May As Well

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Book review - 'Scared Weird Frozen Guy', by Rusty Berther

When Rusty's two-man comedy band, The Scared Weird Little Guys, broke up after many years of success on the Australian and overseas comedy circuit, he was left with a burning desire to do something else significant but very different from comedy. Already a keen, albeit modest runner with two marathons under his belt, Rusty looked further afield and opted for, of all places, Antarctica, specifically the annual Antarctic Ice Marathon.

I should warn you that the first half of this book is more to do with his rise to stardom as a comedic musician, and if you aren't familiar with their work, you might want to acquaint yourself with some of their material before diving into the book (there's plenty of it on YouTube et al). It's worth the effort; the book is well written, and as you'd expect from a comedian, it's entertaining, fascinating and easy to read.

His training methods (which included running in a giant industrial freezer) and the journey to Antarctica for the race are of course the key parts of the work, and despite the horrendous expense, paperwork and logistical nightmares associated with such an adventure, Rusty's story will leave you at the very least wondering if you too shouldn't entertain the thought of such an undertaking.

Rusty's descriptions of the frozen continent and the caricatures he writes of his fellow runners and organisers make a thoroughly enjoyable read. From the grim Igor, the solitary cabin crew aboard the Soviet-era Ilyushin IL-76 jet that ferried the runners to the Antarctic base where the event was held, to the astonishing Richard Donovan, an Irish ultra marathoner who, not content with a mere 42 kilometres instead ran an Antarctic record 160 kilometres, the author fills the book with a great feeling of camaraderie that all runners will have experienced but which is clearly intensified in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic.

As for the race itself, this extract beautifully portrays the stunning isolation of the event:

I stopped here for a little look around at the scenery again and continued to be amazed, but I also felt very alone. There was a tiny speck of a runner way behind me, and in front of me I could see another speck approaching the aid station. The closest other humans to us here at Union Glacier were at the South pole, 800 kilometres away.

Complete with several pages of exquisite colour photographs, this book is a real treat for anyone wanting to experience what happens when an 'ordinary' runner (his PB for a 'regular' marathon is a touch over 4 hours) goes on to do something truly spectacular. The trials and tribulations he suffers on his way to and during the Antarctic event will resonate with anyone who has battled their own demons and genuine crises of illness and injury prior to a major race.

This is a great read, even if you have never heard of Scared Weird Little Guys. Give it a shot!