Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Tico Tuesday, September 27th

Race Time!!
I LOVE running! One of my goals for the year has been to run 10k in under 48 minutes. I had a better race time than that last year, but since then, I've dealt with shin splints, pain in one knee, and then pain in the other. I slowly built back up and am finally able to race again!
A couple weeks ago my running buddy Albeiro and I did a 10k route around San Joaquín in 49:03.
I was pretty proud, especially considering I hadn't run that distance for a year! This past Sunday we did a race and it was wonderfully easy. It was downhill the whole way!! (I tried to be good to my knees.) I still don't have my official time, and even still it won't be totally accurate since most of the races here are still done without chips, but I heard the people in front of me say they finished in about 49 minutes. Oh yeah, and this was more like 11k, so I'm pretty sure I easily reached my goal. I'm excited to do another race that is flatter or has some uphill parts to it too and see if I can do that in under 48 as well. The picture is of Nawaf (a friend who helps in AWANA as Albeiro and I do), Albeiro and me.
For a compare/contrast of racing in the US vs Costa Rica, head to the blog!
May we all continue to work towards our goals this week!
Carrie

So, I've only done one race in the States, so I'm not sure how qualified I am to talk about this, but I'll share my take on things anyway. I can't talk much about the registration since I've actually always had someone else sign me up. That's kind of funny, actually.
The race I did in the States gave me a cotton t-shirt. The races I do here give me nice breathable tanks that probably make paying the $10 or so for the race worth it just for the shirt. They are also typically very uh, visible colors (orange, bright yellow or white).
Start and finish. The Beach to Beacon (the race I did in the States) did this phenomenally. They had signs posted according to pace. You started with your pace group. So, if you run a slower pace, you start behind the faster pace people, and that way the start isn't such a mess. The other bonus to the race in the States was...a CHIP!! Running with a chip means my time starts when my foot crosses the start line and ends when my foots hits the mat on the finish line. Of the 4 races I've now done here in CR, only 1 has had a chip. Chipless races means my time starts when the whistle blows and my time stops when I cross the finish line and someone spots my number and writes down my time. Chipless races also make for HORRIBLE starts. We are like a herd of cattle breaking out and it usually takes a few minutes for the crowd to thin enough in order to for us to not all be on top of each other. I'm really hoping chips catch on more here... fast!
Hydration. In the Beach to Beacon we had to drink out of Dixie cups. It's really hard to drink and run and you have to have a good cup folding technique so the water doesn't all slosh out before you get to drink any of it. Here, water comes in a small, sealed plastic pouch. You grab one (or a few) from the person or the table, bite off the corner and happily suck your water down without spilling a drop. Perhaps not so environmentally friendly, but way better!
In both places people spray you with hoses (which feels great at the moment, but can later give me chills if the wind is a bit strong) and stand along the side of the street and cheer you on. That's always nice. I encourage you to go to road races and cheer for people, even if you don't know any of them. It's a great random act of kindness!
Post race food, hydration and freebies. At every race but this last one I did post race hydration and fruit has been great. They are right there are cups of water and/gatorade are waiting for me and the line for fresh fruit (typically a banana and something else-an apple or a watermelon or pineapple slice) is moving right along. The race I did on Sunday had a line that was nearly eternal and I was starting to cramp up because I couldn't cool down and was in desperate need of fluids and calories. And I couldn't find Albeiro, who is typically waiting for me in a very obvious spot. So I was a VERY unhappy, somewhat lost girl. This race had some freebies, which other races I've done here have not had. That contributed to the long lines though and was therefore totally not worth it. The freebies at the Beach to Beacon were awesome though. We walked around and they gave us free awesome root beer, hot dogs, and lots of other cool, random, sometimes useless little things.
So, huzzah for racing, huzzah for chips and huzzah for good hydration. When do you want to come run with me or watch me race?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tico Tuesday, September 20th

¡Hola! Last Thursday was Independence Day! I went up to San José de la Montaña to watch all my kiddos from the Bible Home march with flags, the band, rhythmic movement, or by/on the float with the theme of "Diversity." (Head to the Roblealto Association page on facebook for pictures!!) I was so proud of them!
To play in the band, they had to keep their grades up and of course, be able to play the lira (like a marching xylophone), drums or cymbals. It is so awesome to see these kids, who the world considers "failures" being totally successful an
d growing and learning and improving. I LOVE IT!!! After the parade, all the kids from the Bible Home had a picnic and then in the gymnasium next to the plaza (soccer field in front of the Catholic church that marks the center of pretty much every town in Costa Rica) they had a whole bunch of games. I participated in the jump rope contest and won! I did 115 jumps. A girl from the Bible Home did 97 and one of the boys that just came to the Bible Home a few weeks ago did 121!! What a champ!
More about Independence Day Festivities on the blog!
Have a great rest of the week!
Love,
Carrie

PS Don't forget to go to the Roblealto Association facebook page for pictures!

There's something in Latino culture about celebrating things the day before, or at least getting things started. Here, Dec 25 is NOT a big deal. It's all about the 24th. On September 14th, they get the Independence festivities going at 6pm.
In pretty much every town in the country, everyone gathers on the plaza and sings the national anthem. (I learned the anthem for Independence Day last year. Now
I really know it by heart!) They have a torch that, like the Olympic torch, is passed through all the countries in Central America who share our Independence Day (The torch's destiny is Cartago, the original capital city of Costa Rica). Then, after a little traditional dance presentation, they have a parade around town. All the children make faroles, some kind of lantern-ish thing that is usually either a traditional house, oxcart, or something else symbolic of the country. Talk about some major creativity! In the olden days they would always light the faroles with candles.
(Remember, by 6pm it is ALWAYS dark here!) Some still do, like my little hermanita tica Verónica.
Others use flashlights, which are much safer. It's tradition to burn the faroles afterwards. I think that's sad to burn so much hard work so quickly, but, what I think doesn't really matter.
And then we had... fireworks!! They released them right formt he plaza so we all got sore necks from staring up into the sky, but it was great! Not a bad show for a little town! It was a wonderful evening spent with my tico family!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tico Tuesday, September 13th

The past few weeks I've been heading over to El Manantial, one of our child care centers after work on Tuesdays to translate for Dee as she teaches moms to make chocolate cakes in mugs in the microwave. Dee and her husband are new "finisher" missionaries with the LAM and are wonderful people who are very supportive of Roblealto. I'm really enjoying getting to know Dee better and working with her. We make a great team! Each week I've been meaning to take pictures of the cake making workshop, but I get so busy helping and microwaving that it just totally slips my mind to document the experience. So, what you see in the picture is the only remains and proof I have of the happy experience. I know the activity in itself is much more important than the documentation, but you know I like you to see what goes on in my life. :-)
The recipe is on the blog!
Have a great rest of the week!
Love,
Carrie

3 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug (by Dee)

In a MICROWAVE SAFE mug mix
1/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c chocolate baking powder (or sweetened chocolate powder/hot cocoa mix and less sugar)

In a separate bowl mix
1 egg
3 tbs milk
3 tbs vegetable oil
a few drops of vanilla

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. It helps to make a hole in the dry ingredients or push them to the side so the liquid ingredients will fit. Stir well, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom so everything is evenly mixed. Add a generous tablespoon of chocolate chips. (They don't need to be stirred in since they'll sink to the bottom anyway). Microwave on high for 3 minutes and enjoy!

Dee always has me make the example for everyone and then we sample it. It turns out different every time, so feel free to play around with it. The cake will rise out of the mug in the microwave, but doesn't spill down the sides. Huzzah for delicious fun!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Tico Tuesday, September 6th

Hello dear ones!
As I mentioned in my Chronicle, I got to lead an inductive study of John 15 in the devotional at work on Friday morning. We have devotions every Friday (and the last Friday of each month we have a birthday party). This trimester for July-September I'm on the committee with a fellow worker. We had to rearrange some plans and ended up with an open Friday. So I seized the opportunity to do something I LOVE to do with others- a manuscript Bible study! We pulled out the colored pencils and basked in the Vine, making observations, asking questions and asking God what He would have us take away from this passage and apply to our own lives. It was really neat.
I've studied the passage a couple times before, but I love how God shows us something different each time. And in a group setting, the discussion is always unique! This time, as I prepared and studied the passage on my own, it blew me away how much our relationship with Jesus is like His relationship with the Father. He loves us as the Father loves Him. WOW!!! And, we are to love others with that same love! Yikes! Talk about a tall order! But, as we abide, obey and love Him, that love will indeed flow through us and our joy will be complete. Love it!! So, as we repeated at the InterVarsity Fall Conference where we studied this passage I'll say to you: I don't know about you, but I'm stayin' in the Vine!
Love,
Carrie