Expreso De Los Andes: The Best Laid Plans..

A few days back I posted an update on the Expreso De Los Andes expedition which has seen ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely, along with some of their closest impossible2Possible friends, attempting to run from Chile's Pacific Coast to Argentina's Atlantic Coast. A distance of more than 1700km (1056 miles) that includes a tough crossing of the Andes mountain range. In that update I noted that the team was facing a number of tough challenges, not the least of which was the fact that torrential downpours and flooded the entire region. Now it turns out those rains have altered the plan completely as Ray explains in the video below.

In a nutshell, much of the runners' intended route is now under three feet of water, making it nearly impossible for them to continue along their planned path. Where the route is accessible on foot they are left without support vehicles for incredibly long lengths as well, which adds an entirely different problem. They attempted to run along a different road, following a nearby highway, but that proved to be completely unsafe and was soon abandoned.

So now what? Well Ray, Kevin and the rest of the i2P squad have now moved on to Buenos Aires, their intended finishing spot, where they will continue run a portion of the route to wrap up the expedition. This isn't how they hoped to finish things out, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans for us. Find out more below.


Day 17 - Altered Plans from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes Update: Challenges Abound!

It has been a few days since I last posted an update on the Expreso De Los Andes expedition which currently has Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and other members of the impossible2Possible crew running across the South American continent. Since we last checked in, the team has been making steady progress although there have been a number of serious challenges to overcome as well.

For those who haven't been following this adventure so far, endurance athletes Ray and Kevin are attempting to run from the Pacific Coast in Chile to the Atlantic Coast in Argentina. To do so they'll have to cover approximately 1700km (1056 miles) and cross over the Andes Mountain Range. Along the way, they're interfacing with a number of classrooms where they hope to inspire students and teachers alike to pursue a healthy lifestyle and mix exercise into their daily routine.

Over the past week the runners have covered significant chunks of mileage, although not the distances they had hoped for. By now they had hoped to be running in the neighborhood of 70km (43.4 miles) per day but tougher than expected conditions haven't helped to facilitate that. For instance, temperatures have been very warm and the trails that they are running haven't always been the best either. On top of that, Ray suffered an injury to his quadricep muscle which has slowed him down some as well.

Those aren't the only issues they've been dealing with however as they've also faced some strong headwinds which have made it tough going at times as well. They've also had their fair share of encounters with the wildlife too including a variety of snakes, insects, and tarantulas. As if all of that wasn't enough, the entire region they are running through received torrential rains yesterday which flooded the entire area. As a result, the planned path of their run is currently underwater and some of the main roads are dangerous as well. That means they're likely to see little progress today although they are continuing ahead as scheduled.

The team has moved into Argentina now and the hope is that once the Andes are completely behind them that the distances can amp up to 100km (62 miles) per day. But in order for that to happen the weather conditions must be right and the runners need to be fully healthy. They still have several weeks to go before they are done, but considering Ray and Kevin's track records, we know they'll do everything in their power to reach the finish line, aka the Atlantic Ocean.

Expreso De Los Andes: Crossing The Andes

As I mentioned last week, Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the rest of the impossible2Possible team have started their Expreso De Los Andes expedition. Over the next few weeks, they will be running west to east across the South American continent, covering more than 1700km (1056 miles), while also inspiring students and educators back home to adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle.

When last we checked in with Ray and Kevin, they had dipped their toes into the Pacific Ocean and were just getting underway. The plan was to ease into the run with a few days of shorter distances to get things started. In this case, "shorter distance" means about 45km (28 miles), which would eventually climb up to 70km (43.4 miles) per day once they felt acclimated. That didn't take very long however, as the runners have already started hitting those marks, and yesterday alone Ray ran more than 100km (62 miles).

The team has also now crossed the border between Chile and Argentina and are firmly into the Andes Mountains, which will of course be their biggest challenge. When they first got underway, the heat of the austral summer was taking its toll, but now that they are hitting the higher altitudes of the journey, cooler weather has set in. Those cooler temps bring a bit of relief of course, but now the team is dealing with thin air at altitude and long, steep climbs up the mountains.

To get a sense of what the conditions are like, check out the video below. It was shot a few days back when the team covered approximately 65km in a single day, of which 35km was climbing. The views are spectacular of course, but when you're running at altitude, I'm not sure you feel much like taking it all in. Still, it looks like they're having a great time on this adventure.


Expreso de los Andes Day 7 - 65km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012: They're Off

Last week I mentioned that Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the impossible2Possible crew were getting ready to launch their Expreso De Los Andes expedition, during which they'll be spending the next few weeks running west to east across South America. The run did get underway as expected, and the athletes began by dipping their hand in the Pacific Ocean and then starting to head east. They'll finish when they reach the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The video below gives us glimpse of what their first day was like. They managed to cover 45km (28 miles), but after the find their rhythm, they hope to amp that up to closer to 70km (43.4 miles) per day. That isn't going to be easy however, as the terrain will be very demanding, including a traverse over the Andes Mountains, and it is also incredibly warm where they are at right now. Still, Ray and Kevin are two very experienced endurance athletes, and if anyone can complete this run, it will be these two. It should be fun to follow their progress.



Expreso de los Andes Day 1 - 45km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012 Expedition Begins Tomorrow

A month ago I posted the announcement from the impossible2Possible team that they would be setting off on a new expedition, this time to run west to east across South America. This new adventure was dubbed the Expreso De Los Andes 2012, and it is set to officially get underway tomorrow.

The plan is for ultra-runners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely to being their journey in the Chilean city of Concón, which sits along that country's Pacific coast. From there, they start running east, with the intention of covering roughly 1700km (1056 miles), before eventually ending at the Atlantic Oceain in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To get there, they'll first  have to traverse the Andes Mountain Range, and deal with running long distances at higher altitudes.

In the early stages of the run, Ray and Kevin intend to average about 70km (43.4 miles) per day. Once they clear the Andes however, they hope to amp those distance up to as much as 100km (62.1 miles) per day. They'll be aided along in the journey by a support crew, who will drop water and supply caches for them ever 20-30km as well.

As usual with any of the i2P expeditions, this run has an educational and inspirational component to it as well. On the Expreso De Los Andes expedition, the team is hoping to inspire young people to become more physically active, and to do that, the've enlisted a number of teachers and school administrators in a physical challenge program. One of those administrators is George Singfield, who is preparing to run a half-marathon in May. "Principal George," as he is known, happens to be diabetic, so he is learning the importance to taking care of his health, while improving his physical conditioning for the run. He, and a number of others, are hoping to inspire the children in their classrooms and schools by leading by example.

According to the i2P Twitter feed, the crew arrived in Santiago, Chile yesterday and, they should be making their way to Concón today, with the intention of setting out on schedule tomorrow. Throughout the run, we'll be able to track Ray and Kevin's progress on the expedition's official website, where they'll regularly be posting updates and videos.

impossible2Possible Team Completes India Youth Expedition

While I was away playing in the Caribbean over the past few days, the youth ambassadors from impossible2Possible were finishing up their seven day run across India. The expedition, which was a big success, came to an end today when the four runners completed their 270km (167 mile) journey across Rajasthan and the arid Thar Desert.

As is always the case with any i2P project, the goal is to use adventure to help inspire and educate students in classrooms all over the world, and the India Youth Expedition was no exception. The focus this time out was to demonstrate the importance of exercise for our overall health, but also how it can impact non-communicable diseases such as Type II diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. According to a 2002 report from the World Health Organization, about 50% of the world's disease burden is now from non-communicable diseases, which is a radical shift away from infectious diseases like malaria or yellow fever.

The message that the youth ambassadors and the i2P crew were hoping to convey is that exercise and a good diet can help alleviate the dangers of non-communicable diseases, keeping us healthier and happier for longer. That is an important thing to impart on young students, who can start to learn about leading a healthier lifestyle now and incorporating that as they get older.

Congrats to the four runners, Emma Cook-Clarke, Jessica Kenny, Harshveer Sign Saluja, and Patrick Doughty, for completing this impressive run. Well done!

impossible2Possible Gears Up For Youth Expedition To India

The impossible2Possible team is gearing up for their latest youth expedition, setting their sights on India this time out. As usual, the organization will take a group of young people to a remote and challenging destination, where they'll spend a week traveling by foot throughout the region.

On this particular expedition, ultra-athlete Ray Zahab will be joined by four youth ambassadors as they attempt to run across the Thar Desert, a dry an inhospitable place that is known to have sand dunes that reach as high as 150 meters (492 ft) in height. Located along the border of India and Pakistan, the Thar is amongst the largest deserts in the world, but isn't well known outside the region.

Ray, along with runners Emma Cook-Clarke, Jessica Kenny, Harshveer Sign Saluja, and Patrick Doughty, will attempt to cross the Thar in just one week. In order to do so, they'll need to cover 290km (180 miles) on foot, averaging roughly a marathon a day for seven straight days.

While all i2P expeditions are a great adventure in and of themselves, they also have key educational goals in mind as well. In this case, the team will be exploring the topic of World Health and the importance of quality, affordable health care to people around the globe. For many, health care simply isn't an option, either for lack of money or facilities. It is estimated that one million people die each year in India alone because they lack access to health care, and the i2P team will be spreading the word about that very topic as they interact with classrooms as part of their Experiential Learning Program.

The team will leave for India this week and will begin the expedition soon there after.