The race next moves to the land for a 40 mile hike up to Fargo Georgia and the headwaters of the Suwannee river, Rod’s old stomping grounds. Of course that hike will include towing his canoe for the 40 miles. Rod’s reward for finishing that trek will be a light 220 mile sprint along the Suwannee river that begins with a run of class three rapids. Eventually Rod will be back looking at the Gulf of Mexico and a checkpoint at Cedar Key. This is the last stop before a 120 mile dash back to the starting point at Fort DeSoto beach Florida.

Rod’s assessment is that the longer duration of the race coupled with the lack of the downstream current such as Rod enjoyed in the Yukon may prove to be crippling for most of the contestants. Plus even though the Florida Ultimate Challenge takes place in early March 2012, it is always possible in Rod’s home state that the heat wave can land pushing temperatures into the low nineties. Headwinds on the ocean portions of the race can also cut Rod’s speed in half.

I never realized how important all of my gear was until I stopped wearing regular clothing like sweatshirts and windbreakers and replaced them with warm comfortable items from Travel Country. I race canoes and participate in adventure races all around the globe, from Brazil to the Arctic Circle and need a wide range of outdoor clothing. I find everything I need is available from Travel Country at always affordable prices. Whether I need a simple flannel shirt for warmth, or a weather proof breathable Gor-Tex jacket I shop exclusively for my gear at Travel Country.

Even when at 3:30 AM Carmichael strayed from his course by making a wrong turn and found himself lost in the darkness in the middle of the desert he felt at ease with the task he had set for himself. It was as if he had chosen this ordeal so as to almost remove himself from his 9 to 5 existence. Perhaps 80 to 100 years ago Todd would have found himself crossing a Yukon mountain pass so as to pan for gold along the Yukon River. But adventure such as that might have proven to tame for the likes of Carmichael who is part of a unique group of elite trekkers who purposefully seek out unusual challenges far beyond those taken on any beaten path.
Todd has had to cross parts of the Sahara and is the first American to walk solo to the South Pole. He had intended to ski to the poll but his skis broke and he was forced to continue on foot.

The most avid diehard trekkers in the world regard death valley as an impossible passage. The mountain’s surrounding the valley create an oven like effect and to this point no one has ever successfully completed the trip. Even Carmichael himself had failed in his earlier attempt to cross Death Valley. After 10 days and nights and 90 miles to the tires on Todd Carmichael’s little red wagon it could no longer be patched and repaired and once again he was forced to abandon his quest. He walked a direct route out of the desert and into civilization. In a scene straight out of Lawrence of Arabia he found himself at a resort bar tattered and torn, scraggly and scruffy ordering up a cool lemonade.

Todd quickly regained his composure and with a shower and a few hours’ rest behind him shared his experiences. As he had failed again to cross the desert plain of Death Valley, but come next June he will try again.

Solo and unassisted Hoffmeister paddled her Kayak around the Australian continent. She did take one “shortcut” across the Gulf of Carpeteria. The open sea shortcut was 357 miles long! Her entire journey took almost a year with 257 days spent paddling eventually covering 8,570 miles distance in 322 days. Her time for the distance mark easily beat that of New Zealander Paul Cafyn who is the only other person to complete the circling of Australia via paddle.
As with all long distance paddling endeavors sleeping in the boat is often part of the regimen.

Previously Freya had completed a two person circumnavigation of Iceland in just 33 days. Freya’s world wide paddling treks serve as fabulous motivation for over 40 athletes. She was 45 years young when she completed the Australian challenge.

On September first 2011, Freya set off again on a sea kayaking challenge that seems more difficult, if not impossible, than any she has thus far completed. As of this writing Freya is paddling away attempting to circumnavigate an even bigger continent, that being South America. She had better paddle a little faster this time, as the distance, at 14,913 miles, is almost twice that of her Australian feat. In another week or so she should be rounding Cape Horn by means of Drake’s passage. Surely that trek alone is worthy of worldwide attention!

Still a few try every year to defy father time. One such athlete is four time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans. You may remember her as a fresh faced teen in 1988 or a seasoned Olympic veteran at the age of 21 in Barcelona. By the time she arrived at the 1996 games in Atlanta she was well past her prime.

So where is Janet Evans today some 15 years past her semi failed effort for a fifth Olympic gold medal? She is training of course. She is in the pool getting into shape for a run at qualifying for the 2012 Olympic games. At the tender age of 40 Janet Evans hopes to qualify, once more for the Olympics, and she just might do it. Apparently we baby boomers are made of stout stuff. Scientists have discovered that we 40 plus somethings are not as over the hill as we had imagined. In fact so long as we do not have injuries an over 40 athlete can get into shape and be competitive. We may not be sprinters but we do have endurance. So Janet who now has two children and a life beyond the pool is able to whittle down her times in the hopes of making the team. At present her speeds in various events are good enough to place her in the top 100 ladies swimming ranks worldwide. Bear in mind that in her youth Janet set records that remained in place for over twenty years. She was a prototype for female swimmers to come.

But those same scientists have also discovered that age is not the reason we slow down. We slow down because we cease doing the type of activities that required greater aerobic strength. We lose it because we didn’t use it. Granted it is an incredibly difficult task for any of us who have led a semi-sedentary lifestyle to refind the desire to put our body back into its shape and condition of those twenty years prior. But it can be done, and for those with that drive like Janet Evans, it opens up a world of possibilities. Stay healthy and we will be able to enjoy our lives far longer than we had imagined. Instead of 40 being the new 30 perhaps 60 will be the new 35.