Injury...

I´m getting fairly concerned with a foot injury I incurred while running. My right running shoe´s arch support was digging into my foot and now it´s irritated or sprained. Either way, I have not been able to run on it for 2 weeks now and am not sure I will be able to anytime soon. I have 3 months to get my running up to marathon level and I´m sure I can do it but it sure doesn´t help to have this hit me right now.

Hopefully, my mom can acupuncture it out next week while I´m stateside...

To find out why I am training or to donate to my cause, please click here

Embarrassing...

So I finally found a place to live here in Medellìn with some college kids, a lawyer, electronic engineer and a 40-something year old mother of 2 young girls. I pay $220 a month for food, housing and laundry (not a bad deal).

Somebody tell me why the 40 y/o and another girl roommate had to walk by the TV during the only prolonged sex scene of Forgetting Sarah Marshall? They asked if I was watching a porno and I tried to explain the situation but I´m not sure if they believed me. I was always great at first impressions...

Why Colombia?

It´s been a hectic couple weeks because I moved from Quito, Ecuador to Medellìn, Colombia. The reasons are numerous for my move, but the main reason is that I was unable to ride my bike in Quito. And since the biking portion of the race consists of about half the time, I needed a much better location that was conducive to training overall. Luckily, I am still able to work with Catapulta remotely while in Colombia.

Medellìn has a horrible reputation since it was the headquarters of the Pablo Escobar era; however, it has turned around dramatically as has the rest of Colombia. It´s safe to say that it´s a LOT safer than Quito (no pun intended). It also boasts a true Olympic sized pool, miles of road to ride a bike (including a 15 mile stretch of highway that is closed off every week specifically for bikers) and to put the cherry on top the weather is perfect year round at 70-80 degrees.

Another reason Colombia as a country was so easy to choose was its people. I have never visited a country where its people go so out of their way to make you feel so welcome. While visiting, I was approached at least once a day by a random stranger not because he or she wanted anything from me, but rather because they just wanted to make sure we were enjoying our time in their country. At the end of our conversations they would always give us their contact information and tell us not to hesitate to call them if we needed anything. We were even invited to a wedding party!

Also, I love how the society is based on trust. This was evident from the moment I stepped off the plane. During my cab ride, I told my driver that I´d be paying him in dollars and when I told him the exchange rate he said, "Are you sure, I thought it was lower?" When I told him I was sure he said ok I trust you and that was that. Also, I have run into the situation numerous times at a corner store where they didn´t have enough change and they told me to pay them later. In each of the situations, I always wondered how events would have unfolded if we were in New York. The longer I stay here, the more I´m convinced that everybody in the world can learn something from Colombians. The country´s tourism slogan is "The only risk is that you´ll want to stay." You won´t find me suing them anytime soon for false advertising.

PS - This link has absolutely no credibility because Colombia is not on it.

To find out why I am running the Ironman Triathlon or to donate to my cause, please click on this link

Instructional Video: How to Stay Fit on Vacation

So here's a step by step guide on how to stay fit while you're on vacation.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box



Heh heh jk...

Step 2: Have a friend get down on his hands and knees



Step 3: Have another friend lay on his/her back with all limbs in the air (it helps if this friend has big arm muscles). This friend should be positioned so that his/her head is perpendicular to the other friend from Step 2.



Step 4:
Take a seat and pedal as if your life depended on it (notice the wind streaks, they mean you're going fast!)!





Step 5: Relax!



To find out why I'm "training" while on vacation or to donate to my cause, please click here!

Venezuela Picture Update Parte Dos

After Canaima, we had a brief stay in Isla Margarita where we celebrated New Year´s Eve in grand fashion with the locals.

The celebration included the customary spraying of bub...

And of course, Stu and I demonstrated to a lucky local what we do best...



After our NYE celebration we went to Los Roques. My friends and I concluded that Los Roques has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The views from the plane were a good indicator of what we would encounter on the ground.

Once we were on the ground, we were not disappointed by the views that we experienced. Los Roques is an archipelago so we took a boat to different keys each day where we were met with white sand and clear water wherever we went.

On one of the days, we were lucky enough to have a tiny island to ourselves. We spent the day in isolation relaxing...

Getting silly...

Digging for buried treasure...



Feeling the sand between our fingers...



Enjoying the platos tipicos...



AND taking in the fresh ocean air...



OR maybe not so fresh...

The Grind

I woke up today a LOT more sore and tired than I usually am and was deciding between skipping my long run today and just grinding it out. I'm glad I chose to grind it out but my body is cursing me (in numerous languages). Hopefully my body gets used to this at some point..

Fundraiser Event!

If you are in NYC and have a few moments and liver cells to spare, please make it out to a happy hour this Thursday to support my cause, Race for the Fallen.

What: Happy Hour Fundraiser to support homeless veterans
Where: Town Tavern (134 W. 3rd St)
When: Feb. 5 (this Thursday!) from 6:30 - 10:30pm
Why: Drink specials, great people and a worthy cause!