Old Goals and New

2012 was the first year that I set some goals to try and achieve.  I will spare you the suspense I only achieved one of the three.  My thoughts on only being successful in one goal are a mixed bag that I will explain in full.  The first goal, while technically being a failure, was sort of a success.  The second goal I totally dropped the ball on.  Whoops!  My bad.  The third goal was very much a success, and I am proud of my efforts.

Goal #1:  Get 12 bag nights

I got ten.  Several times I could have gone out and picked up the other two but I always opted to stay home and spend time with Beth.  So while this is technically a failure to meet the goal, I failed on acceptable terms.  It is also worth noting that ten bag nights is way more than I normally get in  a typical year.  Some of the nights I spent outdoors were terrible, and others were enjoyable.

Campsite on Two Branch

Here is a list, in no particular order of where I spent my bag nights this year:

3 nights spent out on the Katy Trail.  During these 3 nights everything was conspiring against a good nights sleep.

1 night camping at Carlyle lake.  The day of our arrival the lake was too choppy to have any fun paddling, the next day it was smooth as glass.

1 night camping on Two Branch island.  My nephew and I paddled down the Cuivre to the Mississippi.  Horrible stretch of river after we left.

3 nights during the Kayak100+ (MR340).  I have never been so exhausted in my life.  Paddled 340miles in 76hours.  Very little sleep.

1 night on a random boat ramp on the Missouri river.  100miles from Jefferson city to St Charles, we decided to take a nap.  Bad idea.

1 night camping on Two Branch again.  I enjoy paddling out to the river islands.  Last time we were racing the dark this time a storm.  We lost.

During Kayak100+ I was trying not to look exhausted.

ROCK Racing teammates Chuck and Robin (among others) met me at the finish of Kayak100+

 

    Goal #2 Increase level of fitness

I think subconsciously I made this goal as vague as possible so that I could claim success in the end.  Even with a vague goal I have to admit to failure.  It wasn’t all failure though.  Leading up to Kayak100+ I was doing great.  Then the wheels fell off and I now at my heaviest weight (can’t weight to eat?) and feel like crap.  Epic fail y’all.  Being heavy is not the only area of failure in this goal.  I am also not any stronger, but that is probably because of all the workouts I missed.  As far as running goes I am doing okay, not great just ok.  I have a plan to correct all of this though because 2013 will be one of the most physically demanding of my life.

Goal #3 Build on the foundation of the 100+Project

I would call this one a success!  While the 100+Project is not widely known around the world, I have been working hard to spread the word and draw attention to the efforts put forth.  In 2012 I had a couple mentions in the media, completed Cycle100+ and Kayak100+, and also held a very successful 12hour run/fundraiser.

Cycle100+ was 240miles on the Katy Trail.  Gary Wilson and I rode the entire length in 4days.  What a great ride it was.

Kayak100+ was a 340mile paddle from Kansas city to St Charles along the Missouri river.  Cycle100+ was a joyride compared to this.

Page of the Health in the St Louis Post Dispatch section (below the fold) 

Blurb in a local Sunday magazine.

The 12hour fun run, was a just a great day all around.  This was something that I was doing as a training event for Run100+ and decided to invite people to join my friend Cheri and me for as much as they wanted.  I suggested a $5 donation.  We started at 6am and I don’t think there was one lap that we had to run alone.  In total 30people showed up and many donated a lot more than the suggested $5.  We raised a lot of money for a good cause.  My only regret is not keeping track of everyone’s miles.  I wasn’t expecting that many people to show up and it was difficult enough keeping track of my own miles.  Maybe I can reconstruct them.

Cheri (far left) and I with some of  the people that came out for the 12hour run.

Summary

I think in the goal department I broke even.  I’m not happy about #2 but can only blame myself.  I couldn’t be happier about #3 although I have some things that I need to work on in the future to make it even more enjoyable for everyone following along.  As previously stated I’m ok with how #1 turned out.  I didn’t get 12 bag nights but I did get 10 and that is pretty good for me.

Goals for 2013

I like these goals so I will keep them for 2013 but with a few modifications.

1. Get 20 bag nights.  I will have 8nights associated with Hike100+ so 12 would be to low a number.  Increasing to 20 cancels out the hike nights and leaves me with 12nights to get on my own.
2. Increase fitness.  This will be measured a success by meeting two of three minor goals.  Weight 170, pass the Army PT test according to the standards when I was still serving (pushups, situps, 2mile run), and break a running PR.  Within these there is certainly criteria by which success can be measured.
3. Build on the success of the 100+Project.  There are big things in store for 2013.  Run100+ and Hike100+ will be two of the most demanding challenges of my life.  They both have such a slim margin of error, one tiny mistake could mean failure at both.  I am thinking about adding another 100+ mile journey but as of yet haven’t decided what.  More fundraisers apart from the big events might be a good idea.  I would also like to get the 100+Project on TV in 2013.  That a lot, but I assure you it is all one goal.

That is how my year went.  Hopefully 2013 will be much better and more successful, and I hope yours is the same!

Run100+ : Kettle Moraine

Years ago before I started running and carrying on with all this endurance nonsense I saw an episode of Jeep World of Adventure Sports that featured the Badwater ultramarathon.  I was blown away.  I never knew people could run that far and in those conditions.  The voices in my head agreed that we should do that.  Not Badwater but that we should run 100miles.  The thought of doing it felt right.  I knew it would be difficult and physically demanding but it made sense to me for some reason.

I trained up through the usual distances and eventually ran a 50miler and a 50k, but then I got sidetracked and the 100miler was put on hold while I did some other awesome events.  I competed in several multisport events like Triathlon's and biathlon's,  I even joined an adventure racing team and competed in a couple 36hour races.  Eventhough I was distracted by all these other events the 100miler was still looming in the background but never forgotten.
I agreed to run a 100miler in 2013 with my friend Cheri and we chose Kettle Moraine for our race.  It fit with our timeline and has a reputation for being friendly to beginners.  Make no mistake my goal is to finish this race not attempt it, that being said I know that a lot can go wrong in 100miles and success is never a guarantee no matter how well you trained.  I am running this race as part of the 100+Project and I would hate to fail, so if I have to cherry pick a course and maybe run very conservatively in order to finish so be it.  I doubt very much that finish times will be on my mind when (if) I cross the finish line anyway.
I'm looking forward to all of the long runs that are coming up.  Some people like to hang out at bars with their friends but I prefer to do my socializing on the trail.

Welcome New Visitors

Thanks for dropping by stay a while and look around but if you came here because of the article in today's  St Louis Post Dispatch please click the link below and check out the actual 100+Project website.

100+Project

In a couple days I will have completed the account of my experience paddling from Kansas City to St Charles during the MR340 paddling race.

Also look for announcements about other events like the upcoming 12hour training run on 11/11/12, as well as my future fundraising efforts.

• Run100+: Running 100miles at the Kettle Moraine 100 in Wisconsin
• Canoe100+: Canoeing the 300+mile length of the Illinois river from Chicago to Grafton
• Hike100+: Through hiking the 200+mile Ozark trail section in Southern Missouri

Anyone up for a 12hour run?

In case you missed the announcement, next year (I mean 8months from now) I along with a few friends (Cheri, Jim, Travis) will be running the Kettle Moraine 100.  One hundred miles up in LaGrange, Wisconsin along the Ice Age trail.  Run100+ will be the next installment of the 100+Project and probably the most difficult, most difficult to date anyway.  

In order to increase the likelihood of success I plan to train hard and stay focussed.  During this training I will be doing some very long runs and some back to back long runs on the weekends.  I will be running at night and when I am sleepy.  Don’t feel left out though.  Just because you aren’t going to run 100miles doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of the fun.  There will be opportunities along the way for you to join me for training events.  

The first public event will be held on November 11th out at the SIUE GORC trails.  Come join me for a little 12hour run on a 2mile course.  The run will start at 6am and end at 6pm.  You don’t have to run the whole time, that would be silly.  Oh wait...  The course will be trail #1 over and over again so just show up at the model airplane field and wait for me to come around.  Run as much as you want, or as little it’s up to you.  

Because I am trying to raise money for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation St Louis Chapter I ask that if you plan on joining me for this run you make a $5 donation to the Foundation.  You can give me the money or donate it directly how you handle that end is up to you.  If you wanted to donate more that would be great too. but since I am only an elite runner and local celebrity in my mind $5 seems fair to support a good cause.

So please come on out.  Join me to experience all the highs and lows that ultrarunning has to offer.  As an added bonus you might get to see me cry.  It happens.  No shame in my game homies.  Maybe I will offer a prize for the person who is running with me if/when I break down.

Pass this along to all your friends the more the merrier.  Lets raise some money!  As Epic Bill Bradley says all you have to do is “Show up and suffer”!

What's Ahead For The 100+Project

After a successful Skate 100+ back in Sept I had taken a little time off from training but now I am ready to get back into things full swing again.  Well maybe half swing for now, I don't want to get ahead of myself.  During my hiatus I wasn't just resting on my laurels, I was mostly doing that but I did manage to acquire some new toys.  But first, the next thing on the agenda for the 100+Project is being a celebrity host/announcer at the St Louis AAFA Trivia night this Saturday.  I will be joined by a few other local celebrities to read the trivia questions.  Sounds like it will be a fun night.  Originally I wasn't going to do it because I feel awkward in situations like that but on second thought there was no way I was going to miss a golden opportunity to publicize the 100+Project.  I need to grasp every chance to get the name out there so people will understand what I am doing and why especially if I plan to go after some big money corporate donations and sponsorships.  Lets face it my family and friends were pretty well tapped for donations with the Skate 100+.

So 2011 is drawing to a close and 2012 looks to be a busy year.  I don't have any dates for anything yet and the only certainty adventure-wise is that I will be competing in the Missouri River 340 a 340mile kayak race from Kansas City to St Charles Missouri.  I was scheduled for this last year but it was cancelled because of flooding and unsafe river conditions.  I hope there is better luck next year.

Right now everything is a seed of an idea and those seeds have been planted and are starting to grow and take shape.  There are almost too many.  Later I will consult with Beth and narrow my focus to what I believe can be accomplished in 2012, and begin to work toward making it happen.

In the meantime check out my transportation tab for information on what types of vehicles may be seen in the future of the 100+Project.

100+ On the Air!

Today I was on "Let's Talk"  hosted by Mark Ellebracht airing on WBGZ 1570AM.  Joining me on the program was Jessica from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.  Mark who went to school with SuperKate heard about the 100+Project and had to know more about it.  He contacted me and asked if I would like to be on the show.  Obviously I said yes.  I have never been on the radio before and was a little nervous, in fact right before Mark threw me the first question my mind was a blank, literally.  As he was asking the question there was nothing in my head, but then when it was my turn to speak I found the words.  I am no great orator by any stretch of the imagination but I think I did okay.  Jessica did really well too answering the questions about the Foundation that I would have answered poorly.
For the 100+Project's first media event I think things went pretty well and I look forward to doing more in the future.  I will add public speaking to the list of things I need to work on right under learning to ride a unicycle.
You can listen to the audio from the show below if you missed it on the radio this morning.


Thanks to Mark for showing an interest in the 100+Project and for having Jessica and I on the show.

Skate 100+ Test Ride

This was from a a few days ago.

Skate 100+ the When and the Where!

After a lot of hard work, staring at maps and drawing routes, driving around looking at road surfaces and what-not I have found a route that will be safe and limit my exposure to cars.  I have also chosen a date on which to start this project.  That being said I would like to officially announce that Skate 100+ the first of many projects under the 100+Project umbrella will officially take place on Sept 3rd.  I will ride my Longboard from  Edwardsville near the Market Basket and end approximately 18.5hours later at the Pere Marquette State Park visitors center.

I haven't left much time to raise money but I have to get this done before I run out of daylight.  Minimizing my time traveling in the dark is key to my safety.  I am taking every precaution, reflective vest, lights on front and back, helmet, etc. I want this to be a triumph not a tragedy.  I have thought this route through and found it to be the safest route given the limited amount of daylight.

Check out my fundraising page at Crowdrise.com to donate to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America St Louis chapter.  If you have any questions on the donation process check out the "How to Donate" tab at the top of the page.  I appreciate any support you can give!

If anyone wants to follow along you are more than welcome to join me, you can run, ride, or meet me somewhere and give me a high-five as I roll by.  If that sounds like something that interests you let me know and I will let you know where I plan on being and when, or if you wanted to surprise me you can contact Beth since she will know where I will be at all times.  If you aren't interested in hanging out with me you can follow my progress on twitter @trail_and_error I will be sending out live tweets as long as I have a signal.  Sadly the signal at Pere Marquette is spotty at best so there might not be a celebratory tweet from the finish, bummer.

Click on the images below to view the route I will take.

The first short loop

I will complete this loop twice

No more loops time to head North!

Why AAFA?

Why indeed?  If you have read some of the other entries I have posted recently then you are already privy to the Reader's Digest version of my story.  Prepare yourself for the story in detail.
The year was 1997 and my family was living in North Carolina near Fort Bragg where I was stationed in the army.  My current enlistment was coming to an end and I decided that I would not re-enlist.  We decided that Beth and the girls would move back home so she could look for work.  We didn't have enough money to maintain the apartment in NC as well as a place for the family to stay back home so we arranged for me to rent a room from John a guy I met during training.  It was a sweet deal and I couldn't believe my luck.
We got everything packed up and Beth and the girls moved back home and I moved in with John and his family.  However, in the time between making arrangements to move in with them, and actually moving in there was an addition to the family.  They now had a cat!  I knew that I was allergic, but never thought to mention it when we made the arrangement.  I thought it was not an ideal situation that would make my stay less comfortable but decided to roll with it.  My allergy symptoms were only sneezing, dry eyes, runny nose, a nuisance but not something that couldn't be managed, right?  Wrong!  This time things were different.  The nuisance symptoms seemed to be less of a nuisance as I found myself struggling to breathe.  I had never really thought much about asthma and thought it was a condition that children suffered from.  My ignorance left me wondering why I was having such a hard time.  I was sure it had something to do with the cat and my allergy.  Growing up I took care of stray cats and eventually had an inside cat as a pet with no allergic reaction so after developing the allergy in the first place the idea that it could evolve into some other form made sense to me, even if I didn't know the exact nature of what I was going through.
I decided that since it was an allergy and the military "sick call" system basically assumes you are faking your illness/injury I would treat this myself.  Keep in mind that in the late 90's the internet wasn't as awesome as it is now.  If I had the resources then that I do now I would have went right to the doctor.  I was popping antihistamines like they were skittles.  I tried inhaling steam, both in the shower and with my head over a pot of boiling water.  Nothing worked.  Those of you that know anything at all about asthma are probably thinking "WOW, this guy really had no idea!".  The only bright part of my day was going to work (sad I know).  When I left the house I would start to feel better so that by the end of the day when it was time to go back I almost felt normal.  Almost.  It really sucked but after all it was only a temporary living arrangement, all I had to do was suffer through it until the end and everything would be better.
Eventually the cumulative effect took its toll on me and leaving the house for work did not bring much relief.  It was at this point I stopped sleeping.  Not because I wanted to, I couldn't sleep.  I would lay down and try but it was taking such a conscious effort to breathe that when I would fall asleep I would stop breathing and (thankfully) wake up.  John had a couch outside on the back porch (classy) so I ran an extension cord for my alarm clock and started sleeping outside.  I couldn't breathe or sleep, I was trying to sleep outside on a couch, and none of my home treatments were helping, maybe it was time to get some help (Duh!).
I went to sick call when I got to work in the morning, fully expecting them to send me back to work for being a faker like they did pretty much every time in the past.  This time they believed me, maybe they were convinced by my constant wheezing.  They administered a breathing treatment that I felt wasn't helping at all, probably because I withheld from them that I was suffering from prolonged exposure to a cat.  After all I was going through I still needed a place to stay and had few options.  Despite the fact that the breathing treatment wasn't helping I was glad to finally be getting some help.  They gave me a prescription for an inhaler and sent me on my way.  Now I could treat myself with prescription medication this was going to be awesome.  I could use the inhaler to get me through the night, and through the day.  There was only one problem a rescue inhaler doesn't really do its job when you continually place yourself in danger.  Back to sick call I went.  They gave me another breathing treatment and made an appointment for me to see the pulmonologist.  But first I had to get a pulmonary function test.  This was the hardest medical thing I have ever done.  The technician put nose clips on my nose and I had to blow out into a machine that measured the output.  Over and over.  I almost passed out.  When it was time for my appointment I decided it was time to come clean about everything, and that's when the pulmonologist looked at me like I had brain damage, and said "You know you can die from this don't you?"  Say what?  I could die, from being stupid?  I absolutely no idea the danger I was putting myself into.  Job one was getting away from the cat.
I spoke to John and his wife and they agreed to find a home for the cat.  To be honest I think they were glad to get rid of it.  Things got better and once all of the dander from the cat was taken care of with a good cleaning I started to feel normal again.  Things were going great I was fully recovered, and had a place to stay that didn't cost much.  A couple of months passed.  I came home from work on a Friday evening and spotted a litter box in the corner.  John saw me notice it and said "Sorry man I didn't know she was going to do it."  That night I stayed in my room with a towel against the gap at the bottom of the door.  There was no way I was going through this again.  I was so pissed, that John's wife would do that.  Everyone was aware of what I went through.  I woke up early the next day packed up my things and was gone before anyone woke up.  I was away from the cat but now I was homeless.  Eventually I found a place to stay but not after some strange living arrangements like hiding out in the barracks sleeping on a couch, and crashing with different people for a couple days at a time.
Since then I have avoided cats when I can, but it hasn't always been easy.  I had a job as a kennel manager, which required me to work in the cattery occasionally.  I was upfront with the owner and said that occasionally was about as often as I was willing to do that, and it wasn't a problem.  There were a few times that my asthma flared up while at the kennel but as often as we cleaned and with all the hard surfaces that didn't hold onto the dander I was okay most of the time.  After I left the kennel (for non-cat related reasons) I landed a job doing maintenance at a local apartment complex.  Once again I was upfront and told them that I was allergic to cats and that it could conceivably interfere with my work.  I encountered more than a few cats during the time I worked there and for most jobs I could be in and out before I was affected.  Although I learned that some cats affected me more than others.  I installed a deadbolt on one woman's door so I was there for a while but I was only inside long enough to plug in my extension cord, the rest of the time I spent standing in the doorway, and I couldn't finish soon enough and get away because I could feel my airways cinching shut.  Another time I had to replace a water heater in an apartment with cats and they hardly even bothered me.  It would be interesting to find out more about this phenomenon just not from first hand experience.
Now I work at a hospital so no cats for me.  I avoid going to people's houses if I know they have a cat and if I am already there and notice a cat I try to find a way to leave without seeming impolite.  My oldest daughter who lives in Kentucky has two cats.  So I don't visit.  It was easier when she first got them because she thought I was the devil and I thought she was the spawn of satan, now we get along much better, as we have both grown a little wiser, but even so the cats remain.
Cats are my kryptonite, their mere existence could cause my death.  That is weird to think about, but at the same time it's true, and as bad as it is I am lucky.  According to the AAFA St Louis Chapter's website asthma and allergies strike one out of four Americans.  Many of these people suffer severe reactions from things that are not as easy to spot or avoid as cats are for me.
When I was looking for a charity to support with my 100+Project I knew it would have to be something to which I had a connection.  Without a connection I worried that I would lose momentum.  I also knew I wanted it to be at least somewhat local so that maybe I could also connect with the people I was trying to help.  When I found the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America St Louis Chapter I knew that I had found the organization.  They have programs that help children, and educate the community as well as healthcare providers.  Asthma is serious business, and not something to be taken lightly.  I didn't show any symptoms until I was 27 years old.  So even if you have never been affected by it you could be at any time.  I especially like that the AAFA StL helps children, it was hard enough for me to go through as an adult, I can't imagine how frightening it would be for a child, or the parent of a child powerless to help.
The AAFA StL is a great organization and I hope that you are inspired to donate whatever you can to help them continue to do the great work that they do.
If you are inspired to donate it really is very simple you can click on the "CrowdRise" button on the top right of this page to go to my fundraising page on CrowdRise.com and follow the directions or you can clickon the "How to Donate to the 100+Project" tab at the top of the page.  If you don't plan to donate or are not moved by my story or enjoy when people take on crazy challenges for charity, I get it, but what you could do is tell people spread the word and maybe the people you tell will donate.  I would like to thank everyone in advance for their donation, and help spreading the word.

Next I will be announcing the date and the route for Skate 100+!

Until then stay safe and breathe easy.

100+ Skate Build!

Click the tab at the top for more information about the project.

On the first journey of this project I will be riding a skateboard 100+ miles on a route that has yet to be determined.
Soon I will post the reasons behind the significance of "100", and why I chose a skateboard for the first event.

Stay safe and Breathe easy!