Martin Parnell Finish the Race Attitude

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 5 months (May to September 2013)

• 9 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Over 888 race kms

I woke up on the morning of Sunday March 3^rd dead tired. I hadn't got much sleep and I had things to do before the start of the Kilimanjaro Marathon at 6.30am. Sue and I had arrived in Tanzania the previous week and my acclimatization was going well. I had been out on a couple of training runs, with my friend Lau Mafuru, on the trails and hills around Arusha. On Saturday we had driven east about 50km to Moshi, the location of the race. Before checking into the guest house we stopped at the race hotel to pick up my race package. After some administrative details were worked out about "had I paid?" we headed over to our accommodation.

At 4.30am Sunday I slipped out into the open court yard and prepared my water / CarboPro mix. Preparation is key to a successful marathon. I knew it was going to be hot so I needed to hydrate and cover myself in +30 SPF sun block. Millie, who worked in the bar area, dropped by and said that I could get breakfast in the restaurant. This was great as it was only 5.00am. Lau and I had agreed to meet at 5.15am but I started to tuck into papaya, water melon, avocado and bananas. This was followed by porridge and a boiled egg. 5.30am and no Lau. I went to his suite and called his name. He said he'd be right out. We were on our way at 5.35am and made one stop to pick up Lau's friends Kidori and Biggie. Biggie showed me one of the "Kilimanjaro Quest 95.2" shirts he had had printed and it looked great.

We arrived at the stadium at 6.10am and the place was hopping. Runners were stretching and chatting amongst themselves. Slowly the darkness lifted and a beautiful sunrise ensued. In the distance Mount Kilimanjaro was as clear as a bell with the glaciers shimmering in the sun light. At 6.25am the announcer told the runners to line up. Lau suggested I go to the front for a "media shot". I wasn't too sure this and around me were tall Kenyan and Tanzanian men and women. 3….2….1 bang! we were off. Elbows and knees were flying and I was swept along in a sea of bodies. 100m down the cinder track two runners fell and I tried to hurdle them. I didn't make it. I went sprawling in the dirt and several runners bashed into me as I tried to get up. Finally I was back on my feet and my marathon had begun. Lau, Kidori and myself fell into a good pace and the kilometres clicked by. The route is an out and back for 20kms to the east then out and back for the remaining 22.2kms to the west.

We started the race at 20C and it was quickly climbing. We made the half way point in 2hrs 10mins and the temperature hit 28C. The second half of the route took us up a steady incline for 11kms. Lau was struggling with a knee problem. He stopped a medical aid van and they gave him an Ibuprofen spray. Three kms later I stopped the same van and asked if they had some sun block? Sorry, no. It was going to be a long 15kms. I struggled from km 28 to km 31. The heat was taking its toll and I had cup after cup of Coke at the aid stations.

At 31km we reached the turning point. What a change. The route was down hill and the wind was blowing into my face. I suddenly felt strong and started to wheel it home. We had hoped to make it in 4hrs 40mins but the heat and the route put the kibosh to that. I figured we would be around 5hrs. Lau's feet were hurting, he wasn't happy with his Vibrams 5 fingers shoes. Kidori looked as fresh as a daisy. The lad is amazing.

We rolled into the stadium at just under 5hrs and the three of us crossed the line at 5hrs 00mins 23secs. Walking out of the finishers chute we were met by Sue and Leesha, Lau's wife. Then we were given our medal and T shirt. Post race food was BBQ chicken and fries, cooked on an open fire, followed by a Kilimanjaro beer, excellent. On the way out of the stadium we meet Jill, the race organizer. She mentioned that it was good we hadn't come in any earlier as it was a bit of a log jam with people pushing and shoving to get there medals.

Our merry gang walked back to the guest house under the shadow of Kilimanjaro. Part 1 of Kilimanjaro Quest 95.2 was completed. Lau, Kidori and I now had two day rest before we tackled part 2, an attempt to summit the highest mountain in Africa in 24hrs.

Quote of the Day

"A ship is safe harbour, but that's not what ships are for"

William Shedd

Mount Kilimanjaro in the background looking down on the start of the marathon

Read More

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 5 months (May to September 2013)

• 9 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Completing over 888 race kilometres

On the morning of Wednesday March 6^th having breakfast at the Kibosho Lodge, only 200m from the Umbwe gate, the start point of our climb, was very peaceful. It certainly hadn't been that way the last 24 hours. Lau, Kidori and I had left Arusha at noon the previous day. I had given Sue a big huge and told her not to worry. The drive to Moshi was another bone cruncher. Along the way we picked up porters Frank and Lala and some trekking gear, gas stove, pots and pans and hiking poles. In Moshi, Lau went into a climbing shop and came out with a critical piece of gear: an oxygen bottle.

Time was ticking and we had to get to the Machame Gate by 4.30pm. We got there at 4.40pm and Lau said not to worry we're on Tanzanian time. Lau needed to purchase a permit for the climb and he headed into the office to talk to the Warden. He came out 15 minutes later looking very worried. He said "They told me the one day permits have been banned, I don't think we can go up. I'll see what I can do". He then turned around and headed back into the office. The next 30 minutes were hell. Was this the end of the Quest? What the heck was I going to do now?

Lau came out of the office smiling. The Warden had contacted the #1 Warden of the park and had explained about the Quest and the raising of funds for the children's charity Right To Play. After more phone calls and discussion he decided to give us special dispensation for our attempt. Also, the #1 Warden is a relative of Lau's which probably didn't do any harm. We all piled back into the van relieved that the Quest was still on.

We reached the Kibosho Lodge at 7.00pm just in time for supper. Over a meal of BBQ fish and rice we chatted about the route. A couple of days before Lau had dropped a bit of a bomb shell on me. I thought we were taking the Marangu Route also known as the "Coca-Cola" route, it is the oldest and most establish route on the mountain. Lau said that I was mistaken (must have missed that memo) and we were in fact taking the Umbwe Route. It really didn't bother me as I thought each route would be very much like the other. However I found a guide book on a table at the lodge and I checked out what it said about the route: "This short, steep route, possibly the most scenic of the lot, is not recommended as an ascent route as it is very steep in parts and involves one short stretch of genuine rock climbing". Excellent.

So here I am at 8.00am on Wednesday March 6^th, sitting with Lau and Kidori, having my last breakfast before the climb. The permits bought and the route selected. By 9.00am we were at the hut, next to the starting gate, signing climbing forms and waivers. At 9.14 and 50 seconds we started the count down. 3…2…1 and we were off like a heard of turtles. Kilimanjaro here we come.

Quote of the Day

"Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream"

Julie Andrews, Sound of Music

Martin and Lau at the start of the Umbwe Route at 9.15am Wednesday March 6th. Kidori took the photo.

Read More

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 5 months (May to September 2013)

• 9 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Completing over 888 race kilometres

The Kibosho Lodge was a great place to spend the night before the push to the top. It is only 200m from the Umbwe gate, the start of our attempt. With all the changes to the trip, Lau had dropped the number of porters from nine to six. Also, instead of going ahead of us, they would head up Mweka, the descent route and wait for us at the Millennium Hut. With this change Lau decided to leave at 9.00am instead of 6.00am. Good move.

After a great breakfast we got ready and headed to the start line. We had hoped to get away by 9.00am but after signing Park Entry Forms and Personnel Risk Waivers for this particular route, Lau, Kidori and I finally got away at 9.15am. It was hard to believe we were starting on a 24 hour, 53 kms, 19,341 feet adventure to the top of Africa.

There are five ecological zones to the top of the mountain. The cultivated, tropical, moorland, desert and arctic. We quickly made our way through the cultivated and tropical zones. The path was good and we could power walk most of the way. We arrived at the Umbwe camp after 3 hours. This is the camp site for Day 1 on the five day trips. The next zone, moorland zone was amazing. Bright green moss, skinny trees and old mans beard hanging from the branches. We spotted a Colobus monkey high up in a tree. Lau told me that these primates have four fingers and the name Colobus means "cripple". The moorland zone had a lot more challenging terrain. There was one section that was proper rock climbing, nothing too difficult, but definitely not trekking.

Soon the trees and shrubs disappeared and we entered the desert zone. After six hours of trekking we arrived at Barranco Camp, Day 2 on the five day trip. There I met Rich and Tracey from Sheffield, England. They were having a great time and so far had been handling the altitude well. This camp is at 13,000 feet and the highest I had been before was Moose Mountain at 8,000 feet. The temperature was dropping so we changed into our cold weather gear. Lau said that we had a 7 hour hike to make it to the summit. Events would prove that this was not the case.

We plodded through the desert zone and entered the arctic zone as darkness started to fall at around 6.00pm. We pulled out our head lights and geared up for the long climb ahead. The terrain was getting tougher and tougher and by the time we reached the Arrow Glacier Camp (16,400 feet) we were looking for a cup of tea. Lau went to three tents to see if he could get any. One guide asked if he had a "stolen permit" as we didn't have any tents. Lau said no, that we were trying to climb the mountain in 24 hours for the children's charity Right To Play. They didn't let him in. From one large tent I heard a british accent. I knocked on the door and said went in.

Inside were Andrew and Ashley. Andrew is a Surveyor and Ashley a Project Engineer. They both work in London and had done this climb a number of times before. Ashley asked why I was doing this and after I told him about Marathon Quest 250 he said I was "barking mad". Fair comment. They told us we would make the Crater Camp in about 4 hours and the summit was about an hour from there. Sounds good. After a plate of chicken pilaf and a cup of tea we said goodbye and head out into the freezing night.

We were definitely in the arctic zone. Snow and ice skirted the trail and the temperature had dropped to -15C. I had a great headlight, Lau's was weak and Kidori didn't have one. The trail started to get more and more technical and it seemed that Lau was having a hard time finding the route. I didn't have a head ache or nausea but my breathing was getting faster and faster. I was using the 4iiiis Sportiiiis to keep track of my heart rate and was surprised it never got higher than 120 beats per minute.

The climbing went on and on. Tricky rock faces covered in ice and snow. At one point I was stuck on a steep scree slope, Kidori on one side and Lau on the other. This was getting ridiculous. I was just happy that it was dark and I couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me. I think if it was daylight it would have scared the pants right off me. We had been climbing six hours since we left the Arrow Glacier Camp. It was 3.00am and I was stuck 17,500 feet up Kilimanjaro. At another point I was resting and as I took off my CamelBak off my camera slipped off the belt and started to roll down the mountain. Instantly Kidori was after it. To be honest I thought it was gone but a few minutes later he appeared out of the darkness with the camera in his hand.

To be continued………….

Song of the Day

"Climbing up on Solsbury Hill, I could see the city light"

Peter Gabriel, Solsbury Hill

Sharing a plate of chicken pilaf and a cup of tea with brits Ashley and Andrew at the Arrow Glacier Camp (16,400 feet)

Read More

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 5 months (May to September 2013)

• 9 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Completing over 888 race kilometres

Mount Kilimanjaro, 4.00am Thursday March 7^th, temperature -15C, elevation 18,500 feet.

As the minutes and hours ticked by I was getting colder and more exhausted. My hands and fingers were freezing and I was starting to shiver. Seven hours after leaving Ashley and Andrew at Arrow Glacier Camp we arrived at Crater Camp. Lau looked at me and said "you're not going to the summit". My lips had turned blue and I was shaking like a leaf. Lau visited a number of tents and found one with a guide and six porters. Lenard had his own guiding team and they would work for any trekking company that would hire them. When Lau told him what I was trying to do and why they gave me a cup of hot chocolate. Then one of the porters cooked up some chicken and vegetable soup and a third porter suggested I turn my back to the stove to warm up. Soon I was feeling toasty inside and outside my body. After I finished a black, sugary cup of coffee I asked Lau if I could attempt the summit. He said yes. Lenard and his porters were my "Kilimanjaro Angels" and without them I would never had had a chance to reach the top.

At 5.15am we left the friendly confines of the porter's tent and started the trek to the top. We used well trodden footprints in the ice and snow to guide our way up the mountain. I was pretty well done. I had used just about my last reserves of energy and my breathing was a fast pant. Every so often Kidori gave me a push to keep me going. As we passed the 19,000 feet mark the sun came up. It was an amazing blood red and reflected off the huge glacier.

Lau pointed out the silhouette of the sign 300m ahead and at 6.15am, after 21 hours of trekking, we reached Uhuru peak, 19,341 feet, the highest point on Kilimanjaro and Africa. I had brought up a number of items. The first was the huge Right To Play banner, next was "Lammy the Lamb", Right To Play's #1 supporter and finally a commemorative card for Lindsay Leigh Kimmett. Lindsay had climbed Kilimanjaro and the mountain meant a lot to her. After the requisite number of photos at the top it was time to head down. We would take the Mweka route.

My stomach had been playing up and we hadn't gone far before it exploded. I was walking at a snails pass and my only thought was "get me off this mountain". We reached Barafu Hut and Lau found my "Kilimanjaro Angels", Lenard and his porters. He gave me Imodium and Cipro, an antibiotic, and would not take any money for them. I took the Cipro. Then he gave me a plate of soup and I asked if I could have a power nap in the tent. One of the porters found a foam mat and I laid down on it. They put a puffy climbing jacket under my head and Lau covered me in a Maasai blanket. I was out like a light. 30 minutes later I was up and feeling way better. We said goodbye to Lenard and the porters and we were on our way. The next two hours we marched to Millennium Camp and met up with our other porters Frank and Lala. This route was pretty straight forward and we made good time. The sleep and Cipro kicked butt. Literally.

We started the final push from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate at 6.15pm. Thunder and lightning followed us all the way down and at 10.45pm we reached our destination. Kilimanjaro Quest 95.2 was done. We had completed the trip in 37 hours 50 minutes 30 seconds. Benjamin, our driver was there to greet us and before we knew it we were back in Arusha. Sue was waiting for me at Lau and Leesha's Guest House. She asked how it went and for the next two hours I told her about my excellent Kilimanjaro adventure.

If you would like to help us reach our $25,000 goal for Right To Play please go to www.marathonquest250.com and hit the big red "Donate Now" button.

Much appreciated.

Quote of the Day

"No road is too long, no honours too distant, advance slowly and without loosing heart for victory belongs to the most persistant"

Sir Winston Churchill

Sunrise over Kilimanjaro at 6.15am Thursday March 7th 2013.

Read More

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 5 months (May to September 2013)

• 9 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Completing over 888 race kilometres

On Saturday night I had an appointment to keep with Elijah Thompson at the Kyle Shewfelt Gym Festival in Calgary. I had never heard of Elijah until last Wednesday when I received this note on facebook: Dear Martin, I was trying to find you! I am 11 and I've been raising money for Right To Play for 2 years. Maybe we can do something together soon. I did my first speech with Lisa Bowes at a Junior High March 1st! Here are some pictures so you know who I am. Well, I checked out Elijah pictures and his story blew me away.

At the age of 9 Elijah started corresponding with Kyle Shewfelt, Canadian Gold Medal gymnast and Right To Play Athlete Ambassador. Elijah is a keen gymnast and had competed in the 2011 Kyle Shewfelt Gym Festival. Soon after the event he sent Kyle this email:

"I am shy to start a fundraiser or something public like that, so I came up with this idea:  I am working on 10 circles on one handle long pommel for my Argo routines.  Starting after KSGF, every training day that I made 10 circles in a row in a turn, I earned 1 loonie for Right To Play from mom.  Then, in June that exercise got easier for me, so my coach, Miguel, switched me from 10 uphill loops (Argo B Day 1 Pommel Horse Routine) to 10 downhill loops on the long one handle pommel (Argo B Day 2 Pommel Horse Routine)....that was harder so I really had to work for a loonie at all.  Some training days I got no loonies, some days I got 2, one day I got 3!!  Now, I was closer to my goal of $100.00 for Right To Play, but I still was short.

Miguel started me on two handle big boy pommel with a block to start from.  I was only getting 3-5 circles, but mom said if I got 10 there, that would be another loonie.  So..........wait for it...I started getting 10 on the big 2 handle pommel!!  More loonies!  Just like my downhill loops, some training days I earned no loonies, but some I got 1, or 2!  Each time I put them in my green cup on my trophy shelf in my room.  This is where i put medals, but also rocks and stones mom gives me every time I learn a new skill.  When I got 10, mom would trade me for a $10.00 bill.  I finally had 10, $10.00 bills.  Now it was time to mail your package with my special thing I made for you from my first Nationals, and I had enough for mom to send you a full $100.00 for Right To Play!!

Right To Play means a lot to me.  We have 4 kids in our family who all get to do sports.  We also have 3 foster children around the world in very poor areas who don't get those chances.  Last Christmas we sent them sports equipment through World Vision.  Now I can help more kids through Right To Play.  Please let me know the kinds of things my loonies will help kids to do."

Elijah has continued to fundraise for Right To Play and on February 26^th 2013, in Toronto, Elijah was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.

So, on Saturday night I met Elijah and his mum Krista at the festival and we had a great chat. We're looking forward to doing some fundraisers together and helping kids around the world.

Thanks Elijah.

Quote of the Day

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!"

Anon

Hanging out with Elijah at the Kyle Shewfelt Gym Festival in Calgary

Read More

Next Quest:

TransRockies Quest 888 (Quest #8)

• 6 months (May to October 2013)

• 10 trail running, mountain biking, road running and road biking events

• Completing over 888 race kilometres

One of my favourite events is the Calgary Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show. It was held last Saturday and Sunday at Stampede Park in the BMO centre and the place is always hopping. This year there were two other events going on at the same time, the Health show and Golf show. The last couple of years I've been helping out at the Downunder Travel booth. Jason Webb, Managing Director of the company, has been a great supporter of "Quests for Kids" and Right To Play. Last year Jason started a "Back to School" fun run and all the proceeds go to the children's charity.

On Saturday, I had wanted to get to the event by 1.00pm. One of my Olympic hero's Adam Van Koeverden was talking at the Adventure Theatre and I didn't want to miss any of his presentation. However, I was "running" late. In the morning I had raced the L'Arche half marathon along the Bow river pathways and after a quick pancake lunch I booted it up to the Saddle Dome. Adam was already well into his keynote. The Downunder Travel booth was right next to the theatre and I couldn't believe it when Adam stopped his talk, called me up to the front of the stage and introduced me to the audience.

Adam is not only a gold medal kayaker but also a humanitarian. He is a Right To Play Athlete Ambassador and last November was part of a group that climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and raised over $100,000 for the charity. After his presentation Adam came over and we chatted about Kilimanjaro. Boma Africa was the trekking company we both had used to get to the top and as fate would have it one of the porters, Kidori, had climbed with Adam and myself.

There were lots of interesting booths including the Calgary Marathon, Town of Cochrane and My Next Race. There was one booth with what looked like zebra skins as a table cloth and animal heads adoring the booth. Not really my cup of tea.

Quote of the Day

"Be so good you're impossible to ignore"

Steve Martin

A thrill to meet Adam van Koeverden at the Outdoor Show

Read More