Just completed my second Tough Mudder in as many weekends. Tough Mudder for those of you not in the know, Is a 10-13 mile obstacle type running event designed with British Special Forces type obstacles. It is not one of the 3 to 6 mile "mud runs" most everyone and their mother is doing. Although there are a LOT of participants doing Tough Mudder events. Mostly the obstacles are not "bleed or die" if you fail to complete them. They are mostly of the "bleed or get wet" variety.
Since this time last year I have completed 3 Tough Mudders. Last years event was staged at Squaw Valley Ski Resort. This years Tahoe event was staged at Northstar at Tahoe Ski Resort. The other Northern California event was staged at / around Diablo Grande Golf Resort near Patterson, in the central valley. I would like to do a short comparison of the two most recent events with a couple sidebars thrown in about last years event.
First off these are not races. They clearly state in all the pre-race literature and speeches these are not timed events. They do have a clock running at the start line as the MC needs to motivate and send off 200 to 500 participants every twenty minutes. But using that same clock you can pretty closely know your finish time and do the math to find out how long you spent completing or avoiding up to 25 obstacles. The time differences between Northstar and Diablo Grande was about an hour and a half. The reason for the vast time difference is mostly twofold. In Northstar I was running with a small team. Actually the team was my two kids, Nate (30), Audrey (29), and Leigh (Marine, Mom, ageless(less than me, more than the kids)). When doing these type of events with a team you tend to wait for the slowest common denominator. Sometimes that's the slow chick running up the hills, sometimes it's the cute boy flirting with the slow chick running up the hills. Sometimes it's convincing the dad that 'he can do it' at one of the shocking obstacles. Our team of 4 was relatively small compared to some of the other teams out there. We caught up to and passed a 'team' of 10-12 friends at one of the first obstacles where they were just getting through a relatively easy obstacle, after having left twenty minutes ahead of us. They were in for a long day....
In Diablo Grande, I was running with my younger brother, Jack. Anybody that has a younger brother, or two, or three, knows that that is one of the best motivators out there. That is what is keeping all of us brothers young. Or at least delaying the aging process. Trying to keep up with the young brothers, or not let the older brother best you, is a training tool that should be marketed. Numbers wise we totaled 101. Jack is not quite 50 yet. I am. Attitude wise we were about 32. We caught up and passed some 20-something marines that had started twenty minutes ahead of us. We caught most of the 200 plus 'athletes' that started ahead of us. That and we were having fun aiding some of the other semi fast athletes and marines at the later obstacles. We didn't have to wait for anybody else to get there, we didn't need to 'show you how'. We just found the shortest line, plunged in and went for it. If someone needed a boost and we were there, we boosted. If someone needed a tug up out of the mud and we were there, we tugged. If someone needed bumping because they were frozen and holding up the line behind them, we bumped. Because that's how we roll. At Squaw the previous year I ran solo. I finished about 5th in my heat of 200+. I could have used a buddy to help me over some walls and through some mud. The other solo mudders provided that if there was one around. At Diablo Grande I believe we finished well inside the top 10 of our heat, and probably well inside of the top 50 of the previous heat.
Another difference between these two recent events was altitude and temperature. Lake Tahoe lays at about 6000 feet. Northstar rises up about 2000 feet over the lake. It makes for some amazing views. It makes for some agonizing hill climbs. Diablo Grande lays along side Hwy 5 in the Central Valley at about 600 feet. There are a number of "foothills" there, but none of them reach over 1000 feet. If you run / jog /slog enough 500 to 600 foot hills in a row it begins to feel like a mountain. But since I live / train at 4000 feet I found I had plenty of lung for these lowland hills, maybe needed more leg toward the end though.
The daytime and night time temperature made a difference also. At 6000 feet the night time temp hovers around 40* this time of year, with highs sometimes reaching 75. Last Sunday it did not hit 73 until well after our event was over. It stayed in the mid 60's all morning, with an overcast, slightly breezy sky. Therefore the water temps were able to maintain their 32 -35 degree temperature overnight. In the Central Valley today it hit 93 before noon. All the ice from Arctic Enigma was melted before we arrived even though it was one of the first obstacles. In comparison, the ice cubes were 5 feet thick in Arctic Enigma in Tahoe. At Diablo Grande it was a welcome sight to see another water obstacle coming up just down the hill.
The obstacles were basically the same at each event. The difference being in where they were placed in the course. They main drag at each event was the Electric Eel and the Electric Shock Therapy obstacle. In Tahoe they were decently spread out by about 5 miles. You crawled through Electric Ell at the summit of Northstar before descending to lower, warmer climes. At Diablo Grande both Electric Eel and Eletcroshock Therapy were within spitting distance from each other at the end of the course. Supposedly they were a crowd favorite. They were definitely not a participant favorite. Still feel them in my back.
Both of these events were run at the same start time. Actually all three were started at 9:20 Sunday morning. There was a reason for that. I am not a huge fan of crowds, I figured there would be less crowds at the obstacles earlier and more opportunity to run unimpeded. I found out I was right. At Northstar last week 15,000 participants went through the course on Saturday, with only about 4-5 thousand running on Sunday. In Diablo Grande I am unsure how many ran on Sunday but there was only 4 heats of 2-400 each, starting every 20 minutes between 9:00 and 10:00. Not great for people watchers, but exceptionally nice for us lonesome, long runners....
Overall Tough Mudder put on an exciting event. The bands at each were top notch, unfortunately they went unnoticed at Diablo Grande. The beer was colder and freer at Northstar. (You got unlimited free cold beer before you left the finish corral. In Diablo Grande you were limited to one semi cool beer period).
The lead up to each event was entirely different also. Last weekend I drove with my son up to El Dorado Hills (Near Sacramento), met my daughter driving up from San Diego with Leigh and her boys, and partied like rockstars for about 6 hours in the hot ub at Keathers new house on Lake Folsum / American River. After a slow, lazy recovery day on the river we made our way up to Northstar the morning of the event. Immediately after the "challenge" both Nate and Auj started feeling ill. Nate's illness turned into 24 hour stomach flu he acquired from his 4 year old daughter. Aujs' turned out to be maybe just nerves. I acquired Nates' 24 hour stomach flu on Tuesday and am still feeling the effects of the flu or a cold, or whatever it was, today. This week dealing with an unsure work future at Bear Valley, stomach ailments, and low fuel, I was more than a match for Jacks hangover he acquired last night at the dinner party he was hosting.
Everyone participating in these Tough Mudder events are looking forward to doing them again. Very challenging, very doable for just about all levels of training.
Finish time at Squaw Valley TM (solo) 2011 3:05 (13+ miles)
Finish time at Northstar TM (4 person team) 3:20 (11+ miles)
Finish time at Diablo Grande TM (Me n Jack) 1:48 (11 + miles)
Happy Trails, Keep Training!
davee7098
A couple of post script notes;
I told my parents I would not relate the spilled paint issue at their house on Friday before heading up. I sort of fell off the scaffolding I had rigged to paint the wall over the landing / stairs at their house. I broke the railing on my fall and sort of scared my parents in to early retirement. (They are already retired) They may have lost a couple years while helping try to clean up spilled paint in such a hurry.
I did not complete the rings obstacle or the cliffhanger obstacle at either event. Was not able to keep the momentum going.
Jack did complete the rings but did not complete the Funkey Monkey Bars... Nate, Auj, Leigh and I all did!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Morning mountain thinking
Morning, Mountain thinking
It's not yet 9:00 on a Wednesday morning. I'm sitting on the edge of a rock on the edge of Utica Reservoir on the edge of Calaveras County. I've been paddling around the lake for the past couple hours. These are some of the things have been comng in to my mind.
I paddle down these coves and inlets alone. No one has been down here yet today, maybe not this week or this month. I am all alone. What I see is the beauty of the rocks and trees. I have missed this image these past few weeks. I live amongst the rocks and trees and sometimes I dont see them. I look closer and see at the edge of the water and the rocks and trees there are more rocks and trees. Is it a mirage or a mirror image? Everything is perfect before I get there. I come along and cause a few ripples and one of the images is disturbed. Is it the reflection or is it reality?
Sometimes maybe you need to slow down enough to see the reflection in order to see wht is real. I've been missing that lately.
Why have I been missing that? I really enjoy seeing the whole picture. Up in the mountains, if you take a little time you can see a long long ways, and you can see whats right in front of you. Things are usually slower up here.
Some people have been moving and enjoying the fast life for so long they can not slow down or do not like slowing down. I sometimes feel sorry for them. But on the other hand if you find your self going too slow you need to cause a few ripples to identify which is real and which is a mirage.
These past few weeks have been fast and troublesome for me and a lot of other mountain thinking people.
My worries have been, mostly in order of occurance;
- It's the end of ski season, am I going to be re hired?
- Am I going to enjoy working at the Lodge as much as I enjoyed working at the mountain?
- Why am I the only one not laid off when the entire summer staff has been let go this year?
- I miss my wife and my friends from the fast life. Do they remember me?
- My son and granddaughter have a life of their own. Am I a part of it anymore? I am happy for them. I miss them
- My wife discovered a lump in her leg. MRI and Catscan are inconclusive.
- Am I being a bad husband by not being there for my wife on a daily basis? This s hard for me, how hard is it for her? I'm not there. I don't know.
- My daughter is moving on. From her home for the past 10 years, San Diego to Los Angeles. I am not there to help. She is a big girl but still my little girl. I am proud of her.
- Initial surgery removed the mass from Nancy's leg. Does it have a name? is it benign or malignant?
- I was swarmed on by wasps or yellowjackets or hornets, while working on a side job. It hurt but it woke me up. I'm not dead yet. It is good to feel again.
- The mass in Nancy's leg, a Myxoid Sarcoma is Malignant. More surgery for my wife. I sit by helplessly. Go back to work at a unsatisfactory job (making beds, cleaning bathrooms) but at a pleasing future, (working at Bear Valley ski resort)...
- My wife, rather than sitting around feeling sorry for herself and mad at me fo not being there with her, convinces me to take one of my off days and go camp and paddle on the water to help ease my mind. She is beautiful.
I see reflections and wonder which is the real image, the one I cause ripples in or the one that remains beautiful regardess of what passes.
I don't have many more answers, but i feel much better. I miss the slow life of no worries and spending time on the water. I miss my wife.
I love you hon.
The news as of this afternoon is the pathology report says no cancer cells found in marginal tissue. Yeah! heal from surgery and talk w Dr. ASAP
The news as of this afternoon is the pathology report says no cancer cells found in marginal tissue. Yeah! heal from surgery and talk w Dr. ASAP
Sunday, May 6, 2012
ART sunset hike and super moonlight meander
The first monthly ART moonlight meander and sunset hike got off to a SUPER start. Besides there being a full moon this month last night gave us the added benefit of a Super Moon. The moon and earth just happened to be orbiting about 15,000 miles closer to each other this month than any other month. This gave all of us hikers and moon viewers an especially close view of the moon last night.
The event began at 6:30 with the gathering of the hikers. They came in swarms. Ok, they came in cars, but they came at 6:30, just as requested. A couple from San Diego strolled down Valley View Rd, a group of four drove in from Avery, and a lone first time ART hiker drove up from Angels Camp. We felt like a swarm when we departed down the P9 access trail toward Cowell Creek.
The dogwood trees were a welcoming sight at the bottom of the P9 trail. Most of the trees were still in bloom, greeting us with lei type arrangements as we traveled toward the Cowell Creek crossing. After a perfect 8 for 8 dry feet crossing of the creek we proceeded up hill for a ways toward our destination. The mob didn't even want to stop to rest for a picture as they hustled up the the P12 trail toward Cougar Rock.
Upon arrival at our viewing destination we discovered we had about 2.5 fingers worth of waiting, or approximately 15-20 minutes before the horizon obscured our view of the sun for the day. We were soon joined by another group of moon worshipers as the gang of boys (young men in their teens) scrambled their way to the uppermost reaches of Cougar Rock to view the evenings show with the more venturesome of our ART group.
As the sunlight portion of our day drew to a close, the entire assemblage "oohed" and "aahed" as they waited to see if there would be a 'green flash' as the sun appeared to set into the fog and smog of the Bay Area. If they were disappointed in the lack of the flash, they gave no sign as most were impressed with the orangeness and apparent rainbow following the suns' actual setting. Attention was soon directed to the east as the largeness of the moon was scheduled to appear shortly. All the viewers were welcomed by the punctual appearance of Mr. Moon ,and his long eared rabbit, as they began their nocturnal travels across our evening sky.
After adequate time to "ooh and ahh" some more, we ART hikers headed back towards our vehicles and homes, aided (and sometimes hindered) by the glow of flashlights. The moon gave a bright showing trying to indicate the way with flashes of illumination pointing the way between the trees. Goodbyes were said as new friends departed, back to their everyday lives. An evening of nature worship had come to a close as all these hikers and moon viewers went home to discuss the evenings events and tell their friends and family what bold adventure they had missed this month, but were welcome to attend again next month, on the first Sunday in June, when once again a group of ART hikers would go out to see the sunset and meander in the moonlight.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Random Thoughts
These are just some random thoughts I've had this week / month, no storyline or moral intended.
First, sunsets. I love them. Along with sunrises some of the most spectacular shows Mother Nature has given us. Thanks to my friend Bret, in Hawaii, for sending some special shots from over there.
I thought the spectacular sunsets I was witnessing these past few weeks were Gods special show for me for doing such a good job at work, or completing that evening run when I really didn't want to go. But today I realized I don't have to know the reason for beautiful sunsets, or even if there is a reason. They appear anyway. I just enjoyed another sunset and didn't do anything special to earn it. WOW.
I know my wife, Nancy, got to see the sunset today. She left from here, End of the Trail, around 4:00 and as the sun would be setting in her eyes around 6:00, she must have just been arriving home to view it. We had a wonderful semi weekend together. During this weekend I learned a couple of things. First all those conversations I"ve been having with myself these past couple weeks sound a lot different when I have them with a living person. Nancy has been my rock in the past, but now she helps anchor me, or keep me grounded when someone inside my head tries to convince me otherwise. Nothing serious, just eating and drinking habits mostly, some dress issues. When she asked about what I liked most about the upcoming ART docent program, I said "the uniforms" without hesitation. Evidently that was not the right answer as she started laughing. I joined in by giggling a bit because out loud that did sound like a childish thing to like. When she asked that I not wear the "tissue or handkerchief thingy" cause it might make me look like a perve I realized we were laughing about totally different things, and outloud it sounded way different than in my head.
Speaking of wearing off the wall things, today at BV was a gorgeous spring ski day. Lots of tee shirts, spaghetti straps, suntan lotion and long underwear. Yes that must be the new 2012 fad. Just take off your ski pants and ski in what ever you have on underneath. Black thermals were most prevalent, they looked a little like tights, until they got close enough and you saw the fly hole. (don't look down, don't look down). It wasn't just the kids, the 20 - 30 something crowd. There were old men, at least as old as me, out there skiing in their "tadas". I was pretty much embarrassed for them, if they weren't embarrassed for their own semi bare-assed self.
Since I was in charge of Building Maintenance department today I declared this to be BBQ day. I spoke to about a dozen new friends and coworkers yesterday and let them know I would have a bbq fired up and available to grill on and maybe even a few "extra" dogs or sausages available if they wanted to swing by during lunch time. I figured this would be a way to meet more people and get to better know my fellow BV employees. I gave a couple sausages to the ski patrol guys whose window I was cooking in front of. My carpool friend came by when he heard there was free food. Another random ski instructor happened by after checking on his student that got injured in a crash, (his first student crash in 20 years of teaching) and earned a sausage for his story. All my other friends and invitees... nevermind. I felt like the kid at the park with the pork chop tied around his neck hoping some dog would come play with him. Oh well, I wanted sausages for dinner anyway.
I have been bringing random baked goods in to work and dropping them off at various departments since I have been working here at BV. My favorite departments to bring good stuff to are HR, Payroll, and the Executive Committee (GM, Mountain Ops MGR, and Director of Marketing). NO, I'm not trying to bribe my way into a year round position, I just like those people. I also bring good things to Ski School, Ski Patrol, and Ticket Sellers. Mostly because they are good people but they also have cute, young, ladies working there. (they remind me of my daughter..) Yesterday I received a thank you package from one of the departments. OK it was from one person in one of the departments. Anyway it was very sweet that she, I mean they, wanted to bring me some double chocolate chunk cookies and a growler of beer. I'll put it to lack of knowledge that the growler was full of Apricot Wheat beer. I guess she doesn't know most guys don't drink the fruity beer, they like choco chip cookies with milk.
Speaking of miscommunication, I had another miscommunication at the super market here this week. OK it's not a super market, it is a grocery store, but they do sell non local beer. I saw that the new spring seasonal from New Belgium came out. I love a good Colorado beer and most all New Belgium beers. I purchased a sixer of Dig and a sixer of their Ranger IPA. When I got home I poured the spring seasonal into a tulip glass and let it sit a while to let the aroma waft (sounds good). I took a sip and swished it around to get the full effect of the flavor and promptly spit it out in to the sink. I immediately read the description on the label and saw these lines, "incredible lemon aroma" "bursts of passion fruit, mango and peach" and "notes of grapefruity citrus". My first thought was, can I throw away this much unopened beer? Then I tried to think if I knew anyone that might enjoy this. When I came up empty, I tried to think of some other use for this beer. It dawned on me that beer makes a good marinade. Now I have a half gallon of Apricot marinade and a 5 pack of mixed fruit marinade.
I just had a talk with myself and I figure I'll try to bbq again next week, only this time I'll ask coworkers I don't know or people up skiing for the day and ply them with fruity Tri Tip. No I'm just kidding. I won't offer them free tri tip. But I will bbq again next week as the sausages were good, fresh grilled, and the scenery wasn't bad, except for the saggy long underwear on the old farts.
Happy Trails
First, sunsets. I love them. Along with sunrises some of the most spectacular shows Mother Nature has given us. Thanks to my friend Bret, in Hawaii, for sending some special shots from over there.
I thought the spectacular sunsets I was witnessing these past few weeks were Gods special show for me for doing such a good job at work, or completing that evening run when I really didn't want to go. But today I realized I don't have to know the reason for beautiful sunsets, or even if there is a reason. They appear anyway. I just enjoyed another sunset and didn't do anything special to earn it. WOW.
I know my wife, Nancy, got to see the sunset today. She left from here, End of the Trail, around 4:00 and as the sun would be setting in her eyes around 6:00, she must have just been arriving home to view it. We had a wonderful semi weekend together. During this weekend I learned a couple of things. First all those conversations I"ve been having with myself these past couple weeks sound a lot different when I have them with a living person. Nancy has been my rock in the past, but now she helps anchor me, or keep me grounded when someone inside my head tries to convince me otherwise. Nothing serious, just eating and drinking habits mostly, some dress issues. When she asked about what I liked most about the upcoming ART docent program, I said "the uniforms" without hesitation. Evidently that was not the right answer as she started laughing. I joined in by giggling a bit because out loud that did sound like a childish thing to like. When she asked that I not wear the "tissue or handkerchief thingy" cause it might make me look like a perve I realized we were laughing about totally different things, and outloud it sounded way different than in my head.
Speaking of wearing off the wall things, today at BV was a gorgeous spring ski day. Lots of tee shirts, spaghetti straps, suntan lotion and long underwear. Yes that must be the new 2012 fad. Just take off your ski pants and ski in what ever you have on underneath. Black thermals were most prevalent, they looked a little like tights, until they got close enough and you saw the fly hole. (don't look down, don't look down). It wasn't just the kids, the 20 - 30 something crowd. There were old men, at least as old as me, out there skiing in their "tadas". I was pretty much embarrassed for them, if they weren't embarrassed for their own semi bare-assed self.
Since I was in charge of Building Maintenance department today I declared this to be BBQ day. I spoke to about a dozen new friends and coworkers yesterday and let them know I would have a bbq fired up and available to grill on and maybe even a few "extra" dogs or sausages available if they wanted to swing by during lunch time. I figured this would be a way to meet more people and get to better know my fellow BV employees. I gave a couple sausages to the ski patrol guys whose window I was cooking in front of. My carpool friend came by when he heard there was free food. Another random ski instructor happened by after checking on his student that got injured in a crash, (his first student crash in 20 years of teaching) and earned a sausage for his story. All my other friends and invitees... nevermind. I felt like the kid at the park with the pork chop tied around his neck hoping some dog would come play with him. Oh well, I wanted sausages for dinner anyway.
I have been bringing random baked goods in to work and dropping them off at various departments since I have been working here at BV. My favorite departments to bring good stuff to are HR, Payroll, and the Executive Committee (GM, Mountain Ops MGR, and Director of Marketing). NO, I'm not trying to bribe my way into a year round position, I just like those people. I also bring good things to Ski School, Ski Patrol, and Ticket Sellers. Mostly because they are good people but they also have cute, young, ladies working there. (they remind me of my daughter..) Yesterday I received a thank you package from one of the departments. OK it was from one person in one of the departments. Anyway it was very sweet that she, I mean they, wanted to bring me some double chocolate chunk cookies and a growler of beer. I'll put it to lack of knowledge that the growler was full of Apricot Wheat beer. I guess she doesn't know most guys don't drink the fruity beer, they like choco chip cookies with milk.
Speaking of miscommunication, I had another miscommunication at the super market here this week. OK it's not a super market, it is a grocery store, but they do sell non local beer. I saw that the new spring seasonal from New Belgium came out. I love a good Colorado beer and most all New Belgium beers. I purchased a sixer of Dig and a sixer of their Ranger IPA. When I got home I poured the spring seasonal into a tulip glass and let it sit a while to let the aroma waft (sounds good). I took a sip and swished it around to get the full effect of the flavor and promptly spit it out in to the sink. I immediately read the description on the label and saw these lines, "incredible lemon aroma" "bursts of passion fruit, mango and peach" and "notes of grapefruity citrus". My first thought was, can I throw away this much unopened beer? Then I tried to think if I knew anyone that might enjoy this. When I came up empty, I tried to think of some other use for this beer. It dawned on me that beer makes a good marinade. Now I have a half gallon of Apricot marinade and a 5 pack of mixed fruit marinade.
I just had a talk with myself and I figure I'll try to bbq again next week, only this time I'll ask coworkers I don't know or people up skiing for the day and ply them with fruity Tri Tip. No I'm just kidding. I won't offer them free tri tip. But I will bbq again next week as the sausages were good, fresh grilled, and the scenery wasn't bad, except for the saggy long underwear on the old farts.
Happy Trails
Monday, January 30, 2012
mountain sunsets
Just got back in from an impromptu evening "wilderness workout". I had today off and in my head I had plans to go snowboarding again today. You see I had my first snowboard lesson on Saturday afternoon and spent the next 3 hours enjoying the heck out of the beginner friendly snow up at Bear Valley Ski Resort, "The Friendliest Mountain in the West". You can tell where I work. I attempted snowboarding back in its toddler years, sometime around 1995 or 96, again it was up here at BV, the friendliest mountain in the west.
In the intervening 17 or so years I have mostly cross country skied, snowshoed, or over the past 5 winters, alpine skied (downhill, fixed heel skiing)
I found I was unafraid of the downhill nature of snowboarding and picked it up fairly fast. Cub hill is truly a beginner hill but I found I was able to maneuver and make my way down or across the slope at will. I feel I am ready for a more intermediate hill. I was hoping to tackle some of the medium back side hills today. But instead I stayed home and found myself attempting to complete chores around the house I have been neglecting these past couple weeks. Since Nancy has not visited and my skier friends had to cancel and rain check, I have made no serious attempt to dust, vacuum or clean up around the house in a while. I would get to it all today. Well I got to most of it all today, at least the downstairs part. Laundry is washed, dried, folded and in the right room. Dishwasher is clean, rugs are vacuumed, trash is deposited at recycle center, groceries are bought and put away, and dinner is slow cooking. I found I had an hour or so until sunset, what to do?
I could either sit in my favorite chair with the fading sun on my back and read more about Greg Mortenson in Three Cups of Tea, or I could head out the door and get in a 45 minute wilderness workout. I chose to sit in my chair, but only for one chapter. Then I headed upstairs to change into workout clothes and headed right out the door and up the hill for my "as difficult as you want to make it" workout. This time I left my timing devices inside. Usually I take either a watch with a forty five second countdown timer pre set, or my Iphone with its Tabata Timer app and do preset intervals. This time I was going to do as many reps at each station as I could do properly, before running off to the next challenge.
Let me explain some of the "challenges"I have for my workout. I have about a 20 foot knotted ropeswing waiting to be clumb(climbed?), there is a 100 lb tractor tire to be flipped over 20 -25 times before running out of flat surface, there's an uneven pushup station, there's a heavy rope station, a triceps dip station, numerous rocks to lunge on or jump up on, and a flat tree fort perfectly placed for ab crunches. All these stations placed up and down around my house within easy running distance from each other.
Doing these exercises between running up and down the hill on trails makes for a great workout. But doing them first thing in the morning or just before sunset (My Favorite) has an added bonus. Most of these stations are set at a location where you can see for miles around. Let me tell you doing triceps dips, watching the sun lift the sleepiness from the skies or watching the sun set beyond Mount Diablo over 80 miles away, you sort of forget to count and just watch. Climbing the rope and being able to see over the roof toward Cougar Rock and the valley beyond makes you want to hang in there a little longer.
I think sunsets are Gods way of telling you "Thanks for doing such a good job today. Whether it was the good day at work, or the good run your just coming back from, or the good workout your enjoying at the end of a good weekend, here is a special reward for doing good"
In the intervening 17 or so years I have mostly cross country skied, snowshoed, or over the past 5 winters, alpine skied (downhill, fixed heel skiing)
I found I was unafraid of the downhill nature of snowboarding and picked it up fairly fast. Cub hill is truly a beginner hill but I found I was able to maneuver and make my way down or across the slope at will. I feel I am ready for a more intermediate hill. I was hoping to tackle some of the medium back side hills today. But instead I stayed home and found myself attempting to complete chores around the house I have been neglecting these past couple weeks. Since Nancy has not visited and my skier friends had to cancel and rain check, I have made no serious attempt to dust, vacuum or clean up around the house in a while. I would get to it all today. Well I got to most of it all today, at least the downstairs part. Laundry is washed, dried, folded and in the right room. Dishwasher is clean, rugs are vacuumed, trash is deposited at recycle center, groceries are bought and put away, and dinner is slow cooking. I found I had an hour or so until sunset, what to do?
I could either sit in my favorite chair with the fading sun on my back and read more about Greg Mortenson in Three Cups of Tea, or I could head out the door and get in a 45 minute wilderness workout. I chose to sit in my chair, but only for one chapter. Then I headed upstairs to change into workout clothes and headed right out the door and up the hill for my "as difficult as you want to make it" workout. This time I left my timing devices inside. Usually I take either a watch with a forty five second countdown timer pre set, or my Iphone with its Tabata Timer app and do preset intervals. This time I was going to do as many reps at each station as I could do properly, before running off to the next challenge.
Let me explain some of the "challenges"I have for my workout. I have about a 20 foot knotted ropeswing waiting to be clumb(climbed?), there is a 100 lb tractor tire to be flipped over 20 -25 times before running out of flat surface, there's an uneven pushup station, there's a heavy rope station, a triceps dip station, numerous rocks to lunge on or jump up on, and a flat tree fort perfectly placed for ab crunches. All these stations placed up and down around my house within easy running distance from each other.
Doing these exercises between running up and down the hill on trails makes for a great workout. But doing them first thing in the morning or just before sunset (My Favorite) has an added bonus. Most of these stations are set at a location where you can see for miles around. Let me tell you doing triceps dips, watching the sun lift the sleepiness from the skies or watching the sun set beyond Mount Diablo over 80 miles away, you sort of forget to count and just watch. Climbing the rope and being able to see over the roof toward Cougar Rock and the valley beyond makes you want to hang in there a little longer.
I think sunsets are Gods way of telling you "Thanks for doing such a good job today. Whether it was the good day at work, or the good run your just coming back from, or the good workout your enjoying at the end of a good weekend, here is a special reward for doing good"
I say Thank You God it was worth it.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
thinking of running to work
Thinking of running to work...
My work at Bear Valley has been great! I really enjoy going to work every day. There are so many amazing, happy, smiling faces there every day. Now if only the customers (skiers/ Snowboarders) would start to show up. I guess that means the snow would have to make an appearance and that means el nina would have to make a disappearance. But for now things are fine and dandy in the Lodge Maintenance department.
Some of the changes to our department have been reduced manpower during busy days, as there have not been too many busy days so far this year. According to history the weeks before Christmas, between Christmas and New Years and the week following New Years are the busiest of the season for a ski resort. That is due to kids being out of school for winter break and college kids being between semesters. Families tend to head to the snow country to enjoy a white Christmas if they have the means. This year the means wasn't there. There hasn't been any snow falling in California since before Thanksgiving. At Bear Valley there were a few lifts operating to service 4 or 5 man made snow covered slopes. The reduced customer base caused a reduced service need. Therefore changes had to be made.
One of the benefits of reduced manpower during busy days meant I was able to use the "non busy" days to complete some long unfinished projects. I have cut lumber for and assembled 15 new picnic tables for the Bear Bungalow, I have remodeled the Special Events shack, I have remodeled the MAS events office and done a fair amount of fixing and repairing other items around the 40 plus year old facility. Unfortunately this has left my co workers holding the fort for other customer service related calls during the day. These are service calls to help a customer unlock her day use locker, helping a season pass holder build a shelf in their season locker, emptying trash bins as they fill toward overflowing, mopping up spilled lunch from in front of a missed trash can, checking on the level of the septic holding tank. You know everyday issues at a bustling day use ski resort.
This past week another 'cut' has been made to most all Bear Valley employees. Hours are being reduced due to services being cut due to even more customers being absent. Our 4 / 10 work week has been changed to a 5 / 8 work week, leaving the temporary staff off the schedule. This has been a sort of blessing for me as I am getting home around 4:00 rather than at 5:30. Hence I am able to get in a run or bike ride in the evening before or during sunset. I love it!
Tonight's run was a shortish out and back, about 4 miles. Mostly hills. In fact every run, ride or hike around here is 'mostly hills' as I live on the top of a hill and can see nothing but hills around me (I can see the sunset between hills, occasionally). But tonight's hilly sunset run had another benefit to me this time. I had a brainstorm. What if, for my birthday, I ran to work. My birthday is in May. That gives me 4 months to get in shape for this event. It also gives me enough time to encourage some other people (OK, friends) to join me in this most of a day long enterprise. You see it is about 35 road miles from my house to work. It is longer by the dirt roads and trails I hope to traverse. I am hoping it is less than 50 but I will cover them all regardless.
My thought was to make an early morning start, down in Hathaway Pines around 5:00 am and run the majority of the Arnold Rim Trail that I have been a part of building. That throws on an additional 8 miles or so, but in the overall scheme, so what. It's good advertising. I can get some of my ART buddies to join me maybe. I know some of them hike and mt bike. Maybe they can join me for my breakfast aid station, somewhere around White Pines Lake. Say at 9 or 10:00 in the morning. Think you can make it? I think I can find other friends to join me for parts of the next 25 + miles up to Cabbage Patch. Then it's a mere 10 - 15 miles of Bear Trap Basin trail until Bear Valley Resort is in sight. No Problem.
Of course anyone that doesn't care to join me running, or should I say shuffling up these dirt roads and trails, may chose to leave later and ride their mt bike up this same route, or leave even later and take the speedier route of pedaling up Highway 4, or leave at the same time as I leave and enjoy the scenery and stop and wait for me at predetermined stopping points to provide me with water and fuel. (Being my 'crew' was in our wedding vows don't ya know. )
I don't know, it sounded SO doable when I was running earlier. I know it can be done. Maybe just not by me, not this year. BUT WAIT. Why not me. Why not this year. I'm not running Copper Canyon Ultra this year, I'm not racing in Leadville this year, I am going to run Bear Valley Ultra and maybe get a few other people to join me. Who knows, there might even be a tee shirt involved.
Think you want to join me? You Can Do It!! or part of it. Come on!
davee7098
My work at Bear Valley has been great! I really enjoy going to work every day. There are so many amazing, happy, smiling faces there every day. Now if only the customers (skiers/ Snowboarders) would start to show up. I guess that means the snow would have to make an appearance and that means el nina would have to make a disappearance. But for now things are fine and dandy in the Lodge Maintenance department.
Some of the changes to our department have been reduced manpower during busy days, as there have not been too many busy days so far this year. According to history the weeks before Christmas, between Christmas and New Years and the week following New Years are the busiest of the season for a ski resort. That is due to kids being out of school for winter break and college kids being between semesters. Families tend to head to the snow country to enjoy a white Christmas if they have the means. This year the means wasn't there. There hasn't been any snow falling in California since before Thanksgiving. At Bear Valley there were a few lifts operating to service 4 or 5 man made snow covered slopes. The reduced customer base caused a reduced service need. Therefore changes had to be made.
One of the benefits of reduced manpower during busy days meant I was able to use the "non busy" days to complete some long unfinished projects. I have cut lumber for and assembled 15 new picnic tables for the Bear Bungalow, I have remodeled the Special Events shack, I have remodeled the MAS events office and done a fair amount of fixing and repairing other items around the 40 plus year old facility. Unfortunately this has left my co workers holding the fort for other customer service related calls during the day. These are service calls to help a customer unlock her day use locker, helping a season pass holder build a shelf in their season locker, emptying trash bins as they fill toward overflowing, mopping up spilled lunch from in front of a missed trash can, checking on the level of the septic holding tank. You know everyday issues at a bustling day use ski resort.
This past week another 'cut' has been made to most all Bear Valley employees. Hours are being reduced due to services being cut due to even more customers being absent. Our 4 / 10 work week has been changed to a 5 / 8 work week, leaving the temporary staff off the schedule. This has been a sort of blessing for me as I am getting home around 4:00 rather than at 5:30. Hence I am able to get in a run or bike ride in the evening before or during sunset. I love it!
Tonight's run was a shortish out and back, about 4 miles. Mostly hills. In fact every run, ride or hike around here is 'mostly hills' as I live on the top of a hill and can see nothing but hills around me (I can see the sunset between hills, occasionally). But tonight's hilly sunset run had another benefit to me this time. I had a brainstorm. What if, for my birthday, I ran to work. My birthday is in May. That gives me 4 months to get in shape for this event. It also gives me enough time to encourage some other people (OK, friends) to join me in this most of a day long enterprise. You see it is about 35 road miles from my house to work. It is longer by the dirt roads and trails I hope to traverse. I am hoping it is less than 50 but I will cover them all regardless.
My thought was to make an early morning start, down in Hathaway Pines around 5:00 am and run the majority of the Arnold Rim Trail that I have been a part of building. That throws on an additional 8 miles or so, but in the overall scheme, so what. It's good advertising. I can get some of my ART buddies to join me maybe. I know some of them hike and mt bike. Maybe they can join me for my breakfast aid station, somewhere around White Pines Lake. Say at 9 or 10:00 in the morning. Think you can make it? I think I can find other friends to join me for parts of the next 25 + miles up to Cabbage Patch. Then it's a mere 10 - 15 miles of Bear Trap Basin trail until Bear Valley Resort is in sight. No Problem.
Of course anyone that doesn't care to join me running, or should I say shuffling up these dirt roads and trails, may chose to leave later and ride their mt bike up this same route, or leave even later and take the speedier route of pedaling up Highway 4, or leave at the same time as I leave and enjoy the scenery and stop and wait for me at predetermined stopping points to provide me with water and fuel. (Being my 'crew' was in our wedding vows don't ya know. )
I don't know, it sounded SO doable when I was running earlier. I know it can be done. Maybe just not by me, not this year. BUT WAIT. Why not me. Why not this year. I'm not running Copper Canyon Ultra this year, I'm not racing in Leadville this year, I am going to run Bear Valley Ultra and maybe get a few other people to join me. Who knows, there might even be a tee shirt involved.
Think you want to join me? You Can Do It!! or part of it. Come on!
davee7098
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