Unlimited Potential: Racing Across the Gobi: Blog

TIME Magazine on the Gobi March

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:34:57 GMT

Read a feature story from TIME Magazine on the Gobi March, highlighting the Unlimited Potential race team’s work to support Save the Children:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1828101,00.html

Seattle Times on the Unlimited Potential Team

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:51:51 GMT

Read a feature article from the Seattle Times profiling the Unlimited Potential team’s efforts in the Gobi March:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2008062982_gobi21.html

ABC News Now: Orlando Ayala on Technology in China

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:55:51 GMT

Watch a video interview from ABC News Now’s “Ahead of the Curve” featuring Orlando Ayala discussing Microsoft Unlimited Potential’s investments in China prior to the Gobi March:

Fox Q13: Unlimited Potential Team Comes Home

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:07:29 GMT

Check out a final video from Seattle’s Fox Q13, showing the Unlimited Potential team arriving at SEA-TAC, greeted by friends and family:

Video: Fox Q13: Unllimited Potential Team Comes Home

The Gobi March: A Media Perspective

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:17:05 GMT

Hi again. Peter Galli here. While I blogged on behalf of Team Unlimited Potential during the recent Gobi March, I now want to share with you some of my experiences as part of the media team.

While the race team was wending its way across the desert in the blistering heat, the media team was bumping our way across the same terrain in a 4 X 4 vehicle, whose only air-conditioning was the open windows.

Our job was to be at the various checkpoints along the route each day, to support, welcome and chat to the racers about their experiences and feelings.

But, much of the time, we simply became part of the amazing team of volunteers, which also included three Microsoft staffers – Roxanne Seubert, Josh Nash and Camilla Buttery – and the incredible medical team lead by Dr. Brian Krabak.

That role involved helping fill water bottles, getting backpacks on and off, taking pictures, and generally making sure the contestants felt well taken care of.

But, getting there, meant braving some treacherous terrain and having our vital organs rattled and banged around for hours on end, day after day.

Also, we were repeatedly stopped by local police, who questioned our drivers, peered at our dusty faces through the open windows, and scanned our luggage. I never did get an explanation as to why these happened

The media team, a truly happy-go-lucky group, consisted of two videographers, Evangeline Majawat of Malaysia’s New Straits Times, Rebecca Byerly of CNN (who also ran the race!), two reporters for Racing The Planet, an official race photographer, and me.

Often I waited for the team to come in for the night, catching an exhausted Debby en route to bed or Orlando in the medical tent having his feet doctored or William making dinner at the fire pit, to get a synopsis of their day and its highs and lows.

Even though the team had often walked for 12 or more hours in the sweltering heat and with all their supplies on their backs, they always greeted me with a smile and hug, had something positive to say, and were never once cranky or too tired to talk.

Once all the other press interviews, video and picture editing was done for the day, we faced the next challenge: finding a local Internet café – remember this was rural China after all – with the bandwidth necessary to handle all the huge video and image files we needed to upload.

I was amazed by the fact that there were cafes in all-but-one of the towns we passed through, though many of them were well of the beaten path, so having a local guide and driver sure helped with finding them.

But the entire process was a logistical challenge. The easiest route was to have one of the many policemen assigned to keeping an eye on the race accompany us into town and get us machines.

The police were also not always available and/or willing to do this, which meant the process became far more complex. On those days, once we had found a café, we, as Westerners, had to hand over our passports for registration before we were allowed to go online.

Getting online was another challenge, with all the Windows XP menus, commands and questions appearing in Chinese, and a shortage of English-letter keyboards. Once all that was resolved, we had a variety of folk come over and stand behind us, watching everything we were doing on the screen.

While some of them were clearly just intrigued with our video and pics – and had probably not seen many Westeners before - others could have been police or secret service.

This was partly due to the fact that the country was in lock-down mode ahead of the Olympics, and the torch was expected to pass through the region any day, but it was pretty disconcerting.

Given the volume of data we were trying to push through the system, we were usually there for at least four hours, struggling to upload photographs and videos, and update and edit our blogs.

That was followed by a mad race through the pitch black, dusty streets of whatever city we happened to be in, back to the overnight camp.

But the one day that is most etched in my memory is when we spent more than two hours looking for an Internet café which, we later found out, did not even exist. Our driver decided to stop at the local police station and ask where it was.

That proved not to be the best decision, and resulted in much yelling between him and the police captain, who insisted on escorting us back to the overnight camp.

So there we were, travelling like a presidential cavalcade, with sirens screaming and any unfortunate local on their scooter, bike or donkey cart, unceremoniously forced to the side of the road as we swept by in a cloud of dust.

Once we had reached the camp and the captain’s fears were assuaged, we were allowed to head back to town to find that the so-called Internet café consisted of one cable and one working PC. Unable to upload more than a few photos, we headed back to camp.

Much to my surprise there was cell phone reception at the camp, but only on the elevated dirt road that led to the site. So there I was, at 2am Chinese time, in the complete dark, with nothing but the light strapped to my head, cell phone pressed to my ear, walking up and down the road to ensure connectivity, and reading from my notepad. This was true reporting from the field – a very, very remote field.

Every now and then, I would see a speck of light, far in the distance, which grew ever closer. The distant sound of a banging drum signaled that this was indeed a racer, coming in to the home stretch; true beacons in the dark.

Team Leader Update: Reflections on the Gobi March

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:45:33 GMT

Hi there. We’ve been back in Seattle for a couple of days now, and have had some time to reflect on our experience in Western China and in doing the Gobi March. We have also been asked a lot of questions since our return, so I thought it might be helpful to share those questions and our thoughts on them.

How did you do in the race?

Overall, the race took us 74 hours, 52 minutes and 49 seconds to complete, which put us at the bottom of the finisher group. We came in third overall for teams – and that is because of the nine teams that started, only three were able to complete the race together by staying within 25 meters of each other the entire seven days.

We were slow, but steady and unified, which was our goal for the race. This paid off as we were among the 147 people who finished, and not the 26 who had incomplete finishes.

We were also told that this particular race and course was the toughest to date of the 4Deserts series, and that the number of non-finishers was double the norm, with more than double the number of medical emergencies and intravenous drips administered, compared to all previous races.

Here are our stage stats:

Stage 1: 9 hours, 43 minutes, 40 seconds

Stage 2: 10 hours, 2 minutes, 40 seconds

Stage 3: 11 hours, 42 minutes, 48 seconds

Stage 4: 14 hours, 55 minutes, 20 seconds

Stage 5: 26 hours, 15 minutes, 40 seconds

Stage 6: 2 hours, 12 minutes, 41 seconds

What surprised you the most?

While we were as prepared as we could be based on what we knew and had researched, we were surprised by the treacherousness and utter harshness of the terrain and environment, as well as the extreme nature of the course. Take a look at the photo slideshow on this page to see more.

Temperatures averaged around 110 degrees Fahrenheit - often with no shade for up to four hours at a time – and there were severe climbs up to 10,000 feet and then down again, with just a two-foot wide ridge to walk on that had drop-offs on both sides.

At one point, I dropped a water bottle and we watched, aghast, as it tumbled and tumbled down hundreds of feet within seconds, realizing that we could face the same fate if we lost our footing.

How were the team dynamics?

When we started on June 8, we were three people on a team. But, by June 15, we were a single team unit, working together and very much in sync. We got more and more efficient every day and, by the end, we had a very effective pace line formation that we followed so as to keep up our momentum.

Throughout the last three days, we were able to communicate, eat, drink and pass equipment back and forth while keeping up our cadence and pace.

What was the toughest moment?

We had a distinct and clear “toughest moment.” Towards the end of stage 4, we realized that we were dragging on time and in danger of losing precious daylight and possibly finishing the day too late to continue on to Stage 5 (the 50 mile day).

We had a very heated lifeboat exercise discussion about how we would handle it if a person on the team was unable to continue the race or was slowing the team too much. It was a hard talk to have and was both the most difficult moment of the race and the defining moment for us as a team.

We decided we would stick together as team no matter what obstacle we might have to face. And, as it turned out, we finished that stage around midnight, only to learn as we entered camp that we would be woken up at 4 am to start the 50 mile stage.

That meant we had less than 4 hours to eat, re-hydrate and rest - after nearly 15 hours on the race course - and just before the most difficult part of the race.

What was the best moment?

Because we were so late finishing Stage 4, we missed all of the camp announcements about the upcoming 50 mile day and somehow completely missed the news that there would be cut-off times imposed during Stage 5.

We started Stage 5 pretty disorganized and bewildered because we had only had 4 hours to recoup from the previous day. So, we took off with our usual slow and steady pace, without realizing we were in danger of being pulled from the race for failing to meet the time cut-offs.

The course was really, really tough and getting tougher. We were in the blistering heat with no breeze and no shade for the hottest parts of the day. It was daunting to look as far as the eye to could see, yet see no one. There was no shade, no water and no respite if we were to get into trouble of any kind.

All we could see for miles and miles was desert, except to our right, where the 25,000 foot snow-topped mountain range that is the border of Kyrgyzstan, towered over us. The situation was quite overwhelming, as was the realization that we really were in one of the most remote places on earth, with no one to rely on except one another.

We finally got to the second checkpoint of the day after about 9 hours of 120 degree direct sun and heat. When we got there, we learned the bad news that cut-off times were being imposed, and if we wanted to remain in the race, we had to make two more checkpoints by 11 pm.

At the rate we were then traveling, it was unlikely that we could traverse the distance within the allotted time. It was taking us 4 hours between checkpoints. For us to stay in the race, we would have to speed up and make it to each of the remaining checkpoints in less than 3 hours.

And, right as we realized that, I found a hole in my hydration bladder, which was leaking pretty badly. But there was no time to try and fix it at the checkpoint, as we had to go, so I slapped a blister patch on the hole and we hoped for the best.

This by far was our second best moment, as we went into overdrive and we made it to designated checkpoint at 10:30pm, with 30 minutes to spare!

But there was no happy-ending just yet, as we had burned ourselves out to meet the cut-off time, and we were spent once we got there. That was when we learned that there was an additional deadline – we had to make the 50 mile finish line by noon the next day. There was no moonlight and, if we wanted to even attempt to make the finish, we were going to have to get going by 2 am, with no guarantee we would make it through by then.

We had another talk: a calm one this time. We decided it was too risky. We were proud of what we had accomplished so far, but we didn’t want to jeopardize our health and put ourselves at further risk by traveling in the complete dark for an uncertain finish.

I passed the news on to Erik, the head volunteer at the checkpoint. In a moment and with a look I will never forget, he took me by the shoulders and said, “Now Deb, you’ve come an awful long way not to finish. I’ve watched you all week, and you guys have what it takes to finish.”

I knew in my heart he meant it. I went back to Orlando and William and said, “Erik thinks we can finish this thing.” They both nodded, packed up, and we were back on the road within 10 minutes. This was our very best moment. We finished Stage 5 at 10:30am, after more than 26 hours on the road, and with an hour and half to spare.

What was the key to your success?

We’ve discussed this a lot, and we agree as a team that there were three key elements to our successfully finishing the race. First, every morning, we huddled and said a prayer together and put our safety and our day in bigger hands than ours. We learned the power of faith.

Secondly, we also realized pretty quickly that we were much better, and could do much more, by leveraging one other’s strengths rather than just relying on ourselves. We learned the power of team.

Thirdly, we had to look beyond ourselves, individually, and constantly think about one another: we learned the power of compassion and perspective.

A final note: some perspective.

I want to close on the subject of perspective. After our 26 hour, 50 mile day, we were quite elated and excited to come into camp and know that we had a full day of resting ahead of us before having to finish the sixth, and final, 15 kilometer stage.

About an hour or so into our rest day, I came down with a bad bacterial infection of the stomach. I spent the entire day running between our blazing hot tent and the holes in the ground that served as latrines. At one point, I actually fainted on the ground outside our tent from the sickness and heat.

The camp conditions were harsh. We had no more hand-wipes, hand sanitizer or even tissues. We were also down to our last package of food, which I was too sick to eat.

There were flies and ants everywhere, along with a lot of smoke and fumes from the campfires. And, every few minutes or so, we would hear unearthly braying sounds from the donkeys surrounding the camp.

All of this was made me feel more ill and nauseous, and I finally went to the medical tent, where the doctors gave me some Imodium and Cipro.

Fortunately, I felt better by the next morning, and we were able to run the last 15 kilometers to the finish, practically into the arms of three of our precious Microsoft China team members: Rau Chang, Cathy Liu and Harris Chen. We were also, later, reunited with more members of our Microsoft China team, led by Steven Ying.

Every day, families in Sichuan Province are trying to survive the horrible aftermath of the massive May earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of people sit in encampments in the mind-numbing summer heat, after having lost everything and, more often than not, family members and their only child.

My one day of illness and discomfort in our final camp was such a clear reminder of what these devastated people are facing every day, and for the rest of their lives. I could barely sustain one day of the harsh and unrelenting camp conditions, all the while knowing that my family and children were safe and sound here in the U.S., and that my situation was very temporary and self imposed.

I cannot begin to image the utter despair and agony that these people face. It is my deepest hope that our journey through the Gobi has raised some additional awareness of the earthquake tragedy, and that generosity will prevail in supporting Save the Children, which is helping immensely by building temporary schools and comfort stations for children who are suffering dearly both in Sichuan and Myanmar.

And, finally, our deepest thanks and gratitude to everyone who sent well wishes, supported us, and followed our journey through the Gobi.

Debby

Unlimited Potential Team on FOX Q/13 (June 15)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:00:53 GMT

Watch another story featuring the Unlimited Potential Team from Seattle’s FOX Q13:

Video Update: Day 7- Crossing the Finish

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:22:47 GMT

Watch the Unlimited Potential team cross the finish line of the Gobi March 2008:

Gobi March: Day 7

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:14:10 GMT

Team Unlimited Potential pulled yet another surprise out of their hat on Saturday, running the entire 14 kilometer last leg of the Gobi March 2008, and coming in ninth for the day.

That means the team, and the other runners who finished, walked and ran a total of 250 kilometres over the past seven days, carrying everything they needed in packs on their backs.

For Orlando, who was plagued by bruised and blistered feet, "it was less painful for me to run than to walk today, so that is what we did."

As Debby, Orlando and William turned onto the dirt road that led to the finish line at a local school, word spread fast that Team Unlimited Potential was coming in next.

The excitement and enthusiasm for the team, from other runners and volunteers alike, was palpable. As the three turned into the school, a chorus of children welcomed them with shouts and cheers.

As they came into sight, the crowd broke into loud applause, and as soon as the team crossed the finish line, they were surrounded by well wishers who shook their hands and hugged them.

"The most wonderful thing about this race is all the people we have met from all over the world, and the friends we have made. This experience will not only change the course of the rest of our lives, but it will stay with us forever," William said.

As the three were presented with their medals, their pride was clear to see. "There were times when we were vulnerable, times when we felt weak, and many times when we were really strong, but the one thing that never changed was our commitment to working together as a team, no matter what came our way," Debby said.

The strength, endurance, passion and tenacity exhibited by Team Unlimited Potential during the Gobi March are the very qualities that they bring to their work lives every single day, and which manifest themselves in things like the InfoWagon, which brings technology and education to people in some of the most rural parts of China.

"Many of the people who used the computers today were, like so many others, doing so for the first time. It is a privilege for us to be able to work on bringing this type of technology to another 5-billion people each and every day," Orlando said.

When asked if they would run another such race, Orlando and William both said they would consider it, while Debby, at least for now, is content to have finished this one.

But, for all three, the fact that they had helped raise awareness about conditions in rural China and donations for Save The Children’s relief efforts, more than compensated for the hardships they experienced during the race.

Later tonight is the race banquet, where we will all get to see photo slideshows and a video of the race taken by the media team, before saying our final goodbyes to all the new friends we have made. Then, on Sunday morning, we fly back to Beijing, before heading home Monday.

But, over the next week or so, we will be posting more videos, and the race team will also be sharing some of their experiences and perspectives, so please come back for those.

Video Update- Day 4 and 5

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:55:19 GMT

Watch new video updates from Day 4 and 5 of the Gobi March:

Gobi March: Day 6

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:20:42 GMT

The strength, endurance and true grit of Team Unlimited Potential was evident Friday morning as they crossed the finish line more than 90 minutes ahead of the mandatory cut-off point.

This means that just one stage, the shortest at 14 kilometres, lies ahead Saturday morning, followed by the awards banquet later that night and then a triumphant return home to family, friends and Microsoft.

As Orlando, Debby and William crossed the finish line on Friday morning, hands joined together and raised in triumph, a roar of whooping and applause greeted them from the assembled runners and volunteers, along with lots of hugs and high-fives.

The team, which only got a couple of hours rest overnight at a designated checkpoint, headed out at around 02:30 this morning.

But the good news was that the blistering heat which had marked the earlier part of the race week broke, with cooler, overcast skies blanketing the path to the finish line.

"It was brutal, brutal, brutal. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life," a visibly emotional Debby told me.

One of the things that kept us going is that we always felt supported and encouraged," Orlando said. "Not only by our family and friends around the world, but also by the other runners, volunteers and all those people who work behind the scenes to make sure we are taken care of and safe."

For his part, William said that all the training in the world could not have prepared them for the many unexpected challenges that come with a race across a desert like this.

"But we knew that, no matter what, if we stayed together as a team and supported one another through the bad and the good – and there was a lot of good – we would manage to finish the race better and stronger for the experience," he said.

Every day has also brought its share of challenges and joys, like the little white butterflies that fluttered around the team in the scorching heat of the day, which Debby described as "angels, sent by our families to watch over us."

But there were also individual challenges that tested the endurance of the team as a whole, and individually. For example, Debby's water bladder sprung a leak on Thursday, just before the team headed into the most difficult stretch of desert terrain.

"I just pulled out my foot blister pack and sealed the leak. That's what you do to survive out there in the desert, you get creative," she said.

But the heat, distance and harsh terrain have taken their toll, with some 15 of the more than 170 original runners no longer in the race.

Several of them were either pulled by the medical team for dehydration or extreme heat exhaustion, while a number of others dropped out voluntarily as a result of fatigue, muscle-related issues, foot pain and/or blistering.

"Finishing this race is about so much more than us: it's about hanging in when things really get tough, as the Chinese have done following the recent earthquake," Orlando said.

"It's about drawing strength from those around you and succeeding in the face of adversity and challenge; and it's about helping to draw attention to the needs of this country and helping raise awareness, and hopefully donations, for Save the Children's relief efforts," he said.

So, please follow along with Orlando, Debby and William as they embark on the final leg of this incredible journey, where they willingly exposed themselves to great pain and personal hardship to draw attention to the plight of others.

UP Team featured on FOX Q13

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:17:20 GMT

Watch another video profile of the Unlimited Potential Team from Seattle’s FOX Q13:

Gobi March: Day 5

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:06:59 GMT

Day Five of the Gobi March 2008 started off with a 5AM wakeup call, as exhausted runners packed their bags and boarded buses in the dark before being driven to the starting point some 10 miles away. As the sun rose, the snow-capped mountains in the distance framed the starting line. Team Unlimited Potential were really upbeat despite the incredibly difficult previous stages. Debby wants her children to know that every time she touches her necklace, she’s is connected with them, and that they are in her thoughts and heart every step of the way. Said Debby, “My son Hunter was here to help us with his athletic prowess, while my daughter Mackenzie was here to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, and Natalie was here to lend us some of her toughness to push us through the Gobi Desert.”

Orlando also wanted his wife and daughters to know that when things were tough during the day, the thought of their support motivated him to keep going.

Day Five is by far the longest day of the race. This stage gives the teams two options—the first, to stay overnight at one of the checkpoints, while the other is to run continuously for the nearly 80 kilometers. Team Unlimited Potential chose to stay overnight at the checkpoint, and will be running the second stretch starting at 6 AM Friday morning, China time.

I’m standing in a dark street with only a headlamp to guide my way, and not a light to be seen as the runners continue to come in through this isolated desert village. As connectivity here is very tough, I’m having enormous issues getting through to this site, so I must keep this post short—but I wanted you to know that the team is now one step closer to the final finish line, and their spirit remains strong, even though their feet are sore and their muscles ache. All of you reading this blog are a major contributor to their strength. More to come soon as the end of the Gobi March draws ever closer.

Video Update: Day 2--Into the Gobi

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:54:57 GMT

Check out another video update from the Unlimited Potential team as they push further into the desert:

Gobi March: Day 4

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:30:23 GMT

Seems like there are some habits Seattlites find hard to break. Well, at least that appears to be the case as far as the members of Team Unlimited Potential are concerned. Yesterday (Tuesday), the third day of the race, which involved numerous river crossings, the team decided they wanted to keep their shoes dry at all costs. That tactic involved finding creative ways around small streams and overflowing rivers.

"We went out of our way to keep our feet dry, as we were still in the Seattle mindset that once they get wet, they stay wet. Clearly, with the heat approaching 100 degrees, that is unlikely to be the case here," Debby told me, with a smile. "At one point, we threw our back packs across a river and then walked across a narrow piece of wood to get to the other side. We then took our shoes off, and just lay in the water. By the end, we were madly splashing one another and laughing like crazy," she said.

It was also a day of blessings for Debby, starting off with the wonderful welcome the runners got from the local villagers, from mothers with small children to men in traditional garb and wizened old grandfathers, who all clapped and loudly cheered the runners on.

The beautiful smiling faces of the children took Debby back home to her own, which was a welcome relief from the blistering heat and rough turf that lay ahead. Then, as the team was running down a particularly beautiful street, lined with tall green trees that cast a shadow of much-welcome shade, a little child stepped forward and held our her hand. In it were a couple of tiny red roses, which William and Debby took. That small, kind gesture brought Debby close to tears. "The fragrance of that rose was the most beautiful perfume I have ever smelled," she said.

Then, later, as the team were a couple of kilometres from the finish line, they noticed another runner sitting in the shade of a bush. He was exhausted by the heat and did not really have the energy to finish that stage. The team was not going to let that happen and so, after spending some time with him, used group energy to get him going again. Orlando led the charge, followed by the exhausted racer, Debby and William in back. The support and encouragement of the team helped them all successfully finish the third stage.

As if that was not enough for one day, later, Dean Karnazes, who is famous for having run 50 marathons in 50 days among other things, and who is a participant in the Gobi March 2008, popped into Team Unlimited Potential's tent to introduce himself. As he is one of Debby's heroes, she asked him to autograph something for her, which he agreed to do. "The problem was, we had nothing he could use to write. Even a sharpie was too heavy for our backpacks and would have taken up space needed for something else," Debby quipped.

I also shared with the team the wonderful comments all of you - their family, friends and supporters - have posted to this site. They were all moved, especially Orlando, when I told him how much his wife and daughters missed and loved him, and that they were following him every step of the way, both online and in their hearts. I found him in the medical tent, where the staff had just attended to his very raw and blistered toe, which he dismissed as "nothing" compared to the hardships he sees every day of the run.

But his face softened when he spoke of his family. "Their support keeps me going and makes me strong, as does the knowledge that we are helping a charity like Save the Children and bringing attention to the conditions here in China, especially after the earthquake," he said.

Then, it was another early night for the team, as they knew Wednesday would again bring a stage full of heat and other challenges, including climbing seven ladders and running up a steep canyon to reach Heaven's Gate, a huge arch in the rock face, behind which stretch endless desert vistas.

The last time I saw the team today was as their blue and white shirts disappeared around the corner at the bottom of the gorge, following their visit to a little bit of Chinese heaven.

Gobi March: Day 3

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:14:47 GMT

As I write this post, Team Unlimited Potential - Debby, Orlando and William - are on their way to the finish line for the third race day, which covers some 38 kilometres.

Of course that means that the team finished the second day, which they did in style: holding uplifted hands, which proved Orlando's comment earlier in the day "that when the going gets tough, the tough get going."

The team then headed to the medical tent for a post-run check-up, where they stayed for about an hour as there were many in need of care.

"What we saw while we were there was truly humbling," Debby told me. "People were dehydrated, had blisters like I have never seen before, and all sorts of muscle aches and cramps, but they finished the race and planned on getting out there again tomorrow."

The camp was beautiful, set just above a beautiful lush, green village and surrounded by mountains. As dusk set in and the fires were lit, the sky took on a magnificent golden hue, but the team was already asleep, recuperating from their long, hard run.

Tuesday dawned all too quickly, and the camp was abuzz with activity even before the sun's first rays lightened the horizon. Runners littered the site, eating breakfast, sharing strategies for the day, and simply taking in the beauty of the setting before heading off for another brutal day.

Team Unlimited Potential was all kitted up and ready to go long before a beating drum signaled the start of the third day's race. "Our strategy is to keep a consistent pace and support one another throughout the day," Orlando told me just before they headed off for the day.

A stream of runners soon snaked across the harsh desert plain, and down into the lush, fertile, green village below.

As they entered the town and started running down long, tree-lined roads, the locals cheered them on: from elderly men in traditional garb to mothers with their children, clapping and whooping as one runner after the next passed by.

The first checkpoint saw its share of injuries, with blisters and foot pain topping the list. Orlando and Debby stopped to doctor their blistered feet and toes, while William was just relieved to be able to sit in the shade for a moment.

Asked what he was missing most, Orlando replied: "My beautiful wife and daughters. Tell them all I love them." Ditto from Debby and William, also sending their love to family and friends back home.

Then, with a final heave of packs onto their backs, they were off: three strong figures disappearing into the trees.

Video Update: Day 1--The March Begins

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:50:00 GMT

Watch a video update featuring the Unlimited Potential team from Day 1 of the Gobi March:

Gobi March: Day 2- 3D Virtual Earth Tour

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:31:34 GMT

Check out the Unlimited Potential team’s progress on Day 2 through GPS tracking and a 3D Microsoft Virtual Earth tour:

Video: Unlimited Potential Team: Gobi March Day 2

Gobi March: Day 2

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:58 GMT

Hi all. Peter Galli here again,reporting on the end of Day 1 and Day 2 of the Gobi March 2008.

I am happy to let you know that Team Unlimited Potential finished the first day safe and sound, with smiles on their faces, but also just a little worse for wear.

After crossing the finish line, Debby told me that it had been a tough day, but that she was pleased with their performance.

"I am humbled by this experience, and the hardship that so many people in the world endure on a daily basis. But that has just strengthened our resolve to push on ahead and, by doing so, hopefully raise money for the Save The Children's earthquake relief effort," she said.

The blistering heat and the harsh terrain were the biggest issues for the team on the first day, but the overnight stay in a local "palace" helped boost their spirits.

The team was fortunate enough to be allocated a sleeping place under the stars - of which thousands twinkle brightly - and Debby awoke the next morning to see the faces of several local kids staring down at her.

"It was just like waking up at home and seeing the smiling faces of my own children. What a wonderful way to start my day," she said.

For his part, William enjoyed the more farm-like nature of the overnight stay, telling me that several sheep and goats were herded through their sleeping quarters by local shepherds early in the morning. "That is truly a first for me," he quipped.

Orlando was just taking it all in, enjoying being exposed to this new experience. "We are so fortunate to be able to get a small taste of life in this part of the world, and to receive the hospitality of the

local people, some of whom opened up their homes for us for the night," he said.

Racers peppered the quaint town square, sharing tales of that day's run and tips on how to deal with blisters, chafing and muscle strains. But, by the time the sun's last rays hit the mud exterior of the buildings, almost all of the runners were in bed and asleep.

The second day started with an early morning wake-up, even before the sun rose in the sky. Racers were busily packing their backpacks, once again shedding weight, and strategizing with one another how best to face the challenges of today's course.

When I saw Orlando at the starting line, he was ready to go, saying the challenges of the previous day had simply made him more resolute. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That's our motto for today," he said.

The day's route started off with a challenging run through the red zone, a series of red-colored clay-like mountains, the most difficult stretch of the day. That was followed by a slightly less rigorous 11 kilometers, and then the home stretch, which wound its way down the most spectacular gorge towards a green oasis at the base of the mountain.

I last saw the team after they had completed the red zone, and they were hanging tough. I had spent most of the morning spritzing heat-weary runners with water as they arrived at the check-point, and

Team Unlimited Potential got a good spritzing as well.

After a quick stop to pop blisters and re-tape their feet they, once again, hit the road. Stay tuned for more on the finish and day three.

Gobi March: Day 1- 3D Virtual Earth Tour

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:51:29 GMT

Check out the Unlimited Potential team’s progress on Day 1 through GPS tracking and a 3D Microsoft Virtual Earth tour:

Video: Unlimited Potential Team: Gobi March Day 1

Gobi March: Day 1

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:01:58 GMT

Hello there. This is Peter Galli and I'm in the Gobi Desert along with Orlando Ayala, Debby Fry Wilson and William Calarese - Team Unlimited Potential. As they are running the race, I will be blogging to give you updates on their progress and how they are all doing.

On Saturday we left Kashgar after lunch and headed into the Gobi Desert. The drive, which took more than two hours, covered some of the most incredible terrain: from high mountains that had been sandblasted over time, to lush, fertile green oases.

The narrow and mostly unpaved road, is inaccessible to anything but a camel, donkey cart or four-wheel-drive vehicle, and the ride was pretty rough; preparing the racers for what was in store for their feet!

The welcome at camp was also spectacular. Local men raced their horses as we started to walk in, while other men, women, and children greeted the 160-odd racers from nearly 30 countries with loud applause.

The team stopped to chat to local children, and was clearly in high spirits and raring to go.

While the kids clearly made Debby feel a touch home-sick for her own, she was heartened by a message they posted to this site wishing her well and telling her how proud they were and how much they loved her.

The camp location was also incredible: set in a basin surrounded by tall mountains on which, if you really strained your eyes, you could see nimble footed sheep some two-thirds of the way up, foraging for food.

Local horsemen, wearing formal dress and hats, showed off their riding skills as they raced one another - to loud and raucous applause - across the river bed, which is flowing, though in a fairly narrow stream at this point.

After settling into their tent and meeting their tent-mates, including three South African men and a French woman, we had dinner in the shadow of the mountains, as the setting sun bathed them in its yellow glow, which made the color of the rock change as if it were a chameleon.

After eating we were treated to a 2-hour performance of local talent, which ranged from contemporary American dance moves to traditional folk songs and dances.

As it finally began to get dark, after 10pm, the team headed to their tent for a good night’s rest and to prepare themselves mentally for the first day's stretch of some 39 kilometers.

Day 1 started off early, with a wake-up call at around 06h30. When I popped into their tent to see how the team was doing, all three were making last minute preparations and offloading weight from their packs. Debby lightened her load a little, handing over some of her extra freeze dried food.

For his part, Orlando was using his solar powered charger to power up his tiny iPod. He will be listening to a range of music, from hip hop and high-energy dance music to cool Latin sounds.

The team is also not allowed to ever be more than 25 metres away from one another while on the course, but that is unlikely to be a problem given the camaraderie that has developed between them over the months of working - and training - together.

They are also united in a common purpose: drawing attention to the devastating effects of the recent earthquake and helping raise money for Save The Children.

Then, it was the moment the team had spent some eight months and thousands of hours training for: the Gobi March 2008.

The starter’s gun fired, and they were off on the first stage of this seven-day race, snaking down the canyon towards the river and through the gorge. When I passed them a while later, they were wading knee-high in the flowing river and still smiling.

The big question is whether they will still be smiling at the finish line many hours later, after braving the 90-something degree heat and incredibly harsh desert conditions.

I'll keep you posted on all this in my next blog, so stay tuned!

Unlimited Potential Team Profiles (Part 2: The Volunteers)

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:01:27 GMT

The Volunteers

Now that you’ve met the Unlimited Potential race team, here's a quick introduction to the other Microsoft employees accompanying them on their trek throughout the Gobi Desert (Camilla Buttery, Josh Nash, and Roxanne Seubert).

Though they won’t be participating in the Gobi March as runners, their role is just as important—providing ongoing support as volunteers supporting the race and racers, as well as for the donations of books to rural village schools along the path. Their specific race duties include setting up camp, manning checkpoints, distributing water, and “sweeping the course,” or walking with the end of the pack in each stage to collect markers.

While they come from across different areas of the company, their shared passion for volunteering their substantial skills and talents connects them all as they begin their journey through remote Western China.

Roxanne Seubert:

Roxanne Seubert is a long-time Microsoft employee, and has long been supporting Microsoft's mission to help people around the world realize their full potential. Roxanne's current role as a Windows International Program Manager allows her to work with Government Officials, Universities, In-country partners, Engineering partners, and Linguistic experts to bring new language versions of the Windows Operating System to new emerging markets.

Despite Roxanne's passion for supporting technology access in the developing world, she has not had the opportunity to visit any of the countries she has been so dedicated to help. In visiting China, Roxanne hopes to visit with local students, teachers, and villagers to experience first-hand what kinds of technology services are needed in China's rural areas. She hopes to have the opportunity to visit one-on-one with the local people and listen and learn how technology could help improve their lives.

Josh Nash:

Josh Nash has spent all of his 4 years at Microsoft focused on emerging markets, and is excited at the possibility to go deep into the field and learn about an area that Microsoft is just starting to work in. He is currently Microsoft Unlimited Potential's executive communications manager, working closely with all three members of Team Unlimited Potential. Before that, he was a product manager for Microsoft FlexGo and Windows Starter. In fact, his first business partner at Microsoft was Roxanne Seubert, another Microsoft volunteer at the Gobi March. Josh also interned on the Longhorn planning team while pursuing his MBA at Kellogg. Before business school, he worked as a Java developer and tester at Accenture on the East Coast. There, he learned to "code software on the street," as his undergrad degree from Columbia University was in Political Science. Josh is still trying to get his college band back together, but his wife, 2 kids and 2 dogs make it logistically challenging. He's bringing his guitar on the Gobi March to play to the cacti.

Camilla Buttery:

Camilla is a Senior Strategy Manager on Microsoft’s PSD Strategy and M&A team, focusing on online services. Her team works on major strategy projects for the company, gathering insight and results from independent research and analysis, and applying this knowledge to determine and communicate conclusions and facilitate execution.

Camilla is very excited to be a part of the broader team that Microsoft Unlimited Potential is sending to China and the Gobi March. She’s always had an interest in China - Camilla grew up in Hong Kong and read Chinese studies at Oxford. This will not be the first time Camilla has volunteered at a Gobi March—she was also a volunteer in the Gobi March 2005, and previously in the Atacama Crossing and the Sahara Race. “These have been some of the most inspiring experiences I have had in my life so far: a melting pot of people from all walks of life, from all over the world, put together under a very high-pressure environment supporting exciting and hopeful causes. I'm very excited to go back, especially given the work Microsoft is involved in in the region.”