Yup I turned 28 today. The day went on as usual with work and lots of it trying to get some things done ahead of time to make the quarter close a little more smooth especially since my boss is out with his wife having their baby. I don't want him to have to worry about anything except getting the little guy home and cozy.
For the birthday dinner I headed over to Rob and Megans'. They are two great friends and always willing to have me over for dinner. Tim and Megan's sister were there as well and we had a nice little BBQ enjoying the warm weather that has been upon Boulder.
I considered my trip to Moab this past weekend the time to celebrate my birthday even though we actually got together with Lincoln and some other friends for Lincoln's birthday which was on March 26. He set up the trip to get us all together and we had a great time. The weather was a bit shady on Friday but we were able to get in a hike in the morning to Delicate Arch and then a hike in the evening after the rain had passed in Devil's Garden. There was lots of time spent around the camp fire along the Colorado River and a lot of good laughs and memories were passed around.
I also go in a couple of good bike rides with Tim which included Porcupine Rim in Moab and Horsethief and Mary's Loop in Loma. Some video of the rides to come as my stack of need to be edited video grows.
More updates later this week perhaps. But I need to get back on the bike. I have been feeling pretty worked for some reason and I am hoping I snap out of it soon. Might do a race on the singlespeed this weekend, we'll see what the weather has to say.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Happenings
Short and sweet may be my new theme because I can't seem to get myself to sit down and write blogs these days but perhaps I can try and work on that a little harder. I also need to get through the hours of video that I need to edit.... ugh but it will get done sometime.
Anyway, what have I been up to the last two weeks? Since the weather was nice I put in a huge ride last Saturday with the Trek Store Cycling team and some of the U23 Trek Livestrong professional cyclists. Ben King and Tim Roe a couple of Australians did the whole ride with us and they are awesome kids with amazing talent. Super fun to ride with till I fall of the back. Some of the guys on the team are able to keep up with them (since this is a recovery ride for them) the whole time but they are always super enough to wait for everyone to catch up and make sure we all make it back together. Makes for a lot of fun to ride with the group not to mention the great teammates I have!
Sunday Ellen and I went up to Keystone and the weather was horrible. Terribly windy and cold and the trip was short lived. We spent much more time in the car than on the mountain because they started metering traffic at the Eisenhower tunnel which made a 1.5 hour drive.... 3 hours... lame, but the way it goes.
I got in several rides at work this week and the weather was great... 60s and 70s. But then Friday Boulder was hit with a foot of snow (its almost gone again though since it warmed up Saturday and Sunday). Ellen and I headed up to Vail yesterday and the conditions were great and the weather was super sunny but freakin cold. It was about 4 degrees when we started the day. I was a grump all day because I didn't get much sleep getting up at 5 am to drive to Vail but Ellen was a sport and put up with me. I am just over snowboarding this year I am in biking mode for sure.
Today I put in 4 hours and 69 miles up around Carter Lake north of Boulder. Super good day and put down a really good pace by I was cooked with about an hour left in the ride and crawled my way home. I feel like I am getting stronger but I believe I still feel the affects of Mono with tiredness. My body just doesn't seem to be happy all the time. But I'll get there.
Thursday night I am heading out to Moab to do an early morning hike to Delicate Arch with Lincoln and some of his friends for his 30th Birthday. Delicate Arch is one of Lincoln's favorite places on earth having grown up in Salt Lake City which is reasonably close to Moab and Arches National Park. It truly is an amazing place and is an excellent place to spend a 30th Birthday. I am going to make a long weekend out of it and get in some big rides on Saturday and Sunday after spending Friday with everyone. After this weekends ride I will begin picking up the tempo on my training adding in much more climbing and more high intensity intervals. We'll see how the strength in the legs builds from there.
Hopefully the training goes well in April and May 8th the mountain bike season begins for me. There will be a team training camp in Fruita starting April 16th for a long weekend which I can't wait for! Then my mom and sister Reagan will be out visiting me which is good to look forward to as well!
All for now hopefully updates more often with how the training is going etc.
Anyway, what have I been up to the last two weeks? Since the weather was nice I put in a huge ride last Saturday with the Trek Store Cycling team and some of the U23 Trek Livestrong professional cyclists. Ben King and Tim Roe a couple of Australians did the whole ride with us and they are awesome kids with amazing talent. Super fun to ride with till I fall of the back. Some of the guys on the team are able to keep up with them (since this is a recovery ride for them) the whole time but they are always super enough to wait for everyone to catch up and make sure we all make it back together. Makes for a lot of fun to ride with the group not to mention the great teammates I have!
Sunday Ellen and I went up to Keystone and the weather was horrible. Terribly windy and cold and the trip was short lived. We spent much more time in the car than on the mountain because they started metering traffic at the Eisenhower tunnel which made a 1.5 hour drive.... 3 hours... lame, but the way it goes.
I got in several rides at work this week and the weather was great... 60s and 70s. But then Friday Boulder was hit with a foot of snow (its almost gone again though since it warmed up Saturday and Sunday). Ellen and I headed up to Vail yesterday and the conditions were great and the weather was super sunny but freakin cold. It was about 4 degrees when we started the day. I was a grump all day because I didn't get much sleep getting up at 5 am to drive to Vail but Ellen was a sport and put up with me. I am just over snowboarding this year I am in biking mode for sure.
Today I put in 4 hours and 69 miles up around Carter Lake north of Boulder. Super good day and put down a really good pace by I was cooked with about an hour left in the ride and crawled my way home. I feel like I am getting stronger but I believe I still feel the affects of Mono with tiredness. My body just doesn't seem to be happy all the time. But I'll get there.
Thursday night I am heading out to Moab to do an early morning hike to Delicate Arch with Lincoln and some of his friends for his 30th Birthday. Delicate Arch is one of Lincoln's favorite places on earth having grown up in Salt Lake City which is reasonably close to Moab and Arches National Park. It truly is an amazing place and is an excellent place to spend a 30th Birthday. I am going to make a long weekend out of it and get in some big rides on Saturday and Sunday after spending Friday with everyone. After this weekends ride I will begin picking up the tempo on my training adding in much more climbing and more high intensity intervals. We'll see how the strength in the legs builds from there.
Hopefully the training goes well in April and May 8th the mountain bike season begins for me. There will be a team training camp in Fruita starting April 16th for a long weekend which I can't wait for! Then my mom and sister Reagan will be out visiting me which is good to look forward to as well!
All for now hopefully updates more often with how the training is going etc.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rippin w/ the Rowell's PART 2
First off my apologies to all for taking so long to continue the story. Things have been a bit hectic and I haven't had the motivation to blog but without further adue!
And so the continued story begins. Before I get to where I left off with the snow cream I must mention something about the veggie lasagna. This was not your normal veggie lasagna by no means. This veggie lasagna was flown up from Whole Foods in Houston via checked baggage!! Yes, that is correct I said checked baggage! Jennifer actually packed it in a cooler and flew it up and it survived!! Nothing like veggie lasagna spiked with jet fuel as AJ put it! HAHA! Good stuff!
Alright so back to where I left you off last time with the marvelous snow cream!! Here are a couple pictures of Rena going through the process.
The process of snow cream started with Rena sending AJ and I outside with pots to fill up with real snow which had just fallin that day! There is a great quote that goes along with that as well. Prior to AJ and I going out we were talking about where we could find good snow that hadn't been stepped on yet. Jacklyn was saying how we could get it from off the deck and all she would need was "two parachutes and a zebra!" We all started laughing and she began to explain exactly how it would be done! She was also going to need a kangaroo so the zebra could get in the kangaroo's pouch and the kangaroo would jump back on the porch. It was a pretty witty story!
Snow cream consists of just a few ingredients. You mix the fresh snow with evaporated milk, milk, and vanilla extract! No lie it is absolutely delicious!
Friday morning was absolutely gorgeous with amazing Colorado Blue Skies! We had a delicious breakfast (I waited too long and now I forgot whether it was the morning of eggs & sausage or biscuits and gravy! Either way Friday and Saturday morning were great breakfasts thanks to Rena!) and Ski Patrol was still busy bombing the upper parts of the mountain so Jim, AJ, Heather, and myself got our legs under us and ripped some of the lower slopes for an hour or two and then noticed they opened Lift 6 and Imperial Lift which meant we could make our way to the fresh snow that had fallen in previous days! We were not disappointed by the conditions other than a bit of wind up on the top of Imperial. Even the old man Jim was enjoying the conditions in between gasps for air!
On our second trip up Imperial we went off the north side of Peak 8 which makes for one heck of a long run! AJ and I found a cornice to jump off of into the fresh snow and Jim and Heather made their way around to find an easier entrance into the bowl. Once we were all down in the bowl we were greeted with soft pillows of snow and great skiing! Heather cruised up to where I was and said "my little Texas legs are tired!" PS we were only half way down! HAHA! (some video to come if I can ever get around to editing it!)
After making our way down we headed back over to the condo for lunch. By this time Sam & Jennifer had taken the kids up on the free tow rope and got them warmed up to hit the slopes with Jim, Heather, and AJ for a few more lessons! This time there would be no pushing involved as we were going to take the lift up. Once again the kids absolutely amazed everyone and made their way down like they were seasoned professionals weaving their way through traffic and all! (also video of this to come)
Friday night we were so graciously hosted by Sandy, Jennifer's Mom. She had fabulous soup brought in from a local restaurant and we had a merry old time! Also at the shindig was another family who Jennifer's kids go to school with. There are a lot of families from Houston that have condos in Breckenridge. AJ and Heather even had a friend from back east who has lived the latter part of his life in Steamboat show up! He graced us with a few good jokes as well:
1. What is the difference between tele ski's and a vacuum?
2. What is the difference between a Ski Patroller and God?
3. There is a snowboarder wearing a suit in a car who's driving?
Answers at the end of the blog
Snow cream was also the dessert as there were others that night who had never had the tasty treat. This time brownies were included as well! Tough Duty!
The big kids aka AJ, Heather, Jennifer, and myself decided we would go out for a drink on the town since we hadn't gone out at all and it was Heather's big 3.0. birthday on Sunday! AJ, Heather, and I waited for Jennifer to get back from her Mom's tucking her kids in and Jennifer checked to see if Sam wanted to join us as well. He had been sleeping with Abraham and when she asked him if he wanted to go he responded with "you know I have been thinking about that and I can't, I'm too old for it, but you should try, you should go" HAHA! That isn't the exact quote but it is pretty close! Jennifer asked him about his response the next day and he couldn't really remember it so he was likely half asleep when he came up with it! So the four of us went on our way finding a good spot for a beer and a chat.
Saturday morning was the last day of riding and the weekend warriors were in full force. Jim, AJ, & Heather were greeted with the lines that I get to deal with vs. the luxury of week days when the crowds aren't around. We spent the day ripping fighting tired legs. Everyone was pretty tuckered out but we got it done.
The weekend ended with a trip down to a coffee shop for a snack and a pick me up before driving the Rowell's down to Denver for their early morning flight. The Rowell's and I gave our biggest thanks to Jennifer and her family and we headed out. We made the drive to Aurora and had dinner at Ted Montana's Grill and said our good bye's.... tear....
I have to say there is never a dull moment with the Rowell's and I enjoy every minute of time with them! Thanks again to the Touche's as well for their true hospitality and Rena for slaving in the kitchen for us!
I'll do my best to get the videos up this century!
1. Where you attach the Dirt Bag!
2. God doesn't think he's a Ski Patroller!
3. The Cops!
And so the continued story begins. Before I get to where I left off with the snow cream I must mention something about the veggie lasagna. This was not your normal veggie lasagna by no means. This veggie lasagna was flown up from Whole Foods in Houston via checked baggage!! Yes, that is correct I said checked baggage! Jennifer actually packed it in a cooler and flew it up and it survived!! Nothing like veggie lasagna spiked with jet fuel as AJ put it! HAHA! Good stuff!
Alright so back to where I left you off last time with the marvelous snow cream!! Here are a couple pictures of Rena going through the process.
The process of snow cream started with Rena sending AJ and I outside with pots to fill up with real snow which had just fallin that day! There is a great quote that goes along with that as well. Prior to AJ and I going out we were talking about where we could find good snow that hadn't been stepped on yet. Jacklyn was saying how we could get it from off the deck and all she would need was "two parachutes and a zebra!" We all started laughing and she began to explain exactly how it would be done! She was also going to need a kangaroo so the zebra could get in the kangaroo's pouch and the kangaroo would jump back on the porch. It was a pretty witty story!
Snow cream consists of just a few ingredients. You mix the fresh snow with evaporated milk, milk, and vanilla extract! No lie it is absolutely delicious!
Friday morning was absolutely gorgeous with amazing Colorado Blue Skies! We had a delicious breakfast (I waited too long and now I forgot whether it was the morning of eggs & sausage or biscuits and gravy! Either way Friday and Saturday morning were great breakfasts thanks to Rena!) and Ski Patrol was still busy bombing the upper parts of the mountain so Jim, AJ, Heather, and myself got our legs under us and ripped some of the lower slopes for an hour or two and then noticed they opened Lift 6 and Imperial Lift which meant we could make our way to the fresh snow that had fallen in previous days! We were not disappointed by the conditions other than a bit of wind up on the top of Imperial. Even the old man Jim was enjoying the conditions in between gasps for air!
On our second trip up Imperial we went off the north side of Peak 8 which makes for one heck of a long run! AJ and I found a cornice to jump off of into the fresh snow and Jim and Heather made their way around to find an easier entrance into the bowl. Once we were all down in the bowl we were greeted with soft pillows of snow and great skiing! Heather cruised up to where I was and said "my little Texas legs are tired!" PS we were only half way down! HAHA! (some video to come if I can ever get around to editing it!)
After making our way down we headed back over to the condo for lunch. By this time Sam & Jennifer had taken the kids up on the free tow rope and got them warmed up to hit the slopes with Jim, Heather, and AJ for a few more lessons! This time there would be no pushing involved as we were going to take the lift up. Once again the kids absolutely amazed everyone and made their way down like they were seasoned professionals weaving their way through traffic and all! (also video of this to come)
Friday night we were so graciously hosted by Sandy, Jennifer's Mom. She had fabulous soup brought in from a local restaurant and we had a merry old time! Also at the shindig was another family who Jennifer's kids go to school with. There are a lot of families from Houston that have condos in Breckenridge. AJ and Heather even had a friend from back east who has lived the latter part of his life in Steamboat show up! He graced us with a few good jokes as well:
1. What is the difference between tele ski's and a vacuum?
2. What is the difference between a Ski Patroller and God?
3. There is a snowboarder wearing a suit in a car who's driving?
Answers at the end of the blog
Snow cream was also the dessert as there were others that night who had never had the tasty treat. This time brownies were included as well! Tough Duty!
The big kids aka AJ, Heather, Jennifer, and myself decided we would go out for a drink on the town since we hadn't gone out at all and it was Heather's big 3.0. birthday on Sunday! AJ, Heather, and I waited for Jennifer to get back from her Mom's tucking her kids in and Jennifer checked to see if Sam wanted to join us as well. He had been sleeping with Abraham and when she asked him if he wanted to go he responded with "you know I have been thinking about that and I can't, I'm too old for it, but you should try, you should go" HAHA! That isn't the exact quote but it is pretty close! Jennifer asked him about his response the next day and he couldn't really remember it so he was likely half asleep when he came up with it! So the four of us went on our way finding a good spot for a beer and a chat.
Saturday morning was the last day of riding and the weekend warriors were in full force. Jim, AJ, & Heather were greeted with the lines that I get to deal with vs. the luxury of week days when the crowds aren't around. We spent the day ripping fighting tired legs. Everyone was pretty tuckered out but we got it done.
The weekend ended with a trip down to a coffee shop for a snack and a pick me up before driving the Rowell's down to Denver for their early morning flight. The Rowell's and I gave our biggest thanks to Jennifer and her family and we headed out. We made the drive to Aurora and had dinner at Ted Montana's Grill and said our good bye's.... tear....
I have to say there is never a dull moment with the Rowell's and I enjoy every minute of time with them! Thanks again to the Touche's as well for their true hospitality and Rena for slaving in the kitchen for us!
I'll do my best to get the videos up this century!
1. Where you attach the Dirt Bag!
2. God doesn't think he's a Ski Patroller!
3. The Cops!
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