I tried. (The Guatemala Edition)

Fetal Friends: Together in the womb, and on the trail.

39 bag checks, $20 worth of airport-McDonald's food, 2 bumpy plane rides, and 14 hours of traveling later, my best friend Christina and I made it back in one piece from our trip to Panajachel, Guatemala, visiting our other BFF Lucy (together they are my "fetal friends"). The trip was amazing, filled with plenty of big meals, fine cocktails, and necessary relaxing. I had big plans to keep up my training while on vacation, but destiny had something else in store for me that week.

On our third morning in Pana, Christina joined me for what would be my first and last run that week: a solid 30 minutes through the tiny streets ("callejones" in Guate-speak) of a small neighboring town called Jucanya. With the hot central-american sun beating down on us at 9 am, we were both fairly equipped in our new "moisture-wicking" apparel and plenty of sunscreen. However, nothing could have prepared us for what we were literally about to run into.

Our run that day was completely unplanned and unmapped. All I knew is that we needed to keep going for about 30 minutes. I couldn't take my eyes off of the cobble stone, rocky, dirt roads we were running on, for fear that I'd twist my ankle landing on something loose. At some point, Christina suggested we take a turn off the main road and into one of the windy callejones. I agreed, thinking it might be nice to check out some of the back streets. As we rounded one tight corner, I almost ran over a small child who came sprinting from the opposite direction! Kids running around was not out of the ordinary, but this particular kid was sweating profusely, with a mischievous smile on his face. Keeping up a steady pace, we didn't really have any time to process why he might have been running away from this narrow, walled-in path we were headed down until..... BOOM!

RAGING TERRITORIAL "I WILL EAT YOU" WILD GUARD DOG

It was ferocious and angry and hungry, and only god knows what that little kid must have done to piss it off...but now it was mad at us, fiercely chasing us, threatening every inch of our lower bodies with crazed barking!!! Memories of being cornered and attacked at age 12 while on my roller blades were rushing through my head. The only word that kept flashing in my mind as we instinctively tried scrambling away was "RABIES. RABIES. RABIES." This dog was faster than us on any given day, and it was well aware. The beast followed us as fast and as far as it could until I started screaming "STOP RUNNING, JUST STOP RUNNING." For a good ten seconds, as we slowed down to a nervous stumble forward, not looking back, the beast kept up its attack!

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the beast turned around and returned to its post.

Needless to say, with enough adrenaline pumping through our veins, we rushed back home and packed away our sneakers for the rest of the week. Panajachel is meant for taking in beautiful views of their volcanoes and lake, enjoying their fresh made tortillas, and taking advantage of their slower, more simple way of life. That day I decided to save my 5 mile run for when I got back.

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111 days until MCM!! At least $1675 left to raise, donate today!