Life After Work

4th Trip

2011-05-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm alive and well, here are a few pics of the trip so far. I've been to the Big Pine area and Death Valley. So far it's been a great trip. I'm headed to the Grand Canyon be back soon!

Costa Rica Part Dos

2010-12-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

Well, we’re back after a fun second half of the trip. We had a great time at Manuel Antonio National Park. Located on the western coast of Costa Rica Manuel Antonio is a small park teeming with all manner of wildlife and pristine beaches. It was definitely a busier, more touristy spot than our stay at La Fortuna. Nevertheless we had plenty of time to relax at the beach, enjoy excellent Costa Rican food at the many local eateries and hike through some amazing jungle. We stayed at the Costa Verde resort and enjoyed the amazing view from our hotel room balcony. We had the beach and jungle in view and every morning we’re treated to a visit from the local white faced monkey clan.

We spent a couple of days at the beach just relaxing, getting sun and enjoying the hot weather. We also had a great jungle tour through the national park. With the help of our guide we were able to see everything from howler monkeys to tiny hummingbird chicks.

Before we knew it our time in Costa Rica was up and we were zigging and zagging back through windy roads, on an airplane and finally around 16 hours later in our own bed sleeping the rest of the morning away. All in all the trip was great, we had just enough relaxation and sightseeing without overdoing either. Work and other responsibilities now call us back to reality but I’m sure I’ll be daydreaming for the next couple weeks about relaxing on a Costa Rican beach!

We spent a leisurely day at the beach.

Sunset view at dinner.

Ronny's place, we had some excellent fish here.

White faced monkey just chilling on our balcony checking out the view.

He's headed out to go jump in some trees.

Three toed sloth just hanging out, moving in slow mo.

Baby hummingbirds waiting for their next meal from momma.

A bat snoozing, waiting for nightfall. We would have walked right by this little bat without the help of our guide

This big lizard was chilling up on a tree.

Another lizard, I almost stepped on this one!

These little raccoons tried begging, but no food for them!

More bats, these little guys were snoozing during the day.

Squirrel monkeys! These little guys were hopping around one of the hotels next to the national park.

One of the three great beaches inside the national park.

The last sunset.

Costa Rica!

2010-12-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

Seven months since my last update. Not much has happened, pretty much just the usual day to day grind. You know working, living that’s about it. Oh ya, and we snowshoed in Tahoe, hosted a Superbowl party, took an epic road trip from Folsom up to Banff and back camping and hiking all the way. Bought a house (finally!), backpacked and hiked this summer in Tahoe, had a big party for B’s birthday, redid our kitchen, made 2,761 trips to Lowes and Home Depot for house related stuff, hosted thanksgiving for 18 people and now we are in Costa Rica.

I’ll get things up to speed in the coming week RE everything else bedsides Costa Rica, but for now I figured I’d go straight to the fun times we’ve been having on our central american vacation.

The first leg of our trip took us from SFO to Houston airport and then from Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica. Walking out of the airport was a bit of a shocker, you walk through the double doors and relative quiet and order of the airport into this noisy chaotic scene of men trying to get you to go in their taxi, stay in their hotel or rent a car from them. Big noisy trucks drive by and parking attendants with whistles seem to blow indiscriminately in a vain attempt to get people to park in some type of order. Fortunately we had reserved a car just off the airport site, away from the chaotic scene at the arrival area.

After getting our car and coordinates we plotted our way to our first destination in La Fortuna, near the Arenal Volcano. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive north from the airport. We pulled onto the road and quickly realized that driving here would be an “exciting” experience. Road signs, right of ways, pedestrian crossings all seem to be suggestions rather than a matter of fact. You drive too slow and you’ll get passed even if it’s on a double yellow around a curve with traffic coming the other way. Pedestrians cross wherever they feel like it and cars don’t usually yield so keep you’re head on a swivel if you’re crossing the street. Somehow it all works, everyone seems to get where they are going in one piece. I only passed a semi once across a double yellow on a curve uphill. He was going about 2 mph and I was in a hurry to get around so I acted like a local and went for it. Probably wouldn’t do it again.

La Fortuna was a beautiful place. We stayed in a great resort area called Silencio Del Campo. It was just out of town and its location made for a quiet, peaceful experience all in the shadow of the great active volcano Arenal. Much of our time was spent relaxing in various hot springs, or trying the local food at restaurants. We also had a great time hiking through the rain forest over hanging bridges through the trees as monkeys and all manner of bird and bug flew around us. We also spent some time hiking down to a big waterfall near La Fortuna were of all things we met a couple from Willows, CA about an hour north of Sacramento. Small world. All in all our time in La Fortuna was very relaxing and very picturesque. The people of the area are laid back and everyone was very helpful.

After a quick three night stay there we headed down to a National Park called Manuel Antonio right on the beach. Here we’ve had a chance to get some beach time in and are looking forward to a nature hike through the national park to see all kinds of animals we’ll probably never see again.

Part 2 will be coming in a couple of days. Until then enjoy the pictures!

The garden in front of our cabin.

Some flower pictures.

One last flower pic.

B looks relaxed in front of our cabin.

Some jungle animal related to the racoon.

A view of the volcano from our cabin.

B on the first hanging bridge.

Me on the first bridge.

Tarantula crossing.

A hanging bridge into the trees.

Beware of the jumping pit vipers.

A jumping pit viper at the end of the tunnel!

A bug and a flower.

A waterfall deep in the jungle.

This tree was ripe for the picking.

In between the roots of a tree.

Some kind of tree viper. We totally walked right by this without seeing it. From a distance it looks like a dead leaf on a tree. Fortunatly a guide was near by and took us back to check it out. I love the eyes on this thing!

A view of the volcano from the hanging bridges observatory.

We were very happy after a fun hike.

Headed down the steep trail to the falls.

Finally at the bottom.

A little waterfall close to the big one.

B strikes a crazy pose.

Self portrait at the waterfall base.

The waterfall from top of the hill after we climbed back up.

On our last day we finally got a view of the whole volcano!

A parting shot of the volcano.

A view of some of the garden area around the property.

The hot springs at Silencio Del Campo. It was very relaxing.

A teaser for the second part of the blog post. This is the view from our hotel.

2009...a fond farwell

2010-05-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, finishing up the year 2009 five months later.

In November we took our annual trip to Apple Hill with Stephanie and Aaron for some much needed apple cider, apple pie, apple turnovers, apple donuts, apple fritters, apple sausage, apple cake, apple juice, apple scented soap and apples. This also kicked of the November-January eating festival that happens every year. We start with apples, move over to turkey for Thanksgiving (with my family this year) continue with a Christmas feast and end at new years.

In December we did the party circuit with parties at my work, B's work, our bible study group and a friend group. We also celebrated Christmas this year in Arizona where the temperature was in the low 60's, very nice. All in all 2009 was a fun year, we hiked, biked, traveled, worked, fellowshiped and had a great time doing it all. 2010 brought some big changes, exciting ones and it's not even half over!

We are excited to start to festival of eating!

B picks out the perfect apple.

Yes, that is a regular sized pallet, and a huge pumpkin.

All eyes on Crazy Mike to get the party started.

The Matoba's know the way to wish me a merry Christmas.

B entertains with a story.

Little Emily all jacked up on sugar.

New party, just as much food!

The gag gifts all wrapped nicely.

I scored! This thing broke about 2 minutes after this picture.

Marius is now officially a part of team "Edward".

Scott looks thrilled with his gift.

Revived!

2010-01-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus I decided to dust off the old blog and spruce it up a bit. A lot has gone on since July and it's difficult to summarize six months of your life in a few paragraphs so I'll make it a couple of posts rather than cram it all in one.

August was a great month for fun. We started out with two camping/water skiing trips, one with my family to Bullards Bar and one with B's family at Silcot. Bullards bar has amazingly blue, warm water, it was like being in Hawaii. We brought our pop up tent, and chairs and set them out along the shore and spent the day skiing and tubing back and forth in our own private cove.

Later on in the month we took a trip up to eastern Washington to the snake river and spent a few days with B's family camping and skiing on the river. The weather was a little colder and the river was definitely colder, but we had better water to wakeboard on. Not that it mattered much, it wasn't like I was doing back flips but it was nice to get a few inches of air.

At the end of the month B and I took a backpacking trip up to Loch Leven Lakes. It's a quick trip up highway 80 and only about 5 miles to the upper lake. Perfect for a three day weekend. You're far enough from civilization to feel like you are really out in the woods but close enough that you'll be back home before the sun goes down..

In September John and I did an epic mountain bike ride up to the flume trail in south lake Tahoe. I was not really in bike shape, especially at 8000+ elevation so I was sucking wind no the second half of the ride as we climbed higher and higher. It was like a never ending switchback for what seemed like hours. It was worth it though since we had miles of downhill all the way back to the truck.

B and I celebrated our one year anniversary! I guess time really does fly when you are having fun. We took a trip back to the place we got engaged at down In Elk, CA and stayed at the little bed and breakfast we had stayed at earlier.

October found us in SF to celebrate my uncle's wedding. It great to see some of the family y again and spend some time in the big city. They live in a really neat apartment complex in the heart of the city. I think I'd like living in SF for a little while, maybe a year max, but then I'd be ready to move somewhere with a little more room to stretch my legs.

Part two coming up in a few days or so.

Mijo goes for a swim.

The little guy trying to get warm after his swim.

B getting ready for a ride.

Pops and Lena getting ready for a tumble.

A view of the Bullards Bar Dam, it's pretty big.

Danelle getting air!

Noah, getting ready to take a dive, that looks like it's gonna hurt.

I got about 2 inches in the air, boo!

B lining up for some huge air!

Headed up the trail to upper Loch Leven Lake.

A view of the upper lake. Our campsite is on the other side near the tree line.

I attempt to jump over the clouds.

B leaps over a tree!

Even our shadows are having fun!

Getting ready to head across the flume.

John strikes a pose with Lake Tahoe in the background.

On the way down to the sinkhole where we got engaged.

The view from our room at the B&B. You can't beat it!

In our Saturday best at my uncles wedding.

Uncle Dan and Aunt Rachel

A parting shot from San Francisco.

Summer adventure

2009-07-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a great summer so far. We've had some fun hiking around Tahoe. For all the years I've lived next to Tahoe, I've really only done winter activities at Tahoe. This year we've taken a couple of hikes, one to Echo Lake and the other to Castle Peak. I've also finally started to get back on the bike and ride a bit. It feels good to start riding again. I'm hoping to get a quick back roads, camping excursion in this year too. Not sure when but something is hopefully in the works.

Echo Lake was a nice easy hike. There are numerous cabins along the shore of the lake, but no roads to get there so everyone goes by boat taxi. Kind of a curious way to get around, but it makes sense considering your only other options are swimming, or hiking around the lake.

This past weekend we spent hiking up to the top of Castle Peak. I've been to Castle Peak a couple of times, but both times before were in the winter. The second time nearly killed me. I was hoping for a much more pleasant experience this time. The first mile and half is on a rugged jeep trail that takes you past the epic mountain bike ride at hole in the ground. Then the steep part begins as you hike up Castle Pass and on your way across switchbacks to the top of Castle Peak. It was a long and tiring hike, but the views were worth it. It really is amazing how quickly you can remove yourself from the business of the city and surround yourself with the sites and sounds of nature. I guess that's one of the good things about Northern California. A one and a half hour drive gets you to the base of a mountain here. A one and a half hour drive in Southern California gets you about 12 miles closer to home on the 405.

Got a mountain bike race in. Didn't finish last!!

Echo Lake with some ominous clouds behind. Thankfully it stayed dry.

A local says hello.

A nice spot to sit and eat.

It looks like a long way to go.

Almost half way.

Starting to get steep!

Made it.

You can't beat the view!

A Memorable Trip

2009-05-30T19:01:00.001-07:00

B and I took advantage of the memorial day weekend and took a trip to the Eastern Sierra's. I've been through the Bridgeport area a few times, mostly on my way to other places. It's always been a place I've wanted to do a little exploring so we figured the long weekend would be a perfect time to go. We loaded up a couple of kayaks and our camping gear and headed for the hills.

If you've never driven up or down 395 you're missing out. The views on the other side of the Sierras are stunning right now. Green lush valleys and snow still on the highest peaks. We took the most direct route on highway 50 and then cut across to Markleeville and up and over Monitor Pass to 395. From there it's just a quick scenic drive south to Buckeye campground. Buckeye is a no reservation campground and we figured it would be pretty crowded but I was confident we would find a spot. Lucky for us there was hardly anyone there and we were able to get a primo spot overlooking the valley on one side and snow capped mountains on the other.

Highlights included the back road drive to Bodie State Park via Aurora Canyon Road, a visit to Mono Lake, Kayaking on Twin Lakes and Topaz Lake, hiking on the buckeye trail. We even visited some hot springs for a quick soak. All in all it was a fun relaxing weekend, perfect weather, no bugs and good company.

Almost to the top of monitor pass, we had slushy rain, thunder and lightening along the way. A powerful display of natures fury.

On the dirt road to our campsite, I wanted to look at the views, but also didn't want to drive off the side of the mountain.

Sunset at the campsite.

B checks out a car in Bodie, this one has more miles then hers, not as nice of a paint job either.

Another great view of the mountains.

Yours truly enjoying the lake.

It was a cold night but a nice warm fire. We enjoyed potato foil packs, cut up veggies add to foil pack, slather butter throughout and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the coals for the fires and in 20 minutes you've got a delicious meal!

A fitting end to a great weekend.

Spring has Sprung

2009-04-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured it was past time to update the blog. Winter has come and gone, fortunately we had a few chances to get up to the snow for some snowshoeing. I had grand plans to do an overnight trip but the timing didn't quite work out. Oh well, there is always next year. The snow was deep and the days were bright and cold. I think it's really the best type of weather to snowshoe in since it's nice and clear and the snow isn't too wet. One of the great things about living in Sacramento is your never too far away from snow, just an hour up highway 80 or 50 and you're there.

Before we knew it the temperatures were rising and the snow was melting. We took our annual trip to Daffodil Hill and enjoyed a beautiful day amongst the flowers. We got a picnic basket as a wedding gift and put it to good use that day. The weathers been warming up in Sacramento and I'm excited to get out there and get going again. Hopefully some backpacking and cycling in the near future!

Eclipsed by a tree

The great outdoors, you can't beat the view!

Flowers

Lots and lots of flowers.

Mugging for the camera.

We had quite a feast.

2009 Tour of California Prologue

2009-02-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

2009 Tour of California Prologue

We had a great time at the Prologue yesterday. Thankfully the weather held up and we stayed rain free the whole time. Literally seconds after Levi Leipheimer finished as the last rider it started to rain!

We saw some of the greats including Carlos Sastre (winner of the Tour de France last year) Leipheimer , Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde. Downtown Sacramento was bustling with people and bikes and the vibe throughout the crowd was great all afternoon.

The three person team. They finished last in the Prologue.

There was a huge turnout in Downtown Sacramento.

A couple of Team Bissell guys warming up while Lance intimidates in the background.

That's some serious $$ on that bike rack.

One of the Slipstream guys.

This was one of the only guys without an aero helment, aero wheels or aero bars. I guess he was keeping it old school.

Another Slipstream guy.

This guy was flying through the straightaway.

Floyd Landis gritting out the finish. Check out that crazy camera guy. That's one job that requires a lot of courage.

2009 Already?

2009-02-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, where did the rest of 08 go? No epic road trip this year (look for an 09 return) but we have been having tons of fun together and been busy traveling about in NorCal and beyond. We were in SF in October for B's birthday. It was fun to catch up with some friends from college and some of her friends from San Jose. We spent most of the day hiking around golden gate park and then headed to Ghiradelli's for some hot chocolate and conversation.

Later in the month we headed up to Apple Hill with some friends for the annual apple harvest. This place turns into apple heaven, anything you want in apple flavor you can get. The ranches in the area open up to visitors and tourists from the greater Sacramento area flock to get apple fritters, apple juice, apple wine, beer, bacon, pie and my favorite warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. We of course ate like kings that day and I definitely got my annual recommended allowance of pectin.

Thanksgiving was spent up in Pomeroy with the Smith family. Out came the home videos of the sistas' and we chowed down on glutton steaks, mashed potatoes and pie. I even got a couple slices of turkey so it wasn't a complete meat free thanksgiving. We had another wedding reception up in Lewiston for some of B's church family and friends. She looked great in her wedding gown and I sported my new suit courtesy of B's parents. We had a fun time, it was great to get to know some of her families close friends a little better. All nice people.

Early December was spent in Hawaii celebrating the marriage of Danelle and Kevin. I have to say that was a wise choice...at least B and I were thankful to get away from cold Sacramento and back to the beach.

Christmas was spent at our house here with my family. Every year we talk about limiting the amount of gifts to $50 per person, and every year there are a ton of gifts under the tree. What can I say, we like to give to each other! We had a relaxing Christmas, hanging out, watching TV and enjoying the great home cooking from B and my mom. I was thankful to have a bunch of my Mom's leftovers in the fridge for the week after Christmas. It was a good week of eating.

New years was spent with some of the N3N crew in Salt Lake City. Dave and Vanessa were gracious hosts for us all weekend. It was so fun to catch up with everyone. We're at that time in our lives where the last of us are getting married and most of the group is either pregnant or deep into new parenthood. It's amazing to think back on how we were in college, staying up late, playing video games and eating ironing board grilled cheese sandwiches. Now look at us, husbands, wives, moms and dads! We still like playing video games though.

Last week was our annual superbowl party, we upgraded from B's 27 inch regular TV to a new flat screen LCD TV with 1080p HD and surround sound. Oooh yaa. It was a great game and we had a lot of fun hanging out and eating all kinds of junk food. One last hurrah before the training regimen begins. It's been a fun several months and we've definitely racked up the frequent flier miles. I think we're both happy to be back home for a while. Enjoy the pictures, I'll probably post more in the next month or two. Look for the Tour of California and snowshoeing pictures, maybe even a snow camping trip!

B's Birthday

2009-02-08T15:40:00.002-08:00

We had fun in SF and then in Roseville.

B and Deanne

Eating chocolate covered stuff.

Erica and Jeremy with a new baby on the way.

B and Ben

Happy after eating chocolate.

2 thumbs up for Fondue.

That chocolate is hot stuff!

Apple Hill

2009-02-08T15:28:00.001-08:00

In the 7 or 8 years I've lived here I've never been to Apple Hill until this past fall. It's a neat place.

Picnic time with Aaron and Stephanie.

The line for warm apple crisp.

Some fall color.

Should have brought our straw hats.

Thanksgiving reception

2009-02-08T12:35:00.001-08:00

Looking spiffy in our outfits.

Cutting one of many cheesecakes. B's mom did a lot of work to make the reception go smoothly.

Christmas

2009-02-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with the familia celebrating Christmas and my birthday.

Lil sis and all the presents.

Family style.

Bethany and I classed it up with our tuxedo, party dress aprons.

1st annual N3N reunion

2009-02-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

It was a great time. I felt like a college student again! Until I got home and to go to work the next day :(

Mario cart was a hit.

Steve getting a better angle.

Almost time to eat.

My favorite part of the meal, dessert.

B and I went snowshoeing, it was only 15 minutes to the snowy hills. That's what I'm talking about!

A little color amongst the winter white.

Into the forest we go!

Another berry shot.

B, Kelly and I spent a morning at Mormon Square.

In the tabernacle.

Hiking back up the sled hill. We reached breakneck speeds.

It's the girls turn, check out the video!

2009-02-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

Super bowl party! Time to get pumped, its game time!

Chapter Two Begins!

2008-11-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been neglecting the blog, it's been a busy few months. I got married, moved and went on my honeymoon. But I'm back now, and ready to get started on this new chapter of life. Married life has been great so far.

For the past three years, I've ventured out on an epic road trip around the western U.S. Not so this year, no baking in the hot sun under a shade tree in the desert. No miles and miles of dirt road, no freeze dried food, no close encounters with snakes and bears, no lightning strikes and torrential downpours. Wait why did I do this every year? That doesn't sound fun at all. Hmm, whatever, this year my/our destination was Hawaii!

But first, the wedding, what a weekend! I was so happy to spend time with family, friends and my bride. It went by very fast but I enjoyed every minute of it. There was lots of food, lots of laughing and a plenty of dancing. Whoo hoo! B and I got a chance to put our dancing skills to good use during the reception. Before we knew it we were on a plane and headed to Hawaii for some relaxation. We visited Kauai and Maui. Both beautiful islands. I preferred Kauai, partly because of the amazing hotel we stayed at but more because of it's natural beauty and less crowded feel.

There was plenty to enjoy on both islands, we spent lots of time snorkeling, hiking and swimming. Mainly we just relaxed. Slept in, read books by the pool and worked on our tans. On to the pictures, enjoy!

The happy couple

2008-11-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

We took pics before the wedding ceremony. A wise choice I think.

The party

2008-11-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Too sexy!

Sha Zam!

2008-11-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

The church

2008-11-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

The big moment

2008-11-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

Married!

2008-11-14T18:22:00.001-08:00

and loving it.

A view of the head table

2008-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Something must have been funny.

I chucked it!

2008-11-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

My bro got it!

2008-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

To the victor go the spoils. I wonder what kind of spoils this will bring him?

Dance dance revolution

2008-11-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

Getting our groove on.

A visit from the dark lord.

2008-11-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

This was a definite surprise. That's my crazy uncle underneath there. He's a good guy and always looking to spice up the party...he sure did!

2008-11-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Already thinking about Hawaii!

Room with a view

2008-11-14T17:45:00.001-08:00

We had great weather the whole time, a few showers in the early morning usually, but every day it was in the mid 80's. Perfect!

Flower close up

2008-11-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

The hotel gardens

2008-11-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

A gardeners job here is never done.

2008-11-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

The amazing saltwater pool at the Hyatt.

Paradise found

2008-11-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

Da Luau

2008-11-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

It was a blast, tons of food, dancing and costumes...kind of like our wedding.

A cave to nowhere

2008-11-14T16:48:00.001-08:00

Hiking in Princeville

2008-11-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

A view from the trail

2008-11-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

The water there is so blue. I was hoping I'd see a shark but didn't :(

Back down the trail

2008-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's like a spider web of roots.

The pool

2008-11-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

This meanders to a waterslide that feeds into another larger pool. So many pools and the ocean just 50 yards away.

The Sheraton Maui

2008-11-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

It's a nice place, but the service is not great. The Grand Hyatt was 10 times better.

Smile for the tourist

2008-11-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

This guy is the money maker. He runs around the hotel lighting the torches and then climbs out onto the rocks and dives head first into the ocean.

Head First

2008-11-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

We swam with turtles in the exact spot he is diving. He's lucky he didn't land on one and crack his head open.

2008-11-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

The hotel at night. The tikki torches were a nice touch.

Holding on for dear life

2008-11-14T16:04:00.001-08:00

Happy to be on solid ground

2008-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Away she goes!

2008-11-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

B on her way over

2008-11-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

Chapter One Complete

2008-09-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Single life...I knew it well, enjoyed every minute of it and now it's time to say goodbye. Today is a huge day, the start of the second chapter of my life, the start of something new with Bethany. As much fun as the first chapter was I know this second chapter will be even better!

Vineman 2008

2008-07-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

For the past five months I've been training. Four or five days a week I swim, bike or run. I've spent hundreds of hours sweating, sore and tired. This past Sunday all the work put in came to an end as I finished the Vineman Half-Ironman triathlon.

This was my first half-ironman distance event. After several years spent racing in sprint and olympic distance events I decided to step it up and do something a lot longer. So last November I signed up for the Vineman Tri hoping to muster up enough motivation to start training and be ready for this.

Well, On July 20, ready or not there I was scrambling down to the transition area. I arrived a little later then I had hoped and was in slight jeopardy of missing my start time. Thankfully Bethany stood in the port o potty line for me while I set up my bike transition. I quickly set up my bike and all the required accessories that go along with it, helmet, shades, shoes, food and drink, and then jumped in line to “remove” any built up stress in the port o potty. Just a quick side note, port o pottys are a necessary evil at triathlon races, with thousands of nervous athletes they serve a purpose however, they are the most foul smelling things you will ever experience. So I added my contribution and then quickly shimmied into my wetsuit and swim cap and it was off to the starting area for the swim.

The water was warm, warmer than the air outside actually. I splashed around and tried to get my muscles a little loose and warm before the starting horn went off. There was a nervous energy amongst the swarm of races getting ready for the horn to blow a lot of the competitors in my age group were clapping and shouting and howling. My goal was to remain focused and calm so I took a few deep breaths, said a quick prayer and the horn blew!

Pandemonium took over as a mess of arms legs and bodies were flailing around in the river. The first 100 yards or so I spent trying to find on open area of water while at the same time avoiding legs and arms that were swinging ever so close to my head. Eventually it thinned out, the super fast swimmers surged ahead, the slow swimmers back stroked and breast stroked behind and the rest of us in the middle just tried to get it over with. Eventually I came out of the water and headed onto the bike portion.

The bike course was through the beautiful hills of Sonoma County. Fortunately for me it was overcast and cool for the whole ride. In sticking with my plan I rode at a moderate pace, knowing that the I needed to save my energy for the long run. The ride went faster than I expected and and about three house of riding I was headed to Windsor High School to the transition area and off for the run.

The run was hard. My legs were a bit tired, but I was determined to finish as fast as I could so I pushed on. There were aid stations every mile on the run and I took full advantage of all of them, eating and drinking when I could. I am not a fast runner, or even a moderate runner. Really my goal was to run as much as I could and walk or limp home to the finish line. Thankfully I was able to run most of the course and felt ok at the finish line. Overall it was a fun race, the distance was actually ok, because you are not constantly sprinting around the course. I'm happy to be finished. After all the time spent training its good to the know I met my goal and now I can move on to something different. Like eating junk food and laying around the house...but just for a week, then I'll be back doing something active. No more running though :)

Special thanks to the Hyatt's for letting Bethany and I stay at their beautiful house, to Steph and his girl Andrea for hanging out Saturday and to Bethany for supporting me throughout the months of training and the day of the race. What a fun weekend!

2008-07-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

The start of it all.

Last minute preparation

2008-07-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

2008-07-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Leaving behind some nervous energy.

I look really happy

2008-07-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

In reality my swim cap was yanking my eyebrows up to the top of my head.

2008-07-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Anxiously awaiting the start.

The chaos begins!

2008-07-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of that, probably kicking someone in the ribs.

2008-07-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Out of the swim, on to the bike!

Transition Madness

2008-07-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

In my mind I'm thinking, don't forget to put on your helmet!

Almost there!

2008-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I now have marvelous tan lines.

Finished!

2008-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

2008-07-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to be done. Time to eat!

2008-07-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

My biggest cheerleader and I.

Bike to work month

2008-05-28T22:52:00.001-07:00

May was bike to work month in Sacramento. The goal was to get over a million miles ridden in the month and with gas prices hovering around $4.50 commuters were happy to oblige. I did my part by riding over 400 miles for the month. I was aiming for 500 so I didn't quite make it, but I felt good about getting out there on the bike. It's a bit of a commute for me, around 30 miles one way. Long, but doable.

Sacramento is blessed with a great bike trail that runs from downtown Sacramento all the way up to Folsom, 35 miles away. It is such a great thing to have so much automobile free paved bike trails. There are bathrooms along the way with water stops as well. And since it follows the river you get a nice cool breeze and plenty of wildlife viewing as you ride. Just in the last two weeks I've seen 10 turkeys, 3 rabbits, 3 snakes and a coyote.

So, dust off that old bike, lube the chain, put some air in the tires and ride. You'll save money on gas, reduce traffic congestion and pollution, plus you'll lose weight and get fit. It's a can't lose situation.

2008-05-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

My trusty steel 30lb single speed bike.

2008-05-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

The spacious bike lane on the way to the bike trail.

2008-05-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

The sunrise at Lake Natoma.

2008-05-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

26 miles of beautiful bike trail.

2008-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

First time across the river.

2008-05-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Across the American River.

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Back across another bridge on my way into downtown.

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Whew! Just about there.

2008-05-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

The commuter bike fair was held at the capitol.

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A nice backdrop for the commuter bike fair.

2008-05-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Mad Cat boys working the bike fair.

Super Big News!

2008-04-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

Normally I'd have the latest and greatest news posted as soon as it happens. However, this is so big it took me a little longer to get things in order. And, in a first I'm not even going to tell you! I'll let Bethany do that, so without further ado, here's what she has to say...

I was pushing snooze as usual, just about ready to get up and get ready for church. I was going to meet Gil there and have a relaxing day. After all, Gil was going to do an Xterra triathlon Sunday morning! But then my phone rang. “I’m at your house. Pack your bags; we’re going on a trip.” My heart jumped. I smiled to myself and savored that anticipation feeling for a short minute before finally letting Gil in :) I got ready (not as fast as Gil had planned…) and we were off. All I knew was that we were going to the coast.

We turned off toward Napa and enjoyed a beautiful spring drive through the valley. Mustard everywhere. Daffodils. Wild flowers. Through Calistoga with a quick little detour on a narrow back road I’d never been on. Down good old Mark West Springs and out to 101, then north to 128. Through the cute little towns (Navarro – population 76) and towering redwoods. What a gorgeous drive – I didn’t even get carsick!

Near Mendocino, Gil suddenly pulled off the road to a little cemetery. Interesting… We bundled up (a little cold and windy now at the coast) and he told me it would be a little hike. We walked through the cemetery, through a little gate, down a path and to a secret place, the old sinkhole Gil mentioned at the end of his trip last summer. We hiked down, tripod and all to the sandy bottom. What a cool place!! There’s a cave tunnel that leads out to the ocean and you can see the waves coming in.

Gil set up the tripod and I posed in front of the cave. We took a few pictures to get the setting just right for a good ‘us’ shot. Gil set the timer and walked over. I was ready to smile and really enjoying it all. Then – he faced me and launched into his romantic speech, “…I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said as he dug out a little box and got down on one knee! I was a little teary, but didn’t want to be too dramatic  I was trying hard to slow down time in my mind and relish every second. There was lots of hugging and kissing. It went so fast!

Afterwards, Gil exclaimed, “I don’t even remember what I said…did you say yes?!” I did a few cartwheels of course, and then wanted to hear every detail of how he’d planned such a secret and romantic trip. “When did you get the ring? What about the triathlon? How long have you had this planned? Did you talk to my parents?!” We sat down and he was happy to tell me everything, relieved to not have to lie any longer :)

We hiked around a little and took some more pictures, then drove up to Fort Bragg for a tasty dinner. I was staring at my ring the whole time! Then I found out that Gil had booked a great little bed & breakfast right on the coast! We arrived at sunset, turned off our phones and enjoyed the stunning view from the beautifully manicured grounds of our B&B. We ate a yummy breakfast in the morning and enjoyed the lovely drive home.

A perfect proposal and a perfect weekend! I feel so special – can’t stop smiling :)

The happy couple.

Some scenery driving through Napa.

That tripod came in handy!

Heading down to the secret spot.

From the top.

Traversing to the bottom.

A cave out to the ocean.

Striking a pose.

Right before I asked her. Do I look nervous?

On one knee.

She's dazzled.

And excited!

Up on the ocean bluffs.

Another view from the top.

Nice flower.

Sunset at the B&B.

Halfway down the bluff.

A few pictures in the morning, it was a neat little place, and a great weekend!

Last call for snowshoeing

2008-03-25T00:07:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Bethany and I took our last snow shoe trip of the season. In short...it was a perfect day! It had just snowed the night before and the hills were filled with soft fluffy thick snow. We headed up 80 near Soda Springs. Bethany got a chance to test out her new snow shoe equipment and I worked on my route finding skills. We hiked south of 80 up towards Loch Leven Lakes.

The snow was deep but we were content to take our sweet time. A couple of quick storms passed us as we were hiking but we had sunny warm weather for most of the trip. In the distance we could see the train tracks that marked our spot for lunch. So we chugged along, up a steep hill, down into a little valley, across a snow bridge covering an icy cold stream and then up to the tracks. The sun warmed our bodies as we sipped hot chocolate and ate our pb and j sandwiches. We were treated to an up close and personal view of a freight train as it chugged up the snowy hillside. It was pretty neat to be so close, the conductor even blew the horn with a little coaxing from yours truly.

With our bellies full we hiked down taking a different path to the truck. It was about a four mile hike in total. It's a week later and the temperatures are in the high 70's in Sacramento! By now most of that fluffy snow we were hiking through has melted so it looks like we picked the perfect day to go. It was a fun season snow shoeing this year, I'm already looking forward to next year.

Headed through the woods

2008-03-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

Chugging up the hill

2008-03-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

Almost to the top

2008-03-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

Bethany is happy to be walking in fresh powder

2008-03-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

A storm passes through

2008-03-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

Crossing the snow bridge

2008-03-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

An icy cold stream

2008-03-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

Tracks up the hill

2008-03-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Up close and personal

2008-03-24T23:37:00.000-07:00

A rumble in the distance

2008-03-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

Getting closer

2008-03-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Tiny moon and lots of snow

2008-03-24T23:29:00.001-07:00

Interesting icicle formation

2008-03-24T23:23:00.000-07:00

I hear the train a coming!

2008-03-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

Amgen Tour of California

2008-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday the Amgen Tour of California rode through Sacramento. I was lucky enough to be there near the finish line. The weather was a little rainy but plenty of people were out to watch. I had positioned myself on a corner hoping to get a few good pictures and maybe see a wreck or two as they flew around the course. No luck on the crashes but still an exciting finish.

2008-02-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

This poor rider got chewed up by the peleton and then dropped.

2008-02-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

Chipotle and Bissell

2008-02-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Dutchman Robert Gesnick

2008-02-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

This guy beat Levi Leipheimer and won stage 3!

Jelly Belly Power!

2008-02-22T14:54:00.001-08:00

A little color and a lot of black and white

2008-02-22T14:49:00.001-08:00

This guy looks a little lost.

Filmed, Edited and on T.V.

2008-02-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Teaches 80 year old people to read and write from Cosmin on Vimeo.

My friend Cosmin flew to Tanzania to film and edit this video for the Norwegian news. Pretty neat story plus its really cool to see college friends putting out some excellent work. Good job Coz!

The love mobile

2008-02-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

2008-02-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

On the way out. Why is he smiling so big?