Introducing...HAM

 

HAM stands for Highly Adventurous Mobile.

KC and I have pulled the trigger, phase 1+1=2. We are starting a new chapter of adventure and we would like you all to come along for the ride, literally or just vicariously through my poorly chosen and often out of place words.

A while back we thought about living small, how small? Fairly small, HAM small is all. Last week we purchased a HAM to put in the bed of Pushkin. To those who don't know, Pushkin is phase 1 and HAM is phase 2. Pushkin is a 2001 Dodge Ram. Together they will be a home base for summer fun and potentially a home. Follow us as we explore the potential of living in a small HAM.

We bounce the idea around quite a bit. The scenario plays out this way:
Rent out our condo and live in Hamkin. You got it, I think. HAM + Pushkin. Yeah. Anyway, sounds easy but it takes a little courage it turns out. So, for now we prepare Hamkin and ease into camper life. Remember we still work full time and party in the dirt the rest of the time. We also need a little down time to stay organized and rest, lots of rest.

We will see what shakes out after the first few trips. We will hopefully enjoy the company of you on a run, ride, climb or just sitting around camp.

Knowing when to Go, and when to say No...

Hal and I were all set for a quick mini-vacation down to Nathrop, CO, to stay at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort next week. We were planning on summitting Mt. Princeton, and possibly a few other 14ers.
However, given the massive amounts of recent snowfall in the high country and all the tragic avalanche deaths associated with such unstable snow-pack, we decided to cancel our trip.
Fortunately there is a fantastic website in Colorado that highlights current avalanche danger and rates each area: Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
We checked this site daily, and finally made the call to bail on the trip this evening.
Are we bummed? Yes. Sad to not get in a fun trip, plus a summit and hot springs? Of course.
But is it better to be safe than sorry? In this instance, absolutely.

It is important to know when to "go" and when to say "no" to an adventure or outing. Especially when dealing with avalanches, the backcountry, and mountains in particular.
Sometimes we get so caught up with our 'goals' and our epic adventure ideas that we can become blind to the all-too-real and present dangers associated with each trip.
We know we are facing potentially hazardous conditions each time we venture out into the wilderness, but knowing how to mitigate that risk makes the difference between someone who goes all-out all the time, and someone who is wise enough to know when to bag it and stay home.
I think it is also selfish to go out in a high risk area, placing not only yourself but your potential rescuers in danger.

Fortunately Hal and I have each other to keep ourselves checked and in line. And of course there's always that sound of relief in Mom's voice when I call home and tell her we've decided not to attempt a winter 14er summit in highly dangerous avalanche conditions!

Each time you go out, know the conditions you are likely to encounter and make sure you are prepared for any scenario.  And always always always let at least one person know where you are going and when you should be expected back.

Just because we love to seek new thrills and adventures doesn't mean we throw all caution to the wind. Staying behind this weekend may save our lives, and it will definitely allow us to do something else equally as fun!
Thanks for reading my soapbox backcountry safety post!

What to do when it's Four Degrees Farenheit out...

We've lived in the Front Range of Colorado for over five years now, and never can I remember such cold days...We didn't even top ten degrees yesterday! Ten!!!  And right now it's a balmy eight degrees out.
As athletes and active individuals, weather like this tends to drive us batty. We simply can't get outside, and if we can, it's too cold to do any hard aerobic workouts.
So we put together this little list of alternate activities to do when it's well below freezing out.
We hope you enjoy!

-Movie marathon. I know this is every athletes' guilty pleasure, and we probably never succumb to spending a day watching movies unless we are very sick, or unless it's been very cold out for a very long time. Head over to your local library and check out the maximum number of DVDs that you can. This way you aren't spending any money, which will make you feel better about kicking back and enjoying a movie day.  Also, the cold weather provides us a unique opportunity to rest our bodies and let them fully recover from whatever rigors we've been putting them through. Try to adjust your mindset and think of the cold-spell as a much needed and welcome break!

-Clean up your clutter. Go through each room in the house and sort through unused/unnecessary items. Create two piles: one to donate, and one to sell at a summer garage sale. If this is too daunting, start small, like cleaning out your bathroom vanity and throwing away all expired medication. Or tackle that dreaded cabinet under the kitchen sink and sort through all your cleaning products.

-Plan your next adventure-yay! This is something we like to do in the cold winter months, because it not only occupies our time, but it gets us excited about future trips! Pull out your maps and decide where you'd like to explore. Then go online and figure out logistics. Once you've got an idea of what you want to do and where you want to go, you can begin nailing down a specific date. For us, our salvation from this arctic blast is looking forward to summitting a few more 14ers down by Buena Vista in the next few weeks. Not exactly a break from cold weather, but at least a chance to get out and play in it!

-The list goes on and on with common indoor activities, such as: knitting, cooking, organizing all the pictures on your computer, finishing all the magazines laying on your coffee table, and maybe just laying down for a nap, and not resurfacing until the weather promises to break 32 degrees!!!

-As for getting out for some exercise, try heading to your local yoga studio and signing up for an unlimited week of classes. Of course, the best place in the Louisville/Lafayette/Superior area is Yoga Junction! Right now they are offering a first-time student/resident of Colorado deal where you can go to a week of unlimited yoga for only $18-such a good deal!

-For those who are just dying to get in a run, ride, swim, or hard cardio workout, check out your local recreation center. Most rec centers also offer fitness classes, which are helpful if you need a little extra motivation to get on that spin bike!

-And if you just must, must, must go outside, please exercise with caution when it is below freezing out. Plan a hike or walk, instead of a run, and save your lungs from full exertion in the icy air.

Add your own cold weather ideas in the comment section below. We'd like to see what others are doing during this frigid month!
As always, thanks for reading.

Baja y Familia!

Baja is a looooong way away! That is, if you're driving the entire way, with two 29er mountain bikes, wetsuits and snorkel gear, backpacks and hiking boots, plus a small Chihuahua, all in our Suzuki station wagon. Clearly comfort was not our goal!
But we made it to San Felipe, where Hal's dad (also named Hal/Baja Paco) and his lovely wife Robin live.
It took us about two 12 hour days in the car, no problems going through the border or driving down through Mexicali.
Hal Sr. and Robin have a lovely house with a picture-perfect ocean view, and we had our own separate apartment-great way to start a vacation!
The first full day that we were there Hal and I left Delta in the good hands of family, see photo below, and took off on a seven hour exploration hike, as is our norm.



Hal Sr. (Pops) with Delta and their own dogs!
 

We hiked about 12 miles, up and down the beach, where we found dead sharks and sting rays (sad) and then up to a rocky point jutting out into the sea.

 

Windy view from the top of the rocky point
 

Turns out the best way to see a new place is to walk/hike around and explore! We saw so much more than we ever could have through a car window.
San Felipe is a friendly, quiet fishing town. All the locals waved to us and said hello, forcing us to engage our rusty Spanish!
The time passed quickly, with wonderful family dinners and stories, time playing with dogs, hiking and biking.
One of the best days was when Hal and I mountain biked out to the Valley of the Giants, where Pops and Robin met us in the car. See below just why these cactus are called Giants, or Gigantes!

We headed from the Valley to a secluded beach where we had lunch and flew kites. But the best part was that we got to motor pace, on our mtn bikes, off Pop's Suburban! Nothing like the rush of doing 26+ mph behind a big car, on pot-holed, bumpy Mexican roads! Oh, and did I mention it was windy?! So windy that I could fly my kite about three feet in front of me! Hence the need to motor pace...

With our obsession with 14ers, mountains, and anything outdoors, we decided to have Pops drop us off in the desert so that we could attempt to summit the highest point in the near foothills to the west of San Felipe. Here's what the terrain looked like...

  

 



Needless to say, we didn't make the summit. The whole way to the base of the mountains was one big, dry riverbed full of crazy boulders, scree, and spiky things out to get you. This was one of the most rugged hikes we have ever done! Not to mention, no trail to follow. But, we had fun by jumping from boulder to boulder (this is why we need health insurance!)...

 



 

Another fun thing to do in remote desert beach towns is to chase seagulls. See how this looks in practice below...Ah, the small joys in life!

 

 

Amidst all this crazy fun, we had plenty of down-time in the evenings to visit with Pops and Robin and listen to never-before-told family tales, play with dogs, and ride in the sand rail.

 





 

And what better way to commemorate your trip to Baja than by getting permanent tattoos?! Of course nobody believes that we (mostly me) would get inked in Mexico, so here's the visual proof...

 

 

Muchas muchas gracias to Pops and Robin for being the best hosts and sharing their home with us!

Thanks for reading, and let us know if you want to drive down there, we can give you route tips and cheap hotel info.

Adios!

 

To Live Within Our Means

I touched on some financial matters in the previous post. To expand on the subject of the "mortgage nightmare" or what should be a nightmare I will encourage you NOT to have one. This is the best way. However some of us need one to fit into "normal society" to feel good. If the latter is you, listen up.

Let me start by saying that KC and I have a mortgage, albeit a very reasonable and comfortable payment. We had to adopt a lifestyle that at first can be intimidating to grasp. I can assure you that if you're reading and wondering then perhaps you can use at least a portion of this information to build a sweet pile of money or even better-use the time off to do cool shit. 

The solution is... to spend as little money as possible while saving as much as you can. 

1. Live as simple as possible. You will find fun and challenging times that increase daily happiness. 

Usually, the biggest expense incurred is a home. By downsizing your piles of crap around the house to the few things you use the most would be a great starting point. Take your time, read some articles and rise to the challenge. I have never heard anyone on their deathbed complain of not having enough stuff. But I have heard people mention a few things they wish they would have done. Like traveling places, visiting friends and relatives more often, spending time with children, working on hobbies. Insert your wish list here.

When you pile all the stuff you have not used in the last year in the middle of a big room you barely go in the answer becomes clear. Small house, less stuff, way less. Keep the items you use frequently, everything else is sold or donated. Now we have space in our heads and home to focus on the stuff we use the most. In our house these things are mostly kept in the garage. Bikes, running shoes, backpacks, yep, they are consumer items but they bring us happiness and most importantly we use them, lots. 

Now that you are on your way and your house is mostly empty you can get rid of it and get something small. A small home will cost less to buy, operate, maintain, repair, clean, and not suck up your two days off on the weekends vacuuming, buying groceries, and mowing a big ass yard that you rarely enjoy. If you choose a condo that may be even better because now you can leave it for weeks at a time with little concern. You will appreciate that in the near future when you start working less. Shoot maybe even an RV to live in. Maybe??? These moves take time and thought, but probably not as much as you'd think. It can be difficult to wrap your head around a huge move like this. We have done it and it has been wonderful beyond expectation from every standpoint. That is why we spend time sharing information. 

I could write endless ideas to help. There are not very many situations that we couldn't figure out an answer to. Let's keep in mind that we do this because we like to travel, we enjoy adventure in the outdoors, we like to sit and read without feeling guilty about not doing chores or earning more money to pay bills for stuff that doesn't bring us happiness. The further along we get, the more freedom we have. Every year this grows exponentially. For example: we save about 50% of our income. In a couple of years that number will increase to 75%. Our income is not high by any means. The numbers are relative, debt vs. income. The more money you make the better. Just make good choices! 

I would like to help and answer any questions as well as hear your thoughts. I will continue to elaborate on a simple lifestyle in regular posts. Thanks for reading. 

The Benefits of Yoga, and more specifically, the greatness of Louisville's Yoga Junction!!

There are many articles in circulation now about the benefits of yoga for athletes and non-athletes alike. I'd just like to share my personal yoga experience, made possible by the generous sponsorship of Yoga Junction...

When I first started racing professionally three years ago, yoga was not part of my training. It was something I did when I worked out in the gym during winter, when it fit into my schedule. Which meant that I did about 3-5 classes a year. Not enough for someone training in a static position on the bike for 15 hours a week.
I then discovered a fantastic yoga studio, right in downtown Louisville. Now yoga was more convenient and had a more natural feel than the gym classes.

As I started attending more classes, I became aware of just how badly I needed yoga! Forget reaching your fingertips to the floor, I was lucky if I could touch my knees!
I approached the owners, Carey and Melissa,  and asked if they'd be willing to sponsor me with yoga classes while I was racing. They were so fantastic, agreeing right away and giving me more classes per week than I could ever hope to attend!

Through their generosity, I came to incorporate a weekly yoga class into my training schedule. I began noticing how it not only helped my flexibility and core, but it helped calm and clear my mind as well. Of course I received the oft-touted benefits of balance, core strength, and increased flexibility, but I also started craving the mental peace my practice afforded me.
Athletes are constantly training and striving toward the next goal, competing against themselves and others. Yoga is the one safe place where we can let go and be present. This focus and body awareness helped me become a more balanced cyclist and competitor.

Now that I am taking a break from bike racing and moving onto endurance events of great lengths, I'm going to rely ever more on the mental strength and clarity I gained during yoga.
I believe that yoga is still an under-valued element of most athlete's training regimens. I highly recommend trying a class, if you never have, and to make it routine, if you currently practice.

Yoga Junction is a safe, welcoming, community-based studio that I'm proud to call home! I am so thankful to Carey and Melissa for taking a chance on me and my overworked body :)

Three 14ers in two days!!!

What a wonderful Christmas vacation we had, in the not-so-distant Georgetown!
Our goal was to stay someplace close-ish, where we could have access to some 14ers. Turns out that Georgetown is a great place for 14er proximity.
What wasn't so great was the lodging and food...but the beautiful weather and great conditions on the mountains more than made up for it!

We got on the trail for Mt. Bierstadt at about 8:45am, the day after Christmas, and after fussing with snowshoes vs. crampons we were at the official trailhead by roughly 10am. Note, in the winter you have to hike almost two miles more each way to reach the trailhead, due to the road being unplowed.



Hal on the way to the trailhead for Mt. Bierstadt

We were able to route-find in snowshoes from trail marker to trail marker until we reached the base of the mountain. Then we switched to crampons (micro spikes), which were amazing. We highly recommend this brand: Kahtoola Microspikes.
About an hour later we were negotiating the final pile of rocks, then gained the summit. Mt. Bierstadt stands at 14,060 ft.  The wind was blowing at the top, making for a quick lunch. The descent was a blast and took about half the amount of time as the ascent. It seems easier to descend in the winter and snow than in the loose rock of the summer...


The summit of Bierstadt!

We finally arrived back at the truck 6 1/2 hours and 10.25 miles later. I must admit that I think doing these 14ers in the winter adds about double the effort as climbing them in the summer! I was exhausted by the time we were done and happy to see the end.

 

 

The one redeeming factor of the hotel was the functioning hot tub! As long as we didn't look too closely at the water we were sitting in, all was well...
Soaking in a tub after any long, hard activity is probably one of the best recovery tools we've found-that, and/or an ice bath.

Looking at the weather forecast, we decided that it would be in our best interest to climb Grays Peak and Torreys Peak the very next day, prompting an early bedtime.
We started an hour earlier and had a three mile trek on a frozen road to reach the Grays/Torreys trailhead. That added at least an hour each way to our overall time. It's definitely key to remember to add hours to your trip time when attempting these peaks in the winter.

The trail leading to the base of the two peaks was much different than the previous day-we were hiking up a valley, with another huge shoulder of a mountain to our right, and the two 14ers in front. One of my favorite things about doing all these 14ers is that each one has been completely different in terms of scenery, ascent, and views. Even when they are close together, they feel miles apart!

This climb was more dangerous in regard to avalanches-we went right through two areas that had slid within the past week. We exercised caution and reached the base of Grays and swapped snowshoes for microspikes. The trail switchbacked to the summit of Grays, at 14,270 ft. The weather was so excellent and warm that we were able to sit and eat lunch and even ditch our heavy jackets. The sky was so clear that we could see all the way north to Long's Peak and all the way south to Pike's Peak! On such a calm, crystal day you really do feel as if you're on top of the world. And seeing everything blanketed in a layer of snow was unparalleled. We highly recommend doing any of these trails in the winter, even if you don't want to go to the summit.

Summit of Grays Peak

After lunch it was a quick descent to the saddle connecting the two peaks and then right up the side of Torreys. The trail pretty much went straight up, and I was feeling the effects of the altitude and the combined days of hiking. Hal had to encourage me to the top, which was fortunately only about 5 minutes away! Snap a quick photo on top of Torreys, 14,267 ft., to commemorate our 15th 14er, and then back down the mountain. I perked up after drinking some sugar water and loved gliding/sliding/running down the snowy slope. Eight hours and 14 miles later we reached the truck. Repeat hot tub soak and early bed time. Wake up the next day feeling a strange combination of elation/depression. Elated to have had such good weather and such a great time being up so high, depressed that we weren't doing any more...

Summit of Torreys Peak, our 15th 14er!

Fortunately there are a total of about 54 official 14ers in Colorado (this number varies depending on whom you ask), and we still have 39 to go! Something to look forward to!

If anybody has any questions about trail conditions, trailheads, etc. please post in the comments and we'll try to help! Another great resource for the Colorado 14ers is http://www.14ers.com/.

An Introduction to Money and Lifestyle...

Let's talk money and lifestyle.

This blog is about the lives of Kasey and me. In the spirit of our lifestyle and adventures I think it is necessary to explain to you all how to beat the system.

Yeah We said it. We know some of you are in similar situations and we applaud you for standing up against all the bullshit the typical lifestyle offers. In contrast We would like to offer you a way out. Or perhaps an idea or two to take to the fiscal home front to improve your financial freedom or in most cases lack thereof...

We travel, run, ride, climb, and eat lunch at the Costco sample carts on weekday afternoons while the majority of people are working the nine to five gig. We sometimes waste whole days walking to the movie theatre 10 miles away guilt free. We spend time with our families and in most cases travel to see them several times a year. We live our lives planning the next outing or adventure. You could do the same just insert your activities instead of ours. We are constantly having fun and without the worry of not paying our bills, without the thoughts of what we are going to do if we lose our jobs.

THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! If you are interested please read on and subscribe for more details and more stories from the front line.. This works for us and we believe it because we live it.

The point is to live a great life without financial stress. This means working a job you love or maybe just like and not becoming a victim to your belongings versus being a robot at a job you hate because you need to drive a $50,000 vehicle. We like sweet cars too, but not at the risk of having to work for three extra years to own it.

How can you have everything? Well, we will start with the biggest expense and narrow the money spending down from there, one post at a time. A mortgage... We might as well right? 30 years sound about right? Five percent isn't that bad? Do yourself a favor and spend the next half hour with a mortgage calculator and write down exactly the amount of cash you're giving away and post it on your fridge. You will be disgusted and want to fix it. If not, no big deal. If your stomach turns and you realize you've got to change this then great. It is doable! WOO HOO!

Hope to catch you on the next post, where I will discuss how to live within your means...

A Christmas Wish...

Our Christmas wish is health and happiness for all.

As athletes, we are constantly pushing our bodies, demanding the utmost, and taking our health both to the limit and for granted.
Having been sick off and on for two months this winter, I've come to re-appreciate my health. Waking up in the morning and feeling great is something we are lucky to have. Aches and pains associated solely with exercise are a blessing compared to the daily suffering of so many.
So I'm trying hard to be thankful for our good health every day.

And because we are healthy, we can do the things that make us happy. Like living active, meaningful lives. Being able to go anywhere and do anything. So I think that health and happiness go hand in hand. In our experience, the people we meet who are healthy tend to also be happy, and vice versa. Getting out and enjoying life and the strength of your own body is an amazing thing. Something to be happy about every day!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone, and may 2014 be a year full of health, happiness, and peace!

~Kasey (& Hal)~

Answers to a question from a reader regarding "Mentally Managing Pain and Fatigue"

Hi folks,

Kasey got an email from a friend who finds that dealing with pain and fatigue (mentally) can be somewhat difficult as a newer athlete.

Let me start by saying... everything in the endurance world is difficult. In the beginning, training and building up endurance in one's particular event or plural events is fun and exciting. Therefore requiring less motivation because we see huge gains on a regular basis. This is usually enough to keep us pumped. As we get faster or extend our "time in the saddle" most of us find that we get bored or wonder why we are doing this at all. We will all have different reasons for doing stupid things, i.e. running 120 miles through the dessert. But at the end of the day the only thing that matters is why YOU do it. Could be vanity...in my case weighing 130 lbs. and looking like skeletor has recently become a top priority. Or, you could find solitude, peace of mind, mental clarity and self challenge.

I decided to answer this question from my perspective because I am a dude. Kasey will most likely chime in and have a completely different perspective which will most likely be easier to understand if you have the other chromosome.

Pushing your body requires motivation we know, but different events may lead to having different motivators. For example, during a two and half hour mountain bike race I know that the end will come fairly quickly and the reward is getting to the finish before anyone else, period, simple. Most of us, though, will get there after the guy who had a little more motivation or experience or was just plain lucky that day. I am motivated in these short races to inflict suffering onto others even if someone else is doing that same thing to me. At the same time, I am testing my mind, my training and deciding what else I can do to be faster. Every race is a different experience. Sometimes you feel great and other times become a feat of just enduring a slow slog to get to the finish. Those races and events are generally the most rewarding. It is then you learn to prioritize your life and learn about yourself.

The longer the event is the more one needs to be willing to escape. To get the full benefits of a huge effort we must learn to enjoy the entire compliment of the punishment and benefits of such. In any event a time will come when you cannot possibly go another step or pedal. When the thought of continuing brings up bile and disgust. The time to go to your place of escape becomes essential.

You're thinking I have said two different things here? I did and they are both right. The need for the individual to love the pain of a 100 mile run on an ankle that has been killing you since mile four becomes so aggravating that you decide to bag the last 20 miles. The thought of running that much further sends signals to your brain that tell you to stop right here and right now. This is the crucial time. Do you pack it in? Or tell yourself that your ankle should hurt because you're putting 20 years of running/activity into 20 hours and it is most likely a normal problem for such an activity. This is the time when I generally sing songs, mostly only one line that I can remember over and over again like a crazy man.  This is when some people (me) can become emotional and can make good or bad decisions because the chemicals released in such times of distress can change your outlook on your mission at hand. The goal here is to stick to the plan and unless something is really, really off, usually this is not the time to reconsider. You're most likely going to be OK. I know it doesn't feel like it but you will need to trust me. I have felt this way a couple of times before. A little secret...If you're feeling bad so are the other guys. Your suffering and misery is not worse than anyone else's! Most people will try to cover up the "weakness" by acting like nothing is wrong. I highly recommend this tactic because it works. Even if you are only fooling yourself, even better huh?

The goal is to embrace the pain then gently let it go. There will always be something to stop you. Find reasons to keep going. Reasons can be as simple as pride, stubbornness, or stupidity. In the end the reward is the same. YOU DID IT! through all the trying to talk yourself out of it. You still made the distance you set forth to accomplish. YAY YOU! Sometimes the payoff is immediate and sometimes you will notice at work four weeks later when confronted with a so called "problem" that it is now easier to manage after putting yourself through the ringer in the real world.

The rewards for adventure are endless. I have hallucinated, cried, puked, pooed, diahreahed, fallen asleep while walking, starved, drank foamy, muddy water, fallen off a cliff into a waterfall, drank a strange local drink that made me numb, seen some of the most beautiful landscape, villagers, kids that have never seen white people, chiefs of tribes sat on my back to give me massage and enjoyed company from people all over the world in just one adventure.  I highly recommend any adventure that takes you from the comfort of your home to help you see things you couldn't on your own. This could be as simple as a walk in the dark.

Thanks for reading!