Before the World Race I was working part time at an amazing local running specialty shoe store in Oklahoma City called ‘Red Coyote’. I worked for some of the most amazing people around. They have been great bosses, friends, supporters, and cheerleaders.
A few months before I signed up to go on the trip I was working and living a very typical and ordinary life. I was feeling run down because I knew God had something in my future I just didn’t know what it would be or when it was going to happen.
I showed up to work at Red Coyote one morning praying that God would give me some kind of sign on what I was supposed to do.
Well, He did.
Later that day we were kind of slow when a mom and her young son came in. He was a wild ,maybe 6 year old, boy who just wanted to run around and have fun. So I played with him while his mom tried on shoes. I had so much fun with him.
At this point in my life I thought I hated kids. Jokes on me I love them.
I spent maybe an hour playing with this kid. When it came time for him to leave he looked up at me with a very serious look on his face and said,
“Why are you here?”
(Say this in the sassiest tone ever)
I was stumped. I couldn’t come up with an answer. Why was I there? Sure I was helping people and I was making good money, I loved my job… But why was I there? What was my purpose?
It wasn’t even a few days later that I was signed up to go on the WorldRace. That boy inspired me to do something. To step out on a ledge.
Now, who works for people that when you tell them you want to leave for a year on a missions trip let you continue working there until you leave? Well Red Coyote not only let me keep working there, they helped me with fundraising parties, let me teach bootcamp classes, and gave me a new pair of running shoes to travel the globe with.
I thought the least I could do would be to document all the places the shoes went.
So here we go… See where my shoes went.
ATLANTA
Here is where it started. Atlanta, Georgia at the launch of my trip. How cute are my parents? Man, we were all scared SH*TLESS.
Also at launch. I had a lot of crap at the beginning of the race and by the end I only had like 5 pieces of clothing, lice shampoo, and my running shoes.
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique was my very first country. It was beautifully frightening and ungodly hot. This was one of the blessed days that it rained while we ran. the streets were dirt roads that made me feel like I was trail running. When my team and I went running we were 4 white girls running down the roads of Africa and it caused a ruckus. People would come out of there homes to watch us run by. I like to think of us as the white girl parade. HAHA!
This was also in Mozambique when we got to take a trip to the beach. Every morning me and my team mate Naomi would wake up early and run at least 2 miles on the beach. Running on the beach is not as glamorous as Pamela Anderson makes it seem.
SOUTH AFRICA
I spent a few days on debrief in South Africa after our first month on the world race. One day me and Naomi decided to hike the mountain behind our hostel. I felt so at peace after a crazy month just looking off the side of this mountain at the beautiful scenery South Africa has to offer.
SWAZILAND
This is me after a run in Swazi. HOT HOT HOT. DEAD DEAD DEAD.
Swazi was in a bad drought. This is what my legs would look like after being at our care point for just a few hours.
This is my team and I at our carepoint we worked at in Nsoko, Swaziland. A carepoint is where the children in the community would come for a meal and a safe place to play and get help with schoolwork.
My teams dirty legs after our walk home from the carepoint.
This is our group that lived together in Nsoko. There were 4 teams living in our house. It was hard at the time but looking back they are some of my fondest memories. We were about to hike up a mountain that when you get to the top you are standing on the border of Swaziland and South Africa!
My team and I at the top. Yes I had a blue weave and Britt had a gray and blue weave.
Made it to the top! YAAAAAHHH! Again, Yes. Blue. Weave.
I also brought my favorite running socks that I buy at Red Coyote. The left is before I hand washed it and the right is after. Yeah, I am pretty good at hand washing.
MADAGASCAR
This is my friend Sandy. She invited me to go to her English class which actually turned out to be an English class that works out together on Wednesday mornings. This first time she invited me I didn’t know we were working out so I wore cargo pants, the wrong bra, but at least I wore my running shoes.
Here is the proof that I wore cargo pants the first day.
The second Wednesday I talked my friends Naomi and Britt into going with me. These guys took us to coffee and croissants after our run! They also gave me that super amazing hat. I love and miss my Madagascar running friends!
MALAYSIA
This is me after a run on the island Langkawi, Malaysia. Humid. HUMID.
One time, in Malaysia, I got to run on a treadmill in really crappy air conditioning. It was actually really amazing.
Then another time in Malaysia I got to work out in a really nice gym at my Air B and B! PRAISE GOD!
INDONESIA
In Indonesia I traded my running shoes for a yoga mat. I missed running terribly but it was very frowned upon for women to run in Indonesia. Ladies, we are so blessed to live in America where we can run.
My bestie Britt and I enjoyed so much yoga in Bali.
While in Indonesia the only cardio I got (other than walking everywhere) was on a bike tour that Britt, Lauren and I went on. They took us to the famous rice terrace featured in the movie ‘Eat Pray Love’, flower fields, a coffee plantation, to tour a local families home, to old temples, off roading with our bikes, and I got to hold this crazy spider. I still can’t believe I let that thing crawl all over me.
THAILAND
In Thailand my team and I stayed in a very small hostel so sometimes I would work out in the bathroom. I know gross. I have literally no standards anymore.
The hostel we stayed at was owned by the sweetest family. They let us stay there for a third of the price we should have paid, they cooked dinner with us in the kitchen, and one night Mr. Naang took us to go play tennis.
Thai people are some of the most active people I have seen. There parks were amazing. They had free gym equipment built into there parks like jungle gyms. I always was trying to talk my team into going with me to the park. I am thankful for the times I could talk them into going with me.
This is the view inside the park at night. Gorgeous.
My friend Anna and I went for a run in the park and then ran to the night market. We even scored these amazing Thai boxing shorts!
MYANMAR
Myanmar was one of my favorite places. Life was so simple. Me and my gal pals would work out everyday in our school/ church building. We turned hammock strap into TRX, bricks into weights, and had my handy-dandy jump rope. I miss working out there. I loved it so much because it reminded me of when I taught bootcamp back home.
INDIA
Repping my Red Coyote in a park in Hyderabad. This park was the only place I got to run in public all month. The rest of the time I was doing stationary work outs.
I ran in thermal long-johns all month. Modest is hottest? No really, IT WAS SO HOT.
The street outside of the park. Littering SUCKS.
While in the village I would work out on the roof of our house. That way no one would see me doing my squat jumps. HAHA! Action shot above.
((Shout out to Katie for all her encouragement and DJ skills.))
I liked to kick my feet up and relax on the roof after a good workout. I mean, look at that view.
These are my favorite socks that I wore for a month straight without washing them. I would give them a 5 out of 5 on quality.
NEPAL
This group of people helped me jump off a bridge one day. Bungee jump that is.
I DID IT!!!
Mom, the saying is true. My friends all jumped off a bridge so I did too.
This is what working out in Nepal looks like. This was also the morning after getting my nose pierced. It was $3… you can’t say no to that.
COSTA RICA
Just a few doors down from the church we were living at was a really nice gym. A REAL GYM!! Some of my teammates and I got memberships for the month and enjoyed a lot of Zumba, kick boxing, cycling, and normal gym equipment! YEEE!
NICARAGUA
Every morning I would wake up at 6AM to have my quite time with Jesus on our porch. Around 7 I would start working out. Sometimes I would run circles around our property or do a bootcamp workout. Sometimes I would ever do some Yoga! I miss this peaceful space.
EL SALVADOR
We lived down the street from a really great park. It is called El Cafetlon, If you ever happen to be in the neighborhood I would highly recommend it. My teammate Kayce and I would wake up early every morning to walk there. The park is surrounded by a 1K loop. Kayce and I would run it 5 times so that we would get in a 5K. Sometimes when we would finished running we would go to the fresh juice stand to treat ourselves. $1.50 for a bag of fresh juice… How can you beat that?!
My friend Katie turned 22 while in El Salvador so to celebrate we went horseback riding. I got the meanest horse that didn’t like being around other horses. GO figure! I was so scared the horse man Alberto had to walk my horse the entire time. I guess I wasn’t born to be a cowboy or a jokey.
That same day we also went and drove ATVs. Now that I can do. It had been 10 months since I had driven though so it was a wild ride! Maybe I was born to be a Nascar driver?
When playing soccer with kids you should know that you are going to tie lots of shoes. Sometimes even the shoes of your 22 year old teammates.
THAT’S A WRAP.
Now that is all the places my shoes have taken me.
When I got home my dad had a new pair of shoes waiting for me that he had gotten at Red Coyote.
Here is a photo of me at the finish of my first 5K since being home. We did the Turkey Trot in San Antonio.
I know that these new shoes are going to take me on new adventures this up coming year.
Thank you Red Coyote for supporting me in the crazy things I get myself into!
XOXO,
EM
Starting in January I will be training with Red Coyote to run my (I think) tenth half marathon.
