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Coming off a big win in San Diego (keeping the Broncos on top of the AFC West) one causality of war was losing starting running back Willis McGahee. McGahee suffered a torn medial collateral ligament, as well as a compression fracture of his right knee.

The injury is thought to keep McGahee out for the rest of the season, unless the Broncos make a deep playoff run (meaning as far as the AFC Championship game and beyond). He has been placed on the injured reserve list, opening up a roster spot.

Though this is a big hit to the Broncos, the team will rely on former first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno, as well as veteran Lance Ball and rookie Ronnie Hillman. While Ball and Moreno have seen a lot of snaps in their time in the game, Hillman is still new to NFL playing. He will be relied on to pick up his game, and take on some of the load left in McGahee’s absence.

Along with Moreno, Ball and Hillman, the Broncos may look to sign free-agent running back Jacob Hester. Hester, along with Steve Slanton, worked out with the team earlier this week. Though no new signees will be available for this weekend, the Broncos have a tough road game against AFC West foes Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos are looking to extend their lead in the division and secure their spot in the playoffs.

For more news on the Denver Broncos, head to their website here.

This past month saw President Obama not only get reelected, but also become the highest ranking western official to visit both Myanmar and Cambodia. If being on the campaign trail wasn’t enough for Obama, a small Asian tour before Thanksgiving in the Oval Office should be enough to keep him satisfied.

Obama’s visit to Myanmar was historical outing, with the U.S. acknowledging the pushes for open government and democracy. Obama spoke with both president Thein Sein, and democracy hero and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Obama, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, spoke about the positive steps taken thus far in revamping the Myanmar government, but also spoke to the need of equal rights for minority groups in western Myanmar. In the light of recent fighting in the northwest, this was a critical issue to be touched on.

While dropping in on Cambodia’s ASEAN summit, the streets of Phnom Penh were backed up all throughout the day. Youth groups stage protests to show they agreed with Obama’s push for Cambodian officials to become more democratic, and op-ed writers monopolized newspaper pages with thanks and opinions on what Obama should speak with Cambodian officials about.

Though no actual legislation was passed, Obama’s visits marked important milestones in both Cambodia and Myanmar. Let's hope the dialogue amounts to more open governing, and more civil rights for those in the countries visited. 

Located in the southeast region of Cambodia, Kampot is a small town used as a jumping off point for national forests and beach vacations. It is often overlooked by tourists, but offers some quaint places to stay and some fantastic food. Though it is not yet on the typical tourist path, Kampot is beginning to make a large push to become a real destination when visiting Cambodia, and with an influx of travelers, it seems this prophecy will be fulfilled.

One of the best draws to Kampot is the stretch of real estate running alongside the Kampot River. The river itself is a collection of rivers meeting to dump into the Gulf of Thailand, and on either side, restaurants, hotels and other fun places are bumping up for local and tourist enjoyment. The west side of the river is less touched, but the east side has become a happening place for café culture in the day and bar culture at night. One must-eat place is the unnamed seafood restaurant on the northeast tip of the river, right south of the new bridge. Plates run from $2-$7, and boast some delicious local seafood.

Along with the river, Kampot is a place that offers a lot of local flair. The Old Market in the middle of town is a quintessential take on how Cambodians do business. Looking like an impenetrable fortress from the outside, those brave enough to venture in are met with a mélange of smells (some better than others) and narrow rows lined with stalls of every nature. From clothes to toiletries and meat to school supplies or jewelry, this market has everything locals and tourists could want. The rows are very narrow, and the market is a bit more crowded than other markets in southeast Asia, so for travelers who are claustrophobic, be prepared for a small to large panic attack.

While walking down the main drag in the city, tourist are greeted with interesting statues in the middle of roundabouts. From war memorials, to students going to school, each intersection is its own work of art. My personal favorite is the fruit plate near the market, marked by its massive Durian fruit. There are also a lot of parks lining each road, and at night, local food stalls line the main road from the Durian statute to the riverside. Pay the $0.50 for a fruit shake; it’s definitely worth it!

Stopping at Kampot is a must for any traveler looking to get a real feel of Cambodian life. Though it’s possible to get back to western backpacking culture, days spent in the Old Market, and nights spent eating local food and drinking tukaluck at local food stalls is enough to remind you you're not in the west. Enjoy Kampot, and make sure not to overdose on local Kampot pepper. 

Kampot is a small, sleepy town found in southern Cambodia. It is known as a jumping off spot to get to Kep and beautiful islands and isn’t frequently visited by tourists to the country. It offers great food, a real Cambodian feel, and some interesting things to do off the beaten path. For those looking to run while in Cambodia, along with a great national park, Kampot also offers a beautiful run just north of the city.

After heading back on the road toward Sihanoukville over the new bridge, I took a right off of the main drag and dead-ended into a railway track. I had seen the track while driving into town and seeing as no train had come for the two days I’d been there, I decided to run along the dirt paths on either side of it. The actual rails were on a mound of rocks, elevating it just slightly over the deep brown of the dirt path.

As I blazed down the right side of the trail, the sun started to set, and to either side of me were small Cambodian houses, made of bamboo and elevated on stilts. Children ran around their compounds, playing with chickens and other rural animals. As they saw me, they came screaming toward the path offering their best, “hello, how are you?”

The path became populated at times, which forced me to jump up on the railway so elderly women, motorbikes, and traversing teens could make their way toward the main city. The path is used by locals as a highway between the rural outskirts of Kampot, and can actually be followed all the way to Bokor National Park and beyond.

At a few points, the two side paths disappear, and I was forced to run on the rails for around 40 minutes. I’m not entirely sure if the railway is actually abandoned, but with the sun setting, and my view down the path being quite lucid, I could see I was in no danger. After this small bridge, the path continues down the rail, but also diverges into other paths leading through rice paddies. I started down one for a few moments, only to realize it was too muddy to pass. At this point I was around four miles out and I turned back.

The only negative facet of running an out and back from Kampot is that the sun sets to your back. As the night grew dark, and the sunset hit its zenith, the sky behind me was painted an immense pink, backed by a darkening blue. I found myself trying to look back while running, but after stumbling a few times, I stopped to take it in before the colors faded.

Kampot is a great town to visit, and for any running fan, the railway run is a fantastic place to get some peace and quite, while rediscovering running as a means to explore while traveling.