Dreaming Forward

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward."

This quote by Rocky Balboa hangs on my door, i read it every morning before I leave my room... It is sort of my moment of reflection on the journey that has gotten me where I am today.. It my moment of appreciation..

In life I have taken my fair share of hits.. And even when I was knocked down and didnt think i would be able to get up I found something, someone, I found a reason to pull myself up and keep moving forward..

Homelessness and drug abuse was a big part of my life as a young man, there i was 19 years old dreaming of bigger things as I lay on a park bench staring at the stars, and waiting for the buzz to wear off so i could pass out and do it all over again the next day. I remember dreaming of freedom.. a fantasy where i could travel the world to exotic places, and experience different cultures. I dreamt of a world where waking up was the highlight of my day, waking and feeling inspired to just open my eyes and see what the world had in store for me.. I dreamt of this life.

All that dreaming was fuel for the life I live today.. I realized that without hard work dreams are nothing more than just that. And without dreams hard work is nothing more than just work.
I learned that anything can grow from hard work and a dream... No matter how bad it hurts and how low you get, as long as you keep getting up when you get knocked down, keep working hard and keep dreaming. Anything is possible...

 I have found "homes" in different countries, I have found family through a connection in suffering and travel..  On trails, in forests, and deserts, in the depths of the deepest canyons and on the tallest mountains, I have found my most valuable dream.. Myself.

Thank to that younger version of myself for getting up, standing tall, and for dreaming....

Moving Forward Part 1

For the past four or five years I have been in love with a sport that has taken me to many beautiful places and has introduced me to some of the most amazing people, who have helped shape my life.

I find myself now, 31 years old, filled with memories, and overflowing with dreams and passion. This path I set out upon many years ago has kept my soul and body fueled with an energy that is unmatched by any other.

 I no longer feel the need to race, to pressure my body into something it may not want to do. But rather to enjoy this gift with not only my feet but with my hands, my eyes, and most of all my heart.

After many difficulties the past year with a condition I developed, finishing races became harder and harder. I would show up to a race knowing that finishing was a long shot but I would still show, not to pin my bib number on, not to toe the line or even to show how tough I was. I was there to see a wonderful new place and most of all, I was there to see my family, the people I love most.

Time and time again the race would start, adrenaline would pump through my entire self as goosebumps covered my body. I would howl to the earth and feel amazing, running hard, pushing my body to stay in the front of the pack. As the day would progress my body would feel stronger and stronger, until suddenly my body would slam into a "brick wall". Cramping muscles would be the start, followed by a sensation of my internal organs boiling. Soon after, uncontrolled vomiting would occur, accompanied by bloody urine and then standing would become difficult. I would always have to push through to the next aid station as my vision would come and go and my limbs would go numb. Rhabdomyolysis is what my Doctor diagnosed me with.

This dark place became home for many days, weeks, and even months after most races. I tried to find home and comfort  in this pain, this darkness. But as I did I found myself losing myself, losing the reason I followed this path to begin with, losing the purpose of my journey.

The fun was gone.

As the races came and went, months went by, and my running took a backseat to work and other hobbies, snowboarding, climbing and art. All these other hobbies brought me a lot of joy but something was missing..

....................

I awoke one morning after a night of very surreal dreams, and decided to join my friends in the Copper Canyons of Mexico for my fourth and last year at the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon. How fitting would it be to run my last race in the same place I ran my first. I booked flights and organized a ride, next thing i knew i was on my way to the place where my spirit feels so alive and at home..

One night we were at our home at Entre Amigos, a hostel in Urique MX, we all piled into the kitchen and began to share tequila, stories,and ourselves.. We went around the room introducing ourselves.. Each person said their piece, until finally it was my turn... i stood up from where i was sitting, on the cold tile floor and I looked at everyone in the room. I said something like this..."If you came here for a race, then you came for the wrong reason. The smallest part of this whole experience is the thing that brought us here... This moment right here, right now, tonight is what its all about. Enjoy this moment.. We are all family, We are home and i am honored to have all you here. Welcome.. and thank you.."

In that moment many things clicked, I started to feel it again, the reason I travel, the reason I race, and the reason I run.

I was never supposed to be about what races I have finished or the places I came in. Some where along the way I became lost, and got caught up in "someone elses race". My race was never about any of those things, my goal always use to be to have the most fun, help as many as I could and smile more than anyone else. And if I succeeded in that, then I would win...

…waking….

My eyes opened and peered toward the opening in my tent, a ray of sun shined through the dense leafy green underbrush that was proof of a moist, beautiful early summer. I rolled over, unzipped my sleeping bag and emerged from my North Face two man tent..
As I stepped on the ground, the squish of the sponge like moss was a welcome awakening for my cracked, dry, tired feet..
My arms opened to the forest with a large yawn and stretch, several cracks and pops came from up and down my sore, wore out body.

I chugged a cup of coffee brewed in my Jetboil, took of my shirt, tied on my Luna Sandals, and took off on the trail that was now my front yard.. 

Running on the trail, through the forest, jumping over downed trees and splashing through wallows of mud, my senses were tingling. 

The scent of pine, and dirt filled my nose as my heart began to thump.. Feeling dirt and dust kick up from the trail and coat my feet was a welcome gift..

I ran up hill and sprinted down, I laughed, and sang as goosebumps covered my entire body.

The gorgeous view filled my eyes with new life, as tears flooded in. I stopped looked out at the endless miles of beauty.. And asked myself why I had left.. Why had I chosen the path i was on.. and why I had returned to the place where i learned to love this gift. … There was no answer, at least not one that I could find in that moment.. I just knew that I was where I needed to be at the moment at that time.. With all the love of everyone in my heart..  

Start...

5, 4, 3…. I have been in this place many times before… The Countdown.. my heart starts to pound, goosebumps cover my body and I can feel the blood flowing through every vein in my body.. My eyes focus down the chute to the first of the course markings.. everything becomes quiet and so peacefully still….the rest of the countdown become a soft gentle whisper…   ... 2…  …..one… The ground begins to rumble, as my vision blurs, the sprint out of the start begins, as i become breathless.. The overwhelming spirit of everyones dreams in one place working toward one common goal, and one beautiful moment of shared passion.

As the blades of grass touched the sides of my feet i could feel the moisture of the morning dew awakening my senses.. We approached the forest and the contrast between the bright green grass and dense dark brown trees was surreal. 

We charged up rolling trail and down hills as my legs tingled and began to burn. No conversation was made between three of us who ran together in our pack.. Just this feeling of our shared love for trail, the thrill of the run and we continued to push each other.. 

The first loop was over and after slamming some coke, and some food into my face, we out again the three of us stayed in our pack until I throttled back. I kept the other two in my sight until we reached one of the last aid stations.. I unscrewed my cap off my bottle and surged forward I filled my bottle and in less than five seconds i was off.. 

Sprinting out to the final section of course, I ran hard and ignored the screaming feeling that was coming from my legs.. finally I could smell the finish.. I pushed and pushed until the trees parted and the contrast of the darkness of the forest, green of the grass, and beautiful blue sky appeared again. I was back to the start of where i would finish.. The start of something new, the start of a amazing adventure that had just begun.. 

A new PR was nice, top ten was great, and First in my age group was too. But knowing what was coming was the greatest award of all and to check off the first race.. it was time.. 

Up next Miwok 100K

"Houses are full of things that gather dust."

 I found myself  in the middle of downtown Denver, on my best buddy Justins couch..The sounds of sirens filled my ears and cars zoomed by. As I scratched the sleep out of my eyes and looked out the window, I saw the sun shining and its warmth was waking the green grass and trees with the most gentle wake up call.. I got up and walked to a coffee shop as Bob Marley filled my ears I made my way down the sidewalk, oblivious to the vehicles and people that were everywhere around me.

The day before I had left Winter Park. My home, and my life, Winter Park has been such apart of me for ten years, that place will always be with me as long as I'm alive..

But my adventure had begun and for the first time in years I was free.. No bills, debt free, and no work, made me feel so empowered and full of a energy I haven't felt in years filled my soul. I left most of everything I owned and packed only the things i needed for this adventure. And left without looking back..

It was so beautiful out that Justin and I decided to bang out some errands and then go for a run. We arrived at a park next to a busy highway, there was a paved trail that melted into well groomed dirt one that wound up and down a soft grassy hill. A cool, gentle river flowed next to the trail as a single track hugged the shore of the water.

Running through the long grass, the rushing water that filled river flowed past, crashed into rocks and the shore line.. I found myself becoming lost in this moment, cars, concrete, and the population no longer existed… I was the in the moment with nature,  dancing a soulful dance which no one could interrupt or cut in.. I felt honored and proud to be connected with such a beautiful thing..

This was just the beginning, I was truly free and alive, for in that moment the link with her was oh exciting and real… Here's to adventure!

The trail less traveled….

 The cold water wrapped around my knees, and the heat of the day warmed my skin as the contrast of the  two elements soothed my soul.. I crossed the Urique river in search of adventure and a trail that my sandals had never touched before..

Cows crowded the side of the hill, as cactus, thorns and briars littered the side of the loose gravely canyon wall..

I crawled and climbed up the steepness, sliding and slipping down the loose rock, until finally I was rewarded with my first view of the trail I had dreamed of..
The thin ribbon of trail hugged wall of earth as the opposing side dropped hundreds of feet to the Urique River below..

Scrambling and running up and up, the dust and dirt filled my nose with the scent of her sweet earthy perfume. I couldn't help but smile as I pushed myself up the treacherous trail, dodging and weaving uphill through cat claw thorns and cactus that called this place home.  

As time went on I found myself struggling and lost, trails split off in infinite directions, all I knew was that i was heading up, to the top of the canyon. I don't know why I didn't turn back, was it the allure of the unknown? Exploring a new place? I pushed on, glancing over my shoulder, enjoying the hostel, where all my friends were, get smaller and smaller.

Every now and then i would come to flat sections that were so beautifully perfect for pounding out some amazing miles.

I neared the summit, the view was absolutely incredible from here but the trail became extremely treacherous. Stopping to enjoy the view, I slowed to a crawl, at this point the trail was non existent. With the drop falling thousands of feet, if you were to slip the only thing to stop you would be a random cactus or the occasional cow.

Finally I passed above the shrubs and trees, I had reached my destination. The top of the canyon was a sight for sore eyes..  I sat on a rock and looked out over the beautiful place that has a home in my heart, I thought to myself… why did I come here? why had I pushed so hard to get there? But I realized I didn't do it by myself, he was there with me.. He was showing me a placed he had loved as well, a place so quite and so peaceful. This feeling was a feeling I wish I could share with everyone, the feeling of being truly free. Without a single thought in the world, this was it.. This was the moment when i realized where i belonged.. Where I belong isn't a place, it was inside me, and where ever i wandered i was home..

Home...

 As my apartment begins to get torn apart and my life packed away into cardboard boxes, I reminisce about all the memories and time I've spent in this beautiful town.. Winter Park Colorado has been my home for ten years, its a place that has seen the best and worst of me. It a place thats seen all the growth i've experienced in this life.

As butterflies fill my stomach, I see what will be my life packed into a 62 L backpack, I start to feel awake, and filled with a new energy...

This overwhelming, all consuming feeling of wanderlust began a few years ago when I was on a hike in Mexico with my friend Micah. We spoke about the freedom that is strived for in many peoples lives. And of how some people over the years lost the passion for adventure, and how freedom and success aren't measured in material things, but rather in the relationships we make with the people we meet, and the experiences we share with those people.

Ever since that day I found myself waking up everyday with a feeling of wanting, and needing adventure.. A new world was opened in my heart and a new reality was in the works.

 For the next several years I did a lot of traveling and a lot of racing. I met a lot of great inspirational people and learned a lot about myself every place i went. Until recently home was a physical thing.. A apartment, a trail or a town..

But as I pack everything away, and get rid of most of my physical possessions, the definition of what home is becomes much clearer… Home, to me, is here and now.. Home is the people I meet, the places I go, and the collections of memories in my heart. Home is my family and friends, my home… is you…

What a Rush- Leadville Silver Rush 50

 I tied my Luna's, grabbed my bag, slammed the hotel room door shut, and pushed play on my iPod. It was 4:45am as I began my walk to the start line of the Leadville Silver 50, the sky was pitch black, and the sun was waking, outlining the surrounding mountains with highlights of blue. The air was cool, it kissed my knees, tickled my nose, and sent a wake up call up my spine.
 My hotel was about a half mile from the start, which gave me plenty of time to gain some focus, while jamming some tunes and dancing all the way there. As I made my arrival to the start line, I threw my gear into the ski hut at the base of Dutch Henry Hill. For almost an hour I skipped in circles and paced back and forth trying to warm my chilled body.
 It was now 5:50, and with a quick but beautiful performance of the national anthem, we were just a few minutes from tackling this tough course... Smiling from ear to ear i walked through the crowd shaking hands and saying hello to many old friends, and wishing good luck to all the other runners.

With about a minute to go we all lined up at the start line, the RD Josh Colley hiked up the hill with a shotgun loaded and ready for the start. The bass from the speakers bumped through my chest, I put my headphones in, found a quiet peaceful place, and focused on the top of the hill. I could hear the announcer counting down "5...4...3...2..."and with push of a button my GPS was on, and so was my race. I sprinted up Dutch Henry Hill as fast as i could, I felt my lungs screaming as I reached the top. I looked in front of me and there were only 3 or 4 people, it was my goal to be one of the first up this beast of a hill. And there I was.. I grinned and thought to myself, "this is going to be a good day".

2012 SR50 Start

It took a few minutes before I could catch my breath but i had plenty of time over the next 10 miles, which slowly took us up and the first big climb. The climb was very rocky, as small streams flowed down the trail making the ground between the rocks very muddy and in some spots rutted out. Running, hiking, and chatting I met several awesomely amazing people on my way up this hill. I charged the last mile lungs burning and my legs tingling I finally reached the top. This is where we received our first breathtaking view, I looked around and was surrounded by huge mountains shooting up from the earth high into the clouds which now shielded us from the heat of the beating sun. I stopped took a sip from my water bottle, admired the beauty surrounding me and pounded down the road. From here there was a 4 mile down hill on fire roads to the next aid station. While charging down the road i spoke with several people about my life and my mission to carry on the work of our friends Micahs dream. To help preserve the running culture of the Raramuri tribe of Mexico. I spoke of how thankful I was to have received such a powerful, beautiful gift from such a humble people and how honored i was to share their spirit while i ran. 

Pounding down the road was easier than i thought so i ran 7 minute pace for the 4 miles leading into the aid station, I flowed through the station with such confidence, filling my water, and popping a few pretzels in my mouth then was gone before they even knew i was there. 

I was 14 miles into a tough 50 mile race and felt amazing, my only goal for this race was to keep a positive attitude the whole time, and so far i was way ahead of my goal. I kept smiling, encouraging, and chatting with people as we started our climb up the next big hill. I put on some music lowered the bill of my cap and a started to dig deep for this next climb. Running up and down the trail jumping over roots and rocks, I found myself with a grin, as i emerged from the dense forest. We had made it to timberline, and the view was amazing. 360 degree views of the most breathtaking mountains, I thought to myself, "THIS is it, THIS is why I run". When I am up high in the mountains and on trail I feel at home. Its the time when i feel the most like myself. Goosebumps covered my entire self, grinning ear to ear I ran up the rest of the climb. 

I was at the top, I paused took a minute to enjoy this beautiful moment, then bombed down the other side of the pass. Jumping off rocks and sprinting through berms, I made my descent down the steep mountain. The backside of the mountain was covered with thousands of wild flowers, blue, red, purple,green, yellow, the colors were like an explosion of motivation for my soul. 

I reached the bottom dipped my hat in a stream, ran down another little pass, slapping hands and giving daps to people who were on their way back up from the 25 mile turn around. 

As I made it into the turn around my legs were a bit tired, so i made it to the aid station and grabbed my drop bag. I ate some Saquito, shot a 5hour, and grabbed some more toilet paper. And i was off.. 

Cruising back over two passes and through the 50K aid station i was cruising a 7 and half minute pace, and felt really good. I knew that rain was in the forecast for the afternoon, so when i got to the next aid at mile 36.5 I grabbed a trash bag, tossed it over my head and was gone. I approached the long 3+ mile uphill just as the rain began, at first the rain came down as a nice refreshing mist and soon turned into a down pour. Once again i pulled down the bill of my cap and pushed hard up this hill. About a mile from the top the sun peaked out of the clouds illuminating all the colors of nature. The colors of the flowers looked more vibrant and the green leaves of the trees blew me away. The rain was a blessing, I appreciated it as did the flowers and trees. 

The sun was out rejuvenating me, as I chatted with my new friend Megan. We talked about the ultra running world and how we could change the world. :) 

Before we knew it we at the top...10 more miles... all downhill. Before I started the descent I popped a a SCap, a GU, and downed some water, then dove head first into the ole pain cave. 

I ran as hard as I possibly could, over little rollers, across puddles and through aid stations. My quads were on fire, and my calves were completely tight and locked up, as my stomach did flips. It felt as if i was looking through a straw for the last miles. I remember talking to my friend Micah for those last 10 miles, our conversation was beautiful and the moment was surreal. Nothing mattered at that point, pain was secondary, dehydration didn't exist, and nothing could stop our final push to the finish. We passed about 10-15 people on my way down making up about 15 minutes over 10 miles. Of all the times of the day THIS was our time. Finally crossing under the arch to the final down hill of the race i knew i was about 100 yards from the finish. I stopped at the top of the hill, to thank Micah, the earth, and myself for such a powerful, positive and beautiful day. Then ran as hard as possible down the hill ignoring the cramping and pain that filled body, I sprinted faster than i did all day as my eyes locked in on the red carpet that welcomes all the finishers of Leadville. I crossed the finish in 9 hours and 30 minutes... 1 hour and 28 minutes faster than the previous year.

This was a beautiful day full of positivity and beauty. Thank you to all the volunteers, runners, and supporters, without you this race would not have been what it was.....

Run Free!

I'll Sleep When Im Dead....

After a loooong interesting night in Denver i finally made my way to the airport around 3:00am. My plan was to grab a bus and get here and catch a full nights sleep on a bench or comfy pleather sofa. But I happened to get a little side tracked.. So here I'am, after a few hours of tossing and turning on a floor at DIA, its 5:30am, reminiscing of the beautiful sleepless night last weekend that set me up for the best race I've ever run....

I crawled into my sleeping bag and laid there thinking of the day that stood before me. I had about seven hours until I had to wake up and run 100Kilometers... It was a brisk 23 degrees, with a nice breeze that cut through my bivy tent like a knife through butter. I rolled back and forth.. shivered.. then rolled back and forth some more... I received several texts and Facebook messages that warmed my heart, and momentarily my frozen toes.. I shivered for what felt like hours, until i finally fell asleep.

Like a bear waking from hibernation, I opened my eyes, feeling groggy and well rested i checked my clock and it read "1:45..AM!".. 1:45am?? Damn it.. That means I had only been sleeping for two hours.. "Screw IT!", I thought to myself, So I jumped in the car and took off to a 24hour grocery store to get some coffee and get my muscles warmed up. After running a few laps around the parking lot at the store.. It was back to Chatfield State Park to chat and shiver with all the other racers...

As the sun started to rise above the lakes, i felt the warmth caress my skin, the heat washed away all my worries, and made me feel almost weightless. We all huddled in a small group at the start line, joking, laughing, and grinning ear to ear, Roman the race director explained a few course details, preparing us for the river crossings and technical trail that lie ahead. With a few jokes and minimal instructions, he counted us down. 5..... all the runners index fingers took the ready positions on their watch.... 4.. 3..2..1 And we were off, charging out of the start with the lead pack was a thrill as it always is. We cruised on dirt roads for about 3miles chatting about how similar our pack looked to being in the lead pack at Leadville last year. We cruised together until we hit the first aid station.. Knowing there wasn't much food on the course i grabbed a clif bar and shoved it down my shorts, and took off again. A quarter mile down the trail i saw several men standing around in very official looking uniforms. This was the first river crossing and they were Search and Rescue, these guys were out there to help make sure that we made across safely. I decided to take the beaver dam across that was so conveniently placed next to the crossing to keep myself dry and some what warm. The water was cold and so was the air this early in the morning, so i thought this was the best option. Until I ran another quarter mile...

Here there was an even wider river crossing, but not quite as deep. So I charged into the almost frozen water, the water hit my feet and sent a shock all the way through my legs and my toes instantly went numb. I got out on the other side, legs burning, I kept pushing forward, until we went about another half a mile. Guess what was there.. thats right another river crossing. Over the entire course there was five crossings, and over five loops, twenty five river crossings in all.

After several loops on this 12 mile course, I finally made it to the halfway point. As i came through I asked the timing guy where I was in the race. He told me that I was in last place in the 100K and if i didn't pick up the pace, i probably wouldn't make the cutoff... So I grubbed down a bean burrito, slammed a beer and I flew out of aid station. I looked at my Garmin and saw that i was running seven and half minutes miles as I pounded up and down the trail trying to make up time. Dust flying from my Luna's and sweat spraying from my hair, I started to catch other runners. I tore through the over growth and shrubs, bushwacking, as I yelled " ON YOUR LEFT", " ON YOUR RIGHT". I blew the rivers, enjoying the cool, relieving water on my aching burning muscles, as i tried to enjoy and embrace the cramping and pain. I kept catching runners until I made it back to the check point. 

After one more burrito and another brew, I was off on my last loop. 

At this point I knew that I was going to make it back before the cutoff. So I thanked every volunteer on my way through the course, I'm sure they thought i was nuts for being so happy after such along time of running. But without volunteers none of us would be able to do what we do. I ran as fast as I could through the loop, with one mile to go in the race the sky opened up and it started to pound rain.....sideways.. I ran as hard as I could, but there was a large field on my way back to the finish. I turned my head to look and to my surprise there were three deer standing in the field watching me run I stopped and looked to the sky, in that moment a ray of sun came down from the dark rainy clouds, and a rainbow appeared. I wish I had a photo of this exact moment for it sums up one of the greatest reasons i run. To be with nature, feeling free. I stood there in awe for about a minute or two, then with a satisfied smile on my face I ran the last mile of the race, finishing in 12HRS39MINS, and my first 3rd place finish. 

This was my first adventure of many over the past month, I enjoyed the ride! And I hope you all do too...

The fun has arrived!

We awoke early, checked out, and jumped in a cab. The driver flew through the city flying around corners, but actually obeying some traffic lights. As the driver screeched to a stop a man ran over to our car yelling at us in spanish.. He jerked our bags from the trunk, and hurried us on the bus, passed a long line of people standing, and waiting to get on. He set my bag next to the driver, and then shouted at me and Pat "Tip!? Tips?". Pat gave him a few Cordobas, I just had larger bills, so he shook his head and left the bus. The bus was standing room only, Pat and I were the only gringos on the bus and the only people on the bus standing. But no one aboard even noticed two scruffy, Surfer type, travelers, everyone was  into their mp3 players and cell phones..

After two hours or so of bouncy Nicaraguan roads we finally had gotten our own seats. It was a very welcomed pleasure to sit and rest our weary, shaky legs. The seats we found were at the front of the bus right behind the driver. There were to little girls sitting next to the driver, assisting him with horn. They were very young and very sweet. Pat and I entertained the girls, with extremely crappy spanish,and teaching them to read some english. 

We hung with our little friends for a few more minutes before arriving at San Jorge, the port where we'd catch our ferry to the Island of Ometepe. 

The driver's partner grabbed our bags and threw them on the Lancha boat, and with a smile wished us luck. We were on our way. 

 Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America, and is known to be the home of sawfish, and sharks. As the boat thrashed up and down i peered across the lake. There it was, the Island of Ometepe.

Ometepe Is made up of two volcanos, Concepcion and Maderas, and joined by an isthmus to form the island. The island is home to monkeys, tropical birds, snakes and many other species of plants, and insects. It is a beautiful, magical place, filled with mystery. The mystery we were soon to discover.

After an hour or so we arrived at the island. There was an energy there that words can not explain. Everyone on the boat pushed toward the exit. Excitement filled my soul, and i forced my way through the crowd and made my way off of the boat. I finally reached the dock, a large banner hung above the road reading "Fuego Y Agua 25k 50k 100k". "This must be the place",  i thought to myself....The fun has arrived..

Managua and Beyond...

 After a 20 hour flight, we arrived in Managua, Nicaragua around 2:00am. We stood in a long line at customs, just happy to finally be there. I made it to the counter and it was easy, i just gave the agent some money he gave me a receipt and stamped my passport.  We grabbed our bags from baggage claim, and headed to the exit. On the way out of the airport, there was a local man standing there with a card board sign that read "Patrick Sweeny". Hmmm.. This must have been our ride. We followed him to an old beat up taxi, he spoke almost no english and we spoke almost no spanish, so we exchanged names and a few mucho gusto's and we were off. The driver sped away from the airport, hauling ass through red lights and flying around corners without a blink of his eye. I quickly buckled my seatbelt and hoped for the best. After a small tour of Managua, we finally reached our hotel.

When we stopped, i looked around and saw our hotel, Hotel Los Felipe. Felipe was an older hotel with bars and gates that covered the front of the property, at this point i was wondering what kind of neighborhood we were actually in. The cab driver whistled and a very tired looking man approached us from out of the shadows. We told him in our crappy spanish that we had a reservation, he said something that neither of us understood, gave us our key, and showed us to our room.

The room was small with two beds, a fan, and a TV. To see a bed was a sight for sore eyes, so i quickly laid out my sleeping bag liner and crashed. 

I awoke in the morning to the first beams of light shining through our rooms window, warming our room and turning it swampy within minutes.. I looked over at Pat, " Morning Dude" I said with a groggy voice.. " Top of the morning to ya" Pat said as he did just about every morning. With excitement filling my bones, I jumped from my bed and started to load my pack for the days adventure. We had to find money, avocado's, and beer.. Priorities...I know.. So we headed out with the first cab driver we saw as we left our hotel. He drove us to the bank, where after a quick pat down,  had our money changed and were ready to hit the Grocery Store. Our driver dropped us at the store where we proceeded to run around, gather some produce, hot sauce, and of course alcohol. After the trip to town we headed back to the hotel to have lunch and some beers.

The woman at the counter of our hotel told us how dangerous Managua was, and told us to try not to wander away to far, as there was many sketchy areas in the city. 

So we decided to go for a short run through the city.. We left our hotel at a nice pace, dodging cars, and  cat calling locals. Sprinting away from rabid dog trying to bite us ( i just had to run faster than Pat not to get bit) At one point Patrick said " So if anyone yells anything at us or tries to approach us i think we should just say "no gracias" and smile". So for the rest of the run Patrick and I would just run by random angry, and VERY friendly people and just shout " NO GRACIAS". After a few miles of running and sight seeing we realized that we had no idea where we were. So we decided to retrace our steps and find our way back home. 

We wandered the city for what felt like hours getting close to our place, but never finding it. Finally we decided to just take a breather have a Liter of Tona and cool off. So we found a bar, the bar was covered in chain linked fence and the music was louder than hell. "this will do" I thought to myself. We sat at a table shirtless and sweaty. The woman working came over sat down a huge beer and two glasses. This was exactly what we needed to find our way home. We ended up slamming two liters of beer and much more relaxed we left and just strolled down the sidewalk with no worries in sight.

 We walked to the end of the street and saw a bunch of kids in a park playing stickball. Pat decided to ask the kids if he could take a few swings. The kids were more than happy to let him take a few cracks. After he was done he handed me the stick, I took a few swings, and let the kids get back to the game. We strolled on at a casual pace for a few more miles finally accidentally finding our hotel. 

Getting back to the hotel was great, hitting the pool, lounging, and taking another little sunset stroll around Managua. 

We scooped up some gallo pintos, and headed home for dinner. We caught Castaway on Nicaraguan  TV, and got to bed early. Tomorrow was a big day... Tomorrow was the day we found our way to the Island of Ometepe....

Adventure Awaits!

I awoke with an alarm blaring in my ear... I rubbed my eyes, checked the time and realized that I was LATE.... Oh shit I WAS LATE! I jumped off my buddys couch, gathered my things, tied my Luna's and I was off.. Was this really how my adventure was going to begin? Late, hurried and stressed? I guess it wasn't an adventure if everything was perfectly planned. With my nerves frazzled, I rushed out the door... I arrived at the airport checked my bag and ran through security... I have always been the kind of traveler that was on time, early, with lots of time to spare. But this was different, and come to think of it, this whole trip was different from anything I've ever done before. This was going to be a once in a lifetime kind of trip, the sort that challenges you, puts you through the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows.

First stop.... Los Angeles, California....

I flew to Los Angeles to meet Patrick Sweeny, I met Patrick at the 2012 Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, and had seen him at other events but we had never really had the opportunity to get to know each other. We were about to spend the next month+ with each other so I decided to fly to LA to hang and get a bit of beach time in. I landed at LAX and ran to baggage claim to grab my bags and get outside as quick as possible. The weather was beautiful, the way the warmth touched my skin is indescribable, the sun lit up my soul with beauty I've never felt before. I sat in the sun and enjoyed the moment for a few minutes before calling Pat. I called Patrick and within a few minutes of standing next to the terminal, a smooth black car pulled up, driven by a bearded hippie, i hadn't seen Pat with his new rugged look. And was wondering for a second or two who this bearded man was. As a matter of fact it WAS Patrick Sweeny himself. I jumped into the car and we were off. "Food? or a run on the Beach?" Were some of the first words out of his mouth.. I was starving, but my hunger for sand, surf, sun, and a real good run out weighed my stomachs needs, so we headed to Hermosa beach. We ran barefoot from his car to the pier then back to the lifeguard stand. It was a great run, I'm so use to running alone that it was a great pleasure to have a conversation, and learn about someone on the run. After our run we made a stop for some Pho, and headed back to his house. We had some lunch and some Stone Ales, the perfect combo after an amazing run. We repacked our bags... watched movies about Badwater... ate gourmet Sweeny pizza...and drank more Stone beer.. We had to be awake at the crack of the morning to catch our flight to Nicaragua. 

I awoke to my alarm blaring again and Pat trying to wake me up.. He made us some PBJ's for the trip, and we were out the door.. 

We had arrived at LAX Two hours before our flight, so we had time to lolly gag and relax before the plane left. We went to the Spirit airlines counter and tried to check in, but the lady behind the counter said " No! You need proof that your leaving Nicaragua before you fly one way there."Pat and I had no clue that this was policy, so we ran with packs and all to the international terminal to use the WI-FI, and tried to book some kind of ticket out of the country. Pat woke his sister up at 4:00am and had her make up some kind of fake email stating that we were leaving by bus. We ran back to the Spirit Airlines counter and he showed the lady his tablet with the email. She examined it for a moment or two and said "wheres the confirmation code?" DAMN IT!  At this point in time we had about 45 minutes to get through security and catch our flight.. So we ran back to the international terminal and tried to get on TICA buses web site to get tickets. But to no avail, TICA's site was under going maintenance. So Pat said screw it and wrote some random numbers and letters in his journal and we hauled ass back to the Spirit counter. He showed the woman behind the counter his journal.. She typed the random letters and numbers into her computer, and then our ticket printed. With a sigh of relief, we swiped our tickets from her hand and we flew as fast as possible through security and to our gate... Our adventure had begun, and this was such an appropriate way to start it.. Ahhh... Life is good!