sharing our food

We had a rare but well chosen treat today by finishing our run sooner than usual; running to the head of the gorge (a 15 km. long descent) we opted to save our legs and postpone the hill until the beginning of tomorrow’s run. Not to mention the gale force winds that funneled through the mountain valley against us, and the dismally grey skies above us. It seems that the weather lately has been preparing us for our return to a September in Victoria.

However, team morale  couldn’t be better as the completion of tomorrow’s run will bring us into the 10-run countdown! Along with diminishing runs our truck is also slowly emptying as the shoe bag, the post-run replacement milkshakes, and our supply of bars and gu’s are finally being eaten/used up! Although it’s not just us doing the eating ..,,. today we found a rat in our veggie cooler – gross!!

- Reuben

if you teach a man to fish…

let the countdown begin…

August 1st was a welcome day in camp for a couple of reasons:
1) in less than a month we’ll be home!
2) my parents have arrived!! WhooHoo! Baggage and all they arrived yesterday and we were so glad to see them: we welcomed them with much enthusiasm, hearty hugs and a few happy tears from us daughters!

This week has tickled our tastebuds for Canada’s terrain as we found ourselves running through forests of pine trees. We even got a little taste of rain! In two days we drop from our 2000m elevation just past Iringa and leave the hills behind. Let the count down begin!!

Erin & Patrick

the only way to travel…

We’ve been running now for three weeks on a new schedule of 6 days a week, 40 kilometres a day, for a total of 240 km per week. The change came about after we had done some recalculating with regards to our estimated completion date, and our departure home. While in Zambia we had worries that we would finish late due to an unfortunate difference between our maps and the road signs – since entering Tanzania it’s been the opposite! In just the past five days we’ve nearly made up 50 km with the discrepancy being in our favour….. for once! Whoo Hoo!!! Thanks for being so supportive!!

We were interviewed this past week by Vancouver’s The Province newspaper. We understand their article should be published this Monday, July 28, somewhere in the sports section. Check it out!!

 

Reuben

a day at school

Tanzania, a beer and a hotel

Another country DONE!

With a strong easterly wind blowing and some last few teasing hills we chugged out the last 30 km in Zambia, running our way to the border – what we had thought was a bustling market was actually the chaotic no-man’s land separating Nakonde from Tunduma on the Tanzanian side.

Without a campsite within the city, we stayed for one luxurious night in a hotel (which cost the same as most campsites!), and celebrated our achievement with a beer on the balcony while the sun set above the still lively market. Filled with twisting alleys of just about anything you might need; walls of shirts and jeans towered overhead while closets of shoes spilled over into their neighbour’s neatly stacked cassettes of the latest music, potato sacks of dried beans crashed across blankets of watches and belts, while forgotten eggs rolled delicately across the uneven and treacherous walkways.

We’re anxious to start again on a fresh map!

Reuben

one month to go

 At first we thought it kind of strange that Zambian children appeared to be completely frightened of us white folk. In the northern provinces, the children take one look at us, stare wide-eyed with terror, and then proceed to sprint into their grass huts for safety. We had one small girl yesterday scream at the sight of us, cover her ears and run sobbing into her laughing mother’s arms - and she would not let up until we were out of sight.

 

But as much as we thought this to be rather particular, we decided if a van full of jet-black Africans, in full spandex suits, drove up to our neighbourhood at home and started sprinting down our streets, we would probably react similarly.

 

Today, being the 19th, means we officially have one month to go. If all goes well we should be finished on the 19th of August, a date we are all clinging to at this point! We currently are 1 or 2 days from the Tanzanian border – depending on which of the various km signage turns out to be correct. Although the end is getting nearer, some days it seems we may never get there – keep thinking of us!

 

-Erin

hot water again

The sun sets, the sun rises, and we run again. We are now about 10 days from the Tanzanian border, and are camping at some hot springs. It’s unreal looking back on all the different kinds of living arrangements our team has had over the past 3 1/2 months. For now we are happy to have hot water to bathe in, and to rest our weary bodies in!

 

Janice and her daughter have left us now – we really appreciated their presence and their help over their visit with us.

 

Tomorrow (Monday – July 14) we understand the Globe and Mail will be publishing an article about See Them Run – pick one up and check it out!

 

-Reuben & Erin

chasing chickens and working for our food

After 10 days of bucket-baths, we arrived in Mpika, happy to find a campsite with a shower! It’s even warm! We have spent the last few weeks both smelly and salty-although we did manage to bathe in a river a couple of times (5 feet away from the top of a 100 metre waterfall, in water that would undoubtedly rival arctic temperatures). Fifteen seconds was the average bath time.

The hills keep coming. There have been several runs in which we find ourselves running uphill for three hours. Thankfully, Janice is still here and is helping out with extra long massages and fresh conversations.

Rural Zambia is making nutrition an adventure. Yesterday we slaughtered 2 chickens for our dinner which was both a thrilling and rather messy endeavour. Great stew, though!

Erin

The beat goes on

Northern Zambia is proving to be more challenging as there are fewer campsites, shops and gas stations along our route. School grounds have now become our campgrounds and have provided us with an inside picture of the Zambian education system and offered insight on how our fundraised money can be effectively used.

Thursday brought the company of Dr. Janice Mason and her daughter Ernette who have joined the team for two weeks. We are very glad to have both of these superstars helping us out and they have already proven to be extremely supportive on the bike, running, and in the massage tent.

On the whole, the running is going well, our bodies are well taken care of (a little stinky as showers are at an all time low) we are tired but we are getting it done. Thanks for always reading up on us.

By the end of today’s run we will be about 80km south west of Mpika.