Route 66

One of the reasons why I love Route 66 so much, is because it has character. Billy Connolly said it so well on his show about the Mother Road, "everything isn't beige".  Maybe he's been to Irvine, CA.

In it's close to 60 years of "official" existence, 1926- '84, business' along the road needed to find creative ways to lure travelers to their diners, motels, gas stations and souvenir shops. So they would use bright colors, gimmicks, neon and more to get people to stop at their place, instead whizzing on past. Yes, they were often kitschy and gaudy, but they displayed boldness, character and individuality. It worked then, and now it serves as a portal. Visiting these  unique places along "The Main Street of America" transports you back to a different time. Whether it's the 1930's when farmer's were escaping the Dust Bowl in search of a better life in California, or the 1950's and 60's where a Nuclear family of four was headed to Disneyland on vacation, you know that these little oasis sprinkled along the roughly 2,400 miles of road from Chicago to Santa Monica, were brief respites for people going somewhere. People that, whether through necessity or adventure, were leaving their "comfort zones" and venturing out onto the open road. 

The road has a voice, and it is relentless. It keeps calling like a lost love that may never touch your lips or speak your name again. It lies dormant, waiting for you to reclaim it with passion and the absence of fear. 

Facebook- Jan. 25th 2012

Yes, the road has an allure. There are countless books, films and songs written about it. And none more written about than Route 66. There is just something so damn sexy about her. It's not just me who thinks so either. People are flocking to this road. She is arguably more popular around the world than to people whose own town it runs through. I am not entirely sure why other people are fascinated. For me, I was hooked from the start. The fact that in 1928, C.C. Pyle put on a Transcontinental Footrace from Los Angeles to New York via Route 66, known as "the Bunion Run", to happening upon the statue of the winner of that race, Andy Payne, in his hometown of Foyil, Oklahoma, on my own run across America, there have been many reasons for me to feel connected to her. 

I am rather embarrassed to admit that when I was originally planning my run, I didn't even know about Route 66. I just opened up Google Maps and sort of just put those two pins on either side of the continent and waited to see where the line went. In fact, the original route only followed 66 to somewhere around Albuquerque. It wasn't until I adjusted the route to go through Tulsa, Oklahoma to see family and talked to a business associate of mine and he said "Oh, you can take Route 66" that I even considered it. 

After hearing that, I went to the library and checked out some books that completely intrigued me. Not only was I amazed by the pictures, but the stories and the history! They talked about The Will Rogers Highway (one of the names it's known by) serving as the main highway for people heading west. How the many business' and towns along the highway became prosperous serving those people and then,  with the threat of being bypassed by the Interstate, their eventual struggle to survive.

One of the books also talked about traveling in general and this thing called "wanderlust". Boy could I relate to that. During the run, I was so excited to see the things that I had seen in those books. I felt connected to places before I ever got there. On a particularly hard and lonely day, with 30 miles down and a few more to go, I was running into Tucumcari, New Mexico. I ran down a road lined with old broken down, abandoned Motels. It was sad, but for some reason, it gave me solace. Somehow I could relate to the way they were left. They were once pillars in the desert, and now they were vacant and falling apart. I would get closer to them than most people had in years because I wasn't separated or isolated in a car. I passed them slowly and couldn't ignore them. 

Tucumcari, New Mexico

But for all of those that were dead, there were as many that were still struggling to stay alive and many even thriving. It seems there are plenty of people out there that want to slow down. They want to see this part of America that was truly unique. They don't want to just get from point A to point B on a Superhighway. There are a lot people who's idea of travel is different than driving down a concrete corridor whose exits all have the same travel center and the same 5 restaurants, making it difficult knowing whether the Cracker Barrel you are in is in Florida or North Dakota. No, there are people who want to see what is in between. The uniqueness of each little town. Their personalities and the people who live there. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see every bit of it.

I had ran almost all of 66 on my run from California to New York. We went though Phoenix, so we missed the California and Arizona parts until Holbrook.  Also, we left it in St. Louis, to take the Old National road east to New York. I have since driven most of the Arizona and California parts but that just doesn't compare. I was 60 miles into what was supposed to be an uninterrupted, no drama ride the entire way from Boston to LA via Route 66, but that didn't turn out the way I had hoped. Perhaps that is another one of the reasons why I seem to have such an obsession with this strip of pavement that is only partially still there. And perhaps it wouldn't be out of line for someone to point to this obsession as the cause of me almost biting the big one. And they might have a point. But still, I don't blame her. My love for her doesn't die, it just gets stronger. Because it's not really the road, it's what it represents.  It's movement and forward momentum. It's dreams and adventure. It's leaving home and perhaps, coming back home. It's hope! Yes, there are other roads, but this one is special. So I will keep on dreaming about it. And soon, do the whole thing in one shot.

Until then, I am going to go through all of my pictures and do some editing and post them to instagram, Twitter, facebook, Tumblr and wherever else I can annoy the crap out of people. But beyond trying to spread my genuine enthusiasm for Route 66 to other people (the struggling business' could use the customers:) I also have a real interest in photography developing (pun). I've fired up the old Photoshop after many years and am in the market for a nice DSLR. I've even registered at the local Junior College to take some photography classes. I know, I'm a "self taught Man" but, I have a new lease on life, so I am changin' a  few things up. Who knows, maybe I can eventually figure out a way to put together my own travel show. Maybe do a show about all of the breweries along the way. I'll just put a twist on it and run or ride a bike between all of them. Yeah, that sounds pretty good!

Until then, I'll leave you with a few of my pictures of Route 66 and hope you will find them as interesting as I do.  If you would like to see more of my pictures from the road, you can view them here.

Bluewater, New Mexico

Catoosa, Oklahoma

Seligman, Arizona

Elk City, Oklahoma

Seligman, Arizona

Williams, Arizona

Cool Springs, Arizona

Oh, and that Billy Connolly guy, he also said "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?... He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!" He's a funny guy! :)

Paul

Boston!

Well, so much for writing about the rest of my ride from D.C. To South Bend. Work, traveling for Motocross and life got busy. I'll try and incorporate some stories into future posts, but for now I better talk about where I am now and what I am doing.

I am sitting in a diner in East Greenbush, New York, about 12 miles from the start of The Erie Canal. Yes! Another adventure. My ride a couple months ago was meant to be a test ride for a longer ride starting in October. I had planned to ride from Canada to Mexico but I had been advised that the weather along the Pacific West Coast would be very rainy. So, after long consideration, I decided to fly my bike out to Boston and ride back towards home. My plan is to make it as far as I can by Thanksgiving. If I can pound out a lot of miles, it is possible I can make it home. If not, I'll catch a plane back. This one is about just touring and having fun. I'm always faced with the decision of whether or not to stop and look at something or to keep going so I get in enough miles. I've never regretted stopping but having some goal is good or else I would stop for EVERYTHING. So, that's the plan.

My route is Boston to Albany, where I will ride along the Erie Canal to Niagra Falls. Then Chicago via Canada and then follow Route 66 to Santa Monica. I am excited to see the Illinois section of the Mother Road as I missed this on my run because I didn't go up to Chicago. As far as I am concerned, as long as I get to St Louis, I'll be happy. Anything after that is extra. so, I'll play it by ear and just have fun. For me that is huge!

Of course there is one thing that could get me to end even sooner.... Bella! That's an issue that I'll have to explain in another post. Right now, I've gotta ride.

Paul

D.C. to South Bend, Indiana: Part 1

Some roads lead to places unexpected. Sometimes, you have the faith to follow that inner voice that is telling you to do something or go somewhere, only to find that where you end up, is not where you thought you were headed. That is a journey and that is not only what I have learned to embrace, but what I look forward to. 


"Where are you riding to?" That is the question I heard most often. I guess it was obvious from the amount of stuff I was carrying on my bike that it wasn't a day ride. I should have said South Bend, Indiana since that is where I ended up instead of Buchanan, Michigan where I told everyone. But then maybe the conversations would of been shorter and I would have missed out on getting to know so many people, albeit briefly, along this amazing trip. After all, the people I met, seeing my family and finding peace in Ann Arbor,  truly was the best part. 

I said Buchanan because that is where the 6th Motocross race of the 12 race series is held. Race #5 was in Mechanicsville, Maryland. Our hotels. However, were in Waldorf, Maryland and South Bend, Indiana. I rode between those two points. Had I rode the direct route between the two, the distance would have been around 700 miles. I took the more scenic (and flat) route by way of the C&O towpath and The Great Allegheny Passage, which follow winding rivers)  as well as heading a bit north to Lansing, Michigan by way of Jackson, making my total mileage 920. I was out a total of 19 days but only rode 17. That makes an average of about 55 miles a day. I did a couple of shorter days due to the location of some campsites (and a couple of breweries :) Most days, I rode between 60 and 65 miles, which wasn't bad considering the weight of my bike (103 pounds) and the heat. Ah yes, the heat!!! I managed to pick the two hottest weeks of not only the year, but apparently the last 100 or so years. Yes, record temperatures. 

I seem to do well with the heat. I hate being cold, like REALLY hate being cold. Admittedly, it is hard to do lots of miles in the heat and it is preferable to have cooler temperatures while you are running and riding, but you don't do that all day and night, so I enjoyed the warmer weather but this was a bit much for even me. I will say that riding in it was definitely easier than running in it! Honestly, I am not sure I could have ran in it. Riding was easier because you actually create your own breeze which really helps, the problem is stopping. There were a few days where the temperature was in the  low 100's with a heat index in the 110's I would be ok while riding but when I would stop, the heat would envelop you and feel like it was choking you. I definitely battled dehydration and the wonderful headaches they bring and places where there was no shade, it was tough to escape the stifling heat in any way other than to just keep peddling until I was  done for the day.

But like anything, the pain or discomfort you feel is temporary, luckily. Instead, I am left with all of the wonderful, amazing memories of my ride. I have so many I'm not sure where to begin or which to choose to write about here. So, I guess I'll just let 'er rip. 

I started 20 miles south of Washington DC. I was so excited to see our nation's capital! I had been there on a family vacation when I was 14. But, like most teenagers, I was too into music and chicks to care about monuments to presidents. This time was different. I am still into chicks and music :), but also VERY into american history!! There is no better way to see DC than on a bike! Except when you want to go up the steps to the Jefferson Memorial and realize that leaving ALL your belongings for the next 3 weeks, sitting alone, out of sight,  while you go read plaques, is not a good idea. 

I found a way to take my bike up (elevator) into both memorials and aside from security at the Lincoln memorial telling me that I couldn't have my bike up there, I pretty much got to see everything I wanted. The only thing I wasn't able to see was the Smithsonian. There was nowhere to put my bike. I was bummed, but rationalized it by realizing there was no way I would be able to see everything I wanted to, in an afternoon. I considered getting a room and staying for a day, but opted not to when a) I saw the prices of rooms in the area and b) remembered how many miles I had ahead of me and accepted the fact that I had no idea how this whole thing was gonna go and better make sure that I get to South Bend on time. 

DayOne entry, Jun 17, 2012

Georgetown is incredible! Is everybody beautiful in this town? Seriously! It was amazing riding my bike around the Capital. It was easier than running.

So, I saw all I could see and started on the C&O Towpath. I was so excited to be on this trail. It was as beautiful as I had imagined and there was a ton of little signs citing historical information that no matter how hard I try, I can never ride or run past and have to stop, read and take a picture of. 

This is easier to do when running. It is harder when riding, as is taking pictures. I take a picture when something special catches my eye (obviously). When composition or contrast is interesting I want to take a picture! When you are riding, by the time you stop, the picture has completely changed. It's different than running. So, I'd stop and either compromise and shoot the new perspective, ride back (annoying) or just forget the shot. This actually bummed me out a bit. Pictures are how I remember my trips. I play them as slideshows and relive so many great places. I wonder how many gaps I have allowed due to the faster pace? Oh well, no matter, my memory is so bad, I'll never know the difference :)

I was excited to spend my first night on the Towpath. I was looking forward to camping and knew of all the campsites along the 330 miles of trail. I rolled up on the first one that was about 10 miles into the trail and saw a sign saying that it was by reservation only and for groups of Boy Scouts or something. I called the number on the sign but got no answer. There was nobody at any of the sights and it was getting dark. The next campground was about 10 miles up so I really had no choice. I chose a sight towards the back, pitched my tent and settled in for the night. 

Or, tried to settle in. Actually, there was nothing settling about my first night camping, alone, with over 800 (planned) miles ahead of me with an admittedly semi irrational fear of bears, made more rational by the location of this campsite, directly adjacent to an island named "Bear Island". 

Paul

The C and O Canal, The GAP and beyond!

There is something about traveling that makes me feel connected, connected to God and the universe. For someone that has suffered from panic attacks for much of my life and damn near slipped into agoraphobia a couple times, venturing out beyond any perceived safety into the unknown is very empowering. The less safety nets the better. It's like the parent that tells the kid "if your gonna cry, I'll give you something to cry about". It would be a little silly to be afraid of going to the store when I have been in the middle of the desert, running, with "safety" nowhere in site.

I know, thinking that doing anything in United States is doing something in extreme conditions compared to parts of the rest of the world is a stretch, but it's all relative. And hey, I'm trying to not let myself get carried away. I don't feel the need to go "Into The Wild"..... yet.

No, I will settle for covering the most interesting places I can find using my own power. Whether it be on bike or running, I prefer seeing a place, NOT from inside an enclosed, rolling piece of metal. It is so much more intimate for me and as I have become so enthralled with history and love to read about the places I am going, there really isn't anything more exciting.

SO.... I had been trying to think of a ride I could do before my planned Canada to Mexico ride in the fall. I have been shooting Motocross for the last four weeks and that continues until the first week of September. It is amazing to be traveling to these 12 races around the country. Ok, I am surrounded by metal much of the time. In fact I am typing this from about 30,000 feet in the air, surrounded by metal and hoping it stays that way for the duration of the flight. But I love this type of travel as well, just a bit differently.

Anyway, I have a couple weeks off starting June 17th and I figured I could take my bike out for a nice trial run. But where? I already did a few hundred miles down the coast about a month ago. What about the part of Route 66 that we didn't do on the run because we went through Phoenix? That would be awesome and I would love to do that, and will one of these days, but I am afraid it would be too hot in June... hmm.... I thought, well.. maybe take a train towards the east coast and ride for a couple weeks. Then it dawned on me that the races that straddle the break are in Mechanicsville, Maryland and Buchanan, Michigan. I'm not really sure how mad I would have been at myself if I would have never realized how PERFECT this is!!

I am flying my bike out to this weeks race, then riding the 870 miles to the next race. Not only is it one of my favorite parts of the country, there are also tons of historical sites along the way. Historical sites for our country and a couple personal ones as I will be heading a little farther north and riding through the town I was born in, adding about a hundred miles to the trip, had it been point to point. Of course I am sure I will find most of the craft breweries along the way and as an added bonus, I will be visiting my cousin in Lansing who owns a brew supply store. I actually just found this out last week from my other cousin. He's had it since 1999. How did I just find this out? There is actually a longer story in there, but I think I will save it for another time. Perhaps I will start a journal on the road and post here. Lots of people do that while touring on a bike. Since I am hoping to have more energy cycling rather than running, maybe I can actually keep up with one. Ahhh! I have threatened to do that before, so I won't make any promises.

Speaking of bike touring, here is the full set up.

I shot this while doing an overnighter last week to see if I was forgetting anything. It's best to be prepared! And boy have I prepared. I fretted over every choice, from the bike to the panniers to the camp stove. I am very happy with all my choices and I even realized a little bonus when I discovered that my Ortlieb panniers will also fit very nicely on my baby jogger making me look a lot less homeless!

Yes, I like cycling, but running is still my love and it is nice to know that the things I am getting will work for both. The lightweight camping gear will also work for backpacking if and when I decide to REALLY rough it and do the Appalachian Trail or a backpacking trip in Europe or elsewhere :) But first things first!

I'll head out from Mechanicsville, Maryland and ride through our nation's capital and from there enter the C and O Canal that runs along the Potomac. Then, after about 150 miles, I'll hit Cumberland and start down The Great Allegheny Passage. To say that I am excited about this would be an understatement. Chris and I did about 75 miles of this and it was my favorite part of the run. I always knew I would go back. I didn't think it would be this soon. This really is PERFECT!! Well, except I wouldn't mind having a lady riding with me and tour like these guys. But, you can't have everything.

From there, I will leave The GAP in Pittsburgh and make my way to Ann Arbor then Jackson, up to Lansing and on to Buchanan in time for the race on July 5th. I'll have 19 days to cover the miles which should give me a chance to see a bunch of stuff along the way but still give me a decent amount of miles to do, that I will feel like I have earned that beer (or 2) at the end of the day.

So that's that! That's the map and that's the plan.

As I look out the window of the plane, somewhere over northern Arizona, I am so thankful. Thankful to be traveling. Thankful to be meeting people. Thankful to be seeing so many beautiful things. Thankful to feel connected. But maybe most of all, I'm thankful that I stopped longing to be safe and started living. I think it's true that you don't really appreciate things until you don't have them. Or stated another way, maybe experiencing pain makes pleasure that much better.

As always, I'll post pictures on Facebook. But, I really am going to try and keep a better journal/ travelogue on here. It is much easier to read and eventually Facebook will go the way of MySpace... right? :-D

Paul

Beer cycling?

Ok, that is one way to describe it. But I'd actually like to think that I am hitting the open road again, mainly to quench my longing for adventure. But, it is true that breweries will be a magnet and will determine some of my route. This is going to be a relatively short trip. I had planned to ride a bicycle from Canada to Mexico once I finished the project I was working on. But, I was advised that weather in the spring, through those states would be less than desirable. I will be starting to shoot Motocross on May 17th so, my window of opportunity has narrowed to only a few short weeks. I will also be running the OC Half Marathon on May 6th along with Brittany and I have several family and friends doing this as their first race. So, I need to stick around the area for that.

I have been so restless since my run. Seeing the over 8,000 pictures rotate as my screensaver, creates such bittersweet memories. In many ways, after doing something like that, you can feel like that was it, the pinnacle! I have spoken to other crossers about this and they said that the way they fought the depression was to have more adventures. This was always the plan. Even when I was out there (crossing) I was talking to Chris and Mike about what was next. I never imagined that it would be the end. I always thought it would be the beginning. For whatever reason, when I got back it didn't quite work out that way. I think partly because I was looking to do something bigger! Perhaps I thought I needed to think of something PERFECT. Now, I realize, I just need to get out there. I need more pictures. I need to create more memories. I need to look FORWARD to my life. And, it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact I don't want it perfect. I don't even want a plan.

So, my non-plan is to pack up the panniers, hook them on to the hybrid and head towards San Clemente this Thursday, April 26th. Julie from PubQuest, along with her bike, is going to take the train up from San Diego and we are going to meet at Pizza Port . Then we are going to make our way down to San Diego hitting breweries along the way. Then I will have 4 or 5 days to make my way back home for the race. It's only 100 miles so I will most likely make some detours. The mileage is not long and it is not an exercise in endurance and I don't have it mapped or planned other than those two destinations. That is out of character for me and very exciting. I just want to explore, have an adventure and see where it takes me. This will also serve as a nice test run for a longer tour in the fall. I'll see how much I like being on a bike as opposed to running and if I decide to do something on a bike, what works equipment wise and what doesn't.

It feels great to sit here and have something to look forward to. I remember on the run when I would look at the map and see a part of the route that I hadn't done yet. I would realize that at that point it was just a line with a name or number on a map, but after I had ran it, it would be a memory and it would, from then on, always hold meaning and, most likely, a really great story. Maybe that is what traveling means to me. Creating a connection between me and places on a map and the people along the way. There is no better, more intimate way to do that than to run or ride it. I am so glad that my run won't be the end of that road, but God willing, just the beginning.

Over trained

I am a bit frustrated. It has been hard to get into a steady groove of triathlon training since IMAZ. I was very meticulous about my schedule for that race and rarely had a problem sticking to it and logging the time and miles. I registered for the Camp Pendleton Olympic Triathlon on July 19th because I wanted to race the Olympic distance but I do not feel ready for the swim AT ALL! The logistics of running, commuting by bike and swimming is really difficult. It is really hard to find the time to swim in the morning, so I try to schedule it at night. By the time I am done working, I am in no mood to get in the pool. It is causing me to question the cost/ benefit of triathlon for me at this point in time. Would it be better to concentrate more on running the rest of this year and get my marathon time down? I could still cycle to work and get plenty of those mile in as well. I need a lot of work on my swim and maybe with a little less pressure ......... Wow! even writing this is painful for me. I am making excuses and that really makes me wanna puke.

I’m not gonna make any rash decisions at this point. I’ll do my swim sessions the next 3 weeks and see how it goes. I do not want to DNS. I was sick for 2 days last week and the whole week of training was off. I think I am feeling the classic symptoms of overtraining. I did listen to my body and took it easy.

I did cycle to work 2 of the 5 days. The plan is to do 4, but as I said, I was sick for 2 days. It is so cool to bike past the gas station and feel the liberation in knowing that you aren’t a slave to the oil companies. Let’s hope that I can get 4 days in this next week.

I have the HB 4th of July 5K on Friday. I am looking forward to a fast time and hopefully a PR. It will definitely be a PR for the course since last year I paced Brittany due to a nasty case of Plantar Fasciitis. We’ve got a bunch of friends doing the race with us and it will be their first 5K. How fun! We are all gonna go out for lunch afterwords and try to make it a special day for everyone.

Paul

Cycling it is

After Mondays Camelback fiasco, I reverted to the old gas guzzling Xterra to get to work yesterday. I felt a little defeated but went back to the drawing board and formulated a different plan. This morning I woke up at 5:30 am and headed off to the gym. I ran 1 hour on the treadmill and got in about 20 minutes in the pool. I took a shower, drove back home and grabbed the hybrid bike and rode to work. I figure that my main objective is to commute using my own power. The most sensible way to do this is to cycle to and from work, which will be 22 miles a day. I can do that in about 1 1/2 hours leaving me plenty of time to run and swim before or after work. Running to work and back would tilt my training much to heavily toward running and away from cycling and swimming. Perhaps in the triathlon offseason when I am training for ultras, I will revisit a more comfortable way of packing my necessities and run the commute. I would love to do that many running miles per week, but right now it doesn’t make sense.

The only down side today was arriving to work pretty sweaty. Luckily, being a sound engineer, I dress casual and I dried off rather quickly. The plan is to do the bike commute 4 days a week. I am very happy. Being in the fresh air beats being in a car any day. There is something about running and cycling outdoors that keeps a person grounded. We, as humans, are just built to be active and moving. There is something about the beauty of the outdoors and the smells that conjures up great memories of being a kid and reminding you of who you are. And I even had the opportunity to interact with some other people along the way, a crossing guard and a fellow cyclist. I think I am really going to like this

Paul

Alternative modes of transportation

After putting it off for way too long, I finally worked out the logistics and ditched the SUV as my way to and from work today. Gas prices being as high as they are, along with the fact that it seems silly to drive to the gym, run on a treadmill and ride on a stationary bike for what amounts to over 2 hours a day, then hop in the car and drive to work. I figure the prudent thing to do is expend all of that energy actually GOING somewhere instead of WASTING electricity at the gym. Not only will it save me money but it is also a far more efficient use of time.

So, I came up with a plan. I live about 11 miles from my studio. That’s a pretty short bike ride but a decent distance to run. I decided to ride my bike to work and run home. The plan, then is to run back to work in the morning then ride my bike back home at night. then,....... well you get the idea. The ride this morning was great. I decided to ride my hybrid instead of my road bike so I wouldn’t have to gear up. I could wear street clothes and my running shoes. If I don’t get too sweaty, I can wear those clothes all day, then change into my running clothes for the run home. So far, so good.

Then it came time too run home. I decided on a camelback that I bought for a Yosemite trip with Jasmines school a couple of years ago. It is a little big, but would work out good since I could put my laptop and running clothes in it. As soon as I strapped it on and started running, I knew I was in trouble. The thing is just NOT made for running. It has straps that go around your torso but it still kinda sways from side to side. After some adjusting, I was able to get it a bit more stable but then it kept rubbing on my lower back. Arrgghh! I was able to hike my shorts up enough to protect the skin on my back and prevent anymore serious chaffing. The shoulders straps however, were a lost cause. Pretty much all of my shirts are tank tops. I was wearing one today and no matter what I did, the straps dug into my shoulders. There was nothing I could do about it aside from lifting the straps off my shoulder every couple of minutes for relief.

I knew that the Camelback was gonna be heavy. I just didn’t realize HOW heavy. The weight immediately threw my stride off. It took a couple miles to readjust and feel semi normal. There are so many bio mechanics at play while running, that the slightest thing can really mess you up. I will have to monitor this closely and make sure that any differences that this causes don’t cause harm. I am hoping that the extra weight will make me a stronger runner without hurting me. We will have to see.



The last couple of miles were really tough, which can almost assuredly be attributed to the Camelback. When I got home I weighed it and it was 14 1/2 pounds. I may have to think of another way to get stuff to and from work or not take my laptop.

I am pretty sore and I am supposed to run to work tomorrow morning. I think I’ll be okay as long as the raw spots on my shoulders and lower back aren’t too sensitive in the morning. We’ll see. Chevron may still get my money after all... Damn it!

Paul

Mountain biking!

Even though I don’t need another activity or hobby to spend my money on, my daughter Brittany and I went on our first mountain bike ride today. We went with her boyfriend Eric and he showed us the ropes, since he is experienced on the trails. We don’t own mountain bikes so we went to Rock ‘N’ Road Cyclery to rent a couple of Specialized “Stump Jumpers”.



We had a hard time finding an appropriate sized bike for Brit because she is so short.



After getting our bikes, we headed to the trails. We went to the Aliso Canyon Wilderness Park in Laguna Niguel. Brittany was worried about mountain biking due to a pretty nasty accident that she had when she was 10 years old. She did really well however, despite some sizable downhill sections and some fairly steep climbs. She stayed on 2 wheels, which is more than I can say. I ate it less than 10 minutes into the ride. My clipless pedals were way too tight and on an especially steep incline, I couldn’t get out of them in time. So, down I went. I brushed myself off, regained my composure and asked Brittany to stop laughing. After that, the ride was really cool. It really is so much more fun to ride and run on trails rather than on the road. And the scenery is absolutely gorgeous!



We are so lucky to live in the area that we do. I can’t believe that I have lived here all of my life and am just now discovering all of these amazing places. Next weekend I plan to go back and demo a different bike. I am going to try the Specialized “Epic” which, according to the girl at Rock ‘N’ Road, will be better suited to the type of riding that I plan on doing. I plan on getting a couple of hours of riding in and then do an hour or two of trail running.



Paul

Blogging with the iPhone

I love technology. I am on the trainer for a 2 hour ride. Being on the
trainer for that long can get a little boring. So it is really cool
that I can multitask and write this blog entry on my iPhone, email it
to my blog and have it publish almost immediately. Amazing! It Is mind
boggling how far technology has come in such a relatively short period
of time.

This weekend is a pretty hard training weekend as far as miles and time. I
an doing 2 hours on the bike, then an hour swim ( I have to make up a
little time for a couple swim sessions that were cut short this week).
Tomorrow, I will be doing an 18 mile run with Brittany. I am hoping
that it is not too uncomfortable of a run, since I have only done a 14
miler in the last couple of months. I am sure that Brit will do fine
as she has been building her miles and this is 2 miles longer then the
16 miles she did 2 weeks ago. She is right on target.

Man, this multitasking is hard. I am going to sign off for now and
concentrate on one thing, my cycling.

Paul Both
http://web.mac.com/paulboth/
http://www.myspace.com/paulboth