7 Continents: What's Next?

So I accomplished a major life goal. I took some time to reflect and celebrate. In fact I had a big party this weekend.

Now I am left to ask myself what is next?

Honestly, I don't know. I know more what I don't want to do more than I know what I do what.

I don't want:

• I don't want to run a marathon. My body and my mind are burned out on marathons. 
• In fact, I really don't want to do any sort of distance running races for awhile. I have a hip injury that I need to let heal. Plus, I don't ever like to train for long distances in the summer. 
• I don't want to commit to anything that involves time intensive training. I'm in the middle of an intensive nursing program and I know I just won't have the time to dedicate to training for the next year. So no half iron mans (which is something I would like to do at some point). 

What might I want to do:

• Bike! I've already started biking a lot more. I want to try and get in 1,000 miles this year. 
• Try new classes at the gym. I went to 2 different dance style classes this week. And I liked them. Who am I?
• Do some sort of adventure style fun run
• Possibly find a late summer triathon

How do you decide what's next when you finish a major goal? What is next for you?

7 Continents: Final Reflections

Even now that it's been almost a month since Morocco, it still doesn't seem like it is real. I can't quite believe that I am done with my 7 continents. I ran my first marathon in 2009- so that's 8 years I have been working on this goal.

I can't think of anything else in my life that I have worked towards for that amount of time. That's twice as long as college! I have that post marathon letdown, only multiplied. On the one hand, I am so glad that it is over. But I am left feeling aimless and wondering what is next for me.

What have I learned from the experience?

As cheesy as it sound, you really can do anything you put your mind to. I am not a natural runner. Running is so hard for me. I am not rich. Yet, I managed to run 8 marathons in 8 years on 7 different continents.

Having long term goals is so important. It is the big picture that keeps you going. There were so many times when I wanted to quit. In fact, I announced publicly that I was quitting two different times. But, as I thought about how much work I'd already put in and how close I was to finishing, I changed my mind.

with my Mom in Antarctica

The harder it is, the more it will mean. Training for, and running a marathon, never got easier for me. It scared me, humbled me, broke me, every single time. As a result, crossing that finishing line (quickly followed by sitting down and eating something) meant so much.

Support is vital. While I did all my training runs and races by myself, I was never alone. My family and friends met me with water along the way, listed to my endless running talk, rubbed my sore muscles, and encouraged me when I was ready to give up. They traveled all over the world with me.

I feel like I should have some deep, meaningful closing thought here, but I don't. It was a lot of work, but it was also a wonderful adventure. Follow your dreams friends.

7 Continents: Running Culture Around the World

One of the neat things about running marathons while travelling is that I got to be a part of the local culture in each country during the race. The anthropologist in me loves getting the real experience when I travel, not just the tourist highlights. Running let me do just that. I was just another runner in the crowd and I got to experience the unique running culture of that country. While I found many similarities, I also found quite a few differences.

Rome, Italy

beautiful, historic buildings and men everywhere

The marathon is culture in Italy was very male dominated. It was all about the machismo. This was evident from the moment I picked up my number at the expo. There were tables and tables for the male runners to pick up their numbers, but just one little table over in the back corner for the women. At the start, the men were walking around like they owned the place. They destroyed the inside of the porta-potties, peed all over the sidewalks, and were yanking down their shorts to apply lube right in front of me! It was pretty gross. But as soon as the race was over, they were back to being charmers. Despite looking pretty gross at the finish, I had men offer to carry me and rub my feet. Running is becoming more popular, but it still isn't that prevalent, especially among women. When I was living in Italy, the police pulled up beside me while I was running and offered to drive me home so I didn't "hurt myself."



Santiago, Chile

bright pink in a sea of yellow

The running community in Chile seemed to be very inclusive and all about having a good time. There was a huge variety of people running- all ages, shapes, and sizes. Instead of pushing to get into the corals, everyone just strolled in casually. Once in the corals, everyone was singing and laughing as they waited for the race to start. Also, they don't believe in the don't try anything new on race day philosophy. Everyone was wearing their official race shirt. I didn't get the memo and stuck out like a sore thumb!



Tokyo, Japan

The running culture in Japan is very representative of the culture as a whole. First, they are all about the technology and gear. The expo was enormous and there were huge lines at every booth where runners were stocking up on the newest running clothing, shoes, and technology. Secondly, everything is meticulously organized. This was an enormous event, but both at the expo and the race but everything was clearly labelled (in English and Japanese) and I never had any trouble with navigation. The Japanese are also extremely neat- no one tossed their throw away clothes onto the side of the road or dropped their cups at water stops. Every single person went over to the trash can every single time they needed to dispose of something. This actually caused a lot of back-ups with 40,000 runners out on the course! Finally, the Japanese are unfailingly polite. No one pushed, no one cut you off, at the start and finish everyone waited patiently.

one of the many volunteers collecting trash

New Plymouth, New Zealand

The people in New Zealand are so friendly and laid back, and the runners are no different. The expo was so easy and low key. When I realized I had the wrong size shirt, the volunteer apologized many times and went out of her way to get me the right size. When I asked the race director about starting early to beat the heat, she said yes right away. (And how often can you actually speak right to the race director at the expo). On the bus to the start, I was welcomed into the group of runners with open arms (literally. I got a few hugs). The event also showed how much the outdoors, and being active, is a part of every day life in New Zealand. Most of the runners say that they do some sort of event almost every weekend. There are so many amazing trails and paths that there can be an event every weekend, and the small size of the country makes it easy to get around. While there were some very fast runners, it was more about getting out and having fun. There were many people who expected to be out there for 5 or 6 hours and this was encouraged, rather than disparaged.

Totally normal for them to get up at 4 am and start running in the dark

Casablanca, Morocco

I was pleasantly surprised by how many people, women especially, were out exercising daily. However it seemed very segregated by gender. Men ran together and women walked together (a few ran!). There were also very different standards for dress. Most men were in shorts and tank tops, but all of the women were fully covered. Distance running didn't seem very popular- it was more a couple, easy miles before sitting in a cafe for breakfast.

Have you noticed different running cultures when you are traveled?

7 Continents: How my Training Evolved

In training to run a marathon on all seven continents, I've run thousands of miles and used a variety of methods and plans. My training has definitely evolved over time



Here's What My Training Looked Like:

For my first 3 marathons (Providence, Virginia Beach, and Antarctica), I trained using a straight run training plan. For the first 2, I used the Runner's World beginner training plan and then jumped up to the Runner's World intermediate training plan for the third. These had me running 3-4 days a week, with weekly mileage of 18-36, and a longest run of 20 miles.

For my next 3 marathons (Europe, South America, and Asia) I switched over to the Jeff Galloway run/walk method. I used his beginner plan for Europe and the intermediate plan for South America and Asia. These plans had me running 3-4 days a week, with weekly mileage of 15-35, and a longest run of 26 miles.

For my final 2 marathons (New Zealand and Africa), I used the Doug Kurtis intermediate training plan.  My (modified) version of this plan had me running 4-5 days a week, with weekly mileage of 19-33, and a longest run of 20 miles.

my training with the Doug Kurtis plan

What I Learned Along the Way

• Running 3-5 days a week works best for me. Physically, I can't handle more than that, and mentally I need to include some other activities or I burn out on running. 

• I like my longest run in training to be 20-22 miles. The Jeff Galloway plans had me doing the full 26 miles, but that was just too much for me. I'd already completed a couple marathons, so I mentally knew I could go the distance. Going more than 20-22 in training left me physically and mentally burned out before the race. 

• Run/Walk works for me. My over-all pace wasn't affected, I recovered physically from my races/training so much faster, and it was mentally so much easier! Breaking a long run down into 4 minute run increments is a lot less intimidating. 

• Customize, customize, customize! I followed my first few training plans to the letter. I figured the "experts," knew best. However I learned that these general plans are just that- they are general. YOU know your body, your schedule, your unique circumstances. Make your training plan work for you.

• Long runs are important, but so is overall mileage and consistency. For my middle 3 marathons, I focused mostly on my long runs because of a crazy travel schedule for work and the set-up of the Galloway training plans, My mid-week runs were shorter and less consistent. However, when I started using the Doug Kurtis plan, I focused a lot more on my total mileage, doing a variety of work-outs mid week (speed, hill, middle distance). I felt a lot stronger over-all and my long runs felt easier. 

• REST. This is still so hard for me. I know they are important, but rest days make me crazy. I've recognized that this is a problem area for me and tried to work with it. So instead of trying to force myself to take a total rest day, I found low impact, gentle options like swimming and yoga.

• If you don't have training buddies, work a couple races into your training. I got so tired of running the same routes by myself all the time during training. I used races as supported long runs. It was nice to mix up the scenery, have some company, and have food/water stops along the way. These were especially nice during winter training. Instead of sliding around on the un-plowed shoulder, I got to run (safely), right smack in the clear, middle of the road. 

How has your training evolved over time? What works and doesn't work for you?

Girls on the Run 5k

Last weekend was the Girls on the Run 5k. This was my first season as a Girls on the Run coach and I was so excited to see my girls experience the 5k. It's been amazing to watch them grow and develop as runners, and as people, over the season.

From the moment I arrived, I knew this was going to be a very special event. They had loaner tutus for all the coaches and the middle of the track was a giant fun zone. Girls could get their hair colored, their faces painted, and temporary tattoos. There were hula hoops, a selfie station with fun props, and the music was blasting.

pink and green hairspray station

We encouraged the girls to come in fun outfits, and they didn't disappoint. We had girls in tutus, fun socks, capes, sunglasses, and all kinds of things

Our team gathered for a team picture and an energy cheer before we headed to the Zumba warm-up.

Getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time was impossible

Every girl gets a running buddy to help them through the 5k. It was so heartwarming to see dads and brothers in tutus, with their hair sprayed pink, running with their girls. I was lucky enough to be a running buddy to 2 wonderful girls.

The event isn't timed and girls are encouraged just to keep moving forward. So we ran, walked, skipped, galloped, and twirled. One of my girls fell and skinned her knee on the first downhill, but she was a real trooper and kept going.

My girls and I ran across the finish holding hands. After I hugged them and told them how proud I was, I went back to the finish to cheer on the remainder of the girls. I was in tears watching the girls come across the finish line. They were so happy and so proud and all managed to put a bit of their personalities into their finished.

This event was a reminder to me that ultimately running is about fun and personal growth. It doesn't matter if you win the race; it just matters that you finish and that you enjoy the event. I am so, so proud of my girls and I am going to miss getting to see them twice a week.

What was the most fun you ever had running? Did you ever do a race as kid? What do you remember about it? Did it make you want to be a runner for life, or did it make you never want to run again?

7 Continents: The Highs and Lows

Best Start: Rome

As I waited to start, I was standing right next to the Colosseum and "That's Amore" was blasting over the loud speakers. After spending my junior year of college in Italy, it will always have a special place in my heart. I was just so happy to be back there and sitting in such an amazing historic place waiting to start a race. Although all the men just peeing on the sidewalk instead of waiting for a porta-potty did kill some of the romance.

Worst Start: Antarctica
In the early years of the Antarctica Marathon, runners were allowed inside the Russian base before the race. They brought gifts of fresh produce to the scientists stationed there, and the mostly male scientists were thrilled to have some women to talk to. One downside to the Antarctic Treaty is that it disallowed this practice. Tourists are no longer allowed in the science bases. So we were standing around on the exposed beach, trying to stay warm and dry. The worst part was the "bathroom." The bathroom consisted of a bucket with a seat, placed inside a small tent. The wind was so strong that it kept blowing the tent away, leaving the poor person sitting on the toilet exposed!

This boat was our only shelter

Best Finish: New Zealand

After several big city races, it was really nice to do a small race. Rory was able to see me finish and get to me immediately after I crossed the line. Within minutes I was chilling in an ice pool and eating watermelon.

Worst Finish: Tokyo

I woke up sick on race morning and felt awful from my very first step. Plus by the time I crossed the finish line I'd run almost 28 miles (my coral was a good mile back from the start and I couldn't run the tangents). I felt awful and exhausted and just wanted to be done and collapse in my husband's arms. Instead they made us wind through endless exhibition halls. I kept up this awful shuffle until I passed out. Then they couldn't find an English speaking doctor, but also wouldn't release me until I was seen by a doctor. Once I was finally in a wheelchair, I had to wait for half an hour to get down in the elevator. I finally made it to Rory 2 minutes before he was going to go back to the hotel without me!

I finally made it back to the hotel, where I collapsed in bed

Best Aid Stations: Rome

There were buckets of ice cold sponges at the aid stations. It was a hot day and I was very sweaty and salty and those cold sponges felt like heaven. However, Rome had the grossest porta-potties by far!

Worst Aid Stations: Tokyo

The food along the course was more strange than terrible. Food options included whole tomatoes and bread filled with bean paste. I couldn't figure out how you were supposed to eat a whole tomato while running. The bread option actually sounded good until I took a big bite and found it was filled with bean paste. 

Best Travel Experience: Tokyo

I cashed in all my frequent flier miles and we flew home business class! The multi-course meals, unlimited sake, and lie flat seats made the long flight a pleasure instead of just something to be endured.

Worst Travel Experience: Antarctica

This clothing would not have worked in Antarctica

Our group met in Buenos Aires and then we flew on the Argentinian airline, Aerolineas, down to Ushuaia. Our flight left an hour late and then we made two unscheduled stops along the way! So by the time we finally got to Usuaia, we'd missed all our time to explore the town! That turned out to be the least of our problems. We soon discovered that the unscheduled stops had been to drop off mail. To make some extra money, the airline filled the cargo hold with mail and delivered it for the postal service. In order to make room for the mail, they left all our baggage behind!We were headed to Antarctica and we had no luggage- no coats, no hats, no running stuff! The Marathon Tours staff spring into action, our boat departure was delayed, and we waited anxiously. Thankfully we all got our bags before the boat had to leave!

Best Post Race Meal: Almost all of Them!

I did a lot of good eating around the world! After the Antarctica Marathon, the chef on the boat made a dessert buffet, including a cake shaped like a penguin. I ate so much chocolate! In Chile, we had the traditional Chilean cocktail, pisco sour, and I tried squid ink pasta. In Rome, I gorged myself on a bowl on truffle pasta and a huge gelato. In Tokyo, after many hours of rest, I mustered the energy to go eat a hot bowl of Udon noodles. It was just what my sick tired body wanted! And in Morocco, I had a fresh strawberry juice, a cappuccino, an omelette and some bread. It would almost be worth running another marathon in all these places, just to eat these meals again. 

Worst Post Race Meal: Virginia Beach

After the race, we set off to Norfolk, where I remembered a nice waterfront area with a bunch of restaurants from when I'd been there on a class trip in high school. Unfortunately when we got there, the whole area was completely vacant and boarded up. We drove around and around and it seemed like the whole city was closed! We finally ended up at an IHOP.

What are your best and worst race experiences?

7 Continents By the Numbers

The Massage

After my marathon, I thought it would be a nice treat to get a massage at the hotel spa. It was quite the experience, and so funny that I just had to share.

My massage therapist came to get me in the waiting room and introduced herself. I replied "Je suis désolé , je ne parle pas Fench" (I'm sorry, I don't speak French). So she grabbed me by the arm, led me into a room, said something very quickly in French and then left. The only word I understood was "slipper."

I looked down and there was a pair of slippers. Usually, when I get a massage I chat with the massage therapist before (while still clothed). But if she just wanted me to take off my shoes and put on the slippers so we could talk, she wouldn't have left the room. And if she wanted me to get undressed and lie on the table, then why did I need slippers? I debated this for a few minutes, and then decided to just take off my clothes and get on the table. I did not wear the slippers.

As I got to the table, I found my next problem. Usually the table is covered by a sheet and then there is a second sheet that goes over you. Here however, there was just the table and a big towel. I decided lying right on the leather table would not be comfortable, so I put myself on top of the towel, with nothing covering me. I waited there, sincerely hoping that she expected me to be lying on the table with nothing covering me when she came back in.

Apparently I did the right thing, or she covered her shock well, because she came in and got right into the massage. The first half was pretty uneventful, although I did wish that I could communicate that I’d like a little more pressure and to have her focus on my IT bands and hamstrings. Then however, she had me flip over onto my back. This isn’t unusual, however it was unusual that she left me uncovered. I felt quite exposed.

Things got even stranger. After she massaged my legs, she moved up to my abdomen. It’s an area I’ve never had massaged before, and I see why. I didn’t feel that great. It also made my stomach start to gurgle and make all kinds of strange noises. The noises made me laugh and made it hard to stay relaxed. Then came the kicker- she massaged my chest. Yep, every inch of it, boobs and all. I’m pretty sure my eyes flew open in shock.

Later that night I had to confess to my husband that not only had I been fondled by a woman, but that I’d paid for it.

Just a warning to you if you ever plan to get a massage in Morocco. They massage it all. 

Mohammedia Morocco

While we were in Morocco, we stayed in Mohammedia, which is a small port city about half an hour outside Casablanca. While Mohammedia is a popular seaside resort for many Moroccans, it isn't as popular with foreigners. This was both part of its charm and what made it slightly difficult!

We stayed at the Hotel Avanti which is right on "La Corniche," or the the beach.

The facilities at the hotel were really nice. It was beautiful and comfortable inside. There was a well equipped, modern gym and a beautiful swimming pool. The was even free wifi (most of the time!).

Our one complaint was that the staff (the front desk staff that is) was not particularly welcoming or helpful. When we first arrived, tired and starving, they would not let us check in and didn't offer directions to any of the onsite restaurants. In fact, we never found the restaurants, and so we never ate at the hotel! Granted we were in a foreign country and shouldn't just expect that everyone should speak English, but even when we tried speaking French they weren't that helpful!

We ate most of our meals at the cafes along the corniche. Again, I thought it was pretty funny that we couldn't find "Moroccan" food in Morocco, but the French and Italian food we had was good. Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day. For $2 you could get a petit dejeuner of freshly squeezed fruit juice (strawberry was my favorite), a cappuccino, and either eggs or a croissant, and their grilled bread. 

Even though we tried to wait as late as possible to eat dinner, we were still usually the only people eating dinner at 7 or 8 pm. The Moroccans were all enjoying a leisurely coffee, juice or ice cream, as a snack before their 10 pm dinner. All of the menus were in French and Arabic, but we were usually able to more or less figure out what the dishes were. None of the waitstaff spoke any English, but they were friendly and we were able to communicate well enough to place our orders and pay. 

Both the boardwalk area and the beach were crowded all 4 days we were there (Friday-Monday). In the morning a lot of people come to get their exercise by walking or jogging along the boardwalk. Later in the day, the atmosphere reminded me a bit of the Jersey Shore. There was techno music playing, a perpetual beach volleyball tournament, boys offering pony rides, and vendors selling cotton candy and ice cream.

We did also venture off the beach and into the city. We found a small Medina, which was a good warm-up for the larger ones in Casablanca and Rabat. Because it is less touristy, the vendors were not as pushy and offered us samples of juicy strawberries and cherries. We also found a ceramics shop with beautiful things that were way less expensive than in the big cities. So it paid to get off the beaten tourist track!

If you are looking for a slightly more authentic experience, but still want to be able to see Rabat and Casablanca, I'd recommend Mohammedia as a home base while in Morocco.

Rabat

The other city we hoped to visit while in Morocco was Rabat, the capital city which is about an hour from Casablanca. After our success getting to and navigating Casa, we decided to up the ante and try to take the train to Rabat. We were pleasantly surprised- the train was efficient, clean, comfortable, and so inexpensive. It seriously put public transportation in the US to shame.

Luckily the booklet with the Casa map the girl had given us the day before also had a map of Rabat. However, it was even smaller and less detailed. The train station wasn't on the map so when we got off the train we had no idea where in the city we were! We asked a few people and thought we got our bearings. However 10 minutes into our walk we realized we were going completely the wrong way. No problem! We just changed the order of our itinerary, changing our first destination to the Mohammed V Mausoleum. 

Like the mosque in Casa, the building and whole plaza were made of this pure white marble. The outside had all kinds of beautiful mosaic fountains and elaborate brass lanterns.

The inside was even more impressive- every single wall was covered in mosaic.

 The ceiling was a stained glass dome. 

Outside each door, and outside the whole plaza, were guards in traditional clothing. 

The Mausoleum is built up on a hill overlooking the river, the sea, and Rabat's sister city Sale.

Next to the Mausoleum is the site of Hassan tower, which was to be the biggest mosque in the world when it was started in 1195. 

the tower is being cleaned and restored

However it was left half finished when the Sultan died in 1199 and now the tower stands at half the intended height, surrounded by the ruins of the rest of the mosque.

We then headed down the hill and walked along the river. I loved seeing all the traditional, colorful fishing boats. There is something about the Mainer in me that loves a fishing boat! 

 I was glad not to be the fisherman trying to row the heavy wooden boats against the current. It was so nice down by the river that we decided to stop for lunch, where we decided to go nuts on our last day of vacation and have crepes with banana and nutella.

Refueled, we headed up a different hill to the Kasbah of the Udayas, which was built during the reign of the Almohads (AD 1121-1269). 

It was abandoned after the death of Yaqub al-Mansur in 1199 and over the years a section of the city has grown up within the Kasbah walls. It was one of my favorite places, with its blue and white color scheme. 

After meandering through the narrow blue and white streets, we ended up at a vista at the backside of the Kasbah. We enjoyed the view of the ocean, the river, and Sale. 

We climbed down along the backside of the Kasbah to the beach. We welcomed the sea breeze as we walked out along the jetty.

On our way back out out, we discovered a beautiful garden hidden deep inside the Kasbah.

The last item on our itinerary was the medina. It took awhile to find it, but we enjoyed the walk through the shaded, narrow streets, admiring the brightly covered buildings and elaborate doors.

 Eventually we found the medina and lost a couple hours in there. The Rabat medina had more traditional crafts and was slightly less frenetic than Casa. We tasted some almond cookies and some sesame candy, bought some spices, and bought way too many souvineers.  There were just so many beautiful and unique things! Cheri was admiring some handmade leather shoes and when they didn't quite fit, the shoemaker made them bigger for her right on the spot!

When we finally stumbled out of the medina, we emerged into a different type of chaos- the main boulevard of the city at rush hour. There were people and cars and trams and trucks- so much movement and noise. There was never a break in traffic to cross the street, so we just waited for other people to start going and then we would sprint across and hope for the best. It was pretty crazy. We did manage to make it back to the train station without getting run over, and then after a long day of walking, collapsed gratefully onto the train.