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!

Review: Guerrilla Tags

Recently I responded to a poll in a LinkedIn group I belong to about how often I carry a form of ID while out riding, running, etc.  The truth was not very often.  When I do carry something it is usually my driver’s license with Beth’s phone # written on the back.  The guy who added the poll was the owner of a new company called Guerrilla Tags.  He asked if I would be interested in trying one out to see how I liked it.
I went to the website and made my selections.  G-Tags come in two varieties, the wrist band and the dog tag style that you wear around your neck.  I wore dog tags for eight years so I new that style wasn’t for me.  I selected the wrist band and added the information I wanted on it and hit submit.  This seems like a good time to say that Kyle, the owner sent me a code that made the G-Tag free of charge.  A week or so later my G-Tag arrived in the mail.

I was eager to try it out and while I was getting ready to go for a run I showed it to Beth who said, “It’s pretty cool but the information is wrong.”  At first I was upset but then remembered when I ordered it thinking I should double check the information for accuracy but being in a hurry I didn’t.  I went back and checked the receipt and sure enough the mistake was mine.  Kyle and the  Guerrilla Tags team engraved exactly what I told them I wanted.  Shame on me for not being more careful.  Let this be a warning to anyone ordering a G-tag!  Luckily the mistake was minor and fixable.
The Guerrilla Tag is a leather bracelet that has two snaps for fastening and an engraved tag with your information.  Being a vegetarian I had to think long and hard about using a leather strap, but ultimately came to the conclusion that if I was so concerned about it I wouldn’t have leather work shoes and a leather belt (also for work).  They offer different types of leather, brown was the most durable according to the website so it was an easy choice.  The amount and type of information you can have put on your tag is fully customizable.  I chose to keep things simple with a couple emergency contacts and that I suffer from asthma.  I only have attacks when I am around cats but I figured if I were found unconscious on the trail that information might be medically relevant.
                                                                                                          
The size of the wrist band was perfect for my wrist (your wrist size may vary) and the leather was soft and pliable making it comfortable to wear.  Out on the run I didn’t notice it at all which is good.  The G-Tag seems very durable and made to last.  My only concern is that the leather might get nasty constantly being exposed to sweat.  I will have to wait until it gets warm again to find out though. 
G-Tags are a good alternative to other items that serve a similar purpose.  Whether you choose a G-Tag for this purpose or another product comes down to personal preference.  I like my G-Tag, and I will continue to wear it, and if it wears out or the information changes I would likely buy a new one.
Here is a link to a video of a G-Tag being made!
          

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

Cinco de Paddle-O: Preparing for the MR340

One in the morning there I was somewhere along the Missouri river between Jefferson City and St Charles, at some random boat ramp with my nephew Michael trying to get a little rest before continuing on our way.  Sleeping on concrete is always a bad idea because even though it seems warm at first, soon enough it will suck all of the warmth from your body along with your will to go on.  I swore I would never do it again after Berryman yet there I was.  As I lay there trying to get some rest going through the seemingly endless cycle of sleep, chill, wake I pondered the events that led me to this random boat ramp.

It all started with a Riverfront Times article in 2008 that ran with the title: “Up Show-Me Creek: Blisters, hellish heat, a boatload of vomit and lots of painkillers. It's all part of the Missouri River 340 race.”  It seems like so long ago that I read that article that painted such a horrible picture of the race that runs 340miles from Kansas City to St Charles, Mo. At the time I happened upon the article I may have been in a kayak once or twice.  Beth had once suggested when I was in a fit of boredom that we go paddling in Grafton, IL.  I was down on the idea but since it was a better alternative than wallowing in the Sunday doldrums before returning  to work on Monday I reluctantly agreed.  We convinced Michael and his wife to join us and we all drove up to Grafton.

Once we got to the drop off point and out on the water though everything changed.  I was in heaven and as we paddled back down the river I had already made up my mind that owning a kayak would be way cheaper than renting one.  I had no real idea what the cost of a kayak was but I knew I loved being out on the water and if I didn’t buy one I would be wasting my money on rental fees every chance I could. Things didn’t quite work out that way though.  We rented kayaks a total of one more time, and that was it.  Kayaks were more expensive than I originally guessed, and finding the money was difficult.  It seemed like it would never happen.

When I saw the article about the MR340 I knew I had to do it, regardless of how awful it sounded.  It was a grand adventure one that I wanted to be a part of.  I showed my nephew the article and said we had to do it.  He agreed, and there it sat.  2009 passed and no MR340, 2010 was the same.  Now I had been busy doing other things in the time between, and the MR340 was constantly being put on hold.  In the interim however the word “adventure” was becoming a greater part of my life.  I competed in some adventure races and met some people who like me had outgrown the weekend 5k circuit and were looking for a real challenge, something with which they could test their mettle.  I even met some MR340 finishers.  I decided that 2011 was going to be the year!  If participation in the race was put off any longer it was certain to never happen for us.  I called my nephew and told him that we were really going to do it this time.  To my surprise he said that he had arrived at the same conclusion.  It seemed like nothing could stop us!  

I found a kayak on Craigslist, then a week later Michael bought a super crappy one from Costco.  We paddled together for a while and he eventually realized that he needed to upgrade to a better boat. My adventure racing friend Chuck decided that he was in too and arranged quite a few training runs for us.  Everything was on track.  We all had boats, and were training as much as we could. Then the flood came.  The message from Race Director Scott Mansker was like a punch to the gut.  The 2011 MR340 was cancelled because of unsafe river conditions caused by flooding.  Scott handled the cancellation like a true  professional, going above and beyond everyone’s expectations.  We were given vouchers for guaranteed  entry into the 2012 race.  So now it looks like 2012 will be the year, and it looks like nothing can stop us.  The flood did claim one casualty though.  Chuck will not be with us in 2012 since he has decided to train for an iron man triathlon instead.  Despite losing Chuck, a great training partner, Michael and I have carried on, continuing to train and move forward toward the goal of finishing the MR340.

That is what led me to this random boat ramp at one in the morning.  The concrete is so cold, I can’t sleep, and for a brief second I consider sleeping in my kayak but my behind is pretty sore from 16hours of paddling and I don’t think sitting in the boat would be a much better alternative than the concrete as far as sleep aids go.  

We have come a long way, not just today but in the years that led up to this, however the one thing we learned from our Cinco de Paddle-O adventure is that we still have a long way to go.

A Life Without Limits

Tuesday I will be participating in the MR340, a paddling race on the Missouri river that starts in Kansas City, Mo and ends 340miles later in St Charles, Mo.  I have been looking forward to this race for a very long time.  I was registered to participate last year but the race was cancelled due to dangerous flood levels. With the extreme drought we have been going through there is no danger of it getting cancelled this time around though.

All I have left are some final preparations and I will be ready to go.  I can't wait to get into the river at Kaw Point and head east.  I am not any threat of winning this race (the winner will likely finish a full day ahead of me) but that certainly is not the point.  I will be out there for the adventure, and to hopefully raise a little awareness and and money for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation St Louis Chapter.

I noticed on the Foundation's website there is a tag line that reads, "For Life Without Limits".  That is exactly what happens when children and young adults who suffer from asthma and allergies do not receive the medical care and medicine they need, their life becomes limited.  Everyday things that we normally take for granted become major concerns, when a chance encounter with some peanut dust could turn deadly without the right medication.

Please help the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of St Louis continue the great work they do by contributing a small donation to their cause through the 100+Project, or to them directly.  

As an asthma sufferer I have been fortunate enough to be able to avoid my trigger and be able to go on adventures like paddling across the state of Missouri, but many sufferers are not so lucky.  Your donation will help a child or young adult who is either uninsured or under insured live a life with out limits.

Cinco de Paddle-O

This Saturday while everyone in the US is celebrating Mexico's independence, my nephew and I will be paddling from Jefferson City, Mo to either St Charles, Mo or Hartford, IL.  This will be far and away the longest paddling trip I have ever attempted, and it makes me a little nervous.

I only hunt decoys!

We are planning on going non-stop all the way through the night.  It will take us over 24hours to cover the distance.  I have paddled at night before but never on a big river like the Missouri.  Safety is our number one priority and we hope to make to the end without incident.

The new paddle I ordered is scheduled to be delivered Friday and I am hoping it arrives before we leave.  The plan is to leave Friday after work and drive to Jeff City where we will stay the night.  Saturday morning we will get an early start and head east.  When we get to Hermann we will meet our wives and have some dinner before settling in for the long haul.  In Hermann we will decide whether to finish at St Charles, or Hartford.  Both routes will take us over 100miles.

There are a few things left to do to make sure my kayak is ready but for the most part I am prepared.  This is going to be a real adventure and while I am nervous about it I also anxious to get started!

I will be bringing my Spot Tracker and will post updates to facebook and twitter so stay tuned for all the fun!

Missouri River: Hermann to Washington

With the MR340 looming on the horizon Mark, Ryan and I decided it was time to hit the river.  We met at Washington and Mark's parents gave us a ride to Hermann.  These river towns are quaint, almost a step back to a more idyllic time that probably never existed.
I was anxious to get back on the river since I hadn't been since last year right before it was closed for recreational use due to flooding.  Back then the wing dikes were under about 15feet of water and Chuck and I were reaching speeds of almost 8mph while we were eating lunch just floating along.  We made really good time but it wasn't a very good measure of actual river conditions.  This time the wing dikes and buoys were in full view and we estimated the flow of the river to be around 3mph.  I was kicking myself for forgetting my Garmin at home.  The plan was to get some good metrics with which to plan our MR340 strategy.  Next time I'll remember.  I did manage to remember my spot tracker, but almost forgot to turn it on.  A long time ago I realized that for me there is a limited amount of technology that I can bring on an adventure and use properly.  The MR340 is really going to test my technological limitations (2cameras, gps, spot tracker, iphone, etc.) as well as my physical and mental toughness.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Spot Tracker map

Mark and Ryan in the little dingy.

Nothing wrong with some river time.

Bluffs, yo!

Mark likes to chill.

Ryan watching for any geese on the attack.

Obligatory bridge picture.

Watch out for the wing dikes!

River view.

Epic Leap 2012

Way back in November I came to the realization that 2012 was a leap year.  My heart was filled with joy because Feb 29th is the most kick ass day ever  (at least according to me).  A day so awesome it only comes around once every four years.  Quickly I put the word out that Leap Day was going to be filled with adventure.  Chuck said something about a paddling adventure he had been thinking about and just like that it was decided, that for our Epic Leap we would paddle the lower Dardenne creek out to the Mississippi, and over to Dardenne Island, and back.  This sounded like such a good plan that Robin, who hates paddling decided to borrow a kayak and join us.  The plan was made and all we had left to do was wait anxiously for the day to arrive.
The winter here in the St Louis area has been extremely mild making the thought of paddling in February even more appealing.  We watched the weather obsessively, constantly checking for any new developments.  The day ended up almost perfect, a high of 65degrees, but with 25mph winds gusting up to 40mph.

Click to read more, and watch the slide show from the trip...

The Gasconade60 Race Report and Video

All day Friday I was excited about getting off work and hitting the road, then Beth called and told me that her car wouldn't start and it was in the Wal-mart parking lot.  I left work early to see if I could get it to start (I couldn't).  This was the last thing I needed since I still had to load everything for the race and drive over 2hours to get to the hotel.  We ended up leaving a note saying that we were having car trouble and left it there until Sunday morning when it magically started, and we drove it home (still need to figure out what was wrong though).
I was stressed out because I had so much to do.  Certain that I was going to forget something I over packed and brought way too much stuff.  At the hotel everything was pared down to what I needed, and surprisingly I didn't forget anything.  On the way down we stopped at Sports Authority and bought a Sportbrella XL for Beth.  She didn't use it but it will be good for her to have in the future.  The Garmin was giving us directions, and I missed a turn so when it recalculated it had us going in an infinite loop in Clayton, I was afraid we would get pulled over for DWP,  "Driving While Poor".  I saw what it was doing and turned somewhere else then everything was fine.  We made it the rest of the way without incident.  Michael and Terra had a bit of excitement when one of the straps holding his kayak down broke and it went flying of to crash land on the interstate.  Shockingly there was very little damage.
At the motel I got everything ready for the race including my new favorite race food, Bean and Rice Burritos. Those things really hit the spot out on the river.  They taste good and they travel well, what could be better?  I also brought plenty of Honey Stinger Waffles and Ginsting Gels to get me through to the finish.  Ginsting is like jet fuel, I haven't found a gel that works better.
Race morning we headed out early and got to the race start with enough time to unload at a relaxed pace, and had everything ready before the pre-race meeting.  There were a wide variety of boats in the race.  Some that looked super fast, and they were.
After the meeting the race started.  We decided not to start in the water, so after every one took off we got in and started our trip down the river.  The weather was cool, and misty for most of the day, with a drizzle of rain every now and then.  There was also a crazy headwind for most of the race.  We had some snags in the first leg and ended up separating.

I had a lot of fun using the new Adventure Camera that Beth bought for me.  It is waterproof and shoots video as well as stills.  I kept it attached to my PFD with a lanyard so it was always handy.  Not having to worry about it getting wet is great.  I look forward to using it quite a bit during future adventures.

Now I will leave you to watch the video, but before I do I want to mention a few things that really surprised me about the race.
My Stohlquist aSEA PFD was awesome.  I had some concerns about using it for the 340 because it is a little thick, but after 9+ hours of paddling I hardly even noticed that I was wearing it.

I was also very impressed with my Garmin 305.  It lasted the entire race!   One time at around 6.5hours it gave the low battery warning, and I kept expecting it to die, but it stayed on for the whole race.  When I used it for Double Chubb I thought I was lucky to get 6.5hours out of it, little did I know it had plenty of life left.

So here is that video I was telling you about.  It won't win any awards, but I promise I will get better at editing .

  

I would like to thank the Aquaholics and all the volunteers for putting on such a great race.  It was a long day in some lousy weather to be standing around waiting, and waiting for some boats to paddle by.  It was a great experience, the farthest I have ever paddled by 40 or so miles.  I felt like I could have kept going and now I have a little more perspective for the upcoming MR340.