This is an idea I’ve been kicking around in my head for some time now. Come wintertime, keeping your water from freezing in the backcountry is vital. I eschew hydration bladders altogether once the snow flies, as the “tricks” to keep it unfrozen (blowing air in the tube, get an insulated hose, etc.) are all too unreliable. I’ve occasionally seen it suggested to add a little vodka to your water to lower the freezing point, but always wondered just how effective that relatively small amount of alcohol would be. I finally got tired of simply wondering, did some research, and threw everything in to a spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Yep, it’s finally over. In some ways it felt like it took forever, in others I can’t believe it’s time for a new year. All said, 2009 was a pretty decent year for me. I got serious about riding my bike to work (and hit over 95% at one point, which thanks to injury and fear of reinjury is back down to 75%), I ran a great half-marathon and finished an abysmal marathon, got out camping a few times, had some great ski days, made plenty of new friends, took some pretty decent photos from time to time, and had a few amazing days in the mountains. I’ve got quite a few plans for the next year, and can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Well, the sling is finally off after a miserable three weeks. I rode my bike for the first time since the crash, and it was great. I don’t think I’ll be able to do any cyclocross racing this year, or at least not until November. My bike to work percentage was crushed by this. I was up around 96% for the year, and as of today I’m at 88.89%, and it’ll take four solid weeks just to get me back to 90%. At least I should break 200 days for the year.

In other news, the Denver Marathon is on Sunday. I haven’t been able to run for the past three weeks due to this, and except for one run in between this and a prior injury recovery, I’ve run about 5 miles in the past two months. My goal is sub-4:00, but I’ll be happy just to finish, given the circumstances.

There haven’t been any posts in a little while now, and while I’ll try to get some content up, I won’t be doing a whole lot for two more weeks, as a result of dislocating my shoulder in a bike crash on my way home from work early last week. I’m wearing an external-rotation sling which is a miserable contraption that holds your arm out in front of you at a 90 degree angle. It comes off in two weeks, which happens to be 2-3 days before the marathon that I’ve been unable to sufficiently train for. It’s destroying my bike to work ratio, which was over 95% and will be under 90% by the time it comes off. I just hope it doesn’t interfere with cyclocross or ski seasons.

Today marks the 140th day of work for the year. With only 7 days of driving in so far (the last time in April), I have just hit the 95% mark for bike to work. I expect to hit the 200-day mark sometime in early December. Last month I had over 700 bike-not-drive miles, which more than doubled up anyone else in the region, winning me a $30 Sports Authority gift card. Now, what to buy…hm.

I haven’t been posting a whole lot lately, because not a lot of post-worthy things have been happening, that I have pictures for. Hopefully I’ll get some from mud volleyball, and I wish I’d had my camera at the Rockies game on Sunday to get a shot of Fowler taking on the right-field wall at full speed.

I expect things will be picking back up soon-ish, although marathon training is coming on strong, which will eat up some time. I have abandoned the full-barefoot goal as two months is simply not enough time to get my feet from where they are now (pain and blisters after only a mile or two) to being able to run 26 on them, so back to the Vibram FiveFingers.

Next weekend I expect to go for the Tenmile Traverse, which should yield some great photos.