Sad Performance...

I know I have been terrible at posting lately... For those of you who still check Ronto's Folly from time to time, there is a new post coming this week. I have just been really busy with work and play, plus being a writer all day leaves little room or energy to write when I get home. The discipline is coming back though so keep an eye out for an overview of the past few months plus plans of adventures to come. Thanks for reading, come back soon!!

Spring Pilgrimage

 

Every March a few friends and I take off to the Utah desert for a yearly pilgrimage to rejuvenate and celebrate a new season of outdoor meandering with some needed adventure. Moab is a place where you can sneak away from the chilly spring weather and enjoy higher temps a month or two before they reach Colorado’s Front Range. The long weekend is always spent exploring new canyons, climbing sketchy routes, riding bikes, chatting about lofty summer summits, living in nylon and mesh abodes and of course running the CanyonlandsHalf Marathon. 

The trip started by peeling out of Sierra Trading Post on a sunny Thursday afternoon, making a quick pit stop in Fort Collins to grab my gear and two excited Moab greenhorns before heading west through the night. We arrived at our desolate camp spot way down Kane Creek Road, west of Moab, late into the morning, and after hastily setting up our tents we retired for the evening, giddy with anticipation for the next few days.

 

As the sun rose I awoke to the oohhs and aahhs of my fellow wayfarers as they poked their heads out of the tent vestibules to see the awesome scenery that is Canyonlands for the first time. We eased into the morning, and after a big breakfast prepped for our first foray. Hunter canyon is not remote or challenging, but it is beautiful and was close to our campsite so off we went. 

Being a gear dork, Moab was going to be my test lab for my transition to merino wool athletic gear so I donned a thin Icebreaker shirt and headed up canyon. Working for Sierra I get to see a lot of gear and to be honest new wool is one of the things I am most excited about, it’s as soft as organic cotton, you can wash it like normal clothes and it claims to be odor free! I had to see for myself….

 

We enjoyed a great, long, sunny hike into Hunter canyon, with blue skies and 85°. As we turned back at the end of the canyon things started to go wrong. My lovelable 9 year old border collie, Jack, slipped and took a 20 foot fall off a rounded sandstone ledge, luckily landing in a bed of plush and impact resistant reed grass, seemingly unscathed. My heart was still in my throat when I got down to him, but he sauntered off in search of his next distraction with little thought about me. Then on our walk out, Stephanie, full of first time desert wonder, began to feel a little ill. It wasn’t long before breakfast was lying on the side of the sandy trail. We rushed out of Hunter Canyon to get her something to calm her stomach and spent the rest of the day basking in the sun, prepping for the next days race and taking it real easy hoping her upset stomach would pass.

Saturday morning came quickly and we headed into town to catch our shuttle up scenic HWY 128 which we’d be running down for 13.1 miles. The wind was blowing strong, but the sun was out and the masses were convening on Moab’s City Park. The race was amazing, everyone running with us finished strong and not a sole could smell my two-day funk. The wool was comfortable, I wasn’t hot or cold, it wicked my sweat away perfectly and I smelled fresh as a spring tulip. I was blown away.

Stephanie still felt pretty cruddy so we took the afternoon pretty easy, lunching at the brewery and moving camp to a new site on the Potash Road so we’d be close to evening climbing at Wall Street. We climbed until dark with the flowing Colorado River steps away and grand sandstone walls over head. It was Stephanie’s first time climbing outdoors, and stomach flu couldn’t stop her. She did great putting up a few 5.7’s and 8’s and since, won’t stop talking about scaling rocks. We chuckled about life around the campfire that night, and planned the next great adventures.  The past two days had flown by but they were good ones, recharging ones, ones that get me through the hard days at the office knowing there are more like them ahead.

 

With the Sunday dawn came the sad fact that our weekend was dwindling, and the overcast chilly weather was enough to push us to pack up and head back towards Colorado in search of sunnier climes. We bid a farewell to the Utah desert and managed to make it home without any injury, which is an accomplishment for me. I finally took off my wool shirt too, after 3 days of desert heat, hiking, climbing and a half marathon, I conducted the scientific smell test, which it passed, and threw it on a hook on my door, not yet ready for the suds and water.

2012 is setting up nicely!

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

"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

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

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!!!

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

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!

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!