Costa Rica: The Coastal Challenge 2009
Day 1: Costa Rica and the USA are set for a battle for the front
Jacqueline Windh / 01.02.2009
An early bus ride dropped us down from the chilly (relatively) highlands down to the Pacific coast. The race started at 10am, with the sun just starting to generate the full heat of the peak of the day. The first 8 or so km were on roads, so the pavemet made the air even hotter, but then we turned into the semi-shade os palm plantations and then jungle. About 3 hours in, the sky went overcast, and we were are doused with a most welcome tropical downpour. Even as I write (6:30 pm, in the pitch dark) a light warm rain is still falling.
Project Athena split up for the day, with Florence, Melissa, Jonea and Masha shooting ahead, and Robyn sticking back with Sara. I travelled with them for the day, as did another writer/runner, Andrea. Sara struggled a bit at first - in addition to being fairly new to running, because of her cancer surgery she has had the lymph nodes on her left side removed, which cause a fair bit of swellin in her left arm and hand. She also has a fair bit of scar tissue in her lung, which holds her back as well. After an hour or so, Robyn hooked her up to a tow rope, promising that “we’ll be passing people tis way, you’ll see!� And she was right. Even though we walked most of the route, other than the big final downill, for the next five hours we gradually powered our way, slowly but consistently, through the field.
SleepMonsters
