Moab MTB VidS

Just put together some Moab MTB helmet cam footage from the porcupine rim and amasa back trails. View the ish here. MOAB!!

When nature and pollution combine to make something gorgeous.

A visually striking sunset can make you dizzy like the way a beautiful girl can make your head spin. As humans, it's our nature to be drawn to the beautiful and exquisite. They grab and pull you in and soon you forget how you got to where you were but you don't really care. I caught a glimpse of this sunset through my window as I was closing my blinds to snuggle with myself for the evening and the next thing I knew, I was on my roof staring into the eyes of a beautiful girl we call "sunset." She had the most vibrant glow and I was instantly mesmorized by the captivating scene in front of my eyes in my very own city. These are the simple pleasures in life that make us appreciate choices we make. They can unlock hidden away happiness that is stored in the darkness of our minds. 

Sometimes we can get stuck on something that we thought was "everything" but in  the scheme of things is contrived and trivial. It's hard to let go, but once you can, there is a moment where you feel free, free until it clouds your mind again like that first glass of wine...when does it truly release it's grasp? I guess it must be when you accept and stop hoping. It's funny that a simple thing that occurs everyday can stir up your mind and rearrange a thought that is always in the background to brimming on the surface of every firing nueron in your brain. Perhaps we'll never understand parts of ourselves, but at least we have the sunset to show us how beautiful life can be.

Fun Meter Pegged!

The view from Porcupine Rim

Uhh OWW!

Moab is a mecca for outdoor adventures. I spent my weekend there attempting to mountain bike some of the most technically difficult trails I have ever ridden. It was amazing. I was really stoked for my first Moab trip and oh boy did it exceeded my expectations. We only rode two trails in two days because of how physically demanding they were. After a 3 hour ride I felt as though I had been repeatedly shaken in a martini mixer filled with rocks and blistering sun. I loved it! We rode Amasa Back which is a 10 mile out and back ride that is 5 miles of climbing and 5 miles of descending. I managed to crash and severely bruise my hand in the first 10 minutes which was actually quite hilarious because I was all "gung-ho" to rip the shit out of the trails and just got humbled immediately. But never the less, I still was able to grip the handlebars and enjoy the ride. The next day we rode Porcupine Rim which is one of Moab's signature must ride trails. It is nuts. There is a 4 mile section of single track that navigates technical ledges and loose rocks all just feet from the exposed rim edge where if you lost control and fell off the edge, you probably would have time to pull out your cell phone and call your mom before you hit the ground and died. Pretty hairy stuff. But then there are wonderful downhill sections with twisting turn and nice ledges that you can gap and all kinds of fun features to play on. I'm definitely going back...and soon.

Beat Down and LOVING it!

Your probably wondering, "Tyler, what about your Paleo EP" and yes, I managed to keep it up although it wasn't easy and I did drink my fair share of chocolate milk to aid in recovery. The update is that everything is going good, my gut has seemed to calm down a bit and I don't get the feeling of being bloated as often as I did when I ate a bunch of grains and nuts. Hmmm...am I onto something. Stay tuned! Oh and the knee held up great, even when dropping 5 foot ledges to flat...Thank goodness for full-suspension mountain bikes. Come on knee, stay with me, I promise I'll be nicer this week.

P.S. I'm 26 today...wtf?! 

The Amazing Backwards Woman!!

 

This picture is simply astounding. This lady, bless her soul, has somehow eaten her way to making her pooch look like her ass! My favorite part is that she is at Taco Bell...this may have something do with her complete dysmorphia, but I'm not expert so don't take my word for it.

Week 2

Well gang there isn't much new to report with my Paleo EP. My energy levels have remained constant and I have noticed much, if anything, of a change in how my stomach feels. I'm still only halfway to the recommended 30 day challenge. I'm slowly getting used to planning out every meal and really starting to enjoy it...most of the time. My new passion is cooking with loads of olive and coconut oil, damn, it makes everything tastes so much better. In case you were wondering, here is what a typical day of food intake looks like for me:

Breakfast:

• Frittada loaded with eggs, sausage, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, cilantro, thyme, jalapeno, onion, avocado and garlic all cooked in coconut oil.
• Bowl of fruit: raspberries, blue berries and black berries.
• Coffee with heavy whipping cream

Lunch:

• Pork Shoulder cooked in the crock pot with garlic, onions, diced apple, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil.
• Handful of roasted almonds and beef jerky
• Banana

Dinner:

• More Pork Shoulder
• Salad with lots of greens and veggies

I am constantly drinking water throughout the day and will usually have a snack or two in between meals which consists of an apple with almond butter or a smoothie with frozen berries, almond milk, spinach, scoop of whey protein powder and a banana. If I'm still hungry at night I'll make a bowl of popcorn cooked in coconut oil instead of vegetable or canola oil as they contain lots of the short chain omega 6 fatty acids that I'm already trying to balance out with omega 3s.

So in light of that delicious menu, I think it's time for breakfast! 

Week 1 + Some

Hey Friends! So, I'm a week into my new eating plan and things are going great. My appetite has begin to calm down and I'm not as ravenous as a fat lady at McDonalds anymore. Thank you, God! My energy levels have remained high and I'm not snacking every other hour like I used to. My gut still feels about the same so I hope to see some improvement there over the next few weeks. I've also been getting back on the bike much more in the last week and because of that, I have had to incorporate more carbs before, during and directly after my rides. I'm hoping this cycling season I can keep the 5 lbs that I've gained since last years all time low. Being light is great for climbing, but horrible in the flats. I need to maintain a healthy balance. Wish me luck with that!

My knee that I had surgery on a month ago is holding up well and taking all the pain I can throw at it and spitting it out right back at me! I still have some minor swelling and it gets stiff and a little sore after being on my feet all day at work. Despite all those minors downers, I went out to the RMR Crit races last night and hung in there for a middle of the pack finish in my first "race" back after only a month! I'm definitely stoked to be riding hard again (and pain free!!), but I have a lot of catching up to do before I can think about doing some damage in any upcoming races. My knee is sore today, but I don't think I've set myself back, it just needs a day or two of rest before I get back on the horse.

The old family comes into town tonight!! WOOOO!