Jumping Back in with Both Feet

Where to begin...

First a quick update as to my whereabouts for the last few months.

I had quite a summer.  I went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and finished my pilot training.  However, I put off my fastpacking plans.  I did a lot of running (mostly short hour-long runs,) but never got to the point I felt like I could run for multiple hours in heat over 100 degrees.

The summer was over far to quickly.  After a short visit with Ed in Seattle (which was awesome,) I made my way back to the island, and have been busy ever since.

I was briefly delayed when my flight was canceled due to weather, and spent an extra night in Anchorage.  I put the time in Anchorage to good use at the Glacier Brewhouse (where I was sad to learn the barleywine is not yet ready for the season.)  I woke up at 0430 the next morning, went to the airport and sat around on standby most of the day.  After another cancelled flight and more delays (and two fuel stops) I made home without too much trouble.

Since then I have been easing my way back into cool weather running.  I did a run up Strawberry Hill, and dozen or so up Bunker Hill.  Actually, now that I think about it that sounds rather excessive for someone with an injured foot.  The plantar fascia in my left foot started bothering me this summer.  I should be taking it easy, but I really wanted to run up Ballyhoo Mountain (more on this later,) and Bunker Hill is my training ground.

Speaking of injured feet, something else happened the other day.  I nailed it.  That is to say I stepped on a board with a rusty nail sticking straight up.  It went straight though my shoe and up into the arch of my right foot (yeah that makes two injured feet.)  It hasn't really slowed me down though.  I went for a run a couple hours afterwards.

Then there was Ballyhoo....

(To be continued next time... if I can figure out what to do with the videos....)

Ed's New Blog

That is right! I have taken the plunge and started my own personal blog. It is called "Everyday Living in the Pacific Northwest" and will be about just that, living in Seattle and all my day to day activities. This doesn't mean I am abandoning Tundra Runners. I will keep on posting here with all my fitness related stories and videos. I was just thinking that Eric wouldn't want me to monopolize this site for my own personal blogging, so I thought I would try something different.

So different that I even made the switch to Wordpress. Not sure how I feel about it yet. There is a learning curve that is for sure, and I am slowly getting a hang of it. I wanted to take a little more time before I went live with the site, but I thought ah what the hell I will develop it as I go. I hope you will take some time to check it out and stay tuned for more fun posts on Tundra Runners! (Hopefully some more gear reviews from Eric in Alaska, I know he has a bunch of awesome gear up there and I want to know about it!)

Missing mojo and such...

So the other day I went back to strength training. The same training that Eric and I were doing in Alaska. In the beginning of the year it took a while for us to improve and even start to enjoy it. Well needless to say the past few months have taken a toll on my strength. I really didn't accomplish much, let alone close to what I was at. To make things worse, the squats had me walking funny for two days after! I am not sure if I should try to approach different methods of training now that I am in Seattle (ie. I now have access to things like gyms, fitness groups, crossfit ($$$$), and the such) or just get back into the swing of things.

What I dream about the most during the day....

The problem with getting back into the swing of things is I have lost my motivation. It is way more fun after a long day of work to make a half-assed dinner, then lay on the couch with my wife and dog than train. The cool thing is we have been avoiding the half-assed dinners and are actually making some good food, but the laying on the couch has become my kryptonite.

Yet another picture of what I like to do best...

Soo...I have two options

1) Get my ass in gear before it gets huge

2) Get up in the mornings and train before work....

Option 1) is way more realistic than option 2), but only time will tell. I always feel wore out after work, so I may have to change my webisode to Before Work Workouts with Ed. Either way we will see. For the time being I have to start getting motivated and get my mojo back.  

Any suggestions on how I can accomplish such a feat?

My first webisode...

Well here it is, my first installment of "After Work Workouts with Ed". Be gentle this is my first run at making a video...my efforts will get better as time progresses. Enjoy!

After work work-outs...

Yesterday was my first attempt at documenting my after work work-outs. I am planning on doing a serious of short little webisodes that documents my attempts at including fitness in my now hectic life. The filming actually went really well and I was surprised that everything went smoothly. The only hang up is I filmed everything on my iPhone vertically, so those two black bars show up on the sides of the video. Kind of a bummer, but I think I will still put it together and show it in a while, every first attempt at something isn't always perfect right?

I was able to piece together a nice bike ride. It did feel rushed and I was not really feeling it after the long commute home from work. But once I got out on the trail it felt great! I put in about 12 miles and I am starting to get more comfortable on my bike. Who knows maybe a triathlon may be in my future...but I am not signing up for anything quite just yet!

Last Monday I had the pleasure of having Eric visit me in Seattle on his way up to Alaska. He rented a bike and we hopped on the Burke-Gilman trail and headed north to the Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville. It was a great ride on a sunny day!

Once we got to the brewery we were ready to eat. The food was tasty and I enjoyed my latest discovery, sparkling water! Yeah I know not that exciting but it has been really enjoyable for me as an alternative to soda.

Eric had a pint of Red Hooks finest and we loaded up and headed back. Overall a great visit and a great bike ride. On a side note we did run into some issues with the rental bike. The chain kept popping off! I tell ya it would of made for a great drinking game if we had some booze cause it seemed to pop off every time we thought that it was fixed...in the end though it was great for a laugh and we had a amazing time!

So it has been a while since we have posted. I recently bought a house and started a new job in Seattle. Eric had some time off work and now has returned to Alaska. This video sums up my intentions for the blog, lets hope Eric continues to contribute (and be able to stream the video in Alaska)! Ed

There is too much

Let me explain.... No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
- Inigo Montoya, "The Princess Bride"

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but it has been crazy around here.  We will get back on scheduled shortly, but for now just a quick update.

I was unexpectedly sent out to sea for a few weeks.  The snow finally began to seriously melt away after the beginning of May (much later than expected), and a few trails have finally reopened.  I FINALLY got a run up Bunker Hill in.  I have been waiting to do that for months (post-holing up the hillside just wasn't much fun).

However, the big news is that Ed has moved on.  Literally.  He took a job elsewhere.  I wish him the best of luck, but all is not lost.  He has promised to continue posting about his running exploits once he gets settled in.

I will also be leaving the island for a little while.  I need a vacation.  I will be continuing my fastpacking gear posts shortly, but at the moment I have another sort of packing to do.