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March 9, 2007
Some Promised Photos
Finally, here are some photos from the race. All photos are from my sweetie. Each photo's caption appears under the photo.
This is the view from a hill near our camp after Stage 1, looking in a mostly easterly direction. The prominent mountain in the center of the photo is Volcan Arenal, an active volcano. The less prominent mountain on the right of the photo is Cerro Chato, a dormant volcano. We traversed over Cerro Chato during Stage 1. The lake on the left side of the photo is appropriately named Lago Arenal. Stage 1 began on the other side of Cerro Chato.
Tent City! After each stage, this Tent City would erect itself out of the Costa Rican wilderness. We had been warned to bring ear plugs because it could be loud. I never had trouble sleeping. In fact, I slept like a baby every night! I'm on the left side of the photo, in the pink and blue fleece jacket, standing next to my tent.
Do you recall the toilet and shower facilities that I described in our camp after Stage 4? These were the showers! To top it off, the showers were literally about 50 feet away from the food table, which is where most ultrarunners seem to comingle in quantity. Not much for privacy; I showered in my bathing suit.
Here I am finishing Stage 5, on the beach, righ next to the Pacific Ocean. Our camp was located right here as well, a perfect place to spend the night. The heat during Stage 5 was intense, but swimming in the ocean right afterwards made all the difference!
On the morning before Stage 6, we witnessed 3 baby sea turtles successfully make their way to the ocean.
This is the coolest race "trophy" I've received, a real (and sharp!) machete. The blade is engraved in Spanish with the race and my ranking. I have to figure out how to put this on the wall. And, yes, because I know y'all will ask, I am a Pepper.
Posted by Meghan at March 9, 2007 8:58 PM
Comments
Hi Meghan! Awesome job at the Coastal Challenge! And especially considering that you were not able to replicate the physical conditions in your training beforehand! (I will have to look at your photos when I am on a faster computer not at home.) I will be moving to Missoula this Spring where I am from originally and so will join you in the ultra long Rocky Mountain winters. Maybe we can get together halfway for a run! :) Thank you for telling me about your phantom pain in the shin area although hearing that makes me want to interpret every sign of pain as "just phantom pain - like Meghan has!" And yet, and yet... who knows? Maybe that's all I have now. I also sympathize with your bear run-ins (being from Montanny) and your dog run-ins. I have been hearing so many runners-bitten-by-dog incidents lately! Like Bev down at the Challenge, right? It's bad!! Have a great weekend - hope you discover an early buttercup or another sign of Spring out there - besides mud, which is in fact divine after all the snow. :) I'd love to talk more about your shin sometime and other things ultra.
Posted by: Kendra at March 9, 2007 9:45 PM
oooohhhh...fun pictures!!! YOU TOTALLY DO HAVE TO HANG THE MACHETE Up!!! :)
Posted by: Audrey at March 9, 2007 11:20 PM
what a souvenir!... if i were a Grizzly and i saw you running with that machete hanging by your side, i might be inclined to think twice before seeing you as a buffet item... nice pics...
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at March 10, 2007 1:47 AM
Now that is one awesome piece of race bling! Wow. It is totally worth hanging up, though as the previous commenter suggested, it might be better to wear it while running in bear country...
Thanks for sharing the pictures - they were gorgeous.
Posted by: backofpack at March 10, 2007 7:34 AM
thx, those are awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: tom riley at March 10, 2007 8:15 PM
Meghan,
Email me! What causes your murmur? What have they said about it?
Posted by: backofpack at March 10, 2007 10:19 PM
That has got to be the coolest prize ever! Totally fits the theme and the race in general. Who wants a dumb old medal when there are machetes to be won?! :) Great pics!
Posted by: Beth at March 11, 2007 7:57 AM
What race is this that you got a machete? That's so cool!
Posted by: Wendy at March 11, 2007 1:08 PM
I'm a bling runner and the machete is really cool! If you run this again you could bring it with you so you could defend yourself against the giant spiders! Chop Chop!
Posted by: Eric at March 11, 2007 5:41 PM
Hello Meghan!
Thanks for stopping by, it looks like you're having a blast. Killer!!
I hope your week is off to a great start.
Posted by: Caleb at March 12, 2007 10:03 AM
Awesome pictures!!
Posted by: olga at March 12, 2007 12:26 PM
You ought to wear it to work to keep those tourists in line.
Awesome swag.
Now if I could find a race that gives phase plasma rifles in the 40-watt range...
Posted by: JeffO at March 12, 2007 12:49 PM
Hey Meghan! cool site I must say! are those pictures from the Coastal Challenge?
I see you're an original Midwestener! and TwinCities to boot! can't beat that! so what's next on the race agenda for you...
hope all is going well
~ WynnMan
Posted by: WynnMan at March 12, 2007 4:08 PM
Hi Meghan! Thanks for the extra tippy about the shin. Wrap it up like a little present, huh? I will try that. Maybe a pro tec type thing. I'm just worried about things that "mask the pain" and then allow me to overdo more than I already do. I've been wearing a tight ski sock on it though so I guess I'm already partway to the wrapdom technique. Yesterday was shorts weather here and after briefly considering how one ski sock would look with shorts I let modesty overcome me and decided against it. I know: the new jouncing saddlebags due to decreased running are okay but one ski sock? Hell no! Anyway, the move should be happening around May/June. I'm kind of hoping for a snow melt on the passes since driving a Uhaul is stressful enough without wondering why you're going the opposite way of your steering wheel. I surely do want to take a training run with you. As for racing schedule... I was thinking of doing one of the Bozeman runs or maybe the Elkhorn one? And also, if you want to come up to Mizzou, I know the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area like the BACK OF MY HAND, baby! What are you racing plans, regionally or otherwise? How do you feel after Coastal?
Posted by: Kendra Borgogogo at March 12, 2007 9:07 PM
Hey Meghan! Yeah I would prefer running in powdered/ungroomed trail like I did at Tartan. Next year the Nationals will be out west again, so you may want to give it go next year.
Ice Age Trail 50m is one incredible race. It's a fantastic course, lots of history, one of the largest ultras out there, ya can't go wrong with this ditty. I did it for the first time last year and am doing it this year in prep for Kettle Moraine 100m.
~ WynnMan
Posted by: WynnMan at March 13, 2007 8:07 AM