its been a couple of months since i quit my job to pursue running and fundraising and i have been really busy. I have finalized my schedule for next year. I will running 7 ultras in 7 continents, right now I am concentrating on Brazil and Minnesota, I will start running with a sleigh next week once I find a suitable one and thanks to phd kit I will be warm enough in Arrowhead
Next year looks a bit like this
Race name Place Date Distance
Brazil 135 Ultramarathon Brazil Jan 23-25 217K
Arrowhead 135 Ultra USA Feb 2-4 217K
Mind Alpine Ultra Australia March 28- 30 160K
Namibia Race Africa May17-25 250K
Gobi Desert Race China June 14-20 250K
Coastal Challenge UK Sep 18-20 160K
Antarctica Argentina Dec 100K
It has been incredibly rewarding working on the schedule and a lot of fun working with the race directors to find the best possible race on each continent. There are other races that are not part of the schedule that i am looking forward, I still would love to run Badwater and I am running Toronto Half marathon with the Run of Vision team either as a pacer for a blind runner or blindfolded.
Ray who is still in Antarctica is writing my training, I have to say that i was really upset when I first saw the training schedule, I have track workouts and tempo runs, I have never attempted to run both long and fast, in my mind it's to hard on the body, of course I am doing great if ever so tired. I have graduated to a triple Latte in the last month.
So while I have quit working to run it's really difficult to answer the question " What do you do" is not like I am an athlete, I am a runner,the reason why I am able to quit my job and run for a living is why I am doing it, or what I am doing, not who is doing it.
Don't worry I am hardly complaining, N.Murray Edwards asked me Monday at a party the question all ultraruners get asked " Why?" "I understand your son, but besides that why do it?" Murray and his wife Heather are big patrons on cnib. I of course listed all the great things about participating on endurance sports, but I just couldn't convince him. Much later at home, i kept asking myself the same question, if my son where to all of a sudden be cured,would I stop running and the answer was NO. Somewhere, somehow , it became my passion, Murray and successful people like him( just in case you don't know, Murray Edwards is one of Canada's wealthiest individuals)understands passion and hard work his passion however makes him very wealthy, while mine makes me really fit. The amazing thing was that there looking at each other we wouldn't have traded places for anything in the world, but each in our own way had found what drives us to the point where most people think is impossible, and that is what dreams are made off.
“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.” Douglas H. Everett
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
South Pole Quest 2008
My friend and coach Ray Zahab, legendary arctic explorer Richard Weber, and elite adventurer Kevin Vallely are treking 680 miles (1094 kilometers), self-supported, to the South Pole in a goal of under 40 days. Dragging sleds weighing over 160 pounds(73kilograms) each, the team hopes to achieve what most are saying is impossible!
Click here to read how these amazing guys are doing on their blog.
Click here to read how these amazing guys are doing on their blog.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Lao Tzu
Wow. what intense 10 days. Thanks to my brother Carlos in Mexico who did and amazing job of keeping up with my blog.
I arrived yesterday and the memories of pain and discomfort are already distant, instead memories of the amazing people I met, the fantastic race course, the feeling of pride after finishing the race remain. Just like Simon and Yukako said back at our tent when I called them "idiots" because we where all in pain and trying to settle for the night after the 100k run, they both had run similar race in the past. " unfortunately Norma you too will forget the pain tonight and remember only the fun stuff"
I ended up finishing 46th overall, 6th female and 1st in my age group, i really didn't said much when they gave me my trophy. I really wasn't expecting to win anything, I was more in a survival mode.
So, how tough it really was? It was tough for may reasons, one being the distance itself was daunting, the heat made it very tough as well but to me the hardest part was the isolation. I talked to my kids only once on the phone, the time change and the fact that the areas are so remote and we had no access to phone lines or Internet made it impossible to keep in touch with loved ones. Except for the daily email I sent, I had no way of communicating at all. Food was a major issue as well, dehydrated food isn't exactly a delicacy, everyday we will lay in our tents and talk about food cravings " food porn" as one of the guys used to describe it.
the course itself was hard as well, running on sand was incredibly tiring and everyday we weren't sure what to expect, the race is always different so even the runners who had done it before had no idea of what to expect day to day and even after the morning briefing we found out that an easy leg wasn't easy or a hard one wasn't hard so it was emotionally hard because it made you feel isolated, I remember thinking if this is suppose to be easy and I am struggling, I might no have what it takes?
But at the end all that matters is the amazing way it changed my life. I got to be in one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the world, everyday waking up to a different majestic landscape. I got to spend one week with a select group of individuals that are inspiring and motivating. When I arrived I couldn't wait to meet Dean Karnazes, and it was amazing for sure, he is every bit what I imagine him to be, classy, graceful, positive, amazing but when looked around so where the other 155 runners.I had to honour to talk to some amazing individuals. Ryan and Nina the overall winners where amazing and inspiring to watch, such amazing athletes, others had amazing stories, mothers lost to cancer,husbands that where living with brain injuries, people that wanted to help complete strangers because they felt a duty to make a difference in the world. Looking around I couldn't help to feel blessed to have known this individuals and to have the honour to share a week of my life with them.
the el Faohur oasis
Nina from Germany and I
All I remember now are the laughs in our tent, hugging each other after a tough day, waking up to a beautiful sunset, the first time a saw a majestic sand dune, the village kids that came to our cheer us and ultimately sell pop and chips on our last night in our camp, watching Onoh the blind runner cross the finish line, finishing by the pyramids, my fist bite of pizza after the race, the sensation of water on my firs shower after 7 days in the desert, my first latte' at the airport in Cairo... the list will go on and on.
Tent 7!
Dean and I
Simon and I at the tent
Ono the blind runner and his pacer
John, Lynn and I
the bathrooms
the finish line!
the Canadian team
Ryan from South Africa-the overall winner
Dean and I
I will start training for Brazil Monday, Ray is sending me the training plan for the next couple of weeks. he told me not to excerzise this week and to eat as much as I want to which is good because I am tired and don't feel like going for a run yet and I am starving so it works for me.
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
I arrived yesterday and the memories of pain and discomfort are already distant, instead memories of the amazing people I met, the fantastic race course, the feeling of pride after finishing the race remain. Just like Simon and Yukako said back at our tent when I called them "idiots" because we where all in pain and trying to settle for the night after the 100k run, they both had run similar race in the past. " unfortunately Norma you too will forget the pain tonight and remember only the fun stuff"
I ended up finishing 46th overall, 6th female and 1st in my age group, i really didn't said much when they gave me my trophy. I really wasn't expecting to win anything, I was more in a survival mode.
So, how tough it really was? It was tough for may reasons, one being the distance itself was daunting, the heat made it very tough as well but to me the hardest part was the isolation. I talked to my kids only once on the phone, the time change and the fact that the areas are so remote and we had no access to phone lines or Internet made it impossible to keep in touch with loved ones. Except for the daily email I sent, I had no way of communicating at all. Food was a major issue as well, dehydrated food isn't exactly a delicacy, everyday we will lay in our tents and talk about food cravings " food porn" as one of the guys used to describe it.
the course itself was hard as well, running on sand was incredibly tiring and everyday we weren't sure what to expect, the race is always different so even the runners who had done it before had no idea of what to expect day to day and even after the morning briefing we found out that an easy leg wasn't easy or a hard one wasn't hard so it was emotionally hard because it made you feel isolated, I remember thinking if this is suppose to be easy and I am struggling, I might no have what it takes?
But at the end all that matters is the amazing way it changed my life. I got to be in one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the world, everyday waking up to a different majestic landscape. I got to spend one week with a select group of individuals that are inspiring and motivating. When I arrived I couldn't wait to meet Dean Karnazes, and it was amazing for sure, he is every bit what I imagine him to be, classy, graceful, positive, amazing but when looked around so where the other 155 runners.I had to honour to talk to some amazing individuals. Ryan and Nina the overall winners where amazing and inspiring to watch, such amazing athletes, others had amazing stories, mothers lost to cancer,husbands that where living with brain injuries, people that wanted to help complete strangers because they felt a duty to make a difference in the world. Looking around I couldn't help to feel blessed to have known this individuals and to have the honour to share a week of my life with them.
the el Faohur oasis
Nina from Germany and IAll I remember now are the laughs in our tent, hugging each other after a tough day, waking up to a beautiful sunset, the first time a saw a majestic sand dune, the village kids that came to our cheer us and ultimately sell pop and chips on our last night in our camp, watching Onoh the blind runner cross the finish line, finishing by the pyramids, my fist bite of pizza after the race, the sensation of water on my firs shower after 7 days in the desert, my first latte' at the airport in Cairo... the list will go on and on.
Tent 7!
Dean and I
Simon and I at the tent
Ono the blind runner and his pacer
John, Lynn and I
the bathrooms
the finish line!
the Canadian team
Ryan from South Africa-the overall winner
Dean and I
I will start training for Brazil Monday, Ray is sending me the training plan for the next couple of weeks. he told me not to excerzise this week and to eat as much as I want to which is good because I am tired and don't feel like going for a run yet and I am starving so it works for me.
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sahara Race update 6
Well, Norma has made It, at this hour of the morning (I am writing this from Mexico) The Sahara Race is officially over and She did amazingly and in one piece. So She will be at home and posting next week in the meantime I will copypaste what She sent me:
I made it at 2:30am!. It was the longest 18hrs of my life, child labour included, contractions don't come and stay. the course was 100k and sandy, I could have run more than I did but I just simply couldn't do it, I have had enough of gels and powerbars and I didn't really eat much and that made me loose my energy.
I am amazed of the level of dificulty, the race itself is hard with the heat and the sand, on top of that having to run with all your supplies on your back is just simply a test of endurance. I did really well the 3rd day but then on I had a harder time going.
The course was 9 stages with a distance increasing from 7k t 14k. We started at 8am and top 25 racers started two hours later, I felt fantastic the first stage and I got increasingly weaker and weaker. I have run 100k races before so I knew not to get emotional and to run my own race so that it's what I did and I am glad, at the end i had absolutelly nothing left. but I finished and that was my first and most important goal.
I rest today since there are people still on the course, there was the option to sleep around halfway or go all the way, of course I decided to do it on one go. I am not sure why I didn't do better, I think 12:30am would have been possible but I just couldn't run anymore so I walked for most of the course and if you think that is easier, It is not, I was out there in the elements, heat and later the cold with hardly any food and walking on soft sand, what Simon my tent mate described is equal to trying to run on ice. I way Ryan and Dean round check point 3, it was amazing ot see how fast they where running, Nina the top female finisher also passed me around check point 4, she was looking strong as well.
We have only 6K to go tomorrow so this is it, they will load up in a bus at 2am tomorrow to the start line which is by the Giza Pyramids to have friends and family watch the finish of the race.
I received tons of emails from the CNIB. what a wonderful organization, they told me they where proud of me. during the course of the race I never lost sight of why I am here, it has never been about me but about the wonderful organization I came to represent. I am proud that I gave it 100% and sometimes specially last night when walking on soft sand, tired, hungry, cold and with 10 more hours to go it felt like 150%.
I met wonderful people here this week, some are athletes that came to win, some are like me that come to represent a charity and some are just plain nuts, but we all have one thing in common, we came here to give it our best and that is excatly what we did, some won, some finished and some didn't but at the end that didn't matter, we acomplished what we set out to do this week. To me pushing more and more each time I think I can't possible can't give me an insight of what it is to face a challenge like a disability, I would never pretent to understand how tought it really is, it just make me have more respect for kids like my son Karl or any other human facing a disability.
I am also learning about not taking things for granted, I miss having a shower, a nice meal, clean clothes, seeing my loved ones, having a coup of coffee. we have build our life with excesses and conveniences that we forget that all we really need a human beings is the simple things in life.
Salaam Akelam
I made it at 2:30am!. It was the longest 18hrs of my life, child labour included, contractions don't come and stay. the course was 100k and sandy, I could have run more than I did but I just simply couldn't do it, I have had enough of gels and powerbars and I didn't really eat much and that made me loose my energy.
I am amazed of the level of dificulty, the race itself is hard with the heat and the sand, on top of that having to run with all your supplies on your back is just simply a test of endurance. I did really well the 3rd day but then on I had a harder time going.
The course was 9 stages with a distance increasing from 7k t 14k. We started at 8am and top 25 racers started two hours later, I felt fantastic the first stage and I got increasingly weaker and weaker. I have run 100k races before so I knew not to get emotional and to run my own race so that it's what I did and I am glad, at the end i had absolutelly nothing left. but I finished and that was my first and most important goal.
I rest today since there are people still on the course, there was the option to sleep around halfway or go all the way, of course I decided to do it on one go. I am not sure why I didn't do better, I think 12:30am would have been possible but I just couldn't run anymore so I walked for most of the course and if you think that is easier, It is not, I was out there in the elements, heat and later the cold with hardly any food and walking on soft sand, what Simon my tent mate described is equal to trying to run on ice. I way Ryan and Dean round check point 3, it was amazing ot see how fast they where running, Nina the top female finisher also passed me around check point 4, she was looking strong as well.
We have only 6K to go tomorrow so this is it, they will load up in a bus at 2am tomorrow to the start line which is by the Giza Pyramids to have friends and family watch the finish of the race.
I received tons of emails from the CNIB. what a wonderful organization, they told me they where proud of me. during the course of the race I never lost sight of why I am here, it has never been about me but about the wonderful organization I came to represent. I am proud that I gave it 100% and sometimes specially last night when walking on soft sand, tired, hungry, cold and with 10 more hours to go it felt like 150%.
I met wonderful people here this week, some are athletes that came to win, some are like me that come to represent a charity and some are just plain nuts, but we all have one thing in common, we came here to give it our best and that is excatly what we did, some won, some finished and some didn't but at the end that didn't matter, we acomplished what we set out to do this week. To me pushing more and more each time I think I can't possible can't give me an insight of what it is to face a challenge like a disability, I would never pretent to understand how tought it really is, it just make me have more respect for kids like my son Karl or any other human facing a disability.
I am also learning about not taking things for granted, I miss having a shower, a nice meal, clean clothes, seeing my loved ones, having a coup of coffee. we have build our life with excesses and conveniences that we forget that all we really need a human beings is the simple things in life.
Salaam Akelam
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sahara Race update 5
Did you think She was on vacation?. Think twice because She is running 100K in the scorching sand of the Sahara. I think they already have a pill to cure that and make her a good stay at home wife, you know the ones that make buns in the oven and the only time they think of the Sahara is when they watch Brendan Fraser in "The Mummy". While We buy those pills for Norma I am posting what She emailed me yesterday:
Wow, I guess they call it Sahara desert for a reason, after a wonderful day like yesterday I assumed I was climatizing but I guess not. Today it was suppose to be an easy 38K but the temperature raised to 41 celsius, I had trouble coordinating my legs and I felt drunk most of the time. As usual there where 3 stages but this time I had a hard time running from the get go. I know you are suppose to take it one day at a time but all I could think was that tomorrow is 2 and a half longer that any previous day. I am not worried about the distance but on this conditions: hot and on soft sand is definatelly hard to run.
There is a blind competitor and He is my tent mate, he is from Korea, He is running with his pace and He is doing amazing. Everytime I am out there I can't help but to feel inspired, I can't imagine running on this conditions and not being able to see the amazing landscape. Watching the amazing surrondings is what really makes it bearable. He comes not too far behind me and it's always smiling.
Pam Swan form the CNIB in Calgary is also keeping in touch, she said the CNIB is watching my progress, those are the small things that are gold when I feel like I can't go any longer. If you are reading this please call Pam Swan at the Calgary CNIB and donate generously. The work they do is 100 times harder and more important that any race I will ever do.
Other person that is also sending good vibes is Mario Lacerda from Brazil, there are two of his friends running Sahara and we are keeping each other company while talking about Brazil 135 which we are all doing in January.
I will not blog tomorrow, i have my 100k which will test the human limits, send your good vibes from wherever you are after all I know I will not be here if it's not because all of you
ps. Dean Karnazes is sitting behing me blogging, he is such a great guy and very humble, I try and leave him alone, I don't want him to think I am his stalker althoug I am clearly star struck :o)
Salaam Aleykum
Wow, I guess they call it Sahara desert for a reason, after a wonderful day like yesterday I assumed I was climatizing but I guess not. Today it was suppose to be an easy 38K but the temperature raised to 41 celsius, I had trouble coordinating my legs and I felt drunk most of the time. As usual there where 3 stages but this time I had a hard time running from the get go. I know you are suppose to take it one day at a time but all I could think was that tomorrow is 2 and a half longer that any previous day. I am not worried about the distance but on this conditions: hot and on soft sand is definatelly hard to run.
There is a blind competitor and He is my tent mate, he is from Korea, He is running with his pace and He is doing amazing. Everytime I am out there I can't help but to feel inspired, I can't imagine running on this conditions and not being able to see the amazing landscape. Watching the amazing surrondings is what really makes it bearable. He comes not too far behind me and it's always smiling.
Pam Swan form the CNIB in Calgary is also keeping in touch, she said the CNIB is watching my progress, those are the small things that are gold when I feel like I can't go any longer. If you are reading this please call Pam Swan at the Calgary CNIB and donate generously. The work they do is 100 times harder and more important that any race I will ever do.
Other person that is also sending good vibes is Mario Lacerda from Brazil, there are two of his friends running Sahara and we are keeping each other company while talking about Brazil 135 which we are all doing in January.
I will not blog tomorrow, i have my 100k which will test the human limits, send your good vibes from wherever you are after all I know I will not be here if it's not because all of you
ps. Dean Karnazes is sitting behing me blogging, he is such a great guy and very humble, I try and leave him alone, I don't want him to think I am his stalker althoug I am clearly star struck :o)
Salaam Aleykum
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sahara Race update 4
Well, I think Norma is suffering from delusion because She is thinking on taking a bath when returning home from her last stint: The Sahara Race. I proudly announce you she is very much alive, but no kicking, she's just to tired to do that and looking forward to two more days at the races (sorry the lame pun, used to be a Queen fan), so anyway here is what She emailed me yesterday:
" day 3 and I am still smiling, I loved it. We started an hour earlier to beat the heat and it made such a difference. I run solid for the first two stages then took it easy on the last since it was getting hotter. For scenery, it was flat and boring for the first 4 hrs then we made it to the sand dunes and it was quad burning climb for the last stage but it is so beautiful to see.
I don'tknow how I did for placing today but I was faster that the last two days, the reason being because my pack is getting lighter as we eat out food, I am also learning how much water I need for each stage, too much water is heavy not enough is deadly.
The spirits around camp are high, the last two days have been so hard we all felt demmoralized we still have two hard days coming but as long as we are still here we have a chance to finish.
Salaam Alekem!
" day 3 and I am still smiling, I loved it. We started an hour earlier to beat the heat and it made such a difference. I run solid for the first two stages then took it easy on the last since it was getting hotter. For scenery, it was flat and boring for the first 4 hrs then we made it to the sand dunes and it was quad burning climb for the last stage but it is so beautiful to see.
I don'tknow how I did for placing today but I was faster that the last two days, the reason being because my pack is getting lighter as we eat out food, I am also learning how much water I need for each stage, too much water is heavy not enough is deadly.
The spirits around camp are high, the last two days have been so hard we all felt demmoralized we still have two hard days coming but as long as we are still here we have a chance to finish.
Salaam Alekem!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sahara Race update 3
Norma is well into the third day of the run but she made the time yesterday to send us an e-mail. In case you are wondering She's alive and kicking and the spirits are running high. Here's what she wrote:
Today was 38K and Hot, we woke up to "Walking on Sunshine" at least the race directors have a sense of humor.
The course was suppose to be 3 stages with the first one hard and the other two moderate, it turn out to be the other way around. I am taking it one day at a time. Most people found it harder today, I felt better than since for the first time had a full night sleep. I am still not sure how I am going to do 4 more days. the next 3 are suppose to be 100% harder that the first two.
Spirits around me are fading, when we started we where told that if we got bitten by anything we where going to be pulled out immediately, we all slept afraight of scorpions and snakes the first night. Now we are all walking around barefooted and kicking rocks so we can go home with our ego intact.
At the end of the day I most look forward to the emails, so thank you all for writing
akelam salam
Today was 38K and Hot, we woke up to "Walking on Sunshine" at least the race directors have a sense of humor.
The course was suppose to be 3 stages with the first one hard and the other two moderate, it turn out to be the other way around. I am taking it one day at a time. Most people found it harder today, I felt better than since for the first time had a full night sleep. I am still not sure how I am going to do 4 more days. the next 3 are suppose to be 100% harder that the first two.
Spirits around me are fading, when we started we where told that if we got bitten by anything we where going to be pulled out immediately, we all slept afraight of scorpions and snakes the first night. Now we are all walking around barefooted and kicking rocks so we can go home with our ego intact.
At the end of the day I most look forward to the emails, so thank you all for writing
akelam salam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)