Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Today I passed Comodoro Rivadavia, in the province of Chubut,
from where the region's petrol is distributed, and then I was heading
south again. I have been running a lot of dead kilometres from west to
east, but I didn't really have a choice. I needed to cross the country to
get away from the wind, and I took the shortest route to do so.
It's hard to believe that by the end of this month I'll be home.
february 4
Ming has arrived and he is a welcome sight. He caught a taxi from
Comodoro Rivadavia and met up with us around noon today. It was
great to hear about the wrap up of the South Pole—where all the people
went, how they got all of the things back to the mainland, from tents
to vehicles to tractors to ablution blocks, and what they left behind. A
lot of the machinery and gear that ALE are going to use next season is
simply buried and preserved by the freezing conditions, then dug up
and de-iced.
It is also good to have a runner around—Ming runs 10-20 kilo-
metres with me from time to time, which gives me some company and
conversation on the long boring stretches. With Ming back on deck,
things should be easier for Javier and Katie, now they have another
driver, cook and companion. And he is an athlete, so he understands
the strain of backing up with such high mileage day after day after
day.
We're all sleeping in the van together each night. It's a bit cosy, but
that's the least of our worries!
february 5
I could only manage 70 kilometres today in the strong winds. I was
continually being pushed over and held back by strong headwinds. It is
so difficult to run through this wind, especially as I've lost weight, hav-
ing dropped from around 68 to 59 kilograms. My energy and strength
are very low. The fat padding on the soles of my feet is depleted and it
is just skin and bones hitting the tarmac. Any strength that I do have
comes from my heart, not my legs. This whole journey is about will-
power, perseverance, stubbornness and determination, none of which
you can measure in a laboratory.
