Day #169 - Oslo, Norway to Helsinki, Finland

Sunset on the Baltic Sea

Sunset on the boat from Stockholm to Helsinki

Looking out before deporting from Stockholm

Casino floor on the cruise ship

Monday, August 30th

Today started about 6am at a hostal 1/2 mile from the Oslo central train station. I got to the station early - ate some breafast and then found my platform. They are still having some issues with the rails, so I had to take a bus for the first 3 hours of the 6 hour journey to Stockholm.

I wasn't really awake yet - so the first 3 hours were mostly sleeping. Once at the connecting rail station, I transferred to the train and proceeded to read for the next 3 hours.

I got into Stockholm around 1:30pm. I had to figure out how to get to Helsinki. I was told that the cruise ship option was the best bet. I had to pay 440 Swedish Krone for the trip - this is roughly $60 (not bad). I walked across from the rail station and got my tickets. I had to take a transfer bus down to the docks. Ship left at 4:30pm - I was on board around 3:45pm. I was up in the cafe having a drink while I wrote my blog from yesterday.

I think I could get into cruise ships. There really is alot to do. I had some dinner at one of the restaraunts - opting against the buffet. I spent some time at the black jack table. It was cheap. 2 euro minimum. Only problem - they had just 1 table. It was fun until I lost everything. (They had some weird rules on ties - they go to the dealer - that doesn't help the cause much. I had a nineteen and the dealer showed nineteen - they took my money. I didn't stick around much after that).

I then went to one of the 2 nightclubs on the boat. Pretty cool. Some good music and alot of dancing (I was a spectator). I took it in and called it a night around midnight. Helsinki is 1 hour ahead of Stockholm.

I was staying in this tiny room with 4 bunks. 2 other guys were there. Both spoke very little English. I can't go into details; however, one of the guys had met a girl on the dancefloor. He had a good night. I was out of the room at 5am - and that's just about all I have to say about that. Pot luck roommates - can be interesting.

On to Helsinki, Finland on Tuesday. Solid. This is my 20th country to date. That total will double before the end of the trip as many of the smaller and lesser known countries will be given a day or 2 at most. What do I know about Finland going in? Very little. I know it has about 3.5 million people, is the most eastern country of the Nordic group, has a wealthy capital of Helsinki, and is geographically close to Russia (just a short train ride to St. Petersburg). Let's find out what else I can uncover.

Day #168 - Lavik to Oslo, Norway

Bergen, Norway - very old section of town

Return trip to Bergen from Lavik

The boat we took for our 2-1/2 hour trip from Lavik to Bergen

The Lavik Fjord Hotel - sitting up on the hill

Sunday, August 29th

I'm coming to you live aboard The Viking cruise ship sitting as a towering force in the Stockholm, Sweden central harbor. We're ready to set sail at any point headed for Helsinki, Finland. This is an overnight cruise and I'll arrive in Finland around 10am local time on Tuesday, August 31st.

I've been writing these blogs from some pretty strange places lately. When I intended to go from Stockholm to Helsinki, I did not realize I would be on a cruise ship. I've been on a bunch of boats - of various sizes thus far on my journey. This is a ship - equipped with the casino, night club, 11 decks, mutiple bars and restaurants, and the ever-present buffet.

I'm currently on the 9th deck in the night club/lounge. I'm enjoying a cool, frosty Beck's beer - while we are pulling out from port right now.

Sunday was a major travel day. When I decided to go to Iceland for the Reykjavik Marathon - it messed up my geographic positioning. I knew that these next couple days would be ballistic. I had to get from the most western portion of the Nordic countries (excluding Iceland) to the most easternly portion. And - I'm not flying.

I took the 2-1/2 hour water shuttle early Sunday from Lavic back to Bergen. I wrote to you on that journey. It was spectacular like my arrival. I could never get old of the scenery in that area. On my arrival into Bergen, I had about 45 minutes to walk across town and catch the 7 hour train across the country to Oslo. I made it just in time.

The train ride was fine - uneventful. Great lakes, trees, mountains. I've started a new book - True Blue by David Baldacci. I can't believe how much I've been reading on this trip. I'm already half way done with this 640-page novel and I just bought it yesterday.

After arriving in Oslo, I had booked a hostal about 1/2 mile from the central train station. I knew when I booked that the area was a bit sketchy. I was only going to be there 1 night (a few hours at that). I wrote to you last night from the bottom bunk. It actually turned out just fine. Not long after I posted, the other 5 people came in the room. They were quiet, respectful - it was all good. I'm the one that probably made the most noise as I had my watch set for 6am to catch my 7:30am transfer to Stockholm.

Sunday was a crazy travel day - Monday would be another.

Day #167 - Norway - Fjords

The skies were angry early Saturday

Atop the mountain I climbed

More Friday boat-ride pics - I can't help it

Friday boat-ride - blinded by the light

Perfect

Saturday, August 28th

I'm writing this blog from the bottom bunk of a 8 bed hostal room at Anker Hostal in Oslo, Norway. Cost of room - $32/night. That's like a quarter in the US. This place is a BEAUTY. They do have Wi-Fi however.

It's like a covert operation - if I go down - you know where to start looking. The bunk above me is supported by these centimeter think wooden planks. Half of them are broken. Luckily, it's a girl above - so if the bed crashes down - I think I'll make it - it might even be interesting.

I just got in. It's 11:00pm. I've been on a train for the past 7 hours from Bergen. I leave tomorrow morning for Helsinki at 7:30am. I just needed a place to lay my head for a couple hours. Only 2 other bunks are full besides mine right now, but all kinds of gear is thrown on the other bunks. I expect in the next couple hours to have 5 drunken fools walk through the door. All the lights in the room are on - not sure why. I'm fully clothed with all my money in my pockets. All my bags are packed. I could be out of here in 30 seconds. I have my headlamp on - I'm completely mobile. Am I being a little dramatic - Probably - but it's fun that way.

Alright to Saturday. I spent the day in Lavik - along the waters of the Sognefjord. I slept in and then went for a long hike. It was awesome. I went up into the mountains and could overlook the fjord. The scenery was spectacular. I got back to the hotel about mid-day. I took a liitle nap and read. Early evening - I grabbed some food at the local grocery store and walked around the small town.

Saturday was a great, peaceful day. If can hardly get more relaxing than that.

Day #166 - Norway - Fjords

Inside the Sognefjord

Rocks and tree-lined shores of Western Norway

Looking out the back of the boat

Off the deck of the Lavik Fjord Hotel

Off the deck of my hotel - about 9pm

Friday, August 27th

I'm writing this blog aboard a boat headed to Bergen from Lavik, Norway. I just spent the last 2 days in the Sognefjord - the largest fjord on the western coast of Norway - amazing! I apologize about the lack of posts - but I had only a community computer at my disposal.

I headed out on Friday morning from Voss into Bergen. On arrival, I spent the day walking around Bergen - taking in the history and the ambiance of the town. I was awaiting my 4:30pm water shuttle up to Lavik, Norway. It was a 2-1/2 hour boat ride on the western coast of the country leading into the Sognefjord.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this boat ride led to the most impressive pictures I've taken to date. It was unbelievable. I fell under a lucky star. The conditions - 60 degrees, sunny, blue skies, green trees, picturesque mountains, and perfect white clouds. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I stayed outside the entire 2-1/2 hours. This boat was flying. There were only a couple other people outside (over 300 total people on boat) - they only came out for a quick picture and then went back inside. I had my hood up on my rain jacket and could barely stand up. I had to stand behind some supports to keep from going overboard at times.

I'm currently seeing the same sites on my return trip. The sky is pretty good today - but I'm not sure it could get any better than my trip on Friday. I'll post all my pics on my picture site at makeitcount.smugmug.com.

I arrived into Lavic at 7 pm. My hotel was 100 yards from the pier - overlooking the fjord - wow! You could sit out on the balcony and watch the ships come in. I had dinner overlooking the pier and called it a great day. This hotel is owned by a Dutch couple. I had a really nice conversation with them over dinner. I had read comments when I booked this place that the couple who owned it where great - I would concur. The place is called Lavik Fjord Hotel - it comes highly recommended. The rooms are OK - but the location and scenery are perfect.

I now need to just stare out the window - I'm missing the sites. I'll write more later.

Day #165 - Norway - Fjords

Norwegian Fjords

The Norwegian Fjords

Turning the corner

On the shore - before we started

Looking out the back of the boat

The Kjosfossen Waterfall - the Flam Railway

Thursday, August 26th

To my Aunt Emily - thanks for your email. Thinking about you today. Hang in there - sending out some inspriation your way.

I love bounce-back days. It makes me concentrate on what's really important. I know that if I get rest, eat properly, exercise, and just stay focused on the next goal --- everything will fall into place. Wake up thinking - "Be good today". You don't have to be great at anything. But, if you are good every single day -- that will eventually make you great.

Anyway, I'm feeling inspired right now. I'm sitting in the lobby of my hotel and this guy is playing the piano in the room next door. He's playing tons of Beattles songs and old rock. It's really good.

Alright - to my bounce-back. First, I went to bed last night at 10:30pm and woke up this morning at 9am. Next, I went down and ate the buffet breakfast - which included tons of multi-colored fruits and vegetables. (On my 6 hour+ train ride to Bergen yesterday, I sat behind this Sierra Club tour group. It was made up mostly of 60+ year old people. It must have been their first day - you could feel the newness in the conversations. It was fascinating to me just to sit back and watch the dynamics of the group take shape. A couple (both doctors), and a professor from Stanford were most near to me. I couldn't help but listen to them the whole day. I gained immense knowledge and never said a word or read anything. The reason I even bring this up is because the doctors went on and on about eating 'multi-colored' fruits and vegetables. By the way - these people were very educated and extremely well spoken. The docs live in Philly and went to Princeton and the professor said she had Thanksgiving with Sandra Day O'Connor - the first female member of the US Supreme Court)

After breakfast, I signed up for a tour to one of the fjords. I used my location in Voss to my advantage. I was able to reduce the cost of the trip by $75 because I didn't need the Bergen-Voss transfer. Worked out great. All I had to do was walk out the front door of the hotel and I was at the train/bus station. This tour would consist of a bus ride, boat ride, and 2 train segments.

First off - what is a fjord? A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea surrounded by steep cliffs.

My tour started with a 1 hour bus ride. Here we saw an area called Stalheimskleiva. This is a 1.5km section of road that winds through 20 hairpin turns at a gradient around 20 percent. We were able to look down into the valley and get some incredible pictures. We next made our way to the boat. We started out into the Naeroyfjord. This particular fjord was recently added as 1 of 2 fjords in Norway to become part of the World Heritage List as an example of the best fjords in the world. Wow! Your riding in this small boat and towering over you on each side are these amazing cliffs. Very dramatic scenerey. The Naeroyfjord is one of the most narrow fjords in Norway - so the cliffs were close. I truly don't think my pictures can help you fully appreciate the vastness of the journey. Looking at postcards of the area really drives it home - a little bitty boat amongst these giant cliffs.

We next transferred to a train - the famous Flam Railway. This railway is 20 km long, goes through 20 tunnels (18 of which are hand-made) up this steep slope, and is considered one of the marvels of engineering in all of Norway. It only took 1 hour - but was great. We had a stop where we could get out and take pictures of this amazing waterfall - the Kjosfossen Waterfall.

Our final segment of the trip was from Myrdal to Voss on the Bergen Railway. I had actually been on this segment of the trip from yesterday. I hadn't mentioned it before, but the journey from Oslo to Bergen was filled with endless trees, lakes, rivers, mountains -- it reminded me of driving around in Colorado or Montana.

I made it back to Voss around 5:30pm. I went out for a 40 minute run and then stretched some. I went down to the hotel for dinner. I opted for the salad bar versus the full buffet ($80). Although I would have preferred something a little different, I got more multi-colored fruits and vegetables in the system. I've got my quota on these food groups for about a week.

I'm now in the hotel lobby, listening to the music, and finishing up this blog. Tomorrow I'll go north to my next hotel - which is on the largest fjord in Norway - the Sognefjord

Day #164 - Oslo to Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway train station -- big time tourist town

Wet streets of Bergen

A view from my hotel window in Voss, Norway

Wednesday, August 25th

Today was challenging. I got off to a bad start when I either didn't hear my wakeup call or they forgot to make it (Hotels in Nordic countries don't have alarm clocks. If I'm super tired, my watch alarm won't due the trick) I had to take a 6:15am shuttle from my hotel over to the airport to catch a 7:08am train to central Oslo. I woke up at 6:04am - not packed at all. No time to wake-up. I went from a dead sleep to supersonic in less than 30 seconds. I made it downstairs at 6:14.

Once I arrived at the central station in Oslo, I then waited for my 8:11am train to Bergen, Norway. It's on the other side of the country - but it sure doesn't seem like that far. However, the train took over 6 hours - arriving in Bergen at 2:52pm.

By this time, I was tired and hungry. I had not booked a hotel. I hit the streets to find that it was raining and cold. Tired, hungry, cold, and wet --- these are not good combinations. I made my way to the tourist info center. It was now 4pm. I needed to figure out what I was going to do the next 3 days - this is why I hadn't booked my hotel.

I talked with some people about options - but just wasn't feeling it. All the tours were hundreds of dollars. They told me that all the hotels in Bergen were booked - except for a few starting at $400/night. They had no Wi-Fi so I walked over to McDonalds. I needed food. I ordered and gave them my credit card to pay for the $15 meal. They didn't take American cards - really? I dug in my pockets until I found enough change to pay. I sat down and turned on my computer. My computer wouldn't power up - I had forgotten to charge it last night. I walked the 3 floors of McDonalds and found 0 outlets. I finished my food and walked back to the tourist center. I powered my computer there. I figured I'd try to get some kind of Wi-Fi signal while I waited for the computer to charge. I found some weird connection. It was slower than molasses - but I was able to find a hotel in a town that was 1 hour away by train - Voss, Norway. I had to pay $189 for 1 night.

I walked back to the train station, found out that the next train to Voss leaves at 6:10pm. I got to the hotel and found my room after completing a maze. I hit the internet looking for hotels to stay the next 3 nights on the west coast. All were hundreds of dollars a night. I bit the bullet and decided to stay here 1 more night. I then found a place a couple hours north to stay Friday and Saturday (only $110/night). I have no idea how I'm going to get there for sure - as there are no trains. I'm either going to taxi, bus, or water shuttle -- hopefully 1 of these options will come through.

I'm now going to sleep and forget about today. I can only hope for a better performance tomorrow. No worries - they can't keep me down.

Day #163 - Oslo, Norway

Viking Ship Museum

Kon-Tiki Museum - outside sculpture

The Fountain in Vigeland Sculpture Park

The Monolith - Vigeland Sculpture Park

Munch Museum

Tuesday, August 24th

I stayed up really late last night working on my finances (I think better late at night generally). Because of this, I awoke about noon. Solid. I needed the sleep.

I had alot I wanted to do in Oslo today, so I headed out pretty quickly. I took the 30 minute train back into the city. I first walked down to the pier and took a boat over to an area with a few museums I wanted to see. The Vikingskiphuset (or Viking Ship Museum) was the first on the agenda. This place was built in 1936 and houses three 9th-century Viking burial ships discovered at the turn of the century in the nearby Oslo Fjord. These boats were found to have the bodies of Viking chieftains along with the many countless artifacts from that time. These ships constitue the largest Viking find ever recorded. I took some pictures of one of the ships and perused the gift shop to learn more.

Next I stopped by the Kon-Tiki Museum. I just went into the gift shop but was able to decipher what this was all about. This museum houses original vessels and artifacts from world famous Norwegian scientist and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. Kon Tiki was the name of the raft used in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian Islands. Basically, the premise of his journey was to show that the South American people could have made this same journey in pre-Columbian times with just the materials they had available to them.

I then got back onto the water shuttle and returned to the pier. I next took a long walk across town to Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Sculpture Park). This is an 80 acre park filled with 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Visually impressive, the park's 2 biggest attractions are the 'The Fountain' (water fountain adorned with 60 bronze reliefs) and the 'The Monolith' (towers 46ft high and consists of 121 human figures rising toward the sky. This is meant to represent man's desire to become closer with the spiritual and divine. It portrays a feeling of togetherness as the figures embrace one another as they are carried to salvation). That's some heavy symbolism -- to me, it looked like naked stone sculptures entwined to form a tall column.

I next walked the complete length of the city from the Sculpture Park to the Munch Museum. By this time of the day, the place was closed - but I just wanted to do a fly-by. This museum honors Edvard Munch (1863-1944). He is the only Nordic painter whose influence is recognized on a global level. He is considered the 'father of Expressionism'. The finest hotel in Oslo - Hotel Continental - features a large collection of Munch paintings - which decorate the public areas.

I jumped back on the 30 minute return train to my airport hotel. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the other side of the country - Bergen, Norway. I'm fired up for this journey - I get to spend a few days in the fjords.

Day #162 - Reykjavik, Iceland to Oslo, Norway

Reykjavik - Europe's Best Airport - 2009

Fancy sculptures in the Reykjavik airport

Waiting for the bus pickup at Oslo Airport

Scenery at Oslo Airport

Monday, August 23rd

Extremely early start this morning. Up at 3:45am for a 4:30 transfer to the airport. We arrived at the airport around 5:45. I walked in and took a quick look at the board to see if my flight was still on schedule. Everything was 'On Time' except for 1 particular flight - that would have been mine. Next to the Oslo departure - '2 Hour Delay'. Man - I've been hitting a bad streak recently with flights. It's making me lose faith in the system.

Supposedly, the flight from New York City to Reykjavik was delayed and we had to wait for this plane's arrival. This really wasn't a big deal for me - I had no definitive plans. It sure would have been nice to sleep in until 5:45am however.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and found the most comfortable seat possible. The good thing is - I found out that the Reykjavik airport was voted as the best airport in Europe for 2009. They have a big trophy in the middle of the food court (see pic). Because of this - it was a nice place to be stranded. I pulled out a new book - "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown and started to read. I was in and out of consciousness for the next 4 hours. I went down to the gate for the 9:50 departure. We were delayed another hour before boarding. The flight into Oslo was fine. 2-1/2 hour trip. Add 2 hours with time zone change and I arrived at 3;30pm. I found an airport transfer to my hotel - getting to my room around 4:30pm.

Up at 3:45am and arrive at my place at 4:30pm - that's a lengthy travel day for minimal distance gain. All good - it's just part of the journey. Learn to adapt and appreciate.

I chilled in the room for a while and then hit the hotel gym. I ran a couple miles and worked out some kinks by stretching. I felt like a million bucks. I ate at the buffet in the hotel and now I'm in the room catching up on email.

Let me say that my trip to Iceland was very rewarding. What a great place! I would really recommend a visit. I saw they have direct flights from Minneapolis - and it's not as far as other European destinations. I don't think I've mentioned this - but all the Nordic countries speak great English. Everybody. I haven't had 1 bit of trouble anywhere with a language barrier. People are friendly and helpful. I can understand the Nordic people better than I can understand the British or Irish on many accounts.

The short term travel itinerary: Oslo - 2 days, Bergen - 3 days, Finland - 5 days, depart for Russia on Sept 4th from Helsinki. Let's keep it going! Consistently strong!

Day #161 - Reykjavik - The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon - perfect weather day for it

Little coves everywhere

Awesome

Warm waters - not too hot

A secluded area on the way into the resort

Sunday, August 22nd

I woke up early and scheduled a day trip to the Blue Lagoon. This is a famous geothermal pool about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. This was just what the doctor ordered for the sore muscles.

The bus picked me up at the hotel at 9:30am. I had eaten a nice breakfast earlier. We got to the place - fantastic. It was like a football field-sized hottub. The geothermal waters are supposedly filled with nutrients for healing and re-energizing. They gave you this bracelet to use for your locker and also as a credit card tool for purchasing drinks in the water. I joined a couple hundred of my closest friends in the thermal bath. The waters stretched out along these lava rocks. You could see steam rising up as you looked out across the horizon. They had this silica mud that everyone put on their face. People were walking around with this white covered smile. The water temperature was warm, but not too hot. In some areas it was hotter than others. I stayed in for over 2 hours. This was about as peaceful as you can get. If I closed my eyes - I could almost see Brooke Shields getting out of the water (Have you seen the movie Blue Lagoon)

I jumped out and showered up. I sat in the restaurant overlooking the thermal waters and wrote up by blog from yesterday. Incredible sites. I grabbed the afternoon shuttle back into Reykjavik. I arrived around 4pm.

I have a 7:50am flight tomorrow morning back to Oslo, Norway. I have a 4:35am shuttle from the hotel. This would be an early night.

A great, relaxing day at the Blue Lagoon.

Day #160 - Reykjavik Marathon

U2 was right - It was a beautiful day

Reykjavik at dusk

Reykjavik Festival

One of the many stages

People gathered in heavy coats and hats

Saturday, August 21st


Success. Completed in 4:59. Slow - but to be expected with my limited long runs. Doing OK - just need to rest right now. I'll write more later. Thanks for the good wishes.

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Marathon Day! This always brings excitement, nerves, anticipation, and wonder. Today was no different. The race was scheduled to start at 8:40am. I was up at 6:30. Once I got everything set, I headed to the hotel restaurant for a little breakfast. Back to the room to grab a few things and then I walked downtown to the starting line. It was about 1 mile - I took it really slow. I arrived about 7:45 - not many people yet. They had a building open adjacent to the start where runners could gather in the warmth. It was mid 40's (F), but the wind was starting to blow (foreshadow for what was to come).

Pre-race activities before a marathon could easily make an entire book in intself. It's crazy. Everyone has their own routine. Some people show up with nothing ready. They change clothes, put on their running number, and attach their timing chip. Other people are overly pumped. They are out jogging a few miles and warming up. Some are nervously talking. Some are quiet and sitting down (this is typically me). People are standing in line for the porta-potties. This is always the big concern. You have to plan your strategy so you can make it to the bathroom before the race - but not so far in advance that you must go again.

About 15 minutes to start time, I headed out the warm building into the chilly, Icelanic morning air to the sea of runners. There were a total of 3,000 runners participating in the marathon, half marathon, and 10K. All were starting at the same time. In events like this, you really need to be careful and not go out too fast. The people doing the 10K should be at an entirely different pace ideally. I stretched my legs a little, turned on my Garmin to pick up the satellite, took 2 motrin, put in my Ipod earpieces - I was ready.

I had 7 gel packets (more than usual - weird stuff with less carbs today), 2 more motrin, a handful of salt tablets, and a single water bottle that I would carry. Often, I'll run with a water belt - but since I didn't have one, I would just refill my singular bottle at the aid stations. I generally take a gel every 45 minutes in the race and the salt and motrin all depend upon how I feel.

Five minutes before start time - they make an announcement. I couldn't understand it. 1 minute - U2 comes on over the loud speaker - "It's a Beautiful Day". Awesome. There are few things I've done in life as intense as standing on the starting line before a marathon. The only thing between you and the finish - 26.2 miles - just get it done anyway possible. GO!

I settled in to a slow pace. Everyone was quickly out. I had seen the times from last year - fast - I expected to come in somewhere in the back of the pack. (Running is one of those things that you can closely predict where you should finish. If you've trained for a certain time - it's not like you're going to beat that mark by an hour). The first couple miles were occupied with dodging other runners and just staying upright. About Mile #4, things were beginning to stretch out. I found myself running next to these 2 "big girls". I settled in behind them. They were my wind blockers for the next 4 miles until I lost them at a water stop.

The scenery was incredible. Absolutley breathtaking. The majority of the course was run right next to the ocean. You could look out and see the moutains, boats, and nothing but the blue, ocean water. I've run next to the ocean for a couple miles in races before - today, we would run 12+ miles right near the water.

Now, with that being said, let's talk wind. Brutal! The wind brought the conditions (50F, sunny) from perfect to extremely challenging. The first 10 miles the wind was at our backs. Oh-boy. Not so good. This meant that the second half of the race would be dead into the wind.

I had made it through Mile #10. I wasn't feeling great - but I was still moving forward. In a marathon, I always set short term goals. I break it up into little pieces. I never think about the end. At Mile #10, the only thing on my mind was getting to the half-way point. I was running 10 minute/mile pace - pretty consistently. There were about 4-5 of us keeping our mile splits between 5-10 seconds. I made it to 13.1 (half-way) at 2:13 - not bad for me. I didn't know how long I could go without stopping. I hadn't run much more than this (without stopping) in months. I wanted to make it to Mile #16. It was starting to hurt. I pushed forward - but my pace was slowing. At Mile #15, I told myself that I would stop and walk at the next water stop or Mile #16 - whichever came first.

The water stop came at 15.7 miles on my Garmin. I started to walk and get my wind. I think I've mentioned this before, but stoppoing for short walking breaks is not a bad thing. Often times, this is discussed in running magazines. It gives your body a chance to regroup. In the past, I couldn't do this for 2 reasons: 1) I thought I was a failure to walk 2) Once I stopped running, I couldn't get atarted again. I'm OK with both of these now. This is probably the biggest reason I've continued to do marathons - without these 2 obstacles being overcome, I doubt I'd be running long today.

I ran/walked to Mile #20. The wind was crazy hard now. 25mph steady with gusts over 40mph. At times, it felt like I couldn't move forward. I would get pushed nearly off the road. head down - push forward. The last 6.2 miles were a major struggle. I was feeling sick, I couldn't run like I wanted - I just wanted to be finished. My time kept slipping until I realized I had to double-time it if I was to break 5 hours. I ran the majority of the last mile and finished at 4:59. Great feeling. 17th total marathon - 4th continent.

Just as a timing note (in my eyes): Under 3 hours - elite, 3-3:30 - excellent, 3:30-4 -very good, 4-4:30 - OK, 4:30-up - you're a survivor. I fall in the 'OK' and 'You're a survivor' most of the time. 4 hours is always a pretty good benchmark. If you're under that number, you know what you're doing.

Running long is so much about what you eat and drink. It must be closely monitored to get your best. After 17 marathons, I still don't have this figured out. There's so many factors - heat, wind, hills, your training leading into the run, your phycial health - that's what makes it interesting. After runs, I've been known to get sick. I've learned to never sit down right away - keep walking. And drink a diet coke or sprite if possible. This seems to settle my stomach.

Today, at the end of the race, I wasn't feeling great. No way could I stop. It worked out perfectly however. I got my medal and the foil drape they put around you for warmth. I then just walked all the way back to the hotel. I stopped at a convenience store and bought a sprite. By the time I got to my hotel room, I was feeling much, much better.

A shower and some rest until 6pm. I then ate dinner at the hotel restaurant. I always like to eat some kind of meat after a marathon - my body craves protein (not carbs). I decided to walk back into town (my legs were feeling surprisingly good). Today was the celebration of the founding of Reykjavik. 120,000 people hit the streets in celebration. That's nearly 1/2 the entire country's population. I had to see this.

When I got into town, people were everywhere. There were several stages with bands. Reykjavik has a large number of restaruants and bars. I went into a pub for a couple drinks. Barcelona was playing Seville in soccer. Messi had 2 goals. I had an hour conversation with this older gentlemen (he was born and raised in Iceland). Really educational. He was a teacher for years - now retired. I learned more about Iceland in that hour than all the books and brochures combined.

I walked the streets some more - after 9:30pm - exhaustion was setting in. I walked the 1 mile back to the hotel (leaving my mileage total well over 30 on the day). Bedtime - a really, really, good day -- something I'll always remember as my connection with Iceland.

Day #159 - Reykjavik, Iceland

I don't know what this means - but the red thing is the symbol for the race

Great skies today

The running course laid out on big map at Expo - very flat course

My resting spot this afternoon

Mountains and sky - does this look like Iceland

Friday, August 20th

The day before the Reykjavik Marathon. Low key for me. Trying to keep off my feet as much as possible.

I had to get some money before I left the hotel, because the buses would only take change. I have 30,000 Iceland Krone in my pocket. I had a small panic attack when the money came out of the ATM. I was like - "Did I just screw something up?" I calculated it about 3 times, in 3 different ways. Paranoid. I just can't get comfortable with these bills.

I took the shuttle down to the Expo Center to pick up my runner's packet. In pretty much all marathons, there is an Expo the day before the event. Generally, there are a ton of booths setup, with running gear, food, upcoming races, etc. Pending the marathon, the expo may be held in a huge convention center (Chicago) or a small tent outside (Missoula, Montana). Alot of times I'll just get my packet and exit. Today, I needed to find some food for tomorrow. That's the one thing that's different over here when I run long, I've been using any energy source I can get my hands on. Luckily, they had a few gel packets that I'll be using for tomorrow. They are twice the size of the normal ones however - I'll have to make due.

I decided to just hang out at a coffee shop for a few hours in the afternoon flipping through some travel borchures. Very mellow. I'm starting to see many runners coming through. Temperatures are predicted between 46-54 deg F tomorrow - pretty perfect. It's windy today - which makes it feel cold. If the wind calms down and the rain stays away - it should be ideal conditions. I plan to start in a t-shirt and shorts.

I walked back over to the Expo Center around 4:30pm. They were having a Pasta Dinner for the runners. Again, this is very typical of all marathons. At most events, the pasta dinner is an add-on. Depending on where I'm at, I may or may not eat at the expo, Today, the dinner was actually included within the registration fee. This was great. I sat down at a table and met a really nice couple from Iowa. I'd put them in their upper 50's. They had been travelling around Iceland for the past 2 weeks. They told me they were on 'sensory-overload' - in their eyes - Iceland is phenomenol. The first week they did some hiking and touring with a group. This past week they rented a car and drove around the entire Ring Road. They couldn't stop talking about how fantastic this place is for visitors. We discussed running and travelling. These people were awesome. They are also into triathalons. They've even done 1 full ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 marathon). That's my dream one day. I've done the Springfield, IL IronHorse (close to a 1/2 ironman) - but nowhere near a full. My highest athletic aspiration is to complete a full ironman. I hope to make this happen in the future. They said: "If we can do, you can do it. First, just believe you can". Expandng the mind to go places that you can't even fathom are possible - that's what it's all about.

I'm back in the room now. I'm doing the typical checklist of tasks before I go to bed. My brother always laughs that he will write a book one day giving out his tips for an everyday, average runner. A short list includes: attach number to shirt, attach timing chip to shoe, lay out running gear and shoes, get food prepared, get liquids prepared, get aspirin and bandaids, plug in your Garmin running watch, call for 2 wake-up calls (15 minutes apart), plug in your Ipod, figure out transport to/from event, get money, and finally - be in bed around 9pm.

The nerves are running a little bit right now. This is typical for me. I just need to mentally focus, be confident, and tomorrow I'll go the distance. See you after 26.2