I had itchy feet. I needed time on the trails. I wanted to discover beautiful views and spend time with my thoughts on endless pathways. I wanted some cool. It was time for a long run. I mean, a long run. I started researching online, I checked in with my running mates and made an easy decision. The North Face Endurance Costa Rica 50k was coming right up.
My dilemma always as a trail runner and a photographer is…..how do I run and document the experience at the same time? Because the ultra-running experience is very much about magnificent views and the less traveled road. I know there are some options for backpacks like this one by Lowepro, but I am skeptical it will really be that comfortable after 10 miles of running and probably not so after 30. Then there is the stopping, unzipping, clicking and packing back up. And then there is that cut-off time clock ticking!
And so, the night before an early race start, I lay out my running outfit, pack my essentials and plug in my iPhone. It ain’t no DSLR but it fits nicely in my hand while I am running or in the teeniest weeniest of pack pockets. The iPhone snaps don’t make the loveliest of artsy accidents when moving so I try to remind myself to stop still completely. (The clock is still ticking and there is a long way yet to go). There really is so much to see and so much I want to share with you.
The first 17k of the race wound through the Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I was relying on my experience from the Fuego y Agua Race on Ometepe Island earlier this year to mentally prepare. Volcano = stunning views, tree roots, swinging vines, never ending climbs, and…..stunning views. Oh, and really cool people sharing the journey with you. What was amazing and so different about this race was the changing landscape. We climbed. And yes there were tree roots, and river crossings, and more river crossings, and muddy brown puddles, cool breezes and mist. But there was desert landscape too. The earth turned to a reddish ochre brown and dry grasses and towering cacti surrounded me.
The changing terrain was CHALLENGING. Sections of the run passed through grazing pastures with thick course patches of sweet smelling grass. With every footstep, the smell of mint grew stronger and butterflies danced and dodged me. There were cows in the pastures, the big horned ones were always comfortably dining on the trail. Friendly dogs and donkeys posed nicely for portraits. I took in the scenery, the smells, and stopped to photograph the flowers along the way.
While my iPhone has its limits it also comes with benefits. After the run and recovery, I have the option to ‘process’ with instagram (or a variety of other apps) or not, leaving me with more variety. I am an avid instagramer (@lolapopsalot) and I love the option of either posting in phone or extracting and playing. Sometimes I like to mix and merge instagram images with straight up iPhoneography. Some of these can be viewed here, here, or here.
I finished a very beautiful, well supported, organized, enjoyable 50k and captured some impressions of the course along the way. Thank-you North Face Endurance Challenge Series, cows, dogs, butterflies, donkeys, scenery, smells, Vibram Five Fingers, that time clock ticking and iPhoneography.