My Last Kenyan Adventure

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I just took two weeks off, but I'm taking one last day off this Friday to start what will likely be my last adventure in Kenya. I'm probably leaving Kenya August 11, and I can easily foresee working every weekend from now until then. So I'm riding my motorcycle half way across Kenya and back to run the Lewa Marathon. The website for the race blows pretty hard (I can't find a start time, info on bib pick-up, or a map), but apparently the race is very well managed and has been going for a decade. It's in a big game reserve, so there are armed guards to protect you from game. I do know the race is a fundraiser for the Lewa conservatory and Tusk Trust (the latter of which you might have heard of if you were British, apparently the royal family guys dig it.) My housemate Miles and I are both running. Our fundraising page is here. Many thanks to those who have contributed.

I'm not hoping for much in the race. Getting there, finishing, and getting back in one piece is all I care about. (Though obviously I will demand my money back if I don't get charged by a rhino.) It was 310 km one-way from Busia to Lake Baringo last year, this is going to be 419 or more. I'm actually hoping to leave Thursday afternoon to make Friday a little less crazy.

This is my dog George

and his big brother, who he has now outgrown, Mack.

Animal Awesomeness

Sanctuary Farm, Lake Naivasha. Go stay there.

Crescent Island, right next door to Sanctuary Farm

Sailing off Lamu

You could get closer if you wanted to.

Stripes

In Unison

Really f---ing cool, right?

Lamu at low tide

The boring news

In boring news, I finished listening to DFW's The Broom of the System on audiobook. I didn't really understand it, but it had some hilarious and awesome moments (a short story about a women with a frog living in a hole in her neck, for example.) I also finished reading King Leopold's Ghost. I recommend it.  Julia Louis Dreyfuss' new shoe Veep  is very good. I'm working my way through West Wing, which I've never seen before, and is super sappy. I'm almost done reading Dave Eggars' What is the What, it's not amazing. I watched Strangers on a Train, and The Battle of Algiers a while ago, both were awesome. Elia Kazan's Wild River was unwatchably hamfisted.

In awesome news, I went on vacation. I picked up GF in Nairobi, we hiked around the Ngong Hills, went on a boat ride and a donkey ride in Lamu, reached the hikers' summit of Mt. Kenya, did a game drive in Samburu NP, hiked Mt. Longonot, went running and horseback riding through game at Sanctuary Farm and Crescent Island on Lake Naivasha, and walked around the old port in Kisumu. Then GF hung out with me in Kakamega for a week. We visited the forest yesterday and now she's gone. Life sucks, but at least you get the photos now.

Suelo

A hiker friend just turned me on to this guy, who lives in a cave with no money. Obviously, I think this is awesome.
The recent book about him: http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Quit-Money/dp/1594485690/
The Details article that made him well known: http://www.details.com/culture-trends/career-and-money/200907/meet-the-man-who-lives-on-zero-dollars?printable=true
His website: https://sites.google.com/site/livingwithoutmoney/
His blog: http://www.zerocurrency.blogspot.com/

Pine Beetle Kill

This was painfully obvious on the CDT.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/as-politicians-debate-climate-change-our-forests-wither/258549/

Garret and Miles Run Lewa

http://www.crowdrise.com/garretandmilesrunlewa

My housemate and coworker and I are running the Lewa Marathon in two weeks. The race is a fundraiser for conservation. Rhinocerouses are almost as cool as triceratopses, and this is a refuge for the nearly extinct black rhino. Chip in a few bucks for them?

Simba

I always use more broken Swahili when I travel. Leo tulienda Samburu na Buffalo Springs parks. Tuliona hakuna simba, lakini maisha iko sawa. We did see lots of giraffes, elephants, crocs, baboons, and antelopes of all sorts.

A Trail Runner's Blog: Pacific Coast Trail Runs Shuts Its Doors

http://www.atrailrunnersblog.com/2012/06/pacific-coast-trail-runs-shuts-its.html

Sadness. The governor of Wisconsin keeps his job and the race director who got me into ultras (and is originally from Wisconsin) closes up her business. Even from Kenya or the east coast, I will sorely miss PCTR. I ran my first ultra with them in late '05 or early '06, and the majority of my races have been with them. I'll never get to beat 5 hours in any of their 50k's.

Long-distance running and evolution: Why humans can outrun horses but can’t jump higher than cats.

http://mobile.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/06/long_distance_running_and_evolution_why_humans_can_outrun_horses_but_can_t_jump_higher_than_cats_.single.html