Michael: Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Black and gold beetle
On its back slowly winding
Away its time here.


The Masai tribesman stood out as he walked down the quiet neighborhood street in Volcan. Our meeting was of a couple of vagrants wandering through a country that wasn’t our own. He was a Kenyan runner and we were middle aged Americans heading toward the organic market at the Catholic church.

He talked to us about his accomplishments and how difficult it was to make a living as an athlete here. He had missed a meeting with a woman who has
helped him out in the past and was now hungry after his long morning run.
We helped, but we didn’t feel clean about it.

Am I envious because people take him seriously and would only laugh at me and thank me for my comical performance of showing my portfolio highlighting my athletic prowess if I did as he did? Maybe. Yet we all are, or have been dreamers. A few of those we know, for reasons both named and mysterious, succeed. Many of us keep at it through various levels of success and satisfaction. But why should some of us expect to have our palms greased when asking for it, while others, striving with just as much heart and vigor, are denied?

I understand dreams. I have a difficult time with that form of expected entitlement. I haven’t been wronged. He hasn’t been wronged. Most of us often labor, some for all our lives, at jobs or careers that are not even remotely close to our childhood re-enactment of that Super Bowl pass, or
perfect World Series game, half court buzzer beater…That doesn’t mean I’m spiteful and want to hold everyone back, but it also doesn’t make me want to give out my money to a healthy young man just because he hasn’t made it as a pro and has his hand out.

Michael, Tuesday, March 24, 2014

An afternoon rain
Is a cool whisper during
The warm dry season.

Returned from the broth that is David with almost all of our errands accomplished. Will make an even longer trip down and around the mountain into Boquete next Tuesday with a stop in David on the way back to fill out what we couldn’t get done yesterday.

Hit Airbox express where Kimme picked up a package that included a Woss trainer - some kind of adjustable strap system that uses your body weight for various exercises. Should be fun to give it a try, though it does remind me a bit of a similar erotic product I see on-line occasionally and that image is always, fortunate or otherwise, going to be associated with that system.

Also at Airbox we were able to mail our F.B.I. background check requests which saved us a stop and time looking for a Fedex location. Picked up my package of bike paraphernalia at the DHL office. Couldn’t find the bike shop I was looking for but did run into one that has a seat from Specialized that appears to be a reasonable knock-off of the Selle SMP Glider I was considering ordering for half the price so will be doing more than my fair share of net research. The shop didn’t have chain lube though which is surprising. To me that’s like a barbershop saying it can’t cut your hair because they don’t have scissors. They just sell you a cut but you’ve got to go somewhere else to get it done - strange.

Didn’t get to the Do It Center either to look for a heavier kettle bell for me.  We’ll make that round next week.

A little note about one of the perks I enjoy about living in a small community is that the bus assistant on the way back from David recognized us as the runners he sees out on the roads occasionally. That little smile moment after a long hot day in David is just one of those nice pick me ups that lift your spirits when they’re understandably sagging a bit.

Today a burst of interval work than a few demos on the Woss system. Set up my bike computer and maybe a ride if it’s not looking like rain in the afternoon. A touch of domestic cleaning and a short trip into town for water and perhaps a dona - sounds more exotic than a donut, and outside of a simple U.S.A. online order of a present to my sister, should be able to get back to my book and writing pad.

Michael: Monday, March 23, 2015

It was a cockroach
Crawling around the jungle
Like a small black tank.

One of the reasons Kimme and I met is because I use to do outdoor gear reviews and after one of our trail runs while the group was mulling about, recovering, munching and chatting, she mentioned that she liked my little essays. I made a note of that and months later built up the courage to ask her out.

I have gone through a lot of shoes, most of those being running shoes and most of those being trail running shoes. What to take to Panama and what to leave wasn’t an easy choice. Kimme and I thought it might be fun just to give a brief synopsis of my hits and misses now that we’ve been here a couple of months, so here’s what I brought and a few brief comments.
In no particular order other than what I thought was a quick aesthetic arrangement, my shoe choices for Panama from top left to bottom right were-


Birkenstoks
Teva Terri - Fi
Saucony Kinvara
Salomon Speedcross CS
Topo ST
Hoka Clifton
Saucony Kinvara TR
Salomon Mantra
Salomon Sense
Asics Racing flats
Luna sandals
(blank spot - Lake cycling shoes)

The Birkenstoks I bought as comfortable formal occasion shoes. I got married in them, but there hasn’t been any occasions here to merit wearing them.

The Teva Terri-Fi’s I bought shortly before coming here on sale at Sierra Trading Post. Kimme also got a pair and they’ve been the big hit in the line-up. We do a lot of walking here since we no longer have a car and the heel pad in these shoes are great along with the tread. I didn’t wear sandals often in L.A. and I didn’t think I’d grow accustomed to the dirt on my feet feeling. I’m not one of those rugged ultra dudes that ever want to develop blisters the size of my fist and Go-Pro it and brag about it on a blog. I’m a bit of a priss when it comes to my little darlings. I want them to feel warm and comfortable and happy. And though the grit feeling is never going to go away, these are hands down my go to walking about town shoes. We’ll be ordering another pair to bring back with us when we return to the States.

The Kinvaras are the road shoe I’ve had the longest but they didn’t get much wear Stateside as I rarely did road work. Here though they’ve been in the rotation on our Tues/Friday interval work and tempo runs. They’re beginning to develop some tears, and though they haven’t caused me any discomfort, I doubt I’ll get another pair. At this stage of the game I feel I’m better off with a bit more cushioning underneath me.

The Speedcross Css use to be one of my favorite shoes and when they went on sale at Runners’ Warehouse I snatched up a pair. I thought the tread and the waterproofness would be perfect for the cloud forest trails. The tread is great but I wouldn’t get the Cs versions again. Once you dunk your foot into a stream or water is brought in through your socks, the water stays in and it feels like your feet are sloshing around in a wading pool. I’ve had to stop just about every time I’ve used these to wring out my socks.

The Topo St’s I thought I might use if there were any races here, or for speed work, but I haven’t. Instead they’ve become my jump rope shoes. Which isn’t to besmirch them in any way. They work great for that purpose, but just not enough shoe underneath for me to do road work on.

The Clifton’s I enjoy (though that bastard beat me twice last year) for dry trail work and my tempo runs. Tempting me to look at Hoka road shoes if I can find any on sale. They’re damned expensive.

The Kinvara TR’s have become my go to wet trail running shoe. Decent grip and squish the water out quickly so are very comfortable on our long three hour journeys on the Quetzal trail when we know we’re going to have to tolerate wet feet for extended periods of time. The only problem with these are the problem that any shoe with aggressive tread is going to have out here. To get to the mud requires quite a bit of road/rocky trail work that is wearing out the tread. Still in the mud, creeks, roots and other slippery slime, I do want a tread with an aggressive profile. Reebok has some shoes that may be worth looking into. Not that I’m dissatisfied at all with the Saucony’s, I just like to try out different shoes.

The Mantras I brought as walking around shoes but for now they’ve been upstaged by the Tevas. Maybe when the rains hit they’ll see more use.

The Asics, I’ve used for our one road race here and will use them in any future races in distances of less than half-marathon. I was thinking I might use them for speed work like I did on the treadmill in L.A. but I don’t feel there’s enough shoe underneath to work on the roads for me.

The Luna sandals I only toyed with on short trail ventures in the Santa Monica Mountains and brought them here thinking that I’d tuck them into a back pocket on bike rides and take them out when I wanted to take a break and get a drink or bite to eat, but they’re just a bit too cumbersome for that. They’ve become house slippers and in the future will be replaced by far less expensive sandals.

The blank spot in the picture should be filled in by my Lake bike shoes which I wasn’t sure I would have a use for out here, but now that I’ve got a bike, I’m glad I found a spot for them. The B.O.A dial lacing system gave out on me once in the States and though they are very comfortable and I like being able to dial in tension on the fly, I’m much more at ease with the Velcro straps on my Mavic’s back home. Plus they breathe better and it’s warm enough here to where I’m sure once I get back to the States I’ll be using those predominantly here.

Can’t recall off the top of my head what other shoes are in the bins back home. Right now I’m pretty happy with the choices I’ve made but if I find a decent pair of either road or trail shoes here in David for a reasonable price I’ll probably give them a go and let you know what I think.

Michael: Sunday, March 22

The orange trees
Are drizzled throughout the lush
Dynamic landscape.

Yesterday began with a ride toward Rio Sereno and back. Before heading out I pushed my saddle slightly forward and edged the nose down just a tad hoping to find a bit of relief from the discomfort I’ve been experiencing in my crotch. It helped, and though I now feel my seat and I can remain intimate for 3 hours, it’s still not the experience it ought to be.

The road to the border is more of a consistent roller coaster than the Orange Blossom Highway but doesn’t have quite as dramatic of pitches and I could easily remain seated throughout the climbs if I had chosen to. This week the produce guards were out near Rio Sereno and they asked me if I lived in Volcan and if I were Aleman. I presume that means German and I said no, I was from the United States and they didn’t laugh or give me a quizzical look, so I presume my answer was in the ball park, though I’ll have to look up exactly what “Aleman” is.

Home and I did manage to get a small amount of extra-curriculars in before having a delicious dinner of bok-choy soup and roasted vegetables before our usual end of the night routine.

Today we’re off to the Quetzal but if it’s raining we’ll probably just run the road home from Guadalupe. We’re also supposed to take our landlord, Luzmila, out for brunch but she may try to dodge us.

Tomorrow’s the big day with a lot of to accomplish in David; Airbox Express, Fedex, Chinese grocery store, Columbia, Dr. Bikes Shop and who knows what else. Hope it’s not too hot and the taxis find their way around easily enough. No matter where we go I’m pledging to practice my two new Spanish questions - “Que me recomendia?” and “Que Contiene?”

Michael: Saturday, March 21, 2015

The cows were lounging
Under the trees yesterday
Enjoying the shade.

That’s what I felt like doing yesterday as well after two enjoyable but fatiguing days of being outside, but not under the trees and particularly not with the cows. I do enjoy them, but the flies and the bugs they attract would eat me alive.

So after I switched my workout from my usual tempo run to an easy recovery jog and pull ups, I was very content with not going to the Friday markets and just going into town for a few groceries and then try to write a little before dinner.

Today it’s back on the bike toward Rio Sereno and I’m going to fiddle with my saddle a little - point the nose down just slightly to see if it’ll ease my discomfort, though in the not too distant future I’d like to replace it anyway purely for aesthetic reasons even if it does manage to become acceptable. After all, I’m planning on having this bike until I’m at least 60.

A short trip into town to pick up our fingerprints, cereal I forgot yesterday and some chocolate, write the sisters and maybe get off a few other dots and dashes, hopefully a shorter game of chess - Kimme gave me a run for my money last night, then check in on the dude in The Americans to find out if the commie bastard is toying with the idea of becoming a Christian.




The Dogs Behind the Gate

I was riding my bike high up into the mountains toward the gates of heaven hoping to find a faucet to fill my bottles. Just outside I paused to peer inside and get a glimpse of what I’d be missing if I were not allowed in when time or accident will overtake me.

It was lush and green and beautiful with a gentle stream rolling into a pond just as I would want my heaven to be. The bird chatter was scattered but harmonious and just as I felt I should lean my bike up against a pillar and see if I could take a few steps in, I could hear a few dogs swooping down the hill along the gate barking in a vicious territorial frenzy. This could be heaven, but not my heaven. And I knew it was time to ride away.

Michael: Friday, March 20, 2015

Spring's here

Roadside hawk is too
Common of a name for such
A majestic bird.

When I read the blogs about following the new road to Boquete, with my sense of direction, I was a little concerned about reaching my goal of Zapadora’s (an antique market in Porterillo where I thought would be a good place to refuel.) But really once I found the entry point near Cuesta De Piedra it was very easy to follow. The key being ‘new’ road; kind of like how Dorothy was told to follow the Yellow Brick Road, that’s just about how distinct the new road is from any other pavement that intersects into it.

And it is quite a fine ride for a bicycle and even at this age and stage of my riding, I learned a few new things. One is I’m very glad that I bought a disc brake bike. Some of the sweeping downhill curves would’ve had me sweating whether I’d overheat my rims and blow a tire if I had caliper brakes. I know that with the proper skills I should be able to manage with calipers, and even though disc aren’t magical and won’t stop you from heading off road if you’re not careful, I’m glad I don’t have to worry about being a near pro to tackle the twisties this road threw at me.

And on the upside, literally, I learned why it’s often wise to stand up and climb on certain sections of roads. Back in the states I rarely stood up and did it mainly to break up the monotony or stretch my legs. But on a few very steep pitches of this road, standing made it so much easier. It was one of those “ah, I get it now”, moments. I could of course go to a larger bailout gear; Graybeard - that’s what I’m go to call my bike from this moment forward - has a 28 in back, but I have my pride and in the states, my bike Gumby, is working on only 25 teeth, so pride and stubbornness won’t allow for that. Beside, I feel I’m going to enjoy this standing thing now that I’ve felt the benefits.

Also, I discovered that the saddle that came with my bike and I aren’t ever likely to become the best of friends, so for my birthday in May, I’m not going to invite him to the party and I’m going to seek another saddle to soothe my crotch on my continuing journeys here.

The new road is not all twists and climbs though. There are long enjoyable flat sections through some very enjoyable countryside and again I had the road practically to myself.

And even off road, once I reached Zapadora’s and had a look inside and talked to the very pleasant owner, Diane from Australia, who’s been in Panama for 10 years, I was only slightly less thrilled than when I was scanning the country side. And that’s got nothing to do with her great antique shop which is in a structure that I would love to have and has quite a history behind it, but discovering that one of the blogs I read that had led me to believe that I would find refreshments there, was out of date. The best she could do was offer me a glass of water.

So five hours later, dehydrated and malnourished, back in Volcan, I didn’t get much done with the few hours of daylight I had left. Read a few chapters, got off a few letters to my sisters, and that about covers it.

Today is market Friday so I’m sure we’ll make the rounds after our morning run. I was planning to go into town in the afternoon to join the pickle ball game but I think I’m going to bail so I can just kick back and relax a bit; make a few phone calls, try to write a little, and naturally see if there are any saddles I’ve overlooked if the net’s up.

Michael

Kim: Friday, March 20, 2015

First day of Spring.  We made it through the move and are in Panama now.  It has been two months and I am finally feeling settled.  Michael has been writing every day and documenting our daily adventures so I think it is time that we share.