Friday, April 9, 2010

Snowy Sahara!

As I ran through fresh snow today, I couldn't help but think about Meghan who is currently running through the sand of the Saharan desert. It was hard work running through the snow today - running in snow requires extra power, a shorter stride and good posture. In fact, it's a lot like running through sand. I couldn't help but think about her, running, through the sand and the vastness of the wind-swept wilderness of the Saharan Desert.

Keith, showing off his good posture


Meghan's competing in the Marath
on des Sables - a 7 day stage race through the Saharan desert in Morocco. She had a hard day yesterday, on the longest stage of 82.2km. It was hard for me to imagine how she was feeling, as I ran along in my cold rocky place. I can't quite fathom trying to run through the sand for 7 days in 40c heat. Needless to say, I was sending good thoughts her way.


I lifted this photo of the Marathon des Sables website - I was glad to find a photo of Meghan looking strong today. That's a 16 pound pack she's wearing, as competitors have to carry their own supplies and food. It probably weighs less now, as she eats her way through all of the food she's carrying :)



She's a world away from Banff in the Saharan desert - but I imagine it to be similar in it's enormity, vastness and wildness. Wilderness is wilderness - and the Sahara has got to be a pretty wild place.

I'm queen of the world!

This week, I watched the movie Running the Sahara - and it gave me a little taste of the Sahara. The desert surely is a beautiful place. I loved this movie and highly recommend it. It's all about dreaming big and embracing the philosophy of anything being possible, if you just set your mind to it.

So here's to anyone out there - who dreams big and realizes that the impossible is possible.

8 comments:

JeffO said...

Hey, Queen of the World, eat some clam chowder. The sand in your teeth will make you feel like you have a case of MdS.
Miss Meghan is really something. Kind of makes me feel like a wimp. Must create more adventure!
With good posture, of course!

Ewa said...

I am so inspired by stories of people running in all those impossible places. I can only dream on... or maybe I could actually do something about it.

Duncan and Joan Barwise said...

Inspiring pics and words, thanks for sharing. Glad we found your blog. Duncan.

Duncan and Joan Barwise said...

Inspiring pics and words, thanks for sharing. Glad we found your blog. Duncan.

Leslie said...

It's all about the posture JeffO! Hey, didn't I do a post about being charter members of the Meghan fan club a few years back?!? I do believe you joined....
Mmmm. Clam chowder. It tastes better by the sea.

Hi Ewa! Hope your enjoying spring time and flowers in your corner of the world. I'd love to come for an escape RIGHT NOW!

WELCOME, Duncan and Joan - it looks like you live the good life in your corner of Vancouver Island, one of my favorite places on earth. It's my favorite time of year for an island visit - just to smell the sea, run through the green woods with ferns and skunk cabbage and feel the moisture on my face and get that wild and crazy humidity hair....can I come visit? ;)

Deanna Stoppler said...

Good luck to Meghan!

That movie is in our Netflix queue but we're yet to recieve it. Can't wait to see it.

Meghan said...

Aw, Leslie! So nice of you! I do think running in snow and sand are similar, or at least this is what I told myself as I was training in the Sierra Nevada! Thanks again for the nice post, and I do hope everyone believes that most things are really possible!

Lukas Bryan said...

Hi thanks for sharing this