Muscles, mettle, marzipan

He’s already run in the jungle, the Sahara and the Himalayas. On December 15 the Austrian extreme sports athlete Christian Schiester will take part in the Antarctic Ice Marathon – a 100 kilometer running contest to the South Pole. A conversation about penguins, hi-tech socks and breaking down boundaries ...

Christian, let’s start with a short introductory question about your next project: Why?

[Laughs.] I get asked that all the time, but then I counter-question it: What else should I do? Smoke, booze, sit in front of the TV? Living like that I find crazier than anything I do.

The 24 other Antarctic Ice Marathon participants seem to think the same way. Is it about you wanting to measure your skills against them – or test yourself against nature and your own boundaries?

I really get a kick out of competing with these lunatics who tick exactly the way I do myself. You notice that when you get together with them and feel as if you’ve known each other for ages. But I only have this feeling of togetherness until the starting gun goes off. During the race I have to become a beast.

And almost literally. At the Marathon des Sables you tried to feel like a frugal camel; at the Himalaya run like a yak acclimatized to heights; and at the jungle marathon like a jaguar. What animal will be your role model for the Antarctic project?

The penguin. Because penguins can withstand the most extreme temperatures, take hugely long treks to the ocean and also brood under the most adverse conditions. I’ve been studying them for months – at the zoo, in books – to internalize every detail about the way they live ...

... and that’s supposed to help you at the South Pole?

Yeah, it works. In the Sahara I was always thinking of camels, and told myself: They traverse the desert for three weeks at a time, so don’t get your knickers in a knot over 242 kilometers!

In the ice, rather than in a fledge of feathers, you’ll be putting your trust in an ice suit developed by NASA. Can you disclose a few details about that?

Yeah, but then I’d have to kill you ...

OK ... On the other hand, the answer doesn’t interest me that much ...

In any case I’ll definitely be the only one wearing a suit like that. And I’ll have more special equipment with me, like an energy bar that’s still edible at minus 60 degrees. Or special socks that have micro chips, which set off an alarm if my skin temperature falls to levels where I’d be susceptible to severe frost-bite or freezing.

Running shoes? Does that mean that you won’t be running in warm boots?

I’m there for running, not just to take a walk. Of course, these shoes are also especially designed. The upper material is made from a special isolating weave, and the outer sole is outfitted with 14-millimeter spikes.

How much luggage will you have on top of all of this?

Fluids are important. Before the beginning, I heat my provisions to 70 degrees; chemicals keep them fluid for 12 hours. A survival kit with a sleeping bag, cooker and a thick down jacket are mandatory at the start of the race. But I’m going to throw this away ten meters after the start – I don’t want to have to carry such a heavy load.

Speaking of heavy loads, apparently you’re struggling with being under-weight at the moment, a problem that most of us have under wraps at this time of year ...

Alone in the last week I’ve consumed three kilos of marzipan because my body needs reserves. And I’m assuming that I’m going to lose seven to eight kilos during the contest ...

When you were 20, things were different. Back then you weighed 100 kilos and smoked 40 cigarettes a day. Would yesterday’s Christian and today’s Christian have anything to say to each other at all?

No way. It might sound arrogant, but I don’t connect with the people I used to drink beer with any more. The physical experience pushes you to a different league, also intellectually.

What physical training do you have to do in order to facilitate your extreme performances?

A normal day consists of taking off in the morning with a rucksack and running for ten to twelve hours. Only if I’m tired do I limit myself to a relaxed 30-K run. My training record is currently running 342 kilometers a week, and since October 24, 2006, I haven’t spent a single day without training ...

Is it really possible for anyone to achieve anything they like if, like you, they tap into their deep source of willpower?

Absolutely. Humans can get through anything if they want to. Unfortunately, most people have a problem that prevents them from reaching their goals: they don’t see that they have to invest something and also pay a price for it.