Sunshine, flowers and baby snakes....
On beautiful days like this, I often think just how lucky I am to live here, to be able to run these beautiful trails almost daily and to have family and friends who support what I love to do. I also think back to past experiences and figure out what I can learn from them. Take TCC for example. I met so many wonderful people, both runners, crew and race support staff. They taught me a lot, the race itself taught me a lot:
- Trail runners always help other trail runners. Watching Project Athena Team leader Robin carry her team-mates on her back and literally pull them up steep slopes was just amazing.
- My friends are always there for me, no matter how tired and sore they feel themselves.
- My friends don't care if I smell like a wet dog because my clothes won't dry; they smell like one too.
- My friends don't care if I cry; they give me space and wait until I can laugh again.
- If you don't laugh, you'll go insane. There is something funny in every situation - find it.
- You are stronger than you think you are. Dig deep and you will finish what you start.
- You can never have enough pairs of dry socks.
- Clothes simply don't dry in Costa Rica, even technical running gear.
- Costa Rica runs on Tico time. It'll happen when it happens so don't stress about it.
- Everywhere in Costa Rica is "only 3K" away. They have no sense of distance.
- Elite runners like Scott Jurek are happy to hang out at the finish line and cheer you on, even though they were done hours ago.
- Life is short, enjoy it to it's fullest.
There was one point in the race when we were running along jungle trails, mangrove swamps to our right, dense jungle to our left, canopy overhead, when the words to Brain Damage from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon got stuck in my head:
"The lunatic is on the grass.
The lunatic is on the grass.
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.
Got to keep the loonies on the path."
Guess I was worried about running into a crocodile in the mangroves or snake in the undergrowth....
