Riding down a stretch of freshly paved asphalt I see the sun rising, while overlooking local farmers working in their peanut, yucca, and sugar cane fields. Glancing to the left I see a series of eight volcanoes, none more ominous than the one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Central America and its smoldering, gaseous fumes, San Cristobal.
What’s a guy from Winnipeg, Canada doing riding a bike in Nicaragua in January? Well, it all started as a rough idea about six months ago. I travel each year to a different continent to explore different countries and cultures, and what they have to offer.
Training in the midst of an active volcano, San Cristobal
As a triathlete I am an active person, so my travel plans always include some sort of active adventure. For instance, in 2011 I rode a mountain bike 1000 kilometers across Tanzania, followed up a few weeks later with summiting the tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. In 2010, I mountain biked and trekked into the ruins of Machu Pichu, Peru, and in 2009 I trekked into the Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
My plan this year was to somehow combine two of my greatest passions, which are traveling and triathlon. I had few parameters other than my preference to avoid as much of the cold Canadian winter as possible by traveling during the winter months.
An online search for half-Ironman races led me to quickly conclude that the half-Ironman (1.9 km swim, 90 km cycle, and 21km half marathon) triathlon in Panama City, Panama on February 12, 2012 was going to be the one. I have long been interested in Central America and thus a plan was born. There were logistics that needed to be figured out (time away from my career, support from family, developing a training plan, pre-training) but I was convinced this could work out.
A few month later and here I am, basking on the beautiful beach of Las Penitas, Nicaragua after a terrific training ride of 120 km. Las Penitas is about 110 kilometers northwest of Nicaragua’s capital city, Managua. I have been training (swimming, cycling, and running) on the beaches and roads of this sleepy little fishing village for almost two weeks and it has been a terrific experience to say the least.
I feel like I have found a little slice of triathlon training heaven; who would have thought that something like this was possible in Nicaragua?
Ending up in Las Penitas was no accident. I specifically chose this spot after reading about the newly paved asphalt highway that links Las Penitas to Leon. As Las Penitas is the end of the road there is very little traffic, and this combined with the fresh asphalt highway and paved shoulders makes it an awesome road to cycle on.
Most mornings I have been cycling up and down this beautiful highway with some of the most amazing vistas you could imagine. There is a series of challenging hills leading out of Las Penitas, so once you reach the top you can see the aforementioned string of name of volcanos. The track eventually flattens out as you travel through the countryside which consists predominately of farming and agricultural fields. The mostly flat section (slightly uphill as you travel west away from the Pacific Ocean) is where the wind usually picks up. A couple more hills before reaching Leon and then a very fast (slightly downhill) ride back to the Pacific Ocean.
Bike workout along the Pacific
As you pedal to the summit of the last hill you eventually get an amazing panorama of the Pacific Ocean before returning to Las Penitas. Rinse and repeat as many times as your legs will allow, or do some hill work or interval training on the flats. It’s an amazing training road and one you should consider trying!
The success rate of Kamagra is a low cialis cost very good alternative. This calls for qualified professionals to provide viagra no prescription the result by relaxing the muscles and making blood to pass out to the penile region which makes the men face this particular issue into their life. Other forms of radiation, including external beam radiation, also have success rates along with sildenafil cheapest price similar side effects. There are certain important points that need to be kept in the air tight container. free viagra pill Off the bike, what about the swimming and running? It’s fairly straightforward. The ocean is there 24 hours a day. The surf is quite rough most days so you need to pick your spots wisely. I trained several times in the estuary leading to the mangroves of Isla Juan Venado when the tide was coming in. The tide was strong which produced the equivalent of a “swimming treadmill”. It was an unusual experience to say the least, and it turned out to be a great workout.
As for run training, bricks are always possible on the lightly travelled paved shoulders or beach, and into the hills for strength work. I would usually run the beautiful stretch of road linking Las Penitas to Ponelya, the sister village of Las Penitas. It is 4 km from one end of the road to the other and nicely lit; this was a big advantage as most of my running was done after sunset to avoid the intense heat of the day.
Even on a ‘training vacation’ it’s irresponsible to ignore rest and recovery; not everyday is a training day. That left me with plenty of time to do many other fun and exciting activities. Sitting here with sand between my toes at this beautiful little beach bar watching the sun set into the Pacific Ocean, I would be remiss not to mention all of the other fun and exciting things this area has to offer.
If kayaking through the aforementioned mangroves amongst crocodiles or surfing the terrific waves aren’t your style, then maybe deep sea fishing (for tuna, barracuda, and mackerel) and barbecuing your catch on the beach is.
If you are into adrenaline adventures then you need look no further than hurtling yourself down the side of Cerro Negro on a volcano board. You’ll find this just east of Leon, a 10 cordobas bus ride ($.50) or 200 cordobas ($10) cab ride away.
Leon is a fantastic city with a very rich history. Founded by the Spanish, Leon has an amazing architectural flair similar to Spain. Leon has all the amenities of home (within reason) and is a terrific city to explore. If that’s not enough, also in the vicinity there is volcano trekking and camping on active volcanoes, with the amazing opportunity to view the lava flow after dark.
Beyond all the sites and activities, the wonderful people of Las Penitas make this destination what it is. I felt extremely welcome and very safe throughout my stay. The people are lighthearted, warm and helpful; even with a Canadian guy whose Spanish is terrible.
It is very inexpensive to stay, eat, and play in this relaxed, laid-back little village. What doesn’t get done today, will get done manyana, (tomorrow). It is a refreshing perspective, especially for goal-driven people like triathletes.
Now, in the midst of the weird looks I’m getting from locals, I load my bike box on one of Central America’s famous “chicken buses”, heading back to Leon before launching myself south for Costa Rica. I will undoubtedly never forget this awesome stretch of highway leading to the amazing, quiet little fishing village of Las Penitas.
By all means follow my lead and head to this fantastic training location. But first ask yourself this: is it possible that there are other outstanding training locations in faraway countries yet to be discovered? Of course there are; that’s why I am on my way to Costa Rica.
Happy training!
Dan McCaughan
You must be logged in to post a comment.