📈 Q4 2023 Wrap Report 📉

Hello Adventurers, 

WTF…it’s still 2023…so why am I getting this issue of the newsletter right now?!?! Ya, it’s so confusing…and a great question…and I don’t really know how to sufficiently answer you…but I’ll try. Um, well, I haven’t quit my project — and this isn’t an obituary — but you Gregorians are entering December…as I’m entering something entirely different (still zodiacal…but as an ‘animal less human’ on my end).

For me, everything is coming down to this one moment in time (and there’s no one word for what it is…because this project is sooo ridiculous, and only has significance to me…and there’s not a single feeling that encapsulates the magnitude / weight / pressure / ebullience / suffering / sense of discovery that ripples throughout it all). And now? Well, it’s just time…be it go time…or showtime…or just time for me to ultimately learn what I’m made of in terms of my character, my capabilities, and my capacities. In short, everything is on the line as I approach December 31st…like, can I surpass the existing world record…and can I possibly set an entirely different one by NYE? Only time will tell.

And time itself is a funny thing. Like, when I was marathoning Israel earlier this year…it was Anno Mundi 5783 there (for some), and when I marathoned Bangkok in Thailand in October it was 2566 BE in their solar calendar, and when I was in South Korea last month I learnt that — traditionally — every Korean baby is considered to be a year old at birth to acknowledge them being alive in the womb before they entered the external world (and interestingly, they then age a year on new year’s day, not on their birthday), and now…well, I‘m currently en route to go marathon Tokyo where it is ‘Reiwa 5’ in Japan’s era name. And it’s all so strange, right?

Strange…but I think it makes sense to me. Like, these different timelines for our different realities (where each of us is in the season of our own possibility…or disappointment).

And that’s why I’m off…to try and get the job done over in Japan (which is a country I genuinely love — and know to be a really special place courtesy of travels past — hence why I’m choosing to end my project there). And look, I’ve put in the work this year — and have honestly done all that I can do — and what will be, will be. TBH, that’s just how these things go…but I’m not surrendering to fate…rather, I’m still on the hunt as well on the attack.

All that said, I have chosen to publish this ‘quarterly wrap issue’ now because I consciously needed to create a break in time between what was, and what will be. And I wanted to honour the places I’ve recently been to before I do a ‘deep dive’ of Japan over the coming weeks (so don’t fret….everything is still gonna get its rightful due). And this made sense to me…because my decision leaves creative space for the tonality and/or focus of the newsletter to change…because I may change…as I enter the ‘mission critical’ stage of my project.

So we’re gonna get into it now…but before we do…I just wanted to once again thank you for your interest in my little project this year. You could’ve cared about a million other things — because there’s no shortage of incredible content and/or better storytelling out there — but you were kind enough to bless me with some of your time (which we all know is our most valuable asset in life). This was never lost on me, and that’s why I’m going in for the kill (possibly risking my ‘Leo pride’ getting killed in the process should I fail), but my modus operandi is to win…and win big by going all chips in.

- Ben Pobjoy

P.S. This issue of the newsletter is kinda like a peek into the state of my mind at the moment. It’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to discussing mindset…so consider it a ‘one off’…and know that regular programming ‘bout the world-at-large will return next week!

2023 TREK TRACKER

Where in the world...record am I?

• Countries visited: 69

• Flights taken: 73

• Kilometres flown: 118,952

• Marathons completed: 221

• Kilometres trekked by foot: 10,484.9*

• Total kilometres trekked since 2015: 73,576

*For the LULZ: it has taken me 11 months to trek 10,400 ish kilometres by foot…which is basically the kilometric flight distance between Toronto and Tokyo (which only takes 14 hours to fly)!

RAPID ‘2023 THUS FAR’ RECAP

A speedy synopsis of the year-to-date for time-crunched readers

• The Wildest Thing: My luck (to date). None of my flights have been cancelled…and I haven’t been endangered on any marathon. Like, I did get robbed by the cops in Mexico City…and kids hurled projectiles at me in Cairo (but TBH I expected much worse overall). Everything has worked out — and I’ve been safe — and that’s wild ala unfathomable😍

• The Biggest Obstacle: This year has been electrifying yet physically demanding…and I’m pretty zapped these days. Basically, I’ve reached a point where rest makes no difference / recovery is non-existent…and while the marathon motivation doesn’t come easy most mornings (now or ever)…I know the slog to be worth it (because the physical world never disappoints with its beauty and/or magical moments)🥱

• The Lesson Learned: The power of persistence. When we stay in the fight — and chip away at our challenges — we can achieve the unimaginable😤

UP UNTIL NOW: EVERYTHING IN REVIEW

Stats and anecdotes from 2023’s adventure of a lifetime

From travel to tourism to marathoning…November was a pretty challenging month; partially because it was ambitious at times (e.g. five flights in a 12 day span where I flew 18,000 kilometres), but mostly because I was so battered. TBH, I’m sorta depleted from all the ‘wear and tear’ of the year to date…so it was taxing to withstand November’s wild swings in weather as well as temperatures (which ranged from +35°C to -20°C). Furthermore, I struggled to half-adapt to five different time zones last month (varying in difference from one hour to 14 hours…where the jet lag was real in the latter).

I started last month off in Ho Chi Minh City where there were wet bulb temperatures, monsoon rains, and 7 million motorbikes to dodge (which taxed my sympathetic nervous system); I was in hilly Hong Kong for a few days (where I did 2,300 metres of elevation gain in a single day alone); I sailed to and fro Macau, I was in heavily polluted Ulaanbaatar where it was slippy and subzero (and rendered me sick); and then I made my way back to Canada — via South Korea — where I’ve been coughing and sniffling for the last two weeks (which I can’t seem to beat…because I’ve been marathoning Southern Ontario’s cold headwinds and/or occasional flurries). As such, I could only get 19 marathons done in November…which wasn’t the result I wanted, but the result I got. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Basically, I had to do more ‘load management’ than I wanted to — taking unwanted days off in November — done to respect the demands of the bigger picture / prevent myself from imploding (this big baby is a tad fragile at the mo). All that said, November was an intellectually stimulating month — because I visited lotsa places I’ve never visited before — and it was a gift (even if the gift kicked my ass).

So what does all this mean?

Well, I’m going into December with 220 marathons in the YTD bank…and 31 days to do no less than 20 marathons (like, in order to surpass the current world record). And this is doable…because I designed the month to be in my favour / respect the concept of my global challenge. As such, I’m spending the first two-thirds of the month in Tokyo (which is flat and has a daily average temperature of about +12°C this time of year) — and which is a safe and orderly city…that I have previously visited twice before / have previously marathoned five times / thus know well — and then I’m spending the last third of the month in Toronto to be home for the holidays so my wife doesn’t divorce me (where it could be cold and miserable…but where I have home court advantage nonetheless).

And I’m feeling good and confident overall — but I am in the ‘mission critical’ stage of my project — so I’m just gonna hammer December until the wheels fall off (and deal with the consequences in January). To date, I’ve always been mindful that — when it comes to this project — I can’t go too hard in a single month…because it is followed by another month of marathoning. However, I’m now in my final month…so I can throw caution to the wind, embrace a ‘scorched-earth policy’ mindset, and go berserker.

And what else is there to say? I’ve blazed through countless pairs of shoes this year, I’ve worn holes into all my socks, my camera broke, my laptop died, and all my gear is stained, pilled and/or tattered. And me? I am here…still moving forward.

GEAR REVIEW MEETS STATUS: SOLE KILLER*

Starting at the tail-end of August 2023, the Norda 001 in Retro Forest White became my daily shoe. And I conservatively did 50 marathons in this pair of shoes…where I subjected them to no less than 2,200 kilometres of streets, trails, gravel, mud, asphalt, hills, deserts, inclines, declines, occasional rain, and splashes of raw sewage (across 27 countries over three continents in less than three months). Not only did they withstand the beating, they remained intact. Objectively, the 001 is not a cushy nor overly comfy shoe — it is an advanced shoe made for psychopaths that require utmost performance and reliability — and basically, this is the toughest / highest quality shoe I’ve ever worn, period.

As such, I’m sad to retire these 001s (I have a truly irrational connection to my specific pair — which I’ll forever covet as a keepsake — because we took on the world together from Toronto to…like, everything between Londontown and Seoul)…but I am happy / thrilled to be replacing them with the Norda 002 in Summit Black. My presumption is that the 002 model is a new and improved version of the 001, and I’m truly honoured to wear them as my daily shoe this December (once again, a huge thank you to Nick Martire at Norda…who has sent me three pairs of free shoes this year…despite not knowing me / ever having met me…like, whadda mensch!).

Another example of insane kindness / generosity has been this other simultaneous domino effect…which began with Bob Pluss — who somehow caught wind of my project — and who is one of the brainers / co-founders of Race Roster (which is the leading race registration platform for running events). Race Roster was acquired by the ASICS Corporation a few years back…and ASICS also acquired RunKeeper before that…and Runkeeper is the ‘trek tracking app’ I’ve used on my smartphone to track all 73,000+ kilometres of my worldwide treks since 2015.

Anyhoo, Bob reached out to me…and we got chatting, and then he put two and two together…and then he asked Hillary Stafford to connect me to the lovely people at Runkeeper (which started with the super supportive Stephanie Redfern and Whitneigh Kinney…and grew to include Callie Weaver, Kelly Green, Dorothy Beal, and whoever else I am accidentally forgetting…sawry!), and then we all did some collaborative storytelling together…and someone thoughtful in that mix had a pair of ASICS GEL-Trabuco 11 GTXs sent to me…which arrived in the autumn while I was abroad. Anecdotally, my smarter-than-me wife suggested she bring them to me in Spain when she was joining me…but I foolishly declined her offer (because it was my intention to keep ‘em fra-fra-fresh for my trip to Japan).

The LULZ thing is — is that I passed an ASICS store in Madrid in October while on a marathon — and made a split decision to buy a pair of the all-black ASICS GEL-Trabuco 11 GTXs (like, after a free pair of the same shoe model had already been gifted to me…but were back home in Toronto). Basically, I just needed ‘inclement weather footwear insurance’ before going to monsoon-y Vietnam and freezing Mongolia…so I made the purchase. And I’m so glad that I did, because the ASICS shoes were clutch in the storms and in the snow. Like, I discovered they’re all ‘round excellent; they’re good looking, super comfy, and hella functional (because the GORE-TEX™ membrane helps keep your feet warm and dry in wet conditions). And well, I’m glad to own two pairs of ‘em now (as they’ll outlive this project…and become my ‘winter 2024 marathon footwear’ in Canada’s dastardly cold).

ASICS was founded in Japan — and the name is an acronym for anima sana in corpore sano (which is literally the mantra ya boi needs right now) — and TBH it just feels sooo conceptually fitting to be heading to Japan in Japanese footwear that I’ll be rocking there should it rain. Oh…and I always pronounced ASICS like ‘A-Six’ but only learnt this week that the correct Japanese pronunciation is actually ‘Ashikkusu’. Who knew? Well, maybe you did…but I didn’t!

So the gist is that I got my shoe game sorted out — my indestructible Ciele Athletics gear is still intact (and more than doing its job) — and the saint that is Christian Brecheis kindly sent me a re-up of his amazing Near Earth socks.

A sincere thank you to all the people I’ve named herein for supporting this nobody on his weirdo project this year. Because of you and your generosity, I want for nothing…save for surpassing 239 marathons by year’s end!

I recognize this passage is long and namedrop-y…but my project is completely DIY and self-funded…and it felt important to acknowledge all these people — who reached out when they didn’t even know me — simply because they felt compelled to help (and NO ONE asked for anything in return, like ever). Bless you all / thanks for the masterclass in brand behaviour!

*None of these brands pay me to say nice things about them / none of the above hyperlinks are affiliate links / all of this is just real talk from me to you.

MARATHON MUSINGS

A worldly rundown of hits and misses from Q4 2023

One of the missions of this newsletter is to provide readers with unconventional travel and sightseeing recommendations from the field via my Marathon Earth Challenge. And given subscribers sign up in waves over weeks and weeks, I wanted to do a recap of what slapped and what stunk in the 10 different countries I marathoned since the last quarterly wrap report.

My hope is it functions as a bit of a resource for you to consider or consult when planning your next trip. And anything that's hyperlinked below takes you to old issues of the newsletter...which go way deeper on 'place', and provide exact locations of sights and attractions. If you like this high-level quarterly summary, you can find the other world-spanning ones here: Q1, Q2, and Q3.

The following is pretty spontaneous and not sequenced in order of importance — or — like from best to worst. So take from it what you will!

THE HITS

Stroll, eat, drink, repeat: Madrid. Oddly, I didn’t love this city as a tourist (it’s too tame and mainstream for me)…but I’d move there in a second (because it’s so livable and fabulously European). Basically, it’s got the markets, the parks, the museums, and the squares — all great for strolls — and all punctuated with great cafés, restaurants, and bars (that are all shockingly inexpensive for a European capital). Madrid is easy, convenient, and where all the good stuff is in strolling distance from another (admittedly, I’m into covering long distances…but I’m not lying to you…like, you can fact check my claim with my Mum…who is nearly 70 and found Madrid agreeable to stroll). Basically, this is a no-brainer city to recommend…so bring your comfy sneakers, get your steps in, and use it all as a justification to stuff your gob with Madrid’s tasty offerings!

It defies logic: Macau. Real talk…I wouldn’t suggest that anyone fly around the world to go to Macau…but if you happen to be in the region, it is worth checking out (ala Portugal, Asia, Catholic remnants, and casinos — seemingly incompatible ingredients — thrown into a blender…and then poured like a weird-ass sauce over both the past and the present). The place feels like a glitch in the simulation — as if hydrophobic oil could mix with water — and, well, there’s no other place like it.

Picture perfect: Bangkok. The temples, the tuk-tuks, the floating markets, the Muay Thai fights, the street food stalls…all of it…day or night, photogenic Bangkok just begs to be documented. It’s a highly visual place that makes the eyes smile…and yet is all-around-enjoyable — even if you have no interest in photography — because of how warm and hospitable the Thai people are. Plus, all the food is fucking primo too (and the fare spans heavy and indulgent to light and healthy…so you can always find whatever your tongue and stomach want).

Hella thought-provoking: Ulaanbaatar (in the winter). There’s no other way to say it; this is a tough place — full of tenacious people — facing some really tough challenges (from pollution to gridlock to insufficient infrastructure to government corruption…and beyond). Here, you realize how complex / chaotic / challenged much of our world is…and while I’ve long departed Mongolia…I still find myself thinking about it near-daily (because it is that captivating).

Asia…but make it easy for beginners: Seoul. Asia can be as jarring for Westerners…like North America and/or Europe can be jarring for Easterners. In both, there’s language barriers, totally different food, and very different cultures as well as customs. But, if you’re a Westerner that’s never been to Asia, I can assure you that you’d have a soft landing in Seoul; the pace is relaxed for the region, the public transit is excellent, the people are nice, and because the whole place is so darn logical / full of helpful way-finding signage it’s quite easy to get a handle on things fast. Modern life is quite globalized everywhere (thus familiar feeling worldwide) — and Seoul is that kind of place — but it also has loads of homegrown stuff that equally makes it unique (so you’ll feel like you’re elsewhere…but won’t be out of your depths, I promise!).

Marvellously mind-melting: Ho Chi Minh City. Why is it socialist when everything operates capitalistically? Where did that sheet of monsoon rain just come from? How are there not more accidents when everyone is riding motorcycles in all directions (as well as on the sidewalks too)? Ho Chi Minh City is beyond baffling — and really quirky — and I was chuckling in amazement the whole time. It’s super peculiar — but in like the best way possible — and my experience there was highly entertaining at all times. All that said, I wouldn’t recommend this place to anxious people who dislike chaos and confusion!

I’ll be back…because I could feel something special there: Muscat. Admittedly, I totally screwed up my visit to Oman…because I didn’t do proper research nor any planning (and further erred by staying in the most random part of Muscat…that was far too removed from the action). But, I nevertheless got a taste of Omani customs and culture — and they were a great appetizer — and I remain hungry to bite into the country’s lauded natural wonders (which everyones says is the main reason to go there in the first place).

Non-stop exhilarating: Mumbai. Good smells. Bad smells. Joy. Suffering. Cars speedily driving too close to you. Cows and goats walking ‘round streets in the city centre. Child labour in the shadows of modern skyscrapers…Urban India is like watching an action movie on the tele as it is being fast-forwarded on the VCR. It’s sorta dizzying and overwhelming, but that’s what makes it so engaging. I crawled into bed absolutely exhausted from it every night…yet couldn’t wait for morning so I could get back out there (and experience another version of it all over again).

Where the living is oh so good: Andalusia. Picture this: hot and sunny days where nothing is rushed — and napping is the norm — where evening slowly comes ‘round…and everyone then goes outside to chill on gently lit terraces or leisure on park benches under street lamps (to watch the world go by before bedtime, chat, eat and/or drink). I’d have never ended up in this part of the world had it not been for my Mum and her partner Rob inviting me and the missus to crash their vacation…but I’m so glad that I did make it to this part of the world…because this region is wonderfully relaxing and restorative. There, time moves so beautifully slow…and it feels like a slice of heaven amidst the hell of our typically fast-paced lives.

THE MISSES

Wildly deceptive and dishonest: Dubai. The city centre is an absolute flex…but there’s a very real human cost to it all; foreign labourers — that present like indentured slaves — transported by prison-like buses and then toiling in brutal conditions on the outskirts of town (who are playing an unsung part in raising this metropolis outta the desert — and up into the sky — at breakneck speeds). I’m glad to have gone — like, to bear witness…and poke around…and inspect what’s been swept under the rug by the powers that be — but I’ll never go back (it’s just too yucky ala rotten ethics).

Overhyped and overrated: Kowloon and Hong Kong. Thankfully, it only cost me $68 USD — and a couple hours of my time — to fly from ‘Nam to it on some budget airline (so it was cheap and easy, and I can’t complain). But had I forked out four figures for the day-long flight from Canada to it…well, I’d have been hella disappointed. Kowloon and Hong Kong present as lively…but when you really investigate ‘em…you soon discover they’re both quite glum. Everyone’s glued to their phones — and fun and joy are in short supply there — and I’d basically recommend anywhere else in Asia but this place. That said, the hikers and runners in the SAR are warm and welcoming…but that’s the vibe of that tribe worldwide!

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