Wonderful News from 261 Fearless Friends! I won a beautiful, signed copy of Dr. Juliet McGrattan’s award-winning women’s health book!
To enter the contest, I submitted a short video to 261 Fearless based on the health benefits I have received as a result of adding running to my life.
Lowered heart rate and weight
Sound, great sleep
Increased bone density and energy
Improved outlook and a greater ability to cope
Extended my career life
Looking forward to running the rest of my life
This is a well-researched and indexed book. It is highly useful as a reference tool for both women and men. I am so happy to add it to my treasured collection.
Luis Escobar, #allwedoisrun, #allwedoisphoto, gave me a wonderful gift, the most unimaginable honor, photographing me and placing the photo on the cover of his website.
Thank you Luis! You are a true Renaissance Man! Multi-talented, kind, humble, always ready to lend a hand or a cheering word.
If you have the opportunity to run Luis’s races and attend his photography classes and tours, JOURNEY ON!
On December 19, 2018, I received a call with the thrilling news that I was selected to be Hammer Nutrition’s January 2019 Ambassador of the Month. I was stunned, humbled and thankful.
I wrote the following in response to this most welcome news.
I was born in Denver, Colorado in 1951. I feel richly blessed to have enjoyed the first eight years of my life immersed in the culture of the Colorado Rocky Mountain people. Family weekend trips to the Rockies, including Leadville, seared the dazzling scenery and amazing wildlife of Colorado deep into my soul. I loved and looked forward to Field Day races at school, entering every event possible. I tried my hardest to win the blue ribbons! I felt rich and lacking in nothing.
When I was eight years old, my parents moved the family to Los Angeles, California. I immediately learned LA culture was very different. I dove into books, loved swimming and soaking up the warm sun. I danced my heart out to the tunes of the 1960s all through high school, during lunch and every weekend. Shaped by the 1960s President’s Council on Physical Fitness, I exercised daily, throughout the decades, doing tai chi, stretching, swimming and walking on a treadmill. I am still in Los Angeles, working full time as a Librarian for LA County Library.
In 2012, I was part of a winning team for LA County Library in an LA countywide physical fitness challenge. Our Head of Human Resources was a marathoner and member of the LA Road Runners. She asked if I had ever considered a marathon. This quest had inhabited my mind for as long as I could remember. Game On!
I immediately joined LA RoadRunners and began walking/running at 60 years old. I wanted to lose 50 pounds and complete a marathon. I accomplished both and have since completed 13 marathons, including Bhutan 2017, New York City 2016 and 2017, and Boston 2018 with Team 261 Fearless. I have completed 32 additional, shorter races, ranging from 5Ks to half-marathons. I won my age division or placed on the podium in 14. I have also completed 3 ultramarathons, including the Born to Run 60-mile ultra in 2018. I won my age division for the 60-mile ultra and am currently training for the 100-mile Born to Run ultra. I won gold medals in the Nevada State Championships, Senior Olympics, for both the 5K and 10K, qualifying for the 2019 National Senior Olympics. I plan to race a variety of shorter distances, including 50, 100, 200, 400 meter dashes, as well as 800 and 1500 meter runs.
In 2013, I discovered Hammer Nutrition. I credit Hammer’s quality and effectiveness for unfailingly supporting me through my many quests. I relied on Hammer to enhance my endurance and speed for racing, and aid in my complete and rapid recovery from several hospitalizations. These included shattered bones, a frozen shoulder, cardiac effusion, A-fib and cholecystitis resulting in emergency surgery. I am rarely sick with colds or flu, although I am constantly exposed.
Over the years, I have taken practically all of the Hammer products, varying my selections with changing needs, goals and conditions. Currently, my daily regimen includes Whey Protein, a peanut butter chocolate Whey Protein Bar and The Early Break coffee. Supplements include Premium Insurance Caps, Tissue Rejuvenator, Enduromega, Mito Caps, LSA Caps, Essential Mg, Endurance BCAA+, Phytomax, Xobaline and REM Caps. When really pushing my training or racing, I add Fully Charged, Perpetuem Solids and Recoverite. I top these off with up to 10 more supplements as needed.
Currently, I run a 5K at marathon pace Monday through Thursday. I try to run/walk a 10K on Fridays and Sundays, but I may just take the days off or run a 5K at marathon pace. I also try to walk/run a 20-miler on Saturdays, although, again, I may choose to drop that to a marathon pace 5K or a day off. I train on a treadmill and the LA River Bicycle Path. I am aiming for maximum speed for the shorter races and endurance for the ultras. My goal is to be competitive in the Senior Olympics well into my 80s and beyond.
In 2017, I was blessed to join Kathrine Switzer’s powerful, global 261 Fearless organization, #261Fearless. 261 Fearless empowers and unites women through the creation of local running clubs, education programs, communication platforms and social running events. We are creating a global community for women runners of all abilities to support, encourage and inspire each other towards a positive sense of self and fearlessness. In 2018, the dream continued, and I was honored and thrilled to become a 261 Fearless Influencer, Coach, Team Leader and Club Director.
In addition to reading, writing and running, I realized that photography was a skill I needed to develop to document the many blessings of nature and fitness that we, who are out there, continually witness and receive. Our stories are wonderful. The photos snap them to life, preserve them and reach others. In 2018, Luis Escobar, #allwedoisrun, graciously spent hours instructing me on the elements of photography, scheduling dazzling photo shoots and enabling me to capture and share these priceless gifts with others. I designed and launched a blog to deliver these wonderful visions, stories and experiences.
My intense love for nature, fitness and books has spanned nearly 70 years. It is only increasing. Now we journey together, and individually, into 2019. I see a great future ahead! Hammer and Quest On!
Patricia Carleen Winiecki December 22, 2018 http://PatQuests.com
Day Seven: Puntarenas, Garabito, Escazu and San Jose
We spent another beautiful morning in Puntarenas visiting another of Costa Rica’s Mariposa Conservancies. I am deeply moved by the care and intelligence displayed by those overseeing the conservation of Costa Rica’s rare natural treasures. I recurrently feel we can all learn a lesson here.
I later had the rare and extreme pleasure of swimming in one of Costa Rica’s pristine beaches. Warm air, warm water and freedom – rare treasures!
In the afternoon, we embarked on a fascinating river jungle cruise. Spectacular vistas, horses, crocodiles and birds dazzled.
We topped off the day feasting in a mountain-top restaurant overlooking San Jose.
Today our journey took us from the rain, magic and coolness of the cloud forest and jungle to the warm, world-class, breath-taking beauty of the black sand beaches of Costa Rica.
During our journey, we were stopped for road construction. We did not miss the opportunity to jump out of the SUV and photograph the countryside. We were rewarded with many beautiful, unplanned photos, turning an unexpected delay into a boon.
Crocodiles lined the banks of the river in Garabito. Puntarenas offered a dazzling display of monkeys, birds, insects, mariposas and flowers. We visited the black sand beach at sunset and were richly rewarded with an otherworldly experience of peace and beauty. The enormity and majesty of the site was humbling and satisfying to the soul.
We spent the morning hiking through the otherworldly cloud forest. There are no words to describe the peace and beauty that abound here.
Later, we had the pleasure of visiting and photographing the town, while meeting the local artisans. This included Angel Castellanos Gomez and his beautiful hand, glass-blown treasures. I highly prize the items I bought from his shop and the hummingbird he created for me while I was there.
We continued to savor the wonderful fresh food, drink and cafe con leche.
Each destination held its own unique abundance of special treasures.
We ran 4+ miles around the hotel grounds, visited the waterfall and climbed the observation tower at Arenal. Late in the afternoon, we journeyed to Abangares to photograph the spectacular Costa Rican sunset.
Another wonderful day in Beautiful Costa Rica! Pura Vida!
Immediately following a delicious breakfast in San Jose of fresh local fruits, cheese, yogurt, eggs, toast and cafe con leche, Gerhard Linner mapped out the routes for the coming week. He packed Luis Escobar, Ken Winiecki and me into his SUV and we excitedly took off to find Pura Vida!
We spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon traveling from San Jose to our next destination, Arenal National Park. We were treated to visits with local artists, craftspeople, shops, coffee farms, food vendors and parks. The food and drink was, as always, delicious. The wonderful display of color and handiwork dazzled my eyes.
Luis Escobar worked nonstop honing our photography skills, while Gerhard Linner skillfully managed all the logistics and transportation. All we had to do was immerse ourselves in the culture, enjoy the people, food and views, and soak in the beautiful Pura Vida!
Another wonderful day in Beautiful Costa Rica! Pura Vida!
Day Three: Arenal National Park, Fortuna & San Carlos
There are no words to describe the beauty and majesty of Arenal Volcano, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica.
Ken and I rose early to spend time viewing Arenal Volcano and consuming its wonder. Howler monkeys screamed, darting through the trees. Glorious birds stopped by to feed, flowers and mariposas dazzled, snakes thrilled and frogs glistened. The greenery and sounds of the jungle stunned and thrilled. The volcano slowly shed its cloud covering.
I could not get enough of the fresh, homemade mango and berry yogurt, filling my cup every chance I could. I was the outlier, ordering deserts at every chance. Deserts were delicate, subtle and satisfying. Cafe con leche was my go-to drink at every stop, served with a beautiful drawing floating on top.
Luis Escobar and Gerhard Linner kept us on a tight, well-planned schedule, enabling us to marvel at and photograph every desirable, imaginable sight available in this beautiful world.
The extent of my southern quest in the Americas was Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 1998, to celebrate the 50th birthday of my husband, Ken Winiecki. Europe and the Middle East continually beckoned afterward.
In spite of this, the lure of photographing the world-renowned cloud forest and immersing myself in the jungle sparked my interest in journeying to Costa Rica and Pura Vida. The extensive skills and knowledge of Luis Escobar, #allwedoisrun #allwedoisphoto, and Gerhard Linner, Setir Costa Rica, brought this fantasy to life.
I quickly fell in love with the beautiful people, flora and fauna of Costa Rica. On our first morning, Ken and I ventured out on our own. We were immediately blessed when a tour group materialized and invited us to join them on a 4-hour river walk. The tour was organized to educate people in conserving Costa Rica’s priceless resources, particularly its waterways. We were not prepared with food or water, but the beautiful people willingly and lovingly opened their bags, serving us all the delicious food and drink we could handle.
