August Update !

impossible2Possible World Expedition: Stage 1 Baffin Island

Here we go !!!

Starting next Tuesday, September 1st five incredible Youth Adventurers will set out for Canada's Arctic in an attempt to 

cross the Akshayuk Pass on Baffin Island- and trek all the way back to Pangnirtung ! I will join them, along with familiar names like Marshall Ulrich, Tessum Weber,

i2P's own Bob Cox, and my wife Kath ! Dr. Ewan Affleck and his Educational Team have once again created a series of relevant and exciting Educational Modules

which will be made available to all who visit the www.impossible2possible.com/world website ! As with the South Pole Quest, daily blogs, photos and live tracking

will be broadcast to the World through the live website. This time, select students from the over 5000 in schools across North America have teamed with us to ask questions, 

and have those questions answered through voice files daily on www.impossible2possible.com/world

Our Youth Adventurers are excited and a little nervous- this isn't a field trip- but a full-on expedition ! They will carry all of their food and supplies and gear for this arduous trek. Best of

all they get to share their experiences, what they learn (not only about themselves, but about the incredible culture of the North), and speak to thousands of youth daily through their blogs, etc

on the live website. Glacial moraine, scores of icy cold river crossings, lots of bog- and some of the most stunning scenery on Earth ! Here we go! 

Join us in this first leg of the i2P World Expedition series ! The second expedition is slated for January 2010, school and Youth Adventurer registration

will be announced end of September. Future expedition stages to be announced soon. Our generous sponsors have made this expedition possible- with no cost whatsoever to school

and Youth Adventurers. Please visit the Sponsor page at www.impossible2possible.com/world

Here They Go Again !

More expedition news- Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement from Ray and South Pole Quest teammate and buddy Kevin Vallely as they will soon announce a unique and very exciting

expedition they are planning for May 2010. As soon as the deets get hammered out- you will be the first to know ! Of course there will be once again links to thousands of students and classrooms !

Desert Camp with The Man !

I've joined with ultra running legend Marshall Ulrich to host the Dreams in Action Running Camp, Death Valley, October 14-18, 2009 !    At this camp you will learn how to improve your running for all kinds of races, including road, desert, stage, mountain, and trail races!  We welcome all runners, whether you have just started running or if you are an experienced ultra runner, this camp will teach you what you need to know! For more info go to http://www.marshallulrich.com/trainer.htm Special guest instructors will include Bart Yasso- Author of My Life On The Run (and an all around running guru), Danny Dreyer- author of  Chi Running, Andrew Skurka- Nat Geo Adventurer of the Year....and of course Marshal Ulrich- The Man ! I will be there too instructing...i promise not to make you run across the Sahara or drag a sled to the South Pole if you promise to come ! Hope to see you there !

Well, thats it- but there is alot of news- thank you once again for taking the time to read my newsletter- and remember to stay in touch, i love receiving your emails- and please keep the good

vibes coming...i truly appreciate it !

Mid July Update !

Hey Everybody !

Okay- no doubt the weather has started out a bit crazy this summer- but that just makes running more interesting, right ? !!! 

Montreal2Ottawa In One Go !!! 

So – lots of cool stuff happening and about to happen….but before you read any further- please, please, please join me on facebook and twitter (rayzahab) ! Why ?

Well- I am glad you asked !  impossible2Possible will be utilizing a new tracking map for this September’s upcoming Baffin Island Youth expedition- which will feature Facebook and other social media updates ! Not only that- as part of my training for this upcoming expedition I will attempt to run from Montreal to Ottawa on August 15^th !

All of my live updates will be through Twitter and Facebook- so we need you and your family and friends to join me ! I will update through the entire 200ish km run!

I hope to be joined at various points by my many friends out there…we will announce on both the impossible2possible facebook page and my personal page the details soon. So tie up your laces ! 

Impossible2Possible Update 

This Baffin Island expedition will once again feature live website (a la South Pole Quest), educational modules and student interaction ! We have thousands of students joining us online for the adventure- and 5 incredible young adventurers from all over North America (deets at impossible2possible.com) will “peer to peer” share their experiences with students and classrooms across North America !

The live website will launch early August- and will start with our Youth Ambassadors blogging about their prep. Then- in the first week of September we will start or crossing of the Akshayuk Pass on Baffin. This will not only be a grueling adventure in a remote and beautiful part of the world- but as with all of our expeditions there will be a multitude of lessons learned and shared. Youth Ambassadors will also be photographing glaciers and comparing changes from archived photos. The incredible culture of the North will be a major highlight- and i2P has several surprise guests for the educational modules – from scientists to Inuit  legends. Schools are invited to join us by signing up on impossible2possible.com- everything is free ! We hope you will join us by following too ! More to come soon! 
 

impossible2Possible Expedition and More !!!

impossible2Possible Expedition !

Hey Everybody !

I hope you are all enjoying the spring- and are getting out into the great outdoors for great adventure !

impossble2Possible is announcing an new expedition series that will kick off this in September this year

on Baffin Island. Details are on the impossible2Possible website. As with South Pole Quest, we will be connecting to

students and schools with a live and interactive website which will also feature a comprehensive educational resource.

Everything is free, and we are once again asking teachers and schools to join us by registering on the impossible2Possible

website. One of the most interesting components of this next adventure is that 4 young adventurers- fit and ready- will join

the i2P team ! These youth adventurers will lead the blogging and communications to our partner schools...exciting !

Please ask your local schools to sign up for the web resource- and contact us if there are any questions !

There is also a sign up section for those young adventurers you know who are wishing to apply. Its Free !

Running The Sahara Special Screening

Yay ! Running The Sahara is coming to Ottawa- on June 9th ! Mark your calendars. At 6:30 pm Starcite Theater in Hull, Quebec

Running The Sahara will be screened in support of Ryans Well Foundation. All of the proceeds from sales of the tickets

will go to this awesome organization which provides clean water to developing countries. Please contact my wife Kathy for

details ! kathyad@hotmail.com

Running

The most common question i am asked these days by my clients is: "What should i eat following my long run....i am never hungry !"

My answer ? Here's a shake rcipe that i have found works great if i am rushed- or am not in the mood for "solid" food..

1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 handful spinach (yes, spinach), 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon flax oil and water to desired consistency. 

Blend like crazy...and drink !

Another common question..."Should i stretch before or after my run ?" Answer: After. I have found stretching at the end of a long run improves recovery 

time, reduces injury- and is much safer as tissues are warmed up.

Okay- More coming soon.....

Cheers

Ray

Spring 2009 !!!

Hey Everybody !
I know, i know....my blogs are few and far between !!! Thats because i have been out on the road visiting schools and incredible young people who followed along with our South Pole Quest expedition !!!
Its been a very busy spring so far- Running The Sahara has been released in theatres at charitable screenings and is now on dvd and download...also had a very busy season speaking at events like TED and IOC World Conference ! I must say i was very honored to speak at these events...

I am busy planning the next series of expeditions- and have still been doing lots of interesting work with great organizations such as the Ryan's Well Foundation. Impossible2Possible continues to develop- i am so excited about the work we are doing.

I now have a facebook page- please go there ...i promise i update it more then this page !
I am also considering this Twitter thing....
Anyhow- hope you are all living your dreams and having a great spring. Kath and Mia Sahara say hi !!!
Ray

South Pole Quest and Other Cool Stuff !

hey gang !

as per usual, my posts on my blogs are sporadic at best !!!

please, please, please go to www.southpolequest.com for details on our south pole expedition which we completed one month ago !

what an incredible experience ! so many young people and students from around the world joined our team and participated through this live website ...

i just got back from speaking at TED conference in california. once again- an incredible experience !

we have lots planned in the coming year with impossible2possible- so stay tuned. we will be updating our website as well this coming weekend.

thank you so much for all of your encouragement through email, facebook, your calls and mail.

cheers !

Hey Gang !
I hope this newsletter finds all of you well !

I hope all of you had the chance to check out www.canadaonexone.com during the expedition to see all of the incredible film footage of the run as it unfolded. Rogers provided us with the newest communications equipment so that we could blog, send photos and video live to our website so that everyone could follow the journey as it unfolded on the internet ! From 10 000 kids either running or participating in Saskatoon, to being joined on the runt by Assembly First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine to hundreds of other incredible stories...check out the website !

Our goal with this run is to raise awareness for Canadian born organization, ONExONE- and highlight the tireless work they are doing at home and abroad in helping to eradicate social issues that affect children. Check out www.onexone.org for more info. We also have the goal of inspiring young people into action- and we will visit many schools en route , get their opinions, speak with them- and blog their stories by video on www.canadaonexone.com

This goal to raise awareness and inspire people (especially youth) across Canada was achieved...and we in turn were inspired by this amazing generation of youth and from people across Canada who got on board with us !

Special thanks goes to our sponsor who made this expedition possible-without their ongoing efforts and belief in what we were trying to accomplish, we never could have made it ! Rogers Communications for their innovative technology which allowed us to broadcast this incredible and unique event to millions of Canadians and around the world via our live website, Air Canada for helping us to arrive each day in a new province or territory, Jeep Chrysler for lending us their latest cleaner diesel Cherokees for the runners to travel on the driving legs, Gatorade for making sure we could actually run 80 kms per day by keeping us hydrated !, First Air for getting us to Iqaluit and Yellowknife, and Crocs for keeping our toes comfy after 80 kms of running per day :0)

A super huge Thank You to Anton Stranc, Logistical Director for the CanadaONExONE and Impossible2Possible.
Thank Yous also go to the numerous volunteers across Canada who made this run actually happen. We are developing a section on the CanadaONExONE site which will have all of the names- but to just name a few from each province for now (in no order)- Stephanie Case- Vancouver (also ran 8 stages !), Dan Ouimette- Calgary, Shannon Loutitt- Saskatoon, Erin Carter- Winnipeg, Diana Smyth- Toronto, Claude Rossignol- Quebec, Armand Doucet- Moncton and PEI, Corey Robinson- Halifax, Ken Brophy- St. John’s, Meeka Kakudluk- Iqaluit, Linda Maljan- Yellowknife and The Mchales- Whitehorse. There are so-o-o many more I thank all of you- and we will post a big thank you very soon on www.canadaonexone.com


More news coming on www.impossible2possible.com , the 2008 and 2010 Polar Expeditions, and so much more !!!

Mia Sahara Zahab !!!

Kathy and I are proud to announce the birth of our beautiful daughter Mia Sahara Zahab on June 16th, 2008 !!!

Kath went through 24 hours of intense and insane labor, then had an emergency c section to give birth.
I have so-o-o much respect for my amazing wife already, but this took things to a whole new level. I promise I will never complain about a blisters or pain ever again !

In all seriousness, when i had Mia Sahara in my arms for the first moments i looked at Kath and we both expressed how lucky we are. How lucky our child is, and how much more passionate we are about supporting initiatives that are trying to help kids at home and abroad who are not so fortunate.

This is the greatest day of my life.

Canada ONExONE Completed !

Lots to come very soon.....stay tuned !

May Newsletter !

It's time !
The Canada ONExONE Run is about to begin !

So much has happened since the last newsletter that was sent out. Highlights have included speaking at the Climate Project in Montreal to a group of incredible individuals who are very passionate about the environment and how the shifting climate is affecting people worldwide. Among those in attendance were Dr. David Suzuki, Al Gore and a host of others ! It was truly inspirational as well to be invited among this amazing group of people to learn from Mr. Gore and Dr. Suzuki about climate change for this incredible weekend event.

I have been very fortunate as well to do a lot of speaking lately- both to corporate groups, and in schools- and get the opportunity to not only tell the story of Running The Sahara, but get the opportunity to relay the message of the need for clean drinking water in Africa- and worldwide ! Speaking of the schools- I cannot tell you how many AMAZING kids I have met recently. This is truly an outstanding generation ! These kids are tackling issues at an age that is so truly inspiring and hopeful. Heck, when I was their age I had no concept of social and environmental issues !

Starting this Sunday, May 11th, myself and a team of amazing runners (check the runner bio's on our website!) will attempt to run 80 kms per day in ALL 13 Provinces and Territories….whew, it makes me tired to even say it ! The goal will not only be to just run 80 kms each day- but visit schools, participate in community supported events and meet with kids, parents and just about everybody we can fit in ! This run has an objective well beyond the complicated logistics and extreme endurance. Our goal with this run is to raise awareness for Canadian born organization, ONExONE- and highlight the tireless work they are doing at home and abroad in helping to eradicate social issues that affect children. Check out www.onexonecampaign.com for more info. We also have the goal of inspiring young people into action- and we will visit many schools en route , get their opinions, speak with them- and blog their stories by video on www.canadaonexone.com

The fun doesn't stop there ! Rogers has provided us with some incredible equipment to track our journey live on the website, with text blogging, daily photo journals, and video stories from Canadians coast to coast to coast !

A multitude of activities have been planned in each Province and Territory- and we will be visiting with special guests too as we make our way across Canada ! Hayley Wickenheiser will join us at the start in Calgary, and we will also have the honor of visiting with Assembly First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine among others !

Incredible organizers and volunteers have worked tirelessly to make this expedition awesome- and I will make sure to thank them all both during (live ) on our website- and in future newsletters ! One incredible volunteer I will mention (again, all are AMAZING !), is Shannon Louttit of Saskatoon. What Shannon has accomplished in planning for Saskatoon is unbelievable. I don't want to ruin surprises- but suffice to say- she has created a series of events involving the WHOLE city ! Stay tuned to the website…..!

March Newsletter !!!

Hey Gang !

Well, we have been hard at it preparing for 2 upcoming events/expeditions that I think everyone will be very excited about.

First is CanadaONExONE this May. I will attempt to run an ultra distance (80 kms) per day in each and every Province and Territory ! 13 days of running in our incredible country ! Many details about this will follow- and expect the CanadaONExONE website to launch very soon, with links from my website www.rayzahab.com. This run will be in support of the incredible work the ONExONE organization (Canadian born) is doing at home and abroad, and will be a celebration of our amazing country !!! Many people from across the country will run with me... I hope you can join me too ! As I said, more details to follow very soon !

I am writing this edition of my newsletter from one of the most incredible places in the world- Iqaluit, Nunavut. I am here meeting with all kinds of amazing people about the upcoming 2009 PolarRun (details on my website). The purpose of my visit here is to meet with the Premiere of Nunavut - Paul Okalik, Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, Miali-Elise Coley (Premieres Office) and other Educators, Community Leaders, and local people to learn and gain a greater knowledge of this beautiful culture and people of the North. I as well had the great fortune of running (no pun ) into Will Steger and his team as they prepare for their epic expedition to dogsled Ellsmere Island. His team was very gracious and I spent an evening with them talking about their project, our expedition...and of course stories of Sahara and other adventures !!! For those of you who may not know the name, Will is one of the greatest adventurers of our time, and has many firsts to his credit. Our expedition expert Richard Weber- another legend- is friends with Will, and speaks very highly of him. I got out for a training run today, it was - 38 ...I better get used to it ! 785 kms from Ward Hunt to the Geographic North Pole in temps down below - 60, navigating open leads of water...climbing walls pressure ice, and being wary of polar bears... Yikes !
More to follow on this expedition, too...

I have been traveling lots these days, speaking alot about our run across the Sahara- and the water crisis in northern Africa, as well as raising interest for the Global Education Initiative my team and I want to create in conjunction with the PolarRun. Our goal is to "Inspire young people around the world to protect and appreciate the planet- and the many diverse cultures on it". This educational resource will be downloadable from our website, and we want to make it available to kids around the world- teaching them about the social impact globally of the changing climate. To this end, my team and I are creating an organization that will support and drive this mission!!!

My next newsletter will focus on this, and CanadaONExONE Run.

I will write again soon...please keep checking my website for updates on these projects, for news on the release of Running The Sahara and please visit and support the organizations from the "Difference" tab on my website.

Cheers !
Ray

PS: don't forget world water day, mar. 22 http://www.worldwaterday.net/