Le Grand Raid

Le Grand Raid

I felt my foot slip out from under me and completely off the trail. The rest of my body quickly followed suit.  As I hung there, dangling, clinging to a small tree, my feet finding no purchase, all I could think was, why am I still holding on? It was maybe mile sixty...

Les, In Remembrance

The Olympics always make me think of Les. I wrote this a few years ago and wanted to share it on the Life Bus. The fascinating–and frustrating–aspect of inspiration is that you never know when to expect it. Sometimes, when you most need it, when...
Four Days in Tennessee

Four Days in Tennessee

Coordinating a transcontinental reunion is about as challenging as it sounds. It was Laura’s idea.  She’d been looking into the Cummins Fall Marathon pretty much since we’d gotten back from Cuba. 2016 was not to be, at least for me.  Four international vacations had...
Rock Climbing Italian Style

Rock Climbing Italian Style

The biggest challenge with the whole language barrier is, when someone says something that doesn’t entirely make sense, deciding if one should laugh, ask for clarification, or offer up a withering glare. For example, when I asked the bus driver which stop was...
The Marabana

The Marabana

Somehow, I never really connected that Cuba is a third world country.  That changed before I ever left Miami. Which was about twelve hours late. I’m not sure what time we were supposed to leave originally–some say the flight was originally scheduled for...