I have a triathlon race in a few weeks. Last weekend I was cycling in a group ride that I have done numerous times. We were switching lanes when my front tire went into a gap between the lanes and suddenly I was down. Then the rider behind me ran over my leg. My participation in the Last Desert flashed before my eyes! Fortunately, we were heading uphill and not going very fast. I skinned my knee and got road rash on my hip. Otherwise, I was OK. It is amazing how one little slip can jeopardize months of planning.

I just finished reading the book Endurance about the Shackleton expedition, attempting to cross the Antarctic continent. It described Antarctica in a way I had not appreciated. It is a great read, an incredible story of survival and persistence, in one of the most extreme environments. I have also been watching YouTube videos about crossing the Drake Passage (Drake Lake vs Drake Shake) and Antarctica. Those videos have been very helpful for me to wrap my head around what it will be like in Antarctica.

I almost have all my required equipment. Houston is a very warm climate. Today the heat index is 105 F (>40 C). Mostly, I have been purchasing a lot of cold weather clothing. I got my waterproof trail shoes (Hoka Speedgoat 5 GTX) that are a half size larger than my usual size because the waterproof socks are very thick. Time to start weighing the required equipment to figure out how much my pack will weigh. The structure of the Last Desert race is a bit different than what we have become familiar with for the Gobi, Atacama, Namibia races. Best wishes with everyone’s training.

Looking down from the plateau above the enormous sand dune just before CP3, I was just trying to survive. Instead of gliding down the dune with joy, I was sliding down on my butt, knowing that I had to withdraw. The wheels had fallen off. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was bonking. I was not taking in enough calories and electrolytes, mainly because my very heavy pack was not configured well to access my nutrition. Antarctica was the farthest thing from my mind.

I spent the rest of my time during the race in the comfort of the host hotel, trying to figure out why things went wrong. The following year I decided to attempt the Gobi March in Mongolia. I retooled with a well-configured, much lighter pack, a tested nutrition plan, and a coach. I completed the 2023 Gobi March with a smile on my face. This gave me the confidence to go back to Atacama in 2023 for redemption. Truth be told, the Slot Canyon water crossings during Stage 2 is my most favorite RTP experience. Btw, on this second attempt I did glide down the dune with great joy! Finishing the Atacama Crossing gave me two races completed, qualifying me for the Last Desert but doing loops in the snow didn’t sound appealing. However, sometime between finishing the Atacama Crossing and before the Namib Race in 2024, things changed. My goal became to complete the Last Desert this year and join the 4 Deserts Club. Now I am thrilled to be going to Antarctica and doing loops in the snow in the middle of incredible scenery. I think the race will be epic especially because so many of my friends from previous races will also be there to share the experience. Today is the official start of my training!