Old Man Bull

Like the gym everyday? Nah, me either.  Is today a chest day or a bicep day?  Oh crap, it's neither, its a cardio day.  Hey that person was here yesterday.  The gym smells like it does everyday.  That attendant always asks to see my membership card.  Ugh, my playlist is getting old too. I think what had discouraged me from being fit in the past is how mundane it can tend to get.  I worked out just to be able to make it through my workout.  I've learned about myself that to stay motivated, I need variety, and smaller goals. This year, I'll be training for the CPAT, Tough Mudder, Bolder Boulder, and hiking.  They all require different things from my body, and thus different conditioning.  Can you imagine a training schedule that limits you to 30 minutes of cardio 3 times of week, chest/tricep exercises twice per week, and shoulders back and biceps twice per week? Blaaaaaaahhhhhh....zzzZzzzz... CPAT :  Mainly requires upper body str...

February 19, 2012 Indian Peaks Wilderness Hiking Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Scarlet Round Trip Distance: 5.28mi Directions from Denver:  US Route 6 West, CO93 North to CO72 West.  Stay on CO72 West for approximately 27 miles and take a left onto Eldora Road (not marked), and be sure to stay RIGHT at the fork in the road.  You will go through the town of Eldora, and find parking where the road ends (TH). I will start by saying that this lake is no longer lost.  We arrived at the TH at approximately 9:45, and there were already large groups of people strapping on their snowshoes and preparing to hit the trail.  Regardless, it was a great day to be outside, so I couldn't blame them!  We strapped up, and hit the trail happy to finally be outside, and out of the city.   Heading out, knee deep with snow shoes off trail.  The first mile was very tame, and the trail was in great shape, so we made pretty good time...

Having a goal is great.  Not only does it provide you with motivation, it provides you with momentum . For example, if I say to myself Hey I'd like to do a 5k this month.   Most likely, I would train for a 5k, and run a set amount of miles per week, watch my diet, watch my partying, and most likely would achieve my goal of running that 5k. An unintended result of working towards that goal is the momentum gained along the way.  Looking back at the end of the month, I probably partied less, ate better, ran more, and proved to myself that the goal is attainable.  I have gained momentum.   The physical and mental momentum  gained along the way encourages us to set the bar higher the next time around. That said, putting your goals in writing is that much more effective.  Everyone sees them.  Everyone knows you have stated what your personal challenges are for the year.  More importantly, you  see them. Every damn day! Here are...

It has been discussed recently.  A time to wax down some beater snow sport equipment, hike to the top of the tallest....sand dune?  Yes.  A trip to one of the most unlikely parks in one of the most unlikely states.  The Great Sand Dunes National Park is approximately 3.5 hours southwest of Denver, and is nestled on the south western side of the Sangre De Cristo mountain range.  It is such an unlikely park in that 40 square miles of sand dunes appear out of nowhere as you make the drive in.  With plenty of trails for hiking, a small river that goes in front of the Dunes and 14,000 foot peaks as a backdrop, the Sand Dunes are a natural wonder.  I can hardly wait until June to get back there!