There are two races I always try to be: San Silvestre (tica) at the end of the year and Atletica Palmares, one San Silvestre I love it because it is the best way to end the year, and Palmares because from all sub Marathon runs is one of the tough ones, because of the elevation, the wind factor, the heat, how broken the terrain is etc.  For only 14 km is my first run of the year and let me know how well I'm going to be for the rest of the year.

This year I could not break my personal PR of 01:14" instead finish it with a similar time when I run it the first time 01:16" what happened?  Maybe the heat? 29C (84.2F) or any other excuse.  the good thing is that I feel that my current bulking diet gave enough energy to finish it well and did not felt heavy at any point. Of the run.

It will be next year God Willing that I, and like me 2000 more souls will try to beat the Palmares Challenge.

Time has come for me to head to the Tamarindo resort area, and start getting use to the heat that there is in the area, it is 27C but because of an 85% of humidity it feels like 32C.

Running 42 km is not an easy task since this Wednesday I have been drinking water, more water, serum, more serum, gelatin for the joints, more salty peanuts, for more minerals, and lots of pasta.  I even weighted 2+ pounds today!

Next, the start: 5:00 am, hope to complete it before 9:00 and avoid the heat wave.

 Here are some http://www.tamarindobeachmarathon.com/2011/espanol/galeria.php from the official page.

This month is going to be critical and most hard, first of all, I'm being moved to a new account that will require from me all of my attention.

Next month, on March 27 I will be running half marathon, as part of the http://www.marathoncostarica.com/bienvenido_2011/. I'm now at the high point of my long distance running, my recovery times are starting to get longer, but I feel good energy.

After that I'm planning to participate not as an aid to my Sensei, but as a participant of the KWF Copa San Carlos, that is going to be April 3rd, one week after.  Running has an effect on making you slow, muscles do get tire, and no it is not true that i will ver recover in less than a week.

The trick is going to be to mix explosive weight training to keep adding distance this days, while focus in speed, distance, and karate training.  

I must admit that I'm going to start taking more anti-oxidants from food and in vitamins.  Open to suggestions. 

While getting ready to go out running I started to realize how much God has bless my Family; there is a high percentage of people in my country with little or nothing, yet they are happy that today we celebrate the coming of God.

So God Bless its people with the power to overcome obstacles, regardless of how hard they are.  Merry Christmas to you, your family and your country where ever you are.

Well, not exactly, this year I lost my job, got a new exciting one three months later, they respect my work; started lifting more regularly, and next week I have the Paz en las Carreteras (Peace on our roads) race a 10k one, but what gets me really excited is the belt exam I will be doing on the 5th, yea being too long with this old belt, lazy I guess.

At this point in time, my country is facing the invasion by the sister nation of Nicaragua.

It started with one lie they have told their people that Costa Rica was trying to take the http://www.history.com/topics/san-juan-river out of them.  Then that they were in a mission to combat drug traffic in the area, then that the Isla Calero is where the river use to flow back in the days when Vanderbilt was trying to build the first path between oceans using the San Juan River and the big lake of Nicaragua.  The funny thing is that in the [url=http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-434/10]OAS[/url] voted against the Nicaragua position, only Venezuela (no surprise there) and Nicaragua voted against the resolution, Ecuador abstain voting from this madness and Bolivia abstain.  A fracture with General Commander Daniel Ortega?

Things are not looking good, Daniel Ortega has said that they are not moving their troops, the OAS consider this a border conflict not an invasion which it is, while the Sandinista Government is trying to take away the attention from the incoming elections in Nicaragua pretty good strategy just to follow Hugo Chavez instructions to re-elect and perpetuate the power just like he has done in Venezuela, and the Castro bros. in Cuba.

Well Costa Rica is mostly Catholic, today we are celebrating Good Friday and one little family traidition is to meet all together. This year we are making a power mediterranian soup. Lots of fish, and grains.
For the rest of the world, have a great Good Friday.

Well Costa Rica is mostly Catholic, today we are celebrating Good Friday and one little family traidition is to meet all together. This year we are making a power mediterranian soup. Lots of fish, and grains.
For the rest of the world, have a great Good Friday.

Well Costa Rica is mostly Catholic, today we are celebrating Good Friday and one little family traidition is to meet all together. This year we are making a power mediterranian soup. Lots of fish, and grains.
For the rest of the world, have a great Good Friday.

I'm fine, but my older aunt from my mother's side is in the heart / ER. So I'm taking my mom to visit her. Yes, she is in great pain, her heart suffered a bad incident almost 10 years ago, and since then she has deteriorated badly lately, so this is a very endearing moment for us all specially for my mom.
One good reason why we have to work out smart, keep our heart and system in top shape.

...for almost 15 years I had work for the same company.
One of these days they started asking me to take vacations, in a way that will definitely will catch your attention.  Well today it became clear and evident that I'm out of the office indefinitely, LOL.

Time has come to grow-up my current job, and start a new adventure.  The challenge is up now.

It was a Tough Race, just 13.5 km or 8,4 miles.

Of hill climbing, and down, and up, and down, and up, and down and... you got the idea. Was it tough, it was quite tough. I will focus more in my hill climbing, the next couple of road races I will participate are pretty much flat, but this one will be in my heart as the one that make me walk in km 9! Yes a lot of people tried to climb it running, after I arrive to the top, I could regain my running, and was able to pass those who dare to challenge gravity and the hill.

I have now a smirk in my face, thank God for giving me a spirit and will to go on.

none official time:

• 01:16:00
  
• 1323 kCal
  
• Max: 174 bps / 98% Heart Rate
  
• Avg: 165 bps / 93% Heart Rate
  
• 13,5 km / 8,38 miles.
  
• Terrain: Broken.
  

Well there is this little town up to the north, in the Province of Alajuela, call Palmares. Next Saturday they have the Clasica Palmarena, which is a nice short race only 13.5km with a lot of ups and downs, last Saturday temperature was around 31C (87F) the forecast for tomorrow is for 24C (75F) which is a nice temperature, it will be nice if we have some clouds. My two co-cranks Eng. Alfredo is reporting coold like sypmtoms while Dr. Suarez is going with his family (more like a family trip) so we agree to see each other at the strart line. I'm expecting to finish it in less than an hour, will shoot for 55 minutes.

I think this is the only way to end a good decade and start a new one, with a challenge.

For those who wonder about the details, you may find them in this http://globalsportxgroup.com/gsxg/?p=348.
It was a nice race with good elevation in our favor we had nice weather, a nice cloud cover the Sun for most of the race.
My un official time is: 00"53'52 lets hope there is no much difference in the time.

For the rest of my World friends, may 2010 bring a bigger and better you; have a nice year end.

Frank

May sound a bit out of date, but for us Christians it is very important to celebrate the 25th as the coming of our Lord Jesus, as it is also the solstice of Winter the longest night changes, and soon the Sun like Christ the light of the world will prevail.

This year I will be participating in the San Silvestre edition here in Costa Rica, the last run of the year, and to me the best way to start new year.  10 km with some nice challenges ahead.  Costa Rica is not a flat country, all the opposite, that alone makes it a great challenge to face.

Let me take this moment to wish you all my friends, Merry Christmas!  and an even better more challenging new year 2010.