I just realized that the data that my shiny little wrist top computery doodad collects can be shared from the website Garminconnect.com. I thought it would be a cool way to share my training.
This was from a run on Wednesday, which happened to be my last long run as I am now starting to taper off the mileage as the race gets closer.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled
Shared via AddThis
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Contrast In Personalities
On Saturday I started my afternoon out at the Albertsons Boise Open which is arguably the biggest golf event in Boise. There were no sightings of golf elite like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. This is a Nationwide Tour event, which is like the minor leagues to the PGA. Even though big name golfers rarely come through, this tournament is still something I look forward to every year.
In years past I have spent entire afternoons meandering the course at Hillcrest Country Club but unfortunately this year I was unable to spend so much time out there. The reason? I had to drive out to New Plymouth, Idaho to cover The Big Nasty Hill Climb, an event I had never before covered.
People come from all over the northwest to attempt to do battle with gravity and race up a super steep 600-foot hill on their high powered hill climbing dirt bikes. It really is a truly unique event that I have never covered and so I was very excited to see it for myself.
Let me just say that I was not disappointed.
I watched as men over the age of 75, women in their mid 20's and just about every other demographic in between attempted to safely scream this highly rutted mountain. After watching the first person attempt a run on "The Big Nasty" I couldn't help but smile and laugh.
It really takes a unique kind of person to attempt such a feet and after spending most of my morning rubbing elbows with the yuppie elite of Boise at a golf tournament I really enjoyed the stark contrast in personalities that I experienced in one day.
I made a quick little video of the whole hill climb experience. Check it out...
In years past I have spent entire afternoons meandering the course at Hillcrest Country Club but unfortunately this year I was unable to spend so much time out there. The reason? I had to drive out to New Plymouth, Idaho to cover The Big Nasty Hill Climb, an event I had never before covered.
People come from all over the northwest to attempt to do battle with gravity and race up a super steep 600-foot hill on their high powered hill climbing dirt bikes. It really is a truly unique event that I have never covered and so I was very excited to see it for myself.
Let me just say that I was not disappointed.
I watched as men over the age of 75, women in their mid 20's and just about every other demographic in between attempted to safely scream this highly rutted mountain. After watching the first person attempt a run on "The Big Nasty" I couldn't help but smile and laugh.
It really takes a unique kind of person to attempt such a feet and after spending most of my morning rubbing elbows with the yuppie elite of Boise at a golf tournament I really enjoyed the stark contrast in personalities that I experienced in one day.
I made a quick little video of the whole hill climb experience. Check it out...
Friday, September 18, 2009
Apparently There are Potatoes in Idaho
About two months ago I picked up a freelance assignment with the Associated Press here in town. I won't divulge the details of the story since it hasn't yet hit the wire but I wanted to share a little personal experience from the shoot.
After living here in Idaho for well over two years I have yet to do a single assignment that has had anything to do with a potato. Which is shocking seeing as how the only thing Idaho is known for besides potatoes is our former foot tapping senator Larry Craig.
In July I traveled down to Kimberly, Idaho to the University of Idaho Kimberly Research Center where a small cohort of scientists study a handful of experimental varieties of potato. It was neat to see a potato field for the first time and having attempted to grow potatoes in my own garden it was neat to see what a professionals plants look like (mine were over run by pumpkins and have long since failed).
The cool thing about this research lab was that they were experimenting with these varieties of potatoes in an attempt to build a better french fry. The assignment called for me to photograph these scientists and visually convey the work that they were doing. I was delighted to find that these two women truly LOVED french fries!
They had taken the stereotype to the tenth degree, decorating every corner of the office with every kind of potato nick nack you can imagine. There were posters on the walls, a Mr. Potato Head on every countertop...
...and a potato shaped bar of soap in the bathroom. One of the scientists was even wearing french fry earrings for God's sake...
It was fun to meet people who took so much pride in something that so many Idahoans hate to hear about... "Yes, I am from Idaho... Yes, there are potatoes".
With any luck the story will run nationally within the next few days.
After living here in Idaho for well over two years I have yet to do a single assignment that has had anything to do with a potato. Which is shocking seeing as how the only thing Idaho is known for besides potatoes is our former foot tapping senator Larry Craig.
In July I traveled down to Kimberly, Idaho to the University of Idaho Kimberly Research Center where a small cohort of scientists study a handful of experimental varieties of potato. It was neat to see a potato field for the first time and having attempted to grow potatoes in my own garden it was neat to see what a professionals plants look like (mine were over run by pumpkins and have long since failed).
The cool thing about this research lab was that they were experimenting with these varieties of potatoes in an attempt to build a better french fry. The assignment called for me to photograph these scientists and visually convey the work that they were doing. I was delighted to find that these two women truly LOVED french fries!
They had taken the stereotype to the tenth degree, decorating every corner of the office with every kind of potato nick nack you can imagine. There were posters on the walls, a Mr. Potato Head on every countertop...
...and a potato shaped bar of soap in the bathroom. One of the scientists was even wearing french fry earrings for God's sake...
It was fun to meet people who took so much pride in something that so many Idahoans hate to hear about... "Yes, I am from Idaho... Yes, there are potatoes".
With any luck the story will run nationally within the next few days.
A Long Road to Run
A lot has changed for me since this time last year; granted I'm still shooting for the newspaper, working the same old nights and weekends schedule I have been for the past 2 1/2 years.
So let me rephrase that, a lot has changed in my life outside the office.
Let me explain...
Around this time last year I was really into mountain biking and over the course of the summer I managed to rack up around 500 miles of trail riding. This year, however, I've sort of set aside the saddle and swapped it out for a pair of running sneakers. In fact, I've become so enamored with the sport that in the past three months I have run about 450 miles all with the hope of finishing the Des Moines Marathon in October.
I've set out in the dark of morning and of night. I've gone running in the heat of the afternoon and been caught in the rain once or twice. I've cruised through runs of 15 and 20 miles and struggled through arduous outings of only four or five. I've had bloody toes, sun burnt shoulders, sore knees, hamstrings, calves and of course the occasionally inflamed Iliotibial Band. As weeks have fallen from the calendar I have found my longest distances turning into "short" and "easy runs". Through it all I can't help but look back and say that I have arrived at this new place a more confident, content and happy person.
I've learned a lot about myself throughout this journey but what I've found most inspiring is that a year ago I never would have thought I'd be able to do something like this. The human body and mind truly are amazing and often are capable of accomplishing tasks we never imagined were possible.
Although these past few months have been challenging I can't take all the credit for following through with them. I have had a pretty super support system of friends from other states, fellow runners from across town, my folks who live just down the street and a very special someone who, at times, may not understand this silly thing I do, but has always been beyond supportive.
So here we go... One month from today I will celebrate my four months of sacrifice and suffering with a 26.2 mile run around the city of Des Moines and a couple days of post run fun around the rest of the state of Iowa. Am I excited? Of course! I'll try to continue to post my progress as the race day nears.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
So let me rephrase that, a lot has changed in my life outside the office.
Let me explain...
Around this time last year I was really into mountain biking and over the course of the summer I managed to rack up around 500 miles of trail riding. This year, however, I've sort of set aside the saddle and swapped it out for a pair of running sneakers. In fact, I've become so enamored with the sport that in the past three months I have run about 450 miles all with the hope of finishing the Des Moines Marathon in October.
I've set out in the dark of morning and of night. I've gone running in the heat of the afternoon and been caught in the rain once or twice. I've cruised through runs of 15 and 20 miles and struggled through arduous outings of only four or five. I've had bloody toes, sun burnt shoulders, sore knees, hamstrings, calves and of course the occasionally inflamed Iliotibial Band. As weeks have fallen from the calendar I have found my longest distances turning into "short" and "easy runs". Through it all I can't help but look back and say that I have arrived at this new place a more confident, content and happy person.
I've learned a lot about myself throughout this journey but what I've found most inspiring is that a year ago I never would have thought I'd be able to do something like this. The human body and mind truly are amazing and often are capable of accomplishing tasks we never imagined were possible.
Although these past few months have been challenging I can't take all the credit for following through with them. I have had a pretty super support system of friends from other states, fellow runners from across town, my folks who live just down the street and a very special someone who, at times, may not understand this silly thing I do, but has always been beyond supportive.
So here we go... One month from today I will celebrate my four months of sacrifice and suffering with a 26.2 mile run around the city of Des Moines and a couple days of post run fun around the rest of the state of Iowa. Am I excited? Of course! I'll try to continue to post my progress as the race day nears.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Something New...
The past few days have been a bit arduous but I thought I'd share just a couple things. I shot another Boise State game which was far less than exciting as Boise State walloped Miami (Ohio) on Friday night. Nothing super exciting to share from that experience...
Yesterday I shot an event that was sponsored by the Idaho Meth Project. There were hundreds on hand to take in the music from local bands, the fare from local vendors, and the stories from local people recovering from addiction to methamphetamine. Truth be told, it felt more like a Hispanic fiesta rather than a celebration of methamphetamine recovery in that the event was promoted by the local Mexican media representative, Bustos Media and all of the music, live dancing and food were all Latin American inspired.
None the less, it turned out to be a pretty fun afternoon in the park...
I also went out to O'Connor Fieldhouse in Caldwell on Friday to put together a slideshow from the model train expo. I interviewed a couple of really interesting people whose interviews I tried to incorporate into the slideshow in a sort of This American Life style production. Didn't come together quite that well but you can check it out for yourself...CLICK HERE.
As always, thanks for checking in!
Yesterday I shot an event that was sponsored by the Idaho Meth Project. There were hundreds on hand to take in the music from local bands, the fare from local vendors, and the stories from local people recovering from addiction to methamphetamine. Truth be told, it felt more like a Hispanic fiesta rather than a celebration of methamphetamine recovery in that the event was promoted by the local Mexican media representative, Bustos Media and all of the music, live dancing and food were all Latin American inspired.
None the less, it turned out to be a pretty fun afternoon in the park...
I also went out to O'Connor Fieldhouse in Caldwell on Friday to put together a slideshow from the model train expo. I interviewed a couple of really interesting people whose interviews I tried to incorporate into the slideshow in a sort of This American Life style production. Didn't come together quite that well but you can check it out for yourself...CLICK HERE.
As always, thanks for checking in!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Ready For Some Football?
Football season is here and for me it started off with a bang. I shot the Boise State vs Oregon game last Thursday. The game was broadcast on national television and if you tuned in you likely saw the fiasco that ensued after what was an ugly start to the season for both teams. It was an exciting game to cover and I can only hope that the rest of the season provides as much drama and excitement. Here are a few photos from the game...
A Little Catching Up...
It's been quite a while since I've made the time to put together a post and I have a ton of stuff to talk about. So I'm gonna put up some pictures and give you a quick run down...
The summer is finally coming to an end and as you are all aware, football season is in full swing meaning that fall is only a few short weeks away (something which I am super excited about).
There has been a ton, I mean A TON of activity in the waning weeks of summer. It all started off with a short vacation to north Idaho to hang out on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene. It was a beautiful way to start what would turn out to be a busy and semi chaotic month.
On the week that I returned home I had the opportunity to cover the Caldwell Night Rodeo, which to many rodeo aficionados, is one of the biggest rodeos out there. It is actually a great event because it takes place outdoors and really does have the feel of an old western rodeo. Oh and the fans are always entertaining...
Coming in on the tails of the Caldwell Night Rodeo was the Western Idaho Fair, which was as entertaining as always. There were young children herding around their livestock and children running around riding rides and playing games... Good times.
I saw a few other things that made for decently interesting photo opps.
The summer is finally coming to an end and as you are all aware, football season is in full swing meaning that fall is only a few short weeks away (something which I am super excited about).
There has been a ton, I mean A TON of activity in the waning weeks of summer. It all started off with a short vacation to north Idaho to hang out on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene. It was a beautiful way to start what would turn out to be a busy and semi chaotic month.
On the week that I returned home I had the opportunity to cover the Caldwell Night Rodeo, which to many rodeo aficionados, is one of the biggest rodeos out there. It is actually a great event because it takes place outdoors and really does have the feel of an old western rodeo. Oh and the fans are always entertaining...
Coming in on the tails of the Caldwell Night Rodeo was the Western Idaho Fair, which was as entertaining as always. There were young children herding around their livestock and children running around riding rides and playing games... Good times.
I saw a few other things that made for decently interesting photo opps.
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