Training weekend

It was a busy work week. Eventough I'm at home on parental leave, still a lot of work needs to be done besides the physical training. Checking out the materials for instance. I try to get used to every single object that I carry with me, or every clothing that I will be wearing. Repetition to make it an automatism. Next to that, still practical arrangements need to be fixed. Sponsoring, hotel arrangements in Oslo, arranging supervision of the kids while we're gone...., more about that later. Ruud continues working and is in a very busy phase in his job, just as Joost from who I received the message that it's the yearly construction fair to which his company participates and where he has to drop by on top of his regular work. This weekend Joost went to the seaside to practice with the tires in the dunes. Whoever thinks that the Northpole is flat - and we also did! - is wrong. It's indeed a plane, but interrupted by iceblocks formed by friction of the iceplates, and we will have to cross them, sometimes up to 3 meters. Walking and struggling with the tires in the dunes is a good preparation for this. Joost practised for two full hours, giving him a lot of satisfaction.

What's so nice on those tire walks are the reactions of the people: "Flat tire?", "You do this for fun?", "You do have winter ones, do you?", or "Hey, you lost your kid!". One lady was almost to the point: "Going to Antartica?". She wished us luck. The admiration and encouraging words of people passing by and interest in our story, give us courage.

On Sunday Ruud and Joost went jogging for an hour, I had to pass, again soar throat and a cold, probably from the airco in the plane. The guys were great, it was raining full buckets out of the clouds but nobody could stop them. Deep in my heart I was jaleous that I couldn't go with them. I was too scared that I would have to spend the rest of the week in my bed.

In the meantime I have stopped drinking any alcohol, just as some of the other expeditionists. Physically a good case, and mentally a stretch :-)