2000hrs 20 Mar 2005 UTC Stanley, FI Map Ref 123
First, some answers and homework – to Annie and David, the Pippin mob, thanks for your message. Your supply of The Doctor lasted us all the way here and sustained us in adversity and rejoicing – thanks.
WJR – glad you’re still out there – and thanks for your kind words – also sustaining.
From Brian and Jen – Otago Yacht Club
So good to see you made it safely to Port Stanley. Brian and I were consulting the Doctor at the yacht club yesterday with you in mind and this resulted in a request from the yacht club to reprint some excerpts from your log. I’ve decided to go one better though, and ask you if you would like to write a few words for the yacht club newsletter. Something about a flagpole perhaps? If not, permission to pass on some of your lovely words would be much appreciated.
Brian and Jen in Dunedin, it’s about as much as I can manage at the moment to keep the stream of consciousness stuff going without having to put it into something formal like an article. You have my full permission to use any material from the website in your newslatter including photos as long as you quote verbatim – no editing – and acknowledge the source and our copyright. Hope that helps and you really didn’t need that flagpole anyway. Please say Hi to the rest of our Otago YC friends both at the bar and in the newslatter.
And theMarathon. Now THAT was a headbang. I dont want to bore the non runners with lots of techno runners’ babble so here’s a summary.Marathoncourses, like the sea, are indifferent and unforgiving and I got exactly what I deserved and expected. Easily the hardest marathon course I have run with a hill going up to half way that makes Heartbreak Hill atBostonlook like the edge of a puddle. Mostly head or cross wind at about 20 – 25 knots, air temp about 9 deg and chill factor way below that. The facts – I haven’t been above walking pace since before Xmas, I’m several kilos overweight, borrowed shoes, all the basic mistakes and I finished in 4.49.55, a personal worst by about an hour but not a bad performance under the circumstances. And the photos will show that I finished in deep consultation with The Doctor. Way to go.
Nice touch at the end – no finishers medal but you get a space blanket and a Mars bar. Thanks to Sally, the dentist, who sorted the hacksaw edge on my front teeth during the week and who took me seriously just before half way and ran after me with a Mars bar. Good for trade, I suppose, but just what I needed. And thanks to the lady who lent me her own gloves as I came back down the same hill in the biting wind. The wind in some places was so strong that I could hardly move forwards. And thanks to Pete, who delivered The Doctor close to the end. I spent some of the idle hours trying to calculate how far Leroy and Salizhan would have travelled in the ISS in the time I was out on the course, but the brain was too mushy and failed to deliver. Anyone care to try?
The winner, Hugh Marsden (?), who has run in the Commonwealth Games, ran about 3.09, way out in front and not challenged.
[Photos here]
We’re still looking at Wednesday for departure – depends on how fast we can get the various supplies we need actually on to Berri.
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: