Michael: The Trails

Cobwebs decorate
Our wrought iron gate nabbing
A few intruders.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Trail running is my passion. If I could manage to maintain speed and remain competitive purely through trail running, I would. It’s like going to church, if church were held outside and on the move and without the goofy clothes or preaching or Latin if you were brought up like I was. Okay, maybe it’s not so much like church. More like spiritual in the not new age snobbish or obnoxious way.

Here, there are three main trails that we rotate through along with a few jeep roads we’re going to occasionally throw into the mix.

Two of these trails, the Quetzal and the Volcan Baru, are single track and virtually impossible to run from end to end. In fact, that’s part of their appeal. Unlike the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles, on these trails we’re using every type of movement and every muscle you can imagine to get from one end to the other.

The other trail we go to often, Los Posas, is a very rocky farm road, but is completely runnable.

I do miss the trails of Southern California. Almost all of them have sections you can let loose on and really fly through. If you want to remain in one piece, that’s not the way it works here. And, as far as I know, there is only one local trail race. And I really enjoy trail racing and the community of trail runners. Not that road racers are an inferior breed. Hell, I’m a cross-over type myself, but I feel I even act a little differently when I’m road racing.

I’m going to stop now before I break out into a John Denver song.


You are bright, colorful, unique and deserving; lets celebrate! Oh, unless you’re recovering from a debilitating illness or accident; then get well soon. Or if you’re grieving the loss of a loved one; technically we’ll mourn with you. Either way, this is an occasion, and this is the occasional card you’ll receive from us/me.