Photo of El Capitan I took a few years back using a simple Canon Powershot S45.

This summer Canon will be hosting free photography classes in select National Parks where visitors can even test the latest and greatest photography equipment. Along with the classes, Canon is also holding a photography contest with prizes including photography equipment (natch) and free trips to National Parks.

Photography sessions are held twice daily at the parks with an evening presentation as well. In June Canon will be at Yosemite; Grand Canyon in July; and Yellowstone and Acadia in August. Even if you can’t make it out to one of the free sessions, Canon has some photo tips posted online, along with more information about the program.

First off, my apologies for the lack of news this week - where did the time go? I do have an excuse though, and it’s part of my report on my Memorial Day trip to Western North Carolina. Here it is:

On Friday afternoon we left Atlanta in the rain but were happy to find the skies mostly clear in Andrews, NC where we’d be spending the night. On Saturday morning we went mining at Sheffield Ruby Mine near Franklin, NC where Leah found a “honker” of a ruby - 38 carats! Before you start drooling, let me tell you it doesn’t look like much and I suspect most of those carats are dirt.

On the way back from the mine we drove by the Nantahala River and saw plenty of catch-and-release trout fishermen and even got out and hiked a bit along the river. After grilling out for dinner we hiked around a bit and enjoyed the cool weather.

After returning, sometime around Sunday night / Monday morning I came down with a nasty stomach virus. By Thursday the virus was still around and although I felt better today I went to the doctor just to be sure. According to the doc, there’s a good chance I may have been infected by giardia, a parasite that likes to hang out in the water, particularly in mountainous areas. Let’s just say that next time I stick my hands in a dirty mine flume I’ll wash my hands thoroughly before digging into a footlong sub. Lesson learned

Death Valley National Park photo courtesy NPS/US Department of the Interior

This week an Ohio man was found dead in Death Valley National Park on a day when the high temperature was 112 degrees. Authorities say the man may have been lost and it’s unclear if he had water with him but it’s a cautionary tale about knowing your limits at the beginning of the outdoor season. Whether you’re hiking, camping, mountain biking, canoeing, or all of the above this weekend, just remember to take it easy so you don’t injure yourself - there’s plenty of summer left to enjoy!

One of the biggest dangers many campers and boaters will face this weekend involves alcohol and it’s always important to know your limits.  If you’re heading out on the lake know your limits and always designate a driver. Even if you and your family aren’t drinking be on the lookout for those who are - it just might save your life!

I’ll be doing some hiking this weekend in Western NC and perhaps a little lake relaxin’ as well. Where are you headed for Memorial Day?

This thought just occurred to me as I’m sitting in my office waiting for the power to come back on. It’s cliché to talk about how much we depend on electricity these days, much less the internet, but when you’re without power for more than an hour or so it really becomes clear how much electricity is a part of our daily lives.

I guess that’s why people still enjoy tent camping. Did you ever notice how time seems to slow down on a camping trip? By 9pm most campers will swear it feels midnight without the primetime television lineup reminding us what time it really is. Camping days seem longer and I suspect it’s because electricity isn’t speeding things along.

Now that the initial panic and frustration about being without power has passed I’m actually kinda enjoying it. There’s no email, no music, and no phone calls (my cell phone battery just ran out) to worry about is pretty relaxing, even though I know once the power is back I’ll have a lot of catching up to do. It’s the same with a camping trip: often the hardest part is pulling yourself away and getting in the car. Once you’re outdoors thoughts of all those electrical devices will fade away.

It may sound impossible in this day and age to take an electricity-free vacation but if you’re willing to give it a try for a day or two you’ll certainly be rewarded. I just my internet access will come back soon so you’ll actually get a chance to read this article

Update: It’s been more than 24 hours and I’m still without electricity at home. Fortunately my brother lives close by and his power is fine. Back to work!

In keeping with our themes on extreme and urban hiking, here’s something you may not have heard of before (officially anyway): Urban Exploration. No, this isn’t what you do when you vacation in NYC and it’s not a sport you’ll see REI sponsoring anytime soon. However, urban exploration is a fun way to explore the environment and it uses some of the tools you rely on when camping and hiking the great outdoors.

Growing up I was always into suburban exploration: finding old rusty cars in the woods, diving into culverts and big stormwater pipes, exploring construction sites, etc. Although *technically* tresspassing, urban exploration is generally a victimless crime and the fact that it is illegal in many cases actually adds to the excitement. (note: it is also potentially dangerous and did I mention illegal? if you get injured or arrested, don’t blame me!)

In college a friend and I explored the steam tunnels underneath Duke University (is there a statute of limitations on this?). We always geared up with all our best outdoor stuff: headlamps, hiking boots, canvas pants and sweatshirts - the whole nine. Our favorite route started beneath a ventilation grate outside the Social Sciences building, went through a machine shop and a lighted corridor through the hospital, and eventually put us out underneath a dining facility across the quad more than a quarter mile away. We probably inhaled an unhealthy amount of asbestos and rat feces (is there a healthy amount?) as we low crawled through some tight spots but it didn’t matter - we felt like Magellan finding a new route around the world!

As an adult I’m still curious but these days I do much of my urban exploration vicariously through the writers at Infiltration.org (the site is down today - I hope it’s not permanent). The writers at Infiltration have explored abandoned missle silos in New Mexico, crumbling factories in Canada, and catacombs in France, just to name a few spots. Cool stuff.

If you’re never heard about Urban Exploration definitely read up on it - it may just scratch an itch you didn’t realize you had. Of course I don’t condone it myself - I’m just an admirer

Have you ever noticed how sometimes hiking downhill can often be more painful than going up? The stress on your knees and quads can really add up on a long downhill hike but fortunately this little invention can help out: a bike in a backpack.

The Mountain Monk is a foldable, full-suspension mountain bike that you can carry on your back while hiking up a mountain. The bike doesn’t actually have pedals (just foot pegs) so you can’t ride it uphill or even on flat sections but it looks like a very fun way to get back down the hill after a summit attempt.

The bike itself weighs about 21 pounds which isn’t bad for a full suspension mountain bike and it even comes standard with disc brakes for slowing down on steep descents. Although the Mountain Monk is  just a prototype, the inventor is currently looking for a manufacturing partner so hopefully we’ll see something in the next year or two. Sweet!

Via Singletracks Mountain Bike Blog via Wired Blog.

Backpacker Magazine posted an interesting poll on their website: If indoor hiking were possible, would you be interested? Apparently the answer was a pretty clear NO with about 80% of respondents saying it was a horrible idea. Indoor hiking may sound far fetched but in fact there are indoor analogs for most other outdoor sports including mountain biking, rock climbing, and even kayaking and golf.

Mountain bikers have embraced the idea of indoor riding, naming Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park an International Mountain Bike Association “Epic Ride.” Of course mountain biking requires both skill and stamina but indoor tracks are mostly geared toward building only the skill side of the equation.

Rock climbers have long used indoor climbing walls to hone both skills and strength but I’m sure if you asked them most would agree they prefer climbing natural rocks outdoors. Parents recognize that indoor rock climbing surfaces are much safer than shifting natural rocks so for many young climbers indoors is the only option.

Kayakers also use indoor facilities to practice their water moves but I’m sure most kayak enthusiasts would agree outdoor kayaking is much more interesting. After all, kayaking is all about getting where you’re going and in a pool, that’s no where.

Golfers do hit balls at indoor screens showing virtual courses though you don’t see too many outdoor course owners worried about the competitive threat

All of this leads back to the original question: does indoor hiking make sense? Is it even possible to capture some part of the hiking experience with an indoor facility? What would it look like? Here are three ideas:

• Most REI stores have small faux rock ramps in their shoe departments for customers to test new hiking boots. Although I wouldn’t call this indoor hiking, it does replicate a small part of the hiking experience. Although skills are not overly important in hiking, an indoor course could teach the basics or allow buyers to put products through their paces.
• Virtual reality. Indoor mountain biking and rock climbing are pretty low tech affairs where participants stare at the walls and ceiling while doing their thing. But what if, instead, indoor hikers were treated to full wrap around, moving outdoor scenes? Hook up a treadmill with a bumpy tread and vary the incline, blow a little air and/or mist and watch the screens to be transported to say, Kilimanjaro or the Amazonian rain forest. This vision would be more like a ride than an outdoor experience so perhaps this is would be better suited to theme parks…
• Caving is hiking in 3D but it’s also basically hiking indoors, especially in caverns with commercial tours, snack bars, and artificial lights. Most commercial caves do in fact have doors on their entrances so *technically* spelunkers are hiking in-doors

Now, back to the original question: would I try indoor hiking? I’d probably say no to the idea of virtual reality hiking and hiking skills courses but then again I never say never!

To continue our series on extreme hiking I thought I’d talk a little about spelunking (or caving). A friend recently mentioned that caving was really just hiking in 3D which I thought was a good explanation, though I would add it’s hiking in 3D with no weather or sun! I’m a bit of a mapping enthusiast when I hike but I can’t even imagine how you could start to map a cave unless you had some sort of box-shaped mapping device. Forget about using a GPS either - those will stop working at the mouth of the caves.

The other thing I’ve noticed about spelunking is just how dark it is inside caves. Obviously you need to be prepared whenever you enter a cave (the rule of thumb is to bring 3 light sources) but most of us don’t have a real concept of total darkness until we enter a cave. This also makes caving much more dangerous than a typical above-ground hike and I highly recommend going with an experienced guide and bringing safety equipment like helmets and ropes.

I’ve been in a few caves over the years and perhaps my favorite is Cumberland Caverns in central Tennessee. As a Boy Scout our group went on the “wild tour” where we were forced to crawl on our bellies and squeeze through narrow passages and muddy paths. More recently I made it out to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico where a friend and I went on the standard walking tour of the cave, though we were disappointed to find out advanced reservations are necessary to go on their version of the “wild tour.” Carlsbad Caverns is amazing for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that millions of bats live in the cave during daylight hours. If small spaces don’t freak you out, seeing all these bats will!

Yep, caving really is hiking in 3D and I’d say that qualifies it as an extreme way to hike. Just be safe on your 3D hike - that extra dimension can be tough to get used to!

The Louisiana state Wildlife and Fisheries department will be hosting a workshop called “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” March 20-22 and registration for the 125 slots is currently open. We’ve heard about plenty of outdoor programs geared toward introducing women to things like hiking, camping, and even rock climbing but this program also covers topics such as “bucks and does, shotgun, rifle, archery, (and) fly-fishing.” Additional topics covered by the workshop include canoeing, camping, archery, horseback riding, fishing, boating/trailering, map and compass skills, outdoor photography and camp cooking.

Somehow I suspect this course was designed by men looking to get their wives interested in outdoor activities and not by women trying to help each other out (though I could be completely wrong). My wife was involved in a program she enjoyed called Girls Adventure Out (now know as simply Adventure Out) in the San Francisco bay area that organized clinics on surfing and mountain biking in addition to the regular outdoor stuff like camping and hiking. Learning outdoor skills with a group of women can be less intimidating for some so check your local area for similar programs.

The Ozark Society’s Highlands chapter will lead an organized Christmas Day hike at the Lake Wilson trail in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The hike will be an easy one, just 2.5 miles, perfect for the whole family plus it starts at 1:30pm which means plenty of time to open presents beforehand. This seems like a great tradition and it’s the perfect opportunity to test out all the new hiking gadgets you get from Santa

Speaking of Santa, the big guy himself was spotted outside San Luis Obispo doing a little rock climbing last week. We even spotted him out on the mountain bike trail as well, who knew Santa was such an extreme sports nut?

Tribune photo by Joe Johnston (SanLuisObispo.com)

Finally, for those in the Fayetteville, AR area, the Ozark Society will also be hosting a New Year’s Eve campout, another great excuse to get outdoors and use your new camping gear during the holidays!

Sometimes the hardest part about getting out for a winter hike is opening the front door to brave the elements but hikers in Idaho have another worry: downhill skiers. Sawtooth National Forest officials are warning snow-shoers and hikers on Bald Mountain to watch out for downhill skiers enjoying the fresh powder slopes. Officials recommend hikers make it up the mountain before 9am when lifts open or after 4:30pm when the lifts close for the day.

As a downhill skier myself, this brings up an interesting point some may not be aware of: lift tickets aren’t usually required to use a ski area unless you plan on riding the lift. Since most western and many eastern ski areas are located on National Forest land, resort operators can’t legally limit access to the slopes themselves - only to the manmade equipment (i.e. lifts). So, if you’re feeling strong and are looking to save some cash you can walk up the slopes with your skis or snowboard and enjoy a complementary downhill run on the US government. Of course it will probably take 50 times longer to go up than it will to go down and even the most fit hikers won’t be able to get in more than 2-3 runs in a day but hey, at least you’re outdoors!

You already know what a GPS can do for you in the car but what can you do with a GPS on the hiking trail? Plenty, and we’re here to help you get started!

First of all, it’s important to make a distinction between GPS units made for the car and those made for the trail. For hiking you’ll want a small, handheld unit that runs on AA or rechargeable batteries - after all, who wants to lug a car battery around the trail with them Seriously though, while it is possible to get some use out of your car navigation system on the trail, you’ll want to get a GPS made specifically for the outdoors if you plan on using it on a regular basis. Garmin has several outdoor series GPS units including the eTrex, GPSMap, Geko, and now the new Oregon and Colorado series. From Magellan the Triton and eXplorist series are good outdoor choices and DeLorme is even getting in on the game with its Earthmate PN series.

No matter which outdoor GPS you choose for hiking, here are the things you can expect to do (at a minimum) with your GPS on the trail:

• Track distance, time, and speed. It’s always good to know how far you’ve been and how far you have to go on the trail and a GPS can help you out big time. Imagine the trailhead sign says it’s 4 miles to the scenic overlook - you can use your GPS to tell you exactly how far you’ve been. Speed is another good thing to know - if you’ve moving at 3 miles per hour, you’ll get to that overlook 1 hour and 20 minutes after you start the trail!
• Mark cool stuff for your next trip. Every GPS allows you to mark waypoints along the trail that you can label for quick reference the next time you’re out. Mark the position of that gnarly looking pine tree on the side of the trail so you can point it to your friend the next time you’re hiking. Or, mark the location where you parked your car in case you forget
• Map where you’ve been. Basic GPS units may not be able to show you where you’re going but every GPS we’ve used at least shows where you’ve been. At first glance this might not seem helpful but I’m here to tell you this feature has saved me on more than one occasion. Once, while hiking Camelback in Phoenix, Paul and I found ourselves at the top of the hike when the sun went down. Hiking down what we thought was the trail we quickly realized we were heading in the wrong direction. Checking the GPS showed that we were off the original trail we hiked on the way up so we walked left to rejoin the correct route. On a mountain biking trip Leah and I got onto a trail that basically fizzled out and we needed to rejoin the dirt road we pedaled up on. The GPS revealed the road was a few hundred yards above us so we bushwacked our way back on track.
• Check your elevation. When hiking in the mountains, it’s often helpful to know how high you are and most GPS units can give you a good estimate of your elevation. A trail guide, for example, may tell you the peak is 12,280 feet high and your GPS can help you estimate how far you have to climb to reach the top. Some GPS units even plot your elevation as you go so you can view a profile of where you’ve already hiked.

These days hiking and outdoor GPS units are adding more features like color screens, advanced navigation, topo maps, and even integrated digital cameras. Pick up a GPS before your next outdoor adventure to make sure you stay on track! Read our outdoor GPS reviews right here on tripleblaze.com.

Host/Survivalist Bear Grylls of Man vs. Wild

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, reality television shows have come to dominate the cable network offerings and these days there are actually some pretty good ones for outdoor buffs like me. Sure Survivor was perhaps the first outdoor reality show but we’ve really come a long way since then (I promise!). Instead of contrived situations meant to produce conflict between participants, today’s most exciting outdoor television shows pit participants against nature.

In the Alaska Experiment (one of my new favorites) small groups are sent to live in the Alaska wilderness for the winter with little food and only basic supplies and shelter. Most of the participants have little outdoor training and have to figure out things like how to get clean water, how to dispose of human waste, and how to hunt for and store food for the extreme winter months. Weight loss, frustration, and fear grip the participants at times while at other times each marvels at the amazing beauty found in the last frontier.

Man vs. Wild is certainly a popular outdoor reality TV show and in big part it’s due to the show’s host, Bear Grylls. Grylls puts himself into extreme wilderness environments each week and shows viewers how to survive and find a way back to civilization. The show’s premise is very similar to Survivorman (which is, in my opinion, even more extreme since the host doesn’t even have a camera crew to bail him out of potentially dangerous situations) but Bear really makes the show entertaining to watch.

Finally there’s the Eco Challenge which is really just television coverage of an extreme adventure race held in scenic environments around the world each year. The Challenge is grueling, the outdoor environment harsh, and the course unforgiving which makes for great television drama. It seems like few teams actually complete the race within the pre-determined cut-off times and I usually find myself just rooting for anyone who can actually finish the race.

I’m sure there are other outdoor television show’s I’ve forgotten to mention and I’d love to hear any recommendations of other shows I might enjoy. Besides, on rainy or cold days sometimes just watching folks enjoy the outdoors is almost enough

If you’ve never heard about the 9-9-9 challenge, it goes something like this: eat 1 hot dog (with bun) and down 1 beer between the first pitch of each inning and the final out at the end of the inning. For mathematicians out there, successful completion of the challenge means participants will eat 9 hot dogs and drink 9 beers in the space of just a few hours.

Matt and his neighbor did the challenge last year and I must say I was intrigued. Matt was the record holder, making halfway though the 6th inning before “folding.” My goal was to make it over half way (through the 5th inning at least).

Nine of us showed for the challenge and Todd graciously donated the dogs and buns left over from his graduation party the weekend before. We each brought our own beverages and Matt decided to allow beverages other than beer (requirement: must be canned) for those of us who can’t hold our liquor. I decided to alternate between beer and canned lemonade and this turned out to be a wise decision.

After the second inning one of the participants, Eric, almost got caught with soda in his can following a double play and a quick end to the inning. After the fourth inning 4 were out and 5 of us remained. I made it through my 5th hot dog and drink and decided to call it quits - I was getting the sweats. Bob rocked steady through the 7th, then called it quits leaving just Kenny and our host, Matt.

Kenny showed no signs of slowing down and calmly downed his Nestea and hot dog within the first few minutes of the 8th inning. Matt struggled but stayed strong. After coming this far he was determined to finish! We decided that the true winner, should there be a tie for most innings completed, would be the man who finished his drink and hot dog the quickest in the 9th inning.

The first pitch of the 9th inning came and Kenny looked as if he were eating his first hot dog. Before we knew it, the contest was over - Kenny won. But Matt needed to finish the challenge and he decided to switch his routine up - dog first, then bun, then beer. Needless to say this only made things tougher but in the end, Matt did it. Unable to throw up, he spent the next 10 minutes with his head in a bucket trying to refund.

Based on nutritional information on the hot dog package, each inning packed a whopping 300 calories per dog/bun plus 60 to 160 calories per canned beverage (depending on whether it was light beer, beer, or soda). Kenny put away more than 300 grams of sugar and almost 3600 calories! It took me 2 days just to get my digestive system back on track but I’ll be back next year - ready to challenge the champ!

Paul and I decided to hit the Elena Gallegos mountain bike trail in Albuquerque since it came highly recommended from my buddy Mark Kittelson. After calling 5 or 6 bike shops in town, I found the one place that rented bikes: Northeast Cyclery. In fact, only one location of Northeast Cyclery rented bikes for $25 a day so we drove to the store around noon. Paul talked Chris into letting him ride Chris’s diamondback so I was the only one who needed to rent a bike. Twenty-five bucks seemed a bit steep but it was the only choice plus it was less than I remember paying in Marin to ride China Camp. I was hoping I could try out a sweet full suspension rig since I’m considering buying one this summer but I ended up with a piece of crap, heavy as lead Raleigh hard tail. Seriously this bike was one step above a $100 Wal-mart bike but I was determined to ride by this point.

The trails at Elena Gallegos are great and well worth the $1 per car entry fee ($2 per car on weekends). We headed out on FS Trail 365 and made a loop around the park using various numbered trails. At one point we came to an interesting rock pile obstacle and I demonstrated the correct line on the Raleigh. Paul followed, rode the pile perfectly, then endoed on the flat sand beyond the rock pile. Determined to land the obstacle cleanly, Paul decided (against my advice) to try again. This time the endo occurred on top of the rock pile and according to Paul was more painful than the first.

The weather was cool and windy and there was a fair amount of snow on the trails in the shady spots. I was very uncomfortable on the Raliegh for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the lack of clipless pedals (I asked the shop if they had any, they said no.) Next time I rent a bike I’ll have to remember to bring my own pedals (in addition to my helmet, shoes, gloves, etc.). Needless to say I was not impressed with Northeast Cyclery and would not recommend them to other mountain bikers. Elena Gallegos, on the other hand, gets two thumbs up.

After a relaxing Saturday of chorizo and egg burritos and catching up on email, we struck out around 3:30pm for Durango, CO. After initially missing our exit for US 550, we quickly got back on track and heading high into the desert. There was some snow in patches on the rocks around us and by the time we rolled into Durango around 8pm it was a full on snow shower. We ate and Scoot n’ Blues and were treated to some live music from a local jazz group. After dinner we checked into the Hampton Inn just as the pool and hot tub were closing for the night. Not that it really mattered anyway, we were planning on getting an early start on the slopes in the morning.

It ended up snowing all night and when we got down to our free breakfast around 7am there was almost a foot of new snow on the ground. Fortunately Paul’s Subaru has 4 wheel drive and we were able to quickly get on the road. The first ski rental place we hit in town was PACKED with high schoolers from Texas so we decided to head for Durango Mountain to rent our equipment there. The roads up to the mountain were pretty snowy and there was a good bit of traffic, including several idiots who felt it necessary to pass in the middle (unplowed) lane. Paul kept a steady course and we arrived in one piece.

The rental line at Durango Mountain went quickly, like a well oiled machine. While in line two men offered Paul and I lift tickets for $25 (retail $59) and we decided to bite. I was a bit nervous that the tickets might be counterfit but in the end they were legit. Chris returned the two tickets he had just purchased for us so it was all good. Paul and I ended up renting the “Performance ski” package for $32 and the skis were awesome and just what we needed for the 2+ feet of powder we encountered on the mountain. I’ve never skied that much powder and it definitely took some getting used to. Few of the trails were groomed and by the end of the day almost all the trails were “bumped.” It was a great chance to learn to ski powder and to find out why I need to buy new skis.

This morning we broke camp and hit the road around 9am bound for Albuquerque. Paul’s friend Chris recommended that we take the scenic route to Albuquerque and skip the flat, boring route through Roswell. It turned out to be great advice and well worth any additional driving that we ended up doing.

Our route today took us through Cloudcroft, NM which kinda reminded me of Woodland Park, CO. I realized after the fact that there’s an interesting sounding mountain bike trail in Cloudcroft that we could have checked out but it was a little too cold and windy anyway. We descended into Alamogordo and stopped at White Sands National Monument. White Sands is very cool and we took tons of pictures and did some sand hiking in our bare feet. The sand is actually gypsum crystals and the stuff was blowing everywhere during our visit. We both ended up with lots of gypsum in our ears and hair but it was definitely a highlight of the trip.

We got into Albuquerque around 6pm and had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. They put either green or red chile on EVERYTHING, a great authentic New Mexican dinner.

We spent a VERY windy and dusty two nights at the Carlsbad RV and Campground with the tent tied to Paul’s car to make sure the thing didn’t end up on the nearby highway. The campground had free wi-fi, an indoor pool, and a sweet game room so we didn’t complain.

On Thursday we hit Carlsbad Caverns for the basic tour since all the special tours were already booked. We spent about 2-3 hours underground then headed out to Sitting Bull Falls. Sitting Bull was interesting for the fact that it is about 30 miles away from everything but with excellent parking and picnicking facilities and a $5 entry fee. There were a few trails here but we were tired from our backpacking the previous day and elected to only hike up to the top of the falls (about 170 feet high).

I’m heading out to New Mexico for a week to do some hiking, camping, backpacking, skiing, spelunking, and potentially mountain biking. I’ve only driven through New Mexico a couple times (and each time I have encountered local law enforcement) so I’m stoked to actually get my feet on the ground for a few days. The plan is to hit Guadalupe Mountains NP (actually in Texas), Carlsbad Caverns, Taos or AngelFire, and Albuquerque. I’ll be taking lots of photos and posting all my adventures on various TripleBlaze sites (camping, hiking, and mountain biking) including this blog.

You can also follow along on Paul’s Road Trip Blog. Adios!

Well, Leah and I finally did it. We first talked about running a marathon about five years ago and ran the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving in 2003. At the time I decided that was far enough to run as the 2:07 it took us to finish felt absolutely brutal. Up until that time the greatest distance I had run was probably around 8 miles or so and 13.1 miles felt like a real accomplishment.

After living here in Durham for the past year Leah and I found ourselves running more and more as the local mountain biking left much to be desired. Plus the weather is great for running outside pretty much year round (except a few weeks during the summer) so we decided to pull the trigger. Actually Leah did all the work, signing us up for the race, building our training plan, etc.

So we finished the Richmond Marathon on Saturday in 3:50 which was well under the 4 hour goal we set for ourselves. Amazingly our half marathon split during the race exactly matched our second half time. The last 4-5 miles were, in my opinion, the worst miles I have ever run in my life. The most disappointing part of the race came in the last quarter mile when I started getting cramps in the back of my legs, then my calves. It was pretty ridiculous too because the steepest part of the course was in the last quarter mile and it was all downhill. I suppose for some this is a nice psychological reward since downhill should be easy. However, anyone who has done any amount of running will tell you that downhill is usually the hardest on your muscles as you contract your legs to brake yourself down the hill. Anyway, I had to stop at least once or twice in that last quarter just to stretch and I ended up running the final 10 yards or so with a cramped calf that forced me to run with my right toe pointed outward.

The training was time consuming, although not too difficult. Some of our early “long runs” were difficult but that might have been due to the extreme heat during August and September. The weather in Richmond was great, seemed like it was in the 50s most of the time we were running. The course was good too, very flat with a few reasonable hills sprinkled here and there. I’m glad we did the marathon and I’m also glad it’s over with. Now it’s time to pay more attention to our lonely mountain and road bikes