Fall 2010

Wow, it's been a while since posting anything. Guess just life gets in the way sometimes.

I had hoped to enter a few races this year, but I had ALSO hoped to train for a few as well. Didn't really happen. I did race in the Squiggy with my friend Frank Truluck since Gabrielle couldn't get off work with the rescheduled date. Fun race, and glad that I didn't try to do it solo! I'm sometimes amazed that I can still do this stuff after my spectacular bike crash of '08. Frank had a super bad crash too and broke his femur bone which could have been critical with the amount of blood lost. We both healed and competed again. Sweet!

On my birthday weekend, just a few weeks ago, Gabrielle and I once again did the WECEFAR Crumbler Adventure Race. Last year it was at Croom (place where I broke my back in '08) and we took 4th place Co-ed. This year it was in Chassahowitzka and we took 2nd place! Yes, getting better each time.
Bodies were a little sore. We swam out a short distance around an anchored kayak and back, ran to the bikes to get shoes and gear to ride a 12 mile course, pull ourselves across the ground on sleds for 25 feet, run/walk 4 miles, find 3 checkpoints, then swim across a small river to an additional checkpoint and back across, finish the bike ride, hop in canoe and paddle to a special challenge where we had to walk barefoot over limerock in mid-thigh deep water to get to a couple of holes to dive into to retrieve tokens and read scrawling on the wall 12 feet underwater. Got back in the canoe to paddle down river to 2 other check points and paddle back to start/finish in time to take 2nd place Coed. Whew! It was fun!

What a great way to spend my birthday weekend?

Well, all the fun comes to a screeching halt as the economy whoops up on me. Or at least gets put on the back burner for a while. Since the recession I have been unemployed, underemployed and battling to get back on top with a decent paycheck. Tried starting a small window cleaning business which did pretty good for a time, but just not enough clients to keep it afloat. Everybody has money woes, and rare few people want their windows cleaned if it looks like rain. Too bad because dirty windows look worse after it rains, but it's really hard to convince folks otherwise. So, in the job search mode while working 37 hours. Wouldn't be so bad if the hourly rate were much better.

Recreation and exercise will be mostly be local in town biking, kayaking, and fishing. Perhaps take up running again as a way to escape.

Hmmm, I wonder how long it will take for my next blog entry. Maybe when I find a way to enter my next race or hilly ride! I love being outside and enjoying the competition.