Ronto's Folly - Tomorrow Matters

2012 is setting up nicely!

2012-01-27T16:12:00.007-07:00

As I promised for some reason I am going to post about my 2012 race schedule... Ya ya snooze away at will, but this year should be a fun one! More importantly though are the people joining me on this years journey through the pain and long sweaty jaunts in the forest and over countless miles of pavement.

Most notable is the return of SA, once she heals that is of course, but she's back!! We'll be getting in lots of tiring miles together, a few races, beers, and lots of laughs! She's planning on coming to Moab this year for the Canyonlands half and is running the Colorado Marathon, her first 26.2!! She's got some other races planned too and I'm excited about them and her!

My brother-in-laws are stepping it up this year too, actually talking me into an adventure race they signed up for, I'm on team 'Awesome Dad's!' They are coming to Fort Collins on the day of the Colorado Marathon to run their first halfs as well!

My sisters are even going to do a few races with me this year! I'm looking forward to spending another treacherous weekend with Trav and Maggie in Moab and they are giving the Colorado Marathon a go with SA and I. There are plenty of friends coming for different events, and hopefully some of you reading this will propose something fun to do too!!

Well there promises to be great times, fun times, miserable times, avoided times, and cold mornings staring at hundreds and thousands of lost jokers just like myself, but in the end we'll all have a good time, see a few great views and endure through some painful but radical moments. It's just great to see all the support and to see everyone being healthy, getting out there and setting goals here in 2012!

As for me here's a quick rundown of what I have planned:

Canyonlands Half: March 17th

Horsetooth Half: April 22nd

Colorado Marathon: May 6th

Tough Mudder: June 26th

Leadville Silver Rush: July 15th

Tough, but they should all be fun races and I'll get to see a lot of friends which is really why I'm doing this! So I'll be out there, rain or shine getting ready, if you want to come and run, or hang out let me know! Lets plan something for the fall too, maybe Blue Sky Marathon? 24 hrs of Boulder?? Bear Chase??? Even just some fun weekend runs, Chiefs Head is on the list, Longs, Desolation, lots of fun out there to be had once the temps warm back up in the high country.

Keep me posted if you have ideas! Alright, it's done snowing for the day, sun's back out, time to get away from this computer, see yall out there!!

Oh ps, Beer Mile in FOCO??? I think I am going to start this, let me know what wants in, check out this link from a friends blog that does one in Boulder: Winter Harvard Gulch Beer Mile!!

Fast times on Ridgeline High

2012-01-24T00:43:00.004-07:00

"Hey! You know, we left this England place because it was bogus. So if we don't get some cool rules ourselves, pronto, we'll just be bogus too."

January has been great here in Fort Collins, warm weather, runs, mountain bike rides, no snow, live music, trips to the mountains, and lots of laughs with friends and family. I have to say everyone here is always amazed with how warm it stays here in the winter, but every year we say the same things, "wow this is amazing, 65 and sunny in January!" This place is great, and even in your late 20's sometimes life can feel like a scene out of a 80's high school movie!

Jack took us for a little hike on Ridgeline on a blustery day!

The Rods tore up the Loveland nightlife with a full crowd of friends in attendance, Mr. Hand would have been suspicious but all was straight.

And SA even learned a new skill! No more shoveling for this guy....

In the end life is grand, I'm happy, and there is not much else to report. Oh I guess there is a tad more, the next post will go more into it but I have my schedule for 2012 races all set, and it's looking like it's going to be a fun year! Stay tuned, I'll get that out soon enough.

Hope yall are having a great time and sticking to those resolutions, see ya soon!!

Shoes Shoes Shoes

2012-01-07T09:49:00.006-07:00

Once again I have the inevitable shoe dilemma in front of me, and although things are easier this year than last year’s “great shoe debate” I still have to make a choice. Last year I decided to go minimalist, I read Born to Run and after some further research decided the barefoot movement was where I needed to head if I was going to be the runner I wanted to be. Of course there are a million minimalist/barefoot shoes on the market now, being the fad, and last year after trying out what seemed like all the options I settled on the New Balance Minimus(NB MT10). This shoe is amazing! In almost every aspect…. Where this shoe failed was its protection on rocky trails. At first these shoes felt like they had plenty of underfoot/midsole protection, but I was comparing them to the Vibram Five Finger’s, that I had been running in, which really get you closer to the barefoot goal with almost no protection. After almost a year of running in the MT10’s they have worn down and I am plagued with sore feet after long trail runs on Northern Colorado’s rocky trails. I do still love the shoes for the road, but they are no longer worth much to me on the trail, making me carefully pick my line instead of just running.

I have always been a huge fan of New Balance, and really was satisfied with the MT10’s, so this year my search was quickly narrowed down to 2012 NB lineup. I considered other brands, but after perusing I decided to just stick with what works and NB shoes always have for me. This year there are four NB minimalist trail shoes that interested me, and I’ll talk about each one a little and you can makeup your mind about which one is right for you. The NB Minimus (MT20), The NB Minimus Trail Zero (MT00), the NB Minimus Amp (MT1010), and the NB MT110 (no fancy name apparently and not truly a minimalist shoe, but close). All four look like great shoes but I need to narrow it down so here are my thoughts….

I started at the Minimus(MT20), this is just the 2012 version of the Minimus, and other than a slight update on its appearance it’s basically the same beast as last years MT10’s, 4mm heel drop and all. It’s the first out the window for me, being the same as what I have I feel there is just not enough forefoot protection. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great shoe and has performed amazingly, it’s holding up after hundreds of miles of running and I love the feel of them, they are just better suited for the super buffed out trails that don’t exist here, so…. The MT20’s come in at $99.99 and are available now I believe. Oh quick note too, I don’t care about the weight of any of these shoes, some reviewers post about that, they are all light in my book, and that satisfies me on that topic.

The Minimus Trail Zero(MT00) interested me next, NB finally decided to make a true flat shoe. Cutting the last 4mm and putting this shoe into the category along with the Vibram’s and a few others that can boast a zero drop shoe. NB did beef up the midsole on the MT00 to add a little protection from the sharp rocks, but it seems minimal and without some real testing out on the trail I don’t really know how much better the sole is. So although interesting with zero drop, slightly more protection, and an even more minimalist upper, I am going to throw these out the window too. However I would like to try them before I am sure.

Also NB is making a Minimus Road Zero(MR00), their road version of the MT00, a zero drop road runner that has all my attention, and the shoe that will be my road runner of choice this year for sure, but that’s an aside, this post is about trail shoes. Both the MT00 and the MR00 are going to come in around $100.00-110.00 and will be available in February.

The last Minimus is the Amp (MT1010). This to me is what the Minimus trail shoe should be. The Amp is a 4mm drop shoe, so not flat like the MT00, but the same as the MT10’s I currently wear and this years MT20’s. The Amp has more rubber at the midsole and slightly more support in the upper than the other Minimus shoes, and the big addition of the added protection of NB’s RockStop, a thin piece of hard foam in the soul that acts like a rock plate helping to avoid the pain of those pesky little rocks all over the trails. The RockStop is what is selling me on the MT1010’s, it’s what the MT10’s or any minimalist trail shoe needs I believe. Having to consciously pick every step out there takes too much concentration for me when I’d rather just be enjoying on the view! The shoes look amazing too, like the concept car of trail shoes, and I dig the bright colors NB picked for them! They have a nice mesh upper, no gusseted tongue, and are still designed for sockless wear if that’s your thing, which it is for me, so these may be the ones! They will retail at $110.00 but unfortunately won’t be available until July.

Lastly are the MT110’s, this years improved version of the super popular MT101’s, and MT100’s from years past. Everywhere I went last year runners had the 101’s on, they seemed to be the shoe of choice for ultra and trail runner alike. I tried and liked last years MT101’s, they were comfortable, had lots of protection, could be worn without socks, and were the cheapest in the NB lineup, but with an 10mm heel drop I decided I didn’t want to go back that high up since I was already running on Vibram’s at the time. The heel drop was the main reason that I settled on the MT10’s last year, feeling like the MT101’s were just not minimalist enough for me, which they were not designed to be so it’s understandable. They were great half-way shoes, good for transitioning runners with the goal of flatter shoes; they were not trying to be minimalist shoes by any means. This year however NB took a new look at this shoe and finally made the change needed to hold my interest. They lowered the heel drop to 4mm, putting it in the running with the Minimus lineup, changed the upper a bit to deal with some chafing issues the older versions had, and picked out some new funky colors. The MT110’s have a RockStop plate in them as well, like the Amp's, and may be the future for near-minimalist or closer to zero heel drop trail shoes. The one concern I do have is although the heel drop is only 4mm, the shoes still have a stack height of 19mm at the heel and 15mm at the toe, compared to the Amp’s 14mm and 10mm, or 9 and 5mm of the MT10’s. Last year the 101’s felt tipsy to me with the propensity of possibly turning an ankle, compared to the lower shoes I was used to running in at the time. I talked with other runners wearing the 101’s and they felt the same way for the most part. This is where the 110’s do stray away from the minimalist category; there is a lot of rubber down there. Also the tongue is gusseted, not a big issue, but I really like the wrap feel of the Minimus tongues, less seams for rubbing. Anyway the MT110’s will come in at $85.00 and will be available in January. The 110's will most likely be the shoe of choice for me, until July when I can get my hands on a pair of the Amp’s!

It’s always a hard choice when picking a new running shoe, so if anyone out there is looking at the NB line up, hopefully this helped a bit. Thanks for reading and good luck with your choices, I know there are tons out there to pick from!

Resolution

2011-12-30T11:52:00.008-07:00

Once again it’s that time of year, the time when we gaze hopefully toward the future and a new start, and reminisce on the triumphs, joys, failures, and sorrows of the past. It’s the end of one year and the start of a new. With the changing of calendars on the wall, and the guilt of eating too many holiday cookies comes the inevitable quandary of what should we resolve to do differently this upcoming year?

A resolution is an expression of intention, an act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action. But it’s also the mental state or quality of being resolute, having a firmness of purpose; in court it’s a judicial decision, a verdict. The medical field views resolution as a return from a pathological to a normal condition, the subsidence of the symptoms of a disease. Musicians even see it as the process in harmony whereby a dissonant note or chord is followed by a consonant one. Even your TV has a resolution!

What we’re talking about however is the promise we all tend to make tomorrow, big or small. The norm for most New Year’s resolutions usually deal with plans to spend more time with friends or family, quitting smoking or drinking, and getting into better shape. Others promise to find happiness or add to the quality of life, taming debt, or taking up a new hobby. And there are always those altruistic hopes too of giving back and helping others or getting life organized and onto a new path.

These seemingly ridiculous commitments started thousands of years ago in Babylon as Babylonians resolved to give something borrowed, back to their neighbors. Two thousand years later the Romans gave gifts to loved ones and asked for forgiveness from their enemies, starting the New Year with some sort of “clean slate.” The Romans believed in new starts so vehemently they even changed the date of the New Year to coincide with the first month of our current calendar, January, being named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and transitions. All over the globe and throughout a variety of cultures the passing from one year to the next has always been an occasion for celebration and making promises that the next year will be better than the previous.

Most people resolve to give something up, to drop some seemingly bad habit or flaw. Some religious dogma over the years possibly has lead some to believe we would be better off if we gave up these vices or wanton urges in our life, focusing on our transgressions from the past year and fixing them. I say we look forward instead and believe our resolutions should be about gaining something, rather than sacrifice. Last year was the first time I decided to be resolute in my resolution and other than a few lapses, firmly stuck to what I decided to change in 2011. However my intention was to cut things out of my life, seemingly unimportant things too. I was able to eliminate, begrudgingly of course, two things I knew would be hard to give up, but in the end giving these things up did not make me a better person or a happier one. They were healthy exclusions, but for 2012 I plan on including something, something that will make me that better person and a happier one.

So this year I have my goals, the things I want to accomplish; I’m going to find a great job, I’m going to eat healthy, I am going to stay fit and run another marathon and a 50 mile ultra. I’m going to finally defend my thesis, and close that chapter in my life, and possibly even reapply to start my PhD. I’m going to stay positive and enjoy my life in 2012, I’m going to find that happiness that I feel I slightly lost in 2011, but those are some of my goals, my resolution is a core thing I am going to change. January first my resolution starts, and this year I am resolving to go big, I plan on finding compassion in my life for the people around me. I resolve to listen better and care more about the important things in life, those in it, and show the ones I love that I do in fact love them. By this time next year I hope to have nurtured the relationships in my life to the point that I don’t feel alone anymore, to the point where I am truly happy because I have stopped pushing people away and instead opened my arms and heart to others. I know it sounds lofty, or fanciful, but I think it’s attainable and I believe it will change my life and the lives of those around me.

Well Happy New Year and good luck with whatever you decided to do or not do or change in your life for 2012! If you’d like, share your resolutions here with me and our one other reader… Haha! Feel free to post, I hope to hear from you!!

Happy Holidays!!!

2011-12-25T20:22:00.007-07:00

I just wanted to say happy holidays to everyone out there! I hope you all are with loved ones and having a joyous and laughter filled day. Here's a good card I read and wanted to share with everyone.

It’s All About You

It’s Christmas

And the mood is merry

Lots of people are out

Spending time and money,

Trying to find new and improved ways

To show others how they feel

Don’t get me wrong

I like gifts as much as the next person

But there are some things

That cant be bought

Like the way I feel about you

Theres nothing at the store

That adequetly says

“your smile makes me smile’

There’s no “thing” that really

Expresses just how much

I love and appreciate you

So I am telling you now

All the hustle and bustle aside

You mean the world to me

You are the real gift in my life.

In the end life is all about the people in it, so thank you all for being in my life! Have a wonderful rest of your 2011!!

Shit my dad says

2011-12-22T12:54:00.009-07:00

Rule # 1: Go with the flow

Rule # 2: Be happy

There was a long set of rules my dad had about life, most of them sounded like lines out of Shit My Dad Says and I wish I could remember them all, but rule number one and two were always in his rants at some point. He was a huge advocate for living your life and he hated it when people just talked about doing things. Action was key and my parents agreed on this point, I still hear my dad’s words coming out of my mom’s mouth almost every time I see her, “Don’t just talk about it, do it!” I feel like the Nike swoosh should have been their logo for parenting. They have always been very optimistic and motivating about any endeavor I have set my sights on, it’s a trait of theirs I greatly appreciate and it’s come to be the way I live my life as well.

Their beliefs obviously trickled down and I see “doing” as a tenet, the foundation of a strong and happy life. It leads to being; being the person you want to be in the life you want to lead. It was important to my dad to impart his silly wisdom and I remember at times thinking he needs to quit with all the rhetoric. I remember him saying over and over, to go with the flow and to be happy, and lately I’ve found myself pursuing something I really want, something paramount to me, and it’s been pretty against the flow. I know it’s crucial what I’m doing, but I need to remember my dad’s number one rule a little more, and go with the flow. What should happen will happen…

I believe you have to DO to make a difference in your life, but lately I see it cannot be all encompassing. The need for compassion when you’re gunning for something is just as important as the gunning itself. There are always people around you that will be affected by the wake we leave and those should be considered. Getting to the finish line all alone is no way to get to rule number two, being happy. I see now that rule number two is really the goal, where as rule number one is part of how we get there, and it’s the people that join us throughout life and cross those finish lines with us that we set for ourselves that make this life worth the doing.

I’m sure if dad was still around he would look at me now, shaking his head, and say, “You’re finally getting it.” It’s just an adjustment I needed to understand, to have a slightly different view of his top two rules.

With that and the fresh snow that sits on the ground outside, I want to finally share something I wrote the day my dad passed away. I wrote this when I was 18, probably in a state of shock, so be kind on your judgments, it’s a metaphor through the view of something my family always has cherished. Anyway, thanks again for listening and here is Snow Conditions:

On the slopes of life

We constantly wish for better times.

In the deep powder we laugh and pray for more

On the ice we curse and struggle.

Ever changing we adjust.

Our skis are sharp, tuned, and precise

Days of sunshine call to us to free ourselves.

Runs on a cloudy day are flat

And falling snow nips at our nose.

Ever changing we adjust.

Spring rolls in and layers are shed

As snow melts and turns to slush.

Whether you’re in jeans or down

Shorts or a sweater.

Ever changing we adjust.

Real skiers will brave the squall

Battling rain, sleet, cold, and wind.

We call these slopes our home

They guide us to our goal.

Ever changing we adjust.

Cringing we ski through the bad

Knowing tomorrow there will be good.

Ever changing we adjust.

Truth is, we adjust.

We fight. We deal. We live.

In the end the snow doesn’t change

We adjust.

What a week!

2011-12-18T18:53:00.008-07:00

After an amazing week that started with submitting a final draft of my Master's thesis and continued with new progress on Pure Pursuit, an amazing job interview, seeing old friends and spending a lot of time with someone infinitely important to me, Sunday hit the Front Range with sun and soaring temps!! Although it is December, here in Colorado the weather always seems to please and surprise, 65 ain't too shabby when it's supposed to be cold and snowy! We took advantage of the mild temps and quickly headed off to the mountains with the furry pup in tow for a day of hiking.

After a few battles with icy trails, chilly ankles, and sore necks from constantly looking down, we made it to the summit! It was a little windy on top, but the views were amazing! What a day!

The annual appearance of generations of hideous holiday apparel of course came out this weekend as well. All over town people were committed to celebrating the holiday cheer wearing some dusty and possibly stained relic from the past. This festivity is always a favorite for me and my passion for wearing ugly clothes! My good friends the Hawks hosted this years gathering and we had one hell of a time! Everyone came dressed to impress and smiles and laughter abounded.

Brad was the only one not to dress up.....

Thanks for following Ronto's Folly and I hope everyone out there has a happy and safe Holiday!

Pure Pursuit Is Back!!

2011-12-15T12:24:00.004-07:00

After a few long months off from the dream that is Pure Pursuit we finally got back into the kitchen! I didn't know where I wanted to take the company, I had tested the bars at the Farmer's Market this summer and they were a hit, but I was still unsure if it's what I wanted to be doing. Anyway I took a bit of time away from Pure Pursuit and have decided that they are just too dang good to let this idea fall to the wayside. So last night we pulled up our sleeves and with the help of my amazing volunteer worker bees, blasted out a few batches! During my slight sabbatical I did find some time to design new packaging as well, and finally we have that ever important nutritional label on the back! They look great, taste great, and are ready for sale! Keep an eye out in Fort Collins, soon they'll be hitting the shelves!!

Here's Steph and my Mom taking charge! What a crew!! Thank you so much you two, this would not have been possible without your help.

The ever important cut.... I still have some work to do to get all the bars more even, but I'm brainstorming on that front! And don't you worry, I'm making them on the big side so there's still tons of energy packed goodness in every little package!

Stay tuned with more information on where to get these tasty little goodies!

Ski Week!!!

2011-12-15T11:53:00.005-07:00

Ahhh, Family ski week is finally here! Every year my surrogate family, the Blomsness's, has their annual trip out west to Beaver Creek, Colorado, and it's a week I look forward to all year long. It's always a time to kick back and relax, eat way too much amazing food, enjoy the hot tubs multiple times a day, and even occasionally get a few runs in on the slopes. This week is never about pushing ourselves, alarm clocks are forgotten about, morning coffees are bought at Starbucks around noon, and fresh warm cookies at 3 o'clock are something we make sure we are off the hill for. Although we spend this time at one of Colorado's best resorts, its really not about the skiing, but about family!

I forgot to mention we all think we are Olympian ice dancers... Ya those are skills, see that, one legged!

Yep we can all do it, that's our group's move!

Even here Rob is on one leg, still doing the move! Strong work Rob!!

I did mention eating I believe right? When we're not on the ice... or slopes, we're dining, and boy does the food in Colorado's high country keep you coming back! From Jager Schnitzel at Pepe's in Vail to lobster, scallop, and crab pasta at Toscanini's in Beaver Creek, we hit all the highlights and never once are we disappointed. We spend a lot of time enjoying each others company and the laughs go late into the nights.

This year was special too, with Rob and his wife Mel, as well as Rob's sister and her husband finally once again making the trip to ski country. For the last six years since Rob dedicated his life to the US NAVY he has had to miss this amazing week. I continued right on through however, filling in where his spot was left. A few of our friends were there as well, Travis and Maggie of course who are regulars at Ski Week were there, and my good buddy Vince even made the trip this year from Chicago. It was better than ever this year with everyone finally back in one place together! I want to say thank you to Jeff and Pattie for always having open arms and hearts and allowing me to be part of their family, as well, a thanks goes out to Rob's uncle Bill who finally brought his partner with for us to meet and get to know. Lastly, the rest of you that were that, thanks for the great week and fun memories, I am already looking forward to next year!!

Enjoy dessert too.... Anyone who know's Mr B. knows his world famous sundaes!!

10 years...

2011-12-12T14:55:00.009-07:00

Someone I loved once gave me

A box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand

That this too, was a gift. -Mary Oliver-

It’s been ten years since my father passed away and until recently I have been extremely guarded about my emotions and even talking about my dad. When he died I was 18 and I didn’t know how to cope with the trauma that was going on around me so I chose the unhealthy route of delaying my grieving and instead tucking my emotions away behind a veil of projected self strength and confidence. I have lived behind this front, so perfectly sculpted that no one even knew the deep seeded pain that I had yet to let out and deal with. Anyway, this post is not like anything else I have ever written, for the first time in my life I am seeing that it’s ok to vent and talk about things that for so long I buried in a place I though I would eventually just forget about. Being a writer, this is the best way I know how to manage my thoughts, and I am not embarrassed to share them anymore, but it’s taken me 10 years to get to this point. Maybe there is an 18 year old man out there, or any age, dealing with the same thing and knowing that others have lived through it and made it out the other side may help, it has for me. So I am warning you to walk away now if you’re not ready to see Ronto’s Folly in a new light, but this is my life and currently my folly. Thanks again for reading if you stay the course.

It was March of 2002, I was in the second semester of my first year of college out here at Colorado State University. I had fled the flat lands of my childhood as soon as I graduated high school in search of higher ground. My family had always had a condo at Keystone and one of the perks of living in Fort Collins was I got to go up there and stay for free for weekend ski adventures. I remember I was skiing with my friends, actually I had brought this girl with curly read hair I liked with for the weekend and when we got back after a beautiful blue bird day with fresh powder all over the mountain I noticed I had 17 missed calls. I froze as my friends were opening beers and knew exactly what those missed calls were about. Before I could really react my best friend Rob walked through the door, who was supposed to be two hours away back in Fort Collins. I don’t remember why he didn’t come skiing with us that day but there he was saying something about how he had packed my bag and how his dad got us plane tickets and we were leaving, NOW. It’s all pretty fuzzy what happened between then and when we got on the plane in Denver, but I feel like I didn’t talk much, and sitting on the plane I began to shut down. I had only talked to my mom for a few seconds, to let her know I was on my way, and on my own sitting there I decided I was going to be the rock my family needed. That plane ride flashed by and all I remember was not crying when I saw my mom. I don’t have a clue how I got home from the airport or where we went. I just remember floating around not really feeling anything. I didn’t cry, I was just frozen, suspended in what I guess would be called shock. I think it helped my mom and sisters, I remember them being a mess but I was solid. I wrote a poem that night, ha ya back then I wrote poetry, to read at the funeral, and I remember reading it to everyone, and there were what seemed like thousands at the funeral. I remember my mom and sisters standing up with me bawling and I knew I couldn’t shed a tear, I had to say what they couldn’t, I had to eulogize my dad.

Something to understand about my dad was he was a hero, well my hero! He was bigger than life, had a huge heart, and knew everyone. One of the odd memories I have from that day at the funeral was shaking everyone’s hands, and there was this line out around the building and down the street. I was in awe at how many people my dad’s life had touched, and the most amazing part about this memory is that I feel like I knew every one of the people I was shaking hands with. Like at some point, everyone in my dad’s life had been to the house, or on a trip with us, somehow he had involved me in every aspect of his world, so much so that I knew the seemingly 2000 people close enough to him to show up at his funeral. I don’t really have any other memories about that time though. I have no clue how long I was home for, or even going back to school in Colorado. I do remember though calling the girl that lived across the hall from me in the dorms, she was someone I knew from high school, and I asked her to tell everyone back at CSU, my group of friends that is, to specifically not ask me how I was doing. I told her I didn’t want to talk about it, so to please have everyone keep it off the conversational radar. She must have succeeded because no one ever brought it up, and I appreciated that at the time.

Memories start to come back once I got back to CSU, but by that point I had somehow found a spot deep in my mind to house my grief and I trapped it there, covered it, and forgot about it. I went on with my life and anytime any emotion would start to boil up I would avoid it, leave the situation, and push it out of my world, out of my mind, and out of my heart. I was training my mind to control my life, and soon there were less and less attempts by my emotions to regain the upper hand. I opted not to go home after my first year of college and stayed out here in Colorado to become a raft guide, and live as much as possible in the mountains. My life seemed easier, to concentrate on playing and becoming a mountain man of sorts. None of the decisions I was making were based on emotions or feelings, and as the years passed I forgot, honestly forgot about the pain that I never dealt with. I became callous and careless. I was a lot of fun to be around but it was all just a surface show. I lived my life pretty loosely, but my mind was disciplined like a monk’s, never faltering or letting on to irrationality. I cut fear and jealousy out of my life. I cut love out of my life. I cut anything out of my life that seemed to be a weakness that I saw in others. I believed I was happy, and I thought my life was about me. I constructed ridiculous systems to stay emotionally safe, and I believed I could keep pain out of my life for good if I stuck to my rules.

I never grieved, psychologists call it delayed grieving, and there is no length to which people wait to grieve but from what I have read it seems most people think that anywhere between 6 months to a year is the acceptable period for grieving. Well screw that, I’m sorry, I’m on year 10 and I am just starting this process. Everyone has their ways, and this was mine, it allowed me to live through that trauma, instead of shutting down. The crazy part is that all the literature says that people dealing with grief like this, by pushing it away, usually suffer in their career or academics, they withdraw socially, they stop exercising, or they develop eating disorders. I breezed through undergrad with high marks, and walked to straight A’s in grad school, I went out and met new people, I dated, and I was always ready for a good time. I exercised more than most people and ate anything I wanted. On the exterior I seemed fine, and even on the inside I believed I was fine, that’s how good of a job I did masking the pain left by not dealing with the hand life had dealt me, even I believed the façade…

Part of the process that I feel bad about was the fact that our family didn’t grieve together. If you ask my mother, she believes we bonded after my dad died, but I ran, I came back here to Colorado and I didn’t go home after the school year was over. I feel we isolated ourselves, mainly myself I guess, forcing each of us to grieve on our own. For me it seemed no one wanted to bring up the topic of dads death because of fear of upsetting another family member that may be having a hard time with it. So no one ever asked, “How are you doing?” It wasn’t a callous thing, we didn’t want to ignore one another, I just think we were all dealing with it in our own ways and didn’t want to talk about it. Since we didn’t bring it up on our own I think the others assumed each other was doing alright. It’s a mean cycle where no one talked about it and I think that lead to part of why I felt so distanced from my mom and sisters for a long time. I cared about them, but there was distance, and that distance is just now becoming smaller.

Some of the things that have been hardest since he died have been when I see my good friends with their dads, or even just as they talk on the phone with their dads. I used to leave the room when my best friend Rob would be talking to his dad on the phone. His dad is amazing, reminds me a lot of my own dad, and has stepped in where my dad left off, and although there was lots of love there from his dad to me, I still felt anxiety when they would talk because I felt so mad at my dad for dying. I felt robbed of the chance to grow up and have an adult relationship with him, and at times I just wished I could pick up the phone and call him. I never cared if I saw someone with their father that I didn’t know, but when it was my friends it was hard. Even this year, my friend Travis had his dad out here hunting and it filled me with remorse because I would love to hunt with my dad. I never got to do these things with him, and for a long time I was actually mad at him for that. Another real contention was when I was required to walk my sisters down the wedding aisle. Of course I was happy to be there for my sisters, but I felt so angry in those moments because it was not my responsibility. Dads are supposed to walk their daughters down the aisle, not their little brothers. I felt like he let them down, and that’s what pissed me off. I was really mad about that. There were other times too, at first; holidays and birthdays were something I wanted to avoid because I was upset he was missing it all. I’ve even gone to the lengths of not letting anyone know when my birthday is because I didn’t want to celebrate it, and in 10 years most of the people in my life have forgotten when it actually is. Graduations and family get-togethers, or my mom moving were all hard times because he was supposed to be there for all of that. Even getting a job, or going back to school, or buying my house, they were all tough times.

Well with time the anger has passed, and I’m not mad anymore. For a long time I actually believed I was past it, that I was fine, the attitude was this is life and it sucks sometimes but deal with it. Lately I’m actually opening some of those hidden packages of emotions I thought I burnt in my mental incinerator, and what I feel now is sadness. I’m not angry he’s not here, I’m sad. Its been 10 years now since the last time I saw him, it was Christmas break 2001, and I’m still sad he’s not here anymore. I don’t know if that ever goes away to be honest, I hope it doesn’t, because it helps me to remember him, but it’s hard, and even as I write this I am choked up and can feel tears welling. My mom still misses him so much too. They were best friends and so compatible. She is so lonely sometimes and I don’t think she will ever marry again because she doesn’t want to just have someone to spend time with, she wants to spend time with her best friend, her love, and he’s no longer on this planet. It’s hard sometimes to see her when she is sad, because she has also been so strong for the past 10 years, and I know there is still a lot of pain there.

This whole unearthing of these emotions and feelings was brought on by a decision I made in my life that I instantly regretted and it started me down the path of looking back at the last 10 years with an extremely critical lens. I am trying to make up for my past mistakes, and am trying to actually understand the way I feel about the things that have happened in my life. I know there’s been a lot of good in the last 10 years as well, but there are times that I see now as moments of greatness that I let pass by because I was too closed off to accept them. Grieving is hard, and sometimes time doesn’t always help like we hope for it to, but what helps me is to know that life is still going to happen and if we decided to just float around disconnected because of fear, that life will pass us up, and I'm not willing to let that happen anymore. I’ll post more about this I’m sure, so if you made it through this all, thanks, and if this helped anyone else going through the loss of a parent than I’m glad I wrote it even though it was difficult.

San Diego!

2011-11-29T11:14:00.005-07:00

This year the whole family got to take a little time off and get away together! We decided to go to San Diego, on of my favorite cities, and hit the beach and the theme parks for the kids! I have been to San Diego now about 6 or 7 times, my best friend Rob has been stationed there, being in the NAVY, so I got to go visit a lot. But this was the first time I was there while he was not so instead of the usual adventure and drinks type of SD vacation, we concentrated on the the side of SD that I had not spent much time. With the kids packed up, off we headed, to sunny California!

I have 3 nephews, Tanner, Carter, and Ian, and one princess of a niece, Madisen. All being between the ages of 5 and 1 it was fun to take them around to the various parks and show them things I remember being excited about as a kid. We got to go to Sea World and see Shamu, Madisen made it to Disney Land, and everyone even found their way around to Lego Land! The kids loved it, I was exhausted and I didn't even partake in all the park days, rather picked and choose my battles wisely.

This ugly guy scared them all!

This is Ian, I like to think of him as Gerbnug, short for my little Gerber Nugget Baby!

Mom and I enjoying the sunset on Coronado!

The Del Coronado, this is where Rob married his wife Mel, it's amazing in there!

The whole clan!!

Not vacation for some people.... Kids are so hard! 4 at once is almost impossible, I don't know how my sisters and their husbands do this, but they are saints!

And lastly, the view form our patio! This was the first day we got there, and we didn't really see the sun again the rest of the week... So much for sunny California! Marine layer sucks, I'll gladly stay with my actual 300 days of sunshine here in Colorado. Overall, it was a great time, the kids had a blast, and although it was hectic at times, it was a nice getaway with the family!

Fall in the Woods - Part II

2011-11-27T19:28:00.008-07:00

Well I spent the last 6 weeks away from home, traveling and adventuring around our wonderful state. Being gone from home for 6 weeks leaves its mark and it was a good time to sneak off and think about life and where I want my future to be headed. And while I was contemplating life we managed to have a little fun as well. This won't be the most eloquent post on Ronto's Folly, some of that mental power is being utilized elsewhere currently, but there are plenty of pictures so enjoy and come back soon!

That's right, threw it in there!

Teets with the lofty goal of double axe!

Brad's first bull!!!

Rob's first bull!! 525 yards!

Moto hunting! Nothing better!

In the words of Gary Allan, He's so California!

Fire!!

Taylor pass beers! Opening day of 2nd season!

Check out the hanging flume.

The family for the fall!

Thanks for stopping by, there will be some sort of meaningful post soon so come on back!!

Went Living!

2011-10-11T11:29:00.005-06:00

A little shout out to Rob and Mel. If anyone reading Ronto's Folly wants to follow an amazing couple doing amazing things, check out: WentLiving or click on the title to this post. I also added their blog to my "Blogs, Blogs, Blogs" column on the right, so you can see when they update.

These two crazy kids just left last week for an around the world trip! They plan on being out there at least 7 months but they claim they don't have set plans for their return! Good luck you two, we'll be following and hopefully joining you along your adventure!

Fall in the Woods Part I

2011-10-11T10:34:00.008-06:00

Fall time here in Colorado is by far my favorite season. The air is cooling, the sun is shining, and while other parts of the country are slipping into the recesses of winter, the Indian Summers on Colorado's Front Range stretch on and on like ancient herds of buffalo on the great plains. So what do you do about the amazing climate? PLAY!!! Here is a little taste of the last month.

Lion's Gulch near Estes Park! There's an old homestead from the early 1900's that still has a few dilapidated buildings, and on a nice Friday afternoon, with the sun shining, it's a great place to get away from the crowds and let the dogs roam leash free!

2nd annual Kelly Lake trip! This year we had 11 people for the 3 days and 2 nights of adventure, fishing, drinking, and back country cooking! We ate and ate and ate, everything in sight, except the cunning trout that call Kelly Lake home. Those wily bastards are easy to spot through the glass like water, but smarter than you'd think. We had an amazing time though, the weather was great, and I'm looking forward to next years trip up there!

(Jack may have had one too many....)

Mt Alice, Rocky Mountain National Park! This 13 thousand foot peak near the park's southern boundary has had my eye for a while, and with a small blurb in a Backpacker magazine this year I figured it was time I tackled the beast. Although only in the low 13 thousand foot range, Mt Alice is about 20 miles round trip from the trail head, requiring most to overnight in the park. Being a dirtbag and not wanting to pay for a Park entrance fee or a back country camping permit I opted to run it, and finish it in one day! I invited my friend Josh, an ultra runner, to join me and off we set on a warm late summer morning at 2:00 am.

With nothing but camelbaks and some running shoes, we crushed the first few miles in the dark, and by the time the sun was rising in the east, we were high enough on the flanks of Mt Alice to be a part of the mountain's glorious alpenglow! We scaled over ice fields, steep talus and treacherous waterfalls before finally making it to Grand/Boulder pass and the Continental Divide. From there the route meanders up a gentle slope to Alice's rocky summit. An energy bar and some hummus wrap later, we descended off the north side and down some sketchy rock fields. Eventually the terrain eased off and we were able to pick up the pace again past countless waterfalls and cleaving glaciers. The area is phenomenal, dotted with pristine azure mountain lakes, abundant wildlife, and most importantly, not a person in sight! What a treat, who knew the Park could be so perfectly lonesome!

We cruised back down the home stretch, making our first self supported full mountain running adventure in under 10 hours. It was amazing, and doing it in one day saved us the hassle of both permits and packs loaded with camping equipment. Tired but elated, we hopped in the car and sped off for food and relaxation at lower elevations!

Stay tuned for Part II, fall is just getting started!

10 years!

2011-10-11T09:57:00.004-06:00

Ten years! I cannot believe that much time has gone by since I left the comfort of my childhood home in Barrington for the wilds of Colorado. Where I grew up, for those of you that don't know me that well, is a beautiful and well manicured little community about 35 miles northwest of Chicago. It was well-to-do and an amazing place to be a kid. Opportunity was around every corner and our minds were flooded with the idea that we can do anything we want or be anyone we want to be if we worked hard. There were no real restrictions on dreaming big, and if you could think it, it could always be accomplished! Of course all I ever wanted to do was get out of Northern Illinois and head to the mountains of the west....

You'll never hear me say the words I hated high school, or where I grew up, sure I was bored with the place by the time I left, and I knew the icy hills of Colorado were calling my name, but my life was great there while it lasted. I loved high school, my family life, my friends, playing soccer day in and day out, and having nothing in the world to stress about. We partied hard, played a lot, had easy jobs, and there was always food on the table! If I was asked to, I would gladly go back and do it again. There is no remorse for those days, just fond memories.

So...... Here we are, 10 years later and its finally reunion time. I have been excited about this since I left Barrington, headed westward. So of course I was going back to Chicago, however I could to be there for this event. Most of my friends were a tad bit skeptical about going, and without my constant prodding and actual appearance in the windy city, I think they would have skipped out. My brother and best friend in the world was really the only other person that was enthusiastic about going which made me happy when he told me him and his beautiful wife would be flying in! The two of us were able to rally the troops and get most of the old gang out of hiding, and guess what, they all had a blast at the two nights of reunion events. Comments like, "This was so fun, I cannot believe I wasn't going to come." were heard throughout the weekend.

We got to catchup on the last 10 years spent apart and reminisce about those crazy days back in Barrington. We drank, and ate, and smiled a lot. There was constant laughter and ideas about the future (10 years.....). It was amazing! I cannot believe some people choose not to participate in these things, especially people from my high school and my class; we were so united as 17 and 18 year olds, and for me at least, it was fun to rehash some of the classic stories, and see those familiar faces!

The weekend was great, the company was even better, and I am looking forward to the next 10 years of my life! I'm happy with what's transpired since I left home, and I love where I am. I've met great people and have continued wonderful relationships with those I grew up with. Life is still full of opportunity for me, and I know I can do or be whatever I want. I am grateful for the lessons and beliefs my family, friends and this little town instilled in me as a youngster, and look forward to every day that lay ahead! If you are in my life, thank you, you're there for a reason and I appreciate you!

And of course that 20 year reunion, I'll be there!

One Word: Miserable

2011-09-08T10:15:00.018-06:00

One Word: Miserable

I hit the road rolling on a sunny and hot Labor Day with plans of grandeur, a four or five day tour of Northern Colorado’s mountains, the first leg to a fall-o-fun that I’ve been looking forward to all summer long. With the bane of rafting finally behind me it was time to play! The idea was to ride slowly, stop often, bask in the warm mountain air, read a few books, and leave the blacktop for Colorado’s dirt roads and trails of interest. I rode south out of Fort Collins and all was well, the weather was hot, the sun was out, the traffic was light, or lightish, and my bike wasn’t a lead weight between my legs just yet, I was looking forward to the next week of my life!

Day one was to consist of riding to Estes Park, a prelude of the outing to come. Early on in the 22 mile climb up the Big Thompson Canyon I looked down at my thermometer, 98 degrees! Already I was dying. I took a break, jumped in the river, and laid down on the side of the road next to my bike. At some point I dozed off and a Lance-a-like in a full spandex unitard rolled up next to me and woke me up with a barrage of seemingly concerned questions. I answered as best I could, “my health is fine” “I don’t know my current heart rate” “yes that’s a cotton button down.” The list goes on but finally I got to my feet and proved to Dr. Lance that I was just napping and that laying on the side of the road half naked and soaking wet is normal for bike touring. To be honest I was out of water, hot, dehydrated, and desperately searching the sides of every house I passed for a spigot, but I couldn’t let the Prince of the Peloton know any of that.

A few hours after I left home I coasted into Estes, I needed something to drink badly, the heat was getting to me so I darted for Safeway. Somehow a nice old lady took interest in my weary state and began asking me about my camping plans for the night. Thinking nothing of it, I told her I planned on camping in the Park. Well this was a mistake; she ended up being an employee of the Park, actually the employee that sells you your camping permit in the backcountry office to be exact. She proceeded to tell me it was illegal to camp without a permit and got on her phone to call Johnny Law and let him know I was coming! It was almost five o’clock and the permit office was about to close for the evening. She must have seen the concern on my face and told me she was calling the Backcountry Office to ask if they would stay open just a bit longer and wait for me. I quickly cut her off and told her, “No no no, I am just going to camp outside the Park I meant.” Well this didn’t work either because she swiftly hung up and told me with slight aggression, “There is no free camping in Estes!” So I said I would go up to Lumpy ridge, that didn’t fly either, finally to get her off my case I told her I knew a few friends in Estes and maybe I would just couch surf for the night, which of course is a lie, I don’t know anyone up there…. With a disappointed look that only old people can give the younger generation as they feel we’re all out to cheat the world, she let me be, I figured she was satisfied with my explanation, but didn’t really care if she wasn’t; we both got on with our lives.

I finished up my snack, clamored onto my trusty steel steed, and off I went, up towards the Park to find my “non-existent” campsite for the evening. Sure enough I found one. Just where I wanted too, about 100 feet before the Park gates, just off the side of the road. I felt pretty good, especially knowing that prickly pear of a woman would be having an aneurysm knowing I got such a fantastic spot. With my bike stashed under a bush and my bedroll laid out, I lazily spent the last hour of sunlight relaxing, envisaging what the next few days would hold for me, and reading the latest issue of Outside. PS Outside, I have beef with you; we’ll leave it at that!

I tossed and turned throughout the night and awoke to the wind howling and the sky a flat black that even in the darkness of night I could tell was an incoming storm front. I hadn’t checked the weather reports, that kind of forethought and planning is usually beyond me. Lets be real, how often does it rain in Colorado in late summer? Or so I thought… It was 4:50 am and as my modus operandi dictates, “get into the park before 5:30 and avoid being charged for use of their road.” I hurriedly packed up to avoid the authorities or anyone driving by catching me in the last minutes of my thievery of 10 square feet of land and shoved off just as the sky opened up.

I rode the first two hours of the morning in a dark mist and as the sun rose to the east it looked as though the skies were going to clear. After a few miles and a very insightful sign warning about rapidly changing weather conditions ahead, temps had dropped and what seemed like a vapor as I climbed Trail Ridge had turned into a deluge, the air began to freeze at higher altitudes and the first snowflakes I’ve seen in months started to drift downward all around me. My Chaco clad feet and bare legs began to numb and by the time I reached the 12,183 ft summit, 28 long uphill miles after I had started my morning, I was slipping into a cold induced brain fart. Simple calculations like adding socks to my feet would equal a warmer Paul were difficult to compute and comprehend. I coasted down to the west side of the summit barely able to hold onto the handlebars, searching the hazy horizon for a Café I slightly remember being somewhere nearby. The Park’s Alpine Visitor’s Center appeared as if only an apparition, a cold smile cracked across my face.

The Tuesday after Labor Day, the Parks operating hours switch over to their fall hours…. Another thing I could have planned for had I done any planning. I was 2 hours early. My toes and lips were blue, I was wet and tired, and a concerned ranger felt the need to again accost me with questions about my health. This time I was a little more open to talking about my lousy near hypothermic state than I was with Dr. Lance in hopes she had something warm for me to consume in her truck, but instead she walked inside the visitor center, changed the signs “hours of operation” to the new times, and took off with a heartfelt “good luck!” “HA!” I laughed to myself. I pulled out every bit of clothes I brought, which was not much since this was supposed to be the first week in September, layered up, found an awning to sit under and waited.

The Café finally opened, I ordered a hot cocoa and multiple cups of hot water, re-warmed, dried out somewhat, and in higher spirits continued on. Getting back on my bike I headed west and to the hopefully dryer lower elevations of Grand Lake. Cruising down out of the mountains I crossed the Continental Divide at Milner Pass and made great time to Grand Lake, where I had planned on ending Day two. I was soaked, and the miles were easing on by so I figured I would push on. The hopes for dryer weather were long gone, but by that point I was saturated so it was of little concern anymore. The truth behind doing anything out in the rain I have found out over the years is, it really sucks. Then once you are soaked you hardly notice, you focus on what you are doing and the rain no longer matters. Then it comes to the end of the day and you have to crawl into your wet tent, wet, again it sucks. I figured I would just ride, and I did, I rode another 75 miles, on top of the 50 it took me to get through the Park, and other than a needed stop at a Kum & Go in Grandby for a jumbo hot dog, my feet barely came off my pedals.

My Goal for Day three was to head from Grand Lake over the Continental Divide for a second time at Willow Creek Pass, and on to the town of Rand where Day 4 would start on a dirt road that cuts through some forests and pasture land back to Hwy 14 in Gould. Well I decided just to do Day three and Day four on Day two instead of stopping, pedaling was the only thing keeping me warm, and my irrational hope that the precipitation would at some point end was the carrot in front of my tired mind’s eye. By the time the light was fading I had ridden for 14 hours, in the rain, covered almost 130 miles, crossed the treacherous slimy and slick mud of the Rand-Gould cut-off road and had come to the conclusion that Day three would be my last if the showers continued.

The drag of day two had finally slowed to a stop and as the light quickly began to fade out of the gray moisture laden skies it was time for me to find a place to lay my tired head for the night. The ground was soaked, and I was eager to find another night of free camping. I came to the end of the mud road and decided to sneak off into a hay farmer’s field, between two tall stacks of bales. I pitched my small one man tent and made a quick hot meal of pasta and some old NOLS chilimac concoction that was pretty lousy. I found some packets of parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes stowed away in the bottom of my pannier that saved the meal, and to think my roommates back Fort Collins had chastised me about stealing them from a pizza joint the week before! Crawling into my one man catacomb for the night, I nodded in and out of consciousness in fear of pissed off landowners or local hunters stumbling upon my exhausted trespassing soul. At one point I even heard a truck come to a stop on the other side of my hay fortress and my heart began to race as I was sure I was getting kicked out of my humble abode.

Day three came early with the sounds of cow elk calling each other outside my tent before the sun had a chance to lighten the still gloomy and dismal sky. I hastily packed my bike and rode out of my cavernous hay hotel, hoping to be in the middle of the herd, only to surprise two hunters sitting right on the other side of my Great Wall of Hay. There they sat, calling each other as it seemed to me, because as far as I could see there were no elk….. I pedaled the last half mile of dirt road in early morning twilight, passing two big bull moose, half tempted to turn around and point the lost hunters towards something, anything. With an elated sigh I finally made it back to the hard surface of HWY 14! This was a small victory, but a glorious moment for me!

Once on the pavement the day started with a grueling 15 mile climb up the west-side of Cameron’s Pass, and believe it or not, the rain had not stopped. This is irrelevant information at this point though, I was still soaked from the day before and there was no end in sight, the thoughts of trench foot or wrinkle fingers consumed my mind momentarily. The prior days long march lead to some expected crepititis, or crappytitis in my left ankle. It’s a lousy acute pain in the lower Achilles tendon area, that you get I guess from over riding your bike? It brought me back to the summer of 2008 and some painful memories of my bike tour with Molly down the West Coast. We both had this aliment so bad we could barley hobble around when not on our bikes, and on our bikes was worse, I guess you need to take down time to care for your body…. My mind wandered to the wet days on that tour and how one night we ate a dinner of boiled hotdogs, no buns, no condiments, inside a campground outhouse. What a classy date! Right then, a hot boiled hotdog and the dryness of the interior of a putrid outhouse sounded pretty luxurious.

I didn’t get my hot dog, but I managed to make it over the pass and started in on what I expected to be a fast paced downhill. The first few miles proved me right, but in the little planning I had done for this adventure I thought the 60 mile ride from the top of Cameron’s Pass to the canyon mouth would be a fast and easy coast. I’ve even driven this canyon about 1000 times, and somehow I didn’t understand as I was pedaling down canyon what had happened to the steep grades I had expected. The silver lining was that I was not necessarily riding uphill anymore; however I was pedaling more than I wanted, especially with my deteriorating left achilles and my empty stomach. I skipped breakfast in the haste to pack up and get out of dodge incase the landowner came looking for those elk I though I was hearing.

Slowly I meandered into Rustic, and was elated to make it to the diner 3 minutes before breakfast stopped being served. Shedding my rain soaked clothing, I plopped down near the fireplace in a spacious booth for four, and packed my stomach with pancake after pancake until I could hold no more. After about an hour of chatting up the rest of the diner’s patrons, secretly hoping for a kind offer to be driven out of the canyon, my waitress stopped refilling my hot water and dropped my check off. I took the hint and suited back up for the daunting task of the final 40 miles back to town and the warm shower that my house promised.

I overheard others in Rustic chatting about how the weather gets worse the farther down the canyon you go, so at least I had something to look forward to... Soon I was passing familiar lower canyon landmarks; the narrows were running strong, the perilous stretch of river starting at Steven’s Gulch that had been my place of work all summer was causing me to twitch with images of raft guiding floating through my head, the lovely and very scientific river gauge at Pineview Falls appeared and was surprisingly at 2 ft, and of course the canyon mouth and Ted’s Place. I turned south onto HWY 287, and knew home was near. I mustered every last bit of energy I could, swearing at each winding turn or slight uphill that lay in front of me. At last, 50ish hours later, I returned to where I had started, cold, wet, tired and ecstatic that I was done! The final five miles my mind fixated on one thing, one last cold Old Milwaukee sitting my fridge. I went straight for it, ignoring my roommates, ignoring my happy pup, ignoring all else, I was done and it’s all my brain or body wanted!

In the end this mini adventure was not enjoyable; it was not the four or five days of sunshine that I had hoped for. It was not warm or dry. I didn’t get to read my book, or cook the food I brought. I didn’t get to hike the Crags like I wanted. It was lonely, miserable, wet, and bitter. It was full of suffering, a test to dedication and determination. I learned there is a thin line between determination and stupidity, when most would or should throw in the towel, some push forward. I didn’t get to see gorgeous views from the tops of mountains, but I painted them in my conscience, off in the cloudy and gloomy distances of my imagination. I did see a lot of wildlife, but didn’t want to stop to enjoy it. I crammed almost 250 miles of solitary, forlorn, friendless riding into 50 hours of life on earth. I did not have “fun” in the typical sense. Some would have lost hope, and abandoned me and the journey, in search for drier climes. My intellect toyed with the ideas of adversity and overcoming. There were lots of internal struggles on how to deal with what’s in front of you, and how to put the past behind you. In the end if I had to pick one word to describe this trip it would be: Miserable. There was good in this voyage however, in the face of countless long and steep mountains, less than optimal conditions that continually deteriorated, and mud roads as far as the eye can see, I was happy, truly happy to be out there, pushing myself to explore, to explore Colorado and my own thoughts about life. It was an amazing trip and although I wouldn’t wish anyone to have to endure those last 50 hours, I wouldn’t turn back when it happens next, and I am confident one day it will again.

Fall is finally here! No more rafting!!

2011-09-01T09:21:00.003-06:00

So as the rafting season has finally come to an end here it's time to plan trips and make the most out of the fair fall weather before winter settles into the high country. Trip number one starts Monday! I plan on doing a small bike tour, 250 miles or so, through Rocky Mountain National Park and Northern Colorado. There are some dirt roads I want to check out and some short hikes calling my name, so we'll see what kind of adventure this short jaunt can turn into! Here is a map of the intended route and of course this is open to change if I see an interesting turn or peak that cannot be left unexplored. Stay tuned for pictures and stories post trip!

View Larger Map

Summer's a rolling!

2011-08-17T20:28:00.015-06:00

Well Summer has been hectic, I've not found much time to blog about life, but none-the-less life has bee pretty exciting. I am working on the river again this summer as a rafting guide and have been working like a dog, day in and day out, two trips a day every day. Rarely have I gotten a day off, so other than work there has not been much free time, and after a long day on the river all I seem to want to do is sleep. I guess I am not the 21 year old young pup I used to be last time I worked on the river, partying all night, rafting all day, nary a second to stop and rest or refuel the tanks.

But we have managed a bit of extra curricular fun, even with full schedules, and here is the highlight reel!

I graduated from grad school!!!

We put together two teams for the 24 hours of Laramie Ultra Race and took 1st and 2nd, and even set a new course record of 24 laps!!

I got back on the iron horse which I thought was part of my past and found out I still love riding motos! What a way to travel around, at 70 miles a gallon, maybe it's time to head south 3 or 4 thousand miles.....

One of my best friends from times past moved to town for the summer and I got to spend a glorious month with her. Thank you Jamee for becoming my friend in 1st grade and continuing that friendship to this day!

I rafted some more, and tired myself out to the max, but had enough energy to try to help a young bike tourist on his journey, through struggle and stress. Hopefully Jake and his lady friend pushed through their hardships and found the peace and love that bike touring is! Check him out at: Nuts, Bolts and a bike names Shurly!

Pure Pursuit finally got off the ground, making it's debut at the Larimer County Farmer's Market, where we killed it and people were going crazy for our bars!! Time to go full stride!!! For more on that check out Pure Pursuit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as summer comes to an end here in mid-August, I have begun, or really resumed my search for the illusion of happiness on top of some of Colorado's tallest mountains! Climbing season is just starting and once the river fades into memories and my days of pushing rubber and Texans down stream comes to and end, I'll retreat to the solace of the high peaks!

Oh and of course we found a little time to have a few drinks and listen to some tunes along the way!

So thank you to all my amazing friends that make this place the place we all don't want to leave! Summer in Fort Collins really is something else!!!!

What a weekend!!

2011-05-05T08:31:00.008-06:00

Well the marathon has come and gone! We braved the 3 am wake up call, the sub 30 degree temps and all the other mental signals that were saying this was a nutty idea to go run 26 miles down the canyon. But we all finished, and with good times. Jude, Paul and I were first timers testing the marathon waters, and I gotta say, I think I am hooked. I finished with an official time of 3:36:03, which was awesome for me, and I felt great. I managed not to have to walk at all, and crossed the finish line with a huge smile! The 5 months of re-learning how to run, sore legs, and healthy eating have paid off, and I have to say I am glad they are behind me. Although I am looking forward to the next race I am going to find more time to do all the other hobbies I love that I neglected for the past few months.

What a great day for a race too, once the sun came up the temps rose, and the crowds fled onto the course. It was an amazing experience, thanks Fort Collins for all the support!!

The Champs in the finishers circle!!

We had a fan club full of cheerleaders at mile 22! Everyone was still going strong.

My friend Vicky from back home in Chicago also decided to leave the urban landscape of the big city for the weekend and grace our little town with her presence. She is one of my best friends and it was rad to have her out here for a weekend, especially the marathon weekend! We managed to get a little hiking in, some sand volleyball, and even few adult beverages! I love when she comes out here and I'm even trying to get her to get her butt out here for some more grad school.

Time to Rest!

2011-04-26T09:27:00.005-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted, things are busy in my life but it all feels like it is coming together. In the past 2 weeks we've hosted a half dozen events or so at CSU, including speakers Condoleezza Rice and Dustin Lance Black, and events with thousands of volunteers like CSUnity and Project Homeless Connect. The semester is coming to an end, and the pressure is on for the limited time left before summer hits. Pure Pursuit is coming along, just figuring out how to ramp up production sustainably without loss of quality or sanity, but keep an eye out for those, they will be in stores soon enough. And of course running is feeling like a part of life these days as opposed to a chore. Actually 2 weeks ago a few buddies and I ran the Horsetooth Half Marathon along with almost 2000 other nutty runners and had a blast. The course is amazing, hilly and full of beautiful views of Fort Collins, the weather was great and we all had a great time. I pushed it hard up and over the hills and finished 77th overall, with a 1:35:51. Right on pace for the time I hope to get this Sunday in the Colorado Marathon. I am really just going to be happy to finish, but if I can squeeze in a 3:10:59, the Boston Qualifier time, I would be pretty excited!

Here is the elevation map for the Horsetooh Half.... Yikes....

Jude killing it! And of course representing Pure!!!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/672130383073812095"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;04/24/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
This was my final training run, last Sunday, almost 22 miles. I ran the first 11 strong and then relaxed and walked most of the rest. I was actually in full tapper mode and tried sneaking this run in after a night of drinking wine and not eating or resting enough to really kill this run. And I was a little dehydrated and low on fuel so I didn't want to push it and get hurt a week from the marathon. But I was still happy to get out and put in the miles even though they were slow going. The tapper is hard for me, because I like to go go go, and taking time off is difficult, I hate sitting around! But I know I need to manage this week so I am fresh for the race, yet another test in this new world of being a runner. Over the past 4 months I have run just over 330 miles, transitioned to minimalist shoes, rode mountain bikes, road bike, and my skis, and finally summer and the culmination of all this hard work is around the corner! I don't plan on dropping off after the race this Sunday, running has become part of my life, and although I will start finding more time for all the other things I love to do as well, I am going to keep pushing it hard and seek out more races to train for! It's been an amazing journey, my body feels healthy and strong, my life is sunny and enjoyable, and I'm having fun! Anyway, this is probably the last post before the race, I won't be doing anything too exciting this week, but come back to see the results from this weekend and for a write-up of a runners first marathon!

This is what we get to run through for the first 17 miles or so. Although I have spend countless days up there over the past decade, living on the river in the summer and hiking or riding the trails throughout the years, I have never had the pleasure of enjoying the view so intimately from the road. Can't wait!! See ya all next week and get out there and pursue your life!!!

FAC!

2011-04-09T11:58:00.004-06:00

What a great way to end the week and start the weekend!! A little Friday Afternoon Club outing!! The guys saddled up and we headed to Lory State Park for some shredding!! We even ran into a few of our buddies up there along the way and got to do some downhill riding and crashing with them!! Here are some pictures, summer is feeling right around the corner on the Front Range.

We also got a few good runs in at the end of the week and start of the weekend, cresting for the first time close to 50 miles for the week on foot!!! My hat goes off to Steph too for taking down an 11 mile, her longest run yet! We kept a good pace, chewed up some hills and trails, and cruised the last few miles along the pavement. She is making the transition to minimalist running too with her new pair of New Balance MT101's, which she wore today for 11 miles, seemingly making the switch to flatter shoes with little to no effort! Have a great weekend everyone!!

(Wednesdays smoky flavored run! Local forest fires made it interesting)
&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/295130236159334913"&amp;amp;amp;gt;04/06/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;
(Saturday's run with SA)
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25... Rad!!

2011-04-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

Well I pushed it this morning to a new personal best, 25 miles!! Felt great, 75 percent of it was on trails, the weather was sunny and near 80, I saw some deer and bunnies, it was a great run. I wore some fancy running shorts with built in undies that were like magic, chafe be gone forever.... I hope... I did find that in the last few miles the insides of my arms and lats started to rub a bit, but that was really my only complaint. I don't know if I ate right last night, but I didn't bonk so it worked, however I do feel like maybe I ate too much because I was pretty full for the first few miles, and maybe super spicy Italian sausage in my pasta dinner could be substituted for something a little more bland. Luckily there were forest service bathrooms throughout the run! Well I am feeling pretty confident for the marathon in a month, today's run was pretty hilly, with some long steep hills, and the marathon is almost all down hill. Well if you are in Colorado I hope you are enjoying the sunshine!! Later!!

Oh for those statistics types, I did the run in 3:58:48, so although slower than I want by quite a bit, that includes a few bathroom breaks, 3 or 4 long steep hills, a water break and a food break. Well go get some!!

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/958130177200596452"&amp;amp;amp;gt;04/02/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

So much fun!

2011-03-27T13:18:00.002-06:00

Run number 2 in the new shoes and I love them!! I ran a 10.5 loop from the house with the majority on some really rocky trail, and they felt great. It's actually the longest run I have done in minimalist type shoes, having done an 8.5 in my VFF's that killed my feet and legs. The shoes performed great, I even stepped on a few sharp rocks, and of course I could feel them under my feet since these shoes are so thin, but none of them hurt me like they would have in the Five Fingers. My legs are of course sore in the calf area but I think I am getting to the point where I can start wearing this type of shoe on my longer runs, on every run. The traction on the steep rocky trails was amazing, much better than the VFF's, and I didn't stub a single toe, a constant problem I was having with the Vibram's. I have to say, New Balance did it right with these, kudos to the company for actually listening to an athlete and designing a shoe around someone's ideas and thoughts of how a shoe should perform instead of just making a shoe to put on the shelves. Well I am happy, and I am excited about running again tomorrow!! Thanks Anton and NB for a great product!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/556130125339934710"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;03/27/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Show Down - Vibrams vs. New Balance and the Rest...

2011-03-24T21:37:00.025-06:00

After four months of hard running I have decided to move on from the Vibram Five Fingers. There were a few reasons, but mainly because they were not totally conducive to running on the rocky trails here in Fort Collins.

To start, I loved the Five fingers (VFF's), they were comfortable right out of the box, I never had any hot spots or rubbing, and they were extremely fun to run in. Unlike some reviews of the VFF's that mentioned product defects, mine never saw any tearing and after 4 months looked and performed like new. One sweet thing to mention about these shoes is that you can just throw them in the wash with your clothes and they come out looking and smelling great, a definite plus for the folks at Vibram to think about that! All in all they were a great way to transition to the minimalist school of thought and running technique. My calves and achilles burned at first, but my muscles have gotten used to the forward foot strike and long gone are the days of stressed legs.

Needless to reiterate, I did really like the shoes, but a vast majority of my runs are on the loose rocky trails we have here and I kept bruising the bottoms of my feet by accidentally stepping on sharp rocks. Big and small rocks were not the problem, but ones about the size of a golf ball wrecked havoc on my feet. Most of these incidences happened while I was running downhill and trying to carry speed, so I admit that I was less cautious, but occasionally I would find one under the ball of my foot at other times throughout my runs. The pain was never from landing on rocks with my heels or toes, but usually just in front of the arch or to the outside edge of my foot. A few times I found myself with sore spots that would last for a few days or longer, and it got old having to be so cautious. Part of the problem I think is that the thicker rubber on the bottoms of the VFF's, I had the Bikila's, does not cover the whole foot and rock strikes, as I'll call them, seemed to find their way into the voids where extra padding could have been. I considered that the model of VFF's I had was part of the reason since the Bikila's are billed as the road version, but I have since checked out the Treksport's and although I have not worn them on a run, I feel they may have the same problem.

Another problem I had was, that every once and a while I would stub my pinky toe on something, a rock or a tree root, a problem I have never had in other shoes. I could have been more careful as I ran, even though I was very conscious about foot placement and technique, but honestly who wants the extra stress of having to be so conscience. I feel that as I get into longer and longer trail runs, and energy is depleted, focusing on just continuing will take over and putting energy into perfect foot placement will fall of the radar.

Overall, after running cautiously and still finding myself with bruised feet I have decided I want to try out some of the newer minimalist shoes. I do need to thank the VFF's though for teaching and forcing me to run more naturally, and over the past 4 months I have had no other running injuries. I feel much more efficient, the long miles are cruising by with ease, and running has become fun again, something that to me seemed near impossible 6 months ago.

Well so off to the store I went! I have been keeping up on what's new, I have to say when I get into a new sport I get obsessed and read anything I can get my hands on, research new products, technique, diet, blah blah blah, and of course I had a few products I wanted to try out.

New Balance's have always been my go to shoe company since I was young, they fit my flat wide feet well, so I figured I would start there and see what I could find. Enter stage left: New Balance MT101's.

Now these are a far cry from the minimalist ideal, with plenty of foam, an 11mm heel to toe drop, and something called RockStop. But they do have hints of minimalist DNA and I figured I would try something in the middle ground again and see where it took me. A buddy actually told me that Famous Footwear had some, and believe it or not, they did! Plus right now they are on sale, 30% off, and they have a 15% off coupon online that brings the shoes down to 54 bucks out the door! I figured they were cheap, they are comfortable and have a lot of the minimalist styling so I wanted to give them a spin.

Although the 101's are not a true minimalist shoe, these babies are a far cry from your typical runner. I felt a bit like I was regressing however when I bought them since they are not a zero drop, floppy, barefoot type of shoe. Right off the bat I thought about how they are, or would be a great transition shoe for those wanting to get to the true minimalist shoe without taking the jump all at once, which from personal experience is a rough route.

Anyway, I took them out and ran my normal 6 mile run from the house which is about 2.5 miles on the road and the rest on some pretty rocky and hilly trails. The shoes felt great, I was cruising over obstacles and through rock gardens with ease and confidence, words that have been missing from my vocabulary since sporting the VFF's. One thing I did like was the stiff piece of plastic New Balance put in the footbed which they call "Rock Stop." It works like a gem, rocks and debris were stopped, and I feared no more those pesky bruisers.

The shoes are light, just shy of 8 ounces, fit well, have a roomy toe box, and a great tread pattern. Within one run in these babies I could tell the days of rocks hurting my feet were a thing of the past. Until I bought the VFF's, I had never paid much attention to how shoes felt and performed other than if they hurt or not, and I have to say I had a hoot running in these things. But with the elevated heel it was a bit more work than I am now used to, to stay on the balls of my feet, and at one point I almost rolled an ankle, another thing I thought was in the past. With further introspection, I think the ankle roll incident is because the relatively minimalist upper part of the shoe is attached to the stiff somewhat narrow sole, causing a bit of instability. I talked to friend who has these shoes as well, and she felt the same tipsiness in the shoe. Lastly, I was wearing socks and I think I needed a half size bigger, my toes were rubbing the front of the shoe a bit. I got them in 9's and although I normally wear 9's, they seem to run a touch small. I am going to run sans socks next time and see if that helps, the interior of the shoe mimics the minimalist shoes and I think will be smooth and comfy.

I also picked up a pair of New Balance Minimus's, or MT10's. These are New Balance's full minimalist shoe and just looking at them I was drawn to them. They are a sexy shoe, and feel even better on my foot then they look. They have quite a bit more stiffness than the VFF's, but are nowhere near the 101's, they truly are for the barefoot minded aficionado. I slipped them on, and right away I was starting to fall in love. The shoes hug your feet and are smooth and soft on the inside. Unfortunately these are still not a zero drop show like the VFF's, they have a minimal 4mm drop from heel to toe, but that's pretty small so I ignored that after I laid my eyes and hands on them. The toe box is huge, the tongue doesn't get bunched up, and the lace system tightens down much better than the Velcro of the VFF's. I got these a half size smaller than the 101's because I don't plan on wearing sock ever, and even after run number one in them I feel like the 8.5's were the right call.

I took them for a 3 mile spin right after I got back from the run in the 101's so the comparison would be fresh in my mind. Most of this run was on the road, but I did find a couple hundred yards of rocky trail and they blew my mind. I could feel the ground which is part of the point of a minimalist shoe, at least in my mind, my toes had plenty of room to splay out and flex, and although the shoes are designed for the minimalist at heart, the rocks didn't hurt my feet one bit. they felt stable, snug, and I have to say again I loved them from the first few strides. The shoes promoted a natural gait, they are light, just over 7 ounces, and ran fast. They are everything the VFF's are plus everything I think I needed that they weren't. I am excited to run these dogs into the dirt, but mostly I am excited about having a shoe that is similar to the VFF's but won't scare me away from the rocky trails I love. I feel for now, my bruised feet will thank me once I get rolling in these, and geeze they look good!

Lastly I tried on some other shoes as well, I went into this process with an open mind, although there may have been a touch of NB biased....

Anyway I have always dug Merrell's for their comfort of hiking shoes and boots, which is important to me since my left foot has 17 pieces of titanium holding it together, so I figured I would try out the Merrell Trail Gloves. Once I tried them on though they felt too roomy and clunky. Plus the hard part of the sole was really thin under foot and I felt I would have the same problems as I did with the VFF's, stepping on rocks where the sole was deficient. Merrell has a whole line up of these barefoot type of shoes, but after trying on the Trail Glove, I felt I didn't need to see anymore.

I also checked out the Nike Free's, but Nike's don't fit my wide feet, so right off the bat I knew they wouldn't work unfortunately.

Next were the Newton's but I didn't even bother trying them on, those crazy Boulderites have a nutty idea to get runners on the balls of their feet. They have large lugs under the forefoot that apparently keep you off your heels, looked like a new age Seinfeld jumping shoe...

Keen has a shoe out too, but the graphics turned me off so I didn't even take them off the shelf, and I not a big Keen fan anyway. This is all getting pretty pointless I know, I guess now that I have run in the New Balance's I am biased for sure. They have been a shoe that has fit my wide flat foot since I was a kid, and they have been in the running business for a long time, so if you like New Balance's already, these two shoes the MT101 and MT10 are where you should start in my opinion.

Anyway, I think the Minimus's are the final choice for me, they embody the minimalist ideals and have enough protection to keep the foot bruises at bay. I may keep the 101's for fun, but focus more of my running on the flatter MT10 since I am already used to that type of shoe. Going back to the 101's seems backwards to me, but they will be a great second shoe for other activities and light hiking.

Well that was long winded but I have been frustrated with the reviews of the shoes in this category, so I felt the need to try a few of them out for myself. I think I made a good choice and I hope you all do as well. If you want to ask questions I will try to give an honest opinion, and either way I say go minimalist, if you have to transition slowly with the help of the 101's or a like shoe than so be it. But since switching over to a flatter softer shoe my running has improved drastically, and in 5 months of what to me is serious running, I have had little to no injuries except stepping on rocks.... Well good luck, and get out there!!

I even liked the quote in the bottom of the MT10's, "LSS is MOR!"

Spring Break '11!!

2011-03-23T16:29:00.005-06:00

Well working for the university I got a spring break this year!! And I took full advantage of it. I got to ski for 3 days in late season powder, mountain biked Fruita and Moab, climb in the desert, and even ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon! It was a great week and here are some pictures!

Also for anyone that was keeping track of this blog on the Vibram Five Finger threads, I have decided to return them to REI and try out the New Balance MT10's and MT101's. The five finger were a great shoe but they were rough on the bottom of my feet on the sharp rocks out on the trails, and seeing how I mostly trail run I think it is time to try something else out. Honestly if it were not for the extreme rockiness of the trails around here I would keep them and run all the time in them, but even the occasional piece of gravel on the road in the wrong spot on my feet killed me. But I am sticking with the minimalist line of running shoes and am sold through and through on the idea, I just need a little more forefoot padding for the off road nature of the majority of the runs I do. I will review these shoes as well and let you know what I think! Have a great day, and hopefully you can get out and play

TGIF

2011-03-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Friday, 70 degrees, sunny, enough said!

03/11/2011 Route
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Better...

2011-03-05T12:37:00.004-07:00

So compared with the post whiskey no breakfast disastrous 16 mile run I did a few weeks ago that really shot my ego for the marathon, today's 17 and a half mile run was a breeze. I took the night off, ate a big carb loaded healthy dinner, got a good night sleep and had a big bowl of oatmeal with bananas, peanuts, and cranberries this morning. It was black and white, and I felt great! I ran from the house and did the Horsetooth Half Marathon course which I'll be running in April. The course climbs and descends the big hills that create Horsetooth Reservoir. I cruised, jumping from road to trail and back a few times to keep it interesting. It felt good to know what is in store for the race by checking out most of the course. I didn't get nearly as low on fuel as I was a few weeks back when I found myself delirious by the last 2 miles. Overall, it was a great morning, and it didn't ruin the rest of my day this time. I actually timed myself too and was happy with my splits of 8.5 or so. Well I hope everyone else is having a great weekend, see ya out there!

03/05/2011 Route
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Winter cannot hold us back!

2011-02-28T08:13:00.004-07:00

Well it wasn't warm, or sunny, but on one of the last days of February we decided to clamber onto our two wheelers and head out for a nice long ride. We climbed south from home, around Horsetooth Reservoir to the little town of Masonville, up to Stove Prairie, over the top and down Rist Canyon, and ended it with a climb over Bingham Hill. It was a great ride, we pushed hard, froze our fingers and toes off, hit some sketchy snow patches on our decent, and even saw an attempted murder by some methed out hill billy who tried to run us off the road twice. That was really the most exciting part of the day for me, getting into a fight with some crack addict who stopped twice to try and get out of his car for some fist on face action with the 3 of us... By the way, if you see an old blue Rodeo or Passport with Colorado Plates 857-VXJ up in Rist beware of what him and his dreddy girlfriend might do... Well I hope you all had a great weekend too!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/ride/united-states/co/fort-collins/836129890590140872"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/27/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-ride/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Big Mountain, Glaicer, and Crazy Dogs

2011-02-26T09:34:00.012-07:00

What a weekend! I left sunny Colorado and made my way up to wintry Whitefish, Montana for a long weekend of skiing and adventure. I have been to Whitefish a few times, but never in the winter, and it was amazing. The X-country skiing is unreal and the down hill skiing at the local hill, Big Mountain, was even better!! What a great little town, you can walk everywhere, people are really nice, the lifts are less then 10 minutes away, and there is zero traffic.

So here are some pictures from the weekend, enjoy!

I even sneaked in a run while I was up there!!!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/mt/whitefish/816129814092363225"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/19/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/mt/whitefish"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Whitefish, Montana&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Had no lines and fresh powder at Big Mountain, it's one of my favorite hills after just one day of skiing. The terrain, crowds, snow, everything was amazing there! And I hitched a ride to the hill and back with nice locals, what a place!!

Still warm!

2011-02-15T20:29:00.003-07:00

Not much to report today, just pictures!

&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/892129795619271110"&amp;gt;02/15/2011 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

First Ride!

2011-02-13T12:08:00.002-07:00

What a weekend!! I had a 4 day weekend and the weather couldn't have been better to take advantage of the time off. Since Thursday I have swam 2 miles, ran over 22, hammered a few laps of stairs and even got in a quick 15 mile ride on my new Surly!! What a great few days!! Most importantly though I got out on my new bike. For those of you that have been following this blog for a while, you know I did a life changing bike trip with Molly from Seattle to San Diego a few years ago and had a blue Surly touring bike that trucked the 1800 mile trip without a single problem or issue. I loved that bike! But it had 26 inch wheels, which although great for touring, were pretty sluggish around town as a makeshift road bike. So I stripped her down, kept all the parts I wanted and sold the bike to a young guy from Boulder that was planning on doing the same trip down the west coast with his girlfriend this summer.

I decided I wanted to build the same Surly bike, a Long Haul Trucker, but go up a frame size to a 56 which would allow me to run 700c wheels, which are slightly bigger and roll a bit faster. I wanted a bike that was still a stout touring bike, but when here in Fort Collins would double as a decent road bike too. So I built it up from scratch, hand picking every part. It was a blast, and I now have a semi-custom bike that can tour and race around. It's the exact way I want it, down to every single part. Well I just finished it last week and then it snowed... But with weather here in the 60's and sunny for the past few days, all the snow is gone and I got the chance to take it for a spin.

It is still a heavy bike by roadie standards, but I am not a roadie so screw em! I do have it loaded with my fenders, strong 29er wheels, front and rear steel racks, my two stem system, a heavy brooks saddle, and big platform pedals. But it's a bike, and the idea is to ride it not carry it. If I was worried about a few extra pounds I would just skip breakfast, or take 2 less beers with me. Anyway, other then the high pressure 23c tires that are on the bike now, it's all set up for touring and I can escape any weekend I want with camping gear in tow, with a simple swap for bigger 38c tires that I have laying around.

The 700c wheels really make a huge difference, and the bike seems fast and efficient. I didn't want to ride too hard or too long because I am still a little sore from yesterdays long run, but I knew getting out would help stretch my legs a bit. So I took off and headed out and around Horsetooth Reservoir. It was just a simple 15 mile ride, but its super hilly. The bike handled like a dream, it was fast, smooth, and gave the roadies I passed something to think about since I was in baggy shorts, running shoes, and my red fleece was flapping like a cape around my neck. I even got up to 53 MPH, which was rad! All in all, I am super excited (see how I didn't say stoked... I hate that word) with the bike and ideas are churning of where I can pedal to in the coming months!!

Well I hope you all had a great weekend and if you were here in CO, hopefully you took advantage of the sunshine! I do feel a little remorse that I didn't go skiing, but I am going on a little ski trip next weekend, so not that much remorse.

Wind, wind, and more wind!

2011-02-12T15:03:00.002-07:00

Not much to say, tired.... It was so windy, I'll write up more later, but for now, I just want to eat something.

02/12/2011 Route
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Stairs and a run.....

2011-02-11T16:23:00.004-07:00

The sun came back out and temps were in the 50's today here in Colorado, so we figured it was time to hit the pavement. Josh is one week out from his first ultra and excited about heading to Moab to run around the desert. We took off for campus today to run stairs, which we normally drive too, but being in the running mood we figured we'd run it. We polished off 3 laps in Moby which is a feat in itself, and a 6.5 mile run to top it off! What a day, cannot wait for tomorrow, supposed to be in the 60's!!! Have a great weekend everyone, get out there!!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/677129746630810120"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/11/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Solid Sunday Push

2011-02-07T10:10:00.002-07:00

&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/392129709859353607"&amp;gt;02/07/2011 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

I'll keep this short today, but Jude, Paul and I went out for a 20 minute run yesterday to burn off the beer from Saturday night and it turned into an 8 and a half mile trail run... I was back in the 5 fingers, hoping to run a few short quick miles on pavement in them and ended up pushing through the longest run yet in them. I felt great throughout the run, even on downhills on the trails, but wow today my feet hurt a bit. I am wearing sandals in the house because walking around barefoot is painful... Anyway, it was a great run, we all felt fast, but I know I need to take it easy in the vibrams, those long ones are rough. I think I just need more time in them at smaller distances. Well, have a great Monday!

Trail running in Feb!!

2011-02-04T16:06:00.003-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/411129686072133112"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/04/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Got in a good run today, thought about doing a longer one, but instead went up into the hills and climbed through the woods!!! There was a trace a snow on the ground up in Horsetooth Mountain park but it wasn't much, and the run was great! Sorry we forgot cameras today, but it was Josh and I, and our two dogs!! We had a great time running the trails we normally rip on bikes, and it was nice to get a different perspective up there.

Anyway, that's really it, the body feels great, I am still taking time off from the vibrams, but I think this weekend I will go back to them. The reason being, after a hard month of pushing the new shoes and my body to adjust, I was starting to see some pain in my feet. So I am just taking it slow with them, I think the 7.5 mile trail run the other day in them was a bit of a stretch this early on. But I am excited to get them back on my feet and out the door!! So for those of you reading this that are trying the 5 fingers, I know they feel great off the bat and you think you can push it hard, be careful, my feet took about a month of abuse before they barked back. I am not giving up on them, I just went a little too hard a little early I think. I still have high hopes for them and still plan on running the Colorado Marathon in them. Anyway, have a great weekend!!!

This obviously is not from today, since I didn't have my camera, but we enjoyed the same view!!!

Rocky Mountain National Park in January!!

2011-01-30T10:55:00.004-07:00

So we decided to take advantage of the amazing winter weather and head up to RMNP to do a bit of trail running up in the mountains. We decided over a few beers that Lumpy's Ridge was our destination. Lumpy's is best known as a classic climbing destination on the east boarder of the park, but we picked the 11.05 mile Twin Owls Loop, as our distraction rather than the soaring cliff faces.

With the sunny weather in the 50's we took off from the trailhead at 7800 ft and headed northeast towards gem lake and balanced rock. The run took off straight up hill and all four of us, myself and my buddies Josh, Jude, and Paul, were feeling the mixed effects of the altitude, steep terrain, and a few too many beers the night before. But as we quickly climbed we were rewarded with amazing views of Long's and the rest of the majestic mountains that make up the horizon of the park.

We kept climbing all the way up to an elevation of just over 9100 feet before we left the mixed dry and iced trails of the south facing slope for the ankle to knee deep snow on the north facing aspect. The next 5 or so miles were a mix of uncontrolled downhill running on slippy snow, to a grueling slow paced trudge breaking trail through knee deep powder. It got a little tiring and was a surprise somehow, even though we were running in the highcountry in late January.... Anyway we managed and after loosing probably 1500 vert and then of course regaining that lost footage we were back on the south facing slope and the snow had melted away.

We finished our run on the dry plains above Estes Park under the massive cliff faces of Lumpy's. We spied a few brightly colored dots of climbers hundreds of feet off the valley floor as we dashed under them. By the time we had gotten back to the car, over 11 miles later, everyone was pretty beat, but as smiles were still abundant we chalked it up to one hell of a time. It was a hard run for sure, but one hell of a little adventure too! Thanks Colorado for being so rad!!!

Dead Yeti...

2011-01-27T14:40:00.005-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/998129616436478326"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;01/27/2011 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Nothing big today, just a little run to stretch the legs. 7.5 did end up hurting my legs a bit the day after, so I figured I would run short today just to get out and enjoy the warm sunny weather. Taking tomorrow off and running a long one on Saturday.

The weather here has been amazing actually, it's fully short and t-shirt weather outside and it's the 27th of January in Colorado!!

Oh a little other news, went mountain biking yesterday instead of running and I exploded my $3500 bike. The rear triangle is/was made out of carbon fiber and it shattered in 3 spots after a drop of about a foot at best. It was unreal. And I shaved my head, for the first time in about half a decade I have short hair, really short. Well if you live here, enjoy the weather, sorry if you don't!!

A little more....

2011-01-25T18:01:00.002-07:00

&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/co/fort-collins/785129600359495861"&amp;gt;01/25/2011 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/co/fort-collins"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Fort Collins, Colorado&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Well today I pushed a little harder. I am finally feeling good enough to get back to some respectable distances. It was hard for a month being limited to 2 and 3 mile runs with the long ones being only 4 or 5 miles. But with still no snow on the ground, and trails bone dry I felt the urge to get out there on the dirt.

I pushed just past 7.5 miles, about half was on single track half on pavement, and although it's always more fun for me to run on the dirt, it is a little tricky in the five fingers. You just need to be really aware of where you are stepping. I also noticed for the first time today, how much more difficult it is to run down hill in the vibram's. It could have been a combination of steep grades and rocky dirt trail, but noticed how much I had to slow down at one point on one of the longer descents.

With that all being said though, I did run my longest distance yet in the five fingers and I felt really strong and much faster than 4 months ago when I really picked running up again. I cannot contribute that all to the shoes, they have helped me smooth out my technique, but I also think I am finally really getting stronger and more fit, so speed and ease would come with that I suppose. Well nothing else to report, I love the shoes, and so far no blow outs, a concern I had when I bought them since they are so thin. My bro's already are seeing some tearing and he got them about the same time as me, so I will try to report any unusual wear if it occurs. Later!

5-5-12

2011-01-20T09:28:00.002-07:00

01/20/2011 Route
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This morning I "laced" up my 5 fingers for an nice but chilly 5 mile run and don't have to be into work until 12! The temps here were in the 50's early in the week but yesterday that all changed and I got stuck riding home from work in a sideways blizzard. Although I was deterred to run last night thanks to the weather, I motivated this morning and got out of bed and took off. The roads were icy, but the sun was shining and it was a perfect January morning for a little exercise.

I ran again in my 5 fingers and my legs are feeling great. For anyone who has been following this pointless series of rants, my legs have been getting stronger, but at first, man the barefoot running lifestyle was killing my lower legs, a spot I liked to call my calfilles. But today was the longest I have pushed them so far, just over 5 miles, not much more than my run last week up in Estes, but still a little further. And I have to say, my legs are feeling great, there was actually almost no tightness as I ran, a first, and now that I am home writing this my legs actually feel normal! I have only ran in these things a half dozen times of so, but I feel I am really falling into stride with them. I don't know if my old runners will get any more love.... This run may have been the turning point where I really concentrate on only running in the vibrams from here on out.

Also, sorry if you are a big time geek, and are expecting me to post times of my runs. I feel lame enough keeping such a line on how far I am running. I do like to know my own times, but normally forget to find my watch before I head out the door since I don't like wearing watches. It's a 50/50 if I grab it.... I am really just running to run, it's fun again, and although I have my goals to get ready for the races I have coming up, time is an afterthought. And I felt fast today, so that's really all that matters. To think of it I really only have one time that matters for any of this, 3:10:59, and other than that one run, it's really all just about finishing for me. Well enjoy your Thursday, the weekend is almost here!!!

In the shadow of Longs!

2011-01-14T13:37:00.009-07:00

Well I’m up in Estes Park this weekend coordinating Campus Step Up which is a social justice retreat for students here at CSU. For those of you that don't know what I currently do, I work in student affairs at CSU as a graduate leadership coordinator. I plan events that are based around co-curricular leadership training; from 3 day retreats like Step Up that focus on social justice, to workshops on a variety of topics, to a 6 day retreat up in the mountains based around building and understanding leadership. We also bring in distinguished speakers and host or sponsor a variety of other events on or around campus. Co-curricular leadership is just a small part of the office, there are some amazing things going on here at SLiCE to help students get involved in their community and become more socially conscious individuals.

Anyway so I’m up here in Estes for the weekend and staying at Lake Shore Lodge, watching students grow through thought and learning about themselves and their peers. I of course brought my 5 fingers, and there just happened to be a nice 5 mile trail around the lake behind the resort!! The picture above is the view from the lounge; Long's and Meeker were beautiful this morning as the soft yellow and orange light from the rising sun bounced off the face of these incredible peaks. I got up nice and early and without stretching I took off. I wanted to run cold and see how my body and legs would react. My legs were feeling great after a few days off from running and I figured it was time to push again. The run this morning was not particularly hard, or even long for that matter, a quick 5 miles, but it was all on pavement and I was wearing my vibrams. My stride and technique are getting better I think and my toes didn’t hurt at all this morning. I didn't feel like my calfilies were getting beat on either, but after the run they were tight for sure! Really tight actually, and I was thinking I was in for a long day of painful legs.... But after about an hour they relaxed and now their is little to no lingering pain. The first few runs in these bad boys made my calfilies sore for days on end, but not this run. Maybe they were sore because I didn't stretch at all before I ran, or maybe my legs recovered faster because they are just getting a little more used to my new running style. Either way, I am glad the pain is gone, I really want to run this loop again tomorrow morning!!

So 2 weeks in and I’m feeling great. My legs are getting stronger, I think my technique is getting smoother, and I love how the shoes fit and feel. I am not going to push past 5 miles for a while in these things though, I do think I need time, to allow the muscles I haven’t used in years to really catch up with the rest of my body, but every day my feet and legs get stronger and every day I feel a little better about running! I am having fun running again, for the first time in years!! I'll keep the updates coming as I push longer and harder, and I'll keep notice of any little thing that these shoes lead to. Thanks for reading!!!

Ps I don't know why the fonts are all screwed up on this post, I have tried to change the font like 10 times, Blogger is messing with me......

Nice Saturday Run

2011-01-08T15:43:00.007-07:00

01/08/2011 Route
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So I laced up my regular runners today and went to stretch the legs a bit. After a few days of running short distances in my 5 fingers I wanted to see how my feet felt in my normal shoes. Me and two buds decided to head to the Michaud trail and get dirty in the mixed melting snow and mud. We started out with about 7 miles of trail, that climbed and descended through some fun terrain. Everyone was feeling great, the feet were solid, and my sore right calfilles got a needed respite from the five fingers. I did notice the balls of my feet were a little sore, but after 7 or so miles in the five fingers this week I got to say I was feeling pretty good! I think I'll keep jumping back and forth between my runners and the five fingers for a few weeks at least, continually pushing the distance in the vibrams, and slowly cutting back on my old shoes. I had a tough time with the last 4 miles that were on the road, me feet did get tired, but I think as I get stronger that will go away! It was a nice easy 11 miles, not too long but still a decent push with sore feet and legs, really a perfect way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon....

Nothing else that exciting happened on the run, I forgot my camera so no pictures today, it was a gray dreary day here in the fort anyway....

Click on the title to this post, it should link to a map of our route! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!!

Day 2! Off Road!!

2011-01-06T17:25:00.003-07:00

Okay so day two saw temps in the high 40's here today so I figured I would brave the melting snow and hit the hills. My feet felt great after a nights rest, and the only thing that was tight was my right calf. And really it isn't my calf, more my Achilles tendon I think... I say I think because it's not down where I would expect my Achilles to be tight, but rather right below the bottom of my calf. Anyone who has been on a bike tour knows the spot I'm talking about, the spot you cannot stretch with your normal calf stretch but rather only when you keep your feet flat, bend your knees a little and push forward. Anyway I call it my calfilles.

I went out for just over 4 miles today, and up some good hills, I ran Maxwell, a local trail here in town close to my house. I ran the road there and back and only up to the valley on top of Maxwell to keep it a little shorter. My feet were wet within a block of leaving the house, and normally I hate wet socks and shoes but with the five fingers I barely noticed. There was no rubbing or soreness, and my calf stretched out a bit within the first mile or so.

Overall, day two was enjoyable, it was warm enough to wear shorts and the trails were only slightly muddy, oh by the way, the bikila's had decent traction on the damp trails, I would be weary about the KSO's, but I'd like to try them and see the difference. The added hard rubber on the bottom of the bikila's also seemed to keep sharp rocks from bugging me, another concern I'd have the the softer and thinner KSO's. Anyway, not much else to report, I think I will take the day off tomorrow and let my calfilles rest, and I'll post something from my long run (in regular runners) I'm going to do on saturday! Have a great afternoon, go get out there!!!

1st Impressions of 5 fingers

2011-01-05T09:08:00.007-07:00

So for 2011 I've decided to relearn how to run. I'm opening a company this year designed to help fuel adventure athletes, and the one thing I really have yet to delve into is distance running. So I figured, this is the year, but first I needed to learn to run again. In the past, training for a marathon was a terrifying thought, even running consistently was daunting. I'm in pretty good shape, but over the years I've stacked up injury after injury to my body, and after weeks or months of running everything always seemed to start to fall apart.

Well I was living up in Lander, WY for most of 2010, and one bluebird afternoon I pulled out and dusted off my running shoes that hadn't seen any real action in quite some time. A friend and I decided to run to Popo Agie Falls, a short but fun trail run just outside of town that dead ends at one of the more awe inspiring falls I have ever seen. It's only about a 3 mile run round trip, but it gains almost 700 feet in the short mile and a half jaunt to the falls. It was easy, I felt light, and I had fun, a fun I hadn't had in years in my running shoes. I was exploring a new place, on foot, going fast, I loved it! I started thinking about reasons why it didn't hurt my knees, and after a little research I realized I was running correctly. I hadn't run in so long that jumping back into it on a steep dirt trail littered with rocks made me run more on the balls of my feet rather than flat footed rolling from heel to toes as I had in the past. Anyway, I didn't think about it too much, but I kept looking for new trails to run because I was having fun.

Fast-forward 3 months, I'm now back to living in Fort Collins, CO where trails zigzag the mountains basically from my front door and I'm having no problem running 10 miles without pain, faster than ever, and almost none of the struggle I used to have with running. But I want to get stronger, I want to run longer, and I want to be fast. I plan on running 3 or 4 distance races this year that will hopefully lead to a 50 mile ultra race outside of Denver called the Bear Chase. I feel I still need to get better technique to get faster, this is where my new pair of Vibram Five Fingers Bikila's come into the picture.These funky shoes are supposed to force you to run more like we were meant to run, without the arch supports, heel lifts, pronation and supination adjustments, and padding that modern running shoes afford runners. The idea is that modern running shoes allow runners to land on their heels and roll through their stride over their mid-foot to the balls of their feet and toes. The problem is that there is much less protection from impact on your heel then there would be if runners landed on the balls of their feet, allowing the foot to naturally flex and absorb the energy of impact, and although running shoes market air pockets, springs, soft foam, and the kitchen sink to protect your heel, it may not really help...

Enough of the science, I like to try new things, so I got a pair with the gift card my sisters gave me for REI for Christmas and today was run number 1 in them. I am reviving my blog again to chronicle this year, my new company, these shoes, running, and of course all the other adventures I'll go on!!

Day 1:

Some people complain that these shoes are hard to get on, and even decided not to purchase because of the difficulty, I disagree, for me they are no problem. I do find it easier to put them on the ground and push my foot into the front of them rather than trying to slide the shoes onto my feet. As soon as they were on though, they are comfortable to me, like socks, I am actually still wearing them right now as I type. A few of my concerns on the first run were going to be cold toes, since there is snow on the ground in Fort Collins today, arch pain, and the dreaded heel impact pain everyone bashes these shoes for.

I didn't want to push my self, well my feet, too hard on the first run, so I only went out for 3.5 miles. Now over the past month or so I have really concentrated on running on the balls of my feet, so the adjustment to running in these seemed natural for me. If you are still running heels first it's going to take some time to change your gait, and you'll possibly want to go for a few walks, or run in the grass to re-learn how to land on your feet. There is no heel lift in these, so even for me I was landing on my heels every now and again, and I really needed to concentrate on how I was running. I would say, if you still are landing hard on your heels after a mile or so, slow down and take it easy, there is no padding back there and I can see how people get injured in these shoes.

As for my other concerns, my arches didn't hurt at all, but we'll see if they are sore tomorrow, I'll report back on that. My toes did get a little sore actually, tired, like I worked them out. You notice right away how much you don't use your toes in your regular runners. By the time I got home my toes did want a rest. I think that's good, it's like the feeling you get from lifting weights but in your toes, again I'll report back tomorrow if they get sore. As for cold, my feet were fine, warmer than my cycling shoes in this weather, and I didn't feel or notice any wetness from the snow. My calves are a little sore, really just my right one, so I am going to concentrate on what I am doing different with my right foot tomorrow. As a note, when you start running on the balls of your feet, the first few runs are going to make your calves really sore, mine were for about 5 runs, but it's good I think, it's because you are using your muscles again! My knees and back don't hurt, and I am excited about running again tomorrow. Overall, for day 1 I am impressed with these things, but like I said, you really need to focus on landing on the balls of your feet, almost over exaggerated, or it could lead to disaster.

Come back soon to more updates, and have fun in the snow!!!!

NOLS Dream Expedition Video Contest

2010-07-02T08:51:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone and anyone, make sure you check out the NOLS Dream Expedition Contest, you could win a NOLS course or some great gear from NOLS and Patagonia!!!! Here is the link to the official contest on the NOLS site:

NOLS Dream Expedition Contest

And of course my example submission! I cannot win since I work here at NOLS, but you could!!!!!

We Bid Thee Farewell!

2010-04-16T08:57:00.001-06:00

Ahhh how time files... It feels like just yesterday we were new to NOLS RM, learning people's names and about the projects we would be working on. Enthusiastic to start and hit the ground running. Now after just 10 short weeks, today is our last day as the spring NOLS RM interns. We have had a great time here in Lander, and will miss everyone we have met along the way. Thank you for the amazing experience, the laughs, and the wonderful time we spent here, our sojourn will be missed and never forgotten.

As for the future, Whitney will be heading south on Sunday to her new home in Boulder, Colorado. Whit will be working for the Women's Wilderness Institute for six months as the Program Coordinator Intern helping manage course logistics (rations and gear), coordinating with other interns and volunteers, and helping with pre- and post-season administrative duties (permits!!). She's looking forward to her new job working with some amazing and inspiring women and girls, but will definitely be back up to visit (and climb in) Lander this summer!

As for me, I will be headed to NOLS corporate (more commonly known as HQ) which is just down the street, to start another exciting journey as part of the NOLS publications team. I look forward to the change and am excited to be in Lander for the summer months!

Thanks again NOLS RM for everything you have taught us!!

Thank You, Lander For a Successful Riverbank Clean-up!

2010-04-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

Lander Community--

We wanted to thank everyone who came out to support our Community Riverbank Clean-up event this past Saturday, April 10th. We truly appreciate your time (on a beautiful Saturday morning) and effort (we collected A LOT of trash!). Take a look at some of the moments we captured from the event:

Volunteers of all sizes!

Success down along First Street.

Some strange trash out there...

Whitney and Paul, two of the event planners, with Jerry, Jerry and Keith of the Lander Lion's Club--our chefs extraordinaire!

Thank you to our event sponsors who helped make our event happen: Mr. D's, The Breadboard, Tony's Pizza, Pamida, Lander Lion's Club, Lander Journal, Wilderness Medicine Institute and our local musicians.

NOLS Rocky Mountain intern and event planner, Whitney Johnson, sporting her AmeriCorps gear.

Thank you for volunteering your time and helping make our community space look a lot better!

Event planners and supervisors enjoying the Community Riverbank Clean-up event.

We hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as we did. We can't believe that nearly 70 Landerites came to volunteer their time and that we filled up an entire dumpster with trash! Thank you all for coming out to support the Lander Community.

Press Check, Jackson Hole!!

2010-04-07T15:21:00.002-06:00

I was invited by the publications team from NOLS HQ to accompany them to Jackson Hole to do a press check on the spring Leader. The Leader is a publication put out by NOLS 3 times a year and is distributed all over to NOLS alumni. The Leader contains interesting articles featuring NOLS alumn, updates about the school, and tons of other useful NOLS related information.

The guys at the press hard at work making the Leader look great!

Good thing we went to the press check, here is a before and after look at the Leader! The guys at the press in Jackson Hole were great and got the paper looking amazing!

We also happened to be in Jackson Hole for the World Championship Hill Climbing Festival, so town was clogged with people, snow machines, and big trucks! So needless to say, we spent the night, had a few beers, and promptly left early the next morning to avoid the chaos!

Moustache March... So Sad to Say Goodbye!!

2010-03-30T15:33:00.003-06:00

According to Wiki knowledge a moustache (American English: mustache) is facial hair grown on the upper lip. The term implies that the wearer grows only upper-lip hair while shaving the hair on their chins and cheeks. The oldest portrait depicting a shaved man with a moustache is of an ancient Iranian horseman from 300 B.C. In more modern times the moustache was worn by military men, and denoted rank, with those in the higher ranks allowed to have more elaborate and bushier moustaches.

Since the days of yesteryear there have been great strides to protect the moustache as not only a style of facial hair, but as works of art. Organizations such as AMI or American Mustache Institute are out there "Protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care, and culture of the mustache." Competitions such as the World Beard and Moustache Championships are held yearly and draw competitors and dedicated fans alike.

Here at NOLS we don't mind if you wear a moustache on your upper-lip or not, but if you wanted to, well that's alright by us. In the spirit of Moustache March, which surprisingly has a few very dedicated hits on google, a few people around HQ and the RM donned that furry upper-lip hair. Well March is dwindling away and in the spirit of great facial hair I felt the need to pay homage to those I met and was allowed to photograph here at the office. Thank you Moustache March, how I'll miss my sweet lip slug until next year when we do it all over once again!

McLovin!!!!!!!

2010-03-22T22:04:00.002-06:00

One is my friend Brooks, the other is the infamous McLovin. I cannot tell the difference....

Best part is he didn't even know he looked like McLovin and his party outfit was just a coincidence!!

Intern Adventures Part 2

2010-03-22T09:28:00.009-06:00

Well the weekend came and went and the interns here at NOLS were off having fun once again. Some flew off to visit friends in far places, some headed to Jackson, and a few even found some untracked powder lines up on Togwotee Pass. Since I was part of the powder crew I thought I would post some pictures in hope they would motivate people to go have some fun!

The skies were blue, the snow was soft, and smiles were wide. Late March in the mountains of western Wyoming never ceases to amaze! Just as it seemed spring had arrived here in Lander we were treated to a short lived but heavy snow storm. I quickly pulled out my skis I had reluctantly packed away and headed out with a few friends. We were treated to knee deep snow and fresh lines, and with the mountain almost to ourselves we were able to bask in the peace and quiet back country skiing affords.

Although some of us are ready for the warmer temps and long days of summer, winter is still alive and thriving in the mountains, so get out there and enjoy these beautiful spring days! Here are some more pics, enjoy!

Intern Adventures

2010-03-18T09:28:00.002-06:00

The weather has been great here in Lander, and with the sunshine and warmer temps came the temptation to play a little hookie and head into the great outdoors. As the clock rang 4, off 7 of us interns went, headed for Sinks Canyon to play on the rocks. We found a few great routes, everyone climbed well, and laughter resonated off the limestone walls. Our pack was near complete with 7 out of the 8 NOLS Lander interns in attendance, and as the weather continues to warm more adventures will ensue. Here are a few of the pictures we took, enjoy and stay tuned for the next Intern Adventure!

Changes in Rontoland

2010-02-14T18:57:00.003-07:00

Well big changes for me, I took an internship position with NOLS. For those of you that don't know about NOLS, it stands for National Outdoor Leadership School. NOLS is a multinational nonprofit company that gets people out into the wilderness to learn outdoor and leadership skills. NOLS operates courses in 18 different countries as well as throughout the US. I was lucky enough to get offered two separate internships with the company and I jumped at the opportunity to work with the school. So as of last week I packed up my car and headed northwest for Lander Wyoming, home of NOLS worldwide headquarters as well as NOLS Rocky Mountain. I will be working in both the Rocky Mountain Branch office as well as over at HQ for the next 8 or so months. So stay tuned for more fun posts and pictures from my new home away from home!

To check out more about NOLS just click on the link above or just click on the title to this post!

Life on the Coast

2009-12-07T10:10:00.003-07:00

Well, we just got back from a great 4 days in San Diego, where life is easy. We drank wine, swam in the ocean, sailed around in the bay, kayaked into seal infested caves, and even found some time to relax. It was just a few days with great friends, great weather, and great times. Here are a few pics!

Also if you have not stopped by Ronto's Folly in the past, have a look at some of the older posts, this blog was started to chronicle my journey on a bike from the Canadian Border to the Mexican Border in the summer of 2008. So go back and check out the stories and pictures from the beginning, and thanks for stopping in at Ronto's Folly! Also although I have not posted much lately, I will continue to do so, so stop back again sometime, thanks.

Why Bike Shorts Are Black!

2009-09-03T17:35:00.002-06:00

I know it has been a few months and I have doubts that there is anyone at all still following along, but if there is, here is a funny picture I found about the need for black Lycra when it comes to making bike shorts! Thanks for checking in, and I will be posting more soon, so come back!!

Also be sure to go back to the start of the blog and check out all the great posts from last years tour down the west coast to all the great inventions I found online. Thanks again, and come back next time you need your fill of my folly!!

New Belgium at DIA

2009-06-02T15:56:00.003-06:00

Hate airport food? Tired of having to eat Panda Express or Steak Escape? Well if you are at Denver International you are in luck. Tucked away in the B concourse all the way at the end near the ridiculous gates of B 90 something is the New Belgium Hub, a little pub and grill with the typical NBB flare. So if you happen to be at DIA and have time to explore, seek out the hub and sit down and enjoy the delicious food and cold beer!!!

Amazing!!

2009-04-28T21:37:00.002-06:00

Watch this video of Danny MacAskill who has taken trials riding to a new level!! This video is amazing, and even if you don't ride you may be inspired!! Have a look, click on the link below or just click on the title to this post!

Click here to be amazed!!