So, the time has almost come. Believe me, it has been a long time coming. Michael and I signed up for this race across Costa Rica in 2007. Our plans took a quick turn when I dislocated and broke my shoulder last fall. So, after waiting a entire year…..we are slated to leave for this adventure on Sunday, November 9th! You can check out the website at www.adventurerace.com. The race is Nov 12-15. What a great way to spend my birthday….LOL
I guess my mood is one of anxious anticipation. I haven’t had much time to think about the trip, and today it finally dawned on me; we are leaving in a few days. La Ruta is described as “The toughest Mountain Bike Race in the World”. It starts on the Pacific coast and after 4 days of racing, 224 miles (360km), with 46,000 feet of climbing (14,000 meters), ends on the Caribbean coast.
So, in the last few days, we have been to the bike shop 3 times a day, been fussing over bikes, been trying to decide what the heck we need to take, and finally have booked a Spa hotel for a few days after the race. When I signed up for this race last year it sounded like a wonderful idea. A group of people I knew were racing and I was ready to jump on their coat tails and head on down. Well, a year has passed, and those people have returned…..and boy did they have some terrifying stories….so now I am wondering…..”Is this really a good idea?”
I informed my Grandmother the other day that we were going to Costa Rica.to race. First words out of her mouth were, “Why do you need to go there? Why don’t you bike in the United States?” “Well, Grandma, because it is there,” I say. She didn’t seem to get it. In fact, when I talked to her yesterday she said, “Oh, you are leaving for Costa Rica on Sunday, I thought you were joking when you said you were going to race down there! HHmmm…..I when do I ever joke about racing??
Anyhow, I have been trying to avoid learning too much about this race. I have been taking an ignorance is bliss policy, but this does not seem to be working. I keep hearing about how hard and horrendous it is and how wonderful it is all at the same time. I have compiled the top 10 reasons NOT to go race La Ruta (people have sent me these)
1. Poisonous snakes!(My boss keeps telling me they jump down on you from the trees…..I think this is a ploy to keep me from taking time off work. But I am terrified by this. I saw a tiny little snake on my ride last week and almost pooped in my pants…..NOT a good sign!)
2. Crocodiles! (WTF!!! I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one)
3. “I got lost for most of the day” (This was from my friend John. Poor guy, was in the lead group and went off course somehow. Lost in the jungle, not being able to speak spanish, now thats a BAD DAY!)
4. First day the race starts at 5:00am (Ummm….are you F*^king kidding me. The only thing that is supposed to be happening at 5:00am is SLEEP! I AM NOT a morning person. I don’t even want to think about what time that means I have to get up!!!)
5. Cow Poop! (For my vegetable garden….GOOD! For riding through and eating…..BAD! Apparently many a person has had to drop out with stomach malfunction after riding through cow poop and sucking it off their water bottles….not on purpose of course. Ick!)
6. Poison Frogs (Is this a negative?)
7. Mud, Mud, Mud (This can be horrible. I call it West Virginia mud. The type that sticks to your bike, and globs up on your tires so bad that you cant even roll the bike that now weighs 50 lbs. NOT KIDDING. This is bad and makes for a LONG DAY!!)
8. Water (Innocuous sounding until you refer to numbers 1,2, and 7. Apparently puddles can be as deep as your eyeballs. Not great to go plowing into!)
9. Infections (My friend came back with a knee that was pretty cut up from a crash. He went to the hospital in Costa Rica where they “cleaned it” and sent him on his way. Lets just say that a long course of antibiotics was needed back in the states……)
10. WIMPINESS (Yah thats right. The final reason NOT to go Race La Ruta…. OH HELL YAH, I AM GOING! Besides….What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…..and if it does kill you, then your problems are over anyhow 
SO…..stay tuned! I wont have a computer with me, but I will try to post somehow. The race website is www.adventurerace.com Michael and I maybe back on the 19th, but maybe we will retire on the beach….who knows.
Happy Trails
Sara
