TRIP REPORT
TUNISIA
10/25 – 11/5/08
Part 1
Race Results
Defis Du Chott
Nefta (Sahara Desert), Tunisia
Sat, Nov 1/08
Marathon #310 – Country #95
4:13:27 - 5 OA – 1 AG
Country # 95 – FIVE down – FIVE to go!
Although this trip and marathon turned out very well, planning and booking the trip was one of the worst nightmares I ever experienced in all my travels! When I was planning my final schedule to break the world record I needed a marathon in late Oct/early Nov and there were only two options available – Tunisia and Kenya. Kenya never responded to my emails so Tunisia became the only option. I located a tour agency in Paris that was organizing a tour and marathon in the Sahara Desert. I contacted them and quickly negotiated a package to join a French tour/running group in Tunisia. And then the nightmare began! The tour operator insisted on payment before making any arrangements (reasonable) but demanded payment in cash! Attempts to wire the funds and send a bank draft both failed (and cost me more than $100 in service fees) – and the agency’s (arrogant and uncaring) attitude was “not my problem – no money – no trip!” I desperately searched for an alternative trip/marathon rather than risk losing more money trying to send money to the uncaring and unprofessional agency and fortunately I found another tour agency in Paris offering a similar marathon package in the Sahara Desert at the same time? I contacted that agency and they worked hard to develop a tour package around the flights I had already booked to Tunisia and accepted payment via credit card. The staff of Hypervacances were professional and a pleasure to work with. The reason I tell this story is to warn all my readers to avoid an agency called ‘Association Carthago’ and the owner Azdine Ben Yacoub unless you want to risk losing your money and suffer a similar nightmare in service!
After I solved my nightmare I was able to relax and go on to planning other marathons/countries until it came close to trip time and I had to train for a marathon in the desert. Fortunately I had run a previous marathon in the Sahara Desert (see Archives March 01 - Algeria) and knew what to expect. Thus when I returned from the marathon in Nicaragua in early Oct I trained for two weeks on the beaches on Longboat Key to get my legs and ankles accustomed to running in the soft/uneven sand. I also confirmed quickly that my trail shoes offered the best support for running on sand. I was ready!
My modified tour package had me arriving in Tozeur in Southern Tunisia one day before the main group arrived from France. Philippe, the tour operator, picked me up at the airport. He spoke very limited English so we communicated in French! He informed me that one of his staff spoke good English and would arrive on Mon evening with the main group. Since Mon was a ‘free’ day for me I woke early and enjoyed an easy 10-mile running tour of Tozeur and the Palmeraie. Tozeur (35,000) like all towns in Southern Tunisia is located on an oasis and has the 2nd largest Palmeraie in the country with 250,000 date palms. The dates were being harvested while we were there. By the end of the run I was familiar with the layout of the town and the main roads through the Palmeraie and later that day explored more of the town on foot. By the time the main group arrived I was ready to move out of our 3-star hotel – the TV and A/C didn’t work? When I complained the manager explained that the wind had damaged the Satellite system (and he wasn’t optimistic or concerned that it would be fixed soon?) and they had turned the A/C off for the winter? The TV I was willing to live without because it meant I would get no political/election BS from the USA for one week but the A/C was a bigger issue. It was still hot during the day and the rooms had no windows to open to let cool air in at night! I was hoping that the main group would also be upset but neither of these problems got fixed during our week-long stay?
When the main group arrived Mon evening I was relieved to meet Jean Marie who did speak good English so I could learn more details about the itinerary. On Tue we would visit the desert in 4X4s and he asked me to join him in his 4X4. For the first few days I stuck close to Jean M because few members of the tour group seemed to speak English? My French is OK for basic conversation but not good enough to understand lots of details! On Tue morning our 4X4 caravan headed out into the Chott (Salt Lake) el-Gharsa. There are two large Salt Lakes – Chott el-Gharsa and Chott el-Jerid near Tozeur covering
5,000 sq KM. The caravan stopped along Chott el-Gharsa so that we could ride Quads (ATVs) on the salt beds. The next stop was Ong Jemal (Neck of the Camel) – a rock formation that looks like a camel that overlooks Chott el-Gharsa and lots of sand dunes. Close to Ong Jemal is Mos Espa – a very well preserved Star Wars film set. After enjoying Star Wars we headed into some massive sand dunes to surf the dunes in our 4X4s. That was a lot of fun but some of the 4X4s were driven by race staff whom were not experienced in the desert and we spent a lot of time digging and pulling 4X4s out of sand dunes! There is a technique to surfing sand dunes that I learned from Bedouin drivers in the UAE a few years ago and the French drivers did not know it!
After enjoying lunch at a Bedouin camp we participated in camel races. That was lots of fun and served as a good way for the group to meet and bond. A few people even started talking to the ‘ugly’ American – in French and English! Jean M informed me that some of the dunes we had been surfing were on the marathon course and on the way back to the hotel we drove the final 10Km of the marathon course into Nefta – another Oasis town. During happy hour I met a few couples/families from the French Riviera (Nice and Cannes) who invited me to join them for dinner. We became good friends during the week and invited each other to visit our homes.
On Wed we loaded into the 4X4s again for another trip into the Sahara Desert - only this time Philippe changed all the groups to force people to meet others in the group. We drove along a causeway that separates the Chott el-Jerid and provides a spectacular view of the Chott and salt piles that look like snowfields. We stopped at the small oasis village of Bechri where winds had sculpted the sand into rugged and magnificent natural shapes and sculptures. Then we continued south through Kebili into the Southern Sahara to Es-Saiba where we encountered a sirocco – a sandstorm! The Bedouin call it “la neige de sable” – “the snow of sand”! I sucked in enough sand to coat my lungs with a permanent sand filter and will not have to worry about digestion for awhile! I prayed that the weather was better on race day! We quickly left Saiba to drive to Douz – the gateway to the Southern Sahara and the Grand Erg Oriental – the largest sand sea in the Sahara. Douz has the largest Palmeraie in the country with 500,000 palm trees. We ate lunch in Douz but the sirocco was also blowing there and we ingested lots of sand along with our food! After returning to the hotel it took me 30 minutes to wash sand out of every orifice in my body!
Thu was a ‘free’ day for the group so I decided to make one final easy 7-mile training run through the Palmeraie before spending the rest of the day walking around Tozeur to take photos to share with my readers. Tozeur is famous for its amazing traditional brickwork that is unique to that area of Tunisia. I spent a few hours touring and taking photos in Ouled-el-Hadef (the old quarter) where the brickwork and doors are spectacular! (See photos). Since most meals were included in the tour package I figured lunch on my free day was the best opportunity to enjoy a Camel steak. It was delicious – better than any buffet meal I ate at the hotel! After lunch I finished my walk/tour with a visit to the Belvedere Rocks – an outcrop of rocks with the head of Abdulkacem Chebbi (a famous Tunisian poet) carved into one end. Steps carved into the rocks provide a spectacular view of sunsets over the Palmeraie and the Tozeur golf course.
On Thu evening the rest of the tour group arrived – mainly hard-core runners who signed up just for the races! I was eager to find out how many more runners had arrived and how many were running the marathon. Most of the guests in the initial tour group were not runners and had joined the tour to play in the desert. I had not met one person running the marathon? When I picked up my race bib (#95!) Jean M informed me that there were a total of 115 runners – 12 in the marathon- 30 in the Half and 70+ runners in the 10Km.
Fri was another group activity – a hike into the Jebel en-Nebeg Mountain Range near the Algerian border. It sounded interesting so I decided to participate even though it was the day before the race.
We arrived in Chebika at the foot of the mountains at 10 am – it was cold and raining? We started off in a canyon below the ruins of old Chebika and past a spring-fed stream and brilliant blue pools. Then we started to climb into the mountains. After crossing two ranges I started to wonder if I had made a wise decision? The views were awesome but it was not an easy hike – and much longer than I expected?
Finally (3 hours later) we could see our destination in a canyon in the distance – Tamerza – and started our descent into a magnificent canyon. It reminded me a lot of the SIQ in Petra, Jordan. At the end of the canyon we emerged into the oasis at Tamerza with the green Palmeraie and a waterfall – a very contrasting and spectacular view! We enjoyed lunch in Tamerza while being entertained by some locals jamming with drums and flutes. A fun time – only hope it didn’t mess up my legs too badly?
There was a pre-race meeting on Fri evening (in French) followed by a pasta dinner. I got together with Jean Jacques whom laid out the marathon course to clarify some specific details that I needed to prepare for the race. I was ready!
Sat was Race day! However I will leave the exciting details of the race for Part 2 and let you rest up for the excitement!
Stay tuned!
A quick side note. During my stay in Tozeur I noticed many signs advertising the ‘other’ marathon. The Tozeur Trail Marathon was also being run on Sat and it started at the Ong Jemal – close to where the Defis Du Chott started? Yes – there were two marathons being run on the same day by different organizers! The ‘other’ race was of course the event that I tried unsuccessfully to register for. The Defis du Chott has been held for 15 consecutive years – the ‘other’ race is only three years old and the race operator is trying to put the older/established race out of business. Good luck with his arrogant attitude!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
TR Nicaragua - Part 2
TRIP REPORT
NICARAGUA
10/02 – 10/10/08
Part 2
Now where did we leave off? Oh yes – I was getting ready to leave Matagalpa and drive to Southwestern Nicaragua. I knew the way back to Managua but was concerned about driving through the capital city of 1.5 Million people with no street signs and no road/directional signs.
When I arrived back to the NE suburbs of Managua the fun began – no signs and no directions. I managed to find my way downtown and then had to stop twice for directions. It surprised me that nobody spoke English including the bell hop at the Hilton hotel but they did give me directions (in Spanish) to the main road leading south out of the city to Granada and I arrived in Granada in time for lunch. I parked the car near the main city park, Parque Colon, and walked. Since Granada and the Pacific Coast are the main tourist areas of Nicaragua I was expecting to find a better tourist infrastructure and people who spoke English? I was disappointed! There was neither. The only person in Granada who spoke English was the desk clerk at the hotel – a small, luxury boutique hotel for $45/night a few blocks from Parque Colon. Granada didn’t seem to have the same charm and atmosphere that I remembered from 20 years ago when we toured the city in a horse carriage? Nevertheless I toured the city on foot and took some photos for my readers. And I did find one craft/souvenir shop where I was able to buy some postcards. After a hot and humid afternoon of walking I was ready for a cool beer and a good dinner. I found a very nice restaurant that served a local freshwater bass from Lake Nicaragua. It was delicious and cost $20 including a bottle of wine!
The next morning I ran down Calle La Calzeda to the Centro Turistico along Lake Nicaragua for a pleasant 10Km run without any traffic. After breakfast I headed off to the Pacific Coast. I initially got lost trying to leave the city but soon found the Pan American Hwy heading to Costa Rica. As I drove through Rivas – the gateway to the South – I considered a detour to the ferry terminal at San Jorge to take a ferry over to Isla de Ometepe – the largest island in the world in a freshwater lake (Nicaragua). Its name is derived from the Nahuati words ‘ome’ meaning one and ‘tepeti’ meaning hill or mountain – the place of two mountains. There are two volcanoes – Volcan Cocepcion (1610m), still active and Volcan Maderas (1395m) that can be hiked but the weather was overcast/rain and I couldn’t see either volcano so I drove on to San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Coast.
San Juan del Sur is a small seaside village located on San Juan Bay with the San Juan River flowing through the town. There are several luxury condos and communities built around/near San Juan for gringos! San Juan Bay has several small but excellent seafood restaurants located right on the beach. I liked the town immediately and booked a beautiful luxury hotel overlooking the Bay. I decided to stay for 2 nights and use San Juan as a base. If I wanted to visit Isla de Ometepe I could do it from there.
It didn’t take long to explore the entire town on foot and discover much to my surprise that nobody spoke English? There were a few craft/souvenir shops and I managed to buy most of the things I needed - and then I was bored already! I checked out the restaurants along the Bay and later enjoyed a delicious sea bass and a bottle of wine for less than $20!
The next morning I decided to run an easy 10Km. However the road along the Bay was only 1Km and after running every street in town I still hadn’t run 3Km? I was forced to run on the only road leading into/out of town. The locals (Nicas) looked at me like I was crazy? I noticed during my run that there was a huge discrepancy between the typical Nica hacienda and the typical Gringo hacienda? (See photos). I have to believe there is a huge problem with security/crime?
After my run and breakfast I was bored again? I didn’t want to drive anywhere because I wasn’t all that comfortable driving in Nicaragua so I forced myself to rest and relax on the beach (tough work for a Maddog) until it was ‘Miller’ time. Then I visited the restaurants for another great seafood dinner and wine. On my last morning I skipped the roads in town for running and just headed straight out the hwy for 5Km and returned to the funny looks of the Nicas?
Then it was time to drive back towards Managua. As I drove towards Rivas I luckily got a glimpse of the volcanoes on Isla de Ometepe and stopped for some photos.I figured it might be easier to stay in Masaya – the “Cradle of Nicaraguan Culture’ that is the regional capital of the Meseta Central and home to the national ‘artesania (handicraft) market - rather than trying to stay in Managua. I arrived in Masaya in time for lunch and parked near the artesania market. As I was shopping for the few final souvenirs I needed I lucked in and met a retired expat from Florida who was living in Masaya (the only person I met who spoke English?). We had a long conversation. He gave me directions to the ‘best’ hotel in town and told me that I was either very brave –or foolish – to drive in Nicaragua. He sold his car one year after moving there because it was too dangerous to drive! However he did inform me that it was possible to use back roads to bypass Managua and get directly to the airport. He gave me excellent directions. Since there were no street signs directions were based on landmarks i.e. turn right at ABC restaurant and continue to XYZ factory and turn left, etc.
I parked the car at the ‘best’ hotel – at least was clean, had A/C and TV and most importantly 24 hr security - and spent the afternoon doing a walking tour of the city. It is not a pretty city! There are few hotels and few restaurants! But there was a special festival being held that evening at the artesania market and I enjoyed watching traditional dancers from Panama and Nicaragua performing. The hotel had warned me not to walk around after 9pm but it was only 3 blocks back to the hotel so I risked it and walked fast. I had no problems! When I arrived back at the hotel the staff advised me to move the car into the hotel lot –“it was not safe on the streets”. I let the staff move it and I wisely never left the hotel again until I was ready to drive to the airport!
My expat friend had provided excellent directions and I drove directly to the airport using back roads and bypassing Managua without getting lost! I was happy to turn the car back in and ready to go home!
So to summarize some comments:
Q50 Ultra
The race was very well organized. The race director and staff were friendly and supportive and gladly accommodated my request to add a marathon to the race. The course was well marked and the race was well supported.
Nicaragua
I am not in any rush to go back! The Nicas are friendly but there is lots of poverty and filth throughout the country. Real estate, hotels, meals, etc. are cheap but there is no tourist or even normal infrastructure. You need to be adventurous and flexible to visit or live there. Do not drive!
I am happy to be back home although the heat and humidity in FL right now are as bad as Nicaragua.
I have to start preparing for my next race where the geographical and environmental conditions will be completely opposite to this trip - my next marathon/adventure in three weeks is in the Sahara Desert!
Stay tuned!
NICARAGUA
10/02 – 10/10/08
Part 2
Now where did we leave off? Oh yes – I was getting ready to leave Matagalpa and drive to Southwestern Nicaragua. I knew the way back to Managua but was concerned about driving through the capital city of 1.5 Million people with no street signs and no road/directional signs.
When I arrived back to the NE suburbs of Managua the fun began – no signs and no directions. I managed to find my way downtown and then had to stop twice for directions. It surprised me that nobody spoke English including the bell hop at the Hilton hotel but they did give me directions (in Spanish) to the main road leading south out of the city to Granada and I arrived in Granada in time for lunch. I parked the car near the main city park, Parque Colon, and walked. Since Granada and the Pacific Coast are the main tourist areas of Nicaragua I was expecting to find a better tourist infrastructure and people who spoke English? I was disappointed! There was neither. The only person in Granada who spoke English was the desk clerk at the hotel – a small, luxury boutique hotel for $45/night a few blocks from Parque Colon. Granada didn’t seem to have the same charm and atmosphere that I remembered from 20 years ago when we toured the city in a horse carriage? Nevertheless I toured the city on foot and took some photos for my readers. And I did find one craft/souvenir shop where I was able to buy some postcards. After a hot and humid afternoon of walking I was ready for a cool beer and a good dinner. I found a very nice restaurant that served a local freshwater bass from Lake Nicaragua. It was delicious and cost $20 including a bottle of wine!
The next morning I ran down Calle La Calzeda to the Centro Turistico along Lake Nicaragua for a pleasant 10Km run without any traffic. After breakfast I headed off to the Pacific Coast. I initially got lost trying to leave the city but soon found the Pan American Hwy heading to Costa Rica. As I drove through Rivas – the gateway to the South – I considered a detour to the ferry terminal at San Jorge to take a ferry over to Isla de Ometepe – the largest island in the world in a freshwater lake (Nicaragua). Its name is derived from the Nahuati words ‘ome’ meaning one and ‘tepeti’ meaning hill or mountain – the place of two mountains. There are two volcanoes – Volcan Cocepcion (1610m), still active and Volcan Maderas (1395m) that can be hiked but the weather was overcast/rain and I couldn’t see either volcano so I drove on to San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Coast.
San Juan del Sur is a small seaside village located on San Juan Bay with the San Juan River flowing through the town. There are several luxury condos and communities built around/near San Juan for gringos! San Juan Bay has several small but excellent seafood restaurants located right on the beach. I liked the town immediately and booked a beautiful luxury hotel overlooking the Bay. I decided to stay for 2 nights and use San Juan as a base. If I wanted to visit Isla de Ometepe I could do it from there.
It didn’t take long to explore the entire town on foot and discover much to my surprise that nobody spoke English? There were a few craft/souvenir shops and I managed to buy most of the things I needed - and then I was bored already! I checked out the restaurants along the Bay and later enjoyed a delicious sea bass and a bottle of wine for less than $20!
The next morning I decided to run an easy 10Km. However the road along the Bay was only 1Km and after running every street in town I still hadn’t run 3Km? I was forced to run on the only road leading into/out of town. The locals (Nicas) looked at me like I was crazy? I noticed during my run that there was a huge discrepancy between the typical Nica hacienda and the typical Gringo hacienda? (See photos). I have to believe there is a huge problem with security/crime?
After my run and breakfast I was bored again? I didn’t want to drive anywhere because I wasn’t all that comfortable driving in Nicaragua so I forced myself to rest and relax on the beach (tough work for a Maddog) until it was ‘Miller’ time. Then I visited the restaurants for another great seafood dinner and wine. On my last morning I skipped the roads in town for running and just headed straight out the hwy for 5Km and returned to the funny looks of the Nicas?
Then it was time to drive back towards Managua. As I drove towards Rivas I luckily got a glimpse of the volcanoes on Isla de Ometepe and stopped for some photos.I figured it might be easier to stay in Masaya – the “Cradle of Nicaraguan Culture’ that is the regional capital of the Meseta Central and home to the national ‘artesania (handicraft) market - rather than trying to stay in Managua. I arrived in Masaya in time for lunch and parked near the artesania market. As I was shopping for the few final souvenirs I needed I lucked in and met a retired expat from Florida who was living in Masaya (the only person I met who spoke English?). We had a long conversation. He gave me directions to the ‘best’ hotel in town and told me that I was either very brave –or foolish – to drive in Nicaragua. He sold his car one year after moving there because it was too dangerous to drive! However he did inform me that it was possible to use back roads to bypass Managua and get directly to the airport. He gave me excellent directions. Since there were no street signs directions were based on landmarks i.e. turn right at ABC restaurant and continue to XYZ factory and turn left, etc.
I parked the car at the ‘best’ hotel – at least was clean, had A/C and TV and most importantly 24 hr security - and spent the afternoon doing a walking tour of the city. It is not a pretty city! There are few hotels and few restaurants! But there was a special festival being held that evening at the artesania market and I enjoyed watching traditional dancers from Panama and Nicaragua performing. The hotel had warned me not to walk around after 9pm but it was only 3 blocks back to the hotel so I risked it and walked fast. I had no problems! When I arrived back at the hotel the staff advised me to move the car into the hotel lot –“it was not safe on the streets”. I let the staff move it and I wisely never left the hotel again until I was ready to drive to the airport!
My expat friend had provided excellent directions and I drove directly to the airport using back roads and bypassing Managua without getting lost! I was happy to turn the car back in and ready to go home!
So to summarize some comments:
Q50 Ultra
The race was very well organized. The race director and staff were friendly and supportive and gladly accommodated my request to add a marathon to the race. The course was well marked and the race was well supported.
Nicaragua
I am not in any rush to go back! The Nicas are friendly but there is lots of poverty and filth throughout the country. Real estate, hotels, meals, etc. are cheap but there is no tourist or even normal infrastructure. You need to be adventurous and flexible to visit or live there. Do not drive!
I am happy to be back home although the heat and humidity in FL right now are as bad as Nicaragua.
I have to start preparing for my next race where the geographical and environmental conditions will be completely opposite to this trip - my next marathon/adventure in three weeks is in the Sahara Desert!
Stay tuned!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
TR Nicaragua - Part 1
TRIP REPORT
NICARAGUA
10/2 – 10/10/08
Part 1
Race Results
Q50 Finca Las Nubes Ultra & Trail Marathon
Matagalpa, Nicaragua
Sun, Oct 5/08
Marathon #309 – Country #94
4:52:34
Country #94 – FOUR down - SIX to go!
A few readers have already asked me where Nicaragua is so first a geography lesson: Nicaragua is located in Central America. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is bordered on the South by Costa Rica and the North by Honduras. With only 5.5 Million people it is the least densely populated country in Central America. When one mentions Nicaragua many people immediately conjure up visions and memories of the civil war in the 1970/80s between the Sandinistas and the Contras and believe it is still unsafe. The war ended in 1987 and the country has been at peace since and has one of the lowest crimes rates in Central America. The people (called Nicas) are very friendly and Nicaragua is being marketed as the next ‘undiscovered’ tourist and retirement haven. I will comment and summarize on that claim for those that may be interested.
Many parts of Nicaragua have been set aside as Nature Preserves and indeed are beautiful. However there is a lot of poverty and filth all over the country – there is no tourist infrastructure and very little/poor normal infrastructure. It is dangerous to drive in Nicaragua because of poor roads and there may be animals (cows/horses/dogs) lying in the roads! There are always pedestrians and bikes on the roads and cars/trucks stop in the middle of the roads/hwys to let people off or if they break down! There are no street signs in the cities/towns and very few road/directional signs on the roads/hwys!
Very few people speak English. Yes! Real estate and cost of living is low and much cheaper than neighboring Costa Rica (that has been discovered) but my advice is that only people that are adventurous and adaptable should consider visiting or retiring there!
Now on to the marathon story.
I had been looking for a marathon in Nicaragua for the past few years. In 2007 a friend from Panama informed me of an Ultra marathon in Nicaragua. I contacted the race director and learned that the race was being held on the same date as a marathon I had scheduled for Ecuador so I put it on my schedule for 2008. When I contacted Cesar, the race director this year he informed me that the race was a 50M/80K Ultra and a two-person relay of 40K each. He gladly agreed to accommodate my request to add a marathon distance to the race. I told him that I would be willing to also run the 1st leg of the relay for any runner looking for a relay mate? He hooked me up with a friend of his in San Antonio, TX and we agreed to run the relay race in addition to my running a marathon!
I had visited Nicaragua about 20 years ago with my family on a one-day excursion to Granada from Costa Rica but this time I wanted to explore more of the country so I booked a one-week trip. I felt brave and booked a rental car for the week so I could do a self-drive tour? After the race I would just drive (fly) by the seat of my pants – little did I realize how true that would be? After some last minute details from Cesar I was ready. Unfortunately my relay partner (and roommate) had to cancel at the last minute due to work problems.
I had planned to meet up with my roommate in Managua a few days before the race and drive the 130Km to Matagalpa the next day because we were warned by Ale (a member of the race staff who provided invaluable assistance) NOT to drive at night! So the following morning (Fri) I set off on my own to drive to Matagalpa in the Northern Highlands. Luckily I had purchased a detailed road map of Nicaragua at the Information desk at the airport because I quicklylearned that there were no street signs in the city and no road or directional signs on the highways? I literally had to use the map, a good sense of direction and ‘the seat of my pants’ to drive/find my way to Matagalpa! There were also a few good guesses involved when I reached junctions and roundabouts but miraculously I reached Sabaco – and the 1st directional sign to Matagalpa – 100Km later? When I reached Matagalpa I parked the car near the Central Park (Parque Morazan) and explored the city on foot and hoped to find a tourist office? I soon realized there was no tourist infrastructure in Matagalpa – no information center – and only one souvenir shop in a city of 105,000 – I couldn’t even find a postcard? Matagalpa is the main city in the coffee region located in the Northern Highlands of Nicaragua. The city is surrounded by mountains. I quickly discovered that nobody spoke English as I asked for directions to the hotel and an Italian restaurant mentioned in my guide book. I soon became quite proficient at asking and understanding directions in Spanish and I found both. The host hotel was the best hotel in town – located in the mountains about 200m above the city with great views. A luxury hotel that cost $35/night! As I was checking in I met Cesar and a few other runners.
Cesar informed me that there were about 100 runners from 6 different countries. – about 20 in the Ultra and 20 in the Relay - Maddog was the only person running the marathon and the rest were running an 11Km Fun run. I was hoping to meet runners from Honduras and El Salvador to get info on marathons there but there were none. However I did meet two runners from Colombia who informed me about a marathon in Colombia in Nov. I have been trying for years to find a marathon in Colombia?
There was a mandatory race meeting scheduled for Sat afternoon and until then we were on our own. On Sat morning I decided to drive to Jinotega - a former Sandinista stronghold located in the Cordillera Dariense – a mountain range in the Northern Highlands. Jinotega, known as ‘the City of Mists’ is located in high-altitude forests that hid the Sandinistas during the civil war. The drive over the Cordillera Dariense was scenic and exciting – potholes big enough to swallow a car – cows on the roads – and a large transport truck broken down in the middle of a curve? However the city was a big disappointment. I don’t think it has seen a new building or a coat of paint since the start of the civil war??? I stayed only long enough for a brief walk to take some photos to share with my readers.
On the drive back to Matagalpa I stopped at Selva Negro – a coffee finca founded by German immigrants in the 1880s and still managed by their descendants. I visited the museum and enjoyed a nice lunch. Later that day I attended the race meeting to pick up my race package (including Bib # 94) and listen to the final race instructions. The entire meeting was conducted in Spanish since there were only a few runners that did not speak Spanish. I was able to gleam most of the important information from the discussion and Ale helped translate details about the race and course! The course consisted of two different loops of 40Km starting and finishing at the same point on a coffee finca. About 10Km of the 1st loop were paved roads and the rest were dirt roads and trails through coffee fincas (farms). There would be some minor stream crossings and a crossing of a major stream in the 1st loop. The race director was concerned about the major stream because it had been raining steadily in Nicaragua for the past few weeks! If it was too dangerous the loop would be shortened? I was glad I had brought my trail shoes as advised! There were water stations located every 10Km so it was necessary to carry water during the race!
Sun morning was “M’ –day! We had to leave the hotel at 4:45am to drive to Finca Santa Emilia located in the Cordillera Dariense. I wasn’t sure how we would get there – I wanted to drive my own car but didn’t know the directions? It worked out OK since another Yank, Kevin, from LA volunteered to drive and we followed a convoy of runners to the finca. It was very hot and humid for the 6am start and it was overcast which was good! I followed the two Colombia runners who were running the Ultra. They hoped to finish under 9 hrs so if I stayed with them I might finish the marathon in 4 ½ hrs? I quickly realized that the course didn’t seem to match the elevation profile that had been posted on the website? It dropped for the 1st Km out of the finca but then started to climb on dirt trails or roads used to service the coffee plants. It started to drizzle about 30 minutes into the race. That meant 100% humidity but at least it kept the temps cooler! Since my water bottle held ½ L I decided to drink half (¼ L) every 20 minutes and refill my bottle at every stop. We reached the 1st water station at 10Km in 1:03:29. Shortly after the water stop we left the finca and turned on to a paved road. The ‘Fun runners’ left us at that point to return to the finish line. Now that I was on my favorite surface – pavement- I surged by the Colombians. The paved road dropped steeply for a few Km and then climbed steeply for about 3 Km before we turned and looped back to the 16Km mark where we left the paved road and started climbing a very steep dirt trail. The Colombians re-passed me on that steep BAH (Bad Ass Hill) and soon I was forced to power walk – my legs just couldn’t churn up that BAH. Somehow I managed to stay close to them until we reached the 2nd water stop at 20Km (2:10:58). But after I filled my water bottle I couldn’t stay with them because the trail continued to climb steeply and relentlessly for 3 Km and they soon left me behind. From that point on I ran the rest of the race by myself except when I met runners coming in the opposite direction! Fortunately the course was well marked and I never had any problems finding my way. There were a few minor stream crossings where I foolishly tried to keep my feet dry? Around 23 Km I reached the major stream crossing. The race director had strung a rope across the river and established a safety rule that runners had to hold the rope while crossing the river. The water was only knee deep but fast and I gladly obeyed the race rule because I did not want to leave my body floating down some river in Nicaragua!
After the river crossing I soon met a bunch of runners – including the Colombians - on the return that gave me hope that I was close to the end of the relentless climb and torture? Finally I reached the turn-around and hauled ass back down that BAH including the river crossing in the hope I might be able to catch some of the runners ahead of me? I arrived back at the water stop – 20/30Km – at 3:25:17. I quickly filled my water bottle and took off again to take advantage of another 3 Km of descent back to the paved road. Around 32Km I came across a local runner collapsed on the trail? I stopped to check if he was OK? He was not! He was disoriented and puking! I figured he was suffering from severe dehydration and gave him some water. Luckily Cesar came by a few minutes later and I handed the runner over to his care. They took him back to the finish line and medical tent for IVs. I continued a fast pace until I reached the paved road around 35Km. As I turned on to the road the sun broke through the clouds and the heat index soared – along with my heart rate! I tried to run the steep ascent up the road/BAH but my legs refused to move? My body started to shut down! I recognized the symptoms and realized that I was also suffering from dehydration. The ¼ L of water every 20 minutes had not been enough – I was losing twice that amount!
I knew I was in trouble and had no choice but to change my priority from time to “finishing ALIVE” and going on to the next marathon/country! I would walk the final 5Km if necessary. Thankfully there was lots of support along the course - especially on that final section of paved road. Support vehicles passed by very often so I flagged down one and asked for water. I filled my water bottle since I had given most of it to the collapsed runner and also got two bottles of water – one in me and one on me to cool my old bod down! I tried to run again but my old bod refused so I walked most of the next 1 Km. Then I flagged down another support vehicle and repeated the process – 1 bottle of water in me and 1 on me! By then I started to feel a wee bit better and tried running again but all I could manage was a cycle of ‘1 min run - 1 min walk’ because the course was still climbing a steep BAH! After another 1 Km Cesar stopped and gave me more water and some good news. I had only 1 Km more to the relay point/finish line at 40Km! That news got the juices flowing and I managed to start running again (term used loosely) and soon I turned off that miserable/torturous/relentless BAH into the finca. My brain and cognitive capabilities also started to work again and I recognized that I had turned into the entrance of the finca so I knew the route back to the relay point. Unfortunately it was up a short/Steep BAH and Maddog was not willing to let anyone see him walking across the relay point so we ‘ran’ up that BAH and across the relay point (40Km) in 4:37:55.
I stopped for more water and to listen to Ale explain the logistics they had prepared for me to complete a marathon. I was to continue through the relay point and run the first 1.1Km of the 2nd (40Km) loop. There would be a boy scout at that point to tell me to turn around and return to the finish line. As an added safety precaution a local runner who had completed the ‘fun run’ had volunteered to accompany me on the final 2.2 Km loop! As we started off I immediately recognized that this was a “Bad News –Good News” situation. The Bad News was that the first 1.1Km of that 2nd loop was all uphill! Since I had a ‘buddy’ running the loop with me and a support vehicle in front taking photos Maddog insisted on ‘running’ that BAH! Fortunately with the brief rest and more water I was feeling much better and was able to suck it up and run most of that 1.1 Km (needed a few short walks/rests). But I was soooooooooooo happy to finally see that boy scout and the turn-around point! And the Good news was actually DOUBLE Good News: the first part was that the BAH continued to climb relentlessly – I couldn’t see the top – and I didn’t care because I didn’t have to run that 2nd loop! In fact if I had tried to run that 2nd loop my old bod would be buried somewhere on that finca! It was confirmation of my very wise past and present decision to “never, NEVER run an Ultra”! The 2nd part of the Good News was that the final 1.1Km of the marathon was all DOWNHILL!
Maddog could smell the finish line and decided that we should run a ‘fast’ pace to cross the finish line in 4:52:34. After lots of congratulations and a few photos Ale commented “You look good for just having finished a tough marathon”. I replied “Well I certainly have you and other people fooled – because I feel like SHIT”! It took about 10 minutes and copious amounts of water in and on the old bod before I felt like I might live. As I was walking around to help my old bod recover Kevin appeared to inform me that he had to drop out at 30Km because of the humidity and dehydration. I was sorry that he couldn’t finish but it was more good news for me since he was driving back to the hotel and offered me a drive. We figured a good hot shower and a few cold beers would make us feel better and we could come back for the awards ceremony at 5 pm.
However it started to rain shortly after we got back and it rained all afternoon (I was so glad that I was not on that 2nd loop) and we decided not to drive back to the awards ceremony. And the following morning I left very early because I wasn’t sure how long it would take to drive to Granada so I never got to say goodbye to the race staff and the other runners.
My plan was to explore the southern part of Nicaragua – Granada and the Pacific Coast – which meant I would have to drive through Managua and I wasn’t looking forward to that. But I will leave the tourist report of Nicaragua for Part 2 of this story.
Stay tuned!
NICARAGUA
10/2 – 10/10/08
Part 1
Race Results
Q50 Finca Las Nubes Ultra & Trail Marathon
Matagalpa, Nicaragua
Sun, Oct 5/08
Marathon #309 – Country #94
4:52:34
Country #94 – FOUR down - SIX to go!
A few readers have already asked me where Nicaragua is so first a geography lesson: Nicaragua is located in Central America. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is bordered on the South by Costa Rica and the North by Honduras. With only 5.5 Million people it is the least densely populated country in Central America. When one mentions Nicaragua many people immediately conjure up visions and memories of the civil war in the 1970/80s between the Sandinistas and the Contras and believe it is still unsafe. The war ended in 1987 and the country has been at peace since and has one of the lowest crimes rates in Central America. The people (called Nicas) are very friendly and Nicaragua is being marketed as the next ‘undiscovered’ tourist and retirement haven. I will comment and summarize on that claim for those that may be interested.
Many parts of Nicaragua have been set aside as Nature Preserves and indeed are beautiful. However there is a lot of poverty and filth all over the country – there is no tourist infrastructure and very little/poor normal infrastructure. It is dangerous to drive in Nicaragua because of poor roads and there may be animals (cows/horses/dogs) lying in the roads! There are always pedestrians and bikes on the roads and cars/trucks stop in the middle of the roads/hwys to let people off or if they break down! There are no street signs in the cities/towns and very few road/directional signs on the roads/hwys!
Very few people speak English. Yes! Real estate and cost of living is low and much cheaper than neighboring Costa Rica (that has been discovered) but my advice is that only people that are adventurous and adaptable should consider visiting or retiring there!
Now on to the marathon story.
I had been looking for a marathon in Nicaragua for the past few years. In 2007 a friend from Panama informed me of an Ultra marathon in Nicaragua. I contacted the race director and learned that the race was being held on the same date as a marathon I had scheduled for Ecuador so I put it on my schedule for 2008. When I contacted Cesar, the race director this year he informed me that the race was a 50M/80K Ultra and a two-person relay of 40K each. He gladly agreed to accommodate my request to add a marathon distance to the race. I told him that I would be willing to also run the 1st leg of the relay for any runner looking for a relay mate? He hooked me up with a friend of his in San Antonio, TX and we agreed to run the relay race in addition to my running a marathon!
I had visited Nicaragua about 20 years ago with my family on a one-day excursion to Granada from Costa Rica but this time I wanted to explore more of the country so I booked a one-week trip. I felt brave and booked a rental car for the week so I could do a self-drive tour? After the race I would just drive (fly) by the seat of my pants – little did I realize how true that would be? After some last minute details from Cesar I was ready. Unfortunately my relay partner (and roommate) had to cancel at the last minute due to work problems.
I had planned to meet up with my roommate in Managua a few days before the race and drive the 130Km to Matagalpa the next day because we were warned by Ale (a member of the race staff who provided invaluable assistance) NOT to drive at night! So the following morning (Fri) I set off on my own to drive to Matagalpa in the Northern Highlands. Luckily I had purchased a detailed road map of Nicaragua at the Information desk at the airport because I quicklylearned that there were no street signs in the city and no road or directional signs on the highways? I literally had to use the map, a good sense of direction and ‘the seat of my pants’ to drive/find my way to Matagalpa! There were also a few good guesses involved when I reached junctions and roundabouts but miraculously I reached Sabaco – and the 1st directional sign to Matagalpa – 100Km later? When I reached Matagalpa I parked the car near the Central Park (Parque Morazan) and explored the city on foot and hoped to find a tourist office? I soon realized there was no tourist infrastructure in Matagalpa – no information center – and only one souvenir shop in a city of 105,000 – I couldn’t even find a postcard? Matagalpa is the main city in the coffee region located in the Northern Highlands of Nicaragua. The city is surrounded by mountains. I quickly discovered that nobody spoke English as I asked for directions to the hotel and an Italian restaurant mentioned in my guide book. I soon became quite proficient at asking and understanding directions in Spanish and I found both. The host hotel was the best hotel in town – located in the mountains about 200m above the city with great views. A luxury hotel that cost $35/night! As I was checking in I met Cesar and a few other runners.
Cesar informed me that there were about 100 runners from 6 different countries. – about 20 in the Ultra and 20 in the Relay - Maddog was the only person running the marathon and the rest were running an 11Km Fun run. I was hoping to meet runners from Honduras and El Salvador to get info on marathons there but there were none. However I did meet two runners from Colombia who informed me about a marathon in Colombia in Nov. I have been trying for years to find a marathon in Colombia?
There was a mandatory race meeting scheduled for Sat afternoon and until then we were on our own. On Sat morning I decided to drive to Jinotega - a former Sandinista stronghold located in the Cordillera Dariense – a mountain range in the Northern Highlands. Jinotega, known as ‘the City of Mists’ is located in high-altitude forests that hid the Sandinistas during the civil war. The drive over the Cordillera Dariense was scenic and exciting – potholes big enough to swallow a car – cows on the roads – and a large transport truck broken down in the middle of a curve? However the city was a big disappointment. I don’t think it has seen a new building or a coat of paint since the start of the civil war??? I stayed only long enough for a brief walk to take some photos to share with my readers.
On the drive back to Matagalpa I stopped at Selva Negro – a coffee finca founded by German immigrants in the 1880s and still managed by their descendants. I visited the museum and enjoyed a nice lunch. Later that day I attended the race meeting to pick up my race package (including Bib # 94) and listen to the final race instructions. The entire meeting was conducted in Spanish since there were only a few runners that did not speak Spanish. I was able to gleam most of the important information from the discussion and Ale helped translate details about the race and course! The course consisted of two different loops of 40Km starting and finishing at the same point on a coffee finca. About 10Km of the 1st loop were paved roads and the rest were dirt roads and trails through coffee fincas (farms). There would be some minor stream crossings and a crossing of a major stream in the 1st loop. The race director was concerned about the major stream because it had been raining steadily in Nicaragua for the past few weeks! If it was too dangerous the loop would be shortened? I was glad I had brought my trail shoes as advised! There were water stations located every 10Km so it was necessary to carry water during the race!
Sun morning was “M’ –day! We had to leave the hotel at 4:45am to drive to Finca Santa Emilia located in the Cordillera Dariense. I wasn’t sure how we would get there – I wanted to drive my own car but didn’t know the directions? It worked out OK since another Yank, Kevin, from LA volunteered to drive and we followed a convoy of runners to the finca. It was very hot and humid for the 6am start and it was overcast which was good! I followed the two Colombia runners who were running the Ultra. They hoped to finish under 9 hrs so if I stayed with them I might finish the marathon in 4 ½ hrs? I quickly realized that the course didn’t seem to match the elevation profile that had been posted on the website? It dropped for the 1st Km out of the finca but then started to climb on dirt trails or roads used to service the coffee plants. It started to drizzle about 30 minutes into the race. That meant 100% humidity but at least it kept the temps cooler! Since my water bottle held ½ L I decided to drink half (¼ L) every 20 minutes and refill my bottle at every stop. We reached the 1st water station at 10Km in 1:03:29. Shortly after the water stop we left the finca and turned on to a paved road. The ‘Fun runners’ left us at that point to return to the finish line. Now that I was on my favorite surface – pavement- I surged by the Colombians. The paved road dropped steeply for a few Km and then climbed steeply for about 3 Km before we turned and looped back to the 16Km mark where we left the paved road and started climbing a very steep dirt trail. The Colombians re-passed me on that steep BAH (Bad Ass Hill) and soon I was forced to power walk – my legs just couldn’t churn up that BAH. Somehow I managed to stay close to them until we reached the 2nd water stop at 20Km (2:10:58). But after I filled my water bottle I couldn’t stay with them because the trail continued to climb steeply and relentlessly for 3 Km and they soon left me behind. From that point on I ran the rest of the race by myself except when I met runners coming in the opposite direction! Fortunately the course was well marked and I never had any problems finding my way. There were a few minor stream crossings where I foolishly tried to keep my feet dry? Around 23 Km I reached the major stream crossing. The race director had strung a rope across the river and established a safety rule that runners had to hold the rope while crossing the river. The water was only knee deep but fast and I gladly obeyed the race rule because I did not want to leave my body floating down some river in Nicaragua!
After the river crossing I soon met a bunch of runners – including the Colombians - on the return that gave me hope that I was close to the end of the relentless climb and torture? Finally I reached the turn-around and hauled ass back down that BAH including the river crossing in the hope I might be able to catch some of the runners ahead of me? I arrived back at the water stop – 20/30Km – at 3:25:17. I quickly filled my water bottle and took off again to take advantage of another 3 Km of descent back to the paved road. Around 32Km I came across a local runner collapsed on the trail? I stopped to check if he was OK? He was not! He was disoriented and puking! I figured he was suffering from severe dehydration and gave him some water. Luckily Cesar came by a few minutes later and I handed the runner over to his care. They took him back to the finish line and medical tent for IVs. I continued a fast pace until I reached the paved road around 35Km. As I turned on to the road the sun broke through the clouds and the heat index soared – along with my heart rate! I tried to run the steep ascent up the road/BAH but my legs refused to move? My body started to shut down! I recognized the symptoms and realized that I was also suffering from dehydration. The ¼ L of water every 20 minutes had not been enough – I was losing twice that amount!
I knew I was in trouble and had no choice but to change my priority from time to “finishing ALIVE” and going on to the next marathon/country! I would walk the final 5Km if necessary. Thankfully there was lots of support along the course - especially on that final section of paved road. Support vehicles passed by very often so I flagged down one and asked for water. I filled my water bottle since I had given most of it to the collapsed runner and also got two bottles of water – one in me and one on me to cool my old bod down! I tried to run again but my old bod refused so I walked most of the next 1 Km. Then I flagged down another support vehicle and repeated the process – 1 bottle of water in me and 1 on me! By then I started to feel a wee bit better and tried running again but all I could manage was a cycle of ‘1 min run - 1 min walk’ because the course was still climbing a steep BAH! After another 1 Km Cesar stopped and gave me more water and some good news. I had only 1 Km more to the relay point/finish line at 40Km! That news got the juices flowing and I managed to start running again (term used loosely) and soon I turned off that miserable/torturous/relentless BAH into the finca. My brain and cognitive capabilities also started to work again and I recognized that I had turned into the entrance of the finca so I knew the route back to the relay point. Unfortunately it was up a short/Steep BAH and Maddog was not willing to let anyone see him walking across the relay point so we ‘ran’ up that BAH and across the relay point (40Km) in 4:37:55.
I stopped for more water and to listen to Ale explain the logistics they had prepared for me to complete a marathon. I was to continue through the relay point and run the first 1.1Km of the 2nd (40Km) loop. There would be a boy scout at that point to tell me to turn around and return to the finish line. As an added safety precaution a local runner who had completed the ‘fun run’ had volunteered to accompany me on the final 2.2 Km loop! As we started off I immediately recognized that this was a “Bad News –Good News” situation. The Bad News was that the first 1.1Km of that 2nd loop was all uphill! Since I had a ‘buddy’ running the loop with me and a support vehicle in front taking photos Maddog insisted on ‘running’ that BAH! Fortunately with the brief rest and more water I was feeling much better and was able to suck it up and run most of that 1.1 Km (needed a few short walks/rests). But I was soooooooooooo happy to finally see that boy scout and the turn-around point! And the Good news was actually DOUBLE Good News: the first part was that the BAH continued to climb relentlessly – I couldn’t see the top – and I didn’t care because I didn’t have to run that 2nd loop! In fact if I had tried to run that 2nd loop my old bod would be buried somewhere on that finca! It was confirmation of my very wise past and present decision to “never, NEVER run an Ultra”! The 2nd part of the Good News was that the final 1.1Km of the marathon was all DOWNHILL!
Maddog could smell the finish line and decided that we should run a ‘fast’ pace to cross the finish line in 4:52:34. After lots of congratulations and a few photos Ale commented “You look good for just having finished a tough marathon”. I replied “Well I certainly have you and other people fooled – because I feel like SHIT”! It took about 10 minutes and copious amounts of water in and on the old bod before I felt like I might live. As I was walking around to help my old bod recover Kevin appeared to inform me that he had to drop out at 30Km because of the humidity and dehydration. I was sorry that he couldn’t finish but it was more good news for me since he was driving back to the hotel and offered me a drive. We figured a good hot shower and a few cold beers would make us feel better and we could come back for the awards ceremony at 5 pm.
However it started to rain shortly after we got back and it rained all afternoon (I was so glad that I was not on that 2nd loop) and we decided not to drive back to the awards ceremony. And the following morning I left very early because I wasn’t sure how long it would take to drive to Granada so I never got to say goodbye to the race staff and the other runners.
My plan was to explore the southern part of Nicaragua – Granada and the Pacific Coast – which meant I would have to drive through Managua and I wasn’t looking forward to that. But I will leave the tourist report of Nicaragua for Part 2 of this story.
Stay tuned!
Monday, September 15, 2008
TR -Bhutan- Part 2
TRIP REPORT
BHUTAN
8/31 –9/11/08
Part 2
Now where were we? Oh yes – we had arrived in Thimphu and were eager to meet the other groups of ’guest’ runners. After checking into the hotel and enjoying a morning tea break Khandu informed us that the rest of the day was free until we joined up with the other guests at 3 pm for a bus tour of the marathon course. He asked if he could drive us anywhere. We all agreed that we would like a short drive/tour around Thimphu to get the layout of the city.
As we started our drive around the city Khandu suggested that we drive out to the Motithang Takin Preserve to see Bhutan’s national animal – the Takin that is a cross between a goat and a cow. This became a contentious/sore point for me. One of my chief complaints with the tour and tour agency was the lack of a formal itinerary and lack of information. Because I was expecting a short tour of the city I did not bring my camera. Thankfully Corinna brought her camera and promised to send me some photos of the Takins! After seeing the Takins we drove back into the city and went to the only Italian restaurant in Bhutan for lunch. I ordered a pizza with lots of pepperoni and meat – my 2nd best meal in Bhutan! Thimphu is very small and compact so the tour was short and I decided to go shopping for souvenirs. I had seen a unique Bhutanese musical instrument in the shops in Paro but decided to wait till Thimphu where I expected there would be better selections and prices. Much to my surprise and chagrin I could not find the instruments in Thimphu? I returned to the hotel to meet the other guest runners including an old running friend and fellow Country Club member, Andy, who was also adding another country to his list. Andy and I had just met recently when we ran the Estes Park Marathon - ’the Highest Paved Marathon in the World’. We were curious how this marathon course would compare to Estes Park?
There were 15 guest runners –13 running the marathon and 2 running the Half and 3 spouses who were not running. We loaded onto a bus and began our tour of the course.
Again I didn’t bring a camera because I believed it to be strictly a drive/tour of the course? The course started in downtown Thimphu near the National Stadium (elev. 2320m/7650ft) and climbed gently along the right bank of the Wang Chhu (river). At 7 Km it crossed the Dechencholing Bridge to the left bank (2384m/7867ft) and at 7.9Km the two courses (marathon & Half) diverged. The marathon course began to climb the 1st BAH (Bad Ass Hill) to 2508m/8276ft past some water towers where it turned north and entered a pine forest where there were a series of short BAHs until it reached the Begana Bridge (2510m/8283ft) at 15Km. The course then climbed another BAH through oak forests to a turnaround point near the Cheri Goemba (monastery) at 17.9Km and 2583m/8524ft. We stopped at the monastery for a photo op – except for Maddog who had no camera! The course then looped back over the Begana Bridge and past a large gold-painted petroglyph of Chenrisig on a rock beside the road (again no camera for a photo!).
The course continued to retrace the route back to the BAH at the water tower and down to the bridge at Dechencholing where it rejoined the Half marathon course. It then turned into an army base and passed the Queen Mother’s Palace as it climbed up into the mountains overlooking Thimphu from the west. At 32Km the course climbed the final BAH – 5Km long and reached an elevation of 2480m/8200ft before descending back into the city and the finish line. As the bus chugged/strained up that final BAH I commented to the group that “this hill will be an ‘absolute bitch’ tomorrow”! Andy and I and agreed that the course looked much tougher than Estes Park because of the number of BAHs. I finished Estes Park in 4:13 but felt I was in much better shape for this race so my target remained 4 hrs but I expected to finish between 4:00 and 4:15?
The itinerary called for a pasta dinner and party that evening but again there was a serious lack of information. I had learned my lesson and carried a camera but they neglected to advise us that the party would be held outside? It was cold at 7pm and most runners had not dressed properly so it was difficult to enjoy the wonderful dancers and singers who entertained us with traditional songs and dances. Luckily we moved inside for the pre-race dinner and another nasty surprise! The pasta and rice were served COLD! Now I do admit that I am set/rigid in my pre-race diet requirements. I always-always- eat HOT spaghetti bolognaise and will not deviate from this proven routine! I hate COLD food so I refused to eat any of the pasta dinner. I wanted to leave and go back to the Italian restaurant for ‘real’ food but didn’t want to be rude. So instead I returned to the hotel hungry and ate a power bar for my pre-race dinner and hoped that the huge pizza I ate for lunch would carry me through the race?
Since I was not in a good mood at that point I informed my roommate that if he woke me up (again) in the middle of the night (3am) chomping or nibbling on a power bar I would change his nickname from ‘MadMonk’ to ‘Chipmunk’! Either he got the message or ran out of power bars and I got a full night’s sleep before the race!
The races started at 6:30am but Khandu drove us to the start line at 5:30 so we could enjoy the opening ceremony – a traditional Marchhang ceremony to invoke the deities for the protection and good luck of all runners. Khandu became our ‘de facto’ Sports Manager and promised to follow us around the course so I gave him my back-up camera to take photos along the course. In addition to the 15 ‘guest’ runners there were more than 100 local runners. The races were treated as two separate events. There was no doubt that the locals would kick our butts. The locals did not pay an entry fee (most would not enter if they had to pay) and were eligible for cash awards equivalent to two months salary (paid from the $300 entry fee charged to the guest runners). There were no awards for guests! All we got for our $300 was a race T-shirt and a finisher’s medal and certificate! And the results were kept separate.
The weather was nice at the start- cloudy and temps in the low 50sF. The race started on time and the locals took off like rockets. Also one guest runner took off very fast – a young male runner from Norway? I let him go figuring that the hills and elevation would soon slow him down? I ran with some local and guest runners for the first 7Km. After I crossed the Dechencholing Bridge a young German runner passed me and I decided to let him go also but to keep him in sight. As we started climbing the 1st BAH I was determined to run the entire hill. However as we approached the top of the BAH near the water towers my legs were churning madly but they felt like they were moving in ’slow motion’? I figured I could power walk faster and easier than I was supposedly running!
I was correct but I was also concerned that I was setting a bad precedent very early in the race? We turned on to the side road and entered the pine forest. As I crossed the Benang Bridge over the Wang Chhu at 15Km I met the three local leaders of the race. That meant they had a 6Km lead on me at that point and I knew I would not see them again! I started the climb up the BAH to the turnaround point at Cheri Goemba and was disappointed that I had to start power walking again? As I approached the turn point I met the young Norwegian and then the German runner and timed my split to the turn point. I calculated that the Norwegian had a 6 min lead and the German about 4 minutes. I remembered the distance at that point (17.9Km/11m) and was not concerned because I figured/hoped the hills and elevation would slow them down? The return leg down the BAH and back to the bridge was easy and I was able to haul ass! However once I crossed the bridge I was faced again with the series of short BAHs. The gold – painted petroglyph took my mind off the BAHs and pain for a few minutes and soon I reached a water station – the only station that knew what the distance was – 23.3Km. I looked at my watch – 2:05! A sub 4-hr finish was not looking good because the 2nd Half had a lot of BAHs and elevation change? But I kept on pushing the pace. A few minutes later I heard a loud noise/commotion and a tribe of 20/30 monkeys clamored out of the forest and crossed the road in front of me. I didn’t want to threaten their territory so I stopped immediately and retreated while they crossed the road. A few minutes later I met the MadMonk coming in the opposite direction and hoped that he would have an opportunity to see the monkeys. (He did).
Soon I reached the main road and the top of the BAH at the water towers. I was looking forward to that BAH this time – a 2Km steep descent! I hauled ass hoping that I might close within sight of the youngsters ahead of me. However when I reached the water station where the course rejoined the Half (26.9Km) there was no sign of the youngsters. I realized I would not catch them unless they crashed on the final BAH? I began the climb in to the mountains west of the city and enjoyed some nice views of Thimphu (when I wasn’t grimacing with pain). And finally I reached the section of the course I was dreading – the final BAH that climbed steeply/relentlessly for 5km! It did not take long for my prediction to come true! After 1 Km of climbing/running my legs again felt like they were moving in super slow motion? That BAH was an ‘Absolute Bitch”! I developed a strategy to walk 30 secs/run 2 min and managed to maintain that cycle except for a few very steep sections where it became walk 30 secs/run 30 secs! I was becoming concerned that I might not finish under 4:30 with all the walking that I had to do?
I reached a water station near the top of the BAH. No water! That didn’t upset me as much as the fact that the volunteer had no idea what the distance was or how far it was to the finish line! I needed to know how far it was to the finish line so I could determine how hard I needed to push the pace? I decided to push the pace to the top of that BAH/Absolute Bitch! When I finally crested that BAH a support car came by and gave me a bottle of water. I asked “How far to the finish line”? The answer was useless – “30 minutes”! 30 minutes for whom? I looked at my watch – it was just under 4 hours! If he was correct I would be lucky to finish under 4:30? Maddog screamed at me “That is not acceptable”! I agreed and we decided that I had to push the pace – all out- to the finish line. If I crashed at least I would go down in flames trying! I figured it was 4 or 5Km to the finish line – and all downhill. I hauled ass and soon was pleasantly surprised/rewarded when I made a sharp turn at a large Stupa. I remembered that Stupa was approximately 1 mile from the finish line. I looked at my watch – about 4:05! I was then confident that I could finish under 4:15 and qualify for Boston. That final mile was a very steep downhill so I stretched out my stride and used gravity to fly down that hill. I reached the bottom of that BAH and downtown Thimphu at 4:10 and could see the finish line on the other side of the Wang Chhu! I looked at the bridge. The sidewalk was crowded with pedestrians that would impede my path/speed and there was no traffic control on the bridge. I decided to take a chance and charged down the middle of the traffic lane forcing and trusting cars to avoid me? I made it across the bridge safely and begged the old bod to give me one final jolt of adrenalin so I could sprint up the final, short/steep hill to cross the finish line in 4:13:23!
The youngsters were waiting at the finish line. The Norwegian had finished in 4:01 and the German in 4:08. I was not disappointed – they were half my age and I had finished in 3rd place (among the guest runners). And it turned out that I was the only runner (including the locals) who finished that tough course with a BQ time! I was pleased! I waited at the finish line for the first guest female to finish (from Hong Kong) in 4:33. Then I decided I might as well walk back to the hotel for a long hot shower since the MM would not finish for another two hours. After a much-needed shower I met several of my fellow runners in the hotel lobby. Everyone agreed with my course assessment – it was tough and that last BAH was an ’Absolute Bitch’. Andy and I agreed that it was much tougher than Estes Park but the strange coincidence was that I finished in the exact same time as Estes Park and Andy finished exactly one hour behind me – the same as Estes Park?
Most runners were going to lunch at the hotel but I can’t eat after a race so I walked back to the finish line to wait for the MadMonk. The race director had assigned two teenagers to accompany the MM through the 2nd half and he was in constant contact with the volunteers. When the MM reached the Stupa near the finish I walked backwards on the course to escort him to the finish line. He finished in 6:53:26. He was a very tired puppy – but he had survived! He was the last guest to finish but NOT the last runner. A local couple, Japanese expats living in Bhutan, finished 5 minutes later. The race director, Penjo, called all guests to reassemble at the finish area for the awards ceremony. The cash awards were presented to the local winners and all the guests received a finisher’s medal and certificate.
Everyone returned to the hotel. While MM enjoyed a hot shower Penjo asked Andy and I to meet with him to provide feedback and comments to improve the race. We were glad to do so over a few well-deserved beers. Penjo indicated that he planned to hold two marathons next year. One in the Spring in the Punakha Valley where the elevation is lower and the course would be flatter and then probably repeat the same marathon and course that we ran in the Fall? By that time I was starving since I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hrs. I asked Penjo to perform a miracle and find me a Yak steak. He tried valiantly and called more than a dozen restaurants in Thimphu – but alas no Yak steaks to be had? So he drove me to the Italian restaurant where the owner/chef cooked us a BIG pork chop with potatoes. The BEST meal I ate in Bhutan!
After that great meal I visited several more handicraft shops in the hopes of finding my musical instruments but no luck. I wasn’t concerned since we would return to Paro and I could buy them there. I did find all the other souvenirs I needed so most of my shopping was done. Later that evening Andy’s group invited us to go to the Italian restaurant for dinner. I thought that was a great idea but the rest of my group wanted to go to a small local restaurant for ‘typical’ Bhutanese food- read “veggie’. I don’t know why I agreed because I refused to eat any veggie crap and ordered a dish of chicken with chili peppers. It was spicy but tasty but I really wished I had gone back to the Italian restaurant for ‘real’ food!
The following day most of the groups parted ways and continued on their different tours. We were scheduled to drive to the Punakha Valley. Although it was only 76 Km it was a 3 –hr drive because it was necessary to drive over a pass at Docha Lu (3140m/10,362ft) and then descend to Punakha (1250m/4125ft). We made a short stop at Simtokha to take photos of the Simtokha Dzong built in 1629. Then we began the long drive that was tough on Khandu and scary for his guests! The road is paved but is a narrow, single lane and it can be a scary challenge when you meet another vehicle! Both cars must swerve on to the shoulder and there are no guardrails to prevent a car from plummeting 3000+feet off the sides of the mountains! However in a few hours we safely reached Docha Lu where there was a large array of prayer flags and a collection of 108 chortens built in 2005 to commemorate the loss of life caused by the flushing out of Assamese militants in Southern Bhutan. As usual the chortens were shrouded in rain clouds. A few hours later we had descended safely to Punakha valley and checked into a hotel in Wangdue. Due to the low elevation of Punakha Valley and the warm climate the valley is very fertile and provides two crops of rice and tropical fruit such as oranges and bananas. The scenery was spectacular with terraced rice fields climbing up the sides of the mountains.
After a short rest and lunch we drove up the valley to visit the Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most impressive dzongs. It sits at the confluence of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho Chhu (Father River). Punakha was the capital of Bhutan for more than 300 years so the dzong was the seat of government power. After visiting the dzong we were scheduled to visit a monastery that required a short hike. However Corinna was suffering from a sprained ankle and could barely walk and the MM was still exhausted from the marathon so we rebelled and told Khandu that we would take photos from the road! We decided to head back to the hotel to rest, use the Internet and drink beer!
The following morning MD and MM wanted to do a short run so we left the hotel at 6am and headed south on the highway. About 2 Km from the hotel we reached a police checkpoint. MD stopped and explained that he was jogging and wanted to run another 5 km past the checkpoint? The guard looked at him like he was crazy and said, ”OK, have a good day sir”! After turning around I met many kids walking to school. They were very friendly and curious wanting to know where I was from, etc. I really enjoyed talking to the kids! After breakfast we were scheduled to visit our last dzong – the Wangdue Phrodrang Dzong on the edge of Wangdue at the confluence of the Punak Tsang Chhu and the Dang Chhu. But first we asked Khandu to drive us to the Wangdue Elementary School where we would donate our final school supplies. We arrived as the morning assembly was being dismissed and got to talk to a lot of the students. Then we found the principal who gladly accepted our gifts. Needless to say we felt quite pleased/happy with ourselves when we left the school. Then it was on to the dzong. The Wangdue Dzong was built in 1638 and was the most authentic dzong we visited. Most of the architecture and buildings were original. Also we arrived at an opportune time. There were many local Buddhist laymen practicing dances for an upcoming festival in the courtyard and we were invited into a building to watch Bhutanese women rehearsing songs and dances for the festival. And then we were invited into the temple to watch some student Monks performing a ceremony and lastly invited into a classroom where students were being taught.
That was the best visit of a dzong – either because of the above activities or maybe because it was the LAST? By then we were completely dzong’d and temple’d out!
So we headed back to Thimpu and the long scary ride over Docha Lu pass. We arrived in Thimphu in time for lunch – you guessed it – another veggie lunch! However by then I had resolved that I did not want to see or eat any more rice or green veggies for at least 3 months! I refused to eat any more veggies! Instead I ordered a big plate of French Fries – hot, greasy chips made from scratch with fresh potatoes. They were wonderful! The 3rd best meal I ate in Bhutan!
We then continued our drive/journey back to Paro. When we reached Paro I insisted that Khandu drive us to a few handicraft shops so I could buy my musical instruments. I can’t tell you what they were because they are Xmas gifts for our kids and they (hopefully) read these reports. But they will make a great addition to their collection of unique musical instruments from around the world. I also insisted on one more stop – to buy a birthday cake! After we checked into the same hotel Corinna enjoyed a hot stone bath while MD and MM enjoyed a Thai massage before dinner. Then I went to the bar to gorge myself on peanuts and Bhutanese beer knowing that it would be unlikely that I could/would eat any (veggie) dinner! But I did enjoy the birthday cake after we sung Happy Birthday to celebrate Khandu’s 28th birthday!
The next morning I believe Khandu was happy to be finished with his babysitting duties as he dropped us off at the Paro airport for our flights to Bangkok. Since MD and MM had an early flight home the next day we booked a hotel near the airport. Unfortunately it was located in a local/industrial area and the only decent restaurant was at the hotel- a Seafood restaurant. I was really looking forward to a BIG beefsteak but had to enjoy a nice seafood dinner instead. The following morning we started our 32-hr journey home. I arrived in a snowstorm late Thu night! Didn’t sleep much because of jetlag but when I did get up I realized that winter is on its way to the High Country! The Aspens are turning golden and the mountaintops have a fresh dusting of snow – both are signs that it is time to leave Colorado!
We will stay for one more week to close up the house and pack for the long drive to Florida. We must be back in FL by the end of Sept because I plan to leave from FL for my next marathon/adventure in Nicaragua in early Oct!
Stay tuned!
BHUTAN
8/31 –9/11/08
Part 2
Now where were we? Oh yes – we had arrived in Thimphu and were eager to meet the other groups of ’guest’ runners. After checking into the hotel and enjoying a morning tea break Khandu informed us that the rest of the day was free until we joined up with the other guests at 3 pm for a bus tour of the marathon course. He asked if he could drive us anywhere. We all agreed that we would like a short drive/tour around Thimphu to get the layout of the city.
As we started our drive around the city Khandu suggested that we drive out to the Motithang Takin Preserve to see Bhutan’s national animal – the Takin that is a cross between a goat and a cow. This became a contentious/sore point for me. One of my chief complaints with the tour and tour agency was the lack of a formal itinerary and lack of information. Because I was expecting a short tour of the city I did not bring my camera. Thankfully Corinna brought her camera and promised to send me some photos of the Takins! After seeing the Takins we drove back into the city and went to the only Italian restaurant in Bhutan for lunch. I ordered a pizza with lots of pepperoni and meat – my 2nd best meal in Bhutan! Thimphu is very small and compact so the tour was short and I decided to go shopping for souvenirs. I had seen a unique Bhutanese musical instrument in the shops in Paro but decided to wait till Thimphu where I expected there would be better selections and prices. Much to my surprise and chagrin I could not find the instruments in Thimphu? I returned to the hotel to meet the other guest runners including an old running friend and fellow Country Club member, Andy, who was also adding another country to his list. Andy and I had just met recently when we ran the Estes Park Marathon - ’the Highest Paved Marathon in the World’. We were curious how this marathon course would compare to Estes Park?
There were 15 guest runners –13 running the marathon and 2 running the Half and 3 spouses who were not running. We loaded onto a bus and began our tour of the course.
Again I didn’t bring a camera because I believed it to be strictly a drive/tour of the course? The course started in downtown Thimphu near the National Stadium (elev. 2320m/7650ft) and climbed gently along the right bank of the Wang Chhu (river). At 7 Km it crossed the Dechencholing Bridge to the left bank (2384m/7867ft) and at 7.9Km the two courses (marathon & Half) diverged. The marathon course began to climb the 1st BAH (Bad Ass Hill) to 2508m/8276ft past some water towers where it turned north and entered a pine forest where there were a series of short BAHs until it reached the Begana Bridge (2510m/8283ft) at 15Km. The course then climbed another BAH through oak forests to a turnaround point near the Cheri Goemba (monastery) at 17.9Km and 2583m/8524ft. We stopped at the monastery for a photo op – except for Maddog who had no camera! The course then looped back over the Begana Bridge and past a large gold-painted petroglyph of Chenrisig on a rock beside the road (again no camera for a photo!).
The course continued to retrace the route back to the BAH at the water tower and down to the bridge at Dechencholing where it rejoined the Half marathon course. It then turned into an army base and passed the Queen Mother’s Palace as it climbed up into the mountains overlooking Thimphu from the west. At 32Km the course climbed the final BAH – 5Km long and reached an elevation of 2480m/8200ft before descending back into the city and the finish line. As the bus chugged/strained up that final BAH I commented to the group that “this hill will be an ‘absolute bitch’ tomorrow”! Andy and I and agreed that the course looked much tougher than Estes Park because of the number of BAHs. I finished Estes Park in 4:13 but felt I was in much better shape for this race so my target remained 4 hrs but I expected to finish between 4:00 and 4:15?
The itinerary called for a pasta dinner and party that evening but again there was a serious lack of information. I had learned my lesson and carried a camera but they neglected to advise us that the party would be held outside? It was cold at 7pm and most runners had not dressed properly so it was difficult to enjoy the wonderful dancers and singers who entertained us with traditional songs and dances. Luckily we moved inside for the pre-race dinner and another nasty surprise! The pasta and rice were served COLD! Now I do admit that I am set/rigid in my pre-race diet requirements. I always-always- eat HOT spaghetti bolognaise and will not deviate from this proven routine! I hate COLD food so I refused to eat any of the pasta dinner. I wanted to leave and go back to the Italian restaurant for ‘real’ food but didn’t want to be rude. So instead I returned to the hotel hungry and ate a power bar for my pre-race dinner and hoped that the huge pizza I ate for lunch would carry me through the race?
Since I was not in a good mood at that point I informed my roommate that if he woke me up (again) in the middle of the night (3am) chomping or nibbling on a power bar I would change his nickname from ‘MadMonk’ to ‘Chipmunk’! Either he got the message or ran out of power bars and I got a full night’s sleep before the race!
The races started at 6:30am but Khandu drove us to the start line at 5:30 so we could enjoy the opening ceremony – a traditional Marchhang ceremony to invoke the deities for the protection and good luck of all runners. Khandu became our ‘de facto’ Sports Manager and promised to follow us around the course so I gave him my back-up camera to take photos along the course. In addition to the 15 ‘guest’ runners there were more than 100 local runners. The races were treated as two separate events. There was no doubt that the locals would kick our butts. The locals did not pay an entry fee (most would not enter if they had to pay) and were eligible for cash awards equivalent to two months salary (paid from the $300 entry fee charged to the guest runners). There were no awards for guests! All we got for our $300 was a race T-shirt and a finisher’s medal and certificate! And the results were kept separate.
The weather was nice at the start- cloudy and temps in the low 50sF. The race started on time and the locals took off like rockets. Also one guest runner took off very fast – a young male runner from Norway? I let him go figuring that the hills and elevation would soon slow him down? I ran with some local and guest runners for the first 7Km. After I crossed the Dechencholing Bridge a young German runner passed me and I decided to let him go also but to keep him in sight. As we started climbing the 1st BAH I was determined to run the entire hill. However as we approached the top of the BAH near the water towers my legs were churning madly but they felt like they were moving in ’slow motion’? I figured I could power walk faster and easier than I was supposedly running!
I was correct but I was also concerned that I was setting a bad precedent very early in the race? We turned on to the side road and entered the pine forest. As I crossed the Benang Bridge over the Wang Chhu at 15Km I met the three local leaders of the race. That meant they had a 6Km lead on me at that point and I knew I would not see them again! I started the climb up the BAH to the turnaround point at Cheri Goemba and was disappointed that I had to start power walking again? As I approached the turn point I met the young Norwegian and then the German runner and timed my split to the turn point. I calculated that the Norwegian had a 6 min lead and the German about 4 minutes. I remembered the distance at that point (17.9Km/11m) and was not concerned because I figured/hoped the hills and elevation would slow them down? The return leg down the BAH and back to the bridge was easy and I was able to haul ass! However once I crossed the bridge I was faced again with the series of short BAHs. The gold – painted petroglyph took my mind off the BAHs and pain for a few minutes and soon I reached a water station – the only station that knew what the distance was – 23.3Km. I looked at my watch – 2:05! A sub 4-hr finish was not looking good because the 2nd Half had a lot of BAHs and elevation change? But I kept on pushing the pace. A few minutes later I heard a loud noise/commotion and a tribe of 20/30 monkeys clamored out of the forest and crossed the road in front of me. I didn’t want to threaten their territory so I stopped immediately and retreated while they crossed the road. A few minutes later I met the MadMonk coming in the opposite direction and hoped that he would have an opportunity to see the monkeys. (He did).
Soon I reached the main road and the top of the BAH at the water towers. I was looking forward to that BAH this time – a 2Km steep descent! I hauled ass hoping that I might close within sight of the youngsters ahead of me. However when I reached the water station where the course rejoined the Half (26.9Km) there was no sign of the youngsters. I realized I would not catch them unless they crashed on the final BAH? I began the climb in to the mountains west of the city and enjoyed some nice views of Thimphu (when I wasn’t grimacing with pain). And finally I reached the section of the course I was dreading – the final BAH that climbed steeply/relentlessly for 5km! It did not take long for my prediction to come true! After 1 Km of climbing/running my legs again felt like they were moving in super slow motion? That BAH was an ‘Absolute Bitch”! I developed a strategy to walk 30 secs/run 2 min and managed to maintain that cycle except for a few very steep sections where it became walk 30 secs/run 30 secs! I was becoming concerned that I might not finish under 4:30 with all the walking that I had to do?
I reached a water station near the top of the BAH. No water! That didn’t upset me as much as the fact that the volunteer had no idea what the distance was or how far it was to the finish line! I needed to know how far it was to the finish line so I could determine how hard I needed to push the pace? I decided to push the pace to the top of that BAH/Absolute Bitch! When I finally crested that BAH a support car came by and gave me a bottle of water. I asked “How far to the finish line”? The answer was useless – “30 minutes”! 30 minutes for whom? I looked at my watch – it was just under 4 hours! If he was correct I would be lucky to finish under 4:30? Maddog screamed at me “That is not acceptable”! I agreed and we decided that I had to push the pace – all out- to the finish line. If I crashed at least I would go down in flames trying! I figured it was 4 or 5Km to the finish line – and all downhill. I hauled ass and soon was pleasantly surprised/rewarded when I made a sharp turn at a large Stupa. I remembered that Stupa was approximately 1 mile from the finish line. I looked at my watch – about 4:05! I was then confident that I could finish under 4:15 and qualify for Boston. That final mile was a very steep downhill so I stretched out my stride and used gravity to fly down that hill. I reached the bottom of that BAH and downtown Thimphu at 4:10 and could see the finish line on the other side of the Wang Chhu! I looked at the bridge. The sidewalk was crowded with pedestrians that would impede my path/speed and there was no traffic control on the bridge. I decided to take a chance and charged down the middle of the traffic lane forcing and trusting cars to avoid me? I made it across the bridge safely and begged the old bod to give me one final jolt of adrenalin so I could sprint up the final, short/steep hill to cross the finish line in 4:13:23!
The youngsters were waiting at the finish line. The Norwegian had finished in 4:01 and the German in 4:08. I was not disappointed – they were half my age and I had finished in 3rd place (among the guest runners). And it turned out that I was the only runner (including the locals) who finished that tough course with a BQ time! I was pleased! I waited at the finish line for the first guest female to finish (from Hong Kong) in 4:33. Then I decided I might as well walk back to the hotel for a long hot shower since the MM would not finish for another two hours. After a much-needed shower I met several of my fellow runners in the hotel lobby. Everyone agreed with my course assessment – it was tough and that last BAH was an ’Absolute Bitch’. Andy and I agreed that it was much tougher than Estes Park but the strange coincidence was that I finished in the exact same time as Estes Park and Andy finished exactly one hour behind me – the same as Estes Park?
Most runners were going to lunch at the hotel but I can’t eat after a race so I walked back to the finish line to wait for the MadMonk. The race director had assigned two teenagers to accompany the MM through the 2nd half and he was in constant contact with the volunteers. When the MM reached the Stupa near the finish I walked backwards on the course to escort him to the finish line. He finished in 6:53:26. He was a very tired puppy – but he had survived! He was the last guest to finish but NOT the last runner. A local couple, Japanese expats living in Bhutan, finished 5 minutes later. The race director, Penjo, called all guests to reassemble at the finish area for the awards ceremony. The cash awards were presented to the local winners and all the guests received a finisher’s medal and certificate.
Everyone returned to the hotel. While MM enjoyed a hot shower Penjo asked Andy and I to meet with him to provide feedback and comments to improve the race. We were glad to do so over a few well-deserved beers. Penjo indicated that he planned to hold two marathons next year. One in the Spring in the Punakha Valley where the elevation is lower and the course would be flatter and then probably repeat the same marathon and course that we ran in the Fall? By that time I was starving since I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hrs. I asked Penjo to perform a miracle and find me a Yak steak. He tried valiantly and called more than a dozen restaurants in Thimphu – but alas no Yak steaks to be had? So he drove me to the Italian restaurant where the owner/chef cooked us a BIG pork chop with potatoes. The BEST meal I ate in Bhutan!
After that great meal I visited several more handicraft shops in the hopes of finding my musical instruments but no luck. I wasn’t concerned since we would return to Paro and I could buy them there. I did find all the other souvenirs I needed so most of my shopping was done. Later that evening Andy’s group invited us to go to the Italian restaurant for dinner. I thought that was a great idea but the rest of my group wanted to go to a small local restaurant for ‘typical’ Bhutanese food- read “veggie’. I don’t know why I agreed because I refused to eat any veggie crap and ordered a dish of chicken with chili peppers. It was spicy but tasty but I really wished I had gone back to the Italian restaurant for ‘real’ food!
The following day most of the groups parted ways and continued on their different tours. We were scheduled to drive to the Punakha Valley. Although it was only 76 Km it was a 3 –hr drive because it was necessary to drive over a pass at Docha Lu (3140m/10,362ft) and then descend to Punakha (1250m/4125ft). We made a short stop at Simtokha to take photos of the Simtokha Dzong built in 1629. Then we began the long drive that was tough on Khandu and scary for his guests! The road is paved but is a narrow, single lane and it can be a scary challenge when you meet another vehicle! Both cars must swerve on to the shoulder and there are no guardrails to prevent a car from plummeting 3000+feet off the sides of the mountains! However in a few hours we safely reached Docha Lu where there was a large array of prayer flags and a collection of 108 chortens built in 2005 to commemorate the loss of life caused by the flushing out of Assamese militants in Southern Bhutan. As usual the chortens were shrouded in rain clouds. A few hours later we had descended safely to Punakha valley and checked into a hotel in Wangdue. Due to the low elevation of Punakha Valley and the warm climate the valley is very fertile and provides two crops of rice and tropical fruit such as oranges and bananas. The scenery was spectacular with terraced rice fields climbing up the sides of the mountains.
After a short rest and lunch we drove up the valley to visit the Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most impressive dzongs. It sits at the confluence of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho Chhu (Father River). Punakha was the capital of Bhutan for more than 300 years so the dzong was the seat of government power. After visiting the dzong we were scheduled to visit a monastery that required a short hike. However Corinna was suffering from a sprained ankle and could barely walk and the MM was still exhausted from the marathon so we rebelled and told Khandu that we would take photos from the road! We decided to head back to the hotel to rest, use the Internet and drink beer!
The following morning MD and MM wanted to do a short run so we left the hotel at 6am and headed south on the highway. About 2 Km from the hotel we reached a police checkpoint. MD stopped and explained that he was jogging and wanted to run another 5 km past the checkpoint? The guard looked at him like he was crazy and said, ”OK, have a good day sir”! After turning around I met many kids walking to school. They were very friendly and curious wanting to know where I was from, etc. I really enjoyed talking to the kids! After breakfast we were scheduled to visit our last dzong – the Wangdue Phrodrang Dzong on the edge of Wangdue at the confluence of the Punak Tsang Chhu and the Dang Chhu. But first we asked Khandu to drive us to the Wangdue Elementary School where we would donate our final school supplies. We arrived as the morning assembly was being dismissed and got to talk to a lot of the students. Then we found the principal who gladly accepted our gifts. Needless to say we felt quite pleased/happy with ourselves when we left the school. Then it was on to the dzong. The Wangdue Dzong was built in 1638 and was the most authentic dzong we visited. Most of the architecture and buildings were original. Also we arrived at an opportune time. There were many local Buddhist laymen practicing dances for an upcoming festival in the courtyard and we were invited into a building to watch Bhutanese women rehearsing songs and dances for the festival. And then we were invited into the temple to watch some student Monks performing a ceremony and lastly invited into a classroom where students were being taught.
That was the best visit of a dzong – either because of the above activities or maybe because it was the LAST? By then we were completely dzong’d and temple’d out!
So we headed back to Thimpu and the long scary ride over Docha Lu pass. We arrived in Thimphu in time for lunch – you guessed it – another veggie lunch! However by then I had resolved that I did not want to see or eat any more rice or green veggies for at least 3 months! I refused to eat any more veggies! Instead I ordered a big plate of French Fries – hot, greasy chips made from scratch with fresh potatoes. They were wonderful! The 3rd best meal I ate in Bhutan!
We then continued our drive/journey back to Paro. When we reached Paro I insisted that Khandu drive us to a few handicraft shops so I could buy my musical instruments. I can’t tell you what they were because they are Xmas gifts for our kids and they (hopefully) read these reports. But they will make a great addition to their collection of unique musical instruments from around the world. I also insisted on one more stop – to buy a birthday cake! After we checked into the same hotel Corinna enjoyed a hot stone bath while MD and MM enjoyed a Thai massage before dinner. Then I went to the bar to gorge myself on peanuts and Bhutanese beer knowing that it would be unlikely that I could/would eat any (veggie) dinner! But I did enjoy the birthday cake after we sung Happy Birthday to celebrate Khandu’s 28th birthday!
The next morning I believe Khandu was happy to be finished with his babysitting duties as he dropped us off at the Paro airport for our flights to Bangkok. Since MD and MM had an early flight home the next day we booked a hotel near the airport. Unfortunately it was located in a local/industrial area and the only decent restaurant was at the hotel- a Seafood restaurant. I was really looking forward to a BIG beefsteak but had to enjoy a nice seafood dinner instead. The following morning we started our 32-hr journey home. I arrived in a snowstorm late Thu night! Didn’t sleep much because of jetlag but when I did get up I realized that winter is on its way to the High Country! The Aspens are turning golden and the mountaintops have a fresh dusting of snow – both are signs that it is time to leave Colorado!
We will stay for one more week to close up the house and pack for the long drive to Florida. We must be back in FL by the end of Sept because I plan to leave from FL for my next marathon/adventure in Nicaragua in early Oct!
Stay tuned!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
TR - Bhutan - Part 1
TRIP REPORT
BHUTAN
8/31 – 9/11/08
Part 1
Race Results
Bhutan International Marathon
Thimphu, Bhutan
Sun, Sept 7/08
Marathon #308 – Country #93
4:13:23 – 3 OA – 1 AG
Country #93 – THREE down – SEVEN to go!
The next question is “Where is Bhutan”? It is a landlocked country in the Himalayan Mountains bordered on the north by China/Tibet and on all other sides by India.
Bhutan’s early history is steeped in Buddhist folklore and Buddhism is still the main religion and cultural influence. The Kingdom is ruled by a King who decided to move the country from an absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy in 2008 that is committed to improving the GNH (Gross National Happiness) of the country and its citizens. The small population (about 700,000) is friendly and sincere.
I had first considered running a marathon in Bhutan in 2001 when the first and only other marathon was held. But the country is very difficult and expensive to visit. The number of tourists is restricted (less than 20,000 per year) and all ‘guests’ (except those from India) must be invited and escorted by a Bhutanese travel agency at all times. There is a tourist tax of $250/day included in the tour package that can only be purchased from a Bhutanese agency! Bottom line – it is not cheap to visit Bhutan! However in my quest to run 100 countries I felt that now was the time - I had better visit Bhutan when I had the chance because there may not be another marathon? And I am not getting any younger!
When I mentioned my trip to some other runners/friends only one – my good friend Frank (aka – the MadMonk) from Sarasota expressed interest and actually booked the trip - and agreed to share a room with me. There is only one airport in the country – in Paro – and only the National airline – Druk Airways – is allowed to fly into the country. We decided to connect to Druk in Bangkok and arrived in Bangkok a few days early to allow time to recover from the expected jet lag before traveling on to Bhutan. As expected when Maddog and MadMonk arrived in Bangkok in mid-afternoon after 32 hours of travel time we were totally wiped out from jet lag. We forced ourselves to stay awake as long as possible. MM succumbed before dinner and crashed at 5 pm. MD managed to eat a light dinner and crashed at 7 pm. We both slept 12 hours and felt much better the next day.
Our families sent us frantic emails warning us that the PM of Thailand had declared a state of emergency the day we arrived! We had heard the same news on the BBC news channel but our hotel was located on the outskirts of the city and we had not noticed any turmoil or problems in the streets? We booked a city and temple tour for the afternoon and decided to visit the Grand Palace on our own during the morning. We didn’t see any turmoil/problems when we arrived in the old section of Bangkok but there were lots of police and military armed with machine guns? We had foolishly dressed in shorts because of the hot/humid weather. I knew that it was forbidden to visit temples without trousers but I didn’t think the same rule applied to the Palace? As we approached the entrance to the Palace a smart local entrepreneur reminded us that we could not enter the Palace and ‘rented’ us a pair of trousers. Actually they looked more like Thai pajamas? We agreed that we would never tell anybody or let anybody see the photos of the biggest/silliest-looking dorks in the world visiting the Grand Palace in PJs – but then I figured “how can we laugh at others if we can’t laugh at ourselves”? So enjoy your laughs! (see photos).
In spite of many laughs and snickers from other tourists we enjoyed our visit of the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew with its revered Emerald Buddha. MM wanted to take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel which turned out to be a bad choice as we sucked up (too many) exhaust fumes in the 5-mile drive! Later that day - and after a wise change into trousers – we toured the old city of Bangkok and visited (too) many Buddhist temples. Again we did not see any political protests or problems? But most of the protests seemed to occur at night and we were in bed by 8pm! Since we had a (ugly) 4:30 am departure for Bhutan the next day we enjoyed a great seafood dinner and were in bed by 8 pm. Five hours later we had to get up and head to the airport! Out Druk Air flight connected via Calcutta, India and arrived in Paro about 8 am on Sept 4. We were finally in Bhutan!
A tour guide from the travel agency that had organized the marathon and trip met us at the airport. We soon learned that Khandu would be our dedicated guide (and babysitter) for our entire stay in Bhutan. There was one other runner in our group – a lovely young lady from Germany. Corinna had only decided in the past few weeks to run the marathon. We were amazed to learn that a tour guide was dedicated to each group or individual guest that arrived at different dates or had a different length of stay? Khandu checked us into a hotel in Paro and I watched in amusement as MM let some young Bhutanese ladies carry his luggage to our room? After breakfast and checking out the grounds of the Hotel Gangtey Palace – an old palace that had been converted to a hotel – the MD and MM decided to do a run. Paro is the 2nd largest city in Bhutan with a population of 9,000 (no error in the zeroes). The town and surrounding area was very rural which was perfect. We couldn’t run in Bangkok because of the traffic and pollution and we needed to run! We ran down the mountain and through the town. The roads were very narrow with no shoulder but there was very little traffic. The biggest problem was dogs – hundreds of stray dogs – lying around the streets/roads in town and outside the town? Fortunately they were not mean or aggressive – they just lie in the middle of the roads and force cars and people to go around them? I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t move for cars? They would be dead in minutes in the US? After our much-needed run and endorphin kick we enjoyed a nice (vegetarian) lunch at the hotel.
After my trip to Nepal to run the Everest Marathon I expected to eat a lot of vegetarian meals but it did become a problem before the end of the trip. Our little group was very compatible except for one thing – Corinna was a ‘Vegan’ and Maddog was a ‘Carnivore’.
Corinna asked/demanded that all the veggies be prepared w/o butter or dairy products, etc and MD demanded meat – BIG pieces of meat – NOT the tiny bits of meat that were served in a typical Asian stir-fry. I had expected that I could always buy a Yak steak but there was none to be found?
After lunch Khandu took us on a guided tour of the National Museum in Paro. The Museum used to be a watchtower for the Paro Dzong (fortress) but was renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. At the end of an interesting tour MD and MM asked Khandu to drop us off in town to explore the town and do some shopping. Khandu was hesitant/concerned about leaving us alone because he was supposed to baby-sit us 24 x 7 but he soon realized that wasn’t going to happen. We walked back to the hotel in time for dinner (veggie of course)! Since the hotel had no TV, telephone or Internet we went to bed early to prepare for a tough hike the next day!
The next morning MD and MM walked down the hill from the hotel to the Taju Elementary School after breakfast before starting the day’s activities. We had brought school supplies that we wanted to give to local Bhutanese kids and we figured what better way than to donate them to a school? We arrived at a very opportune time – the kids were assembled in the schoolyard for morning assembly. We watched as the kids stood quietly at attention in their school uniforms while a few classmates read short essays and then everyone sang the national anthem. After the assembly was dismissed many of the kids approached us politely to ask who we were and where we were from? I thought “I sure wish we could send our kids from the USA (and insert the name of your country here) to Bhutan for a few years to learn a lesson in humility and discipline”? We found the principal and explained that we wanted to donate some school supplies to the kids. He gladly accepted our gifts and explained that he would use them as prizes/rewards for good grades. Our good deed done we returned to the hotel to prepare for the day’s activities.
The itinerary called for a long/tough hike up to Taktshang Goemba – the most famous of Bhutan’s monasteries, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900m/3000ft above the floor of the Paro valley. The name means ‘Tiger’s Nest’ – it is said that Guru Rinpoche flew to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue the local demon, Singey Samdrup. He then meditated in a cave for three months. The only way up to the Tiger’s Nest is to walk, ride a horse or fly on the back of the magic tiger! I was concerned about the MM and his poor back but Khandu assured us that although the trail was steep it was soft dirt up to the top of a chasm where it became necessary to climb many steps built into the side of the cliffs to get to the monastery. MM decided he could make it to that point. Because of my excellent training on 14ers I forged ahead on the steep trail and left the group. Khandu was no fool – he stayed with the lovely young lady and MM trailed behind. I waited at several points for Khandu and Corinna to catch up and take photos. MM caught up to us at a cafeteria located at 2940m/9700ft while we were enjoying a tea break. We continued to the top of the chasm at 3140m/10,362ft where there was a small temple and you are eyeball to eyeball with the monastery – except it is on the opposite side of a chasm. The only way to get to the monastery is to descend about 200m on stone steps built into the sides of the sheer cliffs to a waterfall that drops 900m/3000ft to the valley floor and then ascend about 100m on more stone steps on the opposite cliffs to the monastery. I went into the temple and lit a butter lamp and said a prayer (you can easily guess what my prayer was). MM refused to go any further because of his delicate back and severe acrophobia so I forged ahead. My recent terrifying experience on the stone steps of the Inca Trail prepared me well for this pilgrimage. I didn’t find the steps or the sheer 3,000ft drop that terrifying and I quickly made it to the monastery. Maybe I should run the Inca Trail again next year – Nah! – NOT a Chance in Hell!
There were four temples carved/built into the side of the cliff. We were permitted to visit three of them including the cave where Guru Rinopche meditated. I made a donation and wish at the sacred cave that was never fulfilled so I am not converting to Buddhism! No photos were allowed inside the monastery so you will have to make the visit and wish on your own. We had agreed with the MM that we would all meet back at the cafeteria for lunch so I hustled back there (while Khandu and Corinna meditated) to join him. When I arrived – no MM. When Khandu finally arrived he informed me that one of his fellow tour guides had found the MM (alone) at the car and called Khandu. The MM had broken two important rules: 1) when you are on a mountain you always-always stay at the agreed-upon meeting place until your group joins you - and 2) in Bhutan you do not go off on your own without your tour guide – especially in unknown/risky situations! Thankfully Khandu had arranged for his friend to drive the MM to a restaurant while we enjoyed a (veggie) lunch at the cafeteria. When we finally picked the MM up at the restaurant I was really pissed off and told him bluntly/emphatically how foolish he had been. By the time I finished my tirade he understood that he had screwed up!
It had been a long/tough hike so we returned to the hotel in Paro for a short rest before Khandu took us to the Paro Dzong for a guided tour. The Rinchen Pung Dzong was built in 1644 to defend the Paro valley from invasions from Tibet. Like all dzongs it was built to house government offices at one end and a Buddhist temple at the other. Inside the entrance to the dzong was a very colorful painting of a ‘Wheel of Life’ depicting the six stages of life that humans go through as they progress to either Heaven or Hell! Khandu tried to explain the various stages and meanings but unless you have a basic knowledge of Buddhism it is difficult to grasp? We soon realized as we visited many more dzongs and temples that a basic knowledge of Buddhism would be very helpful when visiting Bhutan since so much of their life and culture is derived from that religion.
At the end of the dzong tour MD and MM once again asked Khandu to drop us off in town so that I could take photos of the town and locals to share with my readers.
The next day we departed early for the capital, Thimpu, to join up with the other runners/guests who would be running the marathon. On the outskirts of Paro we stopped at the Tamchhog Lhakhang, a 600-year old temple owned by the descendants of the Tibetan bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo. The traditional iron bridge at the temple was built using some of the original iron chains forged by Thangtong. We continued on to Chhuzom known as the ‘confluence’ at the juncture of the Paro Chhu (river) and the Wang Chhu where there were three chortens built in a different style –Bhutanese, Tibetan and Nepali. There was also a police checkpoint at Chhuzom. I asked Khandu why? He explained that the road to Thimphu was treacherous and often cars did not make it the far end and the police could look for them. I was sorry I asked!
However we did make it to Thimphu – the capital of Bhutan and the biggest city in the country with a population of 90,000. They are proud of the fact that it is the only capital city in the world without a traffic light – but there is one traffic cop at the main roundabout in the center of the city. We checked into a modern hotel in the city center where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of the runners.
And this is a convenient point to end Part 1 of this report so that you can take a break before continuing the story.
Stay tuned!
BHUTAN
8/31 – 9/11/08
Part 1
Race Results
Bhutan International Marathon
Thimphu, Bhutan
Sun, Sept 7/08
Marathon #308 – Country #93
4:13:23 – 3 OA – 1 AG
Country #93 – THREE down – SEVEN to go!
The next question is “Where is Bhutan”? It is a landlocked country in the Himalayan Mountains bordered on the north by China/Tibet and on all other sides by India.
Bhutan’s early history is steeped in Buddhist folklore and Buddhism is still the main religion and cultural influence. The Kingdom is ruled by a King who decided to move the country from an absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy in 2008 that is committed to improving the GNH (Gross National Happiness) of the country and its citizens. The small population (about 700,000) is friendly and sincere.
I had first considered running a marathon in Bhutan in 2001 when the first and only other marathon was held. But the country is very difficult and expensive to visit. The number of tourists is restricted (less than 20,000 per year) and all ‘guests’ (except those from India) must be invited and escorted by a Bhutanese travel agency at all times. There is a tourist tax of $250/day included in the tour package that can only be purchased from a Bhutanese agency! Bottom line – it is not cheap to visit Bhutan! However in my quest to run 100 countries I felt that now was the time - I had better visit Bhutan when I had the chance because there may not be another marathon? And I am not getting any younger!
When I mentioned my trip to some other runners/friends only one – my good friend Frank (aka – the MadMonk) from Sarasota expressed interest and actually booked the trip - and agreed to share a room with me. There is only one airport in the country – in Paro – and only the National airline – Druk Airways – is allowed to fly into the country. We decided to connect to Druk in Bangkok and arrived in Bangkok a few days early to allow time to recover from the expected jet lag before traveling on to Bhutan. As expected when Maddog and MadMonk arrived in Bangkok in mid-afternoon after 32 hours of travel time we were totally wiped out from jet lag. We forced ourselves to stay awake as long as possible. MM succumbed before dinner and crashed at 5 pm. MD managed to eat a light dinner and crashed at 7 pm. We both slept 12 hours and felt much better the next day.
Our families sent us frantic emails warning us that the PM of Thailand had declared a state of emergency the day we arrived! We had heard the same news on the BBC news channel but our hotel was located on the outskirts of the city and we had not noticed any turmoil or problems in the streets? We booked a city and temple tour for the afternoon and decided to visit the Grand Palace on our own during the morning. We didn’t see any turmoil/problems when we arrived in the old section of Bangkok but there were lots of police and military armed with machine guns? We had foolishly dressed in shorts because of the hot/humid weather. I knew that it was forbidden to visit temples without trousers but I didn’t think the same rule applied to the Palace? As we approached the entrance to the Palace a smart local entrepreneur reminded us that we could not enter the Palace and ‘rented’ us a pair of trousers. Actually they looked more like Thai pajamas? We agreed that we would never tell anybody or let anybody see the photos of the biggest/silliest-looking dorks in the world visiting the Grand Palace in PJs – but then I figured “how can we laugh at others if we can’t laugh at ourselves”? So enjoy your laughs! (see photos).
In spite of many laughs and snickers from other tourists we enjoyed our visit of the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew with its revered Emerald Buddha. MM wanted to take a tuk-tuk back to the hotel which turned out to be a bad choice as we sucked up (too many) exhaust fumes in the 5-mile drive! Later that day - and after a wise change into trousers – we toured the old city of Bangkok and visited (too) many Buddhist temples. Again we did not see any political protests or problems? But most of the protests seemed to occur at night and we were in bed by 8pm! Since we had a (ugly) 4:30 am departure for Bhutan the next day we enjoyed a great seafood dinner and were in bed by 8 pm. Five hours later we had to get up and head to the airport! Out Druk Air flight connected via Calcutta, India and arrived in Paro about 8 am on Sept 4. We were finally in Bhutan!
A tour guide from the travel agency that had organized the marathon and trip met us at the airport. We soon learned that Khandu would be our dedicated guide (and babysitter) for our entire stay in Bhutan. There was one other runner in our group – a lovely young lady from Germany. Corinna had only decided in the past few weeks to run the marathon. We were amazed to learn that a tour guide was dedicated to each group or individual guest that arrived at different dates or had a different length of stay? Khandu checked us into a hotel in Paro and I watched in amusement as MM let some young Bhutanese ladies carry his luggage to our room? After breakfast and checking out the grounds of the Hotel Gangtey Palace – an old palace that had been converted to a hotel – the MD and MM decided to do a run. Paro is the 2nd largest city in Bhutan with a population of 9,000 (no error in the zeroes). The town and surrounding area was very rural which was perfect. We couldn’t run in Bangkok because of the traffic and pollution and we needed to run! We ran down the mountain and through the town. The roads were very narrow with no shoulder but there was very little traffic. The biggest problem was dogs – hundreds of stray dogs – lying around the streets/roads in town and outside the town? Fortunately they were not mean or aggressive – they just lie in the middle of the roads and force cars and people to go around them? I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t move for cars? They would be dead in minutes in the US? After our much-needed run and endorphin kick we enjoyed a nice (vegetarian) lunch at the hotel.
After my trip to Nepal to run the Everest Marathon I expected to eat a lot of vegetarian meals but it did become a problem before the end of the trip. Our little group was very compatible except for one thing – Corinna was a ‘Vegan’ and Maddog was a ‘Carnivore’.
Corinna asked/demanded that all the veggies be prepared w/o butter or dairy products, etc and MD demanded meat – BIG pieces of meat – NOT the tiny bits of meat that were served in a typical Asian stir-fry. I had expected that I could always buy a Yak steak but there was none to be found?
After lunch Khandu took us on a guided tour of the National Museum in Paro. The Museum used to be a watchtower for the Paro Dzong (fortress) but was renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. At the end of an interesting tour MD and MM asked Khandu to drop us off in town to explore the town and do some shopping. Khandu was hesitant/concerned about leaving us alone because he was supposed to baby-sit us 24 x 7 but he soon realized that wasn’t going to happen. We walked back to the hotel in time for dinner (veggie of course)! Since the hotel had no TV, telephone or Internet we went to bed early to prepare for a tough hike the next day!
The next morning MD and MM walked down the hill from the hotel to the Taju Elementary School after breakfast before starting the day’s activities. We had brought school supplies that we wanted to give to local Bhutanese kids and we figured what better way than to donate them to a school? We arrived at a very opportune time – the kids were assembled in the schoolyard for morning assembly. We watched as the kids stood quietly at attention in their school uniforms while a few classmates read short essays and then everyone sang the national anthem. After the assembly was dismissed many of the kids approached us politely to ask who we were and where we were from? I thought “I sure wish we could send our kids from the USA (and insert the name of your country here) to Bhutan for a few years to learn a lesson in humility and discipline”? We found the principal and explained that we wanted to donate some school supplies to the kids. He gladly accepted our gifts and explained that he would use them as prizes/rewards for good grades. Our good deed done we returned to the hotel to prepare for the day’s activities.
The itinerary called for a long/tough hike up to Taktshang Goemba – the most famous of Bhutan’s monasteries, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900m/3000ft above the floor of the Paro valley. The name means ‘Tiger’s Nest’ – it is said that Guru Rinpoche flew to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue the local demon, Singey Samdrup. He then meditated in a cave for three months. The only way up to the Tiger’s Nest is to walk, ride a horse or fly on the back of the magic tiger! I was concerned about the MM and his poor back but Khandu assured us that although the trail was steep it was soft dirt up to the top of a chasm where it became necessary to climb many steps built into the side of the cliffs to get to the monastery. MM decided he could make it to that point. Because of my excellent training on 14ers I forged ahead on the steep trail and left the group. Khandu was no fool – he stayed with the lovely young lady and MM trailed behind. I waited at several points for Khandu and Corinna to catch up and take photos. MM caught up to us at a cafeteria located at 2940m/9700ft while we were enjoying a tea break. We continued to the top of the chasm at 3140m/10,362ft where there was a small temple and you are eyeball to eyeball with the monastery – except it is on the opposite side of a chasm. The only way to get to the monastery is to descend about 200m on stone steps built into the sides of the sheer cliffs to a waterfall that drops 900m/3000ft to the valley floor and then ascend about 100m on more stone steps on the opposite cliffs to the monastery. I went into the temple and lit a butter lamp and said a prayer (you can easily guess what my prayer was). MM refused to go any further because of his delicate back and severe acrophobia so I forged ahead. My recent terrifying experience on the stone steps of the Inca Trail prepared me well for this pilgrimage. I didn’t find the steps or the sheer 3,000ft drop that terrifying and I quickly made it to the monastery. Maybe I should run the Inca Trail again next year – Nah! – NOT a Chance in Hell!
There were four temples carved/built into the side of the cliff. We were permitted to visit three of them including the cave where Guru Rinopche meditated. I made a donation and wish at the sacred cave that was never fulfilled so I am not converting to Buddhism! No photos were allowed inside the monastery so you will have to make the visit and wish on your own. We had agreed with the MM that we would all meet back at the cafeteria for lunch so I hustled back there (while Khandu and Corinna meditated) to join him. When I arrived – no MM. When Khandu finally arrived he informed me that one of his fellow tour guides had found the MM (alone) at the car and called Khandu. The MM had broken two important rules: 1) when you are on a mountain you always-always stay at the agreed-upon meeting place until your group joins you - and 2) in Bhutan you do not go off on your own without your tour guide – especially in unknown/risky situations! Thankfully Khandu had arranged for his friend to drive the MM to a restaurant while we enjoyed a (veggie) lunch at the cafeteria. When we finally picked the MM up at the restaurant I was really pissed off and told him bluntly/emphatically how foolish he had been. By the time I finished my tirade he understood that he had screwed up!
It had been a long/tough hike so we returned to the hotel in Paro for a short rest before Khandu took us to the Paro Dzong for a guided tour. The Rinchen Pung Dzong was built in 1644 to defend the Paro valley from invasions from Tibet. Like all dzongs it was built to house government offices at one end and a Buddhist temple at the other. Inside the entrance to the dzong was a very colorful painting of a ‘Wheel of Life’ depicting the six stages of life that humans go through as they progress to either Heaven or Hell! Khandu tried to explain the various stages and meanings but unless you have a basic knowledge of Buddhism it is difficult to grasp? We soon realized as we visited many more dzongs and temples that a basic knowledge of Buddhism would be very helpful when visiting Bhutan since so much of their life and culture is derived from that religion.
At the end of the dzong tour MD and MM once again asked Khandu to drop us off in town so that I could take photos of the town and locals to share with my readers.
The next day we departed early for the capital, Thimpu, to join up with the other runners/guests who would be running the marathon. On the outskirts of Paro we stopped at the Tamchhog Lhakhang, a 600-year old temple owned by the descendants of the Tibetan bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo. The traditional iron bridge at the temple was built using some of the original iron chains forged by Thangtong. We continued on to Chhuzom known as the ‘confluence’ at the juncture of the Paro Chhu (river) and the Wang Chhu where there were three chortens built in a different style –Bhutanese, Tibetan and Nepali. There was also a police checkpoint at Chhuzom. I asked Khandu why? He explained that the road to Thimphu was treacherous and often cars did not make it the far end and the police could look for them. I was sorry I asked!
However we did make it to Thimphu – the capital of Bhutan and the biggest city in the country with a population of 90,000. They are proud of the fact that it is the only capital city in the world without a traffic light – but there is one traffic cop at the main roundabout in the center of the city. We checked into a modern hotel in the city center where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of the runners.
And this is a convenient point to end Part 1 of this report so that you can take a break before continuing the story.
Stay tuned!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
RR - US Half - Copper
Race Report
US Half Marathon
Copper Mountain, CO
Sat, Aug 23/08
2:02:25 – 1 AG
I wanted to run this Half Marathon as a final tune-up for Bhutan since the race started at 9600 ft and climbed to 10,800 ft – i.e. it would be a good altitude training run at a fast pace. I use ‘fast’ figuratively since I set the course record (for my AG) last year with a blazing 1:59:06! The course is tough!
I didn’t believe I was in good enough shape to challenge my course record or a sub-2 hr finish but I figured/hoped I could finish close to 2 hrs? I was joined in the race by two friends from FL - Frank (the only other sane person in the world) and Cynthia – aka Attila the Huness and Frank’s daughter Alexis from PA. I warned them to add at least 15/20 minutes to their normal Half marathon time because of the hills and altitude!
The race started at 9 am on Sat – a bit late even for the mountains. It was sunny and warm – high 50s at the start. There were less than 100 runners in the Half. The race started in the center of Copper Village (9600 ft) and the first mile was uphill for about ¼ mile, and then dropped down towards the East Village. I remembered the course from last year and warned my teammates (and myself) to start SLOW! Somehow I didn’t follow my own advice and passed mile 1 in 7:56 sucking for air! Mile 2 in 15:27 – lungs burning and really sucking for air! The next mile was on a dirt/rocky service road traversing an Alpine ski hill and I struggled to reach Mile 3 in 25:29 (a split of 10:02) but that was still faster than last year?
However we were about to start the toughest section of the course! When we returned to the East parking lot at the bottom of the trail (mile 4) the next 5 miles climbed from 9500 ft to 10,800 ft. near the top of Vail Pass! Mile 5 climbed back through Copper Village to a paved bike path at 9600 ft. I passed mile 5 in 44:06 – only 6 secs behind my record pace? The path climbed relentlessly for the next 4 miles. I knew I had to save some energy for the final 4 miles back down the path and I tried to average a 10:30 pace like last year but struggled to hold a 10:45 pace. I could feel the difference from one more year of age! OLD AGE SUCKS!
I reached mile 9 and the turn-around at the top of Vail Pass in 1:27:33. I had 32 minutes to run the final 4.1 miles! I needed to run a sub 8-min pace on the 1200-ft descent back to Copper Village to finish under 2 hrs! Last year I had 34 minutes at that point and a competitor biting at my ass! This year the closest competitor was more than ½- mile behind me and I just couldn’t force myself to accept the high level of pain necessary to push the old bod at a sub-8 min pace at 10,800 ft so I cruised the final 4 downhill miles at an 8:30 pace to cross the finish line in 2:02:25!
Yeah, Yeah – I know! I should have handed the race over to Maddog. He would have accepted the pain to finish under 2 hrs! But I won my AG and finished w/o any injuries/problems so I am happy. And I feel I am ready (as I am going to be) for those Himalayan hills in Bhutan.
My team did very well also! Cynthia sprinted across the finish line in 2:53 and Frank and Alexis crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in 3:11! That was definitely a moment-to-remember for Frank!
Frank and I have one more week of altitude training in the High Country before we travel together to Bhutan for our next marathon/adventure!
Stay tuned!
US Half Marathon
Copper Mountain, CO
Sat, Aug 23/08
2:02:25 – 1 AG
I wanted to run this Half Marathon as a final tune-up for Bhutan since the race started at 9600 ft and climbed to 10,800 ft – i.e. it would be a good altitude training run at a fast pace. I use ‘fast’ figuratively since I set the course record (for my AG) last year with a blazing 1:59:06! The course is tough!
I didn’t believe I was in good enough shape to challenge my course record or a sub-2 hr finish but I figured/hoped I could finish close to 2 hrs? I was joined in the race by two friends from FL - Frank (the only other sane person in the world) and Cynthia – aka Attila the Huness and Frank’s daughter Alexis from PA. I warned them to add at least 15/20 minutes to their normal Half marathon time because of the hills and altitude!
The race started at 9 am on Sat – a bit late even for the mountains. It was sunny and warm – high 50s at the start. There were less than 100 runners in the Half. The race started in the center of Copper Village (9600 ft) and the first mile was uphill for about ¼ mile, and then dropped down towards the East Village. I remembered the course from last year and warned my teammates (and myself) to start SLOW! Somehow I didn’t follow my own advice and passed mile 1 in 7:56 sucking for air! Mile 2 in 15:27 – lungs burning and really sucking for air! The next mile was on a dirt/rocky service road traversing an Alpine ski hill and I struggled to reach Mile 3 in 25:29 (a split of 10:02) but that was still faster than last year?
However we were about to start the toughest section of the course! When we returned to the East parking lot at the bottom of the trail (mile 4) the next 5 miles climbed from 9500 ft to 10,800 ft. near the top of Vail Pass! Mile 5 climbed back through Copper Village to a paved bike path at 9600 ft. I passed mile 5 in 44:06 – only 6 secs behind my record pace? The path climbed relentlessly for the next 4 miles. I knew I had to save some energy for the final 4 miles back down the path and I tried to average a 10:30 pace like last year but struggled to hold a 10:45 pace. I could feel the difference from one more year of age! OLD AGE SUCKS!
I reached mile 9 and the turn-around at the top of Vail Pass in 1:27:33. I had 32 minutes to run the final 4.1 miles! I needed to run a sub 8-min pace on the 1200-ft descent back to Copper Village to finish under 2 hrs! Last year I had 34 minutes at that point and a competitor biting at my ass! This year the closest competitor was more than ½- mile behind me and I just couldn’t force myself to accept the high level of pain necessary to push the old bod at a sub-8 min pace at 10,800 ft so I cruised the final 4 downhill miles at an 8:30 pace to cross the finish line in 2:02:25!
Yeah, Yeah – I know! I should have handed the race over to Maddog. He would have accepted the pain to finish under 2 hrs! But I won my AG and finished w/o any injuries/problems so I am happy. And I feel I am ready (as I am going to be) for those Himalayan hills in Bhutan.
My team did very well also! Cynthia sprinted across the finish line in 2:53 and Frank and Alexis crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in 3:11! That was definitely a moment-to-remember for Frank!
Frank and I have one more week of altitude training in the High Country before we travel together to Bhutan for our next marathon/adventure!
Stay tuned!
Friday, August 15, 2008
TR - Peru - Part 2
Trip Report – Part 2
Peru
7/29- 8/12/08
OK. Where were we? Oh Yeah- starting our hike at Km 82 of the Inca Trail to base camp. We hiked beside the train tracks on the opposite side of the Urubamba River to the Inca Trail. Most of us had decided that we would hike – not run – the 6 miles to camp because of the fast training run the day before and the race started early on Wed.
We reached the official government checkpoint at Qoriwayrachina at Km 88 where we crossed the Urubamba River and entered the Machu Picchu Sanctuary National Park. But not without problems! A few runners had renewed their passports and the permits had been issued with their old passport numbers so they didn’t match. And the Peruvian officials were not going to let them enter the Inca Trail! After much scrambling and promises to correct the problems they were finally allowed to enter the Trail and we hiked another mile to a base camp at the foot of the Inca ruins at Llactapa (Town on the Hillside at 8592 ft). We arrived just as it started to rain? Fortunately our luxury accommodations (read –tents) were already set up and we settled in.
After afternoon tea in the mess tent I hiked up to the top of a hill on the Inca Trail where the race was to start. I wanted to check out the trail and get a bird’s eye view of the camp and the Inca ruins. I was happy that the trail was dirt and the rain had not made it slippery! If only I could have guessed? Read on.
We enjoyed a great buffet dinner including pasta in the mess tent. Some of the marathoners decided they wanted to get an early start. Since we had to pass through another checkpoint around 4 miles that didn’t open until 6 am there was not much point in starting before 5 am. The official start was 6 am! Since it was already dark we all went to bed early. As I climbed into my sleeping bag I suffered flashbacks to the Everest Marathon. I swore I would never spend another night in a tent on a cold mountain! But this was much better – the tent was roomier and the weather was warmer. I crawled into my bag with two thermal layers on and had to remove one in the middle of the night because I was too warm? As we settled in for the night it started to rain again – and it rained hard – and it rained all night! All I could think was “the trail is going to be muddy/slippery and there will probably be snow above 13,000ft? Oh Goody!
My tent mate, John – a Brit in my age group- decided to start early so he (and I) were awakened at 3:30am. The early group started in a light rain and the dark at 5:10am. By then I was up and packing my bag to be carried to Machu Picchu and making final preparations for the 6am start. Breakfast was served but I can’t eat before a race. Luckily the rain stopped as we hiked in the dark to the start line. It was cool so I started with two layers. After some photos the official marathon started a few minutes early! I carried a backpack/Camelback with enough water to get me to the first aid station at 4 miles. The trail crossed the Cusichaca River and climbed gradually out of the Urubamba Valley to Wayllabamba (9100 ft). The first three miles were nice, soft dirt and I was able to run at a good pace. Then the trail entered the Llullchayoc Gorge and started to climb steeply over the next 5 miles to the top of Warmiwanusscca Pass (Dead Woman’s Pass) at 13,779 ft! At three miles the nice, soft dirt disappeared and was replaced with stone paths and stone steps built by the Incas 500 years ago. The stones were uneven and slippery from the rain – and the steps were even worse! They were steep, narrow and slippery! I reached the first aid station at 4 miles in 51:13. I stopped to remove my 2nd layer, fill my Camelback with enough water to get me to the next aid station at 10 miles, take a photo, and continue the grueling, relentless climb up Dead Woman’s Pass. We climbed thousands of steps that climbed straight up the mountain – obviously the Incas didn’t believe in switchbacks or dirt trails? We passed through mossy woods (with mossy steps) and a thick forest before emerging into a large meadow (pampa) at Llulluchapampa at 12,400 ft. It started to get cold so I wasn’t surprised when I soon reached stone steps that were covered with snow and ice! Oh Great. Steep/narrow stone steps that are now covered with snow/ice! And did I mention that in many places there was a sheer drop of 1000+ feet off the sides of the steep/narrow/slippery stone steps? I reached the top of Dead Woman’s Pass in 2:09:25 where I caught up to my tent mate and another early starter. It was very cold so we all stopped to add another layer of clothing and take photos. Then they bounded off down the stone steps on the other side of the pass. I took one look down and FROZE – from FEAR! The stone steps were steep/narrow and covered with ice and going DOWNHILL! Climbing uphill on steep/narrow steps was scary but gravity and altitude kept the pace slow and safe. Going downhill was terrifying! One bad step or slip and I would fall a long way down the steps. Did I mention the sheer, 1000 ft drop off the side of the steps! I didn’t want to think about that option! I was so terrified of falling that the only way I could make it down the steps was to side step – one step at a time and always leading with my left foot so that my right/dominant side would fall into the steps if I made a mistake! I had to focus strongly on each step and foot plant to prevent a fall and to control my acrophobia. I was afraid that if I looked at that sheer, 1000+ft drop I would become dizzy and fall off the mountain! I had to use this method/routine until I descended back below 13,000 ft where the temps warmed up and the ice had melted. At that point I decided if I wanted to finish the race that day I would have to teach myself how to hike down the steps in a normal mode i.e. like going down the steps in my house! That’s a lot easier to say than do but I did manage to get into a somewhat normal pace until I reached more steps that were very steep and narrow and then it was back to the side step routine! It took me 50 minutes to descend 1 mile and reach the 2nd aid station at 10 miles. I had reached 10 miles in 2:59:30. I knew my pre-race goal of finishing under 8 hrs was not going to happen! And I didn’t care – I was too terrified of the downhill steps to take any risks for the sake of time.
I stopped at the aid station to fill my Camelback with enough water to get to the final aid station at 17.5 miles. The race director had told us that there would be bottled water at every aid station. He lied! The porters were boiling local stream water to purify it. That was OK but the water was still hot when I filled my Camelback so I had to drink hot water for the next 3 hrs. Another first for a marathon!
The trail then began to climb again (lots more steep/narrow stone steps) as it ascended to the top of Runkurakay Pass (13,100 ft). I swear that climb was worst than the 1st Pass? The steps seemed to be much steeper and went on –and on – and on - without any relief. I caught and passed a few more runners from the early group as I struggled to the top of the pass while sucking for air. Near the top the steps became so steep and narrow that we had to crawl/scramble on our hands and knees to get to the top! I stood on the top of Runkurakay Pass at 3:49:33. Then the fear began again – I had to go down the steps on the other side! Back to my terrifying and slow side-step routine for the steep/narrow steps at the top and finally eased into a normal pace by the time I reached the Inca fortress at Sayacmarca (12,234 ft). I missed a turn at the ruins and climbed a series of steep steps up into the ruins before I realized there was no trail out of the ruins? I had to back track to the steps and at that point one of the runners I passed was approaching the ruins and he asked a Quechua porter for directions. I had to descend the steps and follow a narrow stone path along the perimeter of the ruins. I kept catching up to my fellow runner as we passed through natural and Inca-made tunnels. We joined up again at the final water station near the ruins at Phuyupatamarca (Town in the Clouds – 11,674 ft) at 17.5 miles. This was the overnight camp for the runners completing the trail in two days. It had taken me 6:08:39 to go 17.5 miles. Maybe I should stay overnight at the camp? The final checkpoint closed at 3 pm?
I stopped to fill my Camelback with enough water to get me to the finish line. Surprise – more hot water! The next surprise was the very nasty/steep/narrow steps leading down from Phuyupatamarca Pass. They were steep/narrow and in bad shape – back to the side-step routine. When I finally managed to get down that terrifying stretch of steps I commented to myself that it couldn’t get any worse than that. WRONG! I reached a rock outcrop of granite that bulged out of the side of the mountain like a big belly. The Incas had carved very narrow steps or toeholds into the granite but time, water and use had rounded the steps. I looked at those steps and said” I ain’t going down there”! I looked for an alternate route – there was none! I considered quitting but it was 8 miles to Machu Picchu down those terrifying steps or 19 miles back to the start line! There were no other alternatives! I tried my side-step routine but that required looking down (to where I would most likely fall and die) and the steps were too rounded and narrow for the side of my foot. So I laid on my belly and clung to the rock outcrop - dug my fingers into the granite and clawed my way down that 30-ft section of terror. I bet my claw marks are in that granite for a long time!
The trail seemed to get better with less steps after that and I was able to make good progress until I reached the ruins at WinayWaya (8692 ft). The trail passed through the ruins and down another terrifying series of steps inside the ruins. My knees were throbbing and sore by then and the only way I could make it down those steps was to use my side-step routine and cling to the walls of the ruins. At the bottom of the steps the trail had dirt and small stones and I was able to hike faster (almost jog) until I reached the final checkpoint near 22.5 miles (7:43:09). Abelardo was waiting at that checkpoint to pass us through and I was pleased to discover that after the checkpoint the trail descended gradually and actually had a section of dirt trail? I could catch glimpses of other runners ahead of me and hear voices. I started to run ‘easy’ in hopes of catching them but never could because they had also started to run. Unfortunately after 1 mile the trail became stone paths again and stone steps as it started to climb? I heard footsteps behind me? Abelardo had decided to follow the group ahead and me to the finish line. That worked out well for me because I didn’t have to worry about taking a wrong turn (again). Like a kid in a car I started asking “Are we there yet? How far to the finish line? “ Since the trail was climbing again and I expected it to be descending to Machu Picchu I asked what was going on? Abelardo informed me that the trail was climbing around and UP the backside of Machu Picchu Mtn to Intipunku – the Sun Gate (8860 ft) - that overlooks Machu Picchu (7900 ft). I asked “How far”? Instead of distance he answered “about 40 minutes”! The trail kept climbing and climbing – more steep/narrow steps. My knees were killing me but Maddog refused to stop for a rest in case Abelardo think he was a wimp. Finally I reached a short set of very narrow/steep steps (supposedly built that way for defensive purposes) that climbed up the Sun Gate. Those steps were so steep that I had to crawl/scramble on my hands and feet and the last few steps I had to crawl on hands/feet/knees to drag myself over the top and through the Sun Gate (8860 ft). My first look at Machu Picchu! It was awesome! I stopped for photos and then asked Abelardo “how far to the finish line”. He again answered in time – “about 40 minutes”! I had reached the Sun Gate in 8:30:06. I didn’t have 40 minutes if I wanted to finish under 9 hrs and recoup some self-respect!
I became determined/obsessed about breaking 9 hrs even if it meant taking some risks. Luckily that final section of trail to Machu Picchu - known as the Royal Trail - was all downhill and built with larger, flat stones that provided better/safer footing and I was able to jog that final two miles and reach the finish line at the ‘flat rock’ overlooking Machu Picchu (7900 ft) in 8:51:23! It was a good thing that Abelardo was behind me because I would have missed the finish line like many other runners did. He took a photo of a jubilant and glad-to-be-alive Maddog jumping up and down on the flat rock.
I had noticed on the final jog down the Royal Trail that I had lots of physical energy left because I had had run/walked so slowly. But as soon as I reached the finish line I became mentally exhausted. The stress of focusing on every foot plant and each and every of the thousands of stone steps and controlling my acrophobia had totally exhausted me mentally. I asked Abelardo “how far is it down to the bus that takes us to the hotel”? “10 minutes” I told him that I didn’t care how long it took but I was going to relax and walk down in a normal/easy/slow fashion!
When we reached the bus stop the runners from the early group that had been ahead of me were waiting for the bus. They had finished only a few minutes ahead of me. Everyone complained about sore knees and calves and a few had bruises and cuts from falls but everyone was happy and healthy! During the thrilling 30-minute bus ride down the mountain to Aguas Calientes I started to question my performance in the race? At first I was disappointed with my time but then I reminded myself how difficult it had been to control/overcome my acrophobia and fear of the downhill steps and how lucky I was to have finished ALIVE and injury free! I could never have attempted or finished that race 5 years ago before I started climbing 14ers in CO and learned how to control my acrophobia! No, I should be pleased and proud that I overcame those difficulties to finish the race!
When we reached Aguas Calientes our leg muscles had tightened up and everyone had difficulty getting off the bus and walking to the hotel. The Sports Manager was waiting at the bus stop to see if I had survived? Unfortunately our room did not have a tub so I had to make do with a hot shower before joining my fellow runners for a pizza and beer and to discuss our memorable race.
Thu was a rest day as we waited for the runners completing the trail in two days to finish. My legs – and especially my knees - were very sore. I haven’t been that sore in years? So I scheduled a massage with a Thai masseuse who helped a lot and then I went for a soak in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes. Unfortunately the hot springs (100 F) were not as hot as my hot tub (108 F).
The runners who took two days had the advantage that they finished less beat up than us and got to see/enjoy a lot more of the Inca trail.
Fri was an organized tour of Machu Picchu. We started early to beat the crowds – and believe me there are crowds because they don’t limit entry to the ruins! Our guide, Abelardo, led us on a very interesting and informative tour of the ruins. There are lots of steps (surprise) in the ancient city. The Sports Manager had a very difficult time since she is more afraid of heights and steps than me. We had to coax/coerce her down some steps from the top of the ruins but she did it. We visited all the sections of the city –agricultural, industrial and industrial - and the religious temples. See photo website for some great pics of Machu Picchu. After an excellent lunch at the exclusive Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge located at the entrance to the city I coaxed the Sports Manager into climbing more steps to the flat rock. She was afraid at first but very glad that she made it to the flat rock for the postcard views of Machu Picchu.
On Sat we took a train back to Ollantaytambo to visit the Inca ruins overlooking the city. The city was abandoned before completion because of the Inca civil war between the two sons of Huayna Capac. We continued by bus through Pisac to Cusco and returned to our old hotel and one final night in Cusco. That evening the tour agency held an award ceremony at the hotel in Cusco. I had come to believe that we weren’t going to get a finisher’s medal or race T-shirt but they did come though. No special awards but every runner received a finisher’s medal, T-shirt and certificate. To nobody’s surprise Roxanne won the race - in 6:12 – an amazing time under the conditions. I was pleased to learn that I finished in 4th place overall.
On Sun we flew back to Lima and were guided on a city tour of Lima. We visited the Plaza Mayor in old colonial Lima as well as the San Francisco Monastery before returning to our hotel in Miraflores one last night. The Sports Manager and I skipped the ‘final’ tour dinner to enjoy a private seafood dinner and a bottle of Peruvian wine in a small restaurant (we couldn’t face more chicken).
Mon was a very early wake-up call and a long flight back to Colorado!
This 2nd part- especially the race report- was long but I needed to record the facts and memories so that when I get old and think about running the Inca Trail Marathon (again) I can read the report and remember why I would never – ever- run this race again! It was the worst/toughest/slowest/most terrifying marathon I have ever run. But that is a personal opinion due to my fear of heights and running downhill steps. If you are a good downhill runner this marathon would not be as difficult as Everest!
The marathon tour/organization was good but had some problems that I will not review in the report to keep it from getting longer.
It is over. I am happy that finished Country #92 ALIVE and injury-free and now I must focus on more altitude training to prepare for my next marathon/adventure in a few weeks in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
Stay tuned!
Peru
7/29- 8/12/08
OK. Where were we? Oh Yeah- starting our hike at Km 82 of the Inca Trail to base camp. We hiked beside the train tracks on the opposite side of the Urubamba River to the Inca Trail. Most of us had decided that we would hike – not run – the 6 miles to camp because of the fast training run the day before and the race started early on Wed.
We reached the official government checkpoint at Qoriwayrachina at Km 88 where we crossed the Urubamba River and entered the Machu Picchu Sanctuary National Park. But not without problems! A few runners had renewed their passports and the permits had been issued with their old passport numbers so they didn’t match. And the Peruvian officials were not going to let them enter the Inca Trail! After much scrambling and promises to correct the problems they were finally allowed to enter the Trail and we hiked another mile to a base camp at the foot of the Inca ruins at Llactapa (Town on the Hillside at 8592 ft). We arrived just as it started to rain? Fortunately our luxury accommodations (read –tents) were already set up and we settled in.
After afternoon tea in the mess tent I hiked up to the top of a hill on the Inca Trail where the race was to start. I wanted to check out the trail and get a bird’s eye view of the camp and the Inca ruins. I was happy that the trail was dirt and the rain had not made it slippery! If only I could have guessed? Read on.
We enjoyed a great buffet dinner including pasta in the mess tent. Some of the marathoners decided they wanted to get an early start. Since we had to pass through another checkpoint around 4 miles that didn’t open until 6 am there was not much point in starting before 5 am. The official start was 6 am! Since it was already dark we all went to bed early. As I climbed into my sleeping bag I suffered flashbacks to the Everest Marathon. I swore I would never spend another night in a tent on a cold mountain! But this was much better – the tent was roomier and the weather was warmer. I crawled into my bag with two thermal layers on and had to remove one in the middle of the night because I was too warm? As we settled in for the night it started to rain again – and it rained hard – and it rained all night! All I could think was “the trail is going to be muddy/slippery and there will probably be snow above 13,000ft? Oh Goody!
My tent mate, John – a Brit in my age group- decided to start early so he (and I) were awakened at 3:30am. The early group started in a light rain and the dark at 5:10am. By then I was up and packing my bag to be carried to Machu Picchu and making final preparations for the 6am start. Breakfast was served but I can’t eat before a race. Luckily the rain stopped as we hiked in the dark to the start line. It was cool so I started with two layers. After some photos the official marathon started a few minutes early! I carried a backpack/Camelback with enough water to get me to the first aid station at 4 miles. The trail crossed the Cusichaca River and climbed gradually out of the Urubamba Valley to Wayllabamba (9100 ft). The first three miles were nice, soft dirt and I was able to run at a good pace. Then the trail entered the Llullchayoc Gorge and started to climb steeply over the next 5 miles to the top of Warmiwanusscca Pass (Dead Woman’s Pass) at 13,779 ft! At three miles the nice, soft dirt disappeared and was replaced with stone paths and stone steps built by the Incas 500 years ago. The stones were uneven and slippery from the rain – and the steps were even worse! They were steep, narrow and slippery! I reached the first aid station at 4 miles in 51:13. I stopped to remove my 2nd layer, fill my Camelback with enough water to get me to the next aid station at 10 miles, take a photo, and continue the grueling, relentless climb up Dead Woman’s Pass. We climbed thousands of steps that climbed straight up the mountain – obviously the Incas didn’t believe in switchbacks or dirt trails? We passed through mossy woods (with mossy steps) and a thick forest before emerging into a large meadow (pampa) at Llulluchapampa at 12,400 ft. It started to get cold so I wasn’t surprised when I soon reached stone steps that were covered with snow and ice! Oh Great. Steep/narrow stone steps that are now covered with snow/ice! And did I mention that in many places there was a sheer drop of 1000+ feet off the sides of the steep/narrow/slippery stone steps? I reached the top of Dead Woman’s Pass in 2:09:25 where I caught up to my tent mate and another early starter. It was very cold so we all stopped to add another layer of clothing and take photos. Then they bounded off down the stone steps on the other side of the pass. I took one look down and FROZE – from FEAR! The stone steps were steep/narrow and covered with ice and going DOWNHILL! Climbing uphill on steep/narrow steps was scary but gravity and altitude kept the pace slow and safe. Going downhill was terrifying! One bad step or slip and I would fall a long way down the steps. Did I mention the sheer, 1000 ft drop off the side of the steps! I didn’t want to think about that option! I was so terrified of falling that the only way I could make it down the steps was to side step – one step at a time and always leading with my left foot so that my right/dominant side would fall into the steps if I made a mistake! I had to focus strongly on each step and foot plant to prevent a fall and to control my acrophobia. I was afraid that if I looked at that sheer, 1000+ft drop I would become dizzy and fall off the mountain! I had to use this method/routine until I descended back below 13,000 ft where the temps warmed up and the ice had melted. At that point I decided if I wanted to finish the race that day I would have to teach myself how to hike down the steps in a normal mode i.e. like going down the steps in my house! That’s a lot easier to say than do but I did manage to get into a somewhat normal pace until I reached more steps that were very steep and narrow and then it was back to the side step routine! It took me 50 minutes to descend 1 mile and reach the 2nd aid station at 10 miles. I had reached 10 miles in 2:59:30. I knew my pre-race goal of finishing under 8 hrs was not going to happen! And I didn’t care – I was too terrified of the downhill steps to take any risks for the sake of time.
I stopped at the aid station to fill my Camelback with enough water to get to the final aid station at 17.5 miles. The race director had told us that there would be bottled water at every aid station. He lied! The porters were boiling local stream water to purify it. That was OK but the water was still hot when I filled my Camelback so I had to drink hot water for the next 3 hrs. Another first for a marathon!
The trail then began to climb again (lots more steep/narrow stone steps) as it ascended to the top of Runkurakay Pass (13,100 ft). I swear that climb was worst than the 1st Pass? The steps seemed to be much steeper and went on –and on – and on - without any relief. I caught and passed a few more runners from the early group as I struggled to the top of the pass while sucking for air. Near the top the steps became so steep and narrow that we had to crawl/scramble on our hands and knees to get to the top! I stood on the top of Runkurakay Pass at 3:49:33. Then the fear began again – I had to go down the steps on the other side! Back to my terrifying and slow side-step routine for the steep/narrow steps at the top and finally eased into a normal pace by the time I reached the Inca fortress at Sayacmarca (12,234 ft). I missed a turn at the ruins and climbed a series of steep steps up into the ruins before I realized there was no trail out of the ruins? I had to back track to the steps and at that point one of the runners I passed was approaching the ruins and he asked a Quechua porter for directions. I had to descend the steps and follow a narrow stone path along the perimeter of the ruins. I kept catching up to my fellow runner as we passed through natural and Inca-made tunnels. We joined up again at the final water station near the ruins at Phuyupatamarca (Town in the Clouds – 11,674 ft) at 17.5 miles. This was the overnight camp for the runners completing the trail in two days. It had taken me 6:08:39 to go 17.5 miles. Maybe I should stay overnight at the camp? The final checkpoint closed at 3 pm?
I stopped to fill my Camelback with enough water to get me to the finish line. Surprise – more hot water! The next surprise was the very nasty/steep/narrow steps leading down from Phuyupatamarca Pass. They were steep/narrow and in bad shape – back to the side-step routine. When I finally managed to get down that terrifying stretch of steps I commented to myself that it couldn’t get any worse than that. WRONG! I reached a rock outcrop of granite that bulged out of the side of the mountain like a big belly. The Incas had carved very narrow steps or toeholds into the granite but time, water and use had rounded the steps. I looked at those steps and said” I ain’t going down there”! I looked for an alternate route – there was none! I considered quitting but it was 8 miles to Machu Picchu down those terrifying steps or 19 miles back to the start line! There were no other alternatives! I tried my side-step routine but that required looking down (to where I would most likely fall and die) and the steps were too rounded and narrow for the side of my foot. So I laid on my belly and clung to the rock outcrop - dug my fingers into the granite and clawed my way down that 30-ft section of terror. I bet my claw marks are in that granite for a long time!
The trail seemed to get better with less steps after that and I was able to make good progress until I reached the ruins at WinayWaya (8692 ft). The trail passed through the ruins and down another terrifying series of steps inside the ruins. My knees were throbbing and sore by then and the only way I could make it down those steps was to use my side-step routine and cling to the walls of the ruins. At the bottom of the steps the trail had dirt and small stones and I was able to hike faster (almost jog) until I reached the final checkpoint near 22.5 miles (7:43:09). Abelardo was waiting at that checkpoint to pass us through and I was pleased to discover that after the checkpoint the trail descended gradually and actually had a section of dirt trail? I could catch glimpses of other runners ahead of me and hear voices. I started to run ‘easy’ in hopes of catching them but never could because they had also started to run. Unfortunately after 1 mile the trail became stone paths again and stone steps as it started to climb? I heard footsteps behind me? Abelardo had decided to follow the group ahead and me to the finish line. That worked out well for me because I didn’t have to worry about taking a wrong turn (again). Like a kid in a car I started asking “Are we there yet? How far to the finish line? “ Since the trail was climbing again and I expected it to be descending to Machu Picchu I asked what was going on? Abelardo informed me that the trail was climbing around and UP the backside of Machu Picchu Mtn to Intipunku – the Sun Gate (8860 ft) - that overlooks Machu Picchu (7900 ft). I asked “How far”? Instead of distance he answered “about 40 minutes”! The trail kept climbing and climbing – more steep/narrow steps. My knees were killing me but Maddog refused to stop for a rest in case Abelardo think he was a wimp. Finally I reached a short set of very narrow/steep steps (supposedly built that way for defensive purposes) that climbed up the Sun Gate. Those steps were so steep that I had to crawl/scramble on my hands and feet and the last few steps I had to crawl on hands/feet/knees to drag myself over the top and through the Sun Gate (8860 ft). My first look at Machu Picchu! It was awesome! I stopped for photos and then asked Abelardo “how far to the finish line”. He again answered in time – “about 40 minutes”! I had reached the Sun Gate in 8:30:06. I didn’t have 40 minutes if I wanted to finish under 9 hrs and recoup some self-respect!
I became determined/obsessed about breaking 9 hrs even if it meant taking some risks. Luckily that final section of trail to Machu Picchu - known as the Royal Trail - was all downhill and built with larger, flat stones that provided better/safer footing and I was able to jog that final two miles and reach the finish line at the ‘flat rock’ overlooking Machu Picchu (7900 ft) in 8:51:23! It was a good thing that Abelardo was behind me because I would have missed the finish line like many other runners did. He took a photo of a jubilant and glad-to-be-alive Maddog jumping up and down on the flat rock.
I had noticed on the final jog down the Royal Trail that I had lots of physical energy left because I had had run/walked so slowly. But as soon as I reached the finish line I became mentally exhausted. The stress of focusing on every foot plant and each and every of the thousands of stone steps and controlling my acrophobia had totally exhausted me mentally. I asked Abelardo “how far is it down to the bus that takes us to the hotel”? “10 minutes” I told him that I didn’t care how long it took but I was going to relax and walk down in a normal/easy/slow fashion!
When we reached the bus stop the runners from the early group that had been ahead of me were waiting for the bus. They had finished only a few minutes ahead of me. Everyone complained about sore knees and calves and a few had bruises and cuts from falls but everyone was happy and healthy! During the thrilling 30-minute bus ride down the mountain to Aguas Calientes I started to question my performance in the race? At first I was disappointed with my time but then I reminded myself how difficult it had been to control/overcome my acrophobia and fear of the downhill steps and how lucky I was to have finished ALIVE and injury free! I could never have attempted or finished that race 5 years ago before I started climbing 14ers in CO and learned how to control my acrophobia! No, I should be pleased and proud that I overcame those difficulties to finish the race!
When we reached Aguas Calientes our leg muscles had tightened up and everyone had difficulty getting off the bus and walking to the hotel. The Sports Manager was waiting at the bus stop to see if I had survived? Unfortunately our room did not have a tub so I had to make do with a hot shower before joining my fellow runners for a pizza and beer and to discuss our memorable race.
Thu was a rest day as we waited for the runners completing the trail in two days to finish. My legs – and especially my knees - were very sore. I haven’t been that sore in years? So I scheduled a massage with a Thai masseuse who helped a lot and then I went for a soak in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes. Unfortunately the hot springs (100 F) were not as hot as my hot tub (108 F).
The runners who took two days had the advantage that they finished less beat up than us and got to see/enjoy a lot more of the Inca trail.
Fri was an organized tour of Machu Picchu. We started early to beat the crowds – and believe me there are crowds because they don’t limit entry to the ruins! Our guide, Abelardo, led us on a very interesting and informative tour of the ruins. There are lots of steps (surprise) in the ancient city. The Sports Manager had a very difficult time since she is more afraid of heights and steps than me. We had to coax/coerce her down some steps from the top of the ruins but she did it. We visited all the sections of the city –agricultural, industrial and industrial - and the religious temples. See photo website for some great pics of Machu Picchu. After an excellent lunch at the exclusive Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge located at the entrance to the city I coaxed the Sports Manager into climbing more steps to the flat rock. She was afraid at first but very glad that she made it to the flat rock for the postcard views of Machu Picchu.
On Sat we took a train back to Ollantaytambo to visit the Inca ruins overlooking the city. The city was abandoned before completion because of the Inca civil war between the two sons of Huayna Capac. We continued by bus through Pisac to Cusco and returned to our old hotel and one final night in Cusco. That evening the tour agency held an award ceremony at the hotel in Cusco. I had come to believe that we weren’t going to get a finisher’s medal or race T-shirt but they did come though. No special awards but every runner received a finisher’s medal, T-shirt and certificate. To nobody’s surprise Roxanne won the race - in 6:12 – an amazing time under the conditions. I was pleased to learn that I finished in 4th place overall.
On Sun we flew back to Lima and were guided on a city tour of Lima. We visited the Plaza Mayor in old colonial Lima as well as the San Francisco Monastery before returning to our hotel in Miraflores one last night. The Sports Manager and I skipped the ‘final’ tour dinner to enjoy a private seafood dinner and a bottle of Peruvian wine in a small restaurant (we couldn’t face more chicken).
Mon was a very early wake-up call and a long flight back to Colorado!
This 2nd part- especially the race report- was long but I needed to record the facts and memories so that when I get old and think about running the Inca Trail Marathon (again) I can read the report and remember why I would never – ever- run this race again! It was the worst/toughest/slowest/most terrifying marathon I have ever run. But that is a personal opinion due to my fear of heights and running downhill steps. If you are a good downhill runner this marathon would not be as difficult as Everest!
The marathon tour/organization was good but had some problems that I will not review in the report to keep it from getting longer.
It is over. I am happy that finished Country #92 ALIVE and injury-free and now I must focus on more altitude training to prepare for my next marathon/adventure in a few weeks in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
Stay tuned!
TR - Peru - Part 1
Trip Report – Part 1
Peru
7/29 –8/12/08
Race Results
Inca Trail Marathon (27.5 miles)
Machu Picchu, Peru
Wed, Aug 5/08
Marathon # 307 - Country # 92
8:51:23 – 4 OA – 1 AG
TWO down – EIGHT to go! Country #92!
Planning for this trip/adventure began more than one year ago. I wanted to run a marathon in Peru and the Sports Manager and I always wanted to visit Machu Picchu so why not do both at the same time? When I researched the race I learned that the Peruvian government only permits 500 hikers per day on the Inca Trail so the sports/tour agency had to book slots many months in advance. Our son Chris also wanted to see Machu Picchu and he agreed to join us and run the marathon (his first) with his Dad. We booked the trip one year in advance.
I selected the race in Aug because I would have time to do altitude training at our summer home in the Rocky Mtns of Colorado before the race. The marathon had two passes above 13,000 ft! Chris planned to meet us in CO before the trip to also get some altitude training in before the race. We were very disappointed when he was T-boned by a truck while riding his bike in early June and suffered a broken patella. His leg was to be in a cast for 8 weeks and he had to cancel the trip.
We left CO early to enjoy a few extra days in Lima and Cusco before the main group arrived in Cusco on Aug 2/08. As we made the long flight to Lima I read about the history of Peru, the Incas and the Inca Trail. At its height the Inca Empire controlled nearly 1/3 of South America and more than 10M people. It all started in 1438 in Cusco (or Qosqo in the Inca tongue of Quechua). Contrary to popular belief the word “Inca” does not refer to the citizens of the Inca Empire who are more correctly called “Quechua People”. The only true “Inca” was the ruler of the empire who lived in Cusco.
In 1530 the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro arrived and defeated the Quechua people. Today the majority of Peru’s population descends from the native Quechua line. 80% speak Spanish and 16% still speak Quechua – the 2nd language of the country.
OK – history lesson over – time to begin the adventure.
We arrived in Lima late Tue night and were picked up and driven to our hotel in Miraflores – a modern suburb located on the Pacific Coast with lots of great hotels, restaurants and bars. We took a late night stroll along the main avenue to get our bearings and enjoy a local beer. Since the package included a city tour on our return to Lima on the last day we spent the day exploring Miraflores and shopping at the many local markets for the obligatory souvenirs and jewellery we buy in every country. And we quickly learned that homemade craft such as baby clothes were very cheap in Peru. Needless to say our new granddaughter Priya is going to be the ‘fashion queen’ in Portland, OR!
On Wed we took an early flight to Cusco and checked into our hotel near the main square – the Plaza de Armas. Cusco reminded me of Reno, NV. It is located in a valley and surrounded by the Andes Mtns. The topography is barren in that region. Cusco is located at 11,200 ft and has a population of 400,000. The center of the city is very compact and it is easy to walk everywhere. We had two days before the main group arrived so we explored Cusco and did more shopping (for Priya). We visited the Plaza de Armas and several other plazas near the city center and then ventured up into the San Blas neighborhood where the artists live and work. I wanted to try ‘cuy’ (guinea pig) – a local delicacy. I had eaten cuy in Equador and wanted to taste the Peruvian version. Equador grills cuy with lots of spices – Peru bakes cuy. Equador won the cuy taste test! The Sports Manager refused to eat cuy? (See photos). I also tried apaca several times. It is very common on menus and tastes good. Beer is cheap in Peru ($4 for a liter) but wine is not ($5/6 per glass). Food is cheap if you eat the ‘tourist’ menu of the day ($3 w/o booze) but cuy costs $20?
After all that food and cheap beer I needed to run and adjust to the 11,000 ft altitude. But where to run? The streets are narrow and crowded and the drivers are crazy! The hotel suggested I run to the Inca ruins at Sacsayhuaman – but they neglected to say that the ruins were located ‘uphill’ in the Andes Mtns at 12,200 ft! The first day I ran on the side of the road to the ruins before I discovered there was a shortcut via Inca stone steps. I came down the steps to practice/train on the stone steps. The 2nd day I ran up via the steps and continued on to the Inca ruins at Qenco (about 12,500 ft). I was sucking air by the time I reached the ruins but the run back down to Cusco was OK. The steps were steep but wide and I naively thought I was doing fine on Inca steps! Little did I know!
The main group arrived on Sat. The group totaled 22 people - most from the USA but a few from the UK and Australia. About 13 were running the marathon in 1 day, 5 were hiking the marathon/trail in two days, 3 were planning to take the train to Km 104 and hike the final 4 miles of the trail and the Sports Manager (the wisest of all?) planned to take the train all the way to Machu Picchu. We began our first organized tour of the trip with a city tour. We visited the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral. When the Spanish conquered the Quechua they destroyed all the Inca buildings in Cusco and rebuilt their churches and homes on top of the Inca foundations using the stones from the Inca buildings. On many streets you can see the remains of Inca foundations (the stones are carved to fit perfectly w/o mortar) next to the sloppy Spanish foundations (stones don’t fit and mortar was used). We visited Qorikancha, the most important temple of the Inca Empire where the Sun Temple (covered in gold plate) and the Moon Temple (covered in silver plate) were located.
On Sun we toured the Inca ruins at Sacsayhuaman. Since that word is difficult for tourists to pronounce everyone calls it ‘Sexywoman’. The remains of a fortress and temple are located on the site. After making a too-long stop at a textile factory we continued on to ruins at Qenco, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. We finished the day with a 4.5 mile training run from the village of Yuncaypata to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. The run started at 12,800 ft and descended on a section of the Inca trails to 12,000 ft and back up to the Temple of Moon at 12,600ft. The run was led by our main Quechua guide Abelardo (a good runner who had no problem with the altitude). I managed to stay close to him and a (hard-core) female ultra runner, Roxanne, from Atlanta until we reached the Temple of the Moon. After a quick visit to the temple we continued on a more technical downhill section to Cusco where a few fast/good downhill runners passed me. We were starting to establish the pecking order for the marathon?
On Mon we traveled by bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a stop in Chinchero to visit a Quechua home and family that made their own textiles and weavings from scratch. They showed us how they washed apaca and sheep wool in natural soap and dyed the yarn with natural colors, etc. I kept telling the Sports Manager that we should move there so she could learn all those neat and ancient skills? I won’t tell you her response! We bought more things for Priya! After shopping we visited some more Inca ruins located in Chinchero. After the tour we stopped in the middle of a high plain (12,600 ft) and Abelardo led a 2nd training run on a trail that descended gradually for a short time and then dropped steeply past the salt mines at Maras and joined a steep, technical dirt trail that descended to the Urubamba River (9500 ft). We all chased Abelardo and Roxanne again. The run was supposed to be 7 miles but when I passed 70 minutes and was hurting because I was running a sub-10 min pace (at altitude) I knew that it weren’t no 7 miles. Turned out to be 8 miles and I was the 4th runner to reach the bus. The pecking order for the marathon had been established!
After the run we checked into a beautiful hotel in Yucay and got together for a pre-race meeting. The race director went over the course and logistics for the race. There were no race bibs since the government would not allow a race/marathon to be held on the Inca Trail. Officially we were all ‘fast’ hikers! All those running the Inca Trail in one or two days would camp on the trail and had to pack one bag accordingly. The rest of our clothes and belongings were to be sent on to Machu Picchu or returned to Cusco. At that point and with two training runs under our belt a few runners decided to opt out of the marathon and hike the final 4 miles of the Inca Trail?
On Tue we departed for Urubamba where half the group chose to go on a whitewater-rafting trip on the Urubamba River. I was in the half that chose not to raft – I didn’t want to get wet before the hike to base camp and I didn’t want to risk an injury on a raft that could spoil my run? Instead our half drove to Ollantaytambo where we visited a Quechua home to see how they live in the same manner as their ancestors. The homes are made of adobe and have one large room only that accommodates all family members (and the cuy). See the photos. Even the skulls of their ancestors are kept in the home! After the interesting visit we drove back to the river to cheer our rafting comrades across the finish line on the Urubamba River. Everyone enjoyed the raft but many were soaked! We then enjoyed a quick lunch in Ollantaytambo before we drove to Piscachucho at Km 82 on the Inca Trail where we would start our hike to base camp on the Inca Trail to begin the marathon. Those not running the marathon went back to the ‘luxury’ hotel In Yucay for another night.
I will end this part of the report at this point to give everyone a rest and continue the marathon in Part 2.
Stay tuned!
Peru
7/29 –8/12/08
Race Results
Inca Trail Marathon (27.5 miles)
Machu Picchu, Peru
Wed, Aug 5/08
Marathon # 307 - Country # 92
8:51:23 – 4 OA – 1 AG
TWO down – EIGHT to go! Country #92!
Planning for this trip/adventure began more than one year ago. I wanted to run a marathon in Peru and the Sports Manager and I always wanted to visit Machu Picchu so why not do both at the same time? When I researched the race I learned that the Peruvian government only permits 500 hikers per day on the Inca Trail so the sports/tour agency had to book slots many months in advance. Our son Chris also wanted to see Machu Picchu and he agreed to join us and run the marathon (his first) with his Dad. We booked the trip one year in advance.
I selected the race in Aug because I would have time to do altitude training at our summer home in the Rocky Mtns of Colorado before the race. The marathon had two passes above 13,000 ft! Chris planned to meet us in CO before the trip to also get some altitude training in before the race. We were very disappointed when he was T-boned by a truck while riding his bike in early June and suffered a broken patella. His leg was to be in a cast for 8 weeks and he had to cancel the trip.
We left CO early to enjoy a few extra days in Lima and Cusco before the main group arrived in Cusco on Aug 2/08. As we made the long flight to Lima I read about the history of Peru, the Incas and the Inca Trail. At its height the Inca Empire controlled nearly 1/3 of South America and more than 10M people. It all started in 1438 in Cusco (or Qosqo in the Inca tongue of Quechua). Contrary to popular belief the word “Inca” does not refer to the citizens of the Inca Empire who are more correctly called “Quechua People”. The only true “Inca” was the ruler of the empire who lived in Cusco.
In 1530 the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro arrived and defeated the Quechua people. Today the majority of Peru’s population descends from the native Quechua line. 80% speak Spanish and 16% still speak Quechua – the 2nd language of the country.
OK – history lesson over – time to begin the adventure.
We arrived in Lima late Tue night and were picked up and driven to our hotel in Miraflores – a modern suburb located on the Pacific Coast with lots of great hotels, restaurants and bars. We took a late night stroll along the main avenue to get our bearings and enjoy a local beer. Since the package included a city tour on our return to Lima on the last day we spent the day exploring Miraflores and shopping at the many local markets for the obligatory souvenirs and jewellery we buy in every country. And we quickly learned that homemade craft such as baby clothes were very cheap in Peru. Needless to say our new granddaughter Priya is going to be the ‘fashion queen’ in Portland, OR!
On Wed we took an early flight to Cusco and checked into our hotel near the main square – the Plaza de Armas. Cusco reminded me of Reno, NV. It is located in a valley and surrounded by the Andes Mtns. The topography is barren in that region. Cusco is located at 11,200 ft and has a population of 400,000. The center of the city is very compact and it is easy to walk everywhere. We had two days before the main group arrived so we explored Cusco and did more shopping (for Priya). We visited the Plaza de Armas and several other plazas near the city center and then ventured up into the San Blas neighborhood where the artists live and work. I wanted to try ‘cuy’ (guinea pig) – a local delicacy. I had eaten cuy in Equador and wanted to taste the Peruvian version. Equador grills cuy with lots of spices – Peru bakes cuy. Equador won the cuy taste test! The Sports Manager refused to eat cuy? (See photos). I also tried apaca several times. It is very common on menus and tastes good. Beer is cheap in Peru ($4 for a liter) but wine is not ($5/6 per glass). Food is cheap if you eat the ‘tourist’ menu of the day ($3 w/o booze) but cuy costs $20?
After all that food and cheap beer I needed to run and adjust to the 11,000 ft altitude. But where to run? The streets are narrow and crowded and the drivers are crazy! The hotel suggested I run to the Inca ruins at Sacsayhuaman – but they neglected to say that the ruins were located ‘uphill’ in the Andes Mtns at 12,200 ft! The first day I ran on the side of the road to the ruins before I discovered there was a shortcut via Inca stone steps. I came down the steps to practice/train on the stone steps. The 2nd day I ran up via the steps and continued on to the Inca ruins at Qenco (about 12,500 ft). I was sucking air by the time I reached the ruins but the run back down to Cusco was OK. The steps were steep but wide and I naively thought I was doing fine on Inca steps! Little did I know!
The main group arrived on Sat. The group totaled 22 people - most from the USA but a few from the UK and Australia. About 13 were running the marathon in 1 day, 5 were hiking the marathon/trail in two days, 3 were planning to take the train to Km 104 and hike the final 4 miles of the trail and the Sports Manager (the wisest of all?) planned to take the train all the way to Machu Picchu. We began our first organized tour of the trip with a city tour. We visited the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral. When the Spanish conquered the Quechua they destroyed all the Inca buildings in Cusco and rebuilt their churches and homes on top of the Inca foundations using the stones from the Inca buildings. On many streets you can see the remains of Inca foundations (the stones are carved to fit perfectly w/o mortar) next to the sloppy Spanish foundations (stones don’t fit and mortar was used). We visited Qorikancha, the most important temple of the Inca Empire where the Sun Temple (covered in gold plate) and the Moon Temple (covered in silver plate) were located.
On Sun we toured the Inca ruins at Sacsayhuaman. Since that word is difficult for tourists to pronounce everyone calls it ‘Sexywoman’. The remains of a fortress and temple are located on the site. After making a too-long stop at a textile factory we continued on to ruins at Qenco, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. We finished the day with a 4.5 mile training run from the village of Yuncaypata to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. The run started at 12,800 ft and descended on a section of the Inca trails to 12,000 ft and back up to the Temple of Moon at 12,600ft. The run was led by our main Quechua guide Abelardo (a good runner who had no problem with the altitude). I managed to stay close to him and a (hard-core) female ultra runner, Roxanne, from Atlanta until we reached the Temple of the Moon. After a quick visit to the temple we continued on a more technical downhill section to Cusco where a few fast/good downhill runners passed me. We were starting to establish the pecking order for the marathon?
On Mon we traveled by bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a stop in Chinchero to visit a Quechua home and family that made their own textiles and weavings from scratch. They showed us how they washed apaca and sheep wool in natural soap and dyed the yarn with natural colors, etc. I kept telling the Sports Manager that we should move there so she could learn all those neat and ancient skills? I won’t tell you her response! We bought more things for Priya! After shopping we visited some more Inca ruins located in Chinchero. After the tour we stopped in the middle of a high plain (12,600 ft) and Abelardo led a 2nd training run on a trail that descended gradually for a short time and then dropped steeply past the salt mines at Maras and joined a steep, technical dirt trail that descended to the Urubamba River (9500 ft). We all chased Abelardo and Roxanne again. The run was supposed to be 7 miles but when I passed 70 minutes and was hurting because I was running a sub-10 min pace (at altitude) I knew that it weren’t no 7 miles. Turned out to be 8 miles and I was the 4th runner to reach the bus. The pecking order for the marathon had been established!
After the run we checked into a beautiful hotel in Yucay and got together for a pre-race meeting. The race director went over the course and logistics for the race. There were no race bibs since the government would not allow a race/marathon to be held on the Inca Trail. Officially we were all ‘fast’ hikers! All those running the Inca Trail in one or two days would camp on the trail and had to pack one bag accordingly. The rest of our clothes and belongings were to be sent on to Machu Picchu or returned to Cusco. At that point and with two training runs under our belt a few runners decided to opt out of the marathon and hike the final 4 miles of the Inca Trail?
On Tue we departed for Urubamba where half the group chose to go on a whitewater-rafting trip on the Urubamba River. I was in the half that chose not to raft – I didn’t want to get wet before the hike to base camp and I didn’t want to risk an injury on a raft that could spoil my run? Instead our half drove to Ollantaytambo where we visited a Quechua home to see how they live in the same manner as their ancestors. The homes are made of adobe and have one large room only that accommodates all family members (and the cuy). See the photos. Even the skulls of their ancestors are kept in the home! After the interesting visit we drove back to the river to cheer our rafting comrades across the finish line on the Urubamba River. Everyone enjoyed the raft but many were soaked! We then enjoyed a quick lunch in Ollantaytambo before we drove to Piscachucho at Km 82 on the Inca Trail where we would start our hike to base camp on the Inca Trail to begin the marathon. Those not running the marathon went back to the ‘luxury’ hotel In Yucay for another night.
I will end this part of the report at this point to give everyone a rest and continue the marathon in Part 2.
Stay tuned!
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