Midweek:

This week has been busy. With the day off, Kristen and I spent the day together shopping and taking care of general house things. Yesterday was her birthday, I surprised her at work and took her out to lunch (Thanks all for your help!) We went out to dinner in Gurnee, get this...not a chain restaurant. The Monkey Dish is a good place, and THANK YOU for opening a non-chain restaurant in Gurnee! Good burgers!

I'm looking forward to spending Saturday (which is also my 27th Birthday) climbing up at Devil's lake. So lets hope these storms get in and out as soon as possible!

Saturday: Leading

With the cold and rainy day upon us, we opted for a trip to Vertical Endeavors. Following warm up. I opted to practice the lead climbing cert test route. A "fun" 5.9 that I kept bailing 1 or 2 holds from the last. I decided, oh hell i'll just go for the cert. The test is you have to climb (flash) a 5.9 on lead and take a fall around the 4th draw. So I tied in, and with Dave on belay I started climbing, ::clip:: ::clip:: ::clip:: ::clip:: (well shit this is it huh?) FALL! That was a different. I fell from my knees at the 4th draw down to the first. My feet were about a foot of Dave's head. I took a short break (hanging in the air) and climbed back up. Clipped in to the last draw and my hand slipped off one of the last few holds and FALL! This was not planned I didn't fall as far as before, after I got down apparently there were a few people watching and they kinda freaked out. Well I did learn a number of things and I am over my initial fear of taking a lead fall. After the fall and a break I opted to climb the route again this time on Top Rope and did it. Next time I'm in the area I will retake the test. Now to spend the next two days relaxing!

Short info about lead climbing

Taking a break.

So for the last few days of running my knee has started to hurt. Not to much hurt I guess...more feel funny. and not "ha ha" funny. A little more then 2ish miles in to my run my knee kinda does this recoil thing and it almost seams I start limping. So I made the decision to take a week off from running. This knee always gives me issues in the spring and fall, when the seasons change. I had a ski accident as a kid and I think this still stems from that. So a big middle finger to the lady that hit me and skied away with out even checking if I was OK.

This weekend is looking to be fun. BBQ at Franck house tonight, VE on Saturday with folks. I'm really hoping I pass the lead cert test. I'd like to start getting more lead practice. I think personally, leading is 1/3 mental 1/3 physical 1/3 knowledge (placing gear) combined with a little bit of not killing yourself. Usually makes for a fun day!

Have a good three day weekend ya'll!

Breakfast: Eggs, smokey links, mini bagel Cheerios w/milk
Snack: Coffee,
Lunch: Microwave pizza, 100 cal pack
Snack: 100 cal pack
Dinner: 1/2 slab ribs, mashed taters , broccoli salad
Dessert: 100 cal packs
Exercise: 2.75 miles @26:52 / 1 hour climbing

Last few days.

I played golf Saturday for the first time in over a year. Didn't do so bad actually shot around maybe 100? Sunday I went for a 5K run, followed by some house cleaning and then did an hour or so at the climbing gym. I managed to get one move higher on one of the climbs I have been working on. Though twice when I got down and turned around I had an audience of about 30 people. The climbing wall is in the middle of a big sport complex, and I was the only climber on it at the time.

Monday was well..work...I got up at 4AM to do some server maintenance. That evening I went to the gym. Worked out there for an hour and then got the crazy notion to run home. So...kris drove the Jeep back and I ran. It was quicker then I thought only like 12:58 to run it. but it seamed to take forever because I had just been lifting weights. Well here's hoping for a good rest of the week and a fun time at VE this Saturday where i'm hoping I can get my lead cert.

Relaxing this weekend and setting goals.

This weekend will be relaxing. I'll actually be playing golf. :) It's been a while so i'm sure i'll make a fool of myself, and probably curse...alot..
I'm going to run both days. I'll try and get in (at least) 5k in each morning and if i'm lucky hit the climbing gym on Sunday afternoon. Maybe i'll even do the 8.x K loop that I have been thinking about for months now. It would be a good weekend to try it. No big climbing trips planned.

So my new goal currently is by the end of of this year. It could be a cold weekend in December down in Soill, but I'd like to get in one Trad lead, most likely in the 5.3 - 5.6 range and sport climb a 5.9+-5.10. Train all winter in the gym and run, throw in an ice climbing trip to Ouray! And come spring, work on nothing but Trad climbing. The goal is big and I know I have a long long long way to go.

Tuesday : rain

The weather was nice this morning as I stepped out for my run. Which I have started to see more and more souls out at 5am, running, walking sometimes with man's best friend. I like having light that early, it for sure makes for better running :)

Climbing gym in the evening. Kept trying two climbs that I am still working on. both I get stuck at the crux move. Both entail a fair amount of hand strength and balance. one is on an auto belay so if I fall I gotta start over. and the other is way far right of the anchor that if you fall it's a pain just to get back on the route. I'll get them.

Breakfast: Eggs, smokey links, Cheerios w/milk
Snack: Coffee,
Lunch: Microwave pizza, 100 cal pack
Snack: Granola bar
Dinner: Green Minestrone soup, mini bagel
Dessert: Angle food cake with cool whip, bananas and strawberrys
Exercise: 2.75 miles @24:12 / 1.5 hours climbing

Weekend: Great climbin'

Saturday was a blast. We set two top ropes, Dave rapped down one, and Jeff and I rapped down the other. This was the first time I rapped with my 30lbs backpack on. That was different. :) Easier then walking around the bluff, Climbers....we're a lazy bunch.
Climbing "Chicago" and "Evanston Township", then "Brinton's Crack " (picture left) This was an amazing climb, while only a (Devil's Lake) 5.6 it proved challenging. Fist jamming was key to this one. I ended up doing it a second time as my last climb of the day.
I followed and cleaned for Jeff as he lead the Berkley crack, a (Devil's Lake) 5.6 this was tough climb, especially when leading/cleaning it. I'm have also been learning more and more about placing gear, angle and force on falls and other safety issues that will get me leading.

Additional pics can be found on my flickr site.

What day is it now?

Finally back in Chicago and hope to be around here for a bit. But we'll see.

Had a really good run the other day before I left DC. I ran the same trail but opted to continue. Using map my run, I measured it to 3.01 miles. Do'h! another almost 5K. I also crossed paths with a co worker though he didn't notice me. I called him on it at work a few hours later. "was that you...?" :) He apparently didn't recognize me.

This morning was so damn foggy I could see less then 100 feet in front of me. I am going to be bumping my standard morning run from around 2.15 to 2.75 miles since I can now start running off streets because the sun is up around 5 these days.


Breakfast: Eggs, smokey links, mini bagel, Cheerios w/milk
Snack: Coffee, 100 cal pack
Lunch: Curry Chicken
Snack: Cliff Mojo Bar
Dinner: Pasta w/turkey meat in red sauce, Salad, roll
Dessert: Ben and Jerry's Black and Tan Ice Cream....ok..seriously........This is ice cream beer.
Exercise: 2.75 miles @24:36 / 1.5 hours climbing

Tuesday : best run ever.

Woke up at 6am (that's 5 for you midwestern folks) using Google maps I found what looked like a path that ran next to the Potomac river. My hotel is about 300 feet from the river bank. So I figured why not. This trail is fun, hilly and curvy. Plus though the whole (almost 3 mile run) I got to listen to the rowing crews and their coaches in motor boats yelling orders at them the whole way. I cannot wait to hit this trail again and I might just have to tack an extra mile on it just for fun.
I'm flying back from DC tomorrow and looking forward to spending Saturday up at Devil's Lake Climbing. Here's hoping it is 70 and sunny at the Lake :P

Breakfast: Egg and Bagel sandwich, coffee
Snack: Coffee
Lunch: Spinach Salad w/Grill Chicken, small cup of French Onion soup
Snack: 2 Clementines / Trail mix
Dinner: Shrimp Fajitas w/refriend beans 3 beers
Dessert: Trail mix
Exercise: 2.75 miles @ 24:00ish (forgot my watch) about 4 miles of walking around Old Town.

Weekend Recovery

Good times, good people and good food. What a great weekend and a wonderful wedding! Congrats to Jessa and Dennis!

It's Sunday night and I just had a steak dinner with Kristen and ate half a carton of Ben and Jerry's. I'm doing laundry, watching The Simpsons and the Family Guy. I have a 6am flight to DC tomorrow morning, meaning i'll be up around 3 or 3:30. This is gonna be fun!

I don't think I have a gym at my hotel, so i'm going to bring my running shoes and going to run around downtown Alexandria. Never really done or really cared for city running, don't like the stop lights ever couple of hundred feet. But i'll give it a go!

Looking forward to Saturday of climbing at Devil's Lake!

Night ya'll.

This week.

These next two week are crazy busy. I think I'll be home for only a few hours this upcoming Sunday. Monday i'm back in DC till Wednesday or Thursday. Currently i'm in Albion for a wedding. So i'm also limited to 56k for the next few days as well. I hope to toss up blogs when I can.

This morning it was raining. Granted i'm currently in a town that looks at a jogger as they would a Martian with the added rain, the looks got more and more amusing. I will say I love the hills around these parts. Nothing like this up where I live and do my daily runs. Need more hills.....rocks would be better though. Speaking of which, May 12th we are planning another trip to Devil's Lake. This time we managed to get Kristen to join us. (Thanks girls!)