guys getting chicked...

I love this article! I know I will never get to 'chick' anyone (unless I get lucky and pass a 90 year old man. And honestly, how many 90 year olds do you see mountain biking?), but it sure is fun hearing these stories.

What does a girl have to do if she wants marriage proposals, arm-wrestling contests, shock-and-awe accolades, and (sadly) trail blocking and really strange behavior? Simple: Pass a guy on the trail or in a race. If you’re the dude being passed, you just got chicked.

http://outside-blog.away.com/blogs/2009/09/getting-chicked.html


A couple of my favorite stories:

From Rebecca Tomaszewski
A lot of guys get weird about being chicked, but I had one dude point out that he’d rather look at my rear than his buddies, and that he’d rather get passed on a bike than beaten in arm wrestling!

From Sarah Kaufman
When I lived in San Francisco I used to go for mountain bike rides in Golden Gate Park. The singletrack is really fun and there are some flowy sections that you can really rail. I remember once flying around a corner and ending up in an impromptu homeless camp. There were about five homeless guys sitting around completely wasted (on who knows what). They immediately began shouting and slurring, but really encouraging things, like: “You gooooo girrrrrrl!” Priceless.

My aha moment... again!!

I think this is a record, two posts in one day. However, something happened that was too exciting not to share. I got the following email today about my Aha Moment:

Congratulations! Your story has been selected as one of the semi-finalists. Your aha moment will appear alongside 74 others on http://www.ahamoment.com/vote, where visitors to the site will have the chance to vote for their favorites.

The first round of voting will begin on October 1st and continue through October 15th. After the first round, the top-25 vote getters will win a Flip video camera and move on to the final round of voting, which will end on October 31st. The top 10 favorite aha moments will be featured in Mutual of Omaha’s 2010 nationwide TV ads, which will begin airing early next year.

I was stunned when I first read this, with the inevitable tears following. I can't explain it but this whole process has had me in tears most of the time. Maybe it's the whole reliving that moment, maybe it's just the realization of what I have accomplished... I'm not sure. It seems that me talking about my aha moment has become a sort of aha moment itself - kind of ironic.

I'll post the link of where to vote on Oct. 1st - you are more than welcome to vote. And if you feel mine was the best moment, then please feel free to vote for me :-) At this point it doesn't matter, I'm just thrilled to be part of it!

Here's my moment, in case you didn't see it before. http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/6804

sweet dreams...

Come, Sleep; O Sleep! the certain knot of peace.
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low;

I'm writing this at 10 pm, which before the trip was my usual bedtime. Not anymore; my body is saying it is still 8 pm, while my mind is screaming "it's time for bed!" I truly wish the two would call a truce, it has been a bit exhausting. Imagine what I would be like if I traveled to my beloved England - I shudder to think!

One good thing has come out of having all this extra time; I am super organized and getting TONS done. Have 1000's of emails you need a response to? I'm your gal!! Organize, upload and label 100's of pics? No problem. Finish the piles of laundry, volunteer as meet director for an orienteering meet, see old friends, get piles of work done? Done. Blog about your trip?... oh wait, I haven't done that yet, have I? Well, 6 out of 7 isn't bad.

It seems the one thing I can't do is write about my trip. I've started many times, only to get sidetracked and end up blogging about something else. I just can't seem to put my experience into words. Everyone knows that Alaska has beautiful scenery, that's a given. But what about the abstracts? The low hanging clouds that made me feel that heaven was trying to reach down and touch me. The independent yet giving spirit I saw in those who live there. The kindness of strangers and fellow travelers who shared the awe of the scenery around us. All of these contributed to make the trip a great time.

I guess if you asked me what the highlight was, it wouldn't necessarily be the scenery but the people I shared it with. My mom and aunt, who put up with me running all over the ship to see as much of the scenery as possible. The charming and fun Eric, who shared my love of the outdoors and teamed up with me to become Scavenger Hunt Champions (woohoo)! Eric's daughter Elizabeth who was one of the lucky ones to swim by the glaciers and shared with me the most amazing desserts ever created. (seriously, you have never seen a table like this dessert table - it was amazing!) Bob and Lori and their kids Tessa and Andrew, a fun family from Vancouver who were always smiling and laughing! Susan, my fun tram riding/hiking friend who loved to talk and regaled me with hilarious stories (such as how she was traveling with her ex-husband - that's a story for another time). Lots of others who I may not have gotten a name from, but memorable all the same. Everyone made it a wonderful memory.

I did take quite a few pictures which, due to my insomnia, are very well organized and labeled. If you really want to see all of them, you can take a look below.



I guess I've broken the old writer's block - now let's see if I can actually sleep.

run forest run... but can you go a little faster?

My trip to Alaska was quite eye opening, but probably not in the way you would expect. I was able to keep up with my running and exercise quite easily and was shocked to find myself moving rather quickly during my hikes and runs. I was fast!!

Anyone who has exercised or climbed or raced with me knows this is a big deal - I am not, in any way shape or form, fast. I always warn anyone I'm with that I will most likely slow them down.

But I found that during the trip I was moving uber fast! As in 'leaving everyone behind in the dust' fast. It was so much fun! After much thought and deliberation, I think I finally figured out why... the combination of altitude (Alaska is at about sea level to 2500 feet) and asthma.



I have been struggling with my asthma quite a bit this summer, especially since my race in July. And running is particularly painful - I last about 1 mile (at a painfully slow speed) before I have to slow to a walk. I just can't breath. When I'm hiking, I have to stop every 10 minutes or so to catch my breath. While I know I'm in shape, this has definitely made me question it. I've lived in Colorado all my life, why is altitude such a problem now?

But in Alaska? I FLEW over those trails - a 2.5 mile, 2000 foot climb up a mountain was easy. I could run for 5 miles and not even feel it. So that is how it feels to be fast? I LOVED it!

The question is, how can I get to that point here at the altitude of 7500? My first thought was to not even try, pack all my belongings and move to Alaska. How can you not love a state that has beautiful mountains and seas/ocean, low altitude and no snakes (did you know Alaska has no reptiles in the state?) Why not move?

Then I'm reminded of the whole "no sunlight in winter/100 feet of snow" aspect to Alaska and I rethink that. I have instead come up with a plan that will, hopefully, work.

1. Meet with my asthma Dr. - I have an appt this Tuesday to reevaluate my meds. They just aren't workin.

2. Lose weight - I gained some weight this winter and just haven't gotten it all off yet. Need to work a little harder at that.

3. Keep on running! If it means I have to modify my running for a while, do it.

4. If that doesn't work, go back to the "move to Alaska" option. Or anyplace that has low altitude.. hawaii, washington, california, etc all sound good to me. Anyone know of another place that has large mountains, ocean, low altitude and no snakes?

If this works, you may find me winning races! Well, maybe not winning, but at least placing in a respectable spot.

two weeks later and my aha moment

I have returned from the Last Frontier! It was a great 2 weeks, saw scenery that would make anyone's jaw drop and wildlife in abundance. I plan on doing a post this weekend, there is much to tell and show!

While I was gone I got a notice that my moment in the sun, the Aha Moment, had been posted on their website. And as promised, here it is http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/6804 I haven't heard anything about being chosen for the commercial, but it doesn't matter much - it was nice to be asked to do it and I had a great time!

And remember the gal I met at the taping? Her Aha Moment is up as well http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/6799

Out the door...

and heading to my next adventure... ALASKA! I'm spending 2 weeks hiking, kayaking, biking and lots of other fun stuff! Can you tell from all my !!! that I'm excited!!

I'll post all about it when I get back - I'm sure I'll have lots of pics to bore you with.

Oprah would be so disappointed

I got an interesting email last week. In short, it was from Mutual of Omaha regarding their "Aha Moment Campaign." They had found my blog and thought I would be a good candidate to share an aha moment on video. I've got to admit, I was skeptical. It don't often get emails like this and my first thought was that this was one of those marketing schemes. You know the ones where they trick you into coming to a "meeting" and then start with "for only 5 payments of $299, you too can tap into the vast resources that will make you a millionaire" (what can i say, I'm a skeptic at heart). So I did what any resourceful gal would do and did a search on google. I was pleased to find that this was a legitimate request! (check out their website - http://www.ahamoment.com/) (in my googling I also found an interesting story on Oprah and how upset she was that Mutual of Omaha 'stole' the 'Aha Moment' from her - come on Oprah, don't you own enough of the world already?)

So today I found myself at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, filling out a consent form and trying to make myself look presentable. I had spent the entire morning practicing what I was going to say, basically a condensed version of what I have talked about on the blog, concentrating on my goal of doing an adventure race (for a quick overview, check out my first post.)

As I was waiting for my turn, I started to watch a live monitor of the person currently being taped. She seemed familiar to me, so I asked who it was. It was a pleasant surprise to find out it was a writer and blogger that I read often! On top of that, she also has done some orienteering with the same group I do. What a small, small world! It was a pleasure to meet her - check out her blog, which I highly recommend http://www.barbarasamuel.com/blog/

After saying goodbye to my new writer friend, it was my turn to share my moment. It went surprisingly well - they made me feel very comfortable, I really felt like I was sharing with a friend, not a camera. My big fear was that I would break down in tears, since every time I practiced I was inevitably weepy. I am happy to report that not one tear was shed!

My moment will be posted on their website in the next week. There is a possibility of it being chosen for one of their commercials. Even if I'm not chosen, it was great fun. And a good reminder of how far I have come and all that I have learned. Plus, I made a new friend - all and all, a successful day!

The good, the bad, and the... well, you know

I've spent the last 2 weeks sleeping. That's it, just sleeping. Why? Well, I competed in a little adventure race and since I ran about 10 miles, biked 30 and kayaked 10, I was a little tired.

Seriously, I am surprised at how long it has taken me to recover. I was a zombie the week after, but surprisingly not too sore. Which is a change from last year, when I was sore all over; this year, when i had trained less and was a few pounds heavier... not bad. Can someone please explain that to me?

So, how did the actual race go? As you might have guessed from the title, it was a mix of different emotions.

The Good:
1. Seeing/Meeting adventure racing friends: what I love most about AR are the people. I have never met such an amazing group of warm and encouraging people in my life. The team from Utah who were running their first race; the organizers of the race (who I just adore!); my friends the Gypsy Chix, who rock as an all-girl team; the young and fast Ryan who beat everyone but did it with a big smile on his face. Just a cool group of people.

2. Kayaking: My 1st goal was to be much faster in the kayaking section (I was SLOWW last year and so last place it was embarrassing). This year, I rented an amazing sea kayak (the section was all on lake) and whizzed by everyone!

3. Overall time: My 2nd goal was to have a better time than last year. Despite some penalties (I'll explain more in the "bad" section) I was 2 hours faster than last year. Not bad.

The Bad:
1. Penalties: I missed a lot of the checkpoints during the Bike-O (basically orienteering on a bike). It wasn't because I didn't know where they were, it was more about how I suck on the bike. I missed 3 of them, which had :30 minute penalties for each one missed.

2. Sick: I, once again, had problems with feeling sick through the entire race. I run low on potassium normally, but get me out there racing and it really affects me. I took lots of electrolyte pills, which helped some, but I still struggled. I don't know how to resolve this one.

3. Weather: I didn't get to do the final leg, the Mountain biking section, due to weather. You would think I would be happy about that, right? I wasn't. It kind of sucked and I got 2 more penalties due to missing those 2 checkpoints. *&$%# weather.

The Ugly:
1. My mountain biking skills... enough said.

Despite meeting my two goals of a faster overall time and kayaking time, I still was disappointed. I had emailed a friend and told him about the race and his observation was interesting:

What I found missing from your experience below is that last year you wrote about the beauty around you, which I took to be presence in the moment. Perhaps this year you took less time to "smell the proverbial roses"? And it became more of a foot race?


He said it all with that one comment. I seemed to have lost my perspective and kept thinking about how slow I was, how I couldn't keep up, etc. It made it a not-so-fun experience.

Despite that, I still enjoyed the weekend. The big finale was dinner at an old friends house, a friend I haven't seen since college. It was great to get caught up and see how her life has turned out (very happily!)

So, what am I going to do next? I think I'm going to spend time on my running. I have been so caught up in getting better on my bike that I haven't been running and honestly, I love to run. It just clears my head like nothing else. I might even try to run a 1/2 marathon in November... we'll see.

A Quick Hello...

This weekend has crept up on me quite unexpectedly. I'm getting ready for my first adventure race of the year on Saturday (a 12 hour/50-60 mile race) and I feel slightly unprepared. Compared to last year when I was in the best shape ever, this year not so much. I'm just hoping I don't collapse in the middle of the course. How embarrassing would that be?

Surprisingly, I feel more prepared to push it than I was last year. Last year was just a test to see if I could actually race for 12 hours - I was SLOW! This year I have the disadvantage of being sick the past few months, however I feel more mentally prepared to push myself. I'm gonna have to tap into that, because my body is definitely not as tough!

I should have pictures next week, so be on the lookout for an update on my crazy day

camping/outdoor 'tips' and interesting tidbits...

Our local paper, the Gazette, totally rocks when it comes to any type of outdoor reporting. I just found this gem on their website - good info with a touch of 'the funny.' Below is a paragraph from the article - I am going to tell all my guy friends about this. Then I'm going to make sure my mom reads it - maybe she'll worry more about my brother than me :-)


THREAT NO. 1: THE Y CHROMOSOME

This tiny tangle of DNA that separates the men from the women is the most dangerous thing in the backcountry. It makes the hairier gender do really dumb things, such as climb mountains in thunderstorms, ski avalanche-prone slopes, and say things like, “Get a picture of me trying to ride this mountain goat.” Statistically, having the Y chromosome makes men three times more likely than women to be injured in the outdoors, and eight times more likely to be killed, according to a study by the Colorado Department of Public Health. Just to round things out, guys are also five times more likely to be killed biking, seven times more likely to be killed kayaking and 17 times more likely to be killed by an avalanche. The Y chromosome may also be a factor in Threat No. 2.

Best defense: Listen to your lady friend.