On the Trail…
Running Times, USA: April, 2005
By Rachel Toor

… But if you can overcome your wimpy notions of what you need to be comfortable; can prepare yourself to be taxed to the max. physically and emotionally; if you can train your body to be able to handle what is perhaps the most challenging race in the world, you will not be disappointed. When it’s over, you will be bone-weary, more than a little sore, and thankful. You will be thankful because you have done something extraordinary and amazing, in the company of an extraordinary and amazing group of folks. ……

…During the five days of the event I found myself paraphrasing the first of the four passover questions. What makes this race different from all the other races? Sure it was in an astonishingly beautiful and remote part of the world-how often do you get to wake up with Kanchenjunga, number three of the big boys, after Mt. E and K2, in your backyard? But we adventure-seekers seek out these challenges; we are natural beauty junkies. We gloried to see the icy peaks, basked (with just a little whining) in the thin air, and appreciated the descent down, through a tropical forest, inhaling unfamiliar scents and wondering about the various flora and fauna. What makes this race different? Why did I come home happy and perky, instead of exhausted and beat down—even after the most brutal physical challenge of my life? ……

…… Spending a week with a posse of strangers who, in the end, are no longer strangers, makes for a different kind of race. …We bonded and supported each other and make connections that are real, lasting and important……