Got my first pair of trail runners… damn they are hott!

(Brooks Cascadia)

They also feel great… ran to and from karate last night. They feel
fine on roads, but when I hit a dirt loop just to test ‘em out…
oooooh! It was damn good! They just grip… I felt like I was flying. When I looked down at my current pace, I actually was. My run home (the “easy, relaxed, I just had a karate workout” one) was faster and felt way easier than the way there. Partly because downhill, and because I was warmed up a bit more. But I know part was also that wonderful feeling of gripping dirt! They should be perfect for the race this weekend!

Speaking of that race, we have almost all our gear together. The amount of help that Liz and some other REI folks are giving me is awesome… I guess there are still good people out there

Last Minute Wonder Kids

Given that both of us are a bit younger than people we meet at the races, and how we are still figuring out what bikes we’ll be riding and the race is this weekend, it seems appropriate

And the story of how we found it:

Erich mentions “Oh! I have to finish emailing in our info in the next
20 minutes… We still need a name.” So I hand him the composite list of all the ideas given to me and asked if
he liked any of ‘em. I didn’t really have a strong favorite. And Liz
turns and says “If you guys take any longer we’re just going to have to
call you two the Last Minute Wonder Kids” and we both liked it more
than the others (fits us pretty damn well) and so… it is done

Thanks for all the great ideas though TdB!

So I’m doing an adventure race this weekend, and need a team name… It’s a team of 2. He works at REI, I work at ESRI (a mapping company). I’d like something that could be used in more adventure races this season (same team) and so not necessarily specific to that course… here are ideas so far:

• Gotta Do It (story: old guy at swim practice says it before each set and is a good motivator)
• Twenty-four finds me (line from Switchfoot’s “24″)
• compass and trails and waves… oh my
• A walk in the hills
• Table for 2
• RE(SR)I

Help me pick! What’s your favorite of those, or what ideas do you have? We need a name by this afternoon… we are a late reg team able to get in because of the REI association… THANKS!

Sometimes things I do make sense to me, and not to other people. Not so this time… even *I* think the next 2 weekends are a crazy idea.

So… tomorrow morning I’m meeting up with some REI people I know, and we are off to Morro Bay for an ocean kayaking/hiking/running/camping/adventure race training trip.

Next weekend it looks like we’ll (well 2 of us, 4 are going on the trip) be racing at the Big Blue 24 Hour Adventure Race.

Yes, I have some endurance built up. But I haven’t gone on a long bike ride since the IM. And this is mountain biking, which I’ve done about 3 times ever, a max of about 15 miles. And I’ve never kayaked (open water… did some lake kayaking and learned I can’t paddle at the last adventure race). Or camped. Or done navigation stuff. So yeah… interesting times

And I’m sooooo excited!!!