corriendo hasta el fin

Let the stories begin!

Josue Stephens — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:32:49 +0000

I originally designed this blog in 2007 to write mostly about my running adventures (hence the name josuecorre “josue-runs”). Since then a lot of learning and experience has happened. This blog has been through Blogger, WordPress.com and now is self-hosted as WordPress.org, I promise not to change it anymore and to focus mainly on content.
I have had the idea to start collecting some of the stories from my childhood on a blog, but am reluctant to start another blog. Josuecorre.com is now a blog about my life, my running, my training, my stories and my goals. The blog is organized in a format with categories, which allows you to focus on the types of posts you want to read.

Most people may not know this, but my childhood stories would make Cheaper by the Dozen look like a relaxing dinner at the local wine bar. I have 13 siblings and grew up as a gypsy missionary, migrant worker kid in Mexico, Central America and all over the USA/Canada.

As a few examples, I was born on the floor of a migrant worker home in Burbank, CA, one of my sisters was born in a bread truck under a fire tower in the woods of Mississippi, another sister born in the mountains of Costa Rica. From living in small villages in Mexico, Amish communities in the northeastern US, to house cults run by a man named Ronald McDonald (no joke), the journey has been a colorful one.
We are now spread out all over the place and have become everything under the sun, from geologists, to teachers, to ultra runners, to business managers.

I look forward to writing about my life as I hope you enjoy reading about it.

-Josue

ActiveATX.com December Newsletter

Josue Stephens — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:08:26 +0000

For those in Austin, TX (one of the best places to live in the USA right now). Check out ACTIVEATX.com for all of your fitness events. ActiveATX aggregates these and puts them into a format that makes it very easy for you to find and attend.

I am also a guest blogger on ActiveATX and will be regularly blogging on there about ultrarunning, natural method and parkour training.

The link to their December Newsletter is below.

Isla de Ometepe’s Extreme Ultra-Marathon Returns

Josue Stephens — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:45:55 +0000

Article by Christopher Haley

Ultramaratón Fuego y Agua Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua February 18, 2012

Volcan Concepcion rises above the Port town of Moyogalpa

The third running of Ultramaratón Fuego Y Agua, featuring 100 km, 50 km, and 25 km trail races, will take place February 18, 2012 after a one-year hiatus. The race is held on Ometepe, an island known for its astonishing biodiversity, prehistoric rock carvings, and vibrant local culture. The twin volcanic cones of Ometepe, one still active, rise out of Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest lake in Central America, and located in the southeast corner of the Republic of Nicaragua. Ometepe is the world’s largest volcanic island in a fresh water lake, and in 2010, was made a UNESCO biosphere preserve to promote sustainable development of agriculture and ecotourism to protect the island’s unique ecology for generations to come.

sunrise over Volcan Maderas

The stunning scenery and relaxed, paradisiacal atmosphere of Ometepe belies, however,
the challenging course that race director, Josue Stephens, has laid out to test thoroughly the endurance and will power of all entrants. The course takes runners on a grand tour of the island, confronting runners with dramatic changes in climate and elevation, from tropical beaches and jungles to dry tropics and cloud forests. The vast changes in geography ensure runners face all elements: hot sun, strong winds, high humidity, rain showers, and a lot of mud. Temperatures
in a single day can range from mid-50s on a volcano peak to upper 90s in low-lying forests. The toughest sections of the course are the steep climbs (with no switchbacks) that head straight
up over the two volcanoes, gaining approximately 3000 feet over Maderas and 4300 feet over Concepción. Not to be overlooked in the cloud forests on Maderas are the notorious tree root systems of an unique species, Ardisia ometepensis, found only on the island. These roots

the aptly named Jungle Gym challenges even the most experienced runner

form the challenge of the aptly termed, “jungle gym” section, taking what is ostensibly an ultra marathon, and transforming it at times into an obstacle course. New for 2012, the rugged beauty of Ometepe and its remote location has qualified Fuego Y Agua to join the Lost Worlds Trail Series, becoming its prologue event.
Traveling to Ometepe is convenient and inexpensive. From Nicaragua’s international airport in the capital city of Managua, it is a 2.5 hour bus ride to the Port of San Jorge on Lake Nicaragua. From the port, visitors catch a ferryboat for a one hour trip to the town of Moyogalpa on the island. Moyogalpa has excellent and reasonably priced lodgings, and serves as the start and finish of all races. The 100k and 50k races will begin at 4 am with a hot sun rising shortly after
6 am. Runners attempting the 100k have 24 hours to complete the race, while the 50k has 12 hours, and the 25k, six hours. In order to minimize the ecological impact of the race, Fuego Y Agua has a cap of 200 total participants in all three races: one hundred will be allowed to run in the 100k and 50k, and one hundred in the 25k. During the race, five certified guides will monitor the course, while medical support is being provided by the Nicaraguan Red Cross. Seven well- stocked aid stations line the course, with drop-bag access at key locations.

Over 350 children participated in the 5k the day after the ultras!

Fuego Y Agua is seeking sponsors of the race and volunteers to man aid stations and help manage the race course. Fuego Y Agua is a not-for-profit race, and, as in previous years, the proceeds will benefit the mission of Natural Doctors International, a NGO dedicated to providing medical care for the residents of Ometepe. A portion of the proceeds will also finance the Calzado 5k race, held the day after the race for the children of Ometepe, to promote health
and fitness. For more detailed information about travel arrangements and lodging, to fill-out an online race entry form, or to learn about volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.fuegoyagua.org.

Christopher Haley haley.cw@gmail.com 12/6/2011

UltraRunner Dalton Wilson collects Donations for Bastrop Fires

Josue Stephens — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:43:32 +0000

Dalton Wilson of Team Traverse has been collecting donations for the Bastrop Fire victims.

Below is a message from him. If you are interested in contacting him about this, please send a message to wwilson0985(at)live(dot)com (email has been altered to avoid spam bots).
…………………………

Hey guys, I just finished the collection of round #2 of donations from the schools in Graham on their way south. Besides the 30-something bags of clothes last time, this sleigh-load consists of…
23 blankets
52 coats and hoodies
15 sets of sheets
dozens of gloves and beanies
9 boxes of cleaning supplies
4 boxes of school supplies
2 cases of diapers
37 cases of dry/canned food

Run an Epic Race in 2012!

Josue Stephens — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:17:52 +0000

If you are anything like me, you want the ultimate adventure and are always seeking the ultimate challenge! Nicaragua..Ireland..Dominica..Italy..Guatemala..The Lost Worlds Series takes you to unique places for the once in a lifetime challenge!

Join us for one of the Lost Worlds Racing Series events this year, it will change your life.

Visit www.fuegoyagua.org for more information on Ultramaraton Fuego y Agua in Nicaragua
Visit www.lostworlds100.com for more information on the Lost Worlds Series

In Session: Texas Parkour Academy

Josue Stephens — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:33:24 +0000

Visit the Texas Parkour Academy for More Information

Texas Parkour Affiliate Groups

Josue Stephens — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:03:23 +0000

No matter where you are, there are Parkour Groups all over Texas! Check them out and join the one nearest you to stay updated on workouts, workshops and classes!
Workouts for all Groups are posted on the Texas Parkour Calendar
Classes and Workshops are on the Texas Parkour Academy

NOTE: Texas Parkour Affiliate Groups are groups who organize Parkour workouts, classes, workshops and meetups in different locations of Texas. The goal of Texas Parkour affiliation is to create a strong network of traceurs and parkour enthusiasts all over Texas. Texas Parkour Affiliates receive several benefits including more web traffic, product sponsorships, discounts, free workshops, certification discounts, coaching opportunities and more! For more information on becoming an affiliate, send a message to texasparkour@gmail.com

Urban is your Nature!

Josue Stephens — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:16:21 +0000

Urban is your Nature is the name for the new Texas Parkour Academy Campaign. We are combining Natural Method (MovNat, Methode Naturelle, Natural Movement) training concepts with Parkour. The two have the same background and are very similar.

We have Youth Classes, Workshops, Bootcamps, Weekly Workouts and Classes available at www.texasparkour.com/academy. Come join us and see what it is all about!

Keep up with Texas Parkour on Facebook

Cactus Rose, a 100 mile journey in the TX Hill Country

Josue Stephens — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:47:47 +0000

100 miles of madness = a belt buckle

The Cactus Rose 100 has been my ultra nemesis since my first attempt in 2008. In a lot of ways, the 100 mile distance had become my nemesis.
Here is a brief overview of the Cactus Rose successes and failures:

1st attempt 2008: Well in the lead at 80 miles, dropped due to severe blisters on bottom of feet…my mind tells me I should have gone on.
2nd attempt 2009: Severe brain meltdown at 65 miles, lost the will to move on, felt like I needed a lobotomy to keep going…something tells me I should have gone on.
Skipped 2010, time to take a Halloween to do something besides bloody my legs on sharp sotol cactus.
3rd attempt 2011: Finished crawling at 27:55 with an iron resolve and very minimal ultra training under my belt. Humbling but good for me, now where is that lobotomy.

No need to do a blow by blow of everything that went on during those 27 hours and 55 minutes, I don’t want anyone to fall asleep. Couldn’t expect reading about it to be much more exciting than running it considering I was pretty much falling asleep during miles 85-95.

I guess a bit of description might not hurt.

My training coming into this race involved very little running for someone calling themselves an ultrarunner.
Around race season, I trained at a minimum of 70 miles a week and a maximum of 110 miles a week during 2007 to 2010.
This time my training was much much different. I can start listing the excuses now, but I refuse to waste my own time. My max miles capped out at 30 miles a week, and my longest run was a whopping 17 miles. Not really what most people would consider ultra training. But, I have been enjoying my Parkour and Natural Method training so much, I don’t have as much time to run. While my running was comparatively minimal, I spent more time training with high intensity workouts involving rocks, logs, jumping, climbing, crawling and pretty much convincing my wife I had gone off my rocker and would die very soon (just kidding, she loves it).

My mindset coming into this race involved a lot of denial about the fact I was going to run the race until about 5:01 AM on Saturday morning (the race began at 5:00 AM). It also involved a serious resolve to finish I picked up from fellow madman Jerry Holbrook as I paced him 50 miles to his first finish at the Leadville 100 in 2010.
I was tired of thinking of Cactus Rose as a failure and needed to get this thing over with. I had a pretty easy race year so far with two 50k’s, a marathon and a few 30k’s. It was about time to step it up, and what better way to do it than spend an absurd amount of time on my feet on trails doing something many people consider madness and others consider cheap therapy.

Paula swears this picture is disgusting

Let me say something about the Cactus Rose trails right now. No, I want this blog to be readable for all ages and will abstain from the things I want to say.

The race came much too fast on Saturday morning, I was still getting water when Joe yelled go and the pack took off. After a quick kiss to Paula (my wife), I trotted off into the darkness with the rest.
During the first 4 hours, I kept repeating to myself, “slow down, slow down, pace yourself, pace yourself.” My first instinct is always to take off fast and just see what my body does, but this time I knew my legs had miles in them only if I played it smart.

After 30 miles, I met up with a running friend, Andres, and we began to chat as miles 30-45 went by. We laughed and joked about bodily malfunctions and everything else under the sun. At mile 45 I felt pretty good and started to pick up the pace a bit.

I don’t really remember much of miles 50-65, only that I paced myself and felt great because of it. At mile 65, our friend Bridget offered to pace me to mile 75. Paula and Gabi (my sister) were running the relay and were saving themselves to pace me for miles 75 to 100.
Bridget was great, she kept me entertained and pretended that my extremely slow pace did not remind her of a geriatric patient trying to get to the restroom.

The temperature was getting much colder when I came into the 75 mile Lodge Aid Station. My stop was brief and I took off with Paula pacing me. My legs felt like solid concrete posts and I comforted myself with past memories of hamburgers and showers.

Let me take a break here by mentioning that there is nothing in running a 50km, 50 mile or 100km race that can prepare you for running the last part of a 100 mile race. Running miles 75-100 is harder than running miles 1-60 twice with daggers being thrown at you by vengeful ninjas (I am not sure if that logic even works, but it gets the point across). Needless to say, if I would have had the energy to curse at the course designers for this race (you know who you are, I love you guys), I would have cursed like a sailor that night.

At one point I tripped over a rock (yes, there were a couple of rocks on the course) and laid there for about 20 seconds. That was the only nap I had during the race and it did not work very well. I slapped myself several times to stay awake and could feel my mind starting to fade as I got sleepier and sleepier. You would think moving forward on steep rocky hills would not put you to sleep, but it does, it really does.

Paula picked me up at mile 95 for the last leg of the journey. I tried to pick up the pace as the sun came up (again), but found out that my legs did not understand the concept. The last mile was the hardest and the Finish line seemed to get farther and farther away.

For those wanting to compete in an ultra, be prepared, the Finish line can be one of the most unexciting things you have ever seen. If you want glory, glamour and cheering, sign up for your local Turkey Trot, you might even get a bigger medal.
If you want to cross a line bleeding, blubbering, smelling like roadkill and looking like you just came out of a 10 day meth binge, then run 100 miles. Some sleepless race director will hand you a belt buckle (you probably don’t even have the right kind of belt for it) and you will feel like you just conquered the world. It is an amazing feeling and I just want more and more and more of it.

My sights are set for many more ultras very soon. I love this sport and am in it for the long haul.

Thank you to all of my race crew, supporters and inspirations. You were all wonderful and I could not have done it without you!

To those who think ultramarathons are nuts, they actually are! You might just find yourself pacing that line one of these days…

Texas Parkour Academy: New Natural Method Conditioning 101 Classes!

Josue Stephens — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:05:24 +0000

The classes are out! I will have some drop-in rates as well as OPEN style workouts available soon. These classes are available in 8-week session packages, an excellent way to get in shape and develop your movement skills.

All of our classes are posted on the Texas Parkour Academy
Feel free to CONTACT ME with any questions.
THIS SERIES SKIPS THE MONDAYS AROUND CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS – IT GOES 10 WEEKS WITH 8 CLASSES
Details:

Cost: $175
Duration: 8 weekly classes
Class length: 1.5 hours
Location: Northwest District Park & Bull Creek Park
Time/Day: Mondays @ 6:15pm
Coach/es: Josue Stephens/Brian Stanford

Features:

Focus on Conditioning the body for functional movement
We work on climbing, lifting, throwing, balance, endurance, barefoot running skills and more.
Take training into nature, things are a bit tougher out there.

Description:
Evolutionary fitness at its best! In this ongoing series of classes we focus on the idea by Georges Hébert: “Être fort pour être utile”–”Being strong to be useful.”
Condition your body to move naturally through any environment. Develop and refine your movement skills, overcome your fears and get out there.
Run, climb, carry, balance, jump, roll, crawl, move like you have never moved before! build strength and control.
This class will enhance your conditioning for Parkour, running and real life.
Sessions are held in outdoor locations around Austin and come in a weekly 8-class format designed to drastically improve your skills no matter your beginning level.

Event Registration Online for Texas Parkour: Natural Method Conditioning 101 powered by Eventbrite

By the way, check out www.ActiveATX.com for all things related to Austin fitness! I have been invited to be a ActiveATX ambassador and will be guest blogging on there soon.

Stay tuned for my Cactus Rose 100 mile race report, coming soon…