Changes

So as you can see, the whole layout of my bloggy blog has changed!  And I love being able to put a photo at the header.  Of course I picked one from the Atacama Crossing – the coolest thing I have done, back in my heyday (a 7 day, 250 mile, staged race across the Atacama desert in Chile).  Too bad that was many moons ago.  Maybe someday I can do another Racing the Planet adventure…

Anyway, here are some snaps from that most excellent adventure!

Here we are, stepping off.  It was freezing cold (don’t ask me why I am wearing shorts), and we were at about 14,000 feet!  My pack was 24+ lbs – WAY too heavy!  My arms felt like they were getting ripped off.  I started chunking food at the next rest stop.  I was still delusional and thought I might be running most of the way… HA!

I didn’t shower for 7 days!  Carried all my food and clothes on my back, like a turtle.  They supplied water daily and had tents for us to retire to – nothing luxurious, that is for sure.  Just 8 of us crammed in a tent – most were men, and they sure were smelly!

Don’t I look like a bad@ss?  There just isn’t a photo of the 70-year-old man or the blind man passing me, which they did.  Behind me is Team Save the Rhinos – they traded off wearing that huge rhino suit!  The one day I made it to camp during daylight hours!  Quite a feat!  They have since changed it (thank goodness) but when I did the Atacama Crossing, it was during Chilean winter, so short days and NO moonlight the week we were racing.  Now I think it during spring or fall, so more hours of daylight.

So here is how the milage was spread out:

Day 1 – 25 miles

Day 2 – 25 miles

Day 3 – 25 miles

Day 4 – 25 miles

Day 5 – 43 miles

Day 6 – rest

Day 7 – 7 miles into the finish at San Pedro de Atacama

Just running 7 miles into the finish was so easy-peasy!  Since I was not one of the leaders, I was allowed to start in an earlier wave, and it looked like I was the first woman to cross the finish line!  Well, I was the first woman to cross, but very far from being the ladies winner overall.  Each stage was timed. I was the 2nd place USA woman and 11th woman overall, but there weren’t many ladies doing this race.

Finish line – yay!  And I didn’t think Boom was going to be at the finish line, and he was!!!  Most excellent.

Sigh – what a great trip down memory lane.  Thanks for indulging me.