Its not me, its my nature

Bad things happen, whether for a reason or not, and it's hard to come to grips with why or how. It can be extremely difficult to deal with, consuming every free sedentary moment throughout your day. Other times things happen and we just shrug okay and get on with our lives. Every so often something happens that is amazing and we don't ask questions about why or how we just soak in the goodness and life seems so great and simple. Why is this? Why is it that we, as humans, dwell on the negative? Asking questions, trying to get to the bottom of whatever problem, digging deeper and deeper, completely absorbed, uncovering more than we wished for until it becomes a skeleton in our closet. We analyze and ruminate until it is always there and incredibly painful to recall. We pick at every detail until all that is left is a red inflamed abscess that has little resemblance to its origin. When we finally realize how grotesque its become, we slap on some ointment and a band aid, try to forget and hope it heals. On the flip side, when something positive happens in our lives our natural instinct is to think we deserve whatever fortunate occurrence has materialized before our eyes. We say to ourselves, "Damn, that is great and so am I, more things like this should happen to me." We really don't consider why or how for more than a few hours. We take it in and instantly want more. Our appetite for satisfaction grows and grows, always wanting more, swelling exponentially. We evolve into gluttonous, rapacious, green-eyed monsters.

This post sucks.

Teton Pass

The rocky mountains went off this weekend! My lovely girlfriend, Leah, and I decided to take a little break from Utah this past weekend and head up to Victor, ID to visit our good friends John and Kendle. While there we were given the greatest gift of all, fresh powder! Over 2 feet fell! With Saturday snowfall totals at 18 inches in some places. It was snowgasmic! We skied on Saturday and Sunday off Teton Pass at Glory Mountain and Edleweiss. They are both extremely popular and safe places to ski when avalanche danger increases. If felt like we were in mid January, not late November. The snow was light, fluffy and bottomless. It was my first time on the splitboard since last ski season and Leah's first time touring with AT gear. She was great! John and Kendle are finally seeing the light and are now totally geared up to backcountry ski all winter long. WOO! We made effortless turns down gently sloping terrain at the tree lines because the avalanche danger was considerable. Even so, we all got that very special feeling that tickles your senses when you surf the white wave. It almost doesn't seem real because of how light and floaty the snow feels beneath your powder stick(s), its probably the closet thing to walking on a cloud.

It was also really great to get to hang out with John and Kendle and peek into their lives up in Idaho/Wyoming.. They just bought their first house! Wow! They really are growing up. They've chosen a first rate location to settle down in (that is if you love the outdoors, mountain especially) and in a way, a small piece of me envies that. It's also a bonus for me, because I will always have a warm, cozy and friendly place to stay whenever I want to ski the Tetons. I'm really glad we made the trip up to see them. I miss them a lot and am stoked they only live a short 4.5 hour drive from Salt Lake, that is, unless it isn't blizzarding and the roads are a nightmare like they were for our journey home. But oh well, we need the snow. With the holidays fast approaching and ski season ramping up......Let it SNOW!

Amazing Soccer Goals

Scoring a goal in soccer is an amazing feeling. Your teammates rush towards you to congratulate you, almost tackling you, their jubilation radiating, your adrenaline pulsating. In that moment, you are completely filled with joy and euphoria. On any stage, this simple tasks intoxicates your body and mind with ecstasy. I loved scoring goals as a player and even in simple kick around games. The passion of scoring a goal is something that you will always remember.

My most memorable goal came in my second to last game at BCC as a Sophomore. We were playing against Southwest Oregon CC in a single elimination game to make the playoffs. The game was in the second half of golden goal overtime and only minutes away from the dreaded penalty shootout. An opponent had the ball inside his own half and my teammate pressured him hard and forced him into a heavy touch, I intervened and swiped the ball from him about 35 yards away from goal. I had only two defenders in front of me and the goal with one more chasing hard from behind, I feinted right and went left and got half a step on the defenders. At this point I was nearing the 18 yard box and streaking towards the left side of the goal, the keeper began to move off his line to cut down the angle. I was running at full speed with three defenders crowding around me when I hit a low, rolling shot that went just beyond the outstretched keepers dive and off the far post and into the goal! The game was over. WE HAD WON! My teammates were chasing me all over the field and I was dodging every one of them until they tackled me at the midfield line. It was one of the greatest feelings of my entire life. I was ecstatic and so was everyone else. My coach gave me the biggest hug after the game, I was the hero.

Every year in the soccer world there are simply stunning goals that literally take your breath away. FIFA honors these goals by making a shortlist of the ten best goals and gives the Puskas Award to the most breathtaking goal scored that year. You can watch the nominees here:  
PUSKAS AWARD. (amazing goal videos)
Their is a wonderful volleyed backheel that just doesnt make sense, a few thunderbolt strikes from way out, astonishing displays of skill as attackers breeze past defenders and score with style and long streaking runs filled with power and pace and lovely finishing strikes. My personal favorite is Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's rocket from 40 yards out against Uruguay in the World Cup Semi Finals. Absolutely majestic!!

"Oh my God!" shrieked a nurse. "You are ridiculous!" another cried out. These were the first words I heard as I walked into work and scanned my badge to clock in. No good morning or how are you, just hysteria. I thought to myself, "maybe I should have just used the side door."

 

As soon as I stepped outside the chilly air took a hold of me and shook me awake. I mounted my bike and clipped in to my pedals. I had just pulled out of my residential road and onto Bengal Blvd and began picking up speed immediately. The icy cold began cutting deeper into my face and my entire body was stinging with the intense cold. "Shit, maybe this was a bad idea," immediately popped into my head. It was 6am, pitch black and 30 degrees F and I was traveling at 35mph downhill and not generating much internal heat. Factoring those two numbers together the wind chill was equivalent to -1 degrees F! No wonder I was freezing my balls off and second guessing my decision to bike into work. I was mashing on the pedals to try and generate some body heat After a solid 10 minutes I began to warm up and get the feeling back into my hands. As soon as I felt the warmth creep into my body, I knew I was going to make it. 

Brrr

Biking in extremely cold conditions isn't very much fun at first. But, if you dress properly and are able to push through the initial chills, it's actually quite enjoyable. A few items will make your ride much more enjoyable:

• Shoe Covers - nothing is worse than having cold feet on a ride because you really have no way to warm them up. Shoe covers block the wind and keep what little heat your feet generate in.
• Winter Gloves - Fingers and feet are the hardest parts of the body to keep warm on a ride. Well insulated gloves are a must. Plain and simple. I wear ski gloves when it's really cold and just a wind blocker shell if it's above 40 F.
• Balaclava or headband - You lose a ton of heat through your head when it's only covered by your helmet. On super cold days put on a balaclava to keep your neck, lips and head nice and cozy. It takes a little while to get used to breathing with, but stick with it. Ear warmers are nice on the days when a balaclava is too much but you still need to keep your ears warm.
• Jacket - Invest in a jacket that is wind proof and still breathes well. If you use a jacket that doesn't breathe well, you'll be sweating buckets after 15 minutes and will end up getting cold later on because all that moisture you are creating. Pit zips are nice too. 

Even if it's crazy cold out, you still can bike. Make it a test of your mental strength to go out and get on your bike and push through the cold. You'll thank me later.

Cheesy

I wrote this poem for a special someone. Yes, I know its extremely cheesey, but I really enjoyed writing it and wanted to share it. It is inspired by my love for the outdoors and a great girl in my life.

Mt. Baker Backcountry

you're my number one,
my saturday,
the snow in my canyon,
my powder day,
the red in my wine,
my favorite moment in time,
damn! I'm glad you're mine,
you're my funnest climb,
the chain on my bike,
my lifestyle,
the woman I like,
you make me smile.



 I think I'm going to quit my job, drink red wine, smoke lots of marijuana and write love poems all day. I'd say I have a 50/50 chance at making a name for myself. Oh, and I'd like to give a big shout out to Wal-Mart for putting those red roses right next to the check out aisle without them, this poem would've never been created.

Opening Day

So there I was, down and out. Losing hope. Sinking like a stone in the sea. My blood was boiling and my core body temperature was 101 F. The light was getting brighter and brighter, everything else was fading into nothingness. Bruce Springstein's "Blinded by the Light" was playing in the background and I could feel my will to live burning away. I was strapped to a table and completely naked. There was a team of green suits gathering around me, whispering back and forth on how they should end my life. I opened my eyes to take one last look at the world as I knew it and realized that I had awoken. It was all a dream.

And speaking of dreams, an actual dream of mine has come true! Brighton Ski Resort opens this Friday, November 12th. I'll be there shredding the gnar, hitting rocks and tree stumps with my slay blade. It won't matter though because there will be some snow and snow is all that I desire at the moment. I'll see you on the mountain!

65 and Sunny!

It's november and it was absolutely amazing outdoors. The sun is radiating ultra violet rays from the perfect angle. Not too acute nor obtuse, just right. It's great t-shirt and shorts weather when you are partaking in stimulating outdoor activities. The body thrives in this atmosphere like a well oiled piston firing smoothly. The somatic nervous system is innervating your external muscles without delay, every capillary is dilated to the max and your entire body is flooded with oxygen. These are the days that make me happy. They give me a better sense of well being. I love these days, but I also love winter. For now I will enjoy them and squeeze in every last summer activity that I can. I'll even go rollerblading, that's how great it is outside.

Home Brew

Last night I made the wort for my latest home brew! I'm conjuring up a hoppy, red, winter style warmer. It should be delicious if everything works out. There are so many factors in the process that could taint the beer that I find the whole process a little stressful. Everything has to be sterilized, the yeast has to be prepped, hops and other ingredients added at exact times, it's time consuming and you have to attentive in the kitchen throughout the duration of the boil. Don't get me wrong though, once all the work is done and you are sipping on your very own concoction of beer, it's very rewarding. It's also a great way to impress chicks. I love having 5 gallons of beer chilling down in my basement, it's all for me! (besides the ones that I share with friends) They will all be in a neat formation just waiting for me to rip off their tops and let me drink in their frothy goodness. The entire batch should be done in about 3-4 weeks. I'm very excited to get drinking!

Perplexed. Warning: this is not a Joke.

So here I am contemplating another mystery of the universe. A bonafide brain buster, well, to me anyways. The thought never even crossed my mind until today. I mean seriously, why would I think about another man that way? Why would I wonder what he has or doesn't have? Now hold on a second, I know where you're going with this because I am deliberately taking advantage of the perversion that lives inside all of us. But, sorry to disappoint, I'm not taking this down the homosexual hallway.

Kevin Connoly: Simply Amazing

His name is Kevin Connolly and he's actually an incredible human being. He's probably the baddest dude on the planet, well, I take that back. He's probably the baddest three foot tall dude out there. I can reasonably say this with some confidence because how many three feet tall people do you know? I know zero. Kevin was born without legs, no legs! He's all torso. Nothing below. It's a phenomenon known as Amelia, a medical wonder fuck up without any sensible explananation other than God forgot to put a pair of legs on this guy when he was baking in the oven. Despite his obvious disadvantages, he's made a name for himself by turning his defect into a premium perk. He is a skiing phenom that has competed in the X Games in the mono ski race (taking silver), locals at Montana's Big Sky call him the Cyborg because of his badass mono ski with an integrated snowmobile suspension allowing him to ride the gnarliest terrain he wants. He's written an inspirational autobiography called "Double Take" and created an iconic photographic documentary called "The Rolling Exhibition" where he simply captures unsuspecting people's reactions as they gawk at his inadequacy, or so they think.

All this has given him the choice of doing whatever he wants with his time because he doesn't have to work the normal 9 to 5. He travels, he designs new toys to replace his "lack there of" and he's trying to bring awareness to other people with Amelia across the globe. He's also a legit ski bum in the winter's, getting more face shots than most rippers on the mountain, which is something that I am very envious of. I am in no way trying to bring this guy down. He's quite possibly more man than me! Which brings me to my original reason for writing this blog. I have been picking my brain over this all day and still can't come to the conclusion. This might be a little immoral and insensitive of me, but there are times when my curiosity outweighs my ethics and this is definitely one of those times. I know I'm beating around the bush, but I'm almost embarrassed to bring this up. Ok, so here it is: Does this guy have a wah wah wee wah? Yeah, I said it, does he have the frank and beans, the one-eyed cave explorer, the reason we all exist? I've looked all over the internet and haven't found a clue, it's like everyone is avoiding the question. Where is the cutoff? I'm thinking about this from a medical perspective, does he have a sacral plexus or a pelvic bone? I personally believe he does, the world isn't that messed up, is it? If my assumptions are wrong, it will confirm my belief that there really isn't a God. Say it isn't so! But I need to know for sure. Please help a confused soul. Do you have the answer? What do you think?

What Do YOU think?

Power to the Core

A strong core is incredibly important in any sport and is key to having a hott bod. Many people are under the impression that the core is just the abdominal muscles, they are wrong. Your core stabilizes your spine, pelvis and shoulders and runs the entire length of the torso. These muscles help control movements, transfer energy, shift body weight and move in any direction. Your core is where you generate power and provides the foundation for any physical activity. As a cyclist, climber and snowboarder as strong core is something I value and am always looking for new exercises to strengthen my core. Here are some of my favorite core exercises, most of which include using a stability ball:

•  Stability Ball Alternating Crunch: Sit on ball and form flat platform with your back. The ball should be just above the small of your back. Cross your arms on your chest. Do a sit-up, hold for one second at peak and contract your abs then come back down. Then come up to the left side, then center, then right side and so continue the same rotation. Do 2 sets of 25 reps.  

 

•  Balancing Seated Twist: Sit in crunch position on the floor and form 45 degree angle with you back and bring your feet off the floor with your knees halfway bent. Hold a medicine ball with your arms straight out and twist your torso side to side while keeping your feet off the ground. Do 2 sets of 20 reps.

Add caption

• Jackknife with Ball: Use a stability ball and put your feet (laces down) on top of ball and arms supporting yourself in push-up position. Bend at the knees and roll ball as close to your chest as possible then straighten legs back out to starting position. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

•  Plank Lift your body up onto forearms and toes and keep your back straight. Do 2 sets 1 minute each.
• Side Plank: Prop upper body on bent forearm and push your hips toward the ceiling. Do 2 sets 30 seconds each side.

Add caption

• Leg Lift w/ Ball: Lay on back and hold a swiss between your feet. Keeps legs as straight as possible and lift legs off the ground (flex at waist, keep legs straight). Flex back down but don't let ball touch the ground. Do 2 sets 15 reps.

Add caption

 

•  Leg Curl w/ Stability Ball: Some folks call this the bridge exercise too. Lay on your back with your heels on the stability ball and then roll the ball to your butt by bending your knees. Hold top position for one second then straighten legs back out. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

 

Add caption

• Pike with ball: Place your feet (laces down) on the ball and your hands on the floor in push-up position. Using your abs, pull yourself into pike position, hold and then release. Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

Add caption

•  Other exercises that go well with this circuit are lunges with weights and squats holding medicine ball straight out in front you. Throw in whatever else you desire such as weights, other core exercises or cardio. I like to do these during a climbing sessions at the gym. It gives me a good break between pumps.

I usually spend about 45 minutes to an hour doing these exercises as a circuit. Chose at least 5 of these to do and begin to incorporate all of them into your work outs and do them properly. The key is to not rest more than a minute between exercises, keeping your heart rate up and burning calories. If you aren't sweating when you are doing this workout then you are resting too long. If you can do this two to three times per week you will see results quick. I know finding the motivation and time to go the gym is hard, but make it a priority, tell yourself the night before that you are doing this and don't let anything stop you. Just force yourself to go! Music helps me a lot when I'm in the gym because lets face it, the gym is boring, especially when you are alone. I like to listen to high energy stuff like techno or electro with a fast beat, it keeps me motivated and energized. Remember, your core is an overlooked muscle group that is very valuable to performing any sport at your highest level. Work it good and treat it right. Power to the core!

P.S. If you have any good exercises that you like to do, let me know in the comments. I'm always looking for new and exciting exercises. Change is good and keeps things interesting.