While waiting for a good weather window, we're taking our time with the preparation. We got our tents ready for the expedition during the morning and had the afternoon off...

So I decided to go for a 6.5 mile run on the 10km loop around Union Glacier. We have to stay on marked terrain here because we're on a glacier, and there are crevasses outside the safety zone. They had a flagged route set up around the camp which was safe for me to run on.

It was INCREDIBLE!

There were times when I got far enough out there that I couldn't see the camp anymore. I looked all around me and there was nothing. The winds died down and it was perfectly still. I was the only person on the trail, so I got to experience a magnificent solitude. It was just me, completely alone in the endless expanse of Antarctica.

I spent a few moments sitting down and really soaking it all in...

I felt a deep connection to this vast continent. We are in this together now. I sensed Antarctica smiling at me and heard her heartbeat.

This may not make any sense at all, and maybe it's just in my head. Even if it is, it felt real and that's all that matters to me.

Eventually I got up and continued the run. As I turned the corner heading back towards camp, 14 knot winds hit me in my face. I smiled and welcomed them. Before I knew it, the run was over and I found myself back in camp. The time flew.

I have a daunting series of challenges in front of me in Antarctica over the next few years. I don't know how it will all play out, but I know this place will forever change me. I feel so incredibly blessed to experience this magical land of ice...