"Ironman Guatemala"
what you didn't know there was one down there??? well that is what I feel like two days after returning from a mission trip down there!!! except my legs are not shot!! right now I don't have time as I am still uploading the 900 pics!! 
.... so this is a "teaser" or shall I say a commercial for this wonderful book in my life!! and some of you know that although I don't drink Coke all the time... like only on IM runs and long bikes actually, I still love the taste!!!......."it's the real thing!" www.1year2ironman5.blogspot.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0EutW8Uww8
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Very cool! I still love Coke. Was totally addicted. But I swore it off years ago and replaced it with coffee and beer.
Hi Marianne
Looking forward to your blog and report! I'm still working on mine, or working up to write it.
Take it easy. I am still recovering from 2 weeks in Haiti, and I have been back for 2. Just find myself getting tired easily, but it will pass!
I'm sure you had a wonderful time. My ey experience in Haiti was unbelievable and challenging. Anyway, again, give yourseld time to recover, just like IM!
The blog is still being added to! but just finished uploading pics to smug mug... yep Tracy should write Ironman Haiti!! anyways.... last monday night I saw this sunset!! and on that note, I am signing off.....old emoticon yawning goes here...! I even bought some corn tortillas today and had two....
Despoplado, guatemala. "doing cool things with my fitness".....m
Can't wait to hear about your adventure!
I am gonna start telling you and nope I might not be as organized about the trip... so let me share some thoughts. first off EN motto is "do cool things with your fitness" and so this trip fell right in line with that. Plus we all love adventure! we love scenery and we love outside.....and I believe we all care for others. yep we love to do triathlons but since we know what pain is and have ourselves overcome obstacles to reach our dream, then it seems natural to want to help other people achieve theirs and bring joy in their lives. Hope....
I talk about the spiritual nature of this trip in my blog so you could describe this an Ironman in effort as I planned for this trip since last October.. and did training for it. let's just say that a real Ironman (for me) is PHysical with also mental and spiritual whereas a mission trip is spiritual with also physical and mental.
I share with you some of the pics I took... Saturday we left, Sunday in Zacapa, Monday Despoplada, Tuesday, La Palmilla, Wed, Timushan, thurs Taguayni, Friday Capucalito, Saturday Antigua, Sunday home. I hadn't been away that long in 11 years!
Sunday morning we went to church. I thought of Gina and her dad dying one year ago...and I also thought of Amy's Dad recently passing away.. I thought of many things as church service was 3 hours long! all in spanish too.
sunday, we made up food bags to give away
I fell in love with their hospitality. She was making tortillas for our dinner that night and I was touched as one cook to another to work in that hot kitchen for me! Monday. my first day in a village
I fell in love with their children! Monday. We were about to do some kid activities and their teachers were on strike so no school. the girl in yellow on top row, I had bonded with although we didn't speak the same language!
I laughed all week long and cried too! in a remote village, up high in the mts, there was Coke being sold out of a casa!!
I saw coffee being grown and here is the grinder and I had bonded with this young girl. The coffee was the best I have ever had.
Tuesday, I got to hang with my 18 year old senior, my 2nd son Andrew and the whole time was perfect. He lets me be me and he is hilarious, full of energy and was a real joy.
Wednesday: I fell in love with Guatemala!
I now know the meaning of "remote"... I have countless pics of scenery but this is typical of the elevation and roads that we traveled on.
I saw some gorgeous flora and fauna.
I enjoyed giving away gifts and clothing that my family had set aside for months! jackets, blankets, toys and clothing were much appreciated and this girl in purple I had linked up with on Wed.
I rode home that night in the dark, a line of four trucks, over the dirt roads, in fact I rode in the back of the truck about 26 hours total, mon - friday traveling to and fro 5 different villages
and I got rained on and it was cold riding back in the evening with the wind! but I was uncomfortable, sure, but happy as we were singing kids' songs with all the movements to stay warmer! I laughed with my friends and we told stories, it was like camp.
I rode through the jungle to get to the village.
thursday, I ran with the kids! those soft roads were a runner's heaven! cool, damp and there I was. I had to stay close to group so nobody by themselves so this was just a stride.
"what?" your Mom can run!! "corindo rapido"... run fast was my new phrase for the day..
I liked the food! and ate this whole burrito thurs night. I felt like a refugee, banged up from the long truck ride, rained on, multiple layers, dirty hair cuz the showers were only cold water, covered in a fine dirt but happy to be there. I had helped feed 350 people a hot dinner of tortillas, rice, and chicken with vegetables, I had helped give away food baskets of rice, beans,corn, candy, sugar and oil that I had helped make up, I had shared my kids' outgrown clothes with kids who needed them, I had prayed for people's families, health and sickness. I had acted in some skits, I had interacted with the kids, I had laughed with the people and my friends, I had looked people in the eyes and loved on them.
I did all of the above Mon - Friday and here was Friday's dinner that I also ate.
our trucks four wheeled through and up and around the dirt roads. some people rode inside and others outside carrying in supplies
good thing I am a runner cuz these toilets were sorta like portapotties! there was also a chicken in this one!
Saturday in Antigua and as if our backsides didn't hurt enough from the truck travel, Andrew and I ride horses for one hour aroud town! hey you only live once!
and were rewarded with this view of Antigua, the volcano and the cross
we saw the Cathedral started in 1545, the oldest best example of Spanish Colonial american cathedrals
and saw the ruins of the cAthedral from volcano damage....
Yes it was a trip that I will never forget and changed me too... just like an Ironman did... !
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sure they had much less than I did.... but they graciously let me visit their town and homes.
The End
What an AWESOME trip, Marianne! As always, you have given us an exellent write-up of your adventure. Love all the pics! Are you an expert tortilla maker now?
Just gone done with the videos and pictures on your blog - What a fantastic experience!!! Thanks so much for taking us along for the ride
I know I had mentioned raising money for the local children's hospital but after visiting last week, I changed my mind! and just now got it set up! Thanks m