Four Days in November

Tonight, Erik and I head to San Jose, Costa Rica for La Ruta de los Conquistadores. I specifically remember thinking (and telling people) that I had no intention of putting myself through this experience again; however, I find myself unable to resist the draw of the event this year. It's hard to describe what the experience is about. There are a lot of fun things about it, but most of that exists outside of the race itself - hanging out with friends before and after the race, meeting new people from around the world, discovering a new part of the world, etc. The fact is that this isn't a particularly fun race like some of the others in which I have participated. But it's rewarding in a way that I've never experienced before. There is something therapeutic and cleansing that comes from intense suffering - and the scale of suffering at La Ruta is unmatched by any other experience I've had. Though words are insufficient to express what the experience is about, I thought I'd share some articles about the race and the people that do the race for those that are unable to take part in the race this year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jan/24/costarica.cycling.race.conquistadores
http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-6-12-16008-1,00.html
http://pedalmag.com/index.php?module=Section&action=viewdetail&item_id=8857