The final stage was about 15 km ( metric for 10 miles or so ).   The day started off very nice

and ended even nicer.   Mostly because it was over, there was beer, and I could shower.

That said, here are some random thoughts that I took away from this thing:

Yes, you can carry everything you need for a week ( minus water and a tent ) on your back.  In fact, when ( yes when ) I do the next one, I will actually take less stuff with me.

To give some perspective, here is some of what is actually in this pile:

• One short-sleeved t-shirt
• One long-sleeved t-shirt
• One pair of short compression tights
• One pair of long compression tights
• 4 pairs of those funky socks with the toes
• 4 pairs of thin wool socks to wear over the funky toe socks.   This wicks away moisture.   Dry feet are happy feet.
• The thinnest, lightest windproof jacket I could afford
• A spork
• About 15,000 calories of food
• A bunch of random safety items the race folks require
• A sleeping bag
• Hand sanitizer
• Wet wipes
• Random other junk

Wearing the same shirt for a week really isn’t as bad as it sounds.   Same with not showering for a week, or going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground shared by 150 other people, or not shaving, or sleeping on the ground.  After the first day you just get used to it and on the second day it’s just part of your routine.

There is a lot of downtime to share with your tent-mates and other folks.   It’s actually pretty interesting because you get to know people fairly quick.   They’re from everywhere around the world and from all walks of life, but they’re all dumb enough to do these things, so there is actually quite a bit to talk about.
 

ANYONE can finish one of these races.  You don’t have to be a great athlete, or in super amazing shape, or smart, or whatever.   Really, you just need to be naive enough to send in your deposit without telling your Mrs. Stockdale, cross your fingers, and hope  you figure out the rest. 

So, I really don’t know what else to add about this thing.   If you want to join me on the next one, it could be Atacama ( October 2013 ),  Madagascar ( August 2014 ), or Atacama ( October 2014 ).   My guess is 2014 race in the Atacama desert, but it really just depends on what random part of the earth Mrs. Stockdale has us living in by then. 

Any questions, let me know.