tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32610272010897090352024-02-19T09:29:16.225-07:00 Red Rock WorldRedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-76360212330267177452023-10-02T10:40:00.003-07:002023-10-03T01:35:09.113-07:00COBDR - Two-stroked it<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQWZV-Suv0QGWC5GA1LueUbrorWTYgc9kIMNy3IahWxqPKDCqE_l8g8_xgPYZU9-CIYmZPXpyOGj1aASG3wb_YYSudpWAjWqOlYP7DuLQlTVb2HzJ_kqg-nSN1arQa-5GjDleA-WGRdC-uJ_ioOP3a1NtW_vA58Y8qmqRwbV3JRY0GVznMEz6t7Oz910/s1280/IMG_5896.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1280" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQWZV-Suv0QGWC5GA1LueUbrorWTYgc9kIMNy3IahWxqPKDCqE_l8g8_xgPYZU9-CIYmZPXpyOGj1aASG3wb_YYSudpWAjWqOlYP7DuLQlTVb2HzJ_kqg-nSN1arQa-5GjDleA-WGRdC-uJ_ioOP3a1NtW_vA58Y8qmqRwbV3JRY0GVznMEz6t7Oz910/w640-h424/IMG_5896.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Two-stroked it!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">Finally finished a solo COBDR (loose interpretation of) on my lil' 200. (The COBDR is a mainly dirt route that traverses some of CO/Rockies best terrain from the WY border to the 4Corners of AZ/NM.) I’m mainly based in the San Juans so I split it up into two separate segments, totaling around 700 miles. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">I busted my foot last month (running, go figure) so really haven’t been able to run/walk/etc well, so figured this might be the best window to try this little <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>dirtbike excursion.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">Overall, the trip was great! Granted the northern sections were a bit more humdrum for a little bike (i.e. more flat/fast) than the more rocky/challenging that I prefer, but I'd still keep a smaller bike any day, especially to feel more comfortable on the rougher sections. Plus, a smaller bike gives more options along the way when I see some other dirt road or singletrack that looks worthy of impromptu exploring! That said, what the northern sections lacked in terrain challenges, they certainly made up for it in solitude, wider vistas and my innate need to see something new! Squirrel squirrel.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRueBJsy7j3laCPjyWyNtce9Uu30hbuBJd2rPI33UoGgowZuTxxoAUDd04NVVj-mPlzbiwShGxbblMu9HQz5intg9PlKlP3FNBNXqUy26jxX1_9FYCLYFiRmynaGJ-5G6TouRGjgYHA6RD3Rb7qUqY7bBNlUZtksiSfI0hZQah75rPfJM98bdyH6FKaHc/s1280/IMG_5688.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1280" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRueBJsy7j3laCPjyWyNtce9Uu30hbuBJd2rPI33UoGgowZuTxxoAUDd04NVVj-mPlzbiwShGxbblMu9HQz5intg9PlKlP3FNBNXqUy26jxX1_9FYCLYFiRmynaGJ-5G6TouRGjgYHA6RD3Rb7qUqY7bBNlUZtksiSfI0hZQah75rPfJM98bdyH6FKaHc/w640-h384/IMG_5688.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dxXbnU7C6LzFW23nYtKnwuqU6slhFpjTveglqWwePQYtRXcHCuSk32NG7LR72G6uyGM_DztGOQNV8Dek90i9Vx1q7hC5kvAUyOJINd3Tp5UpyMRqtXcNTbIUVAOU76mxYNgBJi3156S2FiP3dvwBsXkxK9ua9T7PXfw640NK4ERDEFC9g4T34R1G29s/s1280/IMG_5693.jpeg" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1146" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dxXbnU7C6LzFW23nYtKnwuqU6slhFpjTveglqWwePQYtRXcHCuSk32NG7LR72G6uyGM_DztGOQNV8Dek90i9Vx1q7hC5kvAUyOJINd3Tp5UpyMRqtXcNTbIUVAOU76mxYNgBJi3156S2FiP3dvwBsXkxK9ua9T7PXfw640NK4ERDEFC9g4T34R1G29s/w573-h640/IMG_5693.jpeg" width="573" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">Perfect weather for the most part. Dodged a few scary high-elevation lightning storms here and there. Ended up getting stuck 18 miles crows-flight from home the final night, sigh, as the monsoons decided to finally arrive this year.... a 6-hour lightning/hail/sleet/pouring storm and no way no hay was I going over Engineer pass (nearly 13k’) in that (and already drenched and shivering and dusk). Rented a little cabin from a local lady who was so sweet in giving me extra blankets and even had the heater on high for me!</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span class="x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xhhsvwb xat24cr xgzva0m xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od" style="display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; height: 16px; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;"><img alt="💙" height="16" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tb/2/16/1f499.png" style="border: 0px;" width="16" /></span> We need the rain so badly, plus it sorta cleaned the 500+ miles of dirt and grime the bike (and I) had accumulated.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">I’ve said it a zillion times but I really wouldn’t be so confident on this bike if it weren’t for Levi @levipeck109 AZ and Kyle (CO) who stay ahead of any issues w/ the KTM as well as my random text questions from the backcountry. Gracias x100! <span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearly 16k on the little (big for me) 2-stroke! Also, still love all my usual Giant Loop </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">gear, but that GL Armadillo bag was key for me to stick to my stock tank and also not worry about spills or feeling limited that I couldn’t go explore some side trail. Squirrel squirrel yep. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">Now, onward to the MTB as regularly-scheduled :)</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2YtqyA9ivxV0x7LIS1zUNqZOWiecFv-SqrRWOJ7Chylorv6dwUugmUqE0maHDFEQY1068PwFljTD87OS0H4N3OeErpzv4s-t1roQI33KP1EH71SnFM78FJ7CYTwjsN7GY2fGX2yjDuHiA_Nl8RBKyqv3lCvqhXEEfsj1MbowaVAV36eVH8a1UaunVoE/s1280/B0BD988A-FB1F-430B-8686-9B676BA0C133.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRkPBzdsHJ4IIt1VubLEXLBPuW-oPnqnyDLrPVZ5o-0FDio9pV4gKRGjQpXc1-smGr7_THIEgtmC22lLyF2z5YCSVFpuDRtWerguOTI5IPRj_nmVJfx6z1JmQTRP_ATQFsBS5yIWP9Kq04jaWGmCiwSgj_5X0CwMp3ePDcyFo6R-S7S4syEWSNLU1pWk/s1280/IMG_5887.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1280" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRkPBzdsHJ4IIt1VubLEXLBPuW-oPnqnyDLrPVZ5o-0FDio9pV4gKRGjQpXc1-smGr7_THIEgtmC22lLyF2z5YCSVFpuDRtWerguOTI5IPRj_nmVJfx6z1JmQTRP_ATQFsBS5yIWP9Kq04jaWGmCiwSgj_5X0CwMp3ePDcyFo6R-S7S4syEWSNLU1pWk/w640-h372/IMG_5887.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lIx0Yc9sey_y3IkboQmlLSEXtUyXh2PnYAdR-dmFaRf46QZx9JbiSsecYxtGZ5tkjZFd624C8Wn5MBtFaqPje9H_xvGebjXPyagAWg0YuJwnToQx2vzfuO4hSeczuR3i6TNOD9RG9rXD3l0nlx48Zr68XuzJaNXV3OmULx3GvJaz7m93dV_xS_eLWXI/s900/IMG_6183.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="900" height="565" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lIx0Yc9sey_y3IkboQmlLSEXtUyXh2PnYAdR-dmFaRf46QZx9JbiSsecYxtGZ5tkjZFd624C8Wn5MBtFaqPje9H_xvGebjXPyagAWg0YuJwnToQx2vzfuO4hSeczuR3i6TNOD9RG9rXD3l0nlx48Zr68XuzJaNXV3OmULx3GvJaz7m93dV_xS_eLWXI/w640-h565/IMG_6183.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div>RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-51872184801230385352020-03-19T08:17:00.011-07:002022-03-19T08:36:49.013-07:00The Colorado 500 - Nothing is ever as hard (nor as easy) as you think it will be<div class="separator"><span style="background-color: black;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji2hq2bNX6NSrKhmWjkdEe5khqsZSGXFB0yB11w4rDv-ZWTgktDnPQws0dnDyPrstz-WxAkTgMGtWuQuhyu6Rubk-AirMskwLhgatmKVVbWE8GQUVN9M-3JLEgSzbnARI68Z6dQKJDY5D2ggBE-MAGllLE-ZA9TXMTS9IT5rlbRSF2FI6WsjFuE6zj=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black;">2019</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji2hq2bNX6NSrKhmWjkdEe5khqsZSGXFB0yB11w4rDv-ZWTgktDnPQws0dnDyPrstz-WxAkTgMGtWuQuhyu6Rubk-AirMskwLhgatmKVVbWE8GQUVN9M-3JLEgSzbnARI68Z6dQKJDY5D2ggBE-MAGllLE-ZA9TXMTS9IT5rlbRSF2FI6WsjFuE6zj=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinFK-YnqzA6NqFdZbCUR6X4RrDmMmfSf-qqA52IKzZxR-3HczacWIgqJvdAzL0flS7nTLuwUadrMpttOCYcnYenbgZJzvZO9uSnL5b0k7EtQh-E0XPZRNgejsWuHG1ongjZ_I6bq1ZIK78mrKJyz02Bu8XCx2ie8ziCOxd_7W7QXvy7KQGU0lDOE1B=s750" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="750" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinFK-YnqzA6NqFdZbCUR6X4RrDmMmfSf-qqA52IKzZxR-3HczacWIgqJvdAzL0flS7nTLuwUadrMpttOCYcnYenbgZJzvZO9uSnL5b0k7EtQh-E0XPZRNgejsWuHG1ongjZ_I6bq1ZIK78mrKJyz02Bu8XCx2ie8ziCOxd_7W7QXvy7KQGU0lDOE1B=w640-h614" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">when i was invited to do The Colorado 500 this year, not sure what i was thinking when i naively said yeah sure. 500 miles of riding around several ranges of the rockies, why not?!</p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">while much of it was in my backyard, some of it was faaaar out of my wheelhouse as far as skill/comfort level, group logistics/schedules, and five days straight on a loud (motorized) bike. (that means at least five days not/not on a mountain bike, whawha gasp.) but it was for a great cause, with a fantastic group, and frankly nothing beats co terrain in late summer under (mainly) bluebird skies!</p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br />
look up the foundation. look up team ted.... both long-time legends and helping/inspiring many. </p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br />
and now, with full gratitude that this worn out body is still basically intact, am taking a lil timeout from the loyal lil moto mule. </p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji2hq2bNX6NSrKhmWjkdEe5khqsZSGXFB0yB11w4rDv-ZWTgktDnPQws0dnDyPrstz-WxAkTgMGtWuQuhyu6Rubk-AirMskwLhgatmKVVbWE8GQUVN9M-3JLEgSzbnARI68Z6dQKJDY5D2ggBE-MAGllLE-ZA9TXMTS9IT5rlbRSF2FI6WsjFuE6zj=w640-h480" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; 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margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2155" data-original-width="2155" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLChRytGBwNmnxmlgaJpMe0w2-FH0AUrDbzbhnjrNozCF4NTl43HDo9H63-T2UbCOAUr_Gdsz7s7SSbEZA9Mf9kVv9War1Z1qgKiu0FHSwFKbMHtu_p5Za0uPnJphQrJS-Ipj0JuRVagXwtP4UEM5wDabFvCJjbyUomdNpqdjuUWVgHeAU87uw8W_E=w640-h640" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and now, back to hooves and pedals✌🏼</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 14px;">.</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" /><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;">.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" /><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/kicker200/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#kicker200</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/dirtbike/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#dirtbike</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/adv/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#adv</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/colorado500/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#colorado500</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cobdr/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#cobdr</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"></span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/2stroketouring/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#2stroketouring</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ktmhasmademefat/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#ktmhasmademefat</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> </span><a class="xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ijustwannaride/" style="border: 0px; color: rgba(var(--fe0,0,55,107),1); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" tabindex="0">#ijustwannaride</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626;"> 🇺🇸</span></span></p>RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-26419034118700093332016-11-13T23:32:00.001-07:002016-11-13T23:34:23.317-07:00Sans Words....<br />
Haven't had time to write, nor even think much about words lately. <br />
It's been all about the primal, the mtb pedaling, the hoofin' it, the lessons of braaap.<br />
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Once the temps fall and the days grow shorter, will have a few posts to include....the selection and breaking in of ol' Kicker200 2-stroke, oh lawd.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rpts9JgHMbCn777XrCUA7JjcP_vu5jVzil7mdrxJRpSORj4DPHDzg-jfZjg6oaLlCf_UCG73dwraMwhRjFVnrpEod6d12DcrtpUftTbcdymhrcFqL47F5ya8YOQhGaWaSiJFJN-PqHA/s1600/IMG_1369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rpts9JgHMbCn777XrCUA7JjcP_vu5jVzil7mdrxJRpSORj4DPHDzg-jfZjg6oaLlCf_UCG73dwraMwhRjFVnrpEod6d12DcrtpUftTbcdymhrcFqL47F5ya8YOQhGaWaSiJFJN-PqHA/s400/IMG_1369.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-52282406513530774362016-06-26T07:40:00.003-07:002016-06-26T07:45:26.986-07:00Sign of Life. S'all good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqBAUoj9udmiAWBnRG5-M0VAr1PAizJdX8VUbAO5DqJTI1xQCEa8UUdAxybhg2bNHkmBJANQxQjh9iicjdN6Rs8BHMdr_PPjKw1oV3TS6bNy5J_wcDST72dgmbNp5_ShC-vRDDk4TNig/s1600/IMG_8106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqBAUoj9udmiAWBnRG5-M0VAr1PAizJdX8VUbAO5DqJTI1xQCEa8UUdAxybhg2bNHkmBJANQxQjh9iicjdN6Rs8BHMdr_PPjKw1oV3TS6bNy5J_wcDST72dgmbNp5_ShC-vRDDk4TNig/s640/IMG_8106.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NQ6FVtZAPFZP7Erc_FIkcF0V9KvQFVVS0KD8nTxxy406e3jVGobMmph_xt7BNNC7Bd8fluXrotaZEYh58GX55VnrH4vgTVjEDLTbimQf_wZaFZyEO61Ni8tzz9GwibdGJo3qTDNvq9s/s1600/IMG_7159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NQ6FVtZAPFZP7Erc_FIkcF0V9KvQFVVS0KD8nTxxy406e3jVGobMmph_xt7BNNC7Bd8fluXrotaZEYh58GX55VnrH4vgTVjEDLTbimQf_wZaFZyEO61Ni8tzz9GwibdGJo3qTDNvq9s/s640/IMG_7159.JPG" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(pic by @tooley)</td></tr>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-34520519743113822182015-09-18T20:29:00.003-07:002016-02-21T10:00:12.763-07:00Too Busy to Articulate....<br />
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Perhaps once the temperatures drop, I'll have more time (or interest?) for me to "use my words", for I do love words. But for now, my noggin' is all about the visual. And the smells. And the feels of wind and dirt and alpine air and pine needles and even of the branches as I slam into them in my clumsy descents of sweet so sweet singletrack. But today it's all visual...all that I can muster to convey in this post. As such, all I have to offer are some pics today, and the subject matter....divine!<br />
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Or, is it a laugh that you seek?<br />
Wanna hear a mountain joke?<br />
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Sure, but you won't get over it.<br />
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Badampbambam....<br />
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Speaking of mountains, some wholesome ones were romped around this summer. So on w/a few pics to hopefully spread the stoke...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfx0ygqAGM-a4q7orDexrjTJKUwnsmhmj9fjD6niTM1aN9OfCXxRW-snD8HKFsPpLORWEh-vcpnzCxP-TkHxTR3UVndf6S_ARobf08Ux2SlB9HZpD1f0N-EYzbG61IqVG6dec5nbu-Ik/s1600/IMG_1626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfx0ygqAGM-a4q7orDexrjTJKUwnsmhmj9fjD6niTM1aN9OfCXxRW-snD8HKFsPpLORWEh-vcpnzCxP-TkHxTR3UVndf6S_ARobf08Ux2SlB9HZpD1f0N-EYzbG61IqVG6dec5nbu-Ik/s640/IMG_1626.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Colorado Trail....ahhhhh....</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amazeballs. Alpine lake @ 12,400'. Ummm....cold!<br />(Pic: by uber cool chica @tooley )</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsprnt8m4NjQ7Z8_Agu3FLpBb4kwMxbxa_9OplwZUkZvTBmd7Bb4xqTbRs2RbliHYtpb641dow76sFgGG_FpiHDx0PJg-cTZM7SgVAQpX__vJkS31cMcVT2csONSYclXLpg_KmJoj0z4/s1600/IMG_4137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsprnt8m4NjQ7Z8_Agu3FLpBb4kwMxbxa_9OplwZUkZvTBmd7Bb4xqTbRs2RbliHYtpb641dow76sFgGG_FpiHDx0PJg-cTZM7SgVAQpX__vJkS31cMcVT2csONSYclXLpg_KmJoj0z4/s640/IMG_4137.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Looking south into the Weminuche, the high CT winding thru and some old ruins. And Lil Donkey125 is parked down below at the pass (road, right).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh, and some views.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25xLdnZ-hoJlRYMPdRwFDDuB_ry3xinz8ziQqFQ2DW6n0TqbqEfQ8Jc70AfM9FyYgdzXLXyjOf1ZzxnGNchF-muVxHDYc0wmtxuIpWjEXJYGDGtdN5XdrN9wqRiETBoITUReDJ9xAnwE/s1600/IMG_3859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25xLdnZ-hoJlRYMPdRwFDDuB_ry3xinz8ziQqFQ2DW6n0TqbqEfQ8Jc70AfM9FyYgdzXLXyjOf1ZzxnGNchF-muVxHDYc0wmtxuIpWjEXJYGDGtdN5XdrN9wqRiETBoITUReDJ9xAnwE/s400/IMG_3859.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All days aren't bluebird skies and rainbows. Montrose mud.....sucks. <br />Bikey no likey.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cool cool uncle showing me a "trail"....yah right.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL8e76AUvBCEvMzx6eqQ9u_MIsADSOX-S3rYbWxgBFNsSCUU6R9HEsOaMsYCObAn4gskVc0srkrJrKN7Ly9Y-FX21vptjDaVd5c61aJbzfKjZXaueDZBt-WK4QCBfdCU_uqz_sFsT0wM/s1600/IMG_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL8e76AUvBCEvMzx6eqQ9u_MIsADSOX-S3rYbWxgBFNsSCUU6R9HEsOaMsYCObAn4gskVc0srkrJrKN7Ly9Y-FX21vptjDaVd5c61aJbzfKjZXaueDZBt-WK4QCBfdCU_uqz_sFsT0wM/s400/IMG_1330.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fun lil independence wknd shuttle w/the baggie shorts crew...fun!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Watched these lil guys from the day they hatched til they flew off. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft_Hn-btYpo6na4QpPOIGaB3bMb6r5rytIs6GqKpUu90wTGgOMVqC-BuNlHSaK3Oyrid3WZSmCPt8JbVC8915YiT1qAmav0DIdDY3ZnnOxHK6xOyX_4kwKMl63LJ88kPMg5Mcotp3pdA/s1600/IMG_4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft_Hn-btYpo6na4QpPOIGaB3bMb6r5rytIs6GqKpUu90wTGgOMVqC-BuNlHSaK3Oyrid3WZSmCPt8JbVC8915YiT1qAmav0DIdDY3ZnnOxHK6xOyX_4kwKMl63LJ88kPMg5Mcotp3pdA/s640/IMG_4670.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Speaking of new ones, loved this sunny high-elevation walk with my favorite new mama, her baby chica and of course Turner-dawg!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, in July.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Snuck south to the roots for warmer temps and some family time! Me and the mama on the Gulf</span>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And for some bike rides w/the mama and aunties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, back up toward the sky about 13,000 more feet.....</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Miss @tooley getting ready to JUMP IN that ice cold water! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of my favorite spots. Zoom in, scroll around, pics never do these places justice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can see a lot from here...lots of CT to include those "flawless" switchbacks; W</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eminuche, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lots of 13ers and 14ers, basically</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 360d of ooolala. Meh :)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://schillingsworth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Schilling</a>, et al, we shall ride (errr HAB) this, 2016.</span></span><br />
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RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-51122230266036629712015-08-23T06:11:00.004-07:002021-11-29T15:10:56.816-07:00My Not-So-Rigid (nor Articulate) thoughts on Females Integrated in Combat Units etc...<h1 class="article-title" itemprop="headline" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Ok, here we go…. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Over the past few years I’ve been watching this whole evolution of females in combat units, SOF training, integration, etc. play out at a new level. And most recently, I’ve been peppered w/ a lot questions about it, yet am still trying to wrap my head around what I actually think of it all, as there are so many different points to consider and different lens through which to view it -- to include my own personal lens of 2015 vs. mine of a decade ago. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s been such a polarizing topic…both in the media but more significantly to me while at the “campfire” at work amongst friends lately. It’s been interesting to see who is pro, con, and/or indifferent…a few surprises along the way. And we’re not even talking full integration, we’re just talking a training selection course. Notably, the older guys seem less threatened by it, as do the guys with daughters (assuming these guys would be gung-ho to have their daughters approach them one day and say Daddy I want to be like you! …just my hunch.) The younger guys, especially the ones who got out after just a few years, seem to be the most irate. Hrmmm.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Bottom line:<span style="font-weight: 400;"> Personally, I think it's bad-ass that these girls want to further dig in their boot-heels to defend/represent/lead their country as well as have more direct options to ultimately go kick some ISIL ass! Good for them! Get some! </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-weight: 400;">The greatest issue of contention seems to be blurred.....the 'dropping of standards' and the 'female gender integration'. In my mind, they're separate issues.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">The ugly caveat elephant: as long as standards aren't dropped. Were standards dropped at Benning? I don’t know, I wasn’t there. (The whole issue of “standards” is an interesting one already and one that annoys the heck out of me already. I hated hated hated that we had separate gender standards in the army. I was embarrassed for max’ing the PT test as some of the events were so drastically different than that of the males. Of course, I never maxed the run portion of the male standard, though it was still my goal. But I’d still beat most of the dudes. Did that make me less? Did it make them less? No. We all put out, cards fall as they may. Some of the military standards are lame (Sit-ups…really?! One of the dumbest “exercises” ever. Not functional nor relevant really….and I’d hope that more relevant standards are instilled at some point, but that’s an entirely separate issue and I digress….) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Bottom line here: standards at RS are what they are. I surely hope they remained the same this year, and I surely hope everyone was held to the same standard. Can I personally carry/drag a 250-lb dude? Nope. I’m guessing I could do the rest (well, maybe not this year w/a crap-knee haha not haha). But, for instance, if I can’t carry ol’ injured buddy comrade Eli and all his gear out of harms way, then well, I’d be screwing us both, and for the topic at hand: out of selection. Not negotiable, not waiverable. Rightfully so. Is it important to be able to carry your buddy off the field? Heck yes! Can a 120 male soldier carry his 250-lb comrade off the field? Probably not. Is it important to be tactically A-game? Heck yes. Standards should be maintained. Once standards are proven, we can then rely on our individual strengths to contribute 110% to the mission, to the team. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Retired SOF member J. Carpenter wrote an interesting piece which is worth a read (Female Ranger School Grads: A Post 9/11 Army Ranger’s Perspective). He reminded us that the only people who really know what happened during this recent class are the classmates, those who shared the daily burdens. And, that goes for any team, any event, training or real. The fact that these girls had to bear the weight of ALL females though is a little unfair. Guys wash out all the time, it happens. Everyone’s not cut out for it; it is what it is. But when it happens, the guys’ entire gender doesn’t come crashing down nor get criticized for it. These girls had to represent their entire gender...that’s a lot of pressure. Looks like at least a few of them did a'ight for themselves (not to mention all the mental crap/pressure likely going on in their heads along the way). F’n eh! At least they were busy and likely didn’t have the time to worry about the naysayers! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">What I personally hope for these girls is that they choose to move forward with professionalism and not get trapped into some politicians agenda nor public relations campaign; that they hold their heads up and drive-on knowing that they're not going to always be able to please everyone (hey that's life!); and that they figure out a way to fully contribute to the mission while maintaining their femininity (not try to turn into guys). The hardest part I think to overcome is the dynamics within the group. I’ve seen it go both ways. In 2015, it might be harder to gain the respect from the team-guys, but once earned, it’s f’n solid. I’ve witnessed this first-hand with some girls earning their integration on teams. But I also realize that we remain humans and that yes genders are wired a certain way, in general. Can we overcome it? I don’t know. Should we try? Well yeah duh. (I love that these girls are more interested in contributing to the world this way rather than via bikini-clad selfies on instagram; to each her own!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Would I personally want to go through selection (BUD/s, Ranger school, etc.)? Now, 2015? Hardly. That ship has sailed. But when I was a stubborn gung-ho 25-year-old, yeah probably. I had a lot I thought I needed to prove to myself, to others. And frankly, I would’ve likely done it simply because people would say I wasn’t allowed or because they thought I couldn’t. And frankly let’s all admit, it’s also the main reason most young 20-year-old male bucks do it too. Most of us, at age 20, know little about the big world, haven’t seen anyone die, haven’t learned anything about the big picture — rather we’re mainly driven by wanting to be part of an elite “tribe”. And this young urge to fight, to prove, to inflate those lats….it’s what makes the world go ‘round! When we’re 20 yo, we think we’re invincible -- we run to the fight. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">I’ve been watching the responses from a lot of people to include so many of my friends/teammates/colleagues. It's been interesting. Very polarizing and emotional. I get it. And frankly, I'm torn about the topic myself. While my road isn’t exactly the same, for the past 20 years, I've often been the only female in such a group — both in the military, tactical settings, as well as out. In training and downrange. I’ve received the welcome wagon from most, open to let me prove myself, as well as from a few who were nearly drooling to watch me go down in flames and doing everything to sabotage it from the start. Wasn't always easy. It took me a while to learn that I’d rather be a little embarrassed for failing at something than of dealing with the shame of not trying at all due to fear of public failure of trying. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Most notably, shortly after 9/11, I attended some pretty high-speed tactical training with a dozen or so guys who were mostly from the elite SOF community, with me being the only female (EO selection? haha). Our hands were raw after just a day or two on the range — A LOT of rounds and weapons were being slung. Admittedly, I was learning a lot. One of the mid-level knuckle-draggers was clear from day one that he didn’t want me there. Whatever. The choice wasn’t his and our eventual assignment wasn’t in his purview. I figured I had two options — learn what I could while I was there or let his suck-attitude wear into my confidence (which could adversely affect the confidence/skills I might eventually have to rely upon once down-range). Occasionally, we had some drills on the range during which we’d pair off two students to compete against each other. I figured I might as well volunteer myself to “compete” against him. If I lost the "duel", I’d be ok with that as he had significant experience over me; if not, well, I pushed myself against a solid operator and maybe learned a thing or two (talk about adding stress to the mindset!). I had nothing to lose. But these thoughts went through my head. And through his head as well (I later learned). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Point being, none of this should’ve been going through our heads. Both/all of us all should’ve been focused on the mission at hand — how to accomplish the task, how to improve our skills, and how to help our buddies’ improve theirs. </span></span><span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Why were so preoccupied with the gender crap? Was it because it was such a new wrench in the program? Or is it human nature? To me, this is where the main challenge lies for us all. I don’t know the answer, if there is one.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">Once women are more integrated in the community, will we still all think this way? I don’t know. Human dynamics are powerful, and some are deeply engrained. And personally, I think that’s a good thing. As long as we recognize that. I love that we all bring some different things to the table. But it’s taken me decades to figure that out. I don’t want to be a dude…god love em all, couldn’t imagine life without em. Would I want to fight alongside a group of them vs. a group of females. Today? Yes, of course. In general, most girls aren’t wired to want to fight; neither are some boys. That’s fine. They won’t make selection. They won’t even hold an interest in it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; letter-spacing: 0px;">But, once someone (male or female) recognizes his/her own intent to fight, to wear the uniform, to risk his/her life, and eventually makes selection, then it’s a different ballgame. This integration is new territory, new for all of us, and we don’t have to embrace it nor even fully understand our thoughts on it overnight, yet I do feel that we should respect those trying to contribute with their own blood. </span><br />
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<script src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/4903dbaa/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js" type="text/javascript"></script>RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-72908628652002975642015-07-29T18:45:00.004-07:002015-07-29T18:46:15.406-07:00Summah-time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day, I might update this site. In the interim, get outside, be inspired, go.</span></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-29193437006970459142015-02-28T20:02:00.000-07:002020-03-29T08:17:47.448-07:00Those towers up thereEveryone has their own preferences/needs on their bikes - race, cruise, huck, jump, rail, flow, trial, socialize, spin,....or combinations thereof. One of mine of course is to climb.<br />
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Must go up.<br />
Must suffer.<br />
Must live.<br />
Will love.<br />
Ahhhhhh...the rhythmic breathing and synthesis between the deep breaths, the churning pedals and the flaring nostrils.<br />
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So, when I see towers high atop some mountain, I immediately start imagining it's scraggly old dirt road/trail to the top. <br />
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I'd driven by these towers on Ord for years and finally was reminded/prompted via a buddy's recent strava post that it remained unseen (by me). Not sure if ol' lefty could handle it, but why not try?! <br />
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So, up I pedaled. Not the longest of rides, certainly not techy, but exactly what I needed. 1:20+ of up up up. Knee felt good, body entirely unfit, but ahhhhh, the soul felt DIVINE!!!!<br />
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<i>Looking back down (south) from the top/towers...Roosevelt Lake to the left (SE) and Canyon/Saguaro lakes to the right (SW, behind tree). Over 3200' in 6 miles. Yessss!</i></div>
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<i>The rugged terrain goes on and on and on, only w/a few squiggly lines of old mining roads....most of which beg to be ridden.</i></div>
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<i>One of the few "flat" sections, which was on the skinny spine of the ridgeline.</i></div>
<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-87008159161293754762014-07-23T16:44:00.004-07:002014-08-22T01:47:27.381-07:00Whirlwind Month in Pics....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A whirlwind past few weeks...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From prepping for another phenomenal summer (to include spending most of it in the Rockies, kicking bootay at the Breck Epic and some XTERRAs)....to major OUCH, to ANOTHER knee surgery (2nd in 8 months...ugh), lots of tears and why-me-pity-parties to being lost w/out goals, exertion, stoke...to switching gears, reflection, appreciation, lots of rehab, legs propped up, more tears, more fat, new body, tears, to hanging w/friends and family, swimming, paddling, reading, writing, trainer "sessions", eventually some flatland pedaling, a new lens, some camping in CO, then finally to some dirt, even some lung-sucking, grin-producing climbing...boom!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blissful reunion. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giddy in fact, not to mention that it was way up high above the treeline. High-altitude...my bliss. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No ball-busting paces and still no techy singletrack but some epic rides/views nevertheless. I've even found some doubletrack worthy of praise! Still a long way to go, still no running (sigh), still being very cautious, and perhaps never hit hard efforts again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But....summertime keeps ya dreaming, keeps stoke alive, esp that Rocky Mountain high.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Patience and restraint....lessons of summer 2014 (so far).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>DH pedals for the roadbike (needed flats to layoff the tender hammie).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No QOM hunting this summer.....just hunting for self-earned wind in face, epic views, HR above 70 (finally!), some solitude,.....score! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bedrest led to walks, to trainer sessions, to some flat-land pedaling to some climbs and eventually....</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colorado Trail!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Giddy....trail, flow, elevation, wildflowers, pow!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embrace the day!</span></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-7718585337582633022014-07-04T17:07:00.001-07:002014-07-04T17:08:26.289-07:00Freedom...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So grateful for the freedoms we have here on the homefront. </div>
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.RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-25751251542784385992014-06-17T19:04:00.004-07:002021-04-05T20:00:46.092-07:00A Green Spring....<br />
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Saying this post is late is perhaps an understatement, but as my knee convalescence drags on, I have no excuse to procrastinate further.<br />
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In sum, it was a spring of "green", although not so much because of the color. In Arizona, despite what some people think, we do have lots of green year-round! Many envision "hot, brown and nothing worth seeing". But, we who know it better, know much better! The myriad of colors -- the brilliant blue sky, the evergreens, the exposed earth basically offering you the <i>cliff-notes</i> of local geology. The intoxicating scents -- the mesquite, pine, cypress, their crispness, and my all-time favorite the creosote especially during monsoon season when it plumps up w/moisture. The life, the history, the good livin',...! I could go on and on and on about how much I still dig this place!<br />
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But, this past winter and spring, my life seemed to revolve around "green" -- my <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-blessed-life.html" target="_blank">Grandmother</a> who was the last woman on our side of the family to carry the married surname Green and the <a href="http://vrbp.org/wp-content/uploads/Map-of-Verde-River-Watershed.png" target="_blank">Verde River</a> (spanish <i>green</i>), the latter which gives life to much of Arizona. Per my previous post, our grandmother's final days were swift but she was super sharp til the end, and I'd had a few of my final phone chats w/her while I was walking along various spots on the Verde and she at her home in Florida.<br />
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I didn't realize the "green" connection at the time nor the awesomeness of how much they both gave so much vibrant life and brought everyone together. She for the family, and the river for its life-sustaining water.<br />
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At the time, I'd merely been trying to find other things to do outdoors which gave me some wind in my face and still-injured-knee more time to heal...and of course to escape the "cold" of the higher elevations near home. <br />
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I spent many days paddling (stand-up paddleboard / SUP) along different sections of the river, though mainly in its dammed sections, some of AZ's best lakes. The lakes are fantastic nuggets of the state and for the most part are quiet and unvisited in the winter/spring especially midweek. Sheep, bald eagles, coyotes, wild donkeys, cattle and wild horses were regularly within sight, quenching their thirst from the wild and generally inaccessible river's flow.<br />
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And of course the bike. Duh. Since all my lil' hinge would really allow was some easy spinning, I'd scouted some long empty desert dirt roads where I could camp then just spin to my heart's content.</div>
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So remote in fact that sometimes I actually packed a little heat, something I rarely do. Maybe I'd need it against some hungry mountain lion at dawn, or a bored ol' cattle rustler, or.....just felt like the right thing to do in certain locales.<br />
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However, of all those remote excursions, the only time I got a little sketched out, the heat wouldn't have been much use, sadly. I was on my bike on an old fireroad seeking the old historic Sheeps Bridge. The day was getting warm already and I was definitely having to pay attention to water supply versus mileage away from homebase (aka the truck).<br />
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I crested a hill and lo and behold there's big daddy rattler sprawled out across the road sunnin' himself. I could relate, after all the sun felt great. But, he was blocking my way and wasn't going to budge. I waited a few seconds and took the opportunity to snap some pics. I was still a good 15-20 feet away and didn't feel too threatened. <br />
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Until. He. Got. Annoyed. He rared his head back, giving me the ol' cockeye all while setting his rattler in full-throttle. Instinct kicked in and I swear I felt sweatglands open in places I didn't know existed...my shins?? Wha?? So, now ol daddy simply refused to let me pass thru his sundeck. Errr. Rolled a few small rocks his direction which were not met kindly. I then got mad. I FULLY INTENDED TO FIND THAT SHEEP'S BRIDGE SO OL DADDY NEEDS TO CHILL OUT AND LET ME PASS THROUGH! Eventually, after I told him that I was just a guest, he slithered up the bank and disappeared into the brush; I'm quite sure that when I pedaled past that I was at mock-speed, breath-held, traps fully stressed toward my ears and probably eyes squinted if not fully-closed (the same thing I do unintentionally sometimes on the dirtbike on rocky drops beyond my skill-level...ha!) Point being, neither that little sidearm nor pepper-spray would've done much good w/ol daddy rattler. <br />
(Oh by the way, he was the 5th snake I'd seen since sunrise. Ah, another day in the life...)<br />
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And some other days and sections of the Verde...<br />
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<i>( Fun friend TD & I playing along the northern sections of the Verde. )</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">( Right up against the river, a cool campsite for sure, assuming no one else is around. This night was totally unplanned. Fortunately my combo of stocked-rations and some leftover lunch was good enough for sunrise brekkie - sardines and strawberries. Yum?? )</span></i><br />
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<i> ( One of my now-favorite spots to set up camp now; ok well not now as it's 1 zillion degrees down that low, but come November, I'll be back! )</i></div>
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The Verde,</div>
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special chats with my grandmother,</div>
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the sun,</div>
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brilliant blue skies,</div>
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wide open space...</div>
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...Spring 2014.</div>
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.RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-16568244966039163102014-06-02T14:59:00.001-07:002015-06-01T12:41:14.720-07:00Slide Fire <span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Quick post and a few pics from my tiny lil optic/experience w/the recent devastating Slide Fire up Oak Creek Canyon. I was on the other side of the globe when it broke out and started getting bombarded by friends' emails asking if my house was ok. (Yes, mi casa is surrounded by far more pavement/urbania that I'd like.....hopefully the market will improve soon so I can get my bootay farther off-grid.) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Knowing/loving this unique area intimately (see two links below* for some recent pics/adventures)</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">, knowing some of the local firefighters, remembering the tragedy last year of losing those fallen 19 FFs at the Yarnell fire, and already constantly annoyed by the tourists, their "need" for campfires and cigarettes, it was driving me nuts to hear about it -- the safety of the people working the fire, the air quality for my friends nearby, the wildlife, and of course preserving the gorgeous land itself. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I finally got back into town late in the afternoon, with sight of the huge plumes of smoke filling the sky visible from miles away. See this fantastic pic taken by my local insta-bud <a href="http://instagram.com/p/ocbO13F3dR/" target="_blank">Drtjump</a>.... Pretty much sums up the grandeur and what it looked like rolling back in town from the south. Urghhh....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I was happy to be home and to finally sleep in my own bed, but at 0330 woke up feeling like I was going to suffocate because the air quality was so bad. In town, we were getting this weird atmospheric inverse(?) each night/morning which pushed most of the smoke/ash down the canyon to us. It had somewhat cleared up by midday, but after another night of that, I decided to just pack up the truck/bike/sup and hit the hills for a few days. Headed up to unaffected perches of the Mogollon Rim to camp, fend off some jetlag and reacquaint myself w/AZ. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Much respect to those working the fire (the work continues) and to those still trying to find the perpetrator. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">PSA: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please don't smoke in AZ. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please don't feel the need to have a campfire just bc you're sleeping outside. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Wear a jacket. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Eat normal food that need not be charred. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Plan ahead. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">If you must have a fire, do so responsibly.....in a "safe" area, conscious of wind/etc., have a shovel/ax, don't leave it unattended, and don't leave the area until you know (for hours!!) that's it's totally out. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It's like clearing a weapon -- check it once, twice, friggin 10 times!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Anyway, the fire is contained up to about 90-95% today and the air is clearer earlier in the days now. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">A few pics always trump words....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Base camp elsewhere for a few days....</i></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EJGspufO1-Rk5WC4SvXWdPzNdS4jiErjpydN_qcKBgg163UJWhiVgKuFDmQuyoD0w7ReLnE17O4DCh-LYpfzIE5K30cGbV2KZVdCxB2HRN9fnr31TlsgvsYj1Z7aBHbb3QIYj2AdufM/s1600/IMG_2835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EJGspufO1-Rk5WC4SvXWdPzNdS4jiErjpydN_qcKBgg163UJWhiVgKuFDmQuyoD0w7ReLnE17O4DCh-LYpfzIE5K30cGbV2KZVdCxB2HRN9fnr31TlsgvsYj1Z7aBHbb3QIYj2AdufM/s1600/IMG_2835.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Once back home, still nursing a tender knee, I thought early the next morn would be the best time to get in a road ride assuming the air quality wouldn't be too bad . . . up the canyon to spin the legs and to see the carnage. (The road would otherwise be closed for the next month since they're doing construction at the switchbacks/top anyway....meaning less traffic too...an added perk!)</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm-czCms24aATYbt-ZsiOmlfKCXphgTvmwf5aDlD5ylIt5q4ATzcYc9YgbouRPdU81r4Vg0px3zwBaMwSnrgw9PTvDEvWa5eW31Nf0ZPmu1LBJaHDzBOs2xy_ImPpwhKVMmAIUjGLZ0U/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm-czCms24aATYbt-ZsiOmlfKCXphgTvmwf5aDlD5ylIt5q4ATzcYc9YgbouRPdU81r4Vg0px3zwBaMwSnrgw9PTvDEvWa5eW31Nf0ZPmu1LBJaHDzBOs2xy_ImPpwhKVMmAIUjGLZ0U/s1600/photo+3.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666;">Taken from just north of town looking up the canyon; you can barely see Midgley bridge here.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Below...as I posted on IG: "Expecting the worse but found some of the best: still lots of green, no traffic, songbirds and ravens flew alongside, two herds of deer, a few skunks, lots of chipmunks, rested firefighters, clean air by 0830, oh and an un-achy knee. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/makinglemonade" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#makinglemonade</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/slidefire" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#slidefire</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sliderock" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#sliderock</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/cycling" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#cycling</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pleasedontsmokeinaz" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#pleasedontsmokeinaz</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pleasewearajacketnotacampfire" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#pleasewearajacketnotacampfire</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ijustwannaride" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#ijustwannaride</a>"</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;"><i style="background-color: black; font-weight: normal;">(Slide Rock....a little over an later on my way back down the canyon...wind had picked up and much of the smoke had lifted. First time I've EVER not seen hordes of people playing in the water...it was awesome to say the least!)</i></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">There was definitely some carnage up there but with all the green foliage in full bloom, it was hard to see. (But you can scour the internet for pics the crews took of the burns; personally I didn't leave the pavement....still not allowed to anyway as the fire is not 100% contained.) Surely the carnage on the eastside of the ridgeline (west of road) will be more exposed in the winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please burn responsibly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* Links: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> - <a href="http://schillingsworth.blogspot.com/2014/04/kelly-casner-red-rocks-oh-my.html" target="_blank">Schillingsworth's tale</a> of </span>our recent traverse of the top of the canyon along the rim which btw during the fire was all totally closed off and perhaps burned (definitely the Woody area)<span style="line-height: 20px;">;</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> - <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2012/06/overdue.html" target="_blank">Half-Dirty Century </a> - an old post of mine</span>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span>RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-81665063515733517012014-04-13T17:06:00.003-07:002014-04-13T18:25:34.476-07:00A blessed life lived...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /> Back together again...</i></span></b></td></tr>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're so grateful for the two of you....</span></b></i><br />
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RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-34697629456340160412014-02-28T22:53:00.000-07:002017-11-05T20:00:11.329-07:00An Update, Some Pics, a PSA & Tribute to Repo...<br />
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Because I haven't been able to handle the suck-factor of saying over and over and over and over: "Thanks for asking, but no, I'm sorry I can't go ride/run/play/etc w/you today either because....knee...old....no there's nothing docs can do....patellar...osteo...broken bone-chips....blah blah blah", I've pretty much gone off the social grid for a while. Saying it over and over doesn't exactly reinforce optimism so I opted to just not be faced w/having to answer everyone's questions , although I really do know you/they all mean well). <br />
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So, yeah yeah yeah, all is fine, and at the end of the day, it's a grand old world out there and maybe sometimes better appreciated at a <i>slow</i> speed (boring! ha!). I've got some awesome friends and family and I couldn't be better blessed/lucky in that department!! <br />
Thanks for the invites and don't give up on me....I plan to join in again soon! Life is good! 61+ years to go still!<br />
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So, same ol same ol....ol knee is really no better/worse than 1 week before/after surgery. $30K wasted and humility gained. I've accepted laying off certain activities for a while, and I've been able to incorporate some hiking, some decent riding miles although mainly road (new roadbike!), the canals and fireroads and a few miles of singletrack here and there. No real singletrack, definitely no descending. And every few days, there've been some short "runs". I definitely miss running the most...the freedom, the speed, the simplicity and definitely the runner's bod (and the nightly cookies)! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shonny & Wild Horses @ Salt River</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Donkey</i></td></tr>
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<i>Some canal riding down in the valley....still amazes me that this is so close to Urbania.</i></div>
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<i><a href="http://schillingsworth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Schilling</a> leading the way on a lil exploratory ride.</i></div>
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<i>Hiking "Hangover" w/Turner dog and his mama Timoni.</i></div>
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<b><i><u>GET STRONGER / FIX YO'SELF (PSA) . . . </u></i></b><br />
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Also, have been working on LOTS of work on STRENGTH/MOBILITY - the other reason for this post. <i> If you're my family reading this (or even some blog-cruiser), listen up.... </i><br />
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Over the past few years, I kept thinking, I run I ride I climb blah blah blah why in the heck would I need to touch weights and gain strength?! I'm already strong!! Why? ...well because I most likely could've avoided -- or at least postponed -- a lot of the permanent damage in my knees. <br />
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As triathletes/runners/cyclists, we hear this all the time, but most of us or like "whatever...won't happen to me, I'm invincible! I'm strong! I'm a bad-ass!" And sometimes WE need it most, because we're always only moving in one direction...forward! Our lateral mobility, our core strength, dynamic strength, etc is generally lacking sorely. And lord help us if we ever have to jump vertically! We further neglect what we don't use and any little idiosyncrasie is amplified and before ya know it, joints aren't tracking properly, muscles/tendons/soft-tissue/etc might get all mangled and simply trying to adapt to our bad form. Of course, this leads into a zillion topics and lessons, but I wanted to at least highlight a few steps to improving yourself ASAP!<br />
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If you're super-athletic or happy in retirement and fishing from a boat....take care of yourself, keep up your strength, your mobility,...! At least do some basics. Use weights....they need not be supremely heavy, but use some. And really, it's all about your FORM and ENGAGING PROPERLY.<br />
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Over the past 10 yrs, I actually thought I was doing the best things...kept 'working out' and even regularly did lots of strength yoga; but looking back, there were a lot of subtle form faults I had...more like "workarounds" that I invented. From the outside, it looked fine, but I wasn't "engaging" what really needed to be engaged. Form, form, form!! Start w/your body weight for the first few weeks if that's all you can do. Then work on weights, more dynamics later. Make iT fun, just do it. <u>Women in my family....this is mainly for you!!!</u> Either way, I feel obligated to put this out there. I wish I'd been pressured/bullied into more of this sooner. Yes, there's so much we should be doing, but at least start here....the absolute basics! All ya might need is a band ($5), and you can improvise w/everything else til ya get it dialed in. You'll notice a difference after the first session or two! Do it!<span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc;"><i> (Got questions? hit me up! I'll bombard you w/references/ videos/whatever...I want everyone healthy! And family: next time we're all at the river-house, there shall be group sessions on the dock! :-)</i></span></span><br />
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<i><b><u>LIVIN' . . . </u></b></i><br />
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Ok, so after that PSA, here are some obligatory photos of the warmest/driest winter I've experienced in AZ. For immediate selfish reasons, it's been awesome. For the potential problems in the future (drought, summer fires, forest closures, wildlife dismay, etc.), it's really not been ideal. Hopefully, we'll get some precip soon.<br />
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<i>Up Mingus on the roadbike.</i></div>
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Went out for my first "big" day on the MTB and was just gonna stick mainly to old jeep/mining roads and play it by ear. Had my first ever sidewall slice (actually my first flat in 4+ years) so of course I was ill-prepared and got to walk 4 miles to the "main" dirt road (was walking on it for an hour before the first truck rolled by...dusted me out), then I hitched a ride w/a local landscaper and his wife for another 20 mins on dirt then about 20 mins back into town on hardball. I sat happily in the back w/a bunch of rakes, hoes, shovels, chainsaw, weedeater and ol caballo. Somehow, I was still absolutely stoked about finally getting a healthy dose of sunshine and challenge, both which I've been lacking lately.<br />
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<i>Just a mere moment before the torn sidewall. Pedaling out of that wash below, I heard pshhhhhhhh, for all of about 10 secs. When I took this pic, I thought, wow, what a gorgeous day, then...pshhhhhhh. Ha!</i></div>
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<i>At least I had a good view when walking the carbon caballo.</i></div>
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<i>Last time that we (me & the mtb) had to hitch a ride, I met/found one of the coolest guys all the planet. (Not really the case on this day though, or at least I don't think so....they didn't speak much english nor I much espanol. I think they thought I was nuts. Yeah, prolly.)</i></div>
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<i>1st venture on singletrack in over a month. Some hard-earned views way up there (ie. HAB)</i></div>
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<i>Back toward Mingus.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And I'd be remiss if I didn't post one more pic of Repo who lived his last day last week and was laid to rest today. Always making us laugh, contributing to the world and living his life fully...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Respect.</span><br />
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Out.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, knee surgery has come and gone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was on the bike the very next morning. Of course it was just a stationary trainer at the phys therapist's office, but I was surprised (and excited, and scared) that they'd wanted me on it so quickly. Seven whole minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was pretty optimistic the first week. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it's been three now and it still hurts. The worst of the pain is gone (the bone fragment that had gotten lodged in the joint), but the bone-on-bone dead front/center of the kneecap....ouch. Trying to be optimistic, trying to be patient, definitely being conservative. I realize this is NOT one of those times to "suck it up" and push through it, as doing so would just fracture the bone further. I've been super lucky to be in the hands of the team at <a href="http://www.athletesperformance.com/about/locations/" target="_blank">Athlete's Performance</a>, although they can't help when it comes down to my impatience, my "wear and tear" and now travelling again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Was so hard to go from all day of riding/playing this summer to nada, zip, zilch. All that altitude/base/climbing work...gone. The positive, however, though is that AT LEAST I GOT SOME AMAZING RIDING IN THIS YEAR! Keep having to remind myself of that! Colorado multiple times, Chile/Andes and home sweet home Arizona. Definitely earned some good dirt this year (and a few podium spots somehow). I'll savor that, but we all know it's really all about TOMORROW. So, I'm hopeful I won't have to rely on past memories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And not that I like lap-swimming (hate it!), but I was really looking forward to getting the stitches out and at least getting back in the pool. Was craving getting my heart-rate up again. The the Dr said "no"...wait another week for the ports to close/heal up. Ughhh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I loaded up the truck with my bike/trainer, all the cold-weather clothes I own and my buddies' dog who I was supposed to dog-sit for anyway (I love me some Turner!), and headed back to Colorado. I figured I could sulk at home or sulk at 9500' elev and w/a new view; also knew I would never go there if I weren't injured as I hate the cold and feel limited in snow. So, this was a perfect time to see its awe, pedal in place and try something new. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the interim, some random shots of what kept me occupied before/during/after surgery. Thank goodness for good friends and amazing canines! :)</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Buddy Jen & me. Two desert rats trying out some SUP (paddleboardin'). </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking for wild burros out on the paddleboard the night before surgery. (A redrockchica "tradition" it seems.) </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the several loose bone fragments Dr pulled out.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">36 hrs later on trainer. John/Jen's back deck...w/loyal ol' Kelly-dog.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loaded up and heading to the Rockies. Turner-dog in tow.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Of course, a blizzard hit immediately. Turned out to be kinda fun.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://instagram.com/p/gyadaiLpBB/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Vid</span> - Turner lovin' it!</a></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next morning. Ooo la la.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then back to AZ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first "real" ride. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My buddy </span><a href="http://schillingsworth.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Schillingsworth</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> gave me a tour of some of the canal routes and hung back at my snail's pace. Flat but at least outside! Happy to have wind in my face again. (Don't mock the kit, I was out of practice and it was surprisingly freezing down in the valley. Whatevah!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Extra big thanks to the crew who put up w/my injured ol' bootay and who cut me some slack on me being jealous every time they talked about their adventures outside! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Especially thanks to Jen, John, the girls, Dredd, Ed, RE, BP, Matt, MB, JZ,...gracias!!</span></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-29538814196837209632013-10-28T00:38:00.002-07:002016-02-21T10:11:28.471-07:00Rambling...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Looking up toward (and longing for) Four Peaks.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";"><i>for those with whom i've been slack on comms recently....sorry. no valid excuses. just some insight....</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">w/this injured hinge, i'm living inside a body in which i'm not
familiar, not at home. it doesn't do what the rest of it wants to do.
it wants to sprint up a mountain, pedal over a crest, a million other
things that it doesn't even yet know it wants til it gets its urge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">but now it's just a shell that the girl inside is trying so hard
not to be mad at, trying to stay loyal and thankful because that same shell --
and broken hinge -- is pretty much solely responsible for the best days of her
life, biggest/hardest lessons learned in life, and surely for some of the
biggest grins ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">the heart and soul and legs and lungs and wild eyes want to run
as hard as i can, but the hinge won't have it. that little millimeter of
"ouch" is a meteor-size NO! so while i have all this time
on my hands, it'd seem easy, practical actually, to just take advantage of
doing other things, and perhaps to get to know someone/something new. but it's not
that easy. i dont want someone learning this version of me. i dont
even like this version of me. it's foreign. it's so far out of my
element and comfort zone. it's a lot to handle up in the ol 'nogin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">spoiled i must sound, and spoiled i surely am. my life
has been about movement about freedom about doing what the body wants....and
now the emergency brake is on and i dont want it to be. time is ticking
and i've got to relearn a rhythm...hopefully a temporary one in hopes that this
is fixable, that I myself will be fixable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">i rely on no one but myself for contentment, for fun, for grins,
for satisfaction....and right now i've let myself down. but i can't be mad
at that little worn-out hinge. i've surely abused it, and i'm sure it's already given
me, in my short lifetime, far more than most would ever dream of. so woe is
me and my spoiled rotten little pity party, haha. i'll survive. it's
not cancer, i realize. life is not over. but it is a big deal for
me and showing myself in this light is ill-advised. while yes, it's the real
me, it's not the best me, and it's really not even a passing grade. i'm
too distracted w/HEAL HEAL HEAL...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #666666; font-family: "arial";">in
the interim, there's a big ol purty world outside and i need to admire it...and figure out how to either get me running on its ridgelines and/or just exploring it while letting the lil hinge heal up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And finally, the sun setting upon Four Peaks....a special few moments of pure chance that I was able to see the sunkiss upon the peaks in the one saddle where the peaks peaked through. A sweet ending to a sweet day....</span></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-84907549994313041032013-08-17T04:30:00.002-07:002014-03-12T10:30:52.063-07:00Rocky Mountain Dirt & Unplanned Bliss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After my early summer adventures/races, I feared I'd blown my knee for good. I've known (via several surgeons and my own foresight) that my knee's lifespan is limited. I went 3 weeks not even being able to squat 20deg nor even sleep face down because the kneecap was protruding forward so badly. "Fortunately" (?), I had to travel for work for a few weeks so (a) was preoccupied with work, and (b) wasn't tempted/depressed by seeing my mountain bike & trails to run on nearby daily. I'd tried a few times to get on a spinbike, but frankly even 15-20 minutes of easy spinning killed me. I just tried to justify it as needing time for the swelling to go down and that maybe it was the size of the cranks on the bike (too long). So, I just did some maintenance stuff for a few weeks to stay somewhat fit and reluctantly wondered if my running/riding days were over, and hoping that when I returned home, a miracle might happen.<br />
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I finally made it back home and reunited w/my bike. The first day was a goatrope. I rode for about 30 minutes before collapsing on the side of the trail - likely a combo of jetlag (50+ hours straight of sitting on planes, trains, automobiles), heat exhaustion (rocky trail near my friends' home in Mesa, AZ) at sunrise, a newly busted hand and sheer lack of fitness. But then I tried again the next day. It still hurt, but less so. <br />
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I was scheduled to race at Beaver Creek, XTERRA, that weekend, and simply knew that I had no personal governor when it comes to racing and I feared that if I towed that line, I would likely kill my knee forever. Plus, all those colorado girls would kick this sealevel girl's bootay! Ha! So, after much internal debate, I opted not to race.<br />
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I still wanted to ride in Colorado. I get to go/ride there so infrequently and figured why not just go explore all those epic trails -- without a race, without a stopwatch, for the sheer joy of RIDING a bike. Maybe the absence of "training" and a "clock" would help me to rehab my knee. Of course, coming from an early summer at sea-level, it might be a challenge, but typically, I handle the altitude pretty well and figured it beat sulking in hot Arizona. And, frankly, while I ADORE the red rocks of Sedona, I wasn't in love with the idea of fighting rocks and techy trail this summer. Seeking big mountains, huge climbs, aspen, long and fun descents. Rocky Mountains!<br />
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So, I loaded up the truck, the bike and some camping gear and hit the road. I'm lucky to have a flexible calendar and wanted to exploit the summer to its fullest this year. I hit up everyone I know who KNOWS Colorado singletrack and got tons of 411. Biggest shoutouts to the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4rbDczogkCPUcK3QTphURF64_Go-dLZ-zoFzLTRjOPEtRyO-_HzVpJOlBUphtsgwSoRqolzRLcw5rUka_qDvvwG_jDztQLT4xZne2kqoiiORmTytyMGDCxUYs2SyBTXhDBoAcSAgn6o/s1600/IMG_8109.jpg" target="_blank">Turner</a> fam -- Matt & Timoni -- who between the two of them pointed the lil' carbon caballo on most excellent dirt several times. Super appreciative!<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Love crossing the rez at sunset...magical sunset glow.</span></i></div>
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So, I eased into it, first stop Telluride, rode w/some friends. I felt the knee, but less so. Then again the next day, riding easy, the knee was ok. Wha??? Not sure why I was suddenly better. Back to my shorter cranks? Better fit on the bike vs a standard spin bike? A few days off from running? Colorado? I never figured it out. Rather, I said a few thank yous (to God, Allah, the bike, etc.) and promised to not take it for granted! :)<br />
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Of course, I didn't get to ride ALL the trails I'd hoped, but heck yeah a lot of it. Lots of the epics. Telluride, Crested Butte, Almont, Fruita, Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt, Cortez, etc.. Big mountains, flowy dirt, chunky rock, jeep passes. Most of my days were above 8000ft elev, and several times above 13,000ft, well above the treeline. I handled it pretty well. My legs definitely lacked some needed punch several times. Found I had to push the bike a few times in places I wouldn't have had to were I a mile lower in elevation. But I loved it. Found myself grinning a lot! Definitely bliss. Looking back at some stats, looks like I rode 1-2x a day on NEW dirt, pedaled about 250 miles and a glorious 40,000 in about 10 days of riding. Yes, less than <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2011/10/coconino-250.html" target="_blank">Coconino250</a>/<a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/la-ruta-race-reportalas.html" target="_blank">La Ruta</a>/etc; but again, this was for FUN, for EXPLORING, and while yeah hitting it hard at times, I definitely stopped to smell the roses, and mock foxes, and oogle black bears, etc.. (One of the rides was about 5500ft climbing in a mere 20miles, and up to 13K' which kicked my bootay!) <br />
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A huge perk was that I even ended up getting to ride w/some friends along the way. Few of those joint rides were planned, but popped up as great opportunities along the way! :-)<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5TUk71WWbx-ayQ0dB36ySuB2d2xk_FMl6nlomU5qkvdB4yWRmMB9sdvSxGvFB1E1Z3tzjWPU4nwFKTEWQjR0kG5vsx77K5cMwgQbUIX2F2wJ4yL77A1YGhLGD0JcW8nPbb1-AAjvdx8/s1600/IMG_0076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5TUk71WWbx-ayQ0dB36ySuB2d2xk_FMl6nlomU5qkvdB4yWRmMB9sdvSxGvFB1E1Z3tzjWPU4nwFKTEWQjR0kG5vsx77K5cMwgQbUIX2F2wJ4yL77A1YGhLGD0JcW8nPbb1-AAjvdx8/s640/IMG_0076.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even some of the best riders find themselves having to push "easy" pitches when nearing 14,000ft.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corkscrew gulch, near Ouray. </span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb4zbSgWckb6T9nYakv_I_StwVVP2HgE1Lv1kpZ2EIwA1-FqeLS9AVYHsfiDP-lfoHgEj1-2shAPXSEXUjT6zN6Sg1-KoMSiSF8F2gpLIiAF7tR0oPo5OjXjU-7AE9L1nfUM-YzP3bPw/s1600/IMG_8588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb4zbSgWckb6T9nYakv_I_StwVVP2HgE1Lv1kpZ2EIwA1-FqeLS9AVYHsfiDP-lfoHgEj1-2shAPXSEXUjT6zN6Sg1-KoMSiSF8F2gpLIiAF7tR0oPo5OjXjU-7AE9L1nfUM-YzP3bPw/s640/IMG_8588.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jess, leading the way for Patrick, Jason and me, near Telluride. </span></i><br />
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I'd recruited a buddy to do some bikepacking and traverse one of the best sections of the Colorado Trail (CT), but being in the midst of monsoon season, it became too risky to get stuck up there on a certain long exposed sections during lightening/electrical storms -- which that particular week was seeing many of. Of course, my impatience tried to beg borrow and steal to convince him to just go for it, but in the end and after a morning "recon" session, we opted out -- and nearly suffered hypothermia from the experience. I was bummed but knowing how I have no tolerance for wet/cold as it is, it was probably good I avoided a melt-down...and death by lightening of course.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnT1uGHqSBCQ7M_wbA7iKfYG4q3XFxiDgiyVeRjSYbaMZSu8IAbLBMw0RikQ0HKclrLPoTfcHBLMqtNhK9nqDyawH_hdZye1fZ3TsYKdkrZxjTPknZeLl3eHCieQ3iy8lD4VSAz9RPZ8/s1600/Image+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnT1uGHqSBCQ7M_wbA7iKfYG4q3XFxiDgiyVeRjSYbaMZSu8IAbLBMw0RikQ0HKclrLPoTfcHBLMqtNhK9nqDyawH_hdZye1fZ3TsYKdkrZxjTPknZeLl3eHCieQ3iy8lD4VSAz9RPZ8/s640/Image+1.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wet rat on the Colorado Trail. <br />Cold, soaked, off-route and realizing that my hopes for the full-passage the following day was not going to happen...due to the weeklong summer storm in the San Juan range.</span></i></td></tr>
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Pics never capture moments precisely, especially when the actual vistas are so pungent of vast space, vivid colors, crisp air and the magnanimous appreciation of good health and insanely happy lungs and legs. Yet, I'm glad to have photos. For soon, I will be back at work, with no time. No bike. No mountains. No freedom to go go go. No imperfectly angled climbs. No glorious deep breathing. No options for quads to argue for more. No irrational fear of mountain lions stalking. No sweet anticipation of what's around the next ridgeline. No cramping hands and triceps from sweet descents (e.g. Doctor Park!). No laughing, chasing, freezing, sweating, suffering, alongside riding partners in crime. No passing out from sheer exhaustion and exhilaration only to wake up and saddle up again. <br />
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So, these pics will remind me of my summer stoke - and maybe inspire others to just pack up and go hit the trail (or whatever your equivalent is)! It's somewhat hard for me to see these pics now, hard to not be bitter that I can't go back <strike>tomorrow</strike> today. But hopefully I'll have next summer. And the next. And the next. En sha allah. <br />
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Or, as a friend pointed out, this little globe we live on always has summer somewhere on it. So, for now, I'll try to stay drunk off the summer sweetness and start hatching the next lil excursion. <br />
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Ideas???<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8iToi4p-67XfnyD0SIjBV-L_3rMgGm6xdcXzsMeT7mMtv0svHXhA7r6sYRQ_0pfptnQtvPWPmR9IVa3uDNJFZ58f8z1uot9hTrlyaqeBkJ3jPeXAfHhl6oqFvMz-CbyDTue9OyBdP_t4/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8iToi4p-67XfnyD0SIjBV-L_3rMgGm6xdcXzsMeT7mMtv0svHXhA7r6sYRQ_0pfptnQtvPWPmR9IVa3uDNJFZ58f8z1uot9hTrlyaqeBkJ3jPeXAfHhl6oqFvMz-CbyDTue9OyBdP_t4/s640/IMG_0256.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Birthday morning ride to above the treeline. Near Silverton.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX087_k5eGS-jZPzTqZXkBgCMDy3qbH7y-m8lcnsTGQ1hY_hrUz4JcCLDDqsK1Wq8FGfyveLLm_aBVKpPVmPdJpsH7V5jIs0Xf0THFBYnlxp-iPNH1Wynd4NK6DIuw-IpsKJ6OIYcI-1Q/s1600/IMG_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX087_k5eGS-jZPzTqZXkBgCMDy3qbH7y-m8lcnsTGQ1hY_hrUz4JcCLDDqsK1Wq8FGfyveLLm_aBVKpPVmPdJpsH7V5jIs0Xf0THFBYnlxp-iPNH1Wynd4NK6DIuw-IpsKJ6OIYcI-1Q/s640/IMG_0092.JPG" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between Ouray and Silverton...California Gulch I think (via Corkscrew).</span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV80Qq4oytAIE9xD8Dy_gQjYVHfxlPB856o-CFCNuJl9YUYEFsoUnH1FeRDXM5hYlLiGDdhMR1RFP4aAwzbDcst5aSQNzdeSbbuSHVM4r7_I96tdYqDXmu_yWP_IBrLKhkdg4XE-Hs3Io/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV80Qq4oytAIE9xD8Dy_gQjYVHfxlPB856o-CFCNuJl9YUYEFsoUnH1FeRDXM5hYlLiGDdhMR1RFP4aAwzbDcst5aSQNzdeSbbuSHVM4r7_I96tdYqDXmu_yWP_IBrLKhkdg4XE-Hs3Io/s640/Image.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy camper, climbing to the moon!</span></i><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H_A9WEZIMRD7ZS9_NwLlV1vkhbnsbxbwTvhumDYGj4-zalesvhRiqvr-AIjXwJkuI2-BfYWzwT1bo3ZxWDM7IaGwJuZz2Ca0bz6pzXuqceE0JfVenhkKPZAawK7ADMtobti332WoOT8/s1600/IMG_9180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H_A9WEZIMRD7ZS9_NwLlV1vkhbnsbxbwTvhumDYGj4-zalesvhRiqvr-AIjXwJkuI2-BfYWzwT1bo3ZxWDM7IaGwJuZz2Ca0bz6pzXuqceE0JfVenhkKPZAawK7ADMtobti332WoOT8/s640/IMG_9180.jpg" height="640" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The MTB diva Tina on her SS pony...showing me the spectacular colorado trail above Durango.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1BhPByuMq1PNDndBn6ZRNXTsWIrvavZ4tw-i1373laal8_Bv2VtP770R72HTESrnFZwK35mOe6vBFuMUFUyWkxFfvQcxFRtY94zD_tjllLAu_mnoJrlVXbsS__s6C5ls9AQY8f7QIlk/s1600/Image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1BhPByuMq1PNDndBn6ZRNXTsWIrvavZ4tw-i1373laal8_Bv2VtP770R72HTESrnFZwK35mOe6vBFuMUFUyWkxFfvQcxFRtY94zD_tjllLAu_mnoJrlVXbsS__s6C5ls9AQY8f7QIlk/s640/Image+2.jpg" height="640" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE69TN4eWIhcprSJO7-jeNoJdR3br185iFKiQ3UmCEEOiIbngdmKPrCDgSpxKv0ym0V72tjWVqNuszZ6fOnJtAvcOJAyyyTP8atJ3NhnOjHnWMsfNtGQ99UfgNHPLoL27vfqWUF3WPXKw/s1600/IMG_9857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE69TN4eWIhcprSJO7-jeNoJdR3br185iFKiQ3UmCEEOiIbngdmKPrCDgSpxKv0ym0V72tjWVqNuszZ6fOnJtAvcOJAyyyTP8atJ3NhnOjHnWMsfNtGQ99UfgNHPLoL27vfqWUF3WPXKw/s640/IMG_9857.JPG" height="640" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ol Black Bear seems to be going where I was planning to go. Thank gawd for Johnny Cash songs aloud, and my persistence to tuck into that aspen forest anyway. Near Aspen.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kALrEe_BsxsBLCR7CttO9CQsgNN08bdD6xfnR7K30libfF2NN3HAJl3N3Iin0O7Sl1qyLXuTYPEuGlP_y7uRL6zcluK18Pafst3gyyjOu5o-CL4pGOlrawcg33nK_AupJuzRkTYwgqA/s1600/IMG_8818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kALrEe_BsxsBLCR7CttO9CQsgNN08bdD6xfnR7K30libfF2NN3HAJl3N3Iin0O7Sl1qyLXuTYPEuGlP_y7uRL6zcluK18Pafst3gyyjOu5o-CL4pGOlrawcg33nK_AupJuzRkTYwgqA/s640/IMG_8818.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morning venture. Near Crested Butte.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrH5RrX0NeHs1bpMqoxTeJvQ6c1ZhU8iAJASF_EtO2A8qgltj8ROTLuhy_IjemzmbSgtDkZO9oW-Osu0ZikkWD1xwISBNWdunnIk6aF1jpqJ3XVEdJvohgRQ0OrLyJBwNJ3yvb7ITKZg/s1600/IMG_8909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrH5RrX0NeHs1bpMqoxTeJvQ6c1ZhU8iAJASF_EtO2A8qgltj8ROTLuhy_IjemzmbSgtDkZO9oW-Osu0ZikkWD1xwISBNWdunnIk6aF1jpqJ3XVEdJvohgRQ0OrLyJBwNJ3yvb7ITKZg/s640/IMG_8909.jpg" height="640" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Perfect for soaking the legs between the am/pm rides. Near Almont.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYOJdrG1xXVTszG4PJGVAUtZ5spUirkGpyGy8AGV68HmRg9zEOp4_QgdX7tnnmZpmOGQJgAuOQBDLPuXuot6WGMKcd_QkWKCId2WEYpJCSuevswZY6EqHFY_bEp9S_SxdMVqqEElrQWo/s1600/IMG_8918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYOJdrG1xXVTszG4PJGVAUtZ5spUirkGpyGy8AGV68HmRg9zEOp4_QgdX7tnnmZpmOGQJgAuOQBDLPuXuot6WGMKcd_QkWKCId2WEYpJCSuevswZY6EqHFY_bEp9S_SxdMVqqEElrQWo/s640/IMG_8918.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrapping up the snodgrass trail. Fast fun look, near Mt. Crested Butte.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgC-nhiyENh_lZxKmCUPLa6Hrmuf_UPUn24r1eSJE4UEVskxq8k6D62qwQHml1see7i9x7JSo0ozRjtpPDhZ0pQy8vpMlxa80hCKjg3kKg22Y_PgqL2lmiG9mA5lRbyEj-NHp45eRR6E/s1600/IMG_0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgC-nhiyENh_lZxKmCUPLa6Hrmuf_UPUn24r1eSJE4UEVskxq8k6D62qwQHml1see7i9x7JSo0ozRjtpPDhZ0pQy8vpMlxa80hCKjg3kKg22Y_PgqL2lmiG9mA5lRbyEj-NHp45eRR6E/s640/IMG_0327.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Singletrack discovery near Cortez. Amazing circuit of Anasazi ruins along the way.</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3aEJKs7YNrohpWrYHibPyV4QeFR1a1X7EB5AoEiSL6D1Gfmt9sVynhlAZCGoz6WskWODlhxJUSW03w-axOYcp7BRg44F-dsf01hg3HvNdHbpmIyVJaebGdO1ikGH1f-unMVXIaqwV5k/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3aEJKs7YNrohpWrYHibPyV4QeFR1a1X7EB5AoEiSL6D1Gfmt9sVynhlAZCGoz6WskWODlhxJUSW03w-axOYcp7BRg44F-dsf01hg3HvNdHbpmIyVJaebGdO1ikGH1f-unMVXIaqwV5k/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" height="640" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>At around 13000'. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>A solid riding partner. Just say "go" and the boy can "go". Turns out he can climb bout as good as he can DH.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxogx3ICNZkQ3oqxMrvkB4eKZFQD_RfXHaOhJLpmLdjxcyI70RTyHzSQ0cyFdbDQ7ibRe5GYwSrhLW_GjF0X1EfjfUidiDEgiRsEEvGQ-KkfGG2Hv98smjRGVlHvRqILIyNCEehTn4JQ/s1600/970913_598076940215059_1074792255_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxogx3ICNZkQ3oqxMrvkB4eKZFQD_RfXHaOhJLpmLdjxcyI70RTyHzSQ0cyFdbDQ7ibRe5GYwSrhLW_GjF0X1EfjfUidiDEgiRsEEvGQ-KkfGG2Hv98smjRGVlHvRqILIyNCEehTn4JQ/s1600/970913_598076940215059_1074792255_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Pushing up a (sorta) steep pitch...way above the treeline....loving it! Red Mtn, Imogene, etc. in the background.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Lars, leading the way along the Colorado Trail -- pre-rain/hail/slopsoup fest. What a day!</span></i></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-72166053573571892182013-07-19T22:54:00.001-07:002013-07-20T07:41:49.158-07:00Monsoon A'happenins...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I love Arizona and monsoon season, this girl is pointin' north toward the heart of the Rockies! Later....</span></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-24327704472019255132013-05-28T22:52:00.002-07:002013-12-07T07:44:56.958-07:00A Bike Race via Photos...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok ok, there was a bike race in Colorado, my first "real" road race actually. But, the camping and awe-inspiring vistas along the way far outweighed the leg/lung busting event. So more on the race later. For now, escape in these pics -- pics which frankly don't do the real vistas any justice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recommend zooming in on the pics individually....</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Zoom in. Can you see my truck? the incredible remote campsite? some rafters 1000s ft below? the "mittens" far to the SW (center/right of pic)? Yum yum.)</span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Token race pics...at the finish line w/Jen.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49HOR7CDn2gmxNvNdd9QVSsFEW9QYji2N9JCy5OZooEVd9h2gY9k6Vv7RnJ2H_j6wQhHBvUIhe9e_Rh4HsxRKb1o2Sh4k9BcGdKJFT9LKbu3sSWZPl8sBQDqVAOooDMwieMz4DMlGKRs/s1600/Image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49HOR7CDn2gmxNvNdd9QVSsFEW9QYji2N9JCy5OZooEVd9h2gY9k6Vv7RnJ2H_j6wQhHBvUIhe9e_Rh4HsxRKb1o2Sh4k9BcGdKJFT9LKbu3sSWZPl8sBQDqVAOooDMwieMz4DMlGKRs/s640/Image+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Far above the treeline in the best part of the Rocky Mountains....a quiet rarely-used jeeproad pass.)</span></i><br />
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-61365593346506984792013-05-06T08:56:00.000-07:002015-03-22T20:28:58.114-07:00SBFL-Redux<br />
Well, another day on the bike, what's new? <br />
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55 miles? Doesn't seem so far compared to Trans-Andes, or considering the Whiskey 50 was last weekend, rode a lot this week, and oh yeah did a Splash&Dash race three days ago (winner winner chicken dinner!), but oh my holy cow, rough stuff out there.<br />
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The Sedona Big Friggin Loop is one of the Arizona Endurance Series (AES) events, grassroots, low-key, no prizes, nothing official, just good sufferin' and great camaraderie. Most of the AES usual suspects are incredible riders, regularly pushing themselves out on multi-day (week) ventures and racking up rocky vertical like it's nobody's business. They are rock gawds for sure! The original 2013 SBFL was scheduled for early spring, but it rained that day, and like the good riders they were, cancelled it for the year as to save the trail from unneeded abuse. Since we were putting on the Sedona Singletrack Festival (SSC) a few months later, we thought it'd be a good opportunity to try a redux & got the blessing from Scott and Chad. It would definitely be hotter out there this time of year, but what the heck.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1al9mNMLUaWNv-QApTmkwYnYdaJbq5Eiyoo1kyYKEitoJkOc5iy2ME5GQUw_SIgK6onsEmXfbRQs6197LZ05lxrHPp65mx_8VoDT1PwUs7TUN9NcSvmqJy6U-qV9OLi4lR-XLB8MjRw/s1600/sbfl+profile_done.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1al9mNMLUaWNv-QApTmkwYnYdaJbq5Eiyoo1kyYKEitoJkOc5iy2ME5GQUw_SIgK6onsEmXfbRQs6197LZ05lxrHPp65mx_8VoDT1PwUs7TUN9NcSvmqJy6U-qV9OLi4lR-XLB8MjRw/s640/sbfl+profile_done.png" height="408" width="640" /></a><br />
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We all met up at the start point around 630am and launched on dirt. We also knew that some others would be starting about an hour later. I was so clumsy for the first few miles (sorry Brian)...not sure if it was because of no warm-up (the inner triathlete in me) or nerves not wanting to fall too far behind the group or annoying my friend Strars who'd graciously agreed to muster through the route at my less-aggressive pace. Knowing that much of these trails are far above my personal riding ability (rock stairs straight up and/or straight down), I knew I had quite a bit of HikeABike (HAB) in front of me for the day, so I'd worn my more agile Izumis and they worked out great. <br />
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Once we got through the first half which is definitely the most techy and took far over half the total time, we hit the flowier dirt of the dry creek area. Of course, by this time, although I felt decent overall, I was definitely feeling some fatigue. Fighting w/that bike up, down, over rocks and boulders all day is unlike any other feat for sure.<br />
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Surprisingly, especially for a Sunday, we didn't run across too many people out there (except the 2 places I wanted a QOM ha!). Even being local, much of this course was "new" for me...as I had avoided certain sections due to mere techiness/cursing (Thunder Mtn, Huckabee, etc.) and others I'd never done in the SBFL direction. Fun stuff!<br />
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In all, we rode for about 7 hours course/ride-time (w/a total of a lttle over an hour stopping...mandatory double espresso at safeway starbucks...a little bike maintenance, running across friends along the trail, etc. No major crashes -- neither bikewise nor emotionally haha! A few minor bonks, a massive bee sting, some chainsuck, a few F bombs tossed around, lots of comedy....all in all, an absolute epic single-day ride. Oh and wildflowers were in full-bloom! Incredible! Threw on a sundress and compression tights (ahh the fashion sense of a dirtgirl!) to go chow down on some well-earned Mexican food (Cinco de Mayo after all) and some chocolate ice cream and rolled into the SSC site just in time to see <a href="http://schillingsworth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">John</a> and Tim hop off their dusty bikes still in tact. Those crazies (who started later than the group), finished in the darkness. Hard enough in daylight, but those guys rocked it and still seemed pretty peppy.<br />
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Not sure if I'll push it beyond this, at least as far as the techy goes, but this will definitely go down as a "been there done that" ride. Kudos to everyone who showed up and encouragement for anybody who attempts it next year (check out the AES website for next years route/dates...TBD).<br />
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Go ride....<br />
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<i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Everybody loves "HILINE" and it's incredible descent, except for me. Are ya nuts? Mr. Claus apparently did it on his rigid SS. Holy crap!)</span></i></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-18567047211730422222013-04-29T21:50:00.004-07:002013-12-07T07:47:24.185-07:00Whiskey 50...again!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whiskey 50 Off-Road MTB <strike> Race </strike></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Event. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never disappoints. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though this year's <a href="http://www.epicrides.com/index.php?contentCat=6&contentId=20" target="_blank">Whiskey 50</a> was definitely a "not-to-miss-for-absolutely-anything" event, it was not officially an "A" race for me this year. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still taking advantage of base fitness from </span><a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2013/01/transandes-2013.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Trans-Andes</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a few months ago mixed in w/quite a bit of travel and non-structured training (no bike), but</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> lacking power and punch and grit needed to do well here at the Whiskey. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But who the heck cares anyway?!! The Whiskey is about more than the race...it was a fun hard fun fun day on the bike w/1000+ other MTBers in the Arizona high-desert mountain sunshine!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hardest part about the weekend, however, was not the sufferin' on the bike. Rather it was trying to be able to squeeze in getting to hang out w/so many different (groups of) friends that traveled here from all over the country! Never enough time...but so glad to see everybody! (Sorry about your sidewall LB!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of dirt ridden, elevation climbed and descended, beverages enjoyed (maybe even a sip or two mid-50...damn you DrunkCyclist!), tunes appreciated, bedtime/curfews beyond ignored and friends reunited! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kudos to all you freaks who pedaled up and over the mountain and back again. Double mad respect for those who took the little side-journey to Skull Valley. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again in 2014? Heck yeah!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fri night pro crit...flared nostrils and raw talent!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pros negotiating the final techy singletrack of the 50.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friend and local speedster Scott K cruising in on his final 2 miles of dirt.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">mwaaa...loving the climbing</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The local boys re-hydrating after "just another day" on their bikes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reunited w/Tina and Sarah...who won the 25 on her <a href="http://www.formcycles.com/FORM_cycles/HOME.html" target="_blank">FORM</a> single-speed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Cams chilling in front of the Courthouse lawn....awesome family and badasses on their bikes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;">And to watch a bit of the course...video....</span> </i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(...and no, i did not clear that creek-crossing, and definitely, heck no would i even try with those tired clumsy legs. that is the spot however where i may have been seen snagging a cup of foamy beverage from a strange man.)</span></i></div>
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RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-43272170728333675652013-04-22T22:48:00.002-07:002013-12-07T07:46:11.492-07:00Peloton...wha....???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My friend, Jen, somehow talked me into doing some road racing this year. Not sure why, since I don't ride a road bike, nor do I even live anywhere with lots of roads, nor enjoy riding on terrain not dirt, rocks, singletrack, nor have I ridden with people (i.e. peloton) nor know any tactics/strategy which, as I am now learning, seems to be about 70% of true road riding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, first (draft-legal) race: a major state champs race. Wha?!! Granted it was in a beautiful location. Remote region of high desert with empty roads, great views, good hills to climb, etc. My goals were to (a) not crash (road crashes are worse than MTB by far in my opinion); (b) stay with the group as long as possible (per Jen's instructions); and (c) if I were to get dropped to not get discouraged but rather enjoy the 44-miles of riding in such a beautiful place and consider it a good training day! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt ok and was "hanging on" for the first 12 miles or so. Actually, I did get dropped on one of the first descents but caught back up on a steep climb. It's just so AWKWARD for me to sit that closely to someone else's wheel. We don't do that in MTBing, and especially not in MY style of loner MTBing. Also, one of the things I've been working on in MTB is to STOP braking so much. A friend snapped at me a few years ago while we were descending on some techy singletrack "Stop scrubbing your speed!" That has stuck with me, and while it's reflex (and self-preservation), I have been improving a bit, staying at least more aware and trying to be more selective with my braking fingers. So, in the middle/back of the pack in a peloton, ya do a LOT of braking....the speed/pace is determined by those in front, those doing the "work". (GP, I'm trying!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bottom line, I fell off the back on a long (6-mile?) descent and simply couldn't catch back up....partially due to lack of bigger gearing on my bike (I was on a loaner bike; Thank you Absolute Bikes!), partially due to lack of strength, but honestly, it was mainly due to my lack of experience and willpower to STAY in the group. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up sharing the load of the next 10 or so miles with a Masters-category woman who was great and was not reluctant to share some advice for me that I definitely appreciated. I climbed solo the final 7 miles back to the finish....getting passed (like I was standing still) by most of the pro/elite men who were finishing up their longer course. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, my tail was a bit tucked in between my legs as I've never finished so close to last place before...ok yes VERY close to last place. But, to be honest, I was ok with it. I had pedaled hard and though that might not be the main part of road-racing as it turns out, it was a good training day. I was happy that I'd forced myself to do something far outside of my routine comfort zone, and I got a whole new respect for that style of riding! As there are few opportunities for me to train in an actual group, I don't have the best road bike (for racing), and I simply prefer the dirt/techy stuff, I probably won't make a habit out of road racing. That said, I might do a few here and there. Jury is still out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shout out to Jen for sticking to her race plan and getting a podium spot! She killed it against some solid riders!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Lessons learned from road race #1:</u></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"> -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;">don't overestimate my climbing ability.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -better yet, don't underestimate others' climbing abilities.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -they weren't kidding when they said "don't get dropped from the peloton".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -that headwind that ya keep bitching about might not actually be a headwind,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> rather it's a self-imposed headwind due to you pedaling fast on a ROADbike.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -don't expect MTB manners out there; many roadies are not the friendliest</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> layed-back crowd.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -make sure ya get all of the dish soap out your water bottle before you use it in a race (ugh).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -take the extra time to make sure the bike fits properly (aggressive position mo betta).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Arial;"> -don't listen to Jen (unless she brings snacks and promises to go ride dirt afterward).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And to get back in my element (and do some last-minute panic-mode training), we put the road bikes in the truck, took the MTB bikes out and rode 25+ miles up and over a few rocky mountains. Whiskey 50 anyone?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>UPDATE AS OF 16 JULY 2013: The above pic was taken facing SW toward Yarnell, and where 19 local hotshots were killed while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire on 30 June. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Respect and RIP.</i></span><br />
<i> -- http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3461/</i><br />
<i> -- http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/03/19266801-faces-of-the-fallen-granite-mountain-hotshots?lite</i><br />
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-31758954318349544042013-04-17T22:11:00.001-07:002014-12-07T22:56:22.073-07:00Inspirator...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some of the most potent advice I ever received...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>- Travel the world.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>- Never tell a story "as is" if you can add to it to make it more interesting.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>- Never turn down a free meal.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Just one of the super-strong women influences in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, we sure were lucky to know her!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Teaching trust? Or planting seed in chubby niece's mind to climb high?</i></span></div>
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<br />RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-9820547327849620342013-03-23T11:47:00.001-07:002017-03-20T15:58:26.036-07:00One-Legged Sand Pedallin', Literally!<div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Little did I know that last fall, when I wrote a short blurb here -- <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2012/09/one-armed-sand-peddlin.html" target="_blank"><i>One-Armed Sand Peddlin'</i></a> -- that I'd ever really think about it again. When I wrote it, I was a bit nervous about some life stuff, possibly some mortality mumbo jumbo. RIP Benghazi crew. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, then I went out for a short ride during which I remember getting caught up in a bit of sand (while I was fidgeting the phone or food or something w/one hand). Having to push on through that thick sand, a bit off balance and in too high a gear, the "uneasiness" sorta resonated w/me at the time, at least metaphorically. Obviously, everything worked out. I'm alive and well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That mantra came straight back at me recently, in far more of a literal way than I would've hoped. Recently, on a short travel layover, I thought it'd be <strike>smart</strike> fun to enter a local grassroots desert double-duathon -- mountain bike 20K, run 5K, mountain bike 20K, then run again 5K. I thought heck yeah, I LIVE in the mountains, I KNOW the mountains, I'm sometimes even considered a REAL mountain biker. This is perfect! There are no mountains in this region, so I might be able to make it a good training day, an honest way to drop some of this post-TransAndes-eat-everything-in-sight weight and most likely seal the deal w/a podium spot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I begged, borrowed and nearly stole to try to find a bike to use. Come to find out...not really an option 'round there. One expat guy offered me his - a sweet cf stumpjumper - although XL. Even after adjusting the stem (6" yikes) and some other things, it simply wouldn't cut it -- still simply way too big for this shrimp. Ended up getting a "rental" from a mall. So, imagine those bikes ya see at walmart (can't believe I actually referenced walmart in this blog...yuck!). Now imagine one of those as a hardtail. About 40lbs. Cast iron. Too big. With reflectors...about 10 of them. Tubes (wtf are those!?). I'd always learned to 'love' my crappy old cast-iron beater bikes in Iraq, and so for this little race, I thought I should focus on simply being able to come out to play rather than focus on the machine and all its inadequacies. "<i>Be the machine</i>", I said to myself! Yeah, well, that was the plan anyway....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The event was on a tiny barren desert peninsula, at least 15k away from any roads. It was pretty flat, but w/surface a combo of hard-packed "road" (there really was no actual road), super thick sand and really jagged rocks. I showed up at the startline which was really just a handful of people in their 4x4s and who had arrived on site based on directions which yes did include references to sanddunes and grid coordinates. Trust me, you see nothing, not even a tree when you recon the grids on google earth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Confident in my own abilities be what may, I must admit I was a bit embarrassed about my gear. I was surprised to see that there were full-on carbon fiber S-Works, Niners, Orbea, etc., racers in full kits, etc.. There I was w/my crappy walmart bike, a $15 child's helmet, a Lululemon fanny-pack (with a TUBE etc. haha). But I was still confident that between my "done-harder-than-this" approach and my improved run speed, my performance would eventually overshadow my short-term humiliation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The race started - about 20 people in all for my heat (the full course) (about 100 total for the trail run and MTB-only options). We followed along the shoreline for a few kilometers which again was a crazy mixture of terrain: for 100m, you could get by w/a TT bike, the next 100m, you'd need a DH bike, then the next a fat-tire snow bike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The boys pushed the pace hard, but I did what I could do to keep up on my wanna-be bike. I was a little nervous I might get lost out there because basically it was only white sand/sea as far as you can see, pretty flat (w/hidden drops/washes/cliffs), and we were supposed to just ride from flag to flag, but sometimes you couldn't see the next flag. I figured as long as I kept the lead riders in sight for the first lap, I could buckle down on the run and then push harder on the 2nd lap once better oriented to the route. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of all the flags in all the world (in this totally desolate spot on the globe), the wind blew the most awesome one right over the only American tourist in the lot...priceless!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[Photo courtesy of D. Catalan]</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kept worrying about getting a flat. Since going tubeless, about 4-5 years ago, I haven't had a flat. Seriously, I haven't changed a tire in years. I did get a few in Iraq, but never turned down offers by CB and LP to fix em...doh! This terrain was like Bootleg canyon....really really sharp edge rocks; made the Sedona rocks look like marshmallows. <i>Don't take a walmart bike to Bootleg!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I first discovered the bike was not a good choice when, at my first attempt of downshifting, the chain dropped. Doh. Get off the bike, fix, get back on, go. Stick to 3 gears for the rest of the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few minutes later, a handlebar grip slid right off. Doh. I wouldn't have cared, but seeing how I didn't spend $ for this, I was sans gloves and w/the humidity and rocky ridin', that would've been brutal. Fix. Resume riding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The good news is...no flats! The bad...my left friggin' pedal pedaled right out of the crank. I'd put my own SPDs on (always travel w/them, for gym bikes, etc). Turns out, this walmart bike had crank sockets made of some crappy material and the left one totally stripped out - couldn't even screw the pedal back in. OMG. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I pedaled ONE-LEGGED for about 4 miles. Seriously. Had there been even one tree or bush or stick out there, I would've tried to make some sort of temporary platform to at least rest that left leg on, but nooooo. So I'd alternate by "resting" my non-pedaling foot up on the toptube of the frame and simply holding it mid-air to the side. Not easy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you know that one-leg pedaling for 20 minutes sucks? Heck, it sucked after about 2 minutes (the most I'd ever done/for drills). Try it. Better yet, try it on technical terrain. Try dropping down a 20-foot berm. Yep, that was my morning. I never really got upset though. I kept thinking about that adage "<i>It's not about the destination, it's about the journey.</i>" Then I thought who ever came up w/that was surely just some slacker trying to justify slack-arse efforts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I remembered the rockstar <a href="http://www.switchbackmagazine-digital.com/switchback/201303?pg=89#pg89" target="_blank">Alejandro</a> who did all of <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/la-ruta-race-reportalas.html" target="_blank">La Ruta </a> (the epic 4-day mountain bike stage race in Costa Rica) with only one arm (smiling more than most!), as well as lots of other people who get out there and do it and feel lucky to be there. So, I sucked it up, tried not to be a big baby, and relished in the idea that one day I could say "<i>this one time, at band camp....".</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finally made it back to the transition area (surprisingly NOT in last place), and though I told the race-folks that I was calling it a DNF (my first ever), that I wanted to do the run...make the most of the day. Had a solid 5K run though the same deep sand, rocks, etc.. Then congregated at the beach w/the rest of the racers - a really solid mix of expats mainly the always-athletic Filipinos, south Africans and Brits. Apparently, I was the only "tourist" and everyone seemed quite amused by that. The primary sponsor, a wealthy young local Shaykh (who yes was quite sheek as well w/his white dishdasha, raybans and brandnew white LandRover) was beyond curious how I even found out about it. (A girl does her research.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, I had a great day! It was a unique area that I likely never would've seen otherwise, met a bunch of cool peeps, experienced a true grassroots race (I love that vibe!), and later in the afternoon survived nearly getting lost in the desert and w/out water...after the race exploring. I didn't make the "podium", but I did deserve 1st place overall for one-legged sand pedaling. Boomya!!</span></div>
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RedRockChicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942923541167901243noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3261027201089709035.post-39714651656089164632013-02-05T15:00:00.002-07:002022-11-16T02:22:41.394-07:00Trans-Andes (Part2) - Nutrition & Fuel<div>
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<div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(Below is more about my Trans-Andes fueling. Read more about the actual race <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2013/01/transandes-2013.html" target="_blank">HERE.</a> )</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A decade ago, I was obsessed w/all the little gel packs. Like most people, I was persuaded by the media that gel packs and "sports" drinks were the only way to go. Better educated now and knowing my own body and its needs, I use somewhat more of a whole-foods approach. Although, frankly, lately it could also be considered a "wing-it" approach.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This approach works for me, however, may not work for everyone. Perhaps I could do some tweaking to make me faster, stronger, better. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'm super-stoked that I had consistent energy levels throughout the entire week at Trans-Andes. Sure, I was tired and weak at times, but I totally attribute that to my fitness (or lack thereof) and the exerted effort at any given point. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="text-align: left;">All in all, my approach during Trans-Andes worked fine and I'm pretty stoked about it.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For some reason, mentally, I rebelled against my old triathlete-minded (ie. OCD) ways of committing to a specific fuel/feed plan for TA. I wanted to try a more "tranquilo" approach to making sure I was well-fueled and hydrated. Or, maybe I was just too lazy to commit to a plan. I generally don't pay attention to exact calorie counting anyway....just play it all by feel, hunger and energy levels/demands. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">That said, I'm pretty much a creature of habit on a lot of things; as I travel so often, I have a few foodstuffs that I take with me...tried and true (pic). Fortunately I tend to have a stomach of steel, at least compared to other racers I know. I generally try to stay away from a lot of processed foods (gels, sugars, etc.) if I can help it...just to keep my energy and blood-sugar levels even. Also, my belly is a loud whiner and it when it starts growling, I better feed it and preferably with real food, the chewier and crunchier the better! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I carried around a bottle of water everywhere when "off the clock"...stayed well-hydrated. Thanks <a href="http://www.mayflower-rc.org/" target="_blank">Mayflower</a> for the cool & tough bottle! Kept my coffee hot and my water cold!</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, here's the loose breakdown of my nutrition during Trans-Andes...</span><br />
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<b><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><u>BREAKFAST </u>--</i></span></b></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">-Nature's Path oatmeal packet (no sugar), fresh/local berries</span> if avail otherwise Goji berries, add on a pinch of himalayan sea salt. [about 60-90 mins prior to racestart].</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">-Banana</span> (whole or half, depending on how I feel). [10-20 mins before start].</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>DURING STAGES</b></span> </span></i>(stages 1-5...each ranging from 4-7 hrs?) ---</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">About every 30-50 minutes would have a few bites of one of my below tried & true options. (I rarely eat on a hard climb (need to devote the energy/bloodflow to legs rather than digestive system; tried to wait until descents if possible).</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">- HOMEMADE ALMOND BUTTER/BERRY WRAPS</span> - Small multi-grain wrap/tortilla, glob on some <i>Justins</i> or <i>Barney</i> natural almond butter, sprinkle on some Goji berries and maybe a few raw almonds (good magnesium source), pinch of my sea salt and voila! I tear it into a smaller bite-size portions, eating 1-2 bites at a time (hourish). </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">- GRAB BAG MIX</span> - my messy sticky mix of "snacks":</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> -a handful of almonds, 3-4 <i>Clif</i> Clifblocks (preferably w/caffeine), pinch of sea salt.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">- HAMMER SOLIDS</span> - I used these on 2 or 3 of the longer stages, although definitely less than "suggested". If I knew I still had a few hours of struggling in front of me (i.e. climbing, sustained flats), I'd take one. They're an odd form of fuel and I would definitely not want one in every day life. Basically, you put the thick chalky tablet in your mouth, chew on it for a bit (sometimes it can take up to a minute, even longer when it's hot and you've gotten cotton mouth already ha), then when it then turns into a cotton candy texture, down it w/some water. I found during La Ruta that this was a good compact source of needed calories for me w/out all the sugar in most options. Am definitely a fan of these...one of the few "manufactured" foods I do like (but only for events, not training or otherwise). All in all, I didn't even go through one whole "pack" of Solids all week.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">- GELS</span> - I'm stubborn and pride myself on avoiding gels when I can (see above: belly likes real food). That said, sometimes gels simply are easier to carry/consume. I do NOT train with them, and I avoided them up until around day 5 when I (like most everyone else) was growing fatigued. And I definitely built gels into the final stage on Day 6 which basically was a loooooong fireroad ascent up a volcano, then ripping descent on a DH-lite course. Heck yeah, I went w/gels only on that day. It was more of an XC race -- shorter distance but harder effort. I downed one about 10mins before the start. I still felt rough on the 1-hourish climb but mainly my knee hurt more than anything else.) Then I downed another gel around 5-10 mins from the peak of the climb. </span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">-<u>FEEDZONES</u> - </span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> - COKE/FANTA - I never ever ever ever drink fizzy stuff in my every day life. I think the last time I had coke was at a half-ironman race a few years ago. But at about half of the feedzones, I'd drink a half-cup of coke (or tangy Fanta if available!)...which had an immediate effect on me...felt like I could conquer the world as I started pedaling again.</span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> - Also, if available, I'd grab a salted POTATO "bite" or two at the feedzones. Erica hooked us up w/some sour patch kid-like treats on day 5...the long hike-a-bike stage. Heaven!! (...the sour patch kids, not the HAB).</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">- HYDRATION </span>- This is the most important thing for me to stay on top of. I feel like I have enough personal fat/energy stores to "survive" without food for a few hours if I were forced to (learned from experience and poor planning in the past...doh!) Water on the other hand, a different story, of course! On stage 1, knowing it would be a long and very hot/humid day and with ascents up near snow-capped volcanoes (potentially wet and cold), I opted to use my small camelback hydration system. (I did NOT want a redux of my epic bonk up on the volcano in Costa Rica at <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/la-ruta-race-reportalas.html" target="_blank">La Ruta</a>). The camelback worked out fine, however, I just hate wearing it. I find that I tense my traps/neck up too much, causing me to be a stiffer (clumsier) technical rider, as well as simply expending too much unnecessary energy. So, for stages 2-6, I stuck to using only water bottles. My bike is small and can only mount one bottle, so I used a large-size bottle on my bike and a smaller bottle in my rear jersey pocket. The large one was water only, and I stocked the smaller one with a "weak" mix of extra calories/electrolytes...alternated between <i>GU</i> Roctane and <i>GU</i> Brew. I wish I could say I had a method to my madness on which one I'd use, but I really didn't; again, I was sticking to my tranquilo/wing-it approach...depending on how I felt. It all worked out quite well!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> * GU - shout out: We (Carmichael crew) were lucky to be stocked with <a href="https://guenergy.com/" target="_blank">GU products</a>. I'm not sponsored by them or anything, but I will say they worked out great for me! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Stage 1...feedzone. Obviously not in the "race" mode yet. BUT...yes definitely having a good time...and happy to see Guido and Erica!</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">- <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Immediately</span> after each stage, dear lil Erica and/or studly Leland would be onhand with a cold <i>GU</i> Recovery Brew which of course has the needed recovery elements needed, but more importantly tastes like the best chocolate milk you could ever imagine! Seriously, I would never be able to keep this stuff in my house...afraid I'd drink it everyday...very tasty!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">- <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Small meal </span>- I'd either fix a small plate of whatever they had at the camp (meat, potatoes, fruit). Frankly, I was never terribly hungry so usually not more than 3-400 calories.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">- <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dinner</span> - a normal meal for me...heavy on the meats, more carbs than my usual but still not a lot. Mainly only "white" carbs were available...white potatoes, white rice, etc...not my favorite choice but it did the job. A few of the nights I opted for red meat over chicken/fish.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">- <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Snacks</span> - Grazing in between meals: avocados, yoghurt, Chia Bar, <i>Vega</i> or "greens" mix (as we weren't really getting a lot of fresh green veggies as I'm used to at home). And as always, my ritual apple/almond butter right before I hit the sack.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Interestingly by day 4-5, I realized that I wasn't really consuming any more calories per day than I was the month or so prior in my "everyday" life, less in fact. Odd? I never felt particularly weak (other that I'm not particularly strong to start with :-) nor on the verge of bonking....moods/energy were actually higher than expected throughout the week. I attribute this oddity to my supply of winter "stores" to extract some energy from plus it wasn't like I was regularly going above Zone 3. Tranquilo!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh, and I can't neglect to mention another byproduct of my new tranquilo approach: I fully took advantage of the race directors' onsite free supply of local vino each night.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yummmmmm!!</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(I didn't even add water to my wine Y'ALL!!) </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Seriously, at the camp dinners, they always had lots of local wines and beer.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An excellent perk to this race! Chilean vino!</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Of course, I'm a lightweight but yummmm that 1/3 glass of red every night surely contributed to my anti-oxidant restock and hydration! :-)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">I did not take this pic. of Chilean vinyard. I grabbed from the internet as I forgot to take pics of vino bottles...or maybe was too tipsy/tired??<br />(Pic: Destination360)</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">People often ask me what I eat when I'm on the road, especially when overseas in locations where there aren't as many healthful options. For <a href="http://redrockworld.blogspot.com/2013/01/transandes-2013.html" target="_blank">Trans-Andes</a>, I wasn't faced with too many of these challenges; in fact, we had it pretty darn good there. The local avacados and meat were amazing!!! </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For my other trips, I do try to stock up on a lot of local fruits/veggies/meats if possible, but sometimes they're overly "treated" (fertilizers, hormones, etc.). So, there are always a few tried-and-true products I take with me (see pic) as well as a good food-sourced multi-vitamin and sometimes Omegas and D supplements. I took some of those same items w/me to Trans-Andes (plus some), although I took full advantage of their local healthy options too! Let me know if ya have any questions or want help planning your own nutrition...</span></div>
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