Thirteen Miles and Counting

            I ran my first half marathon today, two hours and thirteen minutes. The course for the marathon was from Scott base to mile marker 14 on the ice shelf and back. There were full and half marathoners for both running and skiing. The half marathon people were taxied out to the air strip (14 miles out) and started at the turn around point. I ran with one of my friends who just got back from three months at field camp. We kicked ass and stayed away, for the most part, from the temptations at each rest stop. The first had Kahlua and coffee, second had brats and beer, and the third Jack Daniels and port wine. I only had a beer with a frozen snickers, which neither were pre-cooled seeing as it was about 17 degrees out today.
           Overall it was a BLAST! Getting out there where everything is flat and solid scared me at first because of the supposed monotony of the scenery. Luckily we had a clear day and could see the mountain ranges around us. I'd like to thank The Rolling Stones, Derrick Scott III and the A218 Band, Alanis Morissette, Tenacious D, and all the other artists that kept me from slowing to a walk or letting my mind get bored and lose the push to finish. Unfortunately the adelie penguins did not show up to follow the movement like they did last year, crossing the finish line with runners. No shows aside, it was still awesome to cheer on others and have a great sense of camaraderie during the whole thing.
             
             My turn at field camp has arrived! I am set to go to WAIS Divide tomorrow morning and come back in a week. I've packed all of my ECW gear and done my bag drag so all I have to do now is wake up and make it on the plane. Excited to get a vacation away from the "big city" and all that comes with it.
             I will miss working as a bartender for a while. I've been picking up a lot of shifts lately and have started getting creative. Along with shots and mixers, as a bartender we are allowed to bring in some of our own stuff and make custom drinks. these usually are very popular as people aren't used to the option and at this point are craving anything fancy, meaning wine out of a glass instead of a plastic cup.

Here are three great drink options you can find in Antarctica:

Thai Tini 
         Vanilla beans, black tea, anise, and cinnamon brewed together
         Add tea to condensed milk, heavy cream, and a heap of sugar
         Shake well with a shot of vodka and ice, serve in a martini glass

Bell Pepper Margarita (inspired by Seattle experience)
         1/4 red bell pepper cut into thin slits
         Muddle pepper with half a lime and add tequila shot and shake with ice
         Serve on the rocks with a splash of club soda

Beef Blood Jello Shots (not yet sold, still testing it out)
         Cherry Jello with a pan of beef blood added while still hot
         Vodka (or whatever) added and let cool
         Texture will be creamier, but taste will remain cherry (enjoy the extra protein)

Will be sure to come back with stories from field camp and life off of the island and on the actual continent.

Till next time,
Chris