Working out

Because I spend a lot of time sitting, I try to use the elliptical machine every other day. It's not much different at the South Pole.

The major difference is that the South Pole workout area is a bit more cluttered. Aside from the elliptical they've got just about everything a normal gym would have: multiple bikes and treadmills, a stair-stepper, a rowing machine, free weights, and machines, etc. The only difference is that it's jammed into about a third of the space a normal gym would use.

I think I mentioned it before, but this is my view while I'm working out. In case you can't make it out, that's the outdoor "smoking deck". I can usually see one or two people out for their smoke break during my 40 minutes, and occasionally there will be a group of people chatting and smoking while I'm sweating away.

My favorite thing about this gym is the "Race to McMurdo" chart. Each winter some of the winter-overs sign up for this "race". Each time they work out, they mark off the number of miles they covered.

By the end of the winter, some of them will have "run" all the way to McMurdo!

I need to go now, the South Pole Traverse vehicles are driving into the station as I type this!