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.
I’m writing this from a hammock on the front porch of a beach house off the Pacific coast of Panama… 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.
Today, day 192 on the road, it was time to stop. To sit still for a while, and breathe, and reconnect with myself.
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.
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…
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?
Baker on the Run 