PT 1| Running Adventure: Exploring Azores' Portugal Travel, Trail Running, and Tranquility
Jun 27, 2023Episode 42
Sheri Davidson
Join me, Sheri Davidson, and my terrier mix co-host, Finn, on this adventurous episode as we recount my running adventure, Ultra Blue Island Trail Race on Faial Island, Portugal. I'll delve into the transformation that comes with travel and how it reshapes your perspective and provokes personal growth. I'm eager to share my pre-trip ritual, the unexpected encounters, and the valuable lessons I've learned along the way. So, whether you're a runner, a traveler, or just someone seeking adventure and growth, this episode has something for you. Tune in, buckle up, and let's embark on this exciting journey together. RUN FREE.
Join me, Sheri Davidson, and my terrier mix co-host, Finn, on this adventurous episode as we recount my running adventure, Ultra Blue Island Trail Race on Faial Island, Portugal. I'll delve into the transformation that comes with travel and how it reshapes your perspective and provokes personal growth. I'm eager to share my pre-trip ritual, the unexpected encounters, and the valuable lessons I've learned along the way. So, whether you're a runner, a traveler, or just someone seeking adventure and growth, this episode has something for you. Tune in, buckle up, and let's embark on this exciting journey together. RUN FREE.
I want to start friends. Welcome back to the wellness inspired podcast, a place where you can find inspiration, motivation and empowerment in the pursuit of a wellness lifestyle. I am your host, Sheri Davidson. I'm a wellness coach and acupuncturist in Houston, Texas, and I am deeply passionate about health and well being. And as always, I'm here with my co host, Ben. And if you're new to the podcast, Finn is my terrier mix, rescue dog, trail runner, and loyal companion. He is also a therapy dog and a greeter at element five, acupuncture and wellness. Well, here it is the episode you've all been waiting for my running adventure in the Azores, fail Island, Portugal and the after party on the mainland and Lisbon and Porto. This trip was amazing. And those that have been with me for a while know I love to travel to beautiful places and trail run. I love it because it fulfills me in so many ways. It broadens my perspective, there is self discovery, cultural awareness, overcoming challenges, not just the races, but traveling in general, because you never know what you're gonna get. There's personal growth that comes from that. I get to be in nature, and I get to stay physically active. I'll let you in on a little ritual I have. Before I leave, I sit on my sofa. And I think I wonder what the transformation will be after this experience. What will I learn about myself? What will I learn about others? What beauty will I experience? What challenges will I have to overcome? And how will this trip shaped me internally and externally? And how will it integrate that into my life? And when I return home, I sit on my sofa and I reflect on my experience. And now I'm going to share it with you. But before we get started I want to mention I'm planning a European wellness riverboat cruise in 2024. My friend Tammy hookah is a Travel Concierge and a friend. And she's also been on the podcast we talked about wellness travel, but she's helping me plan this great adventure. I have yet to commit to a river. But I am thinking of a seven night cruise on the Danube river. We would cruise through Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia that will be active sightseeing. So hiking, biking, and I'm going to try and get some running in there maybe some trail running. There will also be yoga wellness talks relaxing and locally sourced cuisine. So stay tuned for more details. I already have many people interested and have yet to do any marketing. So get ready to grab your spot. Okay, let's do this. Run in the Atlantic Ocean. That's their tagline. Ultra Blue Island troll race on fail island in Puerto Azores, Portugal. I know that sounds confusing. That's a lot. The Azores is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. And Fayol is one of the islands. It's located in the center of the collection of islands. And Horta is the main city on Fayol Island. And it has a population of 7000. So super small. You can go to the other ones, the other islands, and apparently they are just as beautiful and fun to visit. So I have all of them on my list. There is also Madera, which is, I think, probably going to be the next one on my list. It is not part of the archipelago. It's a little bit more south, and it's closer to Morocco, but it's still part of Portugal. So that is on my list next. So I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but it's on my list. And if you would have told me when I was younger, I would be attracted to islands in the middle of the North Atlantic. I would have said You are crazy. I prefer the mountains of Colorado, and I still like them. But I think mountainous islands are more of my jam. I struggle running an altitude it really affects me. I can hike I can snowboard, but running no. And I found that I can go to these beautiful places and get the challenging terrain and the beautiful scenery without the altitude. I think they all island I think that the elevation is like 1300 So you still have some elevation and difficult terrain. But yeah, I don't have to worry about being able to breathe and there is just something alluring about exploring an island in the middle of the ocean. I find that so alluring. I had never heard of the Azores until I went to the Faroe Islands last year, I think it was in October. And one of the runners I met suggested that she said it was one of the most beautiful runs she has ever done. So I took note and I made it happen. The race had four distances. It had 118 kilometers, which is about 73 miles, the 65k, which is 40 miles, a 42k 26 miles and then a 25k was 15 miles. And I decided to do the 65k, the the 40 miles, and I had planned I had a plan, I had a plan. My race schedule was complete each race building on the next to a grand finale of Rocky Raccoon 100 mile in January of 2024. The plan was to come back from my trip from the Faroe Islands, start training for browses 50 miler. I think that was in April, that I would head to the Azores for a 40 miler and tough terrain in May, I would find 100k, which is about 60 miles, some time between when I returned from the Azores, and first of the year, and then I would finish with the grand finale of 100 miler, and it would be my first attempt. But as you know, things can change fast. Some unwanted news came my family's way, and the doctors detected a spot on my mom's spine. The diagnosis took over three months. And you can imagine the frustration, the fear, and the many other emotions that come along with it. My training took a nosedive I was not sleeping. Well, my overall motivation for training was zero. And thanks to my running friends, I was still getting out to run but I was not doing any distance. You know, all I could think about was my mom. I wanted her to be okay. At night, I would bathe her and white lights. See the spot on her spine disappear. And I would envision us jumping up and down with joy because her results came back cancer free. And you know what they say? You hope for the best and you plan for the worst during the day I would go into planning mode. What if we got an unwanted diagnosis? What were we going to do? And I will tell you, that is a very overwhelming thought. January of 2023, we finally got the results that she was cancer free. We got the best diagnosis. She did not have cancer. What a relief. Now she's still in a lot of pain. She's still in her journey to resolve the pain. But she didn't have cancer. And we were all filled with joy. I was filled with joy. I was happy. But during those three months, my priorities shifted. And I was left with a void of motivation to train. However, I decided to keep moving forward with my plans to the Azores, to run the Ultra Blue Island trail race. And I was hoping to find a motivation along the way. I had three months to train for a very hard 40 miles. My friend Lena decided to run the race with me. And we started training, we picked up our mileage very quickly. And when the time came, I was not confident that I was ready. I thought about going down in distance. Then I thought maybe just maybe I'll surprise myself. I'll take it slow. I wanted to finish in 12 hours, but I had 14 hours to complete the race. So let's do it. The departure. Here we go. It all started here. We were scheduled to depart on Sunday, April the 30th. We had one stop in Paris, France. And due to an air traffic controller strike in France, our flight was delayed a day. This put us back two days. Originally, we were supposed to fly from Houston to Paris and we had an hour layover. And then we flew to Lisbon, Portugal where we would stay for two days and then fly to the Azores. But because of the delayed flight out our connecting flight and Paris that would fly us to Lisbon didn't leave for eight hours. So we lost another day. So we've lost two days of our trip. And this put us in Lisbon one day later, at 6pm. The taxi never showed up to pick us up. It was the first time I thought that I would schedule a taxi to pick us up and he didn't show up. But we got it all worked out. And that was the third challenge of the trip so far. And we're two days in we got to our Airbnb where we would stay for a night around 730 or eight o'clock and then we went out to explore and find some food. We returned back to the Airbnb showered and went to sleep because we had to wake up at 3:30am to catch a 6am flight to the Azores. And there was some concern that the taxi driver would not pick us up that morning, because it was the same guy that didn't show up to get us at the airport. When I scheduled the taxi pickups, I booked a round trip initially. But he promised that he would be there, and he kept his promise. So thank you taxi driver, I really appreciate you keeping your promise. So we made it to the airport a little over an hour before our flight took off. There was a long line at security, but we eventually got through and on the way to the gate. We stopped to get some coffee, and then rushed to our gate. We had like 15 minutes, we got to the gate, and no one was there. I went to the restroom. I was thinking this is super weird. Where is everyone. And when I came back, I went to the desk and he said you were eight minutes late. According to our watch, we still had time. And I think at this point, I just almost cried. And lesson here, always check to see the suggested arrival time and arrive at your gate at the boarding time. What we learned later was we had to get on a bus and get transferred to our plane. And we missed that bus. That's why we still had time on our watch. So lesson learned. And challenge number four. So after retrieving our luggage, we bought another ticket to the Azores, it didn't leave until 3pm. I was disappointed and extremely frustrated. And then the universe shifted my perspective. Quickly. There was a woman in baggage claim and she was crying. And my friend told me, the airline lost her dog. I could feel her sadness and her tears. If you've been here with me, you know, I'm a dog mom to Finn, and hearing the airline lost her dog. I threw my hands up. And I said this could be a lot worse. I am happy, I am good. And I am ready to have some fun. And throughout the trip I thought about her envisioning her being reunited with her dog healthy and safe. So there's a transformation of acceptance that happened here. We have already had four big challenges. And the trip was just starting. So what came to mind is a quote by Epictetus. He's a stoic. He says, Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want. Welcome events in whichever way they happen. This is the path to peace. So okay, we lost three days, but we're gonna make it. This is traveling. You do your best to plan for disruptions which I think we did that really well. That's all you can do. So we had some fun in the airport, eating and drinking a few drinks. We did make our flight around 3pm. In fact, we were the first ones at the gate this time. We're not going to make that same mistake twice. We arrived in Horta on fail Island around 6pm. And it was beautiful, windy and overcast but it was beautiful. So we jumped into a taxi and we headed to our Airbnb. And this Airbnb was perfect. It was super cute. It was a condo, super cute condo in the middle of town. Right on the on the marina. It was It couldn't be a better location. And we found out later on for the race. That is where they were going to drop us off when they shuttled us back. So we couldn't have picked a more perfect place. So we settled in and we decided to explore the town of porta. And the town wasn't team. I don't know. I don't know how many people we saw on the street, maybe 10. I looked at my friend and I was like I one time. We did Catalina Island 50k together, I think it was about a year ago. And it was not their peak season and we came up against the the same thing there. So it was just this reliving an island time moment with her and and a good laugh. In the Azores. Their peak season is made of October. We were there in May. So we were right on that cusp. But the tip, the temperature typically varies between 55 and 77 degrees. When we were there was loads in the high 50s and highs in the low 60s. So there wasn't a huge difference between night and day, which was kind of nice, but it was very windy, cloudy, and it was raining. So unfortunately for us that didn't allow for the best views during the race or while we were staying there. But that's the way it goes right. It's out of my control out of my worries. We were in the Azores a place I had never been before. So I was super excited about that. And I just kept repeating what the stoic Epictetus said, Don't hope that all events will turn out your way. Welcome events in whichever way they happen. This is the path to peace. So Horta Bay is the second Portuguese Bay to be part of the the club of most beautiful bays in the world. Unfortunately, we couldn't see it. It is located opposite the city of Horta and is home to not only the harbor, but vast marine life. Also it is one of the meeting points of international sailing with several international regattas crossing its waterways. Walking around the marina, we came across a cafe called oceanic cafe. And connected to it was a store oceanic selling digital artwork. All of the artwork was marine life. And it was all done by a local artist. His name is Les. I met him when I was picking out a couple of pieces. And he is a very talented, nice and attractive British Irish gentleman doing great things there many years ago and I hope I get this right if I remember it correctly. But many years ago les arrived in Horta on a fishing trip. He never left the profits he makes from his art and the restaurant go towards ocean conservation. And it sounded like he had a lot more planned a lot more stuff going on in the back that I couldn't see and I know there were apartments above the restaurant and the store and then there were some things that he was doing in the back so be super cool to see what all he has planned. But I bought two of his pieces. I bought a jellyfish for myself and dolphins for my parents. They are beautifully detailed. He said the one he sells the most of is the Azores man of war and I believe it's blue. If I My memory is serving me well. I did not get that jellyfish I got another jellyfish and it is called the mob stinger. And it's pink, but super beautiful. And I haven't gotten them framed yet but I do have them up stretching so I can enjoy them until I get them I get them framed. So I will put the link in the show notes to the oceanic and I believe the website has the restaurant and the store if you go to the store and you're interested in the artwork, go under store oceanic store, pick fine art. And you can see the work that I'm that I'm talking about here. So I will put that in the show notes. So let's let's move on. Horta is a popular stopping point for many sailors crossing the Atlantic. sailing boats from all over the world can be seen there. So it is called the city of sailors. If you walk around the Marina of Horta, you will see the logos and artwork left behind by all the boats who have settled into the port. And according to legend, it is considered a bad omen to leave without leaving a pictorial memory. And it's super colorful, they're everywhere and super interesting to look at the cross from the marina and not far from oceanic is a another bar restaurant called Peters Cafe sports bar and restaurant. And it has been a local landmark since 1918. Like I said, it's across the street from the marina where all the crews go to enjoy a gin and tonic with a crafted Peters gin. Now I don't like the taste of gin. But my friend got one and I tried it and it wasn't bad. I just am not a gin drinker, but they make their gin there. So if you go and you like Jen, you have to go check out Peters Cafe on their website of Peters cafe. It says if you sell to Horta and you don't visit Peters, you have not actually been to Horta that was on their website so I thought I would include that because I thought that was very telling of Peters cafe. Okay, so our first dining experience was at the cantina de Praca the canteen of the square. And it was at the Mercado Municipal de corte, the local farmer market. The food was fantastic and I will put a link to that in the show notes as well because it was yummy. We had tuna steak and shrimp. Now that was the first restaurant that we went to in Horta and I believe that restaurant set the stakes kind of high because after that it was a little bit hit or miss with the food. There oceanic was really good. There was a Chinese food restaurant that was really good. The gelato was really good. We had a fig and cheese gelato. It doesn't sound good when you say it, but it really was good. There is another restaurant that we ate and that was pretty good, but I'll talk about that one later when I get into our race. So like I said food is kind of Have a hit or miss there. So if you go to the Azores, make sure you do your research and get recommendations. My understanding is that of the islands Fayol is the least populated by tourists, but it's on the rise. And so that's part of the reason. That was my understanding. So all of this could change in the future. And in fact, one of the guys that was working part of the Azores committee, he was working the race, he said, we know we have bad food. Anyways, okay, let's move on. We had two days until the race we didn't do too much. We did do a shakeout run. There were quite a few dogs that startled me while running. Thankfully, they were contained. We learned during the race that many of them are her dogs and not friendly. It is a her dog specifically known to the Azores. I was curious, but not too curious. I don't remember the name, but they did ask all the owners to put their dogs up for race day. I love dogs, but I do not love aggressive dogs. So you always have to be careful, especially when you're running out in the middle of nowhere. The day before the race, we decided to go to the start that way we knew where we were going that morning, and thankfully we did. The start was at the center of the city at Fort of Santa Cruz at the edge of portobay. While exploring the area we decided to have dinner at GE and we no restaurant. It was a restaurant with a view and the owner Jing Quino Madruga was the first Portuguese sailor and 10th worldwide to circumnavigate the world solo. He greeted us when we came in and he led us to our table in a room with a large window overlooking the stunning Porto PIM Bay. He asked where we were from, I said Texas, he said, Ah, Texas is its own country. We sat down we ordered and we enjoyed our mills. In spite of our nervous stomach as we were wondering what the next day would bring. We headed back to the air b&b To prepare for a very long day. We packed our running vest with food, gels, headlamps, emergency blankets, batteries, hats, extra clothes trekking poles, hydration plus electrolytes sunscreen, bib number, and we packed sunblock because we are going to need it. The alarm went off at 4am Here we go. 5am we started walking to the start. As we walked, we could hear the night collide. With a break of morning, we heard the sounds of drunken sailors singing from the boats in the marina and we giggled. We kept walking and finally we arrived at the castle gate, a fort of Santa Cruz. There was music and a cafe open for the runners. Our start time was 6am. It was a small race there must have been about 100 runners there could be a little bit more a little bit less. When the gun went off. We took off we ran along the coast, across a small beach, took a turn and started climbing. And what made this climb different than other races was the climb was made of stairs. I'm not sure if this is how they preserve the trails but they were made. The stairs were made out of the ground and they had like a wooden piece on the face. They were irregular. They were steep and a little bit awkward. So we probably climbed for about 15 to 20 minutes. It was tough. It was a really tough way to come come out of the gate because we weren't even warmed up yet. Once we reached the top we descended down into the town of porta. We ran along the Marina through town. And at the edge of town we started climbing again. And it seemed like we just kept climbing. My knee was starting to bother me. And I thought it is too early in the game for this. For the past three years. I have been struggling with tendinitis in my knee and it seems to be directly related to a tight quad bike and get the quad to release. The pain goes away. The problem is that it comes back, especially when I climb stairs. I can do inclines, but climbing stairs seems to set it off. I started to move slower, but onward I went I continued to climb up. I made it to the second aid station and I decided to take a break because I was about to approach the most difficult part of the course. It was a 10 mile climb to the top of the volcano. When I arrived at the base of the climb. What did I see? All I saw were stairs at mile 16 I called it quits. It is so hard to quit, but I think I made the right decision in 2019. I got plantar fasciitis just one week before I went trial running in Iceland and it lasted for about six months. At this point in my life. I just want to keep moving and I'd don't want to risk anything that will keep me from moving and running. So I headed back to the aid station, they called someone to come pick me up and take me to the finish. And that was it. It was over just like that, after 16 miles, although I did not finish the race, it reinforced how much I love trial running in beautiful places. I'm sad. We didn't make it to the top of the volcano. But even if we did, the weather was too overcast and cloudy to see. And it's okay. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But I accepted the way it did. There's just as much to learn and appreciate here. Remember earlier with the stoic, Epictetus said, Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want. Welcome event and whichever way they happen. This is the path to peace. What did come out of the race while I was running, the words run free popped into my head, because that's how I felt I was running free on a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Now that is awesome. Back in Lisbon, I saw a ceramic boutique it was called by noon ceramic. I'll put the link in the show notes. And it's where I found ceramic letters and the typical Portuguese style. Patricia, the woman helping me at the store, clear to table and help me pick the tiles that read run free, where it currently hangs in my home to remind me to always run free, run free of time. Run free of expectations. Run free to explore run free to discover, run free to escape. Run free to embrace, run free to connect, run free to be free. The transformative power of travel and adventure depends on an openness and willingness to embrace new experiences. By venturing beyond my comfort zone. I embark on a journey of self discovery and personal growth that can shape me in remarkable ways. Okay, what did you all think? I really enjoyed sharing my experience with you. And I hope you enjoyed it to the next episode, we'll be the after party on the mainland Lisbon and Porto. I hope you join me. Now as always, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would love to hear from you. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share with your family and friends. You can also give me a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcast. It helps other people find me as well. To get updates on new episodes and wellness inspiration in your inbox. Please join the wellness inspired community. Go to wellness inspired podcast.com to sign up, I'll put the link in the show notes. So you can click and click and join. Also, there is a Facebook community at the Wellness inspired and you can follow me on Instagram at wellness underscore inspired. If you're in the Houston area or visiting and interested in acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, or dry needling, please contact us. You can find out more on our website at element five. Oh m.com That's element five, the number five oh m.com. And again, I'll put the link in the show notes. If you're interested and health and wellness coaching. We can connect in the clinic or on Zoom reach out to us and we'll get you on the schedule. And as always, I would love to hear your feedback. I am dedicated to bringing you great content that is inspiring and informative with an artsy fun and edgy spin. Thank you so much for listening. We'll meet here again next time. And remember, never stop exploring, learning loving and being you bye