tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2593850186624130692024-03-13T11:10:39.077-07:00Lisa's AdventuresAdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-90276002225177609032011-01-18T18:42:00.000-08:002011-01-19T14:49:47.545-08:00Final Chapter of the Path to Being Pain-Free<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ_Cy3BgMI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/m-eL0mW7xqI/s1600/100_0986.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ_Cy3BgMI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/m-eL0mW7xqI/s400/100_0986.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563774075651850434" /></a><br /><br />Am I pain-free? Mostly, just as long as I don't overdo it. Am I as active as I want to be? Sadly no, but give me some time!<br /><br />The Hip Arthroscopy, or Hip Scope for short, is known as a minimally invasive surgery and typically has a faster recovery than full-on hip surgery, but even so, I gotta tell you it ain't no picnic. <br /><br />Taken from the Latin words "arthros" (joint) and "scope" (to look inside), arthroscopy allows physicians to make tiny puncture wounds (I got three), then insert a pencil-sized optical device which has a camera attached into one hole, and surgical tools in the others. An image is projected onto a large video monitor in the operating room, showing the surgeon exactly where to go to correct the problem. <br /><br />My mistake was to go online the night before the surgery and look at some youtube videos. That was really stupid. One that I saw had to do with making the holes and sticking the tools into them. It really freaked me out. Needless to say I didn't sleep very well. And on the morning of the surgery I came close to calling the whole thing off, but better judgement kicked in and made me stay the course.<br /><br />Upon arrival to the hospital, I was able to meet with the anesthesiologist to discuss my surgery preferences. At first I was really nervous, because she reminded me of the <a href="http://agentspalko.com/">Irina Spalko</a> character played by Kate Blanchett in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. God only knew what she was going to do to me! I had important business with her, and even though her accent was freaking me out, I just had to get over it.<br /><br />There are some really unnecessary drugs out there that are typically used by anesthesiologists and I didn't want any of them entering my body. <a href="http://nomidazolam.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-on-horrible-side-effects.html">Versed</a> is one of them. It is a forgetter drug and can actually cause long-term amnesia. <br /><br />Armed with my list of "no-go" drugs, which also included <a href="http://nomidazolam.blogspot.com/2010/12/psychiatrists-have-long-known-that.html">benzodiazepines</a> and any psychiatric drug derivatives I met with her to also discuss my religious preference for a "silent" or near silent surgery. What I learned is that when you claim your "religious preference" in a hospital they can be very accommodating. So at least I could breathe easier about that. <br /><br />The first thing she did was give me a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve_block">nerve block</a>. Although she stuck a needle straight into my spine, it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Over the next hour the upper part of my leg became completely numb. Definitely a strange feeling. Next was surgery prep and placing the IV. Can we say "dislike!" <br /><br />When I first entered the surgical room at Broward General Hospital--and shortly before they put me under--I thought I was entering a sci-fi movie and was going to be operated on by aliens or something. The room was huge, and the equipment was so sophisticated and hi-tech looking. I hadn't seen anything like it anywhere. But there was really no time to admire it and soak it in. Within minutes they had me on this strange table that wasn't even a table and put the oxygen mask on my face.<br /><br />The next thing I knew I was in a different location. When I came to (if you could really call it that since I couldn't see straight) all I knew was that my foot was in incredible pain. WTF? I thought I was having a hip operation, not a foot operation. I tried to communicate this to the people standing around my bed (who I couldn't really see) but apparently I had bit my tongue during the operation which was now very swollen and I couldn't talk!<br /><br />So here I am trying to find out why my foot is in such pain and no one could understand me! All I remember next is someone saying we are going to give you some morphine. Joy.<br /><br />Next I wake up later in the evening and I'm in a different room. The doc comes in and asks how I am. At least this time I could manage some words out of my mouth. I told him I feel really out of it and then asked why my foot hurt so bad. He told me they had it in a traction device and that it isn't uncommon to hurt after surgery. Note that my foot hurt more than anything else for more than a month post surgery. My feeling is that someone might not have properly placed my foot in that damn device. Who knows. It is better now though, thank God!<br /><br />Over the next 18 hours my condition improved and I was let go the following day. Before I left the doc gave me some details about the surgery. He had discovered (and removed) extra cartilage that was floating around in my joint. According to him this was highly unusual and he had never seen it before. It actually excited him because he wanted to publish something on it. OK, <span style="font-style:italic;">whatever</span>.<br /><br />Also he told me that there was a tear in the tissue. He tried to repair it, but two hours into the 4-hour surgery he realized it was beyond repair and decided to take it out and place cadaver tissue in my joint instead. So now I have some "gently used" tissue. It's much better than the stuff I had before, that's for sure. That dull inner-ache that I couldn't get to by massage or any other means is gone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ8DpMhPiI/AAAAAAAAAT4/G7paAwoJEHg/s1600/IMG_0097.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ8DpMhPiI/AAAAAAAAAT4/G7paAwoJEHg/s320/IMG_0097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563770791702642210" /></a><br />The next 24 hours were probably the worst part of the whole ordeal. My leg was still numb and it felt like I was carrying a "dead" leg. I was on crutches and it felt like I had to drag the leg along just to get anywhere. What was worse was getting in and out of bed. I'd get one half of me on the bed then have to pick up my leg using the brace that I had to wear and lift it up on the bed. I couldn't bend over at all. There were so many little things that we take for granted that I just couldn't do. At one point I broke down and cried.<br /><br />My saving grace was that I had help from my father. He was my hero. He was there for me the whole time. It was like I was a little girl again and daddy was taking care of me!<br /><br />As the days went by it got easier. The physical therapy sessions made a huge difference. After 10 days I didn't have to wear the brace anymore and I didn't need to use the <a href="http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp06001.htm">CPM machine</a>. But the three-week point was a major milestone. That's when I got my stitches removed and was told I didn't need the crutches anymore. And, I was able to take a proper shower. It was like "Hallelujah!" I still had to wear those uncomfortable <a href="http://www.tedhose.com/">compression stockings</a> for another week, but that would soon be over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ9jDnnzhI/AAAAAAAAAUI/8UQkU-MXuf8/s1600/100_1049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TTZ9jDnnzhI/AAAAAAAAAUI/8UQkU-MXuf8/s320/100_1049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563772430883212818" /></a><br />During the next few weeks I had even more improvement and was even able to start bike riding again. Something that helped facilitate my initial speedy recovery was the customized nutritional supplement I was taking from BioTech Solutions <span style="font-style:italic;">(sorry, but there's no website)</span>. The nutritionist creates a customized water-based formula for each individual's body. And it's all from a hair analysis. What's wild is they can do it from across the country. It's pretty hi-tech stuff. Not only did I have a lot of chemicals in my body from the surgery, but the analysis also found I was deficient in quite a few minerals. By taking the formula I felt much improvement in my overall health. I think that my formula may also be the reason I didn't have a need for pain meds up to this point.<br /><br />What I learned is that even though I felt really good, I couldn't overdo it physically. Probably the biggest thing with recovery is you are bound to have some muscle compensation going on. That's why physical therapy works. It works to get the strength back evenly. Unfortunately for me my insurance had ended (it was a temporary policy) and I wasn't able to continue my physical therapy sessions. And then, by doing too much, I managed to re-injure myself and go back on crutches for another couple weeks.<br /><br />It's much better now, but I am taking it slow. Full tissue recovery takes from 3-6 months. That may mean I miss the whole snowboarding season, or won't be able to ride my motorcycle for a bit, but eventually I <span style="font-style:italic;">will</span> heal. <br /><br />And when I do, watch out! Adventure-Seeker-Lisa has had way too long of a break from the more serious adventure seeking.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-36987504733504782542010-11-27T21:48:00.000-08:002010-11-27T22:10:57.246-08:00The path to being pain-free (part 2)After the wake up call from my physical therapist I knew it was time to see an orthopedic surgeon—the one type of doc I feared most because “surgeon” implies surgery. And who wants that unless you are Heidi Montag.<br /><br />From all I had read about hip pain and the solutions, the most critical element lingering in my mind was that of one’s doctor selection. Anything requiring entry into the hip joint (either a needle or a knife) requires a very skilled doctor. The path to the hip joint is an exact one and if the entry isn’t just right there is a risk of nerve damage. I wasn’t about to take any chances on this so I did my homework before making an appointment with anyone.<br /><br />Well it turned out that the orthopedic surgeon my physical therapist had recommended was highly qualified, extremely competent and had numerous testimonials to boot. After meeting with him, I just “knew” that if I could be fixed, he would be the one who could do it. The first thing he needed was an MRI arthrogram to determine exactly what was going on.<br /><br />This is basically a joint imaging procedure where a special type of X-ray technology, called fluoroscopy, is used to take pictures of the joint after a contrast material has been injected into it. Along with an MRI, this allows the radiologist to see the soft tissue structure of the joint. <br /><br />I was also injected with lidocaine to numb the hip joint. This was an additional test to help determine the source of the pain. The whole procedure was a bit nerve racking but nothing too horrible to endure. I did notice that while my hip joint was numb I was missing some of the pain I normally had, which was a good indicator that the trouble lay within the joint.<br /><br />After all tests were complete, the doc told me I had a degenerative labrum (a piece of connective tissue around the rim of the hip socket) and an internal snapping hip (a tendon was catching). Post surgery would reveal more, including a tear and an extra piece of cartilage floating in the labrum. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TPHttTCimoI/AAAAAAAAATo/N8b9ySnXVM8/s1600/ans7_labrum.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/TPHttTCimoI/AAAAAAAAATo/N8b9ySnXVM8/s400/ans7_labrum.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544473978730617474" /></a><br />Although it seems I’m kind of young to be having such problems with my hip, I found out from my doctor that I was genetically predisposed to problems in that hip socket because I had a deep socket. Why couldn’t I have been born with deep pockets instead?<br /><br />Anyway, that combined with my activities and delay in handling the problem resulted in this chronic situation. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from all this is you’ve got to act quickly and get proper medical attention when you hurt. It’s fine to try natural remedies, but when they fail, or don't work quickly enough, it’s time to move on.<br /><br />So what were my options? 1. Cortisone treatments; 2. <a href="http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipinjuries/a/hiparthroscopy.htm">Hip arthroscopy</a>; or 3. Joint replacement. <br /><br />From what I read about cortisone it seemed only to be a temporary treatment and I was "done" trying things. I wanted more predictable results. With the hip arthroscopy the doc thought I'd have about an 80% chance of full recovery of the hip joint. The risk was that degenerative labrums aren't that easy to repair and a hip arthroscopy is more effective when there is no degeneration present.<br /><br />I wasn’t about to go through door number three. I wouldn’t even consider that one unless I was 80-years old. <br /><br />I chose the hip arthroscopy. Although it's a minimally invasive surgery, it's still surgery with all the risks. And it needed to be done in a hospital, my least favorite place in the world. Uggghhh. <br /><br />The time had come, like it or not, for me to face my fear. Part 3 will delineate that experience.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-17907616697321638312010-11-16T19:22:00.000-08:002010-11-16T19:59:37.613-08:00The path to being pain-free (part 1)Just one month ago I had a <a href="http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipinjuries/a/hiparthroscopy.htm">hip arthroscopy</a> (a minimally invasive hip surgery) and I thought it would be good to write about the whole ordeal. Although I had been avoiding it for two years, I finally came to the realization that surgery was the answer for handling my chronic pain. <br /><br />Being indoctrinated in the “natural” approaches to wellness, I had always considered surgery to be a last resort. But by reading the stories of others on the internet, I opened up to the idea. Their stories helped me to get an idea of what the process would be like and how it could potentially help me.<br /><br />The documentation of my experience is mostly for me like a diary entry, but by being on a public blog, it can serve to shed light on the process and basically just share with others who may have similar problems and may still in the decision-making phase of what to do. <br /><br />My pain started two years ago while I was increasing my athletic activities. At the time, I was doing <a href="http://teamcrossfitacademy.com/">CrossFit</a>, was training for a marathon, and had just gotten into adventure racing. I was also taking some kick boxing classes at a boxing gym. When they offered a new course in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8xxgFpK-NM">Capoeira</a> (an Afro-Brazlian art form combining martial arts and dance), I jumped at the chance. It was so beautiful to watch I just had to try it.<br /><br />One day in my Capoeira class, my knee just completely gave out on me while kicking. It was the strangest thing. One minute I'm kicking and the next minute I can't even put weight on the leg. There was no snapping or anything out of the ordinary. It just turned to rubber. At the time my only thought was I didn't feel the instructor warmed us up enough, or at least like we normally did.<br /><br />After that day, nothing was the same for me. I started having trouble running due to a new pain in my right ankle; I couldn't lift the weight I was previously lifting in my CrossFit classes due to increasing hip and back pain; and I wasn't able to jump like I used to due to this new unstable feeling with my right knee. At the time, I had no idea that all these pains were related. I knew something was wrong, but basically I tried to ignore it, thinking it would all just go away.<br /><br />It didn’t.<br /><br />Reluctantly I had to start decreasing my activity level. I kept on my CrossFit classes for awhile, going less often, but eventually the weights became too painful and I stopped altogether. I wasn't ready to give up running though. It was too much a part of me. And as long as I didn't go too far or too often it seemed ok. At first I could run 10 miles without hurting, but over time the pain started kicking in at shorter distances. Next, I could only go 8 miles then 5, then 3, 2, then hurting even after only 1 mile. I'd try again every month or so just to see if taking a break had helped. But no, it hurt every time I ran. <br /><br />During this time I also sought medical attention from various types of doctors. Being more of a natural-approach type of person—along with having a general disgust at the medical profession for mostly treating with drugs instead of finding the root of the problem—I went to chiropractors, physical therapists, an acupuncturist, a medical doctor who treated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolotherapy">prolotherapy</a>, and a sports therapist who specialized in Active Release Technique (<a href="http://www.activerelease.com/what_patients.asp">ART</a>). I even got trained in self-treatment of <a href="http://www.mamashealth.com/massage/trigger.asp">trigger point therapy</a>, which has a similar objective of ART—releasing muscle tension.<br /><br />ART turned out to be the most helpful because at the time I saw the doc, all the muscles around the hip, groin, buttocks and thigh were extremely tight and in constant pain. The procedure is quite painful because the practitioner has to dig into the muscles at a very deep level, but it does get the muscle to release the tightness. I used to call it my torture treatment. Although this gave me temporary relief by relaxing the muscles there was still continuing pain that I just couldn't get rid of. The pain I had felt like it was just too deep for anything to get to. <br /><br />All I could do was cut back on my activities. So over the past two years I went from a training maniac to couch potato. Even my favorite sport of snowboarding—which didn’t engage the pain as much as other activities—suffered because my legs weren’t as strong as before and I tired more easily. <br /><br />My journey with this hip problem has been quite frustrating. All the doctors I saw had different ideas of what was going on, and none of them up to this point had really helped me. Over time my frustration turned to apathy. I started to think I would never get to do fun stuff again without pain. To top things off, my boyfriend at the time broke up with me “over my hip” (what a loser, I know). But it did act as a catalyst for me to seriously solve this problem, so for that I'm grateful.<br /><br />Shortly after that I got heavy into research and read up on hip pain. I learned that by not exercising I could create even more trouble. One popular book recommended pool exercises. So I tried that. Even that hurt. <br /><br />Being almost at my wit’s end I called the closest physical therapy office with the word “sports” in their name and made an appointment. I was determined to get a customized exercise program no matter what the cost. I didn’t care anymore.<br /><br />When I went in for my appointment the therapist asked me a lot of questions and moved my leg around a lot asking if this or that hurts. He seemed very knowledgeable and competent. No other doctor I had seen had moved my leg around as much as he had. Suddenly I felt a tiny bit of hope that he might actually be able to help me…<br /><br />So I asked him if he could prepare a customized exercise program for me.<br /><br />He flatly refused.<br /><br />WTF? <br /><br />He told me straight up that I needed to see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible to find out what was really going on before I did <span style="font-style:italic;">anything</span>. He was dead serious and it kind of shook me up. But I really respected him for that. I felt like this was the first person I had seen that really had a clue. And although I could tell he had his suspicions of what might be wrong with my hip, he refused to guess. <br /><br />Damn, you gotta admire that!<br /><br />Stay tuned for part two.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-9857306499387139212010-05-21T21:04:00.000-07:002010-05-22T01:41:58.122-07:00The Beginning of a New Adventure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/S_dYwHqnUJI/AAAAAAAAATY/IyiJeLMRRf4/s1600/25533_367234673866_115711343866_3713005_3537249_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/S_dYwHqnUJI/AAAAAAAAATY/IyiJeLMRRf4/s400/25533_367234673866_115711343866_3713005_3537249_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473941455806877842" /></a><br />For the longest time I've wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle, but was always too busy doing other things. It just kept getting put on the back burner. Well, as you can see from the photo above, that all has changed. Necessity played a part in that I needed another outlet for my energy. Since I am no longer training for adventure racing and haven't been able to exercise like I used to due to injuries, riding a motorcycle has become one my outlets and is a way to extrovert my attention away from the internal dialog of daily life. It's not quite the same as running in the mountains trying to avoid snakes and mountain lions, but there is a certain "danger" associated with it which is what I like.<br /><br />Every day I ride I know going in that this could be the day I die. There are so many additional hazards that you don't have to think about when you are in a car: oil, water, dirt, hitting a turn too hot, tires locking up, dogs chasing you, and so on. The biggest issue, of course, is that cars just don't see you, so you have to be super alert and drive very defensively, especially nowadays with so many people using their cell phones and texting while driving. Yes, I saw <span style="font-style:italic;">you</span> doing that. We can see a lot from a bike.<br /> <br />I've accepted the risks associated with riding a motorcycle. The fun and freedom outweigh these risks and makes me feel alive.<br /><br />Learning to ride the motorcycle wasn't easy. I dropped it a couple times going less than 5 mph and got freaked out. It turns out that knees and pavement don't go together very well. There's some pain involved! Handling a 300 lbs motorized machine takes some skill. Thankfully I didn't give up. I continued to work on those skills. <br /><br />Now I ride the bike as much as I possibly can, eager to get more experience. The first few months were kind of terrifying. I'd want to ride, but was scared all at the same time. My desire to ride though overcame the fear. Each day it seems to get better. Finally, I stopped thinking about dying and just today I started thinking how natural it is starting to feel. I even did my first "white lining" at 80mph and didn't get nervous.<br /><br />The feeling of riding a bike is amazing and makes you feel so alive. I finally understand how dogs feel when they stick their heads out the window. It's a very happy place. And the thrill you get when zipping through traffic is indescribable. As long as I can get the bike in between the cars I can get to the front of the line every time, all the while thinking "Ha ha you suckas!"<br /><br />Seeing the looks on people's faces is kinda cool too when they recognize you are a girl. Gotta love that! :-)AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-40430354551707162272009-07-06T13:07:00.000-07:002009-07-06T13:31:10.730-07:00I'm a Winner!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SlJe0iMnYII/AAAAAAAAATQ/BfTleumMtBc/s1600-h/transpack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 365px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SlJe0iMnYII/AAAAAAAAATQ/BfTleumMtBc/s400/transpack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355447163522867330" /></a><br />OK, so I didn't win any adventure races. I'm still in recovery mode from injuries, but completely out of the blue I won this really cool boot bag for my snowboard boots....the Transpack XT1 bag!<br /><br />It's too bad it's the wrong season to really put it to the test, but my boots and helmet fit in there really nicely and are being kept nice and safe for next season's use.<br /><br />How did I win this you might ask?<br /><br />Well, last year I joined the <a href="http://www.mountainsportsclub.com/">Mountain Sports Club</a> to get discount ski lift tickets and it turns out they have these random drawings for cool stuff and I won! I didn't realize it, but the club also gets you discounts on things like rafting, hotels and more. So I highly recommend joining them.<br /><br />On another note, my recovery seems to have taken a turn for the better. I'm seeing a sports doctor who does <a href="http://www.activerelease.com/">ART (Active Release Techniques)</a> and it seems to be helping. <br /><br />Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'm eager to put this body in motion again!AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-74927091304023990262009-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:002009-04-05T22:47:41.629-07:00Double Dose<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSjtP_DaI/AAAAAAAAASo/AU2FX_7X1wY/s1600-h/P3280018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 343px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSjtP_DaI/AAAAAAAAASo/AU2FX_7X1wY/s400/P3280018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321445576854670754" /></a><br />I'm still recovering from last weekend's double dose of snowboarding.<br /><br />As I'm frantically trying to get as much time in before the season is over, I'm going as much as possible. Don't tell any of my clients, but I'm actually playing hooky on Tuesday to go all day too! ;-)<br /><br />Last weekend I went both Friday night (Mountain High) and all day Sunday (Big Bear).<br /><br />Friday night I decided to step it up a notch and got more aggressive with my snowboarding. Well there is a price for this.....a lot more falling. Unfortunately because it's so late in the season the snow is pretty hard packed and a bit icy. Translation: falling hurts. It's like landing on cement. And damn, I didn't have knee or elbow pads. So guess where I landed? Of course, on the knees and elbows. Ouch. You should see these big beautiful purple patches. <br /><br />Did I mention the hip and butt pads were MIA too? I actually went to get some before the trip but they wouldn't fit in my new snug-fitting snowboarding pants. Hmmm. Fashion over practicality. Not smart.<br /><br />So yeah, there are bruises on both knees, bruises on my left elbow, bruises on my hip and butt. By the way, don't ever use one of those steamer things on your clothes while you are wearing them. I was stupid enough to try it and now have a trail of burns on my butt to go along with the nice big bruise. But oh, I digress....<br /><br />In spite of my wounds I had a really good time on Sunday. What we nice was that I fell enough on Friday that it wasn't really necessary on Sunday. Whew.... And I even came fully equipped with knee and elbow pads.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSkg0JUJI/AAAAAAAAAS4/8ZbC-Eo3dyU/s1600-h/P3280007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSkg0JUJI/AAAAAAAAAS4/8ZbC-Eo3dyU/s400/P3280007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321445590696546450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSjSfpK2I/AAAAAAAAASg/LXSCCQBoPH0/s1600-h/P3280004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmSjSfpK2I/AAAAAAAAASg/LXSCCQBoPH0/s400/P3280004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321445569672588130" /></a><br />Snow Summit at Big Bear has these nice long trails where you can really get your practicing in. And so I did. By late afternoon it was so natural and I noticed that I was just flying by a lot of other snowboarders. That was cool.<br /><br />I'm still a little nervous about the jumps in the park but I did try them and will be working on that next.<br /><br />What was really awesome though was that by the end of the day I went down the black diamond run. And not just side-slipping down, but "S" carving. It was some serious carving too. You've got to get your balance just right or you just slide down the mountain (although I have to admit that was kind of fun too).<br /><br />Next month is my birthday and I'm planning a trip up to <a href="http://www.mammothmountain.com">Mammoth</a> since they will still be open. I've already got one person committed to going with me and I'll be looking for more. And no, don't ask me how old I'll be.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmUyr_94sI/AAAAAAAAATI/Ppa27K-KcaA/s1600-h/mmi_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdmUyr_94sI/AAAAAAAAATI/Ppa27K-KcaA/s400/mmi_01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321448033240343234" /></a><br />I say f&$#% the economy and do something fun. Who's with me?AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-2965736426147563822009-03-29T20:17:00.000-07:002009-03-30T09:39:07.215-07:00Lisa's Secret Strategy to Meeting Men and Getting a LOT of AttentionNo. This does NOT require any clothes coming off. Or even sexy clothing. As a matter of fact, the only skin that will be showing is your face and your knees and you could even do it without your knees showing.<br /><br />"Huh?" you are probably wondering....<br /><br />Read on.<br /><br />OK, I admit that I didn't come up with this one, but the original intention was was for an entirely different purpose....actually it's a sales gimmick. But damn. This is so good for meeting men and really fun too. Well, for people like me anyway. I mean you've got to be kind of a flirt to make it work. Stick-in-the-mud's are just not going to make this happen. Sorry.<br /><br />Before my final days of my last job I knew I had to start looking for work and a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to do this really random job working a booth at a trade show in Sacramento for a few days. I thought "what the hell, I don't have anything else going on." All it required was for me to learn about the company's product, wear a "uniform" and talk to people. OK. No big deal. I can do that. Besides, I knew the owner of the company and he was cool. He owns a couple of Harleys. To me, that equals "cool."<br /><br />So on the plane ride from FL to CA I read up on the company info. I studied the FAQ's and skipped all the really technical stuff. Then I didn't think about it anymore. Two weeks later the time comes to make the trip. Shannon drills me on the FAQ's for a half hour. I've got it down. OK, good. <br /><br />(Yes I'm dragging this out, hahahahaha!)<br /><br />We drive up to Sacramento which takes foooooooooever because we have to follow the owner in his truck. Something happened to it along the way and as long as he drove slow it would keep going. At one point we were doing 35 miles per hour on the 5. Holy mother of #@#&$&# was all I was thinking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO04ZXrxI/AAAAAAAAARY/0K48rUgjizg/s1600-h/P3150002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO04ZXrxI/AAAAAAAAARY/0K48rUgjizg/s400/P3150002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318837830323515154" /></a><br />Anyway, we make it up by morning and start setting up our booth. Well, really the guys did. Shannon and I went walking (kind of sleep walking since we hadn't slept) around Sacramento and checked out the trees. Yes, Sacramento is the "city of trees" and you can go on a "tree" tour which we partially did. We walked everywhere just to fill time and keep awake. We even went into a church where an organist was practicing.<br /><br />Finally the guys were done and we could go to the hotel and sleep. Ahhhhhh. Zzzzzzzzz. So nice.<br /><br />The next day we put on our uniforms and headed over to the convention center for the California Green Summit. The gimmick was that we were Eco cops wearing very realistic cop uniforms and handing out Eco tickets to anyone who didn't have a hydrogen hybrid system in their car.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQC0aSOeI/AAAAAAAAARw/UhCA9tbCh-Q/s1600-h/IMG_0289.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQC0aSOeI/AAAAAAAAARw/UhCA9tbCh-Q/s400/IMG_0289.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839169283406306" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO1WN7F_I/AAAAAAAAARg/ijrWYyX-vyo/s1600-h/IMG_0381.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO1WN7F_I/AAAAAAAAARg/ijrWYyX-vyo/s400/IMG_0381.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318837838328567794" /></a><br />Whoooooooaaaaaaaaaaa. I had no idea the fantasy men have about women in cop uniforms until then.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDNbV0jI/AAAAAAAAAR4/aZpF8U_m0mQ/s1600-h/IMG_0326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDNbV0jI/AAAAAAAAAR4/aZpF8U_m0mQ/s400/IMG_0326.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839175998722610" /></a><br />Not only did it help drive people to our booth but we got a considerable amount of attention. Here we are covered completely in clothes with only our face and knees exposed and yet men wanted our phone numbers (personal phone number) left and right. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQIxFcVJI/AAAAAAAAASY/-LA5QkUjIbc/s1600-h/n1273383962_30139512_3913361.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQIxFcVJI/AAAAAAAAASY/-LA5QkUjIbc/s400/n1273383962_30139512_3913361.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839271469896850" /></a><br />Quite a few men approached with "Please handcuff me," "Tie me up officer," "I'm guilty, take me away," "Beat me, I've been bad," etc. The only thing we could do was roll with it. It was all in fun anyway (well except for maybe 2 or 3 or 4 that were quite persistent and a couple that seriously thought I had danced at a bachelor party).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO1dbv-JI/AAAAAAAAARo/EuJ9DLOPj5g/s1600-h/n1273383962_30139504_6789843.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBO1dbv-JI/AAAAAAAAARo/EuJ9DLOPj5g/s400/n1273383962_30139504_6789843.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318837840265607314" /></a><br /><br />What was cool was that the women just thought it was a cute gimmick and so it worked to get them to look at our product too. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQD1QGmVI/AAAAAAAAASQ/Qk8ePHEJMBM/s1600-h/n1273383962_30139509_1720554.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQD1QGmVI/AAAAAAAAASQ/Qk8ePHEJMBM/s400/n1273383962_30139509_1720554.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839186689005906" /></a><br />The only thing that wasn't cool was that Arnold Schwarzenegger himself came to visit our booth on the second day, but because our cop gimmick was a little too realistic looking Shannon and I had to leave the area. Bummer. Damn PR crap. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDh4-F9I/AAAAAAAAASI/ERCoryEy35k/s1600-h/IMG_0558.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDh4-F9I/AAAAAAAAASI/ERCoryEy35k/s400/IMG_0558.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839181491705810" /></a><br />Overall though it was a fun experience and great insight into what gets a guys attention. It's kind of like our fascination with men in uniforms....police, firemen, pilots, military, etc.<br /><br />How can you apply this? Easy. <br /><br />1. Become a cop<br />2. Work as a meter maid<br />3. Duplicate the above or similar at your company's trade show booth<br />4. Get and wear a realistic uniform while doing your normal errands (just don't get one that is too close to a real cop because impersonating a cop is illegal)<br />5. Be creative and come up with your own ideas that might use this concept. Share your ideas by publishing them to the comments below (because I might want to try them myself)<br /><br />DISCLAIMER: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I DO NOT WARRANT THAT THIS WILL WORK FOR ALL WOMEN AND I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF TAKING THIS ADVICE.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDbLewqI/AAAAAAAAASA/k1v-L4GquEM/s1600-h/IMG_0544.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SdBQDbLewqI/AAAAAAAAASA/k1v-L4GquEM/s400/IMG_0544.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318839179690295970" /></a>AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-90017819450733629102009-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:002009-03-23T00:39:13.137-07:00Must Love Snowboarding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/Sccosn9hyxI/AAAAAAAAAQY/sjV_rsXiadU/s1600-h/P3070032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/Sccosn9hyxI/AAAAAAAAAQY/sjV_rsXiadU/s400/P3070032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316262632240565010" /></a><br /><br />It's been 2 months now that I haven't been able to work out or do any kind of real physical activity--including running. That's a real bummer. Apparently I have a locked-up hip that doesn't want to get better. And to top it off I have some kind of ankle problem too. Joy. Have I tried to do something about it? Of course. But for now I'm done spending money on doctors that can't fix it. It's been too frustrating and besides I'm almost broke. Am I in pain? Yes, but I'm managing to deal with it. For now anyway. I may try swimming or yoga in the meantime. We'll see how things go and hopefully I'll be able to get this body back to normal soon.<br /><br />Right after I lost my job a few weeks ago, a friend of mine invited me on a ski trip to Utah. Hmm, a chance to go snowboarding! There was no hesitation in my response. No "thinking" about it. No "let me look at my finances." No "let me check my calendar." Nothing. Just, "hell, yeah!" I love snowboarding and will do anything to do it. <br /><br />Yes, probably anything. <br /><br />Not even pain will stop me. I seem to have an addiction. Or maybe an obsession. Actually I wonder if there's a snowboarders anonymous club......<br /><br />Anyway, it turned out to be the most amazing 2 1/2 days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccotBm9GwI/AAAAAAAAAQg/NW-azU1Jfa0/s1600-h/P3070003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccotBm9GwI/AAAAAAAAAQg/NW-azU1Jfa0/s400/P3070003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316262639125207810" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccouGntHGI/AAAAAAAAAQw/BgKcR6A_mUA/s1600-h/P3070007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccouGntHGI/AAAAAAAAAQw/BgKcR6A_mUA/s400/P3070007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316262657650400354" /></a><br /><br />We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, checked into the hotel and went straight to the slopes at Brighton for night skiing/snowboarding. I had never done the night skiing. It was amazing. The clearest sky, a slight breeze, minimal skiers and powder-packed slopes. My new body glove jacket was wonderful. It kept me warm even though it was only 9 degrees outside.<br /><br />At first I was nervous because I hadn't been on real snow for 2 months. But my virtual lessons in Florida paid off. I felt really comfortable on the board and started zipping down the hill in no time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/Sccot4TgH1I/AAAAAAAAAQo/m2JhkmfxOT4/s1600-h/P3070013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/Sccot4TgH1I/AAAAAAAAAQo/m2JhkmfxOT4/s400/P3070013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316262653807566674" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccoudBBEjI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/7Ua6yxPlnMY/s1600-h/P3070045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 390px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccoudBBEjI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/7Ua6yxPlnMY/s400/P3070045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316262663662146098" /></a><br /><br />Both my friends are advanced level skiers and so the next day they got me to go up to the top of the mountain (10,000 ft elevation). Talk about some scary runs! The good thing about snowboarding is no matter how steep the slope you can always side-slip down if necessary. At that time I was much better on my toe side so I did what is called the falling leaf backwards down the steep slopes. On not-so-steep runs I just kept practicing my turns. Turn. Fall. Turn. Fall. Turn. Turn. Turn. Fall. You get the idea.....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpO5XSsOI/AAAAAAAAARA/1yQLbglauEs/s1600-h/P3080052.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpO5XSsOI/AAAAAAAAARA/1yQLbglauEs/s400/P3080052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316263221027582178" /></a><br /><br />The last day was pure heaven because it snowed the entire day. There was so much powder that when a person fell, they actually disappeared into the snow! I had a couple of face plants where my face was just buried in the snow. It was actually fun to fall! You didn't feel any pain! The good news was I hardly fell on the last day. Progress!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpP8zJA3I/AAAAAAAAARQ/JW96r0mn9_M/s1600-h/P3080070.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpP8zJA3I/AAAAAAAAARQ/JW96r0mn9_M/s400/P3080070.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316263239129564018" /></a><br /><br />And I fully "got" the turns and could do the "S" turn--the proper snowboarding technique. There is a certain excitement when you finally "get" it. No one was around, so I just did my own little jumping for joy dance. You couldn't wipe the grin off of my face either. Pleasure moment. So now when things aren't going so well, I just think about snowboarding. It will instantly bring a smile to my face.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpPXfWdgI/AAAAAAAAARI/kmQAG-goQXs/s1600-h/P3080057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SccpPXfWdgI/AAAAAAAAARI/kmQAG-goQXs/s400/P3080057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316263229114447362" /></a><br /><br />That's why I've decided that any man that wants to be in my life must love snowboarding. It isn't even a negotiable point.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-36434702837271298432009-01-18T18:28:00.000-08:002009-01-18T19:23:35.318-08:00Taken by Surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmVIwhU9I/AAAAAAAAAPg/kYKb7a-hGUc/s1600-h/P1170012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmVIwhU9I/AAAAAAAAAPg/kYKb7a-hGUc/s400/P1170012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292827237893100498" /></a><br />I am definitely not a morning person. Today I went for a bike ride and forgot my helmet, my watch, and my gloves. But check it out....I brought the camera for a change so I could take some pictures.<br /><br />My roomie here in Florida has an extra bike, so until my ankle is feeling up to running again I'll be biking instead. It's much easier on the joints but yet still yields a good workout. I pretty much keep it in the lowest gear and ride at max speed unless I'm going over a bridge. Definitely not the same as mountain biking but still fun. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmOyEvS6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/1rns_5i43Gk/s1600-h/P1170008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmOyEvS6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/1rns_5i43Gk/s400/P1170008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292827128724671394" /></a><br />Biking here in Florida is lovely. Especially today. It was the perfect weather. Temps were probably in the high 70s, it was sunny and just a little bit breezy. I had only planned on going out for about an hour, but it was so nice I kept going and going and going and going......<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmciB4iHI/AAAAAAAAAPo/4JQ_ZwxmWR8/s1600-h/P1170016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 357px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmciB4iHI/AAAAAAAAAPo/4JQ_ZwxmWR8/s400/P1170016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292827364935895154" /></a><br />.....all the way to the Hillsboro inlet. There were so many people out today taking advantage of the perfect weather: walkers, runners, cyclists, boaters, beach-goers, etc. You can explore so much more on a bike. I've been going different places everytime I go out and am amazed at all the places I've never seen......even though I grew up here in Florida!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmHtGAuhI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/3NLUGmHIlEY/s1600-h/P1170006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SXPmHtGAuhI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/3NLUGmHIlEY/s400/P1170006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292827007128746514" /></a><br /><br />Once I realized how far I had gone, I had to race back to where I was staying because I had a lunch date with my dad. I knew he would understand, but I didn't want him to go hungry!<br /><br />As soon as I met up with him I noticed this hospital sticker he had. Within five minutes of seeing my dad I was in tears. His friend just died and he was with him the last few hours in the hospital. Liver failure. What a way to go. I try so hard to keep everything in my life positive and upbeat, but boy you never see these things coming.<br /><br />To top it off we went to go see a funny movie at the theater but it was sold out. Next option was Marley and Me. I don't want to tell the story if you haven't seen it, but DAMN. It is not what you think. I thought it was just going to be a cute movie about a dog. WRONG. It is so sad. Sniffles could be heard all around the movie theater. Twice in one day I'm crying. That's NOT my kind of day.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-77810047957219563302009-01-11T16:20:00.000-08:002009-03-12T13:53:39.838-07:00Dating Adventures and Advice for Men<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWqWx-lp_oI/AAAAAAAAAPI/gkR4CfOdDXc/s1600-h/IMG_0032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWqWx-lp_oI/AAAAAAAAAPI/gkR4CfOdDXc/s400/IMG_0032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290206497658764930" /></a><br />We are going to take a little detour today on the blog. Yeah, I went running yesterday, bike riding today and my tail bone still hurts from last week's snowboarding, but that stuff is boring. Today it's all about dating and men.<br /><br />Friday night I went out with my friends and saw this poster in the girl's bathroom. I thought it was hilarious. It pretty much describes our basic needs. Well, maybe everything except the cooking, because we are usually on a diet anyway.<br /><br />But in reading this I realized I have been missing the mark on almost every point. And I never even got to experience point number six. Bummer. <br /><br />Well that's all about to change. My standards are getting higher. So for practice, I am doing a lot of "turning down." I try not be mean, because I realize it takes some guts for a guy to ask a girl out in the first place, but I'm finding it easier to be upfront from the beginning rather than go through the slow painful process of trying to make someone go away.<br /><br />My roommate turned me on to this great blog called <a href="http://www.manslations.com">ManSlations</a>. Not only is it quite humorous, it's really giving me the insight into how men think....or should I say.....don't think. They seem to have similar patterns when it comes to women and having a clue about their reactions is quite enlightening. Because of this I'm toughening up. And to help guys out, I've set down some guidelines to follow when pursuing women in general. Hopefully this will help save some future embarrassment. So here they are....<br /><br />1. Don't tell her she looks like X, Y or Z movie star. It doesn't matter how beautiful the actress is, we women want to think we are unique and we ARE unique. Besides we may not even know who you are talking about and then have our attention stuck on who this mystery person is that we apparently look like. This happened to me Friday and I really didn't like it. I was related to Tracy Pollan and Stephanie Graf. When I finally looked at their pics on the web, I was like, "NO WAY." So just don't do it. It is NOT FLATTERING even though you might think so. Do yourself a favor, and just ZIP IT.<br /><br />2. Don't play the "shy" card. This guy Friday night told my friend that he liked me but was too shy to tell me so she told me. Huh? What does that tell me? L...O...S...E....R! We want a guy who is assertive and confident, not a wiener. We'd rather you make a fool out of yourself and be brave than be afraid. I lost all respect for the guy before I even knew who he was. Don't let that happen to you.<br /><br />3. Alright, so maybe it is a bit scary for a guy to go over and talk to a girl in a bar. But if you made the effort, stick with it. Friday night, this really nice guy from Jamaica came over to tell me how beautiful I was (we love that by the way) and invited me to go on a date with him in Jamaica. I wasn't super interested, but I think I would have at least chatted for him a bit to get to know him better. However, he said, "OK I'll leave you alone now" and left. ???? What was that all about? He didn't even give it a chance. It was probably nerves because I don't really think I had bad breath. I don't know. Translation to me: Q...U...I...T...T...E...R. Not good. So if you start something, finish it.<br /><br />4. This one may not happen much but it happened to me so I thought I'd mention it. After I had turned a guy down, he started doing this thing where he said, "I saw you checking out X. You want me to go get him for you?" First of all he was wrong. He didn't know where I was looking and secondly, it was kind of creepy that this guy was observing me THAT MUCH. P...S...Y...C...H...O is what that one spells. Stay far far away. If she turns you down, just move on. Don't make a big deal out of it. We'll only think you are crazy.<br /><br />5. If she tells you she is not interested or not attracted to you, leave it alone. There is no reason to elaborate our reasons. It's like saying, "Why don't you like mushrooms?" Or, "Why don't you like spinach?" Through our own individual experience we've learned what we like and what we don't like and telling you any of this is only going to invalidate you. I mean if you like to be abused, then go for it. But realize we don't want to go there, just as you probably wouldn't want to do that to a woman. Besides it's a sure sign of I...N...S...E...C...U...R...I...T...Y. <br /><br />6. This should be a no-brainer but I'm going to mention it because it happened. No matter how charming you are, never ask about having a threesome. <br /><br />7. Probably the most important of all....If you say you are going to do something, do it. Manslations educated women are going to be watching this one very closely. We will judge you not by what you say, but by what you do. So if you say you are going to call her, you damn well better call her.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-70913189645505875712009-01-05T21:05:00.000-08:002009-01-05T22:15:58.104-08:00A Pain in the Ass<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWLu46QU8pI/AAAAAAAAAO4/7ZGA3fvAecM/s1600-h/P1030008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 381px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWLu46QU8pI/AAAAAAAAAO4/7ZGA3fvAecM/s400/P1030008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288051573964206738" /></a><br />Snowboarding is not friendly to one's behind. You usually fall forward on your knees and/or wrists or backwards onto you behind. Occasionally you will do a helicopter flip where you and the snowboard spin until you land on your side and one or both ankles gets twisted in the process.<br /><br />Well, yesterday I managed to do all of the above multiple times. <br /><br />It turned out that Mt. Baldy isn't really a place for beginners to go. It's got some pretty advanced runs and some serious slopes. We should have got a clue when we were driving in. The road up to the resort is super steep. The one good thing we did have going for us was the weather. It was a beautiful sunny day. Cold at the beginning of the day and freezing at the end of the day, but perfect weather while we were snowboarding.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWLuqW8VTgI/AAAAAAAAAOw/uO7LyRmliXQ/s1600-h/P1030002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWLuqW8VTgI/AAAAAAAAAOw/uO7LyRmliXQ/s400/P1030002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288051323966934530" /></a><br />However, the conditions were not perfect. The snow was not nice and powdery, but hard and somewhat icy. There hadn't been new snowfall since Christmas and they had only just turned on their snow machine the day before. How does that translate? Bad for beginners. After our very first run, we were all ready to exchange our snowboards for skis. It was pretty defeating. But we ended up sticking with it. I guess we all like to abuse ourselves! <br /><br />Falling was the worse thing, especially in our case when you do a lot of it. It was like falling on concrete. So yes, I have sore wrists, sore ankles, bruised knees, and a very tender tail bone.<br /><br />But that's not all...Apparently the full development of soreness from my previous crossfit workout hadn't come into play until then too. It appears I tweaked my neck and shoulder area somehow from those wall climbs and I was still feeling quite a bit of the stomach muscle soreness as well from the L pull-ups. So every time I fell backwards my neck whipped back irritating the already irritated area. And then when I got up I had to use the already sore stomach muscles. Ouch.<br /><br />Needless to say I am in quite a bit of pain today. Driving was almost impossible. I couldn't even turn my head and walking up and down stairs was torture because of the burning calf muscles.<br /><br />I started to wonder how nuts I am for putting myself through all this. The pain was so bad today that I wanted to cry. So I did nothing today...drank some wine, ate some chocolate, watched a movie and went back to sleep. Hopefully this won't last long because it really sucks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWL1WVD9EAI/AAAAAAAAAPA/cRrK8YDIlTo/s1600-h/P1030010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 359px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SWL1WVD9EAI/AAAAAAAAAPA/cRrK8YDIlTo/s400/P1030010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288058676446040066" /></a><br />The crazy part is that my friends and I still can't wait to go snowboarding again. At least I'm not the only one who is nuts. However, next time I'll be wearing knee pads, a tail bone pad, wrist guards and possibly a helmet. Football gear has been recommended.<br /><br />That's at least 2 months away. Tomorrow I fly to Boca Raton where the closest I'll get to snowboarding is virtually. My tail bone should be healed by then!AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-49950213587135083312009-01-03T18:02:00.000-08:002009-01-03T19:27:07.855-08:00Snowboarding in Florida? You've Got to be Kidding!<object width="340" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nelgc1GNM70&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nelgc1GNM70&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Shannon, Dan and I went for our first virtual snowboarding lesson today. OH MY GOD! This is the coolest thing. We were able to refine our edging technique without falling! It is so realistic it's crazy! And we only did the intro lesson. <br /><br />Since we are hitting the slopes tomorrow we wanted to be a little bit more prepared and this was perfect. Who would have guessed that such a thing even existed. But even experts use virtual training to hone their skills. So imagine how it helps beginners or anyone just needing to get the basics down pat. My hat's off to Dan for finding this.<br /><br />The founder of virtual lessons is two-time world champion and legend in freestyle skiing Bob Salerno. The whole idea is that by training in a controlled environment, you learn the skills and muscle memory without all the time, trouble, travel and costs associated with a trip to the mountain. After the training you understand the commands and are in shape to ski or snowboard. Below is a video about who Bob is.<br /><br /><object width="340" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZOPd8IAWbo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZOPd8IAWbo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />What's got me really excited is that there is a virtual training place in Florida--a mere 1/2 hour drive from where I'll be hanging out the next couple of months. Is that bad-ass or what? Ten lessons or so should do some major damage in improving my technique. Perhaps I'll even learn a few tricks. <br /><br />Tomorrow I'll get to test how this virtual experience translates to the real deal. I'm just hoping my muscles will hold up because the last couple days of crossfit were brutal. They are so sore from the combination of crossfit, my 10-mile trail run yesterday and today's virtual lesson. Walking up and down stairs is quite painful. And to top it off I've got major skin burns from trying--unsuccessfully-- to scale a cement wall. (No, I wasn't running from the police!) <br /><br />Boy, is my body a wreck.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-12524106416054386152008-12-30T15:43:00.000-08:002009-01-05T22:19:53.073-08:00Across the Years Race<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVq3sIcI-FI/AAAAAAAAAOg/gUyCFlxsSdo/s1600-h/foothill_flyers_run2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVq3sIcI-FI/AAAAAAAAAOg/gUyCFlxsSdo/s400/foothill_flyers_run2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285739081480337490" /></a><br />As I write this, my friend John Radich just completed running 100 miles in the Across the Years Race in Arizona. He's in the 31st hour of 72 hours of racing and is still going strong. So strong, in fact, that he is in 16th place!<br /><br />A couple of months ago he asked me to crew for him, but we had a last minute change of plans, so I'm watching his progress through the webcast at <a href="http://www.acrosstheyears.com/">Across the Years</a>.<br /><br />John is a super nice guy and very dedicated runner. We got to run together Christmas eve morning with his running group the Foothill Flyers. It was a blast and we had a chance to talk a lot about ultra-running and make some future plans. He told me later that after our 8-mile run (his warm up) he went for another 14 that day! And now here he is running for 72 hours with a goal of 300 miles by the New Year! Gotta love it!<br /><br />I have to say I'm in awe of this guy. He's 54-years old and still going strong. He's run in <a href="http://www.badwater.com/index.html">Badwater</a>--the world's toughest foot race--eight times now and is going again in July. 135 miles, 130 degrees, 60 hours. How's that for intense?<br /><br />The coolest thing about John, is that he runs to support a good cause....<a href="http://www.thewaytohappiness.org">The Way to Happiness</a>. I really admire that.<br /><br />Good luck John and see you next year!<br /><br />photo by pixareus.comAdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-31776957170930334282008-12-27T19:01:00.000-08:002008-12-27T22:12:19.359-08:00X-treme Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbuJ_Yr-5I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/tpNJV015NTo/s1600-h/PC250050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbuJ_Yr-5I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/tpNJV015NTo/s400/PC250050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284673068167068562" /></a><br />What do single people do for Christmas when they aren't visiting family? Well, I'm sure you could do the whole dinner with friends thing or watch a movie. But I'm sorry, that's too boring for me. Instead, I wrangled up some friends and took them to Big Bear with me for skiing. I've been wanting to learn snowboarding for awhile now and this was the perfect opportunity.<br /><br />I already knew I was going to have fun. But this was beyond belief fun....Out of this world fun....Blown out of our minds fun....Insanely gleeful fun....It was fun beyond fun.<br /><br />The trip itself was full of adventure and mother nature was in quite a "mood." But nothing deterred us from having a good time. It rained for most of the drive up to Big Bear with temps just above the freezing level. The long, windy road up the mountain was slushy. Not fun to drive in a tiny little 4-speed Saturn. Chains were mandatory, however none of us had put chains on a car before. So Celina read me the directions while I attempted to put them on. Haha. Not working. Their directions sucked! Of course by now, I'm getting soaking wet, even though I had one of those emergency poncho raincoats. The problem was it suddenly got real windy and the hat kept blowing off, the poncho kept getting in the way of my hands and face, and I still don't have the chains on my tires. OK, so we ask some people. They didn't know what they were doing either. Sigh. So I just look around and see someone drive on the chains and then tighten them. That made sense. Why didn't the instructions say that! I drive on the chains, tighten them and finally we are off again! Whew.<br /><br />When we arrive it's overcast but snowing! Our timing couldn't have been better for this trip. In the last couple of days Bear Mountain received its largest snowstorm in 35 years...4 feet of snow in 2 days! Seeing the snow everywhere was so exciting. It was truly a white Christmas for us. And the best part was yet to come.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4KFCXCI/AAAAAAAAANA/3hyMUiMRYd8/s1600-h/PC240011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4KFCXCI/AAAAAAAAANA/3hyMUiMRYd8/s400/PC240011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284671662288165922" /></a><br />The first part of the snowboard lesson was learning how strap the the board on and falling techniques. I must have a big label on my face that says "PICK ON ME" because the instructor chose me to demonstrate all the falling techniques. And this wasn't even on the snow. It was on the hard ground. Ouch. Now if I could just put these techniques into practice. I noticed that when you fall for real you are not really "thinking" about HOW to fall. You just fall. And the reactive action is to do the wrong thing....like trying to brace your fall with your hands (bad) or falling straight back on your tail bone (very bad) instead of choosing the left or right butt cheek.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvXHGWxI/AAAAAAAAAN4/0umjnzl0SMM/s1600-h/PC250032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvXHGWxI/AAAAAAAAAN4/0umjnzl0SMM/s400/PC250032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284672610679282450" /></a><br />Falling is very much part of snowboarding. I knew that in advance so I was completely prepared for it. Over the 2 days there I probably fell somewhere between 50-80 times. Mostly on the butt, with a few good head bangs. Amazingly enough I'm not that sore. Except my shoulders and arms which I used to get back up every time I fell!<br /><br />The class progressed nicely from movement to movement but as the lesson progressed so did the weather. We went from snowing with a few windy gusts to an almost full-blown blizzard. Early on in the lesson I had just gotten up and was preparing to take my turn down the slightly slanted slope and a big gust of wind hit me. I went flying (and screaming) down the hill not having learned how to stop. Well I knew one way. Fall. Thank goodness for the goggles. They saved my eyes from the stinging snow pellets. The instructors kept debating whether to stop class or not. People start dropping out of the class because the conditions are now so extreme. Celina and I didn't care a bit. We were dressed for it and having the time of our life.<br /><br />Next thing we know, there are only 3 students. Cool. Semi-private lesson. We learned more in the next hour than in the entire lesson. Who cared about a little snow storm? We didn't. Besides it made it even more challenging. And believe me, snowboarding is a very definite challenge. But by the end of the class I had a clue. And didn't fall as much. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvX6plPI/AAAAAAAAANo/i9H_Firl02s/s1600-h/PC250025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvX6plPI/AAAAAAAAANo/i9H_Firl02s/s400/PC250025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284672610895500530" /></a><br />I am so hooked. I found a new passion. <br /><br />I am seriously thinking about getting a place in the mountains and learning bar tending so I can snowboard all day and work at night. Crazy? Maybe. Possible? Anything is possible in my book. I'm already signed up for a virtual snowboarding lesson here in LA and am going back skiing next weekend. It's just too bad I'm going to be in Florida for all of January and February. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4_9GriI/AAAAAAAAANY/tn4GkrqsUdg/s1600-h/PC250021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4_9GriI/AAAAAAAAANY/tn4GkrqsUdg/s400/PC250021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284671676750409250" /></a><br />Big Bear is so cute. It was a little quiet on Christmas night but we managed to find some cool places. This place, "The Pub" was like a big living room with couches, a fireplace, pianos, and a small stage. I discovered a new drink....hot apple cider with spiced rum. Yum! We weren't out that long (so we could rest up for skiing), but apparently we got quite a bit of snow in that time. So much so, that my car got stuck. It had gotten stuck earlier, but I was able to get it out with some pretty aggressive handling. This time it wasn't working. It got to the point where I asked my 2 friends to go push the car while I tried to back it up. Some people saw us and wanted to help.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs5AanWSI/AAAAAAAAANg/WqOqtG8uqpI/s1600-h/PC250022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs5AanWSI/AAAAAAAAANg/WqOqtG8uqpI/s400/PC250022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284671676874184994" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4Yi2vcI/AAAAAAAAANI/m9sqFFKz-Ic/s1600-h/PC250018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbs4Yi2vcI/AAAAAAAAANI/m9sqFFKz-Ic/s400/PC250018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284671666171329986" /></a><br />It was a couple and they had some cardboard in their truck. We tried putting that under the stuck tire. That didn't work either. Apparently the tire was in some kind of hole. Another guy came and went to get something from his truck to help us. Meanwhile, out of the blue, these 4 gorgeous men appeared and offered to help us 3 girls in distress. They went to the front of the car and practically picked it up. Just then, the other guy came back and offered to drive the car out. I let him. Yeah! We were out. I high fived all the guys and the last of the gorgeous men didn't let go of my hand for awhile. Finally he released it and wished me Merry Christmas. After my moment of "wow," I realized I didn't know his name, his number or anything. Darn. Missed opportunity but a happy memory nonetheless.<br /><br />The next day Shannon and her boyfriend Dan came to learn snowboarding too. Fortunately they brought the sun with them so it turned out to be a beautiful day. As expected they caught the snowboard "bug" just as bad as me and Celina. We are all so hooked and can't wait to go back. By the end of the day I could actually board on the toes (going backwards down the hill) without falling. It was quite an accomplishment. I have so much more control now and am eager to go to the next level.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvrfz2MI/AAAAAAAAAOA/PrtRCReiLho/s1600-h/PC250035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvrfz2MI/AAAAAAAAAOA/PrtRCReiLho/s400/PC250035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284672616151636162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvpiIRMI/AAAAAAAAAOI/MkPY7258SbU/s1600-h/PC250037.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbtvpiIRMI/AAAAAAAAAOI/MkPY7258SbU/s400/PC250037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284672615624492226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbuKNPBqVI/AAAAAAAAAOY/B6N3sZi0cXw/s1600-h/PC250053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SVbuKNPBqVI/AAAAAAAAAOY/B6N3sZi0cXw/s400/PC250053.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284673071884642642" /></a><br /><br />Here's Celina, Stacia, Shannon and me at the end of the day....completely spent and happy. I can't imagine having a better Christmas than this...one with great friends and having an awesomely amazing time.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-49204801528795782762008-12-19T17:50:00.000-08:002008-12-19T18:28:03.663-08:00All Gains Are Not LostWhew, I thought for sure I had lost all my CrossFit gains by not working out for two straight months.<br /><br />Today, I realized that wasn't so. The muscles are still there. They've just been hiding under the extra pounds of fat that have accumulated since I stopped smoking over four months ago. By the way, If you ever want to quit smoking, just join CrossFit. You'll become so addicted to CrossFit that smoking just won't matter anymore. Besides you need really strong lungs.<br /><br />So how did I figure this out? I did a 4.1 mile hill workout run today. It's one of my favorites because I can leave right straight from my house and within 4 minutes I'm on the fire trails. Shannon wanted to join me, so we went together. Along the way, my nose was running and I was coughing up more yucky stuff, but overall, the run felt pretty good.<br /><br />It was so nice out too. Sunshine, beautiful sunshine. For me it was a wonderful change from the sucky rains we've been having. The trail was a bit muddy in places, but not bad enough to worry about slipping.<br /><br />Shannon has become a really strong runner in the last couple of months and could definitely beat me, but for the most part we stuck together. Actually her running a slight bit faster forced me to keep my pace faster than I would have gone if I were on my own. Running with someone definitely has benefits. It's like a non-verbal self-discipline boost that keeps the negative internal voices at bay.<br /><br />Time for the 4.1 mile hill-workout run was 41:44, my first hill workout since I got back from Florida and a personal record for me. So yeah, I was stoked. All was not lost.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-57518279728159722702008-12-17T08:07:00.000-08:002008-12-17T09:09:20.159-08:00CrossFit NightmaresWhoa. The last time I did a CrossFit workout was October 17th, exactly two months ago. As long as I can help it, I'm not gonna let that happen again, because I don't think my nerves can take it. There are definite reasons why this happened, which I won't go into here, but there is a solution now for the next time I work out of town. And I should be able to stick with it.<br /><br />Usually I'm slightly nervous about CrossFit workouts, but today I was frightened! I even had nightmares last night of puking in the bushes and other strange things. I was pretty sure I could run, since I had at least been doing a bit of that, but could I lift any weights? Do push-ups? Or god forbid, box jumps? Even though I just ran a half-marathon 10 days ago, I felt really out of shape. And I am certainly not used to working out in the freezing cold. Brrrrrr. (Yes, I am missing those lovely temperatures in Florida.)<br /><br />So what did we do today? The Miller. That's what the workout was called. Funny, seeing how that's my last name. It consisted of 5 rounds of:<br />-15 Deadlifts (M-135lbs, W-95lbs)<br />-400M Sprint<br />-15 GHD/Abmat Sit-ups<br /><br />I had trouble right from the start, just in setting up my weights. I was so nervous I couldn't even add. Finally I realized I hadn't counted the bar weight. Duh. Guess 95 lbs. wasn't enough for me! Once we got started, things were better. My head was on a little straighter. Round number one went great. But after that it slowly went downhill, except for the final spurt of energy during round five.<br /><br />Running in the cold burned my lungs and throat so bad I couldn't tell if that's how it's supposed to feel in the cold or if it was because my lungs hadn't fully recovered from the lung infection I just had. It probably was a bit of both because more yucky stuff came out of my lungs on the way home.<br /><br />The weight seemed to get heavier and heavier. I tried really hard to keep my form, but I think that as I got more tired, I must have slipped up because my hip/lower back is hurting now. Or it could just be that I've irritated areas that never quite healed from months ago. (Yes, I still need to see one of those sports/orthopedic docs and would appreciate any recommendations).<br /><br />All in all though, I am so happy to be back CrossFitting. This body needs it. On a regular basis. What was especially cool today was to see the new gym and have Vanessa as a coach for the first time. She's awesome and keeps my attention on good form. I feel really fortunate to be training at Team CrossFit Academy where the coaching is world-class, with no compromise to quality and care.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-89727255972419147022008-12-14T19:27:00.000-08:002008-12-14T21:52:29.787-08:00Handgun Training in the Desert<center><a href="http://www.frontsight.com/" title="I'm Front Sight Trained"><img src="http://www.frontsight.com/Images/Banners/fst/f3-m.jpg" alt="Front Sight Trained" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />There's nothing like a little 4-hour drive out to the middle of the desert to do some handgun training. And thanks to my tom tom gps I got to go through death valley for the first time. It was a beautiful drive with hardly any traffic. Translation: pedal to the floor and a happy inner speed demon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpjo9ETiI/AAAAAAAAAMI/pyUaaENSgKE/s1600-h/PC100010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 243px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpjo9ETiI/AAAAAAAAAMI/pyUaaENSgKE/s400/PC100010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279882936660020770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpj5tSbcI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Cs0_rccYXA8/s1600-h/PC100027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpj5tSbcI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Cs0_rccYXA8/s400/PC100027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279882941157240258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpj8tpA8I/AAAAAAAAAMY/j9Cz04z7LOk/s1600-h/PC100028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXpj8tpA8I/AAAAAAAAAMY/j9Cz04z7LOk/s400/PC100028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279882941964026818" /></a><br />Yes, I'm still sick with a cold, and probably quite nutz for spending the last two days in the freezing cold outside. But I was invited to this thing a couple weeks ago and I didn't want to NOT go. So even though I'm coughing up green phlegm now, I can say it was totally worth it.<br /><br />Located just 40 minutes outside of Las Vegas, and occupying a spectacular 550 acres in the Nevada desert, Front Sight Training Institute is the first choice for those interested in the highest quality self defense and personal safety training. They train more students each year than all the other shooting schools in the US combined...Men and women, teens, families, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, teachers, military personnel, persons from all walks of life and all ages. And I can see why. The staff have the most impressive credentials I've ever heard of and instruct with consistency to the Front Sight method.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXjXl4MA1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/e18KFg5Bfps/s1600-h/BothRelays.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 262px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXjXl4MA1I/AAAAAAAAAMA/e18KFg5Bfps/s400/BothRelays.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279876132606051154" /></a><br /><br />Front Sight's method is based on safety and drilling the fundamentals. With that, you gain the certainty that you can keep yourself, your family and others safe. It reminded me a lot of the crossfit method and its attention to form.<br /><br />I learned a lot in the past 2 days, and even though I don't own a gun, when I do get one I'll have confidence in handling and operating it. The training was pretty intense and included loading and unloading; grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger control; presentation; target engagement under time pressure; malfunction clearing; speed and tactical reloading. <br /><br />In addition, important topics were covered like use of deadly force and the law; mental awareness; stopping power; and civil liability. It was extremely interesting to learn that if you use deadly force even if you are defending yourself, certain actions can land you in jail. Hopefully it will never come to that, but at least I know if I had to, I can take someone down.<br /><br />The only thing I'd do different for next time, is to go a different time of year. I was freezing my ass off up there, despite my multiple layers! It brought back memories of my life on the road working outside in Chicago in December. Painful. Saturday was a little less cold, but we had these crazy hurricane-like winds. It was hard to stand up let alone shoot a gun! Our targets kept flying away which was quite amusing, but eating sand for hours was not. And, it took me almost an hour to brush my hair that night! Ouch! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXubP15drI/AAAAAAAAAM4/m7bzZCbo3nY/s1600-h/PC120051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUXubP15drI/AAAAAAAAAM4/m7bzZCbo3nY/s400/PC120051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279888290038249138" /></a><br />On the way home I snapped some photos of the moon because it was so beautiful. And what do you know, I learned that it was the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years. Each month the moon makes a full orbit around the earth in a slightly oval-shaped path, and last night it swung by the Earth at its closest distance, or perigee. It will pass by 356,613km (221,595 miles) away, which is about 28,000km closer than average.<br /><br />The unusual feature was that the perigee also coincides with a full moon, which made it appear 14 per cent bigger and some 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year. Cool, eh?AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-14436096158491058712008-12-10T14:07:00.000-08:002008-12-10T14:15:34.314-08:00Ocean Kim Koala<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUA9texX-bI/AAAAAAAAAL4/6hclMR0kPXA/s1600-h/Ocean_Kim_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 339px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SUA9texX-bI/AAAAAAAAAL4/6hclMR0kPXA/s400/Ocean_Kim_01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278286614841784754" /></a><br />The koala has always been my favorite animal. As a child I had a stuffed one that I slept with every night. So once I found out that I could adopt one it was a no-brainer. Meet Ocean Kim, my newly adopted koala.<br /><br />Ocean Kim, a tiny 0.455g joey, was found out of the pouch and under the body of her injured mother, Ocean Therese, on 26 June 2006. Ocean Therese had been struck by a car on Ocean Drive, a busy highway that feeds into the Port Macquarie industrial area. While her mother went into her own rehabilitation, “Kimmy”, as she became known, was fed formula and given pap milkshakes to inoculate her gut with the bacteria required for her to digest eucalyptus leaf. Kim responded well. She put on weight and, after a small mishap in her aviary, soon grew accustomed to climbing.<br /><br />Kim was transferred to the hospital and placed into a yard with a tree so she could continue to acquire her “koala survival skills” before release. She shared yards with a number of joeys before finally being returned to the wild with her yard-buddy, Lake Christmas, on 22 August 2007.<br /><br />Want one too? Go to <a href="http://www.koalahospital.org.au/">The Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, Australia</a>AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-35480693455711632212008-12-08T18:00:00.000-08:002008-12-08T20:44:43.571-08:00The First of Many<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VZaddy-I/AAAAAAAAALo/o5Q9NS1djzQ/s1600-h/logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 100px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VZaddy-I/AAAAAAAAALo/o5Q9NS1djzQ/s400/logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277608970924444642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYKKJAKI/AAAAAAAAALQ/LtdkSeLlMqM/s1600-h/wpb1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYKKJAKI/AAAAAAAAALQ/LtdkSeLlMqM/s400/wpb1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277608949368553634" /></a><br />I survived two marathons in the last couple of weeks. The first was a work marathon. Talk about intense. I was working until 8 or 9 every night at my Florida job, then coming home to work until 1-2am for my California clients. Sleep? Some. Exercise. None. Why is it that everyone wants their stuff all at the same time? Do they just know that you are busy and purposely try to kill you? I wonder sometimes. And didn't they know I had a marathon to train for? Geez. <br /><br />On top that, a virus was spreading around the office. I had successfully fended it off with airborne for over a week, but lo and behold on the day of the marathon I woke up sick with a cold. Seeing how I just spent $100 on my entry fee I wasn't about to miss it. Sick or not, off I went to the West Palm Beach marathon early Sunday morning and ran in the half.<br /><br />I purchased an ankle brace and did a trial run the day before....only 2.5 miles. Previous training runs were 5 miles a week and a half ago, and my 20.5 mile run about a month ago. Obviously not enough training, but that was as much as I could do considering the work load and the ankle problem. The night before I had to pack, so I was up a little later than I wanted. I ended up getting about 6 hours of restless sleep. But I did eat well. I had a turkey burger and lots of spinach the night before. And no junk food the whole day.<br /><br />On Sunday morning I woke up at 3:30am. I ate a light breakfast of one scrambled egg and 1/2 cup oatmeal. Got myself ready with the ankle brace and a slight adjustment, strapped the timing chip to my shoe, and put glide every where I was likely to chafe. I wore my goofy looking night running gear because it had a big pocket to put kleenex in, in case my nose started running while I was running. West Palm Beach is about an hour away so I headed out at 4:40am. What I didn't expect was traffic, parking troubles, and long lines for the restroom. The half marathon began at 5:55am and I got out of the restroom at 5:54am and barely had enough time to jog to the starting point. I never even stretched or warmed-up before the race. Boy, you sure learn a lot from these things.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYS2J5EI/AAAAAAAAALY/wxoZO5MmdwU/s1600-h/wpb2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYS2J5EI/AAAAAAAAALY/wxoZO5MmdwU/s400/wpb2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277608951700644930" /></a><br />Once the race began, everything changed. There was such excitement in the air. All these people. All out here for the same thing. As I started running I realized that I must have really been way back at the very back of the half marathon runners because for the first 2 miles I passed hundreds of people until I finally found MY pace group.<br /><br />I never knew about these pace runners. They rock! With them you don't have to think about pace. Just follow along. It kept my running steady and at a just slightly uncomfortable pace. It was the 4:15 marathon pace group. Could I go faster? Of course. But I didn't want to burn out. And I was running faster than my target pace of 10 minute miles. So that made me happy.<br /><br />The run felt surprisingly good. Here I am sick with a cold and it seemed to just disappear for awhile. The temperature outside was perfect. Probably 70 or so degrees with a nice breeze. I drank either gatorade or water at EVERY mile because I knew my body needed it. Actually I'm convinced I drank about 5 gallons of fluids that day between the marathon and traveling back to Cali. I just couldn't seem to get enough fluids. I also brought shot blocks. Had 2 around mile 5 and another 2 around mile 9. They seemed to help when I started feeling slightly less energetic.<br /><br />The highlights of my run were at mile 6.25 and 8.7. The first turnaround was at mile 7, so when I was at mile 6.25 I could see the faster runners coming back my way. It was so exciting to see these athletes. They were beautiful. Men and women alike. I admired them and wanted to be where they were. I just couldn't stop smiling. There was so much cheering going on. This event went through local neighborhoods and people just camped out on their lawns to watch us and cheer us on.<br /><br />There were different themed sections, mostly at the water stations...disco music, cheerleaders, pirates, the tie-dyed hippies, and my favorite, the male hula dancers. They were at mile 8.7. These guys were in grass skirts with coconuts on their breasts, and wearing wigs. It was hilarious. They were well coordinated and dancing in perfect sync. One just couldn't help but laugh. You've got to admit, these Florida people are pretty creative.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYwvyw1I/AAAAAAAAALg/AgX-AWA7qUY/s1600-h/wpb3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VYwvyw1I/AAAAAAAAALg/AgX-AWA7qUY/s400/wpb3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277608959727027026" /></a><br />Time just flew by. At around mile 7 (shortly before the hula boys), I pulled ahead of my pace group. In my past training runs I've noticed that I run faster after I make the half way point, so I thought this should be no different. I must figure it's all downhill from there, so to speak. Besides I felt strong enough to go for it, so I did.<br /><br />It might not have been a good idea because at mile 10 something happened. All of a sudden running became difficult. I started slowing down. I went from a 9:30 pace to a 10 minute pace then for miles 11 and 12 was almost at a 10:30 pace. I had eaten a shot block a little earlier and just didn't want to have too many of them. I wasn't even really having any pains to speak of. Sure I could feel blisters, a toe nail scraping skin, a mild ankle thing, and stiff knees, but that wasn't it. It was an energy zap. Like someone said you are done now. From here it just became a mental game. Obviously I kept myself going. But it was rough. I really had to talk myself into finishing. And I did.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VZR3h5mI/AAAAAAAAALw/k8XlEX0apns/s1600-h/wpb-marathon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/ST3VZR3h5mI/AAAAAAAAALw/k8XlEX0apns/s400/wpb-marathon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277608968617846370" /></a><br />Surprisingly the last few miles didn't affect my time that much. I still ended right where I wanted to be....at a sub 10 minute mile pace. Total time was 2:08:04. Here's my official race results:<br /><br />Event: Marathon of the Palm Beaches - Half Marathon 13.1 miles<br />12/07/2008 06:00 am<br />Overall Place: 1002<br />Overall Time: 2:08:04<br />Gender Place: 412<br />Athletes in Gender: 1303<br />Division: FEMALE AGE GROUP AGES 40-44<br />Division Place: 72<br />Athletes in Division: 198<br /><br />I keep wondering what it will be like to do the full marathon. It seems like there would need to be a lot more conditioning to get this body ready for even longer runs. My knees were so stiff after this one. The ankle didn't hurt, but I could tell towards the end that it was just starting to get weak. It was a good thing I only ran the half.<br /><br />Today I'm really sore. And much sicker of course. Traveling cross country right after that much running isn't such a good idea. It was too much time in the same position when I should have been keeping those muscles moving. A lot of lessons learned for next time. Now I just have to decide whether to do the Miami marathon Jan. 25th or the Ft. Lauderdale marathon Feb. 22nd or both since I'll be back in Fl those months. <br /><br />Well, first things first. I need to get better. No looking back now. Marathons are definitely for me.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-10351354864900225882008-11-10T19:31:00.000-08:002008-11-10T21:23:11.364-08:00One Day in Heaven<p style="visibility:visible;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widget-7c.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" height="320" width="426" style="width:426px;height:320px"><param name="movie" value="http://widget-7c.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="scale" value="noscale" /><param name="salign" value="l" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/> <param name="flashvars" value="cy=ms&il=1&channel=2954361355572240508&site=widget-7c.slide.com"/></object><p style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=2954361355572240508&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-7c.slide.com/p1/2954361355572240508/ms_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=2954361355572240508&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-7c.slide.com/p2/2954361355572240508/ms_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=ms&at=un&id=2954361355572240508&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-7c.slide.com/p4/2954361355572240508/ms_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></p><br />20.5 miles. That's how far I ran last night...my furthest distance yet in training for the WPB marathon.<br /><br />Although my training has been going well, last night was rough. Right at mile 3 I got sick, spending about 15 minutes in the bathroom. And during the run I had to stop 3 times for food (once at McDonalds for some fries because I needed the salt) and 2 more times to handle the increasing number of blisters I was getting. Then at mile 18, I started feeling sick again, but pushed through and made it the rest of the way. The run took me 4 1/2 hours. I sure hope I can improve my time before the marathon or I'm going to miss my flight back to California on the same day.<br /><br />Earlier in the week I had done one 10 mile run and six 1/4 mile sprints. Both went extremely well. During the run I kept a really fast pace (for me anyway) of 9:30 the whole way. And on the sprints I blew away my previous times by going well under 2 minutes per 1/4 mile sprint. Times were 1:44, 1:49, 1:53, 1:57, 1:53, 1:51. Considering the last time I had done sprints my times were all over 2 minutes I feel I had a big improvement. The two factors I think that came into play were: 1. nutrition. I've been really good lately and 2. rest. I took 2 weeks off to let my ankle recover and haven't been back at the local crossfit for fear of hurting my hip again. (I think I'm going to wait until I get back to Cali before I start it up again)<br /><br />So why did I feel so bad last night? Well, I think it was the alcohol. I was really bad this weekend and overdid it again. It all started on Friday....my day in heaven.<br /><br />As I've mentioned before I'm working on a beauty magazine in South Florida where I'm looking at mostly naked beautiful women all day. But Friday was different. The publishers decided to put the "New Man" section in the magazine again--something they haven't done since issue number one over five years ago. And lucky me, I was selected to produce it. That was the most fun ever....searching for hot guys to feature, a sample of which is illustrated in the above slide show.<br /><br />But the day got better. That night, my friend Alex had his 24th birthday party and a bunch of us went out to celebrate with him. It was wild. Really wild. We went to 4 clubs that night, 2 for drinking and 2 for dancing. Because the dance floors were so packed, dancing was dirty. But all in fun. Alex must have made out with a half dozen girls that night, most of which he worked with! And no, I wasn't one of them.... But I did have my own fun.<br /><br />Around midnight I spotted a guy I had seen before at another local bar. I remembered him as being one of the most sexy men I had ever seen in my life. But I thought he was gay because he only hung out with guys and didn't look around at women. Having the assistance of a few drinks consumed I could now approach him. Grabbing his arm, I asked if he would dance with me. He was leaving to go next door. I asked, "What if I went there too, would you then?" In a very sexy voice he responded, "but of course."<br /><br />OK, so my heart melted. Quickly I worked to get my friends to go migrate to the other place and then I helped to get a ride home for Alex who was about to pass out. When I went in to the club Deluxe I found the guy. His name happened to be Alex too. Being quite bold now, the first question I asked was "Are you gay?" And I explained my reason. He actually remembered me from that night. Apparently I must have been drooling. He was quite calm about the whole thing. He told me that when I saw him before he had a girlfriend, but now he didn't. Of course I bought it. This was like me talking to Brad Pitt. Words just kind go in one ear and out the other. The visual aspect was just too mesmerizing.<br /><br />I don't know how I did it, but somehow I managed to remain my witty self and later he said he liked me because "I made him laugh." The reasons I liked him were obvious. He was a cross between Mr. Sexy and Mr. Hot in the slideshow, 32 years old, about 6 feet tall, dark hair closely cut, was in the marines, has tattoos and tan skin, and he races motorcycles. At that moment in time, nothing else seemed to matter. We danced, we drank some more and talked about all kinds of things. Somehow I ended up agreeing that if we got married I would work, make all the money and he would cook, clean, take care of the kids and work on his hobby building racing motorcycles. Huh? At the time it made perfect sense. See what an alcoholic trance can do. The rest of the story you can guess.<br /><br />It's a good thing I'm back to reality. It was a surreal evening, not meant to last, but memorable nonetheless. The lessons learned were 1. moderation on the alcohol and 2. if you are not sure, use plan b. <br /><br />Saturday night was another story altogether. One I'll save for another day.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-17439782522282351662008-11-04T20:03:00.000-08:002008-11-04T21:42:00.458-08:00Getting Away from it All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREbZjDaMVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/hWC8cIEhF1U/s1600-h/PB010040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREbZjDaMVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/hWC8cIEhF1U/s400/PB010040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265019565093040466" /></a><br />This weekend my friends and I went up to Hobe Sound to kayak along the Loxahatchee river, Florida's first federally designated "Wild and Scenic River." It was our chance to get away from all the work, partying and other stresses of life. A few of us were still recovering from Halloween and the fact that we had to work that Saturday. So now was a good time to take a break and get some fresh air.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREeAjea53I/AAAAAAAAAJU/K1ZqYLlH40E/s1600-h/PB010045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 355px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREeAjea53I/AAAAAAAAAJU/K1ZqYLlH40E/s400/PB010045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265022434244487026" /></a><br />We ended up having so much fun that we can't wait to do it again. Well, most of us anyway. There were 7 of us on 3 boats (2 double kayaks and a canoe). The weather was great and the river was nice and calm. It was amazing that in some places the water was so still that it looked like glass and you couldn't tell where land ended and water started. It was kinda surreal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREiZnPo2hI/AAAAAAAAAJk/rBu2Y1HXdPE/s1600-h/PB010038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREiZnPo2hI/AAAAAAAAAJk/rBu2Y1HXdPE/s400/PB010038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265027262799469074" /></a><br />At the start of our journey, watching everyone was such a hoot. We had mostly beginners except Paula and me. The 3 on the canoe kept crashing into the mangroves or the other kayak and the the other kayak had a lot of trouble going straight. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuIFMBvII/AAAAAAAAAJs/8jHAJoBxWp4/s1600-h/PB010036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuIFMBvII/AAAAAAAAAJs/8jHAJoBxWp4/s400/PB010036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265040155739274370" /></a><br />The river winds its way through the park under a canopy of cypress trees and at some points the river becomes quite narrow. Here's where it became really interesting, because you can quickly lose track of the other boats (which we did) and get a little closer to nature than you'd like!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SRExg1oGeWI/AAAAAAAAAKM/GeAsUyoDfYQ/s1600-h/PB010041.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SRExg1oGeWI/AAAAAAAAAKM/GeAsUyoDfYQ/s400/PB010041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265043879593671010" /></a><br />Friend Brielle discovered this when a bunch of spiders landed in their boat. And Brielle doesn't like spiders! (I think she's still traumatized from our adventure.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuMXPKKII/AAAAAAAAAJ0/LHZu2aStURs/s1600-h/PB010039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuMXPKKII/AAAAAAAAAJ0/LHZu2aStURs/s400/PB010039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265040229303724162" /></a><br />Paula and I saw an alligator, but I wasn't quick enough to get the camera. It was funny because I wanted to get close to it and she was screaming "NO!" With this many kayaks and canoes going through the river, I really didn't think the alligator was going to come after us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuQi9cLiI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/tYlgm9v1QBQ/s1600-h/PB010043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SREuQi9cLiI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/tYlgm9v1QBQ/s400/PB010043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265040301170109986" /></a><br />We also saw a lot of cool birds, wild pigs, and turtles. When the river became too narrow we had to turn around. Although it didn't bother me, there were just too many trees in our face and spiders falling on us for this crowd. We had our fill of adventure for the day.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-85333998177267903512008-11-01T20:39:00.000-07:002008-11-01T23:23:41.969-07:00Challenged to a Duel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0qsP3bttI/AAAAAAAAAH0/DPnIvOBQ3CY/s1600-h/PA300006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0qsP3bttI/AAAAAAAAAH0/DPnIvOBQ3CY/s400/PA300006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263910479127623378" /></a><br />Yesterday, pirate Courtney challenged me to a duel. Why? Well of course, she wanted my bottle of booze. It was a mighty fine bottle. Maybe not filled with rum, but with plum wine, a tasty, yet potent drink fit for a pirate. Isn't that what all pirates fight over?<br /><br />Anyway, what she didn't know was how passionately I would defend my bottle! So after the staff meeting with a bunch of devils, angels, witches and the like I accepted her challenge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ00ipe_D2I/AAAAAAAAAIM/FZcZPAJ4_Ys/s1600-h/PA300014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ00ipe_D2I/AAAAAAAAAIM/FZcZPAJ4_Ys/s400/PA300014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263921309321989986" /></a><br />Courtney came prepared. And I must admit she had killer boots working in her favor (mine had been lost at sea over 3,000 miles away). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0rDV3XmOI/AAAAAAAAAH8/EmgagI5_D8w/s1600-h/PA300009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0rDV3XmOI/AAAAAAAAAH8/EmgagI5_D8w/s400/PA300009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263910875874957538" /></a><br />Courtney charged at me and seemed to stab me, but alas, she missed and I went chasing after her.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0-J_D2a6I/AAAAAAAAAI8/0GQRpukTdBU/s1600-h/PA300007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0-J_D2a6I/AAAAAAAAAI8/0GQRpukTdBU/s400/PA300007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263931880733305762" /></a><br />When I caught her, I took her down, heroically defending my bottle of booze. Ahh. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0-DfeKi5I/AAAAAAAAAI0/HgouP1zgomY/s1600-h/PA300008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 351px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0-DfeKi5I/AAAAAAAAAI0/HgouP1zgomY/s400/PA300008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263931769174526866" /></a><br />The nun came by to say some final words for pirate Cortney.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0lDwbxfNI/AAAAAAAAAHs/UH76NeKU_1g/s1600-h/PA300005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 323px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0lDwbxfNI/AAAAAAAAAHs/UH76NeKU_1g/s400/PA300005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263904285937204434" /></a><br />That night, my mates and I went out to celebrate my victory. First, it was off to 2 Georges, a quaint marina bar near our ship. Four drinks and one shot later, I was well on my way to becoming drunk. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ00x1VJbyI/AAAAAAAAAIU/H5XUz8MrIEc/s1600-h/PA300027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ00x1VJbyI/AAAAAAAAAIU/H5XUz8MrIEc/s400/PA300027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263921570199990050" /></a><br />And so were they.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ01A2h9AmI/AAAAAAAAAIc/oxZTw0hYq54/s1600-h/PA300021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ01A2h9AmI/AAAAAAAAAIc/oxZTw0hYq54/s400/PA300021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263921828220174946" /></a><br />These two I don't even know. But it was sure interesting to see what they were doing in the bathroom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ01X5glLMI/AAAAAAAAAIk/lOgoSY98MzU/s1600-h/PA310030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ01X5glLMI/AAAAAAAAAIk/lOgoSY98MzU/s400/PA310030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263922224156716226" /></a><br />Next stop was the Banana Boat right next door where we experienced even more fun pirating activities including stealing treasures from a drunken Mardi Gras gent wearing way too many beads. Besides, they looked better on us anyway. Here's my booty along with the defended bottle and sword.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0_JH6QK_I/AAAAAAAAAJE/sKLfCTRZTlA/s1600-h/PB010036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SQ0_JH6QK_I/AAAAAAAAAJE/sKLfCTRZTlA/s400/PB010036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263932965440728050" /></a><br />After that, the ground became unstable. We must have been sailing in some rough seas because the ship was moving around a lot. Or was that the effect of those last two drinks? And did I meet an incredibly handsome gent or was that a dream? Hmmm. Only tomorrow will tell.AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-33643764186044689372008-10-19T09:16:00.000-07:002008-10-19T17:22:48.377-07:00The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ios0HREwG6g&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ios0HREwG6g&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br />Sorry to disappoint, but this is NOT my new boyfriend. I've been having mad cravings lately and needed a little inspiration to stick with my diet. Diets can be ugly, and, I'm finding, more difficult than quitting smoking. I'm convinced there is some nutritional deficiency or perhaps some endocrine malfunction going on with my body, because these cravings are NOT normal. And I am definitely NOT pregnant.<br /><br />I am very leery of nutritional advice from <span style="font-style:italic;">anyone</span> (including friends), because our bodies are not created equal. I do know however that I shouldn't be listening to my body right now, otherwise I'll soon look like the guy in the video....not pretty. So I'm putting my research "hat" on instead and am mentally preparing (through education) for some drastic changes. Now if I could find a book like "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" but for sugar I'd be in business. That book was incredible at explaining how smoking is actually a drug addition and that all you are doing is feeding the monster. It mentally prepared me for the challenge and proved quite effective.<br /><br />Instead of taking a hike, I'm convinced my smoking monster transmuted into a sugar monster. That's UGLY. Uglier than any <a href="http://teamcrossfitacademy.com/">CrossFit</a> workout I've ever done. Time to get stronger....much stronger. Mentally and physically.<br /><br />Which leads me to the GOOD news. On Friday, I set 3 personal records in weight lifting! I <span style="font-style:italic;">am</span> getting stronger.<br /><br />Bench Press - 85 lb.<br />Squat - 95 lb.<br />Dead Lift - 175 lb.<br /><br />Below I'm setting up for my 175 lb. deadlift. I was able to do 2 reps! WooHoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SPvFyfmo1TI/AAAAAAAAAHk/IH0ahj6m-fU/s1600-h/6a00e55188200a88340105358dc9c9970b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SPvFyfmo1TI/AAAAAAAAAHk/IH0ahj6m-fU/s400/6a00e55188200a88340105358dc9c9970b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259014461152875826" /></a><br />The other good news is that I finally started some interval training this week. I did eight 1/4 mile sprints. It was hard. Initially I seemed to peter out around half way, but the more I did, the more I could keep a more consistent pace. I can totally see how these will help my training. What was really fun was sneaking in the FAU campus and doing them there. ;-) <br /><br />The bad news is that a couple days later while running on the beach I hurt my ankle. I'm pretty sure it's <a href="http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/ankle/tibialisposterior.htm">tibialis posterior syndrome</a>. Although the beach is a great place to run, it is not exactly a flat surface. Where I've been going has a pretty steep incline and when I run south, the right foot is higher and when I run north, the left foot is higher. Apparently my right foot doesn't like the inclination. I noticed it the first time I ran, but stupidly ignored it. The second time I ran there I really felt it, and could barely walk the next day. Even though nothing touched that area of my ankle there was an actual bruise there and a lot of swelling. So for 2 days I iced, elevated, and rested it. Running is on hold for a least a week. Maybe two. <br /><br />Boy do I miss my hills at home in California. I don't seem to get ANY injuries there. Perhaps I'm allergic to Florida! No worries though, I'll find something else to do in the meantime.<br /><br />This week's training....<br /><br />10/13<br />Day 6 Apollo Challenge - 6 rounds of "Cindy"<br /><br />Workout of the Day (WOD)<br />"Met Con Day"<br />The following for time:<br />-Run 400 Meters <br />-Row 500 Meters <br />-Jump Rope 200 Singles<br />-Run 200 Meters<br />-Row 250 Meters<br />-Jump Rope 100 Singles<br />-Run 400 Meters<br />-Row 500 Meters<br />-Jump Rope 200 Singles<br /><br />10/14<br />Marathon training<br />1/4 mile sprints<br /><br />Two 1/4 mile warm-ups, then<br />1. 2:00<br />2. 2:00<br />3. 1:56<br />4. 2:00<br />5. 2:02<br />6. 1:57<br /><br />10/15<br />Day 8 Apollo Challenge - 8 rounds of "Cindy"<br /><br />Workout of the Day (WOD)<br />7 Rounds for time <br />-21 Shoulder Press 75M/45W <br />-21 Back Extensions <br />-21 Double Unders or 63 Single Jump Rope<br /><br />10/16<br />Day 9 Apollo Challenge - 9 rounds of "Cindy"<br /><br />Workout of the Day (WOD)<br />For Time: <br />-Push-Ups <br />-Double Unders or 3 x's Singles<br /> -Sit-Ups <br /><br /> reps of 05-15-25 <br />10-15-20 <br />15-15-15<br />20-15-10 <br />25-15-05 <br />20-15-10 <br />15-15-15 <br />10-15-20<br />05-15-25<br /><br />Marathon training<br />5 miles running barefoot on the beach (MID-Tempo)<br /><br />10/17<br />Day 10 Apollo Challenge - 10 rounds of "Cindy"<br /><br />Workout of the Day (WOD)<br />Strength Training<br />reps of 10-8-6-4-2<br /><br />Bench Press 55-65-75-75-<span style="font-weight:bold;">85</span><br />Squat 55-65-75-<span style="font-weight:bold;">95-95</span><br />Dead Lift 125-145-155-155-<span style="font-weight:bold;">175</span><br />Barbell Curls 25-35-<span style="font-weight:bold;">45-45-45</span>AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-68258144970302156262008-10-11T19:26:00.000-07:002008-10-11T21:04:46.373-07:00Utter Exhaustion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SPFsq7NpaUI/AAAAAAAAAHc/uC2_JayO9qs/s1600-h/exhaustion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SPFsq7NpaUI/AAAAAAAAAHc/uC2_JayO9qs/s400/exhaustion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256101724823316802" /></a><br />I hadn't realized how much my body needed to recuperate until today. First off, I slept in this morning. I was out late last night with friends at a going away party, but sleeping until 11:00am? Whoa! Guess I really needed some sleep....<br /><br />When I did get up I didn't feel like doing anything. I could barely find the energy to make breakfast. Even breakfast didn't revive me. In fact, I jumped back into bed and watched "Van Helsing" with the yummy Hugh Jackman. Fell asleep again right afterwards.<br /><br />Next I knew, it was 5pm! Geez the whole day was getting away from me. By now I was hungry though and since I read that other crossfitters cheat on the zone on weekends I decided I needed to cheat too (thanks V). I wanted a big juicy hamburger with fries. Nothing else would do. I even drove 25 minutes to get a good one. Boy did that hit the spot. And I made sure to put lots of ketchup on my fries. I mean if you are going to cheat, you might as well do it right. I didn't even feel guilty since I had been so good all week, working out everyday and staying within the zone. Except maybe those 2 mojitos I had last night. Hmmm. But they were really really good.<br /><br />OK, so now that I'm properly (or overly) fed, my energy levels are finally coming into existence and I can start my day. Gee, what do I do? My hot date for tonight got cancelled so I didn't have to take a shower. Ah, relief! Dating sucks anyway. Nor did I feel like going to the Octoberfest where most of my friends were going to be. So instead, I made a date with Mr. Barnes and Noble. It was an excellent choice....very relaxing, with no one to bother me, and I didn't even have to dress up. Aaaahhhhh. The simple pleasures in life...being lazy for a whole day. Gives me a whole new meaning to the words "rest day."AdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259385018662413069.post-80602768353148040282008-10-09T19:10:00.000-07:002008-10-09T21:01:34.069-07:00Barefoot in the Rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SO7AF5VHFSI/AAAAAAAAAHU/1WVHiU4lL0s/s1600-h/moon-beach.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jWWeMHwxgzI/SO7AF5VHFSI/AAAAAAAAAHU/1WVHiU4lL0s/s400/moon-beach.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255349022709191970" /></a><br />It rains a lot here in Florida. Normally I would reschedule a run if it were raining, but tonight I felt different. My thinking was, "Well, if I were in an adventure race and it started raining, would I go find a big tree to hide under?" Of course not. I would keep going. That means I need to get used to it. Next will be mud, then, snow, and whatever else mother nature brings. Tonight it was rain.<br /><br />Since I'm working only 2 miles from the ocean, I headed straight for the beach. Stretched for about 10 minutes (per the training program I downloaded last night) and headed out for a 6 mile run on the beach barefoot. My 2 purple toes needed a break from the shoes, and besides how better to keep one's training constantly varied! I was supposed to keep a 10 minute pace, but I forgot that beach running is a little bit different than regular running. Pace was more in the 12-13 minutes per mile range. I ran as close to the water as I could because that's where the harder packed sand was. Otherwise I would have really put my legs through some abuse. It must have been high tide, because the sand wasn't packed as hard as I remembered it to be which made the run a bit more strenuous. But I got into a groove nonetheless. <br /><br />Shortly after starting I noticed a 20 somethings couple follow me in a run. We were the only people on the beach. And I thought it was weird that they just suddenly decided to go running too. Such crazy people. Anyway, after about a half a mile they got farther and farther away from me and when I looked back after about a mile they were gone. Made me feel good that I can out-run those much younger than I. :-)<br /><br />The rain had been on and off since I started, but all of sudden disappeared. The clouds started opening up and the light from the moon came just in time to light my way. Good thing because I didn't have any lights on me tonight. It was actually quite beautiful...the moon reflections on the surf, the gentle breeze, the smell of the sea air. It was enough to keep my attention occupied, seeing how I didn't have my ipod with me tonight.<br /><br />On the way back, there was some really cool lightening far out on the horizon. I started counting 1,2,3,4,5,etc. to determine how many miles away it way, but the sound of thunder never came. It seemed I was safe from lightening. However I picked up the pace in any case for the return journey. It was a really good thing I had my training watch on tonight because otherwise I'm not sure I would have found my way back. There aren't a lot of landmarks on this particular beach and all the lifeguard huts looked the same. In the dark you can't read anything, and with everything looking the same, it can be quite disorienting. It woke me up to the fact that I need to be very aware of my STARTING location so that if my watch stops working or I don't have it, I can find my way back.<br /><br />On Monday I went back on the zone diet again which is helping to keep my energy levels up. Now I just need to figure out how to get more sleep!<br /><br />Thursday 10/09/09 Workout <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Helen"<br /></span>Three rounds for time:<br />-Run 400 meters<br />-1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)<br />-12 Pull-ups<br />Time: 9:55 (scaled with jumping pull ups)<br /><br />Wednesday 10/08/08 Workout<br />4 rounds for time:<br />-200m Run<br />-100m Farmer walk<br />-10 Wall Ball 14#<br />-20 Pushups<br />-20 Kettlebell Swings 35#<br />-20 Squats<br />-20 Double Unders or 60 Singles (I did singles)<br />Time: 30:26<br /><br />Tuesday 10/07/08 Workout <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Nicole"</span><br />Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:<br />-Run 400 meters<br />-Max rep Pull-ups<br /><br />+ 9.25 mile runAdventureSeekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13828516139707056190noreply@blogger.com0