destinations: unknown

Slippery Slope!

For my third destination unknown, I teamed up with my nephew and godson, Juan Antonio, and his friend, Tony, to compete in a grueling six-mile “adventure race” called the Highlander II, which took place in the middle of orange country in Central Florida.

The “Highlander” (www.rockonadventures.com) is a six mile race through grass, dirt, mud and water that is littered with a number of natural and manmade obstacles such as zip-lines, water slides, wooden towers, and rope and barbed-wire crossings. 

This destination unknown was particularly fulfilling on a number of levels because it embodied all of the reasons we originally founded this charity.  It allowed me to take on a new challenge for a good cause with a group of friends and family while enjoying the adventure of traveling to a new location.  For the second year in a row we supported First Descents, a charity that runs “extreme” adventure camps (www.firstdescents.org) for people afflicted with cancer.  We started and finished the race as a team, adding to the camaraderie of the experience.

What made for an even better experience, though, was the actual road trip we embarked upon, which was an adventure in itself and an experience that is sometimes lost upon younger generations who want the instant gratification of arriving at a destination instead of appreciating the journey in getting to the destination.

It's all ball bearings!

destination unknown: The Warrior Dash
date: December 3, 2011
cause: Operation Homefront (www.operationhomefront.net/currentneeds.aspx)
age: 29
current residency: Delray Beach, FL
employer: AstraZeneca

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
I’ve only ever run one 5k and the warrior dash will be my second. While its easy to find a place to run, it’s going to be much harder to prepare for the grueling obstacles that require upper strength.

Who is a personal hero of yours?
JR Martinez, war hero with amazing courage, determination and strong spirit!

What is your biggest fear?
Living life without my husband and having regrets when looking back.

How would you say you lead your life?
One day at a time.

What’s your favorite food?
Any form of tuna (salad, melt, tataki, sushi, rolls, blackened)

What’s a motto you live by?
If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything.

Share a life-long dream
Happiness in family! Oh, and to win the lotto!

What is your greatest talent?
I can pinch with my toes! Really hard!

What is your favorite movie?
The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio

What movie will you watch in preparation for this challenge?
The Fighter!

destination unknown: The Highlander II Adventure Race
date: October 15, 2011
cause: First Descents (cancer)
age: 15
current residency: Miami, FL
employer: student

What’s an interesting fact about you?
I run Cross Country, Track and Field, and play soccer.

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
Finishing the course.

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destination unknown: The Highlander II Adventure Race
date: October 15, 2011
cause: First Descents (cancer)
age: 15
current residency: Coral Gables, FL
employer: student

What’s an interesting fact about you?
I lived in Ecuador until I was seven.

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
Getting my friend Tony motivated for it.

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On what was a hot and sunny fall day that reached the 80s in the hill country of Texas, I achieved my goal of “finishing” my first 70.3 triathlon, in a time of 5:31. 

While it was hands down the most grueling physical challenge I’ve attempted to date, it was a rewarding experience only made sweeter by your encouragement and support which helped me raise $2,650 for First Descents (FD) under the DU banner. This brings the total raised for FD (with the amazing effort of Ironman Brett Doyle) to $7,350 and enables seven young adults afflicted with cancer to attend one of FD’s empowering weeklong camps.

Furthermore, this increases the total amount raised by destinations unknown for three great causes (including A Glimmer of Hope, Midtown Mission – “Ross Family Fund,” and First Descents) to $15,020 since our inception in 2009.

Thanks again for your support! A special thanks also to each of the new destinations team members in 2010 for helping us reach new heights!

Finishing's Never Felt As Sweet!

For those who are interested in a more detailed account…

The  swim and bike went better than expected while the “wheels came off” a little during the run due to cramping in both my right quad and hamstring.  The bike and run courses were both a lot hillier than I’m used to, and 50% of the run was off road making each exhausted step a little more awkward.  The final annoying factor was the heat.  While the day started off cooler around high 50s at around 6am it quickly heated up and by 1pm it was in the 80s.  I averaged 2:00 minutes per 100yds on the swim and 20 mph on the bike.  I was able to complete the first half of the run (it was a two loop course) without walking but by the second loop I had to stop to stretch out cramps every so often and in the final 4 miles was alternating between walking and running.  It was frustrating because I had enough energy to run but my legs kept cramping up.  Talk about mechanical failure!  When I went to stretch out my quad my hamstring would spasm and vice versa.  In retrospect, I definitely could have consumed more salts prior to the run to replenish my electrolytes.  Despite these setbacks I managed to average an 8:54 pace on the run (I was hoping for an 8 minute pace) and 5:31 for the entire race, placing in the 500s out of roughly 2000 participants.  The race was definitely grueling but an amazing experience that practically brought me to the brink of tears upon finally crossing the finish line.

Transition Point

Mt. Lafayette Summit

The adventure began on Friday, August 13^th at 10:30AM after driving two hours north from our hotel in Manchester, NH.  Chip Seidle, my trusty guide, and I decided to take the “Old Bridle Path” up to the Greenleaf Hut (our lodging for 2 evenings).  The Old Bridle Path is one of the more challenging paths to the peak of Mount Lafayette, but we felt confident that we could tough it out.  The first two hours climbing along the Bridle Path (2.9 miles) turned out to be the most difficult of the trip for me.  As you can see below, the climb was often nothing but rock while climbing at 30-45 degree inclines and we maintained a very quick pace. 

Upon reaching the Greenleaf Hut and unloading some of our gear for the next two nights, we decided to climb another 1.1 miles of rocky inclines above the tree line to reach the summit of Mount Lafayette.  Fortunately for us, the weather throughout the weekend was beautiful and we didn’t have to worry about winds, rain, lightning or cold.  Even though the weather was sunny and warm, it amazed me how quickly the weather could change above the treeline with a brisk breeze and temperatures in the evening reached the mid forties.  This range of mountains is not to be taken lightly and we had packed accordingly with the assistance of my close friend Chip who has been climbing the White Mountains for 50 years. 

Although the first day ended up being the most difficult challenge, our second day climb would be the longest and most rewarding as we planned to reach three of the four thousand foot peaks.  After waking up at 6:30AM for breakfast at the Greenleaf Hut on Saturday, we began our second ascent to the summit of Mount Lafayette.  Fortunately the weather was clearer on day two and we were able to capture incredible views of the mountain ranges, including a shot of us with Mount Washington’s peak in the background.  The initial ascent to Mount Lafayette was the first part of our six mile day two climb that included reaching the peaks of Mount Lincoln and Little Haystack.  The six mile climb on day two took us over 6 hours with several inclines and declines, but fortunately we had done a great deal of training so we didn’t feel overly exhausted that evening.

The third day of our climb began at 8AM as we began descending the Old Bridle Path.  The trip down took approximately two hours like the first day, but fortunately was a little bit easier than the first day ascent.

Above Tree Line

Franconia Range

End of the Climb

Ole, Ole, Ole!

destination unknown: Climb Mount Lafayette and the Franconia Range
date: August 12-15, 2010
cause: Midtown Mission – “Ross Family Fund” (leukemia)
age: 31
current residency: Delray Beach, FL
employer: CB Richard Ellis (commercial real estate)

What’s an interesting fact about you?
Chess was my favorite game growing up.

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
Not getting really hungry along the way.

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"Oi!"

destination unknown: TBD
date: 2011
cause: TBD
age: 37
current residency: Tucson, Arizona
employer: Basis High School (teacher)

What’s an interesting fact about you?
I talk to plants.

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
Time (lack thereof)

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