I spent the day yesterday hiking around Barro Colorado — the Smithsonian Institute’s research island in the middle of the Panama Canal. This was my first rain forest experience, and I’m both glad I went and much more aware of how totally un-equipped I am for tropical living. Continue reading “Digital Nomad Series: The Jungle Is (Mostly) Designed to Kill You”
I’m writing this from a hammock on the front porch of a beach house off the Pacific coast of Panama. (Sorry, not sorry for all the prepositional phrases there). The rain has been softly falling for a while now, and that has (thankfully) cooled things off enough to make dusk an enjoyable time to be outside. Ten days ago, I was relaxing on a very different front porch in La Crosse, Wisconsin and had no idea that I’d be here. Continue reading “Digital Nomad Series: A Peaceful Few Days in Panama”
Long distance runners have a lot of different ways of talking about “the wall.” It’s the moment, somewhere late in the race, when all of a sudden everything just gives out: your energy, your motivation, your will to live… (ok, maybe not quite that extreme). I hit it at hit it at mile two of the Flying Pirate Half last month. I hit it on mile six of the Pittsburgh half two weeks ago when it was still raining and I had to cross another dang bridge. And I kind of hit my digital nomad-ing wall this week — after arriving in my fourth city in five days. Continue reading “Digital Nomad Series: Hitting the Wall”
Despite all the training and the planning and the absolute best of intentions, sometimes you wake up race morning, step out the front door, and just KNOW it’s going to be a terrible race. This year’s Flying Pirate Half Marathon in Kitty Hawk, NC was one of those races. Continue reading “Flying Pirate Half Marathon (Kitty Hawk, NC): Race Review”
If I didn’t know better, I might start to think I’m jinxed. This was the second year in a row that I found myself running a crazy-hilly race on St. Patrick’s Day when my insides decided to be profoundly uncooperative. I may sit out a St. Pat’s race next year… Continue reading “Shamrock Run Portland Half Marathon: Race Review”
If you haven’t seen Barry Schwartz’s TED talk on the Paradox of Choice, well, I recommend it. I also feel like I’m living it these days — when the world is your oyster, where do you even begin? Continue reading “Digital Nomad Series: The Paradox of Choice”
Regardless of what I might have thought about the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon had events unfolded more auspiciously, it shall forever be recorded in my memory as the race without (enough) port-o-potties. That pretty much sums it up — if you don’t want to read further details about GI matters, turn back now! (Though I’ll at least reassure everyone that there were no digestive disasters — in spite of the lack of facilities). Continue reading “Lake Sammamish Half Marathon: Race Review”
Y’all know I usually complain about hilly courses (see races in Pomona, Hotlanta, etc.). Given how few races out there are especially flat, you’d think I’d be over it by now. Maybe once I actually live somewhere again I’ll start training on hills and become less of a wuss. It would certainly make me sound less curmudgeonly in most of these reviews. BUT! You guys. Today, I ran the hilliest race of my life, and I loved it. Loved it! (I’m actually writing this on race day for once, and it’s possible I’m still a little high on adrenaline, caffeine, and sugar… but still. It was awesome.) Continue reading “Heart Breaker Half Marathon (Portland, OR): Race Review”
The San Diego Holiday Half Marathon taught me that I will probably avoid races in Southern California in future… not because it was bad, but because there’s not a lot of shade. And direct sunlight is not really my favorite thing when it comes to running 13 or so miles. Continue reading “San Diego Holiday Half Marathon: Race Review”
When I told people I was planning to spend a month in Pittsburgh, anyone who hadn’t been there seemed a bit baffled. And I can’t say I blame them. Before I visited, Pittsburgh fell into a list of mid-sized U.S. cities that seemed fine but that I’d never really had any compelling reason to think about: Indianapolis, Cleveland, Detroit… etc. Continue reading “Digital Nomad Series: Reflections on a Month in Pittsburgh”
