Back to the Caminho da Fe

In 2011, Tony Portera , Jarom Thurston and I became the first individuals to run Brazil's Caminho da Fe,or The Path of Faith. Beginning in Cravinhos and ending in Aparecida, the journey was roughly 345 miles in 7d14h. Along the way we participated and competed in the Brazil 135. No one has ever attempted to run the Brazil 135 as well as cross the entire Path of Faith. We became the first trio to do so, and it was a life changing journey. Our pilgrimage ended at the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida. The history behind the statue and shrine is pure inspiration and a beautiful story of faith. If you are interested in learning more, here are a couple of links.

Caminho da Fe, Sao Carlos is the start this year

http://www.marypages.com/LadyAparecida.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_the_National_Shrine_of_Our_Lady_of_Aparecida


The Path of Faith was originally comprised of three main branches -  the West branch, the North branch and Northwest branch which unite to form one single route. The Path is marked with yellow signals and arrows pointing Pilgrims in the right direction. Pilgrims are given the option to take longest route from one of the three "branch" cities or the ability to  start anywhere along the Path that they choose. The Path crosses fields, woods, and mountains, affording the Pilgrims a unique experience; one of introspection, contact with nature, and healthy exertion. It traditionally takes 17 to 20 days to complete the longest route on foot, given that the pilgrim walks between 20 and 30 kilometers a day (about 12-19 miles). Cyclists have completed the path in roughly 8 to 10 days. Similar to the Camino de Santiago, Caminho da Fé offers a credencial, or pilgrim's passport, which is stamped along the way and exchanged for a certificado at the basilica. The Path is magical. From each Posada along the way,offering lodging to weary travelers, to the Brazilian people as a whole, who champion each pilgrim by offering food and drink, this is certainly much more than a "bucket list" item..... it is a transformational experience.

Crendencial or Pilgrim's passport

 



Tony, Jarom and I 2011 finishing Brazil 135

 

 

Our Lady of Aparecida

 

http://www.caminhodafe.com.br/eprincipal.html


On January 16, 2013 Tony Portera and I will, for the second time,  be embarking on this path. This time, our journey will be from Sao Carlos to Aparecida, approximately 351miles over 6 days. As before, we will both be competing in the Brazil 135 along the way. Here is our schedule:

Jan. 16:  67.1 miles from São Carlos to Tambaú

 

Jan. 17:  66.3 miles from Tambaú to Aguas Da Prata

Jan. 18:  71.5 miles of the Brazil 135

Jan. 19:  63.5 miles of the Brazil 135 to Paraisópolis

Jan. 20:  38.5 miles from Paraisópolis to Campos do Jordáo

 

Jan. 21:  44.8 miles from Campos do Jordáo to Aparecida

This will be a far more ambitious undertaking than our last effort. It is more miles over a shorter time frame. I have said before that Brazil has uphills, downhills and flat hills, thus  making 60+ miles a day very taxing, to say the least. Also, our crossing is in January, which is not only summer but is also the rainy season in Brazil. This provides its own potential complications including significant rain and  very high humidity. We will be running this Path not only as individuals, but in the spirit of the ultra community; one that has afforded us unbreakable bonds and extended family. Our Pilgrimage is also  in support of our i2P and CAF families.  If you are not familiar with those great non-profits, please check them out. You will be inspired and called to action by what they are up to. As always, I am being prepared and trained both physically and mentally for this journey by my good brother and i2P founder Ray Zahab.


Facebook friends can follow our journey here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/359242620828154/

Badwater take 2

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

My fav sign in the world

As I sit and reflect on the journey to this years Badwater 135. It sort of hit me right before the race when e said here we go it's been a year in the making . Truth be told it had, as pleased as I was with last years race I spent the last 12 months preparing to come back and somehow better the feat. I knew it was possible and it was.  Yes we returned, yes we PB'd and yes I reached a new level of "digging deep". Imagine being less than 1/2 mile from the finish of a 135 mile race and sitting down half a dozen times against anything you could find, bordering on tears and considering crawling for a few seconds because it seemed that far away. It truly was that difficult.






Yoga fun on the Saltflats

Team Roman

Mushroom Rock

What I realized along this journey; however, was so much more fulfilling.What I learned about myself I already knew there is NO quit, my best strength is clearly not physical but rather mental. What I also learned is how much e and my journey affect those around us. The level of support, friendship and gracious encouragement is something I had not fully appreciated till this weekend. I am honored to serve as an inspiration to those around me but honestly I receive just as much from each and everyone of my friends.

Dream the impossible!!!!

10am Wave

With my girls at the start

Despite some pre race jitters and a perpetually tight right knee I was cautiously optimistic about the race. In Death Valley you can never be more than that. There were very fast times on the way to Furnace Creek because of low temps but there was slight humidity which caught up to folks. The long slog to Stovepipe Wells is my least favorite part of the race, I battled a bloating stomach but managed to keep pace. The headwinds up Towne Pass were worse than the year before but we made the 18mile climb in great time (4h40m). Then the descent into Panamint followed by the climb up Father Crowley, both went without a hitch. As we worked our way to Darwin the "lean" to the right started and the back problems were only beginning. I held it together as best I could till about Keeler then the run walks became a huge struggle. By the 395 turnoff into Lonepine the running was about over. A left to right camber does not exactly favor a right sided lean. Last year I climbed to the Portals with a bad left groin, little did I know a locked up back would be ten times worse. According to Alene Nitzky from the Medical team they hesitated as they passed me up the mountain but saw the look on my face and knew everything would be ok, thankfully they were correct as usual. Somehow we actually managed to get up the mountain a few minutes faster than the previous year despite frequent stops and almost passing out after mile 134. The finish was a sweet relief 31h20m and 18th place over an hour faster than the previous year. Given all the issues at the end, ecstatic!!!!!

Early toward Furnace Creek

Crew perfection

Climbing Towne Pass

The painful last summit

Support to the finish, love my crew

Best hug ever

Ray Zahab my amazing friend and coach

The outpouring of support we received before, during and after the race was incredible. On a personal note I am especially happy for the incredible PB's set by Tony Portera and Terry Sentinella, awesome. Prior to the pizza party on Thursday Ray and I sat with Ben Jones for about an hour talking Death Valley. Pretty sure we heard some never before or rarely before heard stories about some of the crazy history of that desert. It is fascinating to listen to Ben as he is such a treasure and one of the people I respect most.

Badwater Ben Jones

I have conquered the worlds toughest foot race twice and am very proud of that. I now have a clearer understanding of what it really means to "be the change" to those around you. At the start I spoke  with Dean Karnazes the man who started me on this roller coaster 6 years ago. I thanked him once again for his inspiration, he smiled and said you did this not me. Such a simple truth. We all have those that inspire us but ultimately WE make our own successes. WE fulfil our own dreams and WE make the impossible possible.

Dean Karnazes

Thanks of course to Chris Kostman and all of the amazing race staff and medical volunteers. Thank you Erin for being the rock that supports me as I am the rock that supports you, funny balance that is! Special special thanks to Tony Portera and Ray Zahab and all the incredible people that surround them especially my i2P and CAF suuporters. The bond I share with those men is truly special. Also: Jay ("Shudder Bug"), Kathy, Amy and my beautiful Carson - the rest of the awesome crew. My love to Paul and his family, I know he was with me in spirit.

The heat is almost on, again.......

"Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin sister"
- Khalil Gibran

Loving the dunes :)

My AMAZING better half

There are a few things I know for sure at this point: my passions will keep expanding, the amazing people that surround me in my life make sure that is the case and I am ultimately at peace with who I am and what I continue to learn to strive for in this life. We all pick our poisons for better or worse, as a member of the ultracommunity I see those first hand everyday. The trials, successes and failures that lead people to refocus, recharge or simply reinvent themselves. Many of those I hold dearest to my heart are a product of that, they are also some of the strongest people I know.

Just before the start

Inspiration for yourself and those around must come from the heart, you MUST love that which you practice in order for it to be believable. Funny thing is if you do love it properly the belief comes easy because it is genuine.

No he does not.....

Of all the things I cherish what I truly cherish most is the genuine hugs I have been getting from my oldest daughter Carson these days, she is truly a friend and sees me that way, a level of trust that is hard to get from a young pre teen. She will turn 11 next Friday and is a very important part of our Badwater crew, maybe the most important.

My beautiful little me

I embark on the desert once again focused, determined and above all excited. Regardless of the race outcome I will get to share some of my life's most difficult and precious moments with those I hold so dear. My steps will be felt by Paul despite his ALS and the smile in his heart will be with me every step of the way.

Paul

2011 Badwater finish

Badwater is a coming.........

"It's 90% mental and the other 10% is all in your head"

- very wise Canadian

Seven weeks till game day, mid day training is heating up and one week till some true on course training and fun with Tony Portera, Cheryl Zwarkowski, Frank McKinney, Ben Jones and others :)




Basin to Furnace Creek


Last year we had an amazing crew and an amazing time, this year we intend to do the same. E has promised to start blogging again and include a meet the crew version. Since she is a much better writer and more interesting person in general I will leave the detailed post up to her. That being said here they are:

E: the love of my life, incredible yogi, bff and crew chief extraordinaire. Don't be fooled by her cute smile :)

Death Valley Dancer

Ray Zahab: one of the worlds greatest desert/adventure racers ever, coach, brother and founder of i2P

Ray

Kathy Zahab: gracious and amazing friend, mother, ultra runner. Saint for putting up with Ray!

Kathy

Amy Costa: big sis, multitasking mother of three awesome kids, incredible ultra runner, BEST smile ever

Amy and her crew

Jay Pack: my best friend and brother in the world who is not an ultra runner, photographer to the stars

Jay and fam

Carson: my little me, how I love her so!!!!!!!!!

C and c

Count your blessings, you may have more than you think :)

"If you live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself...your dreams will come to you."

- Randy Pausch

I spend a lot of time running a lot of miles around Jacksonville. Not so coincidentally I know a lot of random people from various walks of life and I LOVE that. I have never been a big fan of people but am a big fan of those I love and care for. These days that mostly includes my nuclear family and my extended family in the ultrarunning and yoga community. On my long run today I tried to spend sometime counting all my blessings, I ran out of time which says a lot.

My love for ultrarunning is no secret, it is a passion, ok an obsession to some degree but above all a love. My biggest fan and bff of all is of course my beautiful wife e and I am hers. Over the last few years I have developed several special relationships the deepest of which are with Tony Portera and Ray Zahab, brothers who I love and respect deeply.

e and I Day5 Erie Canal run. Great hug!!!!

That being said I have been able to create so many special bonds over the past years with people to numerous to count. Most of these guys and gals know who they are and amazingly I could talk to any of them for hours despite whatever length of separation there is. I have tried very hard to eliminate negativity and focus on the positive. What can we do? What can we change? Who can we help?

As the old AA saying goes "It is attraction rather than promotion". I am doing something right because everyday more awesome people enter my life and they are all people I want there. Givers not takers.

Just yesterday I finally had the chance to meet a friend of e's who I had known peripherally for awhile. She is an amazing old soul like e and not coincidentally we had some great time chatting on the beach. I even found my first starfish. It is yet another in a long line of encounters/friendships in our life that I see as no coincidence.

Spend some time one day counting your blessings, you have more than you think :)

Take me back or spin me forward

Had the amazing pleasure of seeing Rusted Root live last evening with my bff and a bunch of people that made both of us feel very old. Did you know they don't serve wine at most concerts???? Multiple Facebook responses later I realised once again how lucky we are. Our life's adventures are amazing and continue to grow daily. There is a part of me that likely yearns for the reckless old days but honestly I am far richer now. In fact, probably more reckless and carefree in a very good way.

Over the past few months e has made awesome forward growth in her Yoga aspirations and is seeing well deserved opportunities open up. Her story is one of growth and mentoring, she is valued for her ability to enrich those around her. In one week she will venture to Level II training with Baron Baptiste in Mexico, I could not be more proud of her. As Baron would say "you are ready NOW" !!!!!



I woke up this morning thinking how important the "I will" commitment is that we are making as a family. In several weeks I head off to the desert to train for Badwater and in 10 weeks a family reunion and another lesson in being stripped to the core.

Step out of that comfort zone and dream big, the first step is believing. I say spin me forward I am loving this ride :)

Bringing a bag of oranges to the desert

" The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."

- Richard Bach

The Badwater roster came out last week with 100 very happy invited runners. Nine of which are from my home state of Florida. Granted, there are 22 entrants from California ,but the "right" coast is making a strong showing. The beauty of being a part of such a close knit family is that I know most of the Florida runners, almost as well as I know some members of my own family. We all share the common bond of running for (or from) our lives, sacrificing what we must for the suffering that we crave. However, our life paths could not be more different and we represent all walks of life.The simple truth is that none of those things matter when you are out on a trail in the middle of the night. We should be so lucky to take that same blind trust into our eveyday lives. The bond of mutual suffering is unbreakable.
The Badwater list this year includes veterans and rookies, all very skilled and deserving. My guess is if you called up any one of these folks for advice,you would get a welcome answer and spot on advice. It is very rare in ultrarunning for a runner to keep their "secrets to success" a secret. Truly, once we have the tools, it becomes our burden to put those seeds of wisdom into action.

This powerhouse roster includes:

Frank McKinney: a self made man and amazing philanthropist.

Setgio Radovcic: a triumphant Serbian and Fitful developer with incredible inner and outer strength

Bradford Lombardi: a self proclaimed journeyman, surfer, boat builder and wonderful friend to all

Scott D'Angelo: a multisport talent, firefighter and Doghouse Cycling owner

Dave Carver: a multiple 100mile winner and typically stubborn Canadian

Mike Morton: a proud member of our military, WS 100 winner and possessor of amazing raw talent

David Green: a Brazil 135 finisher, fellow Jacksonville native and CEO of 110% Play Harder

Levi Rizk: a St. Petersburg native whom I do not know...yet

In a nutshell, Florida is proudly and humbly coming to Death Valley and we are coming bonded and unified. I look so forward to spending time with this part of my family and continuing to shape and forge the incredible bond we share :)

See you all in the desert sooner than later!

Badwater, stories and a little karma

It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life.
If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself.
The dreams will come to you.
- Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Life is funny, twists and turns, up and downs. There are points in our life where we catch ourselves  headed for rock bottom.  By grace, we can hopefully  bounce back up from the bottom and be stronger for it. I was reminded recently that life is about choices. We own our choices. That does not mean we will always make the right choice (who determines right or wrong anyway),  but we are making OUR choices. Life is not about living in a" story" or what someone else envisions as your "story".  Living IS the story. It is dynamic. My story is one of love and dedication to the things important in my life. My dedication is in my relationships, first to my nuclear family and then to my extended ultrafamily. I have not always succeeded in every choice I have made but, I am learning to grow from my own defeats and keep standing taller as a result.

The other day I was honored to once again be invited back to the desert this July to compete in the Badwater Ultramarathon. This is considered to be the world's toughest footrace. Having crewed the race in 2010 for my brother Tony Portera , and run the race in 2011, I can attest that if it is not the toughest race on the planet, it is pretty darn close. The sheer level of camaraderie, pain, suffering and joy is like nothing I have ever witnessed. Few things can truly strip you down to your core and this is one of those things.

Stripped to the core....

For me and my family this is far more than a race. It is a family reunion in every sense of the word. I mean, who really wants  to hang out mid July in Death Valley, with temps at a cool 125, and run 135miles for vacation. Heck, I love Death Valley so much I am going there to train in June. Better yet, this year my soon to be 11yo, Carson, gets to celebrate her birthday in Death Valley….. and she is excited about it. Maybe that's a problem but I'm ok with it :)

My little me Carson

The bonds that Erin and I have created in the ultracommunity have defined our life in ways that we  never imagined. One of the things I love so very much is the strong common thread people possess. One of perseverance, giving and pure sincerity. Yep that's it in a nutshell. You never have to wonder about mind games, ulterior motives or negative chatter from anyone. Badwater champions never put themselves on a pedestal and get the same buckle everyone else does, no prize money just pride.  Our normal life society could learn a lesson or two here. There is no doubt most of those people would go to the end of the earth to help me and my family. To be honest, some have.  In turn, they all know I would do the same for them. It's about commitment, once you commit in life you owe it to yourself and everyone around to do the best to carry that through within reason of course.

Gulp, where it all hits home.....

E, myself and Badwater Ben

This year we are coming to the desert with  guns a blazing. Erin and my good buddy Ray Zahab will be running the show. Having one of the world's greatest desert racers and most amazing people on your team is a priceless honor. You can never predict what will happen out there and for that you must bow to the Death Valley gods and hope they grace you race-day.

Gatineau Park with Ray Zahab

Let the preparation begin, I will do my part for sure, hopefully karma will take care of itself !!!

Iron Horse 100, the quit point and brick walls.........

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” - Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture


This last weekend I once again competed in one of my favorite events the Iron Horse 100. Not so sure why I keep coming back since I cuss the rocks every time and have nightmares about the eternal straight out and backs and out and backs, etc. It's probably because the RD Chris Rodatz is a great guy and good friend, it is local and easy to get to and that I always get to see so many people I know there. I have now run the 100-mile 3 times, the 100k once and served as Med director once. Erin has served as Med director twice and crewed most years. This year she served as Med director and crew for 3 people and was quite busy doing both.

Iron Horse and many "Very small Rocks"
(courtesy of Marc Taylor)

The Mighty Tresell
(courtesy of Marc Taylor)

Iron Horse 2012 was special as the race is growing and so many of my Florida peeps, my New York brother Tony Portera, as well as Canadian family members Kathy, Jeff and Nathalie all made the journey for a humid but overcast race. The field made the competition much better and the weather increased the carnage factor quite a bit including sending the winner to the hospital after smoking the course record in 15h40m. As many would learn the humidity of Florida is deceiving and salt and hydration an often tricky task.

Myself, Kathy Adams and Tony Portera at the start

I came into the race with an injury, early achilles tendinitis, not so wise I guess but oh well. I have learned, for me at least, the ability to push through these things and that they ALWAYS mend on the backside so there was no stopping. I cannot and will never speak for anyone else but do believe there are many quit points in life. The times when it would be easier to choose not to complete something in front of us so we do not. I have seen this far too often in races. Fear of having to walk, fear of putting out a "bad" time or worries about performance in the next race 3 months later. That all makes complete sense, but last time I checked most ultrarunners do not run for a living and will not be penalized for having to recover after laying it all on the line. This of course does not include anything that involves putting yourself in true harms way medically, as a Physician I can say that is just plain silly. The mind becomes very powerful when it gains the confidence of pushing through our perceived limits. As I sat at the pre-race briefing in Leadville in 2008, then RD Ken Chlouber said something that has stuck with me everyday since. He told everyone, "Before you decide to quit the race tomorrow, outside of medical necessity of course, just remember you will wake up the next 364 days and remember what you did not complete and wonder if you could have and should have. "

I have become much keener as I participate in races getting an appreciation for everyone that is out there and seeing the grit and determination in their eyes. The beauty of ultras is you almost always get a smile and "great job" from every runner you pass no matter how they are feeling, now that is awesome. I often have people thank me for looking so strong and being supportive of them as they pass by, which means more to me than I can express. I try to embrace the moment and stay as positive as I can, trust me there is a lot of pain behind that smile most the time, especially in the later stages. For me Iron Horse was a good race all in all, second fastest hundred at 18h40m and a solid 4th place with a great group of folks and solid field of runners. More importantly I watched several people push through the perceived "quit point" and based on some of the Facebook posts I have seen it will be impactful for sure. As Ray Zahab says, "It is 90% mental and the other 10% is all in your head".

Ouch but improving already

My tendinitis is a bit worse for wear now but this too in time will pass. I cannot say how proud I am of all the people I saw yesterday conquering their own races. As I have said before, I have a lot of good friends with very bad ideas. Those "bad" ideas have helped me become better and stronger mentally and physically and helped me stay out of the comfort zone instead of being protected by it.