Aside from an hour or two this afternoon on my skis, below are the final numbers from 2007 (margin of error +- 5%):
Run: 6.2 miles/1hr16min35sec
Ski: 180.6 miles/39hr53min05sec
Bike: 2475 miles/284hr26min51sec
Yoga: 40 classes/60hr
Overall, I'd say I had a pretty good year. There were definitely some obstacles and more than a few low spots, but such is life. As Hugh would say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Since I'm not dead, I guess that means I've gotten stronger. It sure does hurt like hell sometimes though. Happy new year everybody, and thanks for reading.
12.31.2007
12.29.2007
Happy Holidays
Well, I got my wish for more snow last night. We probably ended up with 8 or 9 inches of fresh, light powder. Tim called last night and wanted to meet up at the tower this morning, and Sarah and I told him we were definitely in. JT joined us up at the tower around 8:30 this morning and we set off into the woods and down the hills. Unfortunately, I had to work at 11 so we were only able to get in an hour and a half, but the snow was awesome. I think I'm going to meet Hugh tomorrow morning to do some classic skiing at Birchwood before work; and if I have the energy, we may head out for some more backcountry tomorrow afternoon. Winter is officially back, so get out and ski.
Sarah has had some time off for the holiday this year, and so she's undertaken a complete makeover on the downstairs bath. it's almost done now, and it looks awesome.
JT testing out the AWD on his Subaru.
Would you look at that pretty snow.
JT ripping a turn.
Sarah has had some time off for the holiday this year, and so she's undertaken a complete makeover on the downstairs bath. it's almost done now, and it looks awesome.
JT testing out the AWD on his Subaru.
Would you look at that pretty snow.
JT ripping a turn.
12.27.2007
WNS (Cancelled again)
It was 40 degrees yesterday. I couldn't imagine anyone would be up for skiing in that weather, but I was up for it if anyone called. Nobody did. We need more snow desperately. There is still just enough in the woods and on the road to make biking a very unsafe proposition, and this makes me very unhappy. On a brighter note, there is snow in the forecast for the next few days, and I got some wonderful presents for chrismakuh. Keep in touch, and have a safe and happy new year.
12.20.2007
WNS Report
JT and James came out last night for a little tour in the woods. Unfortunately, the f**king snowmobilers have ridded all the way to the bottom of the BodhiSized trail now which really sucks. We ended up bushwhacking around for about forty minutes which, while far from ideal at least got us out of the house for some fresh air. I rode my bike for an hour beforehand and did some work on the stability ball so all in all it was a good workout. However, next week we're going to meet at the MVSC on Wednesday night in order to avoid the aforementioned snowmobiles. We'll plan on skiing for about an hour and then tailgate with some light appetizers afterwards. The current weather forecast is calling for rain tomorrow and Saturday, but then snow on Sunday and Monday. I'm planning on getting out on Sunday for sure so give me a shout if you want to get together. Take care out there and have a happy holiday.
P.S. I signed up for the Lumberjack 100 yesterday.
P.S. I signed up for the Lumberjack 100 yesterday.
12.19.2007
MVSC @ Fisher Road
Just a quick video I put together from our Sunday afternoon ski adventure. Enjoy.
12.17.2007
Big Ski Weekend
I felt much better by the end of the week, and so I put in an hour on the bike before work Friday morning. It was nice to get the legs moving after my three days of inactivity and self pity. Just spinning the pedals around for a little while has a very calming effect on me which is just what I needed. As nice as it was to get on the bike again, the weekend was all about skiing.
Saturday was a little chilly, but I headed out to Nub's in the afternoon anyway to get some turns in. The snow was pretty good for the most part. It was just cold and windy. Sarah was out at the same time getting a telemark lesson with Josh. I kept my eyes peeled, but I didn't catch a glimpse of them until the very end of their hour and a half. They were coming down Smooth Sailing, and I'm pretty sure I saw Sarah make a few good turns. Her legs were toasted, and I was cold so we headed home to fire up the sauna....and fired up it got. 170 degrees to be precise. That'll take the chill off. It also makes any sore muscles feel so much better.
Sunday morning I headed into town for a classic workout on the Birchwood Trails. Conditions are the best I've seen them in a while, and I skied the whole system of loops for a total of 7.8 miles in 1hr.31min. I was trying to concentrate on my technique and breathing, and for the most part I did a good job. It's really hard to keep your heart rate out of the red zone when you pull on some tights and click into those skinny little skis, but it's an important skill to learn if you want to be able to complete marathon length events (more on that later). I was able to keep my avg. h.r. just below 150, and that's right on the edge for me. Ideally it would be in the mid to low 140's. But hey, it's only the middle of December. There's plenty of winter left to practice. I left the parking area at Ridge Rd. and headed into the store for a sandwich. It was 12:30, and we weren't supposed to meet JT and the crew at MVSC until 2:00. Back in the car my phone started beeping with a missed call. JT left me a voicemail that we were going to meet at Fisher Rd. instead of Middle Village Rd. We would also be meeting at 1:00 instead of 2:00. Okay. I hurried home and exchanged my sweaty ass clothes for fresh clothes and backcountry gear. Sarah drove while I ate, and we rolled in behind JT, Mage, Tim, and Wiley at just after 1:00. We started out by climbing all the way up to the tower on top of Stuts. From there we worked our way up and down a great series of valleys and ridges for close to two hours. We got some great turns in for this early in the season, and I'm thinking it's probably time to start wearing the helmet on these Sunday afternoon excursions. I'm currently unable to upload data from my GPS due to some serious software glitch in MotionBased that has something to do with the new Mac operating system. I'm going to try out some new software that is Mac specific and supposed to be even better. I'd really like to get a look at our elevation numbers from yesterday. So I ended up with 3.5 hours of good quality ski time yesterday without lift assistance. The turns feel so much better when you earn them.
I've decided I need to up my motivation level over the winter in order to build a better base for the bike season. The ski races I've done over the past couple of years are great, but they're no longer a mystery. I know how it feels to do a 30 km classic race. It really, really hurts. I'm now very familiar with that level of pain, and I know that my mind and body can handle it. Now I'm wondering what it feels like to do a 50 km classic race. How much does it hurt? I don't know, but it can't be that bad can it? I'll let you know. I'm doing the VASA 50 km classic race this year in Traverse City on Feb. 9th. Anybody want to join me? Come on, it'll be fun.
WNS: On for sure this week. JT, Scott, James, Sarah, and I are confirmed. Bring something to throw on the grill, and I'll do something for a side and a salad. We'll plan on skiing out around 6:30. Don't forget your headlamp.
Sorry for the rambling, but I think it's directly proportional to how much fun I had this weekend (a whole ton). Thanks for reading.
Saturday was a little chilly, but I headed out to Nub's in the afternoon anyway to get some turns in. The snow was pretty good for the most part. It was just cold and windy. Sarah was out at the same time getting a telemark lesson with Josh. I kept my eyes peeled, but I didn't catch a glimpse of them until the very end of their hour and a half. They were coming down Smooth Sailing, and I'm pretty sure I saw Sarah make a few good turns. Her legs were toasted, and I was cold so we headed home to fire up the sauna....and fired up it got. 170 degrees to be precise. That'll take the chill off. It also makes any sore muscles feel so much better.
Sunday morning I headed into town for a classic workout on the Birchwood Trails. Conditions are the best I've seen them in a while, and I skied the whole system of loops for a total of 7.8 miles in 1hr.31min. I was trying to concentrate on my technique and breathing, and for the most part I did a good job. It's really hard to keep your heart rate out of the red zone when you pull on some tights and click into those skinny little skis, but it's an important skill to learn if you want to be able to complete marathon length events (more on that later). I was able to keep my avg. h.r. just below 150, and that's right on the edge for me. Ideally it would be in the mid to low 140's. But hey, it's only the middle of December. There's plenty of winter left to practice. I left the parking area at Ridge Rd. and headed into the store for a sandwich. It was 12:30, and we weren't supposed to meet JT and the crew at MVSC until 2:00. Back in the car my phone started beeping with a missed call. JT left me a voicemail that we were going to meet at Fisher Rd. instead of Middle Village Rd. We would also be meeting at 1:00 instead of 2:00. Okay. I hurried home and exchanged my sweaty ass clothes for fresh clothes and backcountry gear. Sarah drove while I ate, and we rolled in behind JT, Mage, Tim, and Wiley at just after 1:00. We started out by climbing all the way up to the tower on top of Stuts. From there we worked our way up and down a great series of valleys and ridges for close to two hours. We got some great turns in for this early in the season, and I'm thinking it's probably time to start wearing the helmet on these Sunday afternoon excursions. I'm currently unable to upload data from my GPS due to some serious software glitch in MotionBased that has something to do with the new Mac operating system. I'm going to try out some new software that is Mac specific and supposed to be even better. I'd really like to get a look at our elevation numbers from yesterday. So I ended up with 3.5 hours of good quality ski time yesterday without lift assistance. The turns feel so much better when you earn them.
I've decided I need to up my motivation level over the winter in order to build a better base for the bike season. The ski races I've done over the past couple of years are great, but they're no longer a mystery. I know how it feels to do a 30 km classic race. It really, really hurts. I'm now very familiar with that level of pain, and I know that my mind and body can handle it. Now I'm wondering what it feels like to do a 50 km classic race. How much does it hurt? I don't know, but it can't be that bad can it? I'll let you know. I'm doing the VASA 50 km classic race this year in Traverse City on Feb. 9th. Anybody want to join me? Come on, it'll be fun.
WNS: On for sure this week. JT, Scott, James, Sarah, and I are confirmed. Bring something to throw on the grill, and I'll do something for a side and a salad. We'll plan on skiing out around 6:30. Don't forget your headlamp.
Sorry for the rambling, but I think it's directly proportional to how much fun I had this weekend (a whole ton). Thanks for reading.
12.13.2007
WNS (cancelled)
I came down with a nasty bug Sunday night that left me virtually immobile and without food Monday and Tuesday. I felt quite a bit better yesterday, but considering I had only consumed a bowl of cereal and two pieces of toast in the past two days I felt another night of rest would be in order. I wanted to make sure I had it licked before illness ruined my weekend. Anyway, sorry to have had to bail, but we'll definitely try and get back on track next week. I'm feeling good today, and I will try to get back into my routine with a yoga class tonight. I'm up for getting outside Saturday morning or anytime on Sunday so give me a shout. Otherwise, we'll see you Wednesday. Have a good weekend.
12.07.2007
WNS Report
This picture was actually taken last Sunday morning, but since I forgot to bring the camera on Wednesday night it's gonna have to do. I'll try and remember to bring it along next week for some night photos. All in all, the first Wednesday Night Ski outing went well. Scott, Matt, and Marcus joined me on a quick jaunt down to the swamp and back. It was so nice to be out in the woods again after a long hunting season. After the ski we fired up the grill for some fabulous brats and a few beers to wash them down. We'll be doing it again next week so come on out. I've got a couple of people from the yacht club interested, and Sarah will also be skiing next Wednesday. Let me know by Monday or Tuesday if you're going to come out so I can plan accordingly for food. Also, we're planning on having a little afternoon tour out at MVSC on Sunday afternoon. Call Saturday for more details. In the meantime, I'll be skiing till my legs fall off this weekend (especially if they get the track set on the xc trails at Nubs). Have a good weekend everybody, and we'll see you soon.
12.03.2007
Alternative Triathalon Sunday
Leg 1: Barely get the car out of the driveway due to a foot of heavy wet snow in order to get to Nub's for fresh tracks. Tele ski for just over an hour and a half in same heavy snow. Get your ass kicked in second run attempt of Smokey (multiple crashes). Ski the remainder of time more within one's own ski level. Drive home and get ready for leg 2.
Leg 2: Remove snow from driveway and around house using snowblower and shovel. Due to snow conditions, this takes over double the normal time and work. One hour and forty-five minutes. Rest.
Leg 3: One hour of indoor biking. Thirty minutes on the rollers, thirty minutes on the trainer. Average h.r. 141.
I was supposed to have a long day of training yesterday, and I think that just about got the job done. We got more snow last night, and it's still coming down right now. So today might not be much of a day off after all. I'm planning on a WNS out at the house if anyone's interested. There's plenty of snow now, and they're saying cool temps. all week. So bring out your ski's and a headlamp Wednesday night. Let's try and roll (stride) out about 6:30. See you then.
Leg 2: Remove snow from driveway and around house using snowblower and shovel. Due to snow conditions, this takes over double the normal time and work. One hour and forty-five minutes. Rest.
Leg 3: One hour of indoor biking. Thirty minutes on the rollers, thirty minutes on the trainer. Average h.r. 141.
I was supposed to have a long day of training yesterday, and I think that just about got the job done. We got more snow last night, and it's still coming down right now. So today might not be much of a day off after all. I'm planning on a WNS out at the house if anyone's interested. There's plenty of snow now, and they're saying cool temps. all week. So bring out your ski's and a headlamp Wednesday night. Let's try and roll (stride) out about 6:30. See you then.
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