  A short term mission trip to Haiti changed her life and she became a doctor instead.  Liz has an endless passion for the disadvantaged and a capacity to offer genuine care to everyone whom she meets.  Her ambition is to be in the field more than in the books, and her drive to heal, comfort, and uplift has no limit.  She is a lion


Stan Mulenga.  Suffered with tuberculosis for the majority of his adolescence.  Made a commitment to prevent this experience for as many human beings as possible for the rest of his life.  Brings healthcare, food, opportunity, education, and spiritual support to rural Zambia.  Most recently adopted a patient into his own home.  Lawrence most likely has lymphoma, but money to access the proper diagnoses is insufficient.  Lawrence's family has abandoned him, citing financial difficulty even though they will not even visit or bring him "an orange" to show their love.  When Lawrence has to go the the ER for rehydration and abdominal therapy, Stan remains at his bedside until he is discharged.  Stan is a LION


The walk.  Ulwendo.  What is it really about?  These three Nkalamo?  The poor and the hungry and the sick and the orphaned that the they have tended to, giving their lives to service?  The people of Kitwe?  Of Zambia?  The third world?  Humanity... comfort, survival, happiness... community.  God.  Forgiveness.  Love.  The walk.

Carry on

The last training trip is out of the way...

And the race shoes are broken in (covered in mud)

Death Valley in the summer was pretty much how I remembered.  But no amount of riding through on a motorcycle years ago could prepare me for rucking in the Badwater Basin yesterday



This is one of the lowest places in the western hemisphere.  As I drove in I watched the car's outside temperature display tick up... 111, 112, 113F.

The basin is five and a half miles wide. It took me two and a half hours to make the westward walk towards Telescope Peak. The full trip to the top of the peak adds nine miles and 11,000 ft of vertical.  It's one of the toughest hikes in the U.S., and sounds like a good idea after this Gobi race.



Most of the basin is a salt pan, covered by brittle sheets of the stuff over an alkaline mud layer.  My shoes found that layer with just about every step.



I initially had 4.2 liters of amenshi (water) when I set out towards the blazing sun.  I had drunk 3 by the time I made it to the west side... whoops



Telescope laughed at me as I drug myself to the vegetation at its feet



I paid tribute to the mountains (by "watering" the vegetation)...



... and turned right around set off eastward, the parking lot not even coming into sight until the last two miles or so... I decided not to drink ANY water during the five and a half miles back across.  Needed to know what my body does during dehydration... so I can recognize the signs in China.  The answer: bloody nose and edema in the hands (probably also due to lack of salt... maybe I should have licked the basin a few times).

Over 50 years ago a group of men (and a lady) had to make an incredible escape from Siberia and ended up walking across the Gobi to be free.  A few of them didn't make it, and edema was the tall tale sign of impending death for each one of them.  Pretty rattling to see the same signs




This is a neat sight coming back.. Can you see the sea level indicator on the rocks?

Doesn't look like 5 miles staring back across, but all I have to imagine is doing this round trip 15 times, and that's the Gobi March.  I took a dip in Tecopa Springs on the way to Baker, where I scarfed down a celebratory gyro.  Then I drove home, ready for the last few days before flying out...

Press Release

As the Gobi March 2010 heads to “the Oven” – the hottest place in China – the 165 RacingThePlanet competitors from 30 countries will experience soaring temperatures and extreme weather, adding to the already challenging nature of the 250 kilometre rough-country footrace.


From 27 June – 3 July, the Gobi March 2010 will take place in the Turpan Depression in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the first time RacingThePlanet has hosted the renowned 4 Deserts race in this location since 2005. Five years ago, temperatures reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 F) and with this year’s race taking place in June instead of April, competitors could be racing in similar if not hotter temperatures.


“The competitors are going to find the heat in the Gobi Desert oppressive. It’s not humid, but below sea-level it can be stifling when there’s no breeze. They will also have to prepare for the worst as the weather is so unpredictable in the Gobi, storms can blow up from nowhere and temperatures can vary wildly between night and day and in different areas along the 250 kilometre course. Couple this with the changing terrains the competitors will face and the race will be a stern test of good preparation and adaptability,” said Founder of RacingThePlanet, Mary Gadams.


For the past seven years, RacingThePlanet has hosted the Gobi March, the second in the annual 4 Desert series, in China’s Xinjiang province. Each race in the series takes place over seven days, with six stages totaling 250 kilometres. Competitors are self-supporting and, with the exception of water and a tent, carry all of their required equipment and food for the duration of the race.


The grueling yet rewarding challenge of the series sees competitors of all ages, nationalities and racing abilities compete. In 2010 a record 17 Chinese competitors will take part in their “home” race, with a total of 51 participants who are resident in Greater China.


“It’s great to see so many Chinese participants at this year’s Gobi March. It’s also fascinating to see such a range of experience, ages and backgrounds amongst them. All but three are new to the 4 Deserts, and it reinforces our belief that RacingThePlanet reaches beyond cultural and social norms and taps a primal need in human beings to sometimes push themselves way beyond their accustomed physical and psychological comfort levels. In the 4 Deserts every competitor faces the same test,” Gadams continues.


Top contenders in the race include Peter Osterwalder, 45, from Switzerland who finished second in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009. 57-year old Johan Petersen from New Zealand is also expected to put in a strong showing, after his sixth-placed finish in RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009, the annual roving race outside of the 4 Deserts series. Josep Maria Romero Parra, 43, from Spain is another athlete to watch, having finished eighth among an extremely strong field in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009.


That being said, there are a number of competitors new to the 4 Deserts who have impressive athletic backgrounds and more contenders are expected to emerge from the field, not least a couple of athletes sponsored by Gobi March 2010's partner Mountain Hardwear.


Covering an area of 50,000 square kilometers, the Turpan Depression is located in the Eastern part of the Tian Shan mountains, about 150 kilometres southeast of provincial capital Urumqi. In the centre of the basin lies the Aydingkol Lake, whose elevation of 155 metres below sea level makes it the second-lowest exposed land surface on the Earth’s after the Dead Sea.


Gadams concludes, “The Gobi March always has a special place in the RacingThePlanet calendar. It was the first race we ever staged back in 2003, and I’m thrilled to be taking the race back to the Turpan Depression – it’s a tough course in rough conditions and I think the competitors are going to find it a hard beast to tame!”

Up

Desert skies...

They just never get old.

Whenever I make a long westward drive in the states, the first thing I notice is how BIG the sky gets.   Blue in every direction... and it brings a stillness to the expanse of undisturbed land below it

Did a quick image search...

I'll never get tired of seeing the Grand Canyon... it's a place I'll always be glad to share with anybody



That's the Atacama... driest place on the planet.  Looks kinda like Mars, huh? That would be another neat place to walk.

Then there's the Mojave



Found that on an old hard drive, from a trip to Joshua I took with Dave a few years ago.  Bear just filmed one of his episodes out here near where I live, which I find hilarious...

This last shot is one of my favorites... horrible quality but I still like it for some reason



That's Zambia.  That's the "night" life.  It doesn't get more beautiful than that

A few nights ago we celebrated one of our annual "behind closed doors" military rituals.  We roasted each other pretty well and remembered old times and old friends.  I got home, packed my bag, and called Eddie, a good friend from work.

A little after midnight, I met him at his front door, and we started walking

across the Mojave

to work...


The 20 or so odd miles took us almost 8 hours... I've been trying to break in a pair of Chameleons to no avail... starting with San Diego last week... they're amazing shoes, but just not built to get my big frame over long distances without some painful consequences.  On a good note, the extra time outside with my friend afforded me a chance to look up at the sky often... through the dark of a moonless night, to sunrise and daybreak.  It was captivating for the both of us.

So when you're having a rough day... just look up

Death Valley is looming right around the corner... one last bake in the furnace before jumping into another world.  And since half of this blog has been other people's photography, I want to include Stephen Courtney's work in China while on that note.  I had the pleasure of meeting him through Seamus in the last few months and really admire his work.

Thanks for all the prayers, support, and well-wishing throughout this amazing period in life.  The sky has its special majesty, but when I look around, the stars burning the brightest are my friends and family.  And we'll be looking at the same sky when I am across the world in two weeks...

Break in

Yesterday was a pretty day in San Diego

Yesterday involved much asphalt and concrete

And yesterday destroyed my feet

Awesome

Broke in a pair of trail shoes which were one size too large... on purpose... but to the detriment of my heels.  Of course, letting the skin heal and toughen up is the other benefit to "breaking in"

I hadn't seen John in two years, and Brooke, his wife, for much longer than that.  And Sarah much, much farther back.  We all went to school together, and it was pleasurable running into these old friends... John found me at Sea World trying to toss an entire bucket of rings onto the bottle patch.  The 5 year old girl before me won a giant stuffed octopus.  I won nothing.  After a warm manly embrace, we headed to the dolphins, but those majestic beasts would not approach our end of the tank.  Guess I am better at communing with them in the wild (had to do with an interesting boat race many years ago).

My three friends ran the marathon the next day in great time.  I did my usual thing (which means they finished, went back to the hotel, showered, probably played a few rounds of monopoly... and then drove back to pick me up).  For about 10 miles of my stroll I walked with a gal named Tracy, with whom I found much in common.  Her dad was an Air America helicopter pilot, and she grew up all over the world.  3 hours is a long time to chat it up, and we had a nice time enjoying the day.  She was participating for Team in Training, whom I had a chance to support a few years ago.  The SD marathon is one of their biggest events... and sure enough those noticeable jerseys were flowing all over the course.  Near the end of the race, TnT runners and coaches were slapping me on the back saying "hey, that's the Gobi guy, rock on!"  guess word travels fast on the purple train.

On the drive home I ate my last In-N-Out meal before China (I've started the massive taper).  I found a radio station which was interviewing Princess Zulu, an AIDS activist from Zambia.  I became fascinated listening to her intimate biography, in her own words, and I ordered her book last night.  It's on the "shelf" now.

Three weeks left... feet breaking in.  Mind breaking in.  Death Valley next two weekends (that'll be interesting).  Then the walk

one step at a time...