Michael: A Step Up

Yellow and brown moth
Mirrors the tree trunk’s colors
When it’s bathed in sunlight.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

This Sunday will be the 4th local race we’ve entered here and the first that had on-line registration. We still don’t pay on-line. We’ll do that right  before the race on Sunday. The previous races we had to go to some office to sign up and pay. So progress is being made.

One glitch in the system was the difficulty in finding where to sign up on-line. The posters spread around town didn’t mention the site. The bank guard that talks to me about races thought the sign up was at a hotel near the race so we had planned to go there on Wednesday. But on Sunday when we were out for our usual trail run we saw a different poster in the little hamlet near the race that had the website.

The website even has a course map. That’s new for a local race as well. Though I’ve run most of the course, knowing the full route will give me a chance to scout it out on Thursday by bike.

All that for the price of $15. That’s a deal.

Michael: Do Pratfalls Count?

The armadillo
Scurried into the tree trunk
Until I passed by.

Monday, August 29, 2016

On Saturday my bike and I prematurely separated for the second time in less than two weeks. The first time could have been a catastrophe. The last time was laughable.

Heading back to Volcan, I noticed a van pulling over to let some kids out. To be polite I decided to stop instead of passing the van which would just end up passing me as soon as it got going again. But I picked a bad spot to put my foot down. It was where the main road meets a steep country road. You guessed it, my cleat didn’t hold and I kept sliding until I fell and let my momentum roll me over sans bicycle.

Last week I did a full head over heals speedy miss a sharp turn tumble off the road and both my bike and I went unscathed. This time, in a slow motion comical sideways summersault, I bent my derailleur hanger. Go Figure.

Although I’ll eventually have to replace it, the good news is that the local mechanic was able to straighten it out enough to make it usable and only charged me $4 for this service.

Michael: A Few New Ones

Parakeets chatter
In their family tree house
Fighting over rent.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

After doing the Quetzal trail now over 40 times in the past year and a half, it’s nice to be surprised now and again.

Today, right out the door I saw a giant green grasshopper that was perfectly camouflaged as a leaf. Problem was it was clinging to our deep blue water tank. And there it stuck out like a sore thumb.

On the Quetzal I saw my first ever in the wild armadillo. And damned if that isn’t one weird looking creature. I don’t know if it’s roots are in the New World or Old World or what it’s related to, but I’m going to dig into that soon.

Not that it was a new experience, but near the end of run I heard the always enchanting call of a howler monkey.

The Quetzal itself is a beautiful trail with or without a new sighting, but when I get to see something I’ve never seen before it really make me appreciate getting out there. Even on Sunday mornings when I’m tired and would just like to take out my tablet and read the news.

Michael: Adios, KIosko Minnesota

Ladybug in size
The glossy black and yellow
Insect clung to me.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

By the time a bike or running route becomes a part of a rotation, you develop certain landmarks that are significant for different reasons. They might signal distance, or a change in terrain or effort needed. Sometimes they just remind you of where you are or what you’ve left behind.

Just about halfway up the road on my ride from Bugaba back to Volcan there is an old shack that had a wooden sign that prominently announced that it was once a business called “Kiosko Minnesota”. From it’s size I’m guessing it was a little fruit stand or snack shop, but really I have no idea as it’s never been opened in our year and a half here. From the looks of it, it was probably abandoned long before that. But today I noticed the sign was taken down.

My mom was born in Minnesota and both my parents were raised there. Our family still has many relatives living there and I’ve always enjoyed visiting them sporadically over the years.

That sign always reminded me how whimsical life is and how strange our ties can be to certain places. Here I am living in Panama with a nice weekly reminder of my family and it’s roots in the states. The shack’s still there, but I do wish they had left the sign up.

Michael: Everything Checks Out Fine

When the sky is clear
We can see the planet mars
Before the sunrise.

Friday, August 26, 2016

August turned out to be a pretty tranquil month here in our little casita in Volcan.

We weren’t struck by lightening. As far as we know our power only blinked out briefly a few times in the middle of the night. It may have blinked out many times in the middle of the night, but since it didn’t cause us any inconvenience, why get nit picky?

Our internet was as solid as it’s ever been. We only had to take the phone off the hook once to restore the connection. So got to catch up with Colbert, watch some old Amazing Races, some current Olympic highlights, then back to an old BBC series about 17th century farm living. If all stays good some lady living in Boquete is suppose to drop me a note on how to watch live NFL games. That would be a real treat as my Vikings are suppose to be pretty decent this year. Although I do feel guilty enjoying a sport that is pretty much known to debilitate it’s participants for life.

Our water’s been flowing uninterrupted all month, even with a decent amount of pressure. We’ve had to resort to our supplementary pump a couple of times, but that’s pretty typical for any month.

We’ve had a few small bites. But again that’s pretty typical. And my left eyelid infection never got overly gross and cleared up pretty quickly.

We’re not under any invasion threats. Nothing’s been crawling or flying in uninvited.

Heck, today the bank guard was even able to tell us where to sign up for next week’s 12k. We do that at Hotel Cerro Punta from 9-5.

Nothing’s needed to be fixed. Visa has received my faxes regarding my fraud claim. I had a bike crash where neither my bike nor I required any repairs. I also completed my first 50k in a couple of years.

I use to dread August because it meant preparing to go back to work. But if retirement August’s can all live up to or surpass this one, it may creep up into one of my favorite months.

Michael: Asymmetrical Aging

The vibrant green hill
Is surrounded by the dark
Shadows of the clouds.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

There are puzzling developments that are beyond my understanding and control as I age.

Right now I’m recovering from my second stye or chalazae within the last 6 months. Why this condition waited until I was 58 to make a regular appearance on my left eye lid is a head scratcher, but even more of a quandary is why just the left eye?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not completely irked by the asymmetry of the small breakdowns my body seems to be going through as I age.
After all, better just look like a freak in one eye as opposed to both I suppose.

Also it’s entertaining in that it keeps me guessing as I have no idea what will twitch, grow, shrink, fail or deform next.

Michael: No Time Off for Old Men

The dog with a limp
Walks along the muddy street
Drinking from the puddles.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

After tapering into a race and recovering out of it, it’s been three weeks since I’ve been in the gym and done any weight work.

To start our coach had Kimme and I work on the chest and biceps. In order to do the prescribed 4 sets of ten repetitions I had to drop the weight down 20 lbs. from the last time I did these exercises. That has me paranoid about taking too much time off again from strength work. I’m so afraid at this age any time I lose strength it’s going to be extraordinarily difficult if not impossible to get it back.

That brings me to periodization training. I haven’t done the research yet but from my very small sample of one, I believe that as I get older the parabolas of the exercise cycles are going to need to flatten out quite a bit. Either that, or I’m becoming more paranoid.

But I’m also hoping I can hang around long enough to become part of a large sample group that will study the effects of how periodization training should be adapted to the aging athlete. I also realize, just as with any athlete at any age, we’re all individuals and adapt differently to various stimuli, but I’m willing to bet that future studies will show that as we age we shouldn’t ever get away from all the types of exercises and intensities we need to practice to stay healthy, fit and competitive for very long.

Michael: "Shhhh...aving Cream"

Face toward the sun
And quietly pray for those
Who are seeking peace.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Panamanians, just like people from different regions in the states, have their share of colloquial expressions. Monday, in my Spanish class I learned two of them and one reminded me of a very popular song from the old Dr. Demento radio program my friends and I would listen to in high school. I hope a few of those friends and my family will sing it along with me on my deathbed.

One of the terms is “ajo”, which literally translates as “garlic”, but is kind of used like “damn” as in, “Ajo, I forgot my umbrella.”

The other expression is “miercoles,” which literally translates as “Wednesday”, but is used here as a substitute for “mierda”. which means “shit”. For example, you could say, “Miercoles, I stepped in a big pile of cow mierda.”

And that brings us to the Dr. D. sing along,”…I stepped in a big pile of shhhh…aving cream. Need I say clean. Shave everyday and you’ll always look keen.”

Michael: A Magical Elixer

The white feathered moth
Clings to the dull plaster wall
Taking in the sun.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Volcan is a small town with a few regular runners and riders. I don’t know about the runners, but I do know that some of the riders go out for multi - hours excursions. What they’re eating to fuel their long efforts I have no idea, but I’m almost positive it isn’t what riders in the states use because no  store in this area sells gels. If I ever get the chance to pull along side a local rider, I’ll have to ask them what they’re eating.

As for me, I use to put a mix of liquid sugar, honey and peanut butter in a flask, but I’ve now converted to a recipe of ½ cup coconut water, ½ cup honey and two tablespoons of chia seeds. That makes about enough for 4 five ounce servings. I’m hoping this new formula will help sustain longer efforts by distributing energy more evenly. I’ve read that chia seeds are good for that.

I really wasn’t at all dissatisfied with my peanut butter formula, but I will say I like the more watery consistency of the chia mix. It’s also fun to experiment and try different things. It helps be prepared for whatever a race might throw at you at the aid stations. Last race I swore I wouldn’t drink Gatorade and was going to munch on cookies instead. I trained that way, but I never trained in the heat the race through at us and when it got to be miserable the thought of a dry cookie just wasn’t at all appealing. So I drank the red sugar mix the gators swear by and didn’t have any issues.

I don’t see anything wrong with having your favorites, but it’s also worthwhile to train the stomach to tolerate what’s available locally. I have a feeling that the local riders will end up showing me a lot of cookie and candy wrappers, and they seem to be doing just fine.

Michael: One is a Bargain; Two is Problematic

The canyon runs deep
Into the verdant mountains
Like a scar of jade.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Between now and December I’d like to get in another 50k trail race. There are two on the calendar in Costa Rica I was looking at. One in October an acquaintance of ours is running and I was leaning in that direction until I contacted the organizer. Now that event is out.

Why? This event is called the Epic Race. This is it’s premier but from the website it’s apparent the organizer would like it to blossom into an international destination race. One of the hotel packages is labeled “International Racer”. That  package includes entry fee, 3 nights at a race hotel, meals and shuttle services for $400. That’s not a bad deal.

But the “Companion” rate is $380. That’s only $20 off for a friend or significant other to tag along. Couple that with the “Racer” package and we’re no longer looking at such a bargain. And two racers, like us who are married and would be sharing a room, would  both have to pay the racer rate. That just doesn’t feel right.

I feel they would make participants far happier if their packages would reflect that when people want to do a destination race, either with their companion participating or not, two people sharing a room shouldn’t be expected to pay the same rate as they would for separate rooms. Maybe this is accepted practice and most people don’t care. But it irks me and for that reason, among others, I’m going to sign us up for a different race.

Michael: Not a Convict

Good luck butterfly
Hanging on my handlebar
Enjoys the free ride.

Saturday, August 20,2016

Last year, after reading Convict Conditioning, I was convinced I wanted to be in convict shape. That lasted about two months before I was paroled.

It’s not that I don’t believe it’s a great program. I’m sure I could benefit from its 6 body weight exercises, but right now, I just don’t want to give up any of my other workouts.

Sometime soon, I hope to squeeze it back into the rotation and give it the full focus and time it’ll take to show results.  For now I’m going to at least try to stay somewhat in touch with the criminal element side of me by twice a week doing the one exercise from the program that intrigues me the most; the bridge.

I’m a wimp and I know it. Skinny. No tattoos. Too weak and inflexible to even kick sand in my own face. But I’ll toughen up one of these days.

Michael: A Relative Time Saver

The rust colored light
Surrounds the moon in a shroud
Of  voracious haze.

Friday, August 19, 2016

The bank our storage company uses is Banco General in Bugaba. That’s a 40 minute bus ride away. But our choices are either take the 6 hour round trip ride to Dolega and pay in person or pay the exorbitant bank transfer fees if we were to pay online. Today we chose to go the Bugaba route and all in all it wasn’t so bad.

There really isn’t any reason to go to Bugaba except to conduct business. It does have a nice little square which Volcan is missing, but otherwise it’s just more people, more shops, and more panaderias . But the main reason to avoid Bugaba is because it’s where the mountains flatten out and quickly transform into the coastal plain. That equates to high heat and humidity. Not a combo I’m comfortable with.

We’ve stopped and got off the bus twice now in Bugaba. Both times to go to a bank. It’s not what anyone would consider a Panamanian hot spot, unless you enjoy the heat, but then just about any place near the coast would suite you.

Michael: My Bike Used Me Again

The three toned whistle
Of the flat black shorebird is
Long, loud and lonely.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Kimme is watching Youtube videos about natural movement exercises. One of the movements they talk about practicing is a shoulder roll when falling. Without any formal practice, I’m quite proficient at this and have been doing it for as long as I can recall.

Now I’ve seemed to up the ante by incorporating this movement into my bike falls and the beneficiary of this development has been my bicycle. I’ve now had two over the bar crashes in Panama. Both on the same road.

Last year I was tripped up by some workers cutting limbs off a tree. Surprisingly my bike came away with just the tiniest of scratches on the seat. I limped away with a badly bruised foot.

Today, the crash was all on me. I took a turn too fast and went off road. Again, I went over the bars and my bike seemed to have used me as a cushion against any damage. Fortunately the spot was grassy and soft and I  walked away pretty much unscathed with just a small scrape on the back of my shoulder and a little tightness in my lower back.

I have mixed feelings about my bike coming out of these possible fiascos better than me. For one, I’m perplexed as to how it’s managed to use me as protection twice now. Yet, I’m also grateful that we’ve escaped from these crashes with neither of us visiting the repair shop.

Not that I believe I’ve in anyway figured out the secret to crashing sans damage. And I have no desire whatsoever to continue this practice, regardless of how proficient I’ve become at it. Leaving the road on a road bike is an adrenaline rush I’ve had enough of.

Michael: Don't Stay the Course

Every morning
There’s a beetle on its back
With its life ending.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Age and injuries are not synonymous. I can’t do anything about aging, but I do feel I’ve done a decent job aggressively treating injuries and preventing them from becoming chronic liabilities.

About twenty years ago, it was Achilles tendonitis. At first I went to a chiropractor, but that seemed like it was going to require regular visits forever. I wanted treatments I could do at home that would eliminate the problem. So to a sports therapist I went. The exercises he provided were both simple and effective. I still do them 6 days a week. I no longer have any Achilles issues, but I’ve never stopped doing the exercises for long either.

Next up, about 15 years ago, I got terrible heel pain. After a few miles it could feel as if I was running on giant painful blisters under both my heels. I thought it was due to heel padding compression or heel pad deterioration caused by aging. But I didn’t want to give up running and sought solutions. Exactly why that went away I can’t say. Perhaps the Achilles exercises had a residual benefit of helping whatever was causing the heel pain. Maybe returning to intensity work helped straighten out my form. I’m sure the plantar fascitis  massages have helped. More than likely, it’s been the combination of all of these that’s done the trick.

Lately it’s been lower back pain. And that, I believe, is also not so much an aging issue as it is a laziness problem. I don’t enjoy stretching. But, again, I’m not willing to give up the joys of riding or running so solutions needed to be found. Now, along with the Achilles stretches, I foam roll and do a 6 exercise back stretch routine.

I’m not sure what joints or muscles will ask for attention next, but I’m sure I’ll do what I can to help them out so I can keep getting out there and enjoy moving about in the great outdoors.

Michael: A "B" on My Race Test

A white wave rises
Above the tide of a blue
Cumulus ocean.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016


What a relief it was to finally complete an ultra again. It’s been a few years and I was beginning to doubt I had it in me. Though, even with a surprising 5th place finish, I had enough difficulties to where I can’t be satisfied and would be wise to practice some changes before getting out there and racing again.

Mostly, I was not at all prepared for either the heat or humidity. To better prepare for those conditions in the future there are a few tweaks I plan on implementing in my training. For one, I’m going to go back to a 15 minute drink interval instead of my current 20. Hopefully that’ll allow me to squeeze in a bit more fluids.

Along with the frequency change, I’m going to experiment with adding chia seeds to my gel mix to both aid hydration and to smooth out energy absorption.

I’m also planning on experimenting with either BASE electrolytes or Salt Stick chews regularly during my longer workouts.

I should also slide down the mountain for a few runs in hot and humid Buguba if and when I know I’m going to face similar conditions.

Right now I can gratefully put off planning for the next ultra and think about how pleasant it will be to switch gears and run in the nice cool mountain air in a couple of weeks in a road 12k in nearby Cerro Punta.

Michael: A Field Trip to the Vega Farm

The bees without hives
Nestle in the impressions
In the steep hill side.

Monday, August 15, 2016

The beautiful Totumas Cloud forest borders L’Amistad National Park which is maintained by both Panama and Costa Rica. Inside the park near the Totumas Eco Lodge is a large ranch that is run by Mr. Vega. His ranch will eventually be grandfathered into the park when his family no longer continues to work it. It won’t be taken through eminent domain, but neither can he sell it.

Visiting Mr. Vega’s homestead was like walking back in time. It has no indoor plumbing. No electricity. No gas. He has no car. He cooks over a wood stove. He built his place by himself with wood he cleared creating the pasture for his cattle. He lives by himself with his cattle and his dogs.

It’s a rustic way of living some people fantasize about. Far too simple for my taste, but for a man in his 70s he seems full of verve and quite content.

Michael: Oliver, The Bank Guard

Grumble frumble rumph
The sky rumbles like a jet
Flying overhead.

Saturday, August, 13, 2016

At the bank yesterday we were fortunate to run into Oliver, the bank guard, and my race information source.

Both of us barely speak each other’s language so how or why we started trying to talk about racing I don’t recall. But now whenever we see each other, he’ll let me know about what races are on the horizon and what he’s training for.

Yesterday, I asked him if he knew anything about the local 12k coming up in a couple of weeks. No, he did not, but he has a friend that he communicates with using some app. That does. He took my number and promised to text me as soon as he finds out anything.

It’s an odd way to get race information for me, but I kind of like it.

Michael: A $20 Monthly Misunderstanding Penalty

Ancient fish wiggles
From side to side on its time
Trial bicycle.

Friday, August 12, 2016

At the beginning of this year we opened a bank account here in Volcan at Banistmo Bank. We were told that we needed to keep a $300 balance not to incur a monthly penalty of $20. They also informed me  that there would be an ATM card yearly charge. No problem. I put in just enough cash to cover it. They didn’t tell me that there was a charge for our checks. That’s what put us under.

I didn’t check on the account until April and noticed it was short $80. That’s when I learned about the check charge. Won’t make that mistake again. Made a deposit to put us over the limit, and asked as emphatically as I could if that would stop the monthly charge. Yes.

No. Monday, after making a large deposit Sunday night, I again noticed that we were short. Today I asked for 4 months of back statements to see if we could figure this out.

The trick was that if our balanced dropped for one day below the minimum during that month, we would be charged the  $20 at the end of the month. For the first few days in April it was under, so even though I brought it back over, at the end of the month we were charged the $20 again which put us back under. We were penalized $20 again in May.

This month should be the last of it. If the bank clerk and I now understand each other. Otherwise, I’m going to go nuts and just stash my cash in the mattress.

Michael: Stumbling into an Opportunity

A whole in the sky;
Perforated white with blue
Ovals showing through.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Fighting off a little bit of a head cold just seems about right when struggling with post race blues. And without a race penned in on the calendar until December, I didn‘t see any reason not to wallow in it for a while.

But then I stepped into the local panaderia and saw a poster for a local 12k in a few weeks. That seems like the perfect ticket to get me to lift my head up, and get back out there and start moving with a little verve again. Also a nice change of pace from an ultra. Now it’s time to gear up for a few weeks of speed work.

Of course, this being a local race, the poster doesn’t specify the day of the race or how to sign up. That would take away from the fun. The poster is for a weekend of celebrating the anniversary of the L’Amistad National Park. It announces the times for events on Friday and Saturday, so I presume that means the race is on Sunday.

There isn’t a website, but there is a phone number. Before I try that I’m going to my local race contact, the guard at my bank, and see what he can tell me.

Michael: Outside Showers; Inside Showers

A day in the dark;
Rain then clouds then rain then clouds
Won’t persist for long.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

We expect it to rain outside everyday. We’re rarely caught off guard even if it rains hard. But taking a shower has always been an unpredictable experience.

I’ll use my mom’s shower in good old Santa Ana, California as a baseline. It always delivers hot water at hurricane force. First time; every time, from beginning to end.

Now at our little cabana. The pressure is a little stronger than a large watering pot, and that’s with the auxiliary pressure on. Sometimes we need it; sometimes we don’t.  We never touch the cold water faucet, but the water just from the hot is comfortably warm at best.

Recently, on our trip to Costa Rica we got to test out two more showers. At the Turugiro Lodge they had installed a water saver system where there’s only one faucet. You crank it all the way up then back down to bring in hot water. But even at a drizzle it was just slightly above luke warm.

At the Inca Real Hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica, it had three handles. Again we only touched what we presumed was the hot water handle. Truly though, that was a roulette wheel experience. The water pulsed from warm to cold and from a nasal drip to a comfortable force.

One of the reasons we stay at TYRP Hotel whenever we’ve been in Panama City is because it has a great shower. One of those ball and socket pivot joint deals that allows you to dial in perfect heat and pressure.

We would happily forego this haphazard testing for some modicum of consistency in this daily ritual we’re sure to continue throughout our travels, but I don’t see that happening in Central or South America.

Michael: Losers of a Mini Amazing Race

My old field trip bus
Is full of Costa Ricans
Crossing the border.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Because I was overly optimistic about my finishing time, a domino effect of bad luck tumbled into a day of small dilemmas.

First off we missed the 2 o’clock bus that would have taken us to San Jose in time to get to the Tracopa bus terminal by 4 p.m. We had tickets from that station to San Vito, and had planned on staying at a very nice B & B we’ve stayed at before. Then on Sunday, recoup a little bit by walking through the nearby Wilson Botanical Gardens before heading home.

Fine, there was a 2:40 bus. We kept our fingers crossed we might still make it. But Kimme decided to risk going to the bathroom right before departure. Her bladder was empty just like our two seats on the bus as it left without us.

Bus tickets in the trash can, we decided maybe a taxi might do the trick. I asked the first cabbie we ran into if he could get us there by 4 and he said no problem. That began the worst taxi experience we’ve ever had.

As we drove closer to the big city of San Jose the driver asked Kimme if she had Waze and if he could use her phone. She has Waze but it’s not active here. He used Google Maps instead.

Next he offered to take us to the Aleuja Tracopa bus terminal since it was closer, but I had already showed him our tickets, which were for the Saint Joseph Station in San Jose. Going to Aleuja Wouldn’t do us any good.

Soon after that he drove by a huge Tracopa bus depot and pulled over on the side of the freeway and told us to go back to the foot bridge walk over and we could get our bus there. We were dubious and it was close to 4. Kimme’s phone also indicated that the station was 3.7 miles away. We weren’t very keen on being dropped off on the side of the freeway either. Why not drive us right up to the station?

Why? Because it wasn’t the station. After speaking to a couple of workers at the bus depot security kiosk, he drove us a short distance up a road that parallels the freeway and pointed to some roadside bus stops and said we could get our bus there. To try and reassure us he pointed to a lady with a large package and said she was probably waiting for a Tracopa bus. At that point it was after 4. We had missed our bus anyway, and there really was no point in continuing with this driver. We paid and walked to the bus stop.

Once there, we asked the lady and she told us the station was a few miles away downtown San Jose. We took a taxi there. At the station two very nice people helped us get a transfer of our bus tickets for Sunday morning.

The overnight at the B & B was gone.

From there we took a taxi to a reasonably priced hotel that was suggested by our cabbie. I’d like to say our travails ended there, but there was more to come.

The hotel, the Inca Real,  was in  one of those old buildings that had a lot of old world charm but was sagging a bit from lack of up keep. It was also a few blocks outside the respectable part of town as we soon discovered when we walked by two  brothels on our way to an ATM and some restaurants. After a trip to Subway and a delicious frozen yogurt treat, we went to an ATM to take out a small amount of colones.

 Back at the hotel I contacted the B&B in San Vito to notify them we weren’t going to make it. They were kind enough to only charge me half of our reservation.

The next day, after a long but enjoyable bus ride through the mountains of Costa Rica, I discovered that in my fatigued condition I had left my ATM card in the machine in San Jose. Now we were at the border with no cash to get us home. Fortunately, Kimme had a card.

Once home and certain that I had lost my card, I called B of A to report it. I then made a large transfer to Banistmo, our bank in Volcan so we could use their ATM. On Monday I’d find out that the transfer went through but for some reason that account seems to be a little off. I’ll work on that puzzle later.

For now, we’re back after a great travel experience sans the taxi debacle.
Good to be home where it’s peaceful, cool and where we can stretch out, recover and take our adventure in at a nice leisurely pace.

Michael: A Mud Run in the Middle of an Ultra

Dead spider dangling
From its own web like a twig
Hanging from a thread.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Last Saturday Kimme and I were out the door at 4 a.m. to meet Alan, our driver, who would take us to our first ultra marathon race outside of the U.S.
He’d return and pick us up at noon. That gave me 6 ½ hours to complete the 50k. I finished in 6:22, but due to a little bit of wooziness we fell slightly behind schedule. That spiraled into a mini Amazing Race adventure with nothing but costs and no promise of a million dollar prize at the end. Post about that tomorrow, but first the TNF Turrubaras race experience.

The North Face ecogreen Costa Rica organization did a great job. The website was informative and easy to navigate. The prices reasonable. The course was beautiful, challenging and very well marked. The 8 aid stations were managed well, spaced effectively, and adequately stocked, there were bathrooms and showers, the awards were given out promptly, the runners were serious yet had that good old trail runner sense of camaraderie. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to racing in Costa Rica again, particularly if it’s a TNF Ecogreen event.

There are, however, a few tweaks that could have slightly improved the experience. This event was out in the boonies. It wouldn’t have hurt to put a few balloons or signs out to assure participants that they were headed in the right direction. And, more of a quirk than a criticism, post race refreshments were spartan - a small pack of cookies, a banana, and a cup of Gatorade, though there was prepared food for a cost.

As far as the actual event goes, outside of being very green, ¾ of the course could’ve easily been mistaken for a Southern California gravel country road run. But the ¼ ran under new conditions for me had that ying/yang draw to it; Like you’re smiling while getting your butt kicked.

The three big differences between this course and the trails of my old stomping grounds in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles are the numerous stream crossings, the humidity, and the deep orange/red mud.

Now gather round youngins and listen up. Yes, years ago L.A. also had some streams. Heck, I remember a few winters where some were knee deep and required careful navigation. Running through the cool flowing streams, a couple of them quite deep, brought back some fond memories.

Likewise, in Los Angeles I’ve experienced heat but never 80+ heat with 90% humidity. I was fortunate to beat most of that with the race starting at 5:30 under reasonable conditions. But by the time 10 o’clock rolled around it was miserable and the last 9k took me an hour and a half over very mild terrain.

Last but not least were the long patches of thick red mud which I’ve never experienced it the states before. There were between 6-10 quagmires that were between 10-30 yards long and on the steepest of pitches. These pitches were virtually unrunnable to begin with and sinking well over ankle deep in  ooze brought movement to a treacherous slog. That, I’m sure, upped the anti for those not proceeding at a good clip because If you weren’t well past the half way point by 9 a.m. you were destined to spend a long day drinking up at the aid stations to try and fight through the miserable heat and humidity.

But I will also say that the back and forth between coating my shoes in mud then cleaning them off through the stream crossings, seemed very symbiotic in a very Zen trail running kind of way.

Kimme ran the 21k along much of the same route as the 50k. She got some of the mud and stream experience but missed out on the heat.

Will we do it again? Yes. In fact we were thinking about a similar event in Costa Rica in October. But right now we’re tired and going to put off making a decision about that for a week or two.

Michael: The Night Before

The humidity
Squeezes the life out of you
Like a tree viper.

Friday, August 5, 2016

This has been the most unusual taper I’ve done coming into a race. Wednesday we traveled in a car all day. Thursday we walked around a mall for half the day. Today, we finally got the opportunity to get out and stretch  our legs by taking a short jog. Sure hope all this laziness will result in energized legs.

An even larger stress was removed this morning when Didier arranged for our taxi to and from the event. We’ll be out the door before 4 a.m. doing our best not to stumble up the steep drive way to the road where we’ll meet Allan, our pirate taxi driver.

At the event I’ll have 6 ½ hours to complete the 50k before Allan returns to pick us up. He’ll bring us back to the B & B where Didier is kindly allowing us to shower before heading out for our multi bus journey to San Vito near the Panamanian border.

Also, pretty close to the last minute, I’ve decided to go with the Inov8 Trailroc 235s as opposed to my Hoka Challengers. Based on speaking to a local runner yesterday and looking at the aid station locations he emailed us, it could get very muddy in the national park the 50k participants will be running through in the middle of the race. We enter the park at the 17.5k mark and exit at 31.5k. That means a possibility of 10 miles of slop and 20 miles of mostly gravel road.

I suppose if I really wanted to shoot for a balanced approach I could wear a Hoka on one foot and an Inov8 on the other. I would be very curious to find out if anyone has ever tried that.

Michael: Stalk the Bosi

Like space aliens
The cicadas’ tractor beam
Is pulsing and loud.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Yesterday we went to the mall not mainly as consumers, but to find answers to questions, and Kimme was smart and persistent enough to find most of the answers.

The mall was the Multiplaza Escazu near San Jose, Costa Rica. The questions were;

Where is The North Face store where we thought packet pick up was?
What are the driving directions from where we’re staying to the race?
How long will it take to get there?
What’s the course like?
How many aid stations are there and where are they on the course?
Will there be porta-potties?
Where is the bus station to get us back to Orotina?

Again, we were fortunate enough to be offered a ride by Didier, the proprietor of Turugiro Lodge, to the mall. Once there, finding The North Face wasn’t too much of a problem. Problem was, that’s not where the pick up was. The web-site says Bosi North Face, but those, as we were soon to discover, are two distinct stores. Bosi, where packet pick up was, is a leather accessory store. After a bit of walking around and two trips to the North Face for clarification, we were able to find Bosi.

The unfortunate part was the clerk there knew nothing about the race. Oh, well. On to the bookstore, a little window shopping, then to the grocery store and hope for the best if and when we get to the event tomorrow.

The fortunate part was that before leaving the mall we decided to take a break and have a little snack before searching for the bus station. The bench just happened to be caddy corner from the Bosi store where we saw runners walking in and out of to pick up their packets. That’s where Kimme took the initiative to hunt one down and ask him if he could help us out.

We were extraordinarily lucky in that the runner she stopped not only spoke excellent English, making us believe he’s an ex-pat, but also runs a trail running club and the web-site,30grados.com in Costa Rica, where we found the link to Saturday’s race. He knew a lot and was very cordial in sharing information with us.

The answers he gave to our questions:

*It’ll take about 45 minutes from where we’re at to get there. The directions are pretty straight forward, but we’ll have to keep our eye out for a small road off to the right of the main road. It may not be very well marked, but hopefully we’ll see others going in that direction and we’ll know if we’ve gone to far if we hit the little hamlet of San Pablo.

*The course is mostly on loose gravel but will have what could be a very muddy sections. He suggest I use my Inov8 Trailroc 235s as opposed to my Hokas. He doesn’t consider the hills very steep, more rolling except in the muddy section. It should also get to be very hot and humid at some point. I’m hoping that point will be very late on the way back on the mostly downhill section of the out and back course. Plan is to still start out fairly conservatively, but if I’m feeling it to pick it up a bit early on the uphill section to beat the heat and get to the turn around in under 3 hours.
*There will be 8 aid stations so we won’t have to go very long in between. Yeah, only need to carry one bottle.

*He doesn’t know what the porta-potty situation is. Will try to get up early enough to clear the pipes beforehand, but generally still need to use the bathroom at the event, particularly given the drive time.

*The bus back to Orotina we found by continually asking people and walking in the direction they pointed until confused, then asking again. This procedure has worked great for us so far.

Today we’ll work on finding travel to the race site with Didier’s help. Once that dilemma is solved, we’ll go for a little shake out jog, lay out our race stuff, relax, pack up, get up at 3a.m. and go through our morning race rituals before heading out the door to explore the trails with a few hundred other crazy people, most of whom we’ll barely understand.

Michael: Travel Day

The little tigers
Crouched and scowled at each other
Then the fight began.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

We are now in Costa Rica, closer to Saturday’s race but still not quite sure how we’re going to get there.

Didier, the very accommodating and very French, if that’s not a contradiction in terms, proprietor of the Tiriguro Lodge is doing everything he can to help us out by looking on the net and calling his “pirate” taxi driver to take us to Turrubaras. But there seems to be some confusion as to whether there’s a direct route or if a more circuitous course will have to be mapped out. The difference will determine how early we’ll have to get up Saturday morning since my race starts at 5:30.

It could also have a slight subconscious influence on my pace, as we’ll need to be back at the hotel to collect our bags and then get to the bus station by 2p.m. if we’re going to catch our 4 o’clock bus to San Vito. That give me a good 6 hour window to complete the 50k, but I have very little idea of the difficulty of the course. But I do know that it’s an out and back with a largely downhill profile on the way back to the finish. That means if I can get the first 25k done in under 3 hours, we should be good to go.

Fortunately, many of our puzzles could be solved today. This morning we’ll hop on a bus and head to the Escazu Multiplaza where hopefully at packet pick up they’ll be able to help out both with directions and questions about the course and event. Then we’ll relay this information to Didier and he’ll confirm with his pirate when we’ll need to be ready to sail.

Outside of a grocery store visit, that’s all that’s on the agenda today.

As far as highlights of the long ride from Panama to this beautiful little area of Costa Rica:

*At the border there were hundreds of African refugees. I had no idea this was happening here. It appears that they come here without documentation, and aren’t willing to give out their proper identity or country of origin so they can’t be deported back to their home country. At the moment, they’re just languishing in camps near the border.

*Also at the border I exchanged dollars for colones, the Costa Rican currency. Chris, one of the ex-pats giving us a ride, gave me this tip for figuring out the exchange rate: double the amount of colones and instead of saying thousand, say dollars. For example; 40,000 colones doubled is 80,000, but instead of saying 80 thousand just think $80 and you’re in the ball park. An example working  the other way would be if you had $2, cut it in half, and that would mean $2 is worth about 1 mil or 1 thousand colones.

*The drive along the coast was mostly a long drive through oil palms that have replaced the large banana plantations that were started in the 30s. Occasional views of the old banana villages that were constructed around open grass squares are visible from the road.

*Our guides, Chris and John, who have homes and family in both Panama and Costa Rica, also told us that the oil palm plantations have gone back to using oxen and cattle to harvest the palms as it was discovered that tractors caused the soil to be compacted to the point of not being conducive to long term financial success.

*John also told us that for some odd reason Panama doesn’t follow the Spanish colonial norm of always building a plaza in the center of town with the Church on the eastside and the plaza on the west. Costa Rica does.

*We stopped at one of the few points where the road meets the ocean in a small village -----. It looked straight out of a tropical scene from the 60s/70s with the thatched roofed patio filled with Americans and Europeans with their pony tails, tank tops, and well tanned but now crusty skin ordering organic meals and treats. The chocolate chip cookie I had, or whatever it really was, was delicious.

*I didn’t expect much from the small village of Orotina, but from a quick view, it appears to be a very nice little town. Didier was kind enough to drive us to a brand new restaurant where we had a great dinner.

*From my initial impressions of the two countries, I would compare them to some of their popular cars. Panama is like a Suzuki Jimny while Costa Rica is like a Rav 4.

Michael: New Neighbors; Near and Nearer

The pale yellow rose
Is appreciated by
The ants for it’s taste.

Monday, August 1, 2016

For the past two months we’ve been at peace with the world. It appears that could be changing very soon.

Yesterday a young family was doing a superficial clean up of the empty house behind us. We’re very much hoping that the landlord, on her second go round of renting her dad’s old house, has learned a few lessons and was wise enough to advise the family that this is a very quiet and peaceful neighborhood and to make sure their lifestyle aligns with these standards.

I’m disappointed that our solitude is coming to an end, and I don’t expect people to act like they’re monks taking a vow of silence, but I’m very much hoping to avoid any awkward confrontational chats. Conversations I’ve never liked having in English let alone in my limited Spanish.

A bit down our short farm road the owner of a just constructed house came out to greet me on my way back from my morning run. She informed me that her family is only going to be there for a week, then it’s back to Switzerland where her husband is from. They’re looking to rent and they’d prefer ex-pats as opposed to Panamanians because she believes they’ll take better care of the place. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. It’s interesting that Panamanians are a bit prejudiced against their own.
I wish I new some very quiet people who’d like to rent their place.

It’ll be interesting to find out how are old neighborhood has changed once  we get back from our mini-vacation to Costa Rica.

Michael: A Great Test Run

The severed cow’s head
Left behind by the poachers
Is a buzzard’s meal.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Today was my last long run before my taper for next Saturday’s 50k so I wanted to give everything a good shake out, including some newbies to the crew, like band aids for nipple guards, some Vaseline like product for anti-chafing protection, Spenco thin insoles mated with my relatively new Hoka ATR Challenger 2s, and shorts with large hand pockets with the right pocket altered with a snap to test if it would ease my anxiety of using open pockets for fear of loosing gear or nutrition.

To begin with I haven’t used nipple guards before nor do I often apply anti-chafing lubricants. But this race is forcing all the participants to wear the shirt they supply so best be prepared. No problem with either one over my 3 1/2 hour run. Though I will say forgetting that you’re wearing flesh toned band aids and getting a glimpse of myself sans nipples before showering was a bit of a “Man Who Fell to Earth” experience.

Similarly, this will be my first race in the Hoka’s and I wanted to see if I could get a better heel fit with the Spenco inserts and the runner’s loop lacing system paired with thin quarter Wright socks. I also wanted to put the ATR2s through some slop and a complete drenching to see how well they’ll hold up if presented those challenges. Check the plus boxes. Shoe set up is good to go. They don’t sell Hokas here in Panama and if the same is true in Costa Rica, I may get a little extra attention at the race as being an extra “special” trail runner.

The shorts’ pocket concern was also alleviated. I put my small first aid kit in the snap pocket and a zip lock bag of cheap cookies in the open pocket. Everything stayed in place, but I do feel more comfortable with the snap being there. Yet it was nice to reach for the cookies without hassling with a snap or a zipper. I wouldn’t be happy if the cookies in their zip lock slipped out, but until I lose something from the open pocket, I’ll leave it that way for convenience’s sake.

Why cookies? Because that’s what’s being provided at the aid stations. I might carry two 5 oz. gel flasks that would allow me to go about 3 hrs. on my own gel concoction, but after that, and since the second half of the race is mostly downhill, I’ll rely on whatever the aid stations have got to give.

Now it’s time to wind down, pack up and get ready for wild ride to Costa Rica.

Michael: What if My Race Number's in Spanish?

What if My Race Number’s in Spanish? Saturday, July 30, 2016

Outside our window
The whale breaches the ocean
And breathes in the stars.

Soon Kimme and I will be off for our first international trail race, not counting the short few we’ve done here in Panama. Those we’re events that were 15 minutes away. Kimme’s doing a 21k and I’m doing a 50k.

The list below is a mashing of lists from Runner’s World, Ultrunr.com and my experiences. It’s not a complete list but specific to this race which will be run in a warm and humid environment and involves over night travel. It’s also not complete in the sense that it only involves items that are race related. I figure there are all kinds of lists out there for tourist travel, and though there might be some cross over, I feel they’re distinct enough activities to best refer to separate checklists.

Pre-Race
*Kool & Fit or other warm up oil,
* Vaseline
* nipple guards
* sunscreen/insect repellent
* race # on belt or pinned
* warm-up pants & jacket (may not be needed for this race), *hydration & nutrition loaded into pack
* I.D. & some spare cash
* music.
Race Wear (from the ground up)
*shoes
* socks
*calf sleeves
* running boxers
* shorts
* short sleeve shirt
* arm sleeves
* mountain bike gloves
* running watch
* wedding ring
* necklace
* cap
Gear
*Ultra Aspire Revolt vest with 500ml bottle
* gel flasks
*small zip lock with toilet paper/hand sanitizer, moleskin, Bio Freeze, duct tape,
* small zip lock
* bag for warm up wear and gear.
Nutrition/Electrolytes
*Home made gel
* salt tabs
* pre-race meal supplies (If you’re a fanatic about it. I’m on the quasi -religious side when it comes to pre-race breakfast.), *vitamins/supplements.
Travel Related
*itinerary- reservation #s and contact info. (plane, train, bus, car rental, hotels…)
8 maps
* pajamas
* ear plugs
* warm clothing
* shake out running attire and shoes.
Miscellaneous
*bottled water
* foam roller, massage stick, knotty ball
* headlamp,
Considerations
*Since our hotel has a refrigerator and a coffee maker, we can go shopping, stock the fridge with our normal fare and pretty much eat as usual including our pre-race meal (That’ll be muesli with almond milk, banana and coffee.)
Also, since we’ll have to check out before the race is over, we’re hoping our hotel will hold our bags. Then we’ll have to have wash towels and soap, otherwise it’s going to be a long, stinky and uncomfortable bus ride to our next hotel.
We’ll also being changing time zones, altitude and climate. We’ll have a few days to adapt those changes.
At packet pick up we’ll need to ask how far apart the aid stations will be as that’s not included on the web site.
Rationale
*Calf & arm sleeves aren’t for compression or warmth, they’re for protection in case of a fall, brush, insects, and the sun.
Running boxers with the North Face shorts sans liner but with pockets allows me to stash trash quickly and to carry a small zip lock with first aid in one pocket and an empty zip lock in another. The empty zip lock I’ll use to put cookies in from the aid stations if they turn out to be far apart.
The stations will have Gatorade but I’ve never liked the stuff, but I have been training with cheap cookies. They don’t have gels of any type.
The cap, possibly with neck gaiter, isn’t just for sun protection. This is a race is in a tropical environment so I can lightly spray it with bug spray instead of applying it directly to my neck and ears where it would probably sweat off a lot quicker than it will from my clothing.
I’ll have a poncho with me but I don’t expect it’ll be necessary to carry it during the race. Even if it rains, it should be plenty warm.
So if it’s going to be warm, why the extra set of  warm clothes? Key word: travel. Sometimes planes, trains, and buses can be air conditioned to the point of near frost bite.
We may need the headlamp to walk to the taxi on race morning, but won’t need it for the race.
This is a travel experience where we’ll be staying near the race venue  two days before so we’ll have at least one extra set of running wear so we can do some easy jogging the day before the race.  
Depending on what we’re told at packet pick up, I’ll probably start with one gel flask, but will have two with me just in case I get nervous and don’t want to trust the aid station nutrition so early on in the race.

Michael: Updates

Vapor rising from
A pair of jeans is as strange
To me as God is.

Friday, July 29, 2016

One week without the net or land line phone didn’t kill us, but we’re very glad to have them back. Stick around for a while, please?

First off, I called my ma. If it were a desperate situation I could’ve used my cell phone, but everything’s fine and warm, if not down right hot, in good old Southern California.

Next up was polishing off some of our trip details for next week’s Costa Rica adventure. Unfortunately, some of the small but important details are going to have to wait to be arranged for in person and at the last minute; like finding a taxi that’ll take us from our B&B to the very early morning race start Saturday morning. I’m hoping that we can handle that on Thursday.

At least, according to the net, we can take a bus at 4.p.m. after the race from San Jose to San Vito, a very nice little town only about 30 miles from our casita in Volcan. By the time we arrive near the border we won’t be able to take a bus across because the border closes at 4 p.m., but that’s not a concern. On Sunday we’ll walk to the very enjoyable Wilson Botanical Gardens in San Vito before having lunch there then heading for home. San Vito is known for it’s Italian cuisine so very much looking forward to a pasta splurge post race.

I can also now pull up a race checklist which I should cut and paste into a word document just in case Zeus throws another bolt our way. It’ll be good to get all that nervous packing out of the way sometime this weekend.

Then it’ll be time to rest up, enjoy the ride and see what it’s like to race in the hot and humid foothills of Turrubaras, Costa Rica.

Michael: Had to Happen

The little lizard
Balanced on the bucket’s lip
Seems prepared to leap.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

This has been an unusual week.

Today was the first day we’ve had both the internet and our land phone line. I saw my first large Panamanian snake yesterday. It didn’t rain for two days, then rained for three hours this morning; both abnormal. And to top it off, because it was raining this morning, instead of just calling off my typical Thursday morning ride, I put it off until the afternoon figuring the clouds had spent themselves and I’d be able to get a dry ride in. I was mistaken.

Not only did it rain for the last hour plus of my ride, at times it rained very hard; dangerously hard. So hard that when I directly faced into the rain I was almost blinded by the large heavy drops hitting my eyes. Fortunately the road I was on snaked so much my near blindness never lasted for long.

I’m also just not comfortable riding in the rain, let alone a downpour. Fortunately, my bike has disc brakes, so braking wasn’t as much of a concern as with calipers. No, I was the concern. I wanted to be relaxed, but not so relaxed I’d slide out in a turn, or let the bike glide down hill into a pot hole I couldn’t see because the road is coming at me in small waves.

And even though there are few cars and trucks out there relative to Los Angeles, my old stomping grounds, I could barely see and that had me concerned as to how well I could be seen, or how concerned Panamanians are about looking out for a dufus cyclist.

I could say all’s well that ends well, but as any cyclist will tell you, that’s not the case after a wet bike ride. I may be clean, warm and dry, but tomorrow my bike’s going to remind me that it wants a little tender loving care after getting me home safe and sound.

Michael: Runner's High Goes Well With Stupidity

Bright silent lightening
Illuminates the darkness
With flickers of white.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

The other day I talked about how a young woman named Kiara was frazzled by a very loud barking dog. Today was my turn for an even more unexpected animal encounter but, I believe, because I was running I had a much different and perhaps even goofier reaction.

I’ve seen snakes on the road here before. They were small and dead after being hit by cars, but until today I hadn’t seen one while trail running in Panama. This one was large, about 3 ft. in length, thick and very much alive and kicking. Well, not kicking; more like stretched out in the middle of the farm road. I’m going to call it an ebony kneelback, because it looks like the picture of one.

If I had been walking I probably would’ve reacted like Kiara did to the dog; shimmy and shake and scream my bloody head off. But because I was running I pretty much calmly ran by the tail end of the snake.

And I don’t believe it’s because running makes you brave. I feel it focuses the mind in a way that other priorities become more important. Like I’m having a real good run, the snake’s not coiled, why miss the opportunity to set a course P.R.? And my new running partner, Mario, might catch up if I’ve got to wait too long for this snake to shuffle off.

I definitely wouldn’t claim that the chemical changes that occur while running make me a wiser decision maker.