Climbing - Garden of the Gods

My son and I took a half day guided climbing tour of Garden of the Gods down in Colorado Springs last Saturday.

We started off only a lonely spire with a 5.7 route called Potholes. Potholes sits right on the sidewalk that winds through the park and when climbing it tourists tend to gather. When my son reached the top he was greeted with cheers and clapping from twenty or so onlookers.

Kellan at the crux.

Sent

We shared the tour with a guy from West Cliffe and a woman from Denver, who were both very cool and of about our same ability level, I think.
After Potholes, we moved to another 5.7 route on a different rock called West Point Crack, although we only did the 1st pitch, so we didn't actually get into the crack. This was probably my favorite climb of the day. Not too hard, but fun and it has a cool variety of holds.

Kellan and I at the base of West Point Crack

Me at the top of the first pitch

There were a few other climbers out that day, but there was always an open route nearby.

A team of 3 was doing a multi-pitch on what I think
is the South Ridge White Spire route

From here we moved on to yet another group of rocks with a popular 5.6 route called Cowboy Boot Crack.

Cowboy Boot Crack

Kellan working out the route

Cowboy Boot Crack turned out to be pretty easy, so our guide (John) shifted us immediately to the left on a thin 5.9 crack route called Trigger Finger. This was easily the hardest climb of the day and the only one I broke a sweat on, literally. The thin crack peters out into to nothing and the holds are very tiny. Tough, but doable and worth the challenge for a couple n00bs like us.

Kellan about halfway up Trigger Finger

If you've never been to Garden of the Gods, it's worth the time. It's a city park, so climbing permits are free and consist of simply stopping in at the guest center and signing a waiver. A truly beautiful area to just hang out in, as well as climb.

This climber is standing at the top of Potholes
as seen from the base of Cowboy Boot Crack

John, our host and owner of First Ascent Mountain School, was super friendly, knowledgable and we had a great time climbing with him and look forward to climbing more with his outfit.

John from First Ascent Mountain School

Nutrition - the protein shake

The staple of fitness nutrition is, undoubtably, the protein shake. It's probably the first place the average "getting in shape" person looks for supplementation.

So I thought I'd share my recipe. I've been at this one for over a year, with some slight variations, but this is pretty much my standard protein shake.

The Wade Shake (not to be confused with The Shake Weight):

16oz. container or glass (or a 32 oz. and double the ingredients)
1 banana
Handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Dollop of peanut butter (chunky)
Scoop of whey protein powder (chocolate)
Milk (1%)
Smidgen of honey or nectar (optional)

I use 16oz. cups that have screw on lids that came with my Magic Bullet blender.

Fruit element. Banana and frozen blueberries

Put the banana (breaking it in half is helpful) and a handful of blueberries (or strawberries, or whatever) into your vessel. I like blueberries because A) they are super good for you B) delicious and C) when they go on sale you can buy a crapload and freeze them. You can freeze bananas too, but they are usually available for cheap and are completely disgusting when you thaw them out.

1% milk and chunky peanut butter

Add some milk, about half of your shake size or a little less. This is important as it will help keep the protein powder from sticking to the bottom of the glass. Toss in a large spoonful of peanut butter, I prefer chunky style myself. This is the artistic portion, as peanut butter is what dictates the consistency of your shake. If you like it super thick, go heavy on the PB. Thin, then not so much.

Whey, chocolate variety

Get yourself some whey protein powder. Which kind? That's all super subjective. The Gold Standard above, I'm not crazy about. It's only 24 grams of protein and the scoop is huge. It's expensive and you don't get many servings. After I'm done with this stuff I'm giving the Max Muscle stuff a try, it's higher in protein, but still a pretty large scoop... and expensive. One of my favorites thus far has been Ultimate Nutrition Protein Isolate. It's inexpensive and the scoop is small, giving you 50+ servings. It does contain some soy, and is only 20 grams of protein, but it's a good bang for the buck.

Also, flavor comes in here. Your protein will dictate your shake's flavor. I'm a fan of chocolate and this recipe is built around that. Not sure how well orange will go with peanut butter and bananas, but I've done vanilla before and it's OK.

At this point, sometimes I'll squirt a little honey or agave nectar in. It might help cut through the artificial sweetness built into the protein, but lately I've been leaving it out. Try it or don't, it's not that important.

Blendage

Now fill the rest of your 16oz. container up with milk and blend. If you're using a 16oz. glass, fill it up, then pour everything into your big ass blender carafe.
I typically make 2 shakes at a time in the evening and then put them in the refrigerator overnight. Fresh off the blender, they can be a little on the warm and frothy side.

Now, you might ask, when do I drink these things? And how many/much should I drink in a day?
That's going to depend on many factors. What you're trying to do (gain or lose weight), your metabolism, height, weight, intermittent fasting, marital status, blood type, prior military service, etc.

Personally, I do one shake a day, in 2 parts. First thing when I wake up, I drink half a shake. Then right after my 1PM workout, I drink another half. This is what woks for me and my current goals, but you most likely have to experiment. So the 2 shakes I make lasts me 2 days, which is also about the max time I want these things sitting around. I've tried making big batches to last a week and they seem to get funky after 3 days or so.

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed this recipe. Be sure to let me know if you have some modifications or recommendations.

PentaHexathlon

This started out as a suggestion from a friend of mine who was doing it was some guys on a fitness forum. It started out as a Pentathlon (5 events), but my son and I added a sort of half event. The main 5 are: Pushups, sit-ups, broad jump, sit and reach and a 1 mile run. My son and I added a "fast lap" 1/4 mile sprint to the mix. Since the fast lap could be in conjunction with the mile time, I'm not it qualifies as a separate event... but maybe. You be the judge.

The idea behind this is to retest after a period of time, typically 2 or 3 months (we chose 2) to map your progress.

Rules:
Events can be run in any order, but must be in the same work-out session. i.e. no doing pushups one day and sit-ups the next, or running the mile in the morning and doing the rest an hour later. Try to limit rest in-between exercises to no more than 2-3 minutes.

Pushups:
Max pushups in 2 minutes, rests must be in the up position. Downward dog rest is OK. If you take a knee or rest on the down, you're done.

Sit-ups:
Max sit-ups in 2 minutes, rests in the up position. Body must come full vertical (no crunches). Feet can be braced under an object. Arm position is your choice, but no momentum swinging.

Broad Jump:
Measure from tip of foot in start to rear of furthest back heel on landing.

1 mile run:
Pretty self explanatory. Run one mile for time.

Fast lap:
Run your quickest 1/4 mile, or one lap. Can be combined with 1 mile run. My watch doesn't have a lap feature, so I run this separately.

Sit & Reach:
Toes are 0. Anything past toes is positive, i.e..e 1.5" (or centimeters if you're into that sort of thing). Anything before the toes is negative. You can make a simple box to do this, which is helpful if you're in the negative area. I put a tape measure on a speaker box I have that's just the right size. I also do this with my shoes off, and therefor save it for last.

My initial numbers back on July 12th, 2012:
Vitals: Wade, M, 38, 6' 2", 182 lb.

Pushups 49
Sit ups 40
Broad jump 6' 9"
1 mile 8:30
Reach + 5/8"
*note we hadn't  instituted the Fast Lap at this time.

Retest on  September 16th, 2012:
Vitals: Wade, M, 38, 6' 2", 182 lb.

Pushups 53 (+4)  
Situps 52 (+12) 
Broad jump 6' 5" (-4") 
Mile 7:50 (-:40) 
Reach 0 (-5/8") 
Fast Lap 1:31.04

Backpacking trip - Camp Axe Rock

Last wekend, Bill, Lucas and I decided to make the rough climb to the high camping spot that Lucas and I had scouted out in July. That trip we made camp at Horse Brush, about a 2 mile mild hike in from the road and then struck out with day packs the next morning for the tougher 2.3 mile ascent of the mountain.

Low camp's namesake

This trip we took off work early on Friday, determined to make the full 4.32 mile hike to the top and camp.
About a mile in we caught a little bit of rain, that managed to stop about 2 minutes after we got our rain gear on.

Lucas doing his hunch back impression

After passing Horse Brush, the trail begins to climb. Slowly at first, then it gets quite steep. Soon you're doing, what I call, the Himalayan Shuffle, where you can take about 15 or 20 steps, then have to stop for a few seconds, and repeat this process... for a couple hours.

Land of Lunges

Those aren't just pretty rocks, that's the trail

All told the trail rises over 2,200 ft. in elevation in about 2 miles of length. Combined with 40+ lb. backpacks and you really feel the pain. Lucas called it "The toughest hike I've ever done.". It was rough, no doubt, but Billy and I have been conditioning ourselves pretty good, so we fared a little better.

Billy likes backpacking

Lucas is thinking about throwing up

At the top, we made camp. Lucas had to take a break and barf so he wouldn't die, so Billy and I hiked back down the trail about a quarter mile to fill up a 2.5 gallon container with water. By the time we got back, it was nearly dark. Lucas rustled up some grub, we ate and went to bed pretty early.
At 11:30, Billy and I woke up simultaneously to a strange sound. Groggy from sleep, Billy says, "What's that?"
"That's a chopper." I say and turn to go back to sleep. Then it dawns on me, as the bird lights up our tent with a spot light, WTF is a helicopter doing up here? We're 4.5 miles from the dirt road, which is 8 miles from the nearest small town, and we're on top of a mountain at 10,400 ft. elevation.
The bird leaves just as fast as it came and we stay up a while wondering what that was all about. Lucas managed to sleep through the event and questioned us, thinking we made the whole thing up. Probably the strangest thing that has ever happened to me while camping.

The next morning we dawned our day packs and went down to the other side of the mountain to see what we could see. This side of the mountain was steep, but not nearly a long as the other side. We connected with some different trails and spied some really cool campsites we plan to hit next year.

Some rocks that promised some interesting future climbs

That afternoon we hung around camp, got some wood ready for the fire and built up our "couches". Then we just sort of hung out and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Wood and rocks

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?"
"Camping stuff I guess."

That evening we ate some food, had a couple drinks and sat around the mountain TV set. We stayed up pretty late, watching the stars and waiting to see if the chopper would return, but it did not.

Billy's a big fan of the "stump fire"

Lucas demonstrates the power of Axe Rock

The fire was so hot, I think it crinkled the polarized
coating on my glasses

The hike down the next day was probably the roughest part for me. I'm in desperate need of new boots as my dozen year old Danners allow for way too much movement and really hurt my toes on the downhill. The headache from too much bourbon didn't help either.

But we accomplished our mission and got a lot of exercise in the process, hiking over 15 miles total, and over half of that with 40 lb. backpacks on.

Good times.

"Ye Olde" the ultimate walking stick

Gear review: Nike Alvord 10

I picked up a pair of Nike Air Alvord 10 Running Shoes, because the trainers I've been racing in weren't cutting it, especially on the steep hills.

Initial Impressions
I broke them in on the Manitou Incline which consists of a 2,000 foot elevation ascent over a 1 mile distance, then a 4 mile downhill run. After that I ran them in the Muddy Buddy to a 3rd place finish, in the Devil Dash, the 2013 Spartan Military Sprint and the Rugged Maniac. All very different events, and all with great results.

I ran the Spartan last year in my trainers and this year in the Alvords. Also, last year, my trainers at Run For Your Lives and the Alvords at Rugged Maniac. While the last 2 are different events, they were at the same venue. So I have a couple of direct comparisons with the 2 different shoe types. The Alvords are miles above the trainers (also Nike, for what that's worth) when it comes to mud and steep hills.

The tread is equally at home plowing up and over slick mud mounds as well as running down steep gravely hills. They stay laced up and they breathe enough to let the water squish out. These shoes also have enough cushion to help with hard downhill pounding.

Post Spartan Military Sprint.

I have wide feet and bought a normal width pair, not knowing at the time that wide sizes were available. When I first put them on, they feel tight on the sides. They do stretch a bit with use, but getting repeatedly wet and drying in the sun makes them a little too tight when I first lace them up. If I could do it over again, I'd hold out for the wider version.
They do seem to run a little small in length as well, so if you are buying online, you might consider going a half size larger.

They clean up well and look none the worse for wear after a several obstacle races and training days. I'm generally happy with them and they are a decent shoe for the price. I'd consider them an entry level to trail running/obstacle racing shoes, and a good way to break into the sport without breaking the bank.

Pro tip: After a mud race, rinse your shoes liberally with a garden hose until the water runs clear, then hang them out to dry (I put mine on our deck's roof so the dogs won't be tempted to eat them). A washing machine seems to leave grit and using a clothes dryer can shrink the insoles.

Long term observations
Having had these shoes for a full season and a half, I've come to the conclusion that they have shrank. When I first bought them, they felt a little tight in the width, but as I mentioned above, I have wide feet. Now, some 10 races later, they are considerably uncomfortable in width and also length.

In may of this year, they were fine. By August I started noticing they seemed tighter than I remember. Now in October, they feel crushing, especially on my left foot where I have a bunion. As my dry wether shoes, that I've ran and trained in for the last 2 years, don't feel any different, I can only guess that the repeated soaking and drying has shrunk the Alvords. I had no foot or toe pain early this season, but now at the end it's gotten bad enough to wear I've lost a couple toenails, even after a relatively short sprint type obstacle race.

Conclusions
For the casual racer or dry only trail runner with normal or narrow feet, these are a decent shoe and will likely serve you well.
If you have wide feet, bunions, Morton's toe or some other malady, you might want to look for the wide version, or step up to a shoe with a wider toe box.
In either case, by careful when sizing and consider going a half size or more larger than your normal street shoe size.

They are well made and tough. Mine show little wear after over 40 miles of hard racing. The shrinkage issue is bothersome however, so take great care when sizing, especially if you plan to get them repeatedly wet.

Devil Dash results

Devil Dash was last Saturday, September 1st, in Lyons, CO.

As usual we lined up towards the front in the first heat. It was hot out, but not too hot.

Ready to rock.

We chatted a bit with some people up front. One girl who came in 2nd last year and was determined to come in first this year. Much of the course is hidden from view from the fair grounds, so we only had a vague idea of what to expect.

We jumped out in front but were passed when we hit the tire pile known as "Hell's Rubble". It's just a pile of random tires and looks like a good way to tweak a knee or ankle. Amazingly this one kid flat out sprinted over the thing.

In awe of the kid sprinting over the tires.

Past this we run into another tire obstacle, some creek running and a flat cargo net that I would've made record time on, but I had been passed by a few people and got stuck behind one of them here.

Easily the hardest part was the incline known as Hell's Hill Climb. Very steep and very long. I stopped to catch my breath about 3/4s of the way up and it really affected my finish. More people passed me and I got stuck behind them on the downhill where I was moving faster than most.

Powering through this makes all the difference.

After the incline it was relatively smooth sailing. It's a steep downhill that you can kill if you're comfortable running downwards, then a nice gradual mile or so through the last couple obstacles and into the mud pit.

I seem particularly angry at this mud pit.

Watch your hair in the barbed wire ladies.



Billy emerges from the pit.

A short sprint after the mud pits to the Ring of Fire and you're at the finish.

Nadia crossing the finish line.

Then you can revel in your glory with another race under your belt.


After the race we get some beers, cheered on other racers and chatted with some new friends.

The girl in the pink shorts and the guy at right in the grey shirt
were in first place after the first heat.



These hard chargers ran in pants, boots and full plate carriers.

And of course some hanging out with old friends too.

When all was said and done I came in at 117 overall (out of 1,105 finishers) putting me just outside the 90th percentile, which puts me lower than the last few races percentile wise. Billy finished nearly a full minute ahead of me, putting him at 93rd overall and finishing in the top 8.5%. Nice work Billy!
I'm a little disappointed with my finish, as I know I could have pushed harder, especially on the incline.

Before we left, I ran into a guy I had met at the Spartan getting ready to race his heat. After his start we talked with his wife a bit, who just happens to be the venerable April Luu, winner of this years Devil Dash, Warrior Dash and the Spartan Military Sprint in the women's overall class. This girl is no joke and since I didn't get a picture of her, I'll leave you with a shot of who she reminded us of.

That's Vasquez in Aliens, n00b.

As always, good times, great people and a fun racing experience!

Some photos (the better ones of course) courtesy of http://www.photo-paragon.com/