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…..!
Gobi
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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/
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/
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Toronto Star Goes Polar !
Hey Gang !
Check out this link and read up on the Polar Run !
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/300358
Cheers !
Check out this link and read up on the Polar Run !
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/300358
Cheers !
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Back On !
Hey Gang !
I apologize for the delay...I have been going crazy since the Canada Challenge !
I am in complete Polar "mode" and my team and I are planning like crazy to get ready for this incredible journey....more than just running. Check my website for details !
More to come.
Like running in 13 provinces in 13 days this summer. yay !
Cheers
I apologize for the delay...I have been going crazy since the Canada Challenge !
I am in complete Polar "mode" and my team and I are planning like crazy to get ready for this incredible journey....more than just running. Check my website for details !
More to come.
Like running in 13 provinces in 13 days this summer. yay !
Cheers
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Canada Challenge Story Part 1
Hey Gang !
Well, the Canada Challenge 3 Coasts was exactly that...a HUGE challenge ! Please keep checking daily at www.rayzahab.com on the top right corner of my homepage for the link to Canada Challenge tracker for additions to photos and video.
First of all I really want to say thank you to all of you who supported me and my team as we ran this incredible journey. There were many of you out there on the trails, in towns and on internet with kind words, and support for Spreadthenet.org
I encourage all of you who have not yet purchased your bednets to please, please go to www.spreadthenet.org and buy one ! (or two, or three...)
Also- an incredible donation to tell you about. Upon completion of the last leg- the West Coast Trail- Kathy gave me some great news. A very generous company donated $5 000 towards the purchase of bednets. Yay !!!
So...this is an official corporate challenge ! Corporate world- lets buy bednets !
Over the course of the next week I will send out two newsletters with some stories from the field. In this first email I would like to tell you about the Northern Route and my preparation for this leg of the Canada Challenge.
Preparation for an expedition like this is really complicated...so I am so-o-o thankful I had the right team helping to pull this together. First of all - thanks to Telus for making the expedition possible.
Mike Kenney of Matrix Solutions was instrumental in pulling together the logistics of the Baffin Island leg. Mike's and Matrix's expertise in the North made preparation seamless. Mike helped us prepare the route, organize travel, and he connected us with boat transfer to and from the Akshayuk Pass. First Air, the airline of the North, got us up to Baffin and back. We were so relieved to have such an experienced and reliable airline getting us around as we would have to make sure that I could get to the East Coast Trailhead in time to keep my goal of finishing all three trails in 10 days or less. There really was no room for delays or setbacks. Ken Borek flew us on the leg from Pangnirtung to Qikiktarjuaq...and of course we would run back (check route on my website!).
Gear wise- oh my gosh..tough one. First and foremost was the issue of hydration. Even in the Arctic you need to stay hydrated- you need to drink just as much- and getting water meant drinking from streams, etc. I was connected to a fellow named Andrew Moorey of globalhydration.com by my friend Joel, and Andrew explained to me that his product Aquatabs would provide all the purification I would need to ensure safe drinking water. Needless to say- I didn't get sick the entire expedition- so they worked great ! Tiny tablets that dissolve into my water- and the water is ready in minutes for drinking. I needed something easy and reliable, so Aquatabs fit the bill. Now I would have clean water- and in order to stay hydrated and consume the easiest calories possible I used Gatorade Endurance formula. Gatorade got us across the entire Sahara last winter- and I totally trust it- so it was a no brainer for me. The last thing I wanted to worry about was getting chronically dehydrated while running these three trails virtually non-stop.
I am asked all of the time- what do you wear ? Well, the gear for this expedtion included CW-X clothing- in layers to provide warmth and support; Inov-8 Mudclaw 270 shoes- super lightweight and grippy; Fuelbelt hydration packs and bottles; Wiley-X Eyewear- durable and provided awesome eye protection is the intense sun up North and on the East Coast; Injinji socks; Magellan GPS to guide us, and Crocs to let my feet have a break between trails ( I can't tell you how much I looked forward to getting into those!).
The morning of our departure Chuck Dale and I quickly packed up the remainder of our gear and headed to the Canada AM morning show where I did a quick interview, and then it was off to the airport to catch the First Air flight to Iqaluit, and then our Ken Borek connection to Qikiktarjuaq.
Chuck would run the first trail with me, and then provide support on the East and West Coast legs. As you will hear in my next email, Kathy (my wife!) ran portions of the East Coast trail, as did a host of others who were welcome to join in. Kathy's family also provided support on the ECT. More about that later.
In the Iqaluit airport we bumped into North Pole legend Richard Webber and his wife Josee as Josee was returning to Chelsea. Small world !
We arrived in Pangnirtung later that afternoon- and then had to basically leap frog the Akshayuk Pass in order to get to Qik to then grab a 100 km boat ride back to the start of our journey. When we left Pang, our pilot said he would do his best to fly low through the pass so we could see what we were in for running back the next day. It was incredible. We flew a few thousand feet above the pass floor, winding our way between the mountains that were topped with glaciers. These mountains were different that what you normally think of. These were like walls of rock shooting straight up into the air. Very, very sheer and steep.
Mount Thor appeared as a vertical rock wall that ascended 1000's of feet into the sky. I can't believe people climb it.
When we arrived in Qikiktarjuaq, a small community of approx. 900 people, we were greeted instantly by the warmth and hospitality of the Inuit people. What an amazing culture. The people of the North are so inspirational ! The harshness of the climate and topography make for arduous and long winters. But everybody seemed so happy! We met with Parks Canada and had our orientation where we were told what to do in case we encountered polar bears- and how to deal with all of the extremes of the Akshayuk Pass. Just days before, Mike called to tell me there was a polar bear in the pass. Although cute in photographs, I was almost positive they wouldn't look so cute in real life- I didn't want to disturb them at all !
The next morning we met Billy and his wife and at the docks and got ready for our boat ride up the fjord to the start of the Pass. We were accompanied by a brother and wife team up photographing the park for an outdoors magazine. They were such great people. After around 3 hours on the small fishing boat, Billy turned around to me and said "Weather is pretty bad...big waves. This is gonna take awhile!". We ended up arriving at 12 noon, somewhere around 5.5 hours instead of the usual 2.5 hours in good conditions. I was so thankful Billy and his wife were our guides to the waters edge. We felt very safe with them. Billy gave us advice on the terrain before we left, and as we headed out I wished I had more time to sit with him and hear and learn more.
The Pass would be approx. 100 kms (we recorded around 115 on gps by the time we finished) and would cover terrain that was so mixed and varied I couldn't believe it. There was one constant though- we would be wet the whole time ! Constant winds in our faces would sometimes be strong enough to force us to walk.
The first 10 kms didn't seem so bad, and we made good time running fairly quick...and thats when the tough stuff started. We hit our first stream crossing (there would be over 50 glacial river and stream crossings). As we tried to find the best way across the frigid water, trying to avoid huge current, we saw a polar bear track. Yikes !!!!! It was huge !
Okay, now I'm freezing...and terrified !
Crossing the streams would become routine- and hugely time consuming. Some of the crossings were higher than waist deep and we could hear boulders rushing past us as we crossed. The current was so strong- and the rapids in some of the rivers daunting. The levels of water depend on the melt rate of the glaciers, and the levels were very high as it had been warm and sunny days previous, and today it was raining.
I have to say- this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. As a matter of fact it's right up there with the Tenere Desert in Niger. I felt so proud that this incredible place is in my country Canada. We are so lucky.
Chuck was doing awesome- he asked for adventure- and he was getting it ! Chuck accompanied us in the Sahara as our Physical Therapist and jack of all trades- and is an incredible runner- so I knew he could do it and was the right man for the job as support.
We arrived at the Rundle Glacier later than we expected due to the crazy amount of river crossings and slogging it through the tundra that was always ankle deep. Fog was setting in, and as it got dark we had to cross the most dangerous river in pitch black with our headlamps reflecting off of the fog. Crazy thing is when we did manage to get ourselves across, our feet would be so frozen that we literally could not feel them. We would then start running on the endless rocky terrain, and after they thawed out we would realize that we were bruising our feet constantly !
We occasionally would stop for a 5 minute break and refill our hydration packs with Aquatabs water and Gatorade, and take in the scenery.
As the sun rose the next day we were really determined to finish. We passed by Mount Thor which was even more spectacular from the ground- and started to make really good time as we were now on real trail for the first time. The last 25 kms I really pushed the pace- and we actually able to run quickly for the first time since the first 10 kms.
The last 15 kms were on sandy, rocky terrain- which as you can imagine I felt very comfortable on after running in the Sahara for 111 days! We were in a race to get to the boat before our guide Jimmy left without us ! I would have felt so bad if he used up his fuel to get us and we weren't there. Gas is very expensive up there. Also, we didn't have enough gear to last another night ! We were soaked, feet bruised and exhausted. 27 hours after starting we were finished ! Yay !
When we got back to Pang I got to hang out with Charlie Qumuatuq- it was his boat company that got us to and from the Pass. Charlie was awesome. He discussed with me Inuit issues and what life is like up there for him and his community. It was totaly cool to learn from him. Chuck was crashed out so I went for a tour of the town with Charlie. Next day I got to stop by the Parks Canada office and was honoured to meet Billy Etooangat
and Dave Argument, both parks officials. The Akshayuk Pass was named after Billy's grandfather. Cool.
Our flights were scheduled to leave around noon, so we had to keep moving. I confided to Chuck that I had no idea how I was going to run the next two legs of the Canada Challenge the way I was feeling. I still had the shakes from the cold and my feet were swollen like small footballs !
I guess I would find out. I would be in Newfoundland the next day.
More to come !
Well, the Canada Challenge 3 Coasts was exactly that...a HUGE challenge ! Please keep checking daily at www.rayzahab.com on the top right corner of my homepage for the link to Canada Challenge tracker for additions to photos and video.
First of all I really want to say thank you to all of you who supported me and my team as we ran this incredible journey. There were many of you out there on the trails, in towns and on internet with kind words, and support for Spreadthenet.org
I encourage all of you who have not yet purchased your bednets to please, please go to www.spreadthenet.org and buy one ! (or two, or three...)
Also- an incredible donation to tell you about. Upon completion of the last leg- the West Coast Trail- Kathy gave me some great news. A very generous company donated $5 000 towards the purchase of bednets. Yay !!!
So...this is an official corporate challenge ! Corporate world- lets buy bednets !
Over the course of the next week I will send out two newsletters with some stories from the field. In this first email I would like to tell you about the Northern Route and my preparation for this leg of the Canada Challenge.
Preparation for an expedition like this is really complicated...so I am so-o-o thankful I had the right team helping to pull this together. First of all - thanks to Telus for making the expedition possible.
Mike Kenney of Matrix Solutions was instrumental in pulling together the logistics of the Baffin Island leg. Mike's and Matrix's expertise in the North made preparation seamless. Mike helped us prepare the route, organize travel, and he connected us with boat transfer to and from the Akshayuk Pass. First Air, the airline of the North, got us up to Baffin and back. We were so relieved to have such an experienced and reliable airline getting us around as we would have to make sure that I could get to the East Coast Trailhead in time to keep my goal of finishing all three trails in 10 days or less. There really was no room for delays or setbacks. Ken Borek flew us on the leg from Pangnirtung to Qikiktarjuaq...and of course we would run back (check route on my website!).
Gear wise- oh my gosh..tough one. First and foremost was the issue of hydration. Even in the Arctic you need to stay hydrated- you need to drink just as much- and getting water meant drinking from streams, etc. I was connected to a fellow named Andrew Moorey of globalhydration.com by my friend Joel, and Andrew explained to me that his product Aquatabs would provide all the purification I would need to ensure safe drinking water. Needless to say- I didn't get sick the entire expedition- so they worked great ! Tiny tablets that dissolve into my water- and the water is ready in minutes for drinking. I needed something easy and reliable, so Aquatabs fit the bill. Now I would have clean water- and in order to stay hydrated and consume the easiest calories possible I used Gatorade Endurance formula. Gatorade got us across the entire Sahara last winter- and I totally trust it- so it was a no brainer for me. The last thing I wanted to worry about was getting chronically dehydrated while running these three trails virtually non-stop.
I am asked all of the time- what do you wear ? Well, the gear for this expedtion included CW-X clothing- in layers to provide warmth and support; Inov-8 Mudclaw 270 shoes- super lightweight and grippy; Fuelbelt hydration packs and bottles; Wiley-X Eyewear- durable and provided awesome eye protection is the intense sun up North and on the East Coast; Injinji socks; Magellan GPS to guide us, and Crocs to let my feet have a break between trails ( I can't tell you how much I looked forward to getting into those!).
The morning of our departure Chuck Dale and I quickly packed up the remainder of our gear and headed to the Canada AM morning show where I did a quick interview, and then it was off to the airport to catch the First Air flight to Iqaluit, and then our Ken Borek connection to Qikiktarjuaq.
Chuck would run the first trail with me, and then provide support on the East and West Coast legs. As you will hear in my next email, Kathy (my wife!) ran portions of the East Coast trail, as did a host of others who were welcome to join in. Kathy's family also provided support on the ECT. More about that later.
In the Iqaluit airport we bumped into North Pole legend Richard Webber and his wife Josee as Josee was returning to Chelsea. Small world !
We arrived in Pangnirtung later that afternoon- and then had to basically leap frog the Akshayuk Pass in order to get to Qik to then grab a 100 km boat ride back to the start of our journey. When we left Pang, our pilot said he would do his best to fly low through the pass so we could see what we were in for running back the next day. It was incredible. We flew a few thousand feet above the pass floor, winding our way between the mountains that were topped with glaciers. These mountains were different that what you normally think of. These were like walls of rock shooting straight up into the air. Very, very sheer and steep.
Mount Thor appeared as a vertical rock wall that ascended 1000's of feet into the sky. I can't believe people climb it.
When we arrived in Qikiktarjuaq, a small community of approx. 900 people, we were greeted instantly by the warmth and hospitality of the Inuit people. What an amazing culture. The people of the North are so inspirational ! The harshness of the climate and topography make for arduous and long winters. But everybody seemed so happy! We met with Parks Canada and had our orientation where we were told what to do in case we encountered polar bears- and how to deal with all of the extremes of the Akshayuk Pass. Just days before, Mike called to tell me there was a polar bear in the pass. Although cute in photographs, I was almost positive they wouldn't look so cute in real life- I didn't want to disturb them at all !
The next morning we met Billy and his wife and at the docks and got ready for our boat ride up the fjord to the start of the Pass. We were accompanied by a brother and wife team up photographing the park for an outdoors magazine. They were such great people. After around 3 hours on the small fishing boat, Billy turned around to me and said "Weather is pretty bad...big waves. This is gonna take awhile!". We ended up arriving at 12 noon, somewhere around 5.5 hours instead of the usual 2.5 hours in good conditions. I was so thankful Billy and his wife were our guides to the waters edge. We felt very safe with them. Billy gave us advice on the terrain before we left, and as we headed out I wished I had more time to sit with him and hear and learn more.
The Pass would be approx. 100 kms (we recorded around 115 on gps by the time we finished) and would cover terrain that was so mixed and varied I couldn't believe it. There was one constant though- we would be wet the whole time ! Constant winds in our faces would sometimes be strong enough to force us to walk.
The first 10 kms didn't seem so bad, and we made good time running fairly quick...and thats when the tough stuff started. We hit our first stream crossing (there would be over 50 glacial river and stream crossings). As we tried to find the best way across the frigid water, trying to avoid huge current, we saw a polar bear track. Yikes !!!!! It was huge !
Okay, now I'm freezing...and terrified !
Crossing the streams would become routine- and hugely time consuming. Some of the crossings were higher than waist deep and we could hear boulders rushing past us as we crossed. The current was so strong- and the rapids in some of the rivers daunting. The levels of water depend on the melt rate of the glaciers, and the levels were very high as it had been warm and sunny days previous, and today it was raining.
I have to say- this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. As a matter of fact it's right up there with the Tenere Desert in Niger. I felt so proud that this incredible place is in my country Canada. We are so lucky.
Chuck was doing awesome- he asked for adventure- and he was getting it ! Chuck accompanied us in the Sahara as our Physical Therapist and jack of all trades- and is an incredible runner- so I knew he could do it and was the right man for the job as support.
We arrived at the Rundle Glacier later than we expected due to the crazy amount of river crossings and slogging it through the tundra that was always ankle deep. Fog was setting in, and as it got dark we had to cross the most dangerous river in pitch black with our headlamps reflecting off of the fog. Crazy thing is when we did manage to get ourselves across, our feet would be so frozen that we literally could not feel them. We would then start running on the endless rocky terrain, and after they thawed out we would realize that we were bruising our feet constantly !
We occasionally would stop for a 5 minute break and refill our hydration packs with Aquatabs water and Gatorade, and take in the scenery.
As the sun rose the next day we were really determined to finish. We passed by Mount Thor which was even more spectacular from the ground- and started to make really good time as we were now on real trail for the first time. The last 25 kms I really pushed the pace- and we actually able to run quickly for the first time since the first 10 kms.
The last 15 kms were on sandy, rocky terrain- which as you can imagine I felt very comfortable on after running in the Sahara for 111 days! We were in a race to get to the boat before our guide Jimmy left without us ! I would have felt so bad if he used up his fuel to get us and we weren't there. Gas is very expensive up there. Also, we didn't have enough gear to last another night ! We were soaked, feet bruised and exhausted. 27 hours after starting we were finished ! Yay !
When we got back to Pang I got to hang out with Charlie Qumuatuq- it was his boat company that got us to and from the Pass. Charlie was awesome. He discussed with me Inuit issues and what life is like up there for him and his community. It was totaly cool to learn from him. Chuck was crashed out so I went for a tour of the town with Charlie. Next day I got to stop by the Parks Canada office and was honoured to meet Billy Etooangat
and Dave Argument, both parks officials. The Akshayuk Pass was named after Billy's grandfather. Cool.
Our flights were scheduled to leave around noon, so we had to keep moving. I confided to Chuck that I had no idea how I was going to run the next two legs of the Canada Challenge the way I was feeling. I still had the shakes from the cold and my feet were swollen like small footballs !
I guess I would find out. I would be in Newfoundland the next day.
More to come !
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Canada Challenge and Other News !!!
Hey Gang !
Back on board after a crazy summer of speaking, running and planning !
Planning what ? The Canada Challenge ! Please check out my website for more info- you'll see the link on the front page.
My goal is to run 3 very extreme coastal trails in Canada- one right after the other. All in an effort to raise awareness for initiatives I totally am down with. Check the "awareness" section of my website. The trails are 1000's of km's apart, and will be super tough running combined with insane logisitics. I start in canada's North on Baffin Island, then Newfoundland and finally British Columbia. I have incredible people helping in the planning- and without their expertise i don't think i could even be half as prepared !
Mike Kenney of Matrix Helicopters in North west Territories has been an incredible expediton advisor- helping to co-ordinate the complex logistics of the Baffin and Newfoundland sections of this "race against time".
More to come on the interesting stories of people, training and logistics involved in this expedition. By the way...we leave this August 21st 2007 !
Media so far has been awesome- and the story has appeared in newspapers across the country !
Clients have also had amazing spring/summer events. Please check my website for details under "client news".
Talk soon- I am off to salt Lake City with Charlie.
Back on board after a crazy summer of speaking, running and planning !
Planning what ? The Canada Challenge ! Please check out my website for more info- you'll see the link on the front page.
My goal is to run 3 very extreme coastal trails in Canada- one right after the other. All in an effort to raise awareness for initiatives I totally am down with. Check the "awareness" section of my website. The trails are 1000's of km's apart, and will be super tough running combined with insane logisitics. I start in canada's North on Baffin Island, then Newfoundland and finally British Columbia. I have incredible people helping in the planning- and without their expertise i don't think i could even be half as prepared !
Mike Kenney of Matrix Helicopters in North west Territories has been an incredible expediton advisor- helping to co-ordinate the complex logistics of the Baffin and Newfoundland sections of this "race against time".
More to come on the interesting stories of people, training and logistics involved in this expedition. By the way...we leave this August 21st 2007 !
Media so far has been awesome- and the story has appeared in newspapers across the country !
Clients have also had amazing spring/summer events. Please check my website for details under "client news".
Talk soon- I am off to salt Lake City with Charlie.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Summertime!
Hey Gang!
It’s hard to believe but the summer is here! I would like to take this time to thank you for all of your support over the past several months. Life has certainly changed and it’s so exciting to look back on this past winter! Dreams have come true but I couldn’t have done all that without all of you. My friends and family have been so incredible. You may remember getting a newsletter from my brother John while I was in the Sahara. I’d like to personally introduce you…everyone, meet John Zahab! John is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist at the Ottawa High Performance Centre. His assessment protocol and program development are a great addition to my online coaching services – geared to get you running. Not all of you are my coaching clients but I still wanted to tell you about him!
In addition to providing Strength and Conditioning for Sports Performance services, John offers conditioning programs for Return to Sport (after injury) and Functional Fitness (for the active individual, who may not participate in athletic events). Additional information on John’s services and other great services offered at the center may be found at www.ohpc.ca. John offers a variety of appointment times throughout the day – including some early morning and evening times, to accommodate before and after work needs.
I’m looking forward to the weeks and months ahead, when I hope that I can continue to be an inspiration to many of you - as much as you have been an inspiration to me! May you come to soon realize all of your goals - be it performance oriented or leading a healthy active lifestyle. Should you have any questions regarding my brother’s services, please don’t hesitate to contact him directly at zahabj@istar.ca .
Stay tuned for some updates about some of my clients. There’s a few different people racing around the world. I’ll keep you posted, until then, may you have a safe and healthy start to your summer!
Yours in health,
Ray Zahab
Monday, March 26, 2007
So great to be back!
Hey gang!!
I'm sorry for taking a few weeks to write to you all! Thank-you all so much for all your support while I was in Africa!! It was so amazing to get all the emails and hear news from home!
It's been great to home! It was pretty funny stepping back into a Canadian winter after being in the desert for so long but I'm so happy to be home! I just returned back from the Northwest Territories and serious winter! It was great to be there for a couple of talks and to be there for the race as well!
I'll write more later but wanted to send you all a quick hello and word of thanks.
Right now Kathy and I are on our way to California where Kevin, Charlie and I will be on the Tonight Show! You can watch us on Tuesday night (tomorrow night). It will be great to see the guys!
Stay tuned in for more updates!
Ray
I'm sorry for taking a few weeks to write to you all! Thank-you all so much for all your support while I was in Africa!! It was so amazing to get all the emails and hear news from home!
It's been great to home! It was pretty funny stepping back into a Canadian winter after being in the desert for so long but I'm so happy to be home! I just returned back from the Northwest Territories and serious winter! It was great to be there for a couple of talks and to be there for the race as well!
I'll write more later but wanted to send you all a quick hello and word of thanks.
Right now Kathy and I are on our way to California where Kevin, Charlie and I will be on the Tonight Show! You can watch us on Tuesday night (tomorrow night). It will be great to see the guys!
Stay tuned in for more updates!
Ray
Monday, March 05, 2007
Correction! Ray will be on The Hour Tuesday March 6
Quick correction!
If you tuned in tonight to The Hour you would have seen that Ray will actually be on tomorrow night!
Tuesday March 6 11pm:
The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
*watch Ray tell his story!
If you tuned in tonight to The Hour you would have seen that Ray will actually be on tomorrow night!
Tuesday March 6 11pm:
The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
*watch Ray tell his story!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Catch Ray on The Hour - March 5
Hi everyone!
Ray has been back on Canadian soil now for a full week and it's definitely been busy! Hopefully you've had a chance to see him on TV or catch him on the radio. It's been exciting to hear from people all over the country about how Ray has inspired them.
On Monday March 5 you will be able to watch Ray tell his story on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC Television at 11 pm. Tune in!
Hope you all out there are doing well!
Jenny
Ray has been back on Canadian soil now for a full week and it's definitely been busy! Hopefully you've had a chance to see him on TV or catch him on the radio. It's been exciting to hear from people all over the country about how Ray has inspired them.
On Monday March 5 you will be able to watch Ray tell his story on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC Television at 11 pm. Tune in!
Hope you all out there are doing well!
Jenny
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