11 posts tagged “sports”
Wow! 111 days later! Three amazing marathoners: Canadian Ray Zahab, American Charlie Engle, and Taiwanese runner Kevin Lin have done it. The Sahara. Six countries and nine ecosystems. Seven thousand kilometres (4,350 miles) - that's over sixty km a day. This is an amazing feat of human will and endurance.
If that wasn't enough, the runners have used this amazing adventure as an opportunity to raise awareness of water shortages in Africa. This has been done in association with The H2O Africa Foundation.
What's next? Well, the whole expedition has been filmed by Emmy-winning director James Moll. Matt Damon will narrate and it is set to premier at the Toronto International Film Festival is September.
The down side? Unfortunately the National Geographic Running the Sahara web site has been void of updates since day 47. While the runners have had great support from their families and associates opportunities for input and support from the public have been limited.
I would ask my Vox friends to take a moment to email, care of Ray, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment and appreciation for the team raising African water issues awareness. Or drop me a line or comment and I will pass these along.
My sincere thanks,
jp
H20 Africa and here is an African water project at YouTube.
It's -26C, -15F, outside but the sky is blue and the sun is bright. My mind has drifted to a warmer place - Spring Training.
Here are the important upcoming dates!
| Pitchers and catchers report | Friday, February 16 | |
| Pitchers and catchers first official workout | Saturday, February 18 | |
| Position players report | Tuesday, February 20 | |
| First official full-squad workout | Wednesday, February 22 | |
| First spring training game | Wednesday, February 28 | |
| Final spring training game | Thursday, March 29 |
Do I have this thing bad? Somebody recently had the nerve to ask me what Dom D.'s number was and I knew that but couldn't recall if anyone had it during the war years. I am not worthy ...
Well, It's snowing here and the skiers are in heaven. For baseball fans the good news is that Spring Training starts March 1st.
The Red Sox open up with a split side day. One squad meets the Jays and the second game sees NEU (whoever that is) coming to the Sox' Fort Meyers park. You can find a schedule here. Tickets on the grass are $12. Who wants to stand for ten bucks? Prices go up from there.
"So this sports thing is what?" he said to me. "You have another side to your personality?" Look, I hope I have several sides to me. I don't find it odd that I love both philosophy and sports. Now, I have to admit I don't get off on certain schools of thought but I also can't watch synchronized swimming. They're not bad. Personal aesthetics and familiarity, however, enter into and govern just about everything. The great thing is that exposure to different points of cultural sharing introduce you to new people. Sports have exposed me to more people than I would have known otherwise. I have made some great friends through the simple discovery of a mutual love for a sport/team. Hey, I could argue that some sports are even philosophies of life in their own way (cricket and baseball). I will read Pascal. I will play darts with the lads. I will enjoy jazz. I will listen to bluegrass. Go Les Canadiens, Red Sox, and Celtic! Now excuse me. I want to go and read the Sunday Times business section.
Hey Voxers / runners there is a Day 25 Update on the National Geographic site here.
Thanks for your e-mails, give yourselves a pat on the back, and follow this amazing story as it unfolds!
Hey Gang. Thanks for your responses. We are, finally, starting to get updates ... Do Not Let Up on the e-mails! The more support we show the more will get back to the runners AND we will make others aware of the charitable side of their efforts - H2O Africa, a Clean Water initiative.
National Geographic carries the following -
"Welcome, one and all,
to Day 13 of "Running the Sahara." This morning, we are in the city of Kiffa, Mauritania, and I'm taking advantage of an internet cafe to jot this off to you.
Sorry to have not written sooner, but things have been a bit, uh, hectic. There have been slow border crossings conducted at sundown along the swampy, Senegal River no-man's-land at Diama, located between Senegal and Mauritania (where billions of mosquitoes tapped our collective blood); plus midnight showdowns with everything from angry female warthogs to confused and pissed-off scorpions to--in the case of masseur Chuck Dale and me--a huge sand crab that woke us up at 2 AM by crawling between our mosquito nets and over or past our heads; a really odd, rattling experience. The other night, while resting comfortably in his tent, Kevin Lin was nipped by the tiniest of yellow bugs...which made his whole hand go numb for a few minutes. Needless to say, there's been something new every hour or two, and, still, we're having one heck of a time.
When there hasn't been some form of wildlife to contend with, the runners have been battling the season's unusually late heat and sun-torched pavement. One afternoon recently at 4 PM, the temperature was still 104 in the shade and nearly 125 in the sun...with other days recently not being much cooler. Still, the runners have been managing to knock out first 50 KM a day and now 70 KM a day. We're now up every morning at 4 AM, and, after coffee and a little breakfast, off at 5 AM: by noon, we've put big hunks of road or two-track behind. Then we rest for a few hours, and, once the heat breaks, about 4 to 5 PM, we hit it again for another 20 or 30 KM.
Acclimitisation for the runners took the predicted 10 frustrating days, but after a few days of cramps from dehydration (ably attended to by Doc Jeff Peterson and Chuck Dale), we're now fighting fit, feeling good, and see nothing but improving prospects and potential kilometers/day for the team. Pretty darned cool, really. It feels good just to be knocking down big sections of map every few days.
Also, at the Mauritanian towns of Maghta Lagher and Aschram, we also stopped by and visited several UNDP (United Nations Develoment Programme) projects, which did everything from impound rainwater that would otherwise escape (lifting the water table for area human and livestock wells) to de-silting closed irrigation canals, to stopping dune encroachment on cultivational areas through the planting of trees to stabilize the sand. All together, these projects have helped nearly 1,000 families to improve the quality of their lives, contribute to the larger society in terms of selling goods and animials, and improve their futures...and all for about $150 a family. It's amazing what a bit of well directed funding can do. Thanks also to Mr. Samba Thaim, Mauritanian coordinator for the UNDP, who not only hosted us at these projects...but also feted us not once (but twice!) with goat and mutton banquets, the first taking place in a Berber-style tent where runner Charlie Engle was also given a camel ride in grand style. Fantastic.
Well, that's about it for now. Gotta catch up with Charlie, Kevin, and Ray, who should be at about the 35 km mark already for this morning.
For any of you reading this and wanting to contribute, please go to RunnngtheSahara.com and pledge what you can per kilometer or mile, it'll go toward helping these folks with their huge problem of getting enough daily water for themselves and their livestock. You'd be surprised how much more economically effective a person can be if he/she doesn't have to spend two or three hours each day just gathering enough water to survive."
Participant Ray Zhab's brother John wrote the following ...
"Ray called from satellite phone yesterday, from the Sahara Desert. They have arrived in Mali, and have put down around 2000km of running so far. The first big chunk of mileage had to be done on roads, but recently they have been able to get more off-road, which has been a relief, but it also has its challenges (sand in shoes, etc.). Everyday is physically and mentally tough – but the team is doing amazing at keeping pace of between 70 and 80k per day."
Again, thanks and keep those e-mails to National Geographic going! (see other postings)
Thanks to everyone who has tried to contact National Geographic and the project spomsors - we haven't heard a word. From what is known, Magellan (GPS company) is involved with tracking the whole thing!!! Background
Here is more info ..
Running the Sahara
LivePlanet, Inc. founders Matt Damon and Ben Affleck team with Emmy-winning director James Moll to cover the most physically demanding marathon ever attempted as a three-man international expedition team attempts to run across the blistering-hot Sahara desert on foot with little more to drive them than a steady supply of FreeLife's Himalayan Goji Juice. With 4000 miles of treacherous terrain that stretches across Mali, Niger, Senegal, Libya, Egypt, and Mauritania, this punishing run offers the equivalent of two marathons a day for seventy-five days. No one has ever accomplished such a feat before, and if these brave adventurers reach their lofty goal they will have set the bar for human endurance to a spectacular new level. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide"
Nothing since November 10th
Enough Hollywood - the real stars are the athletes - Charlie Engle (USA), Ray Zahab (Canada) and Kevin Lin (Taiwan)
Let's find out how they are and where they are. Hey film guys, we may still go and see the movie for heavens sake!!! What about creating a buzz?
Ask fellow runners, marathoners, film buffs and friends of Africa (charity tie-in) to keep pounding National Geographic. Any other ideas appreciated.
Hoops reach final 16
Celtic reaches the second phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time! There was a fantastic goal by Shunsuke Nakamura and an amazing late game penalty shot save by Artur Boruc’s for a1-0 victory over Manchester United.
Is this team just getting better?
Celtic vs Man. United 4-2
What??? Then I realized it was the Youth Team score. Ahh well, but great for the kids.
"With the first teams meeting in the UEFA Champions League tonight, Celtic's Under 19s ran out 4-2 winners in a specially arranged friendly against Manchester United at Barrowfield this afternoon."
I don't think Cletic will make it into the next round without a confident win here. One pundit I read says they'll need five goals (yikes!).
Celtic: Artur Boruc; Paul Telfer, Bobo Balde, Stephen McManus, Lee Naylor; Shunsuke Nakamura, Thomas Gravesen, Neil Lennon, Shaun Maloney/Aiden McGeady; Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Kenny Miller.
