Mexico 2104 Part 3 - by the pictures

Just a few of my favorite pictures from Mexico 2014

By the pool...

fruity drinks at 4 every day.

they come in all sizes and strengths...

"Cannonball!"

Falling with Style

Hot Yoga with Leela.

 

The Flying Squirrel, I believe.

At the beach...

Finding Hermit Crabs

Balancing Rocks (Ned's Favorite)

Our Daily Dip

Surf's up

Shredding it.

Digging Holes for Fun

Snorkeling at Los Arcos

Swimming in a swarm of Angel Fish...

"This is awesome!" yelled David. 

The Blue Footed Boobies...they exist!

The sunsets...

That ain't no halo

Attempt at Todd and Cait's next Romance Novel cover photo... not so romantic after the first kid!

That's better!

That ain't no spray on tan

Some sugar for the matriarch

Bonsai.

Fun with hats...

Christmas Card 2014?

How about this one?

Here's looking at you.

She wears it better than her old man.

Would this make YOU smile?

Mexico - Part 2

Day 1. Sunday.

So humid I didn't realize it was raining until it was RAINING.

While mapping out runs from our Mexican house I noticed there was a track about a mile past the Malecon (the beautiful, Pacific Coast strollway through downtown Puerto Villarta). EVERY run I planned went down the Malecon. It is dotted with statues and sand sculptures and the amazing balancing rocks and people. All the people that are awake before seven (and there's a surprising amount).



So I was running down the Malecon, past the Malecon to the track. I stepped onto the track (I'm not a track guy) and there were lots of people running around the track. There seemed to be rules about what lanes you were allowed to be on depending on how muscular you were. I picked a middle lane and figured I could be nudged one way or the other if necessary.

I eventually started to wonder if this was something more than just a bunch of Sunday runners. I asked a friendly looking guy and he pointed me to another friendly looking guy who spoke better English, I assumed, and he told me they were about to run a 5k and 10k for the hospital.

I was about six miles in at that point and was only planning to run 10 that day, but when was the next time I was going to be in Mexico for a race? I decided to hangout in the pack and see what happened. I knew if I got toward the front I'd probably run too fast and hurt myself.

The gun went off and I clipped along trying to decide whether to run a 5k or 10k. I decided if I was in the top 10 for the 10k by the time the 5k finished I would keep on running. I was 12th at the turn. I ran anyway and finished 8th! Not too shabby for a renegade who had already run seven plus and wasn't racing. Every time I passed someone I said, "Don't worry. I'm not really running." I'm not sure if that translated.

The highlight was shaking Kosaror Cheru's hand. He finished in 31 minutes. (Did I mention it was POURING RAIN?) Pretty impressive. As he is Kenyan, I told him "Habari Yako" which put such a smile on his face, I knew we were about to become friends. He asked ME for a photo!



Turns out "Sammy" Cheru lives in Guadalajara where he trains full time. He's running his first marathon in a month. I'm sure he will do great. Look out for him in the future. The Kenyan Mexican is en fuego!

After we took the above picture, I tried to talk myself into a t-shirt from the race organizers. One person sent me to another person who sent me back to the first person - all for a white, see-through 50/50 t-shirt. I finally gave up, ran home and ate a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit.

Mexico Part 1

I'm in the middle of Oonie Koonie Cha, week 1. If you don't know what that means, click Oonie Koonie Cha and find out.

So in the next week I want to post at least two, hopefully three, maybe four posts about our Mexico trip before writing about our adventures at OKC Camp.

Highlight Number 1 for me was watching Dave Dave learn to swim.

Here is Dave Dave in his puddle jumper at the beginning of the week.

Here is Dave Dave jumping off the wall in his puddle jumper at the beginning of the week.

















Dave Dave stinking loves that puddle jumper. I wasn't sure if we were ever going to get it off him. Fortunately, a little peer pressure from his cousin Wyatt was able to do for Dave Dave what persuasion from his parents could not.


















He did it!

He swam!

Great job Dave Dave!

Carolina Point - The Best Week of Their Lives

I'm running for these guys. I'm running because I believe these guys have just as much right to have the best week of their lives as anybody. I want them to experience everything! I want to be part of the smiles you see in this video:



I'm running because that's what I'm good at. I'm sharing my book because it was a gift to me. What do I mean? I mean the story was like a gift. It was a gift to be the writer, and yes, to write is a gift. I work at it, sure. I work hard. Just like I'm training hard for this run. But the gift of it…I guess I believe you should give what you're good at. Share what you have. I can run. I can write. If I were my wife, I'd be your doctor.

I believe we each have something to give. Koren Henning has opened my eyes to that. Here are two videos that share her story:

"Koren"

Koren's Video

So this summer, I'm running 469 miles in 9 days so that those who couldn't, CAN. Take a look at this video for Carolina Point. Because of people like you and me, soon, every kid will get to zip line like this, swim like this, play like this, and be loved like this.




Will you join the team? 

469 miles will take a lot of steps. The only one I'm asking you to take is to click this button:

TEAM MEMBERS

Walk with Me - $10   
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- a FREE Clay sticker   
- be registered for the Grand Prize   
- get email updates from the road!

Jog with Me - $25   
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Run with Me - $50   
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SPONSORS

Day Sponsor - $52 
(52 miles a day. That’s the plan!)   
- get your name mentioned on every     web and email blast   
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Mile Sponsor - $469- get your name mentioned on every     web and email blast
- get your name or logo on T-shirt, posters, and other media material
- get 4 FREE signed copies of Clay  
- get 4 FREE Clay stickers   
- get a FREE Race T-Shirt   
- 4 registrations for the Grand Prize Drawing  
- get email updates from the road!   - receive exclusive invitation to the post race party and insider’s club.

Race Sponsor - $900   
- get your name mentioned in every interview, news story, web post, publication, email, etc. related to the race   - get your name or logo on T-shirt, posters, and other media material   
- get as many FREE signed copies of Clay as you want   - get as many FREE Clay stickers as you want   
- get as many FREE Race T-Shirts as you want   
- be registered for the Grand Prize Drawing   
​- get email updates from the road   - receive exclusive invitation to the post race party and insider’s club

We Run For Them

It was a hazy morning January 1, but not too cold. It's never too cold to run on the parkway. OK. Sometimes it is. But it wasn't that day. 

I parked my car at the Mill Pond and headed north toward Cumberland Knob. Thirteen miles separates them. I've biked it but have never run that far. I wasn't planning to that day either. And I didn't. But I did wonder. In fact, I wondered something even more daring:

What would it be like to run the WHOLE THING?

Funded by FDR's New Deal and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Blue Ridge Parkway connects the two great national parks of the southeast: The Great Smoky National Park and Shenandoah National Park. Turns out, they’re only 469 miles apart. 469 miles! Are you nuts?

It took the Parks service 52 years to complete it. 

I'm going to run it in 9 days. 

We are raising money and support for two great causes. 
Hence, We Run For Them. 

For more information go to my website. 

www.nederickson.com (if the link didn't work)

And come back here over the next couple weeks as I will be sending out more information. 

Tally Keeper Report - Special Edition - Camp Cheerio

Ah. Camp Cheerio. For the Adventure Princesses of the Saura Nation, it was home last weekend. Deer Hoof and I, Slippery Fish, were accompanied by Big Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout, Diving Alligator and Swimming Dolphin, Paco and Beautiful Heart, Dire Wolf and Golden Fox, Waddling Penguin and Sparkling Grasshopper, and Screaming Eagle and Flying Fish. (Coyote, Bluebird, Chasing Hawk and Dancing Pony were dearly missed)

Friday night, as the moon gently drifted across the sky, the Princesses and their Braves drifted in and out of sleep. 

 Saturday began soon after the Great Spirit sent His Sunshine over the rolling hills of the east. 

Warm beverages were much appreciated and enjoyed by all. 

After a nourishing meal, the Raging River Tribe headed straight to the artillery gallery. 

Deer Hoof didn't hit the target every time; but when she did, she was deadly. 

Check out the Video!

Then the Princesses ventured to the ZIP LINE!

But for Deer Hoof, there was one place she enjoyed over all other places - the creek. She and Slippery Fish spent many hours catching tadpoles, salamanders, and crawdads. All animals were returned uninjured to their habitats - as the Great Spirit would have it. 

Big Brown Trout took not one, not two, but six trips around Wigwam Island. His backache was remedied by several cans of firewater.

The Princesses received the honor of saying evening prayer. 

Then enjoyed the last vestiges of daylight

in the company of their great friendship

and aggressive love

Deer Hoof and Slippery Fish could do this every weekend. 

Dire Wolf and Paco - aka the Raging River Brute Squad. 

If you mess with the Raging River Tribe you have to answer to these two Braves

And if you get through them, we'll have to bring out the big guns!

Until next time, Tally Keeper Slippery Fish signing off.