I'm legal now

Yes, I am legal now. I got my US citizenship approved. I am a first generation Mexican American. No, that's not it. I got my temp stickers for my boat. I am ready to go now, anywhere.

An offer I can't refuse

So today is Memorial Day, and as I lay here trying not to sweat too much at 8:30 in the morning, I am beginning to regret signing up for a 5K up in Ebensburg. Neither here nor there, I hope that everyone has a great day with their families today, and don't forget the reason we all can enjoy a little R&R. So get out there and enjoy your freedom today!!

Oh, and B, I think I know a guy who can help you out with your kayaking situation. It's a real nice boat by the way!

My Coleman Rebel - Burnt Orange

Here is my new Kayak. I got it yesterday at Dick's Sporting Goods. I am sure it's not the top of the line but it will do. Someone said a Kayak is a Kayak for my purpose. So I figured this one will work. Now I just need someone to take me out and school me on the sport. Anyone interested in that?

I am very excited about this new sport and really can't wait to get out there. I am hoping some other guys that read this blog will invest in one too. If the one I have is suitable, they really aren't that much.

Tour De Cali or France or Tuna or "Loop"

The weather was beautiful out yesterday so instead of doing some outside work, like mowing and weeding, I decided to go for a road ride. I did about 25-30 miles in the later afternoon. I left my house, went out Burns Ave past US Foods. Then I cut over and went past Small Tube and thru Hollidaysburg to the BCO Mart intersection. I turned there and headed out past the shops and into the Loop. I road the whole way was to Locke Mt and then out past the soccer fields. I decided to go ahead and climb Chimney Rocks. Then I just back-tracked home. I felt really good and much stronger on the rolling hills and on the climb at Chimney Rocks. I think the Mt Biking and Trail running has improved my leg strength quite a bit. I do need more miles on the bike to get my cardio and heart rate where it needs to be. But the strength is better than I had anticipated. Still not enough to keep up to the J-man but I'll keep working on it. Overall it was a great ride and I am hoping to get out again today and tomorrow. Road riding makes me feel like I am a true cyclist. Even though I just mess around here and there, it makes me feel like a pro.

Rain - Rain - Rain

Hey, it's raining out, shouldn't we be doing something?

6 to 10 Trail Causes Headache to Worsen

Wow, that sounds like a newspaper headline. I could be a writer. Maybe not.

Anyway just thought I would let everyone know that I did about 6 miles on the 6-10 Trail yesterday after work. I had a really bad headache at work during the day and thought if I would run maybe it would get better. Well that was not a headache that gets better with exercise. I ran to the bridge at the top of the trail right before you come out onto Rt22. That was the halfway point and is where my head started to pound even more and I got sick. I made it down the hill, not pushing too hard. I finished there at the 3.5 marker on the gravel trail. I was glad I went but did learn next time to just go home and get rid of the headache before I exercise. It ended up being really bad and I spent most of the night in bed or on the couch hurting. But I feel better today and ready to go back out and do something. Or stay inside and do something that will help me when I am outside exercising. I might do Plyo tonight. Bring It!

A Digest of Sorts

Sorry it's been so long since I have posted anything, it has been pretty crazy around here these past few weeks! With school and graduation all finished up though, it gives me a lot more time to focus on the store, finding a career, and working on the wedding. So in all honesty nothing got any less busy.

Amidst everything though I've managed to stay busy outside as well. Joel, B and I have done a combination of great trail runs and some mountain biking. I've been doing some product testing as well with my Vibram Five Fingers, and just so you know they do not stand up to the jaws of an angry pitbull/boxer. I say angry not because Kaiah, my pup, is mean or anything, but because she gets mad when I leave to do something without her. For instance, I went up to Blue Knob for a run and by the time I came back this had happened. Needless to say, I'm not too happy.

Last weekend was also the Bloody Run Canoe Classic out in Everett, Pa. It's a 5mile/9 mile canoe/kayak race along the historic Juniata River. You can take in some of the river's natural beauty and enjoy a good competition, then head on over to Bullshead Tavern for some good food afterwards. I took second, mainly because the gent in front of me was using a sea kayak. I had no hope, my bulky Pelican was no match for his fiberglass, 17 foot beauty! I actually wanted second anyway though, because the prize was a sweet cooler! Holds a twelve pack, or so they say! So next year the store, REI and Everett are trying to partner to get together an adventure race consisting of a 5 mile bike, five mile run and paddle back to the start. As always, there's those of us trying to get others moving on the idea so I'll keep you updated with any developments.

Now I must go, my fiancée has planned a day for us as a graduation gift. I have no idea what we're going to be doing so I'm pretty excited. Till next time, get out and do something!!

Flip - anyone have a Band-Aid?

J-man and I went to grippis yesterday after he got off work. We got there around 4:00pm. The weather was awesome. It was a little cool, so we wore long sleeves, but the sun was out and it just felt good to get outside. We were about 20 minutes in to the ride when I flipped my bike. For the result of that flip, see that picture to the right. I am pretty black and blue this morning. I also have a big knot on my knee. That probably hurts the worse. Anyway after I flipped, I got back up and we continued on our ride. The trail was dry and really, really fast. That was the fastest trail I have been on yet. I guess since we started riding in the fall when all the leaves where down and then through the winter with the snow, we didn't get to ride the trail when it was that dry. We were flying. At some points, I was pretty much out of control, hence the flip. But man was it fun. Everything is turning green now and it is just a totally different place to ride than it appeared during the winter months. I can't wait to go back down. I wish Allegrippis was closer than 30 minutes away. I wish it was out my back door. But it's not. So we travel. Oh by the way there is a McDonald's close there in Huntingdon, so if you need a Sweet Tea after riding just stop by. Or if you need a "recovery" milk shake, just hit the Meadows there. I think that was my most enjoyable ride yet of my short mt biking career. I know I say that everytime we go out, but it was just great. I felt good too. That helped make it even more enjoyable. Must be the P90X plyo and the trail running that is adding some strength to my legs. That sure will help me when I am trying to keep up to the J-man. He is a beast in case you didn't know. He was talking about doing triples on his week off. What a crazy. I'll let him talk about that when the time comes. Sorry Adam you weren't there. Sorry to anyone else that reads this blog that was there yesterday. Aweseome, Awesome, Awesome.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there!

Got bit on the trail

I feel like Rocky!

It's a beautiful day in central Pa today and just like yesterday the trails were calling me, so I had to go. Blue Knob was the choice and Rockin Ridge was the trail. The woods were so inviting with everything starting to green up and the sound of the wind howling through the trees. I ran a couple loops of Rockin Ridge and was back to where I started so I decided to jump over to Crist trail and run up to Chappel trail. I ran up the steep part of Crist and started to level off and a root jumped up and grabbed my foot, so my face decided to headbutt a rock. The rock won as you can see by the picture I took when I got home. I stopped right away because I was bleeding like a stuck hog, I sat down for a couple minutes and used my shirt and applied pressure then turn around and walked out. Even with the mishap I had an awesome time, the eye is doing fine put some ice on it and a couple butterflies and now I look like Rocky! Yo Adrian! Just get out and enjoy the outdoors!

Muddy trails to you!

Today was another cloudy cool day and in the morning when I normally run, my motivation was none, so I decided I would just take the day off. This afternoon I was sitting around doing nothing but watching the grass grow and I heard the trails calling me, so I answered with a short 3.2 mile jaunt through the muddy trails by the high school. It was so enjoyable, mud up the back of the legs, sloshing through puddles like a kid and the fresh air of a cool spring day. Can never go wrong with a trail walk or run no matter the weather. Just get out and do it!

A cool Gadget!

Yesterday when I got up it looked like more rain, I stepped outside and the temperature was really nice so I debated on a bike ride or road run. With the look of rain I decided on a road run, haven't run on the road for a couple weeks so I thought I would do the Penn Farms loop. As I got dressed I put on a new piece of the uniform, it's a Nike+ sportsband and it is cool. Adam told me about it because I was looking for something to give me mileage and pace while running the trails. The most obvious choice is a GPS watch, but if you look at the price its not so obvious. The Nike+ uses a chip that you put in/on your shoe and then calibrate your run and walk stride with the watch. The cool thing about it is its like a flash drive you plug it into your computers USB port and it automatically downloads to the Nike website. The other thing it is pretty accurate, after calibration I ran the Y turkey trot course (5mile) and when I finished I was pretty much right on. Good enough for me! Plus it was half the price of the cheapest GPS and you don't have to worry about losing signal if your out on a trail run in a deep hollow. "I like it don't you?" The advertisements over back to the run! really not much to tell 7 miles at easy pace and sweating profusely. (Not like me) Running the road reminds me how much I do enjoy running the trails. When I run on the trails time flies by, but the road I'm just wanting it to be done. Get out and enjoy the outdoors! TODAY!!!

What a difference a year makes!

Check out the "Life is Good" shirt

  Last year this time I was laying in Lancaster General Hospital in Intensive care with a broken back (T-12)and 8 brand new titanium screws and 2 new titanium pins. My recovery went really well, had to wear a brace for 3 months and then a month of rehab then back to work I went on Aug. 30. At that point I was trying to ride the bike as much as possible so I could be ready to get back out and ride with the team come this spring. well riding the bike turned into Mt. biking and running and look at me now, just finish the Hyner a couple weeks ago and have been doing alot of trail running getting ready for another 10k trail run at Hyner in July. All I can say is Thanks everyone for your prayers and I thank the Lord for his watch care over me and healing power. 

Just a little mud!



  OK now for the weekend activities Adam, Brian and myself decided to hit the trails at Canoe Creek on Saturday, the weather was just beautiful and the mud was great. The trails were a blast with some good climbs and some technical descents and a trip around the lake we did 5.7 miles and would have stayed and done more but I had to get home to get ready for work. I thought about calling off and we could have done a few more miles and then picked up the mt. bikes and gone for a ride. I always hate going to work 2nd shift when the weather is soooo nice! oh well we have to eat! We decided we didn't get enough on sat. so we decided to get up early today and do it all again, so we did. At 6:30am Brian and I met at my place Adam 6:45am (fashionably late) and we headed to canoe creek again. The sky was looking like rain but that's just part of the great outdoors and rain always makes the experience that much more interesting. (like Hyner) We started our run and I was feeling pretty good so I started to push the pace to try get some good tempo work  and it was going good till my phone rang and I'm thinking why is the wife calling. Well it wasn't the wife it was Brian I never told him what trail we were running and we were in front of him so he wasn't sure then I told him to go another trail to try and meet us but I was confused and Brian was confused so Adam and I finally figured where he was going and after awhile we caught up to Brian. All in a days trail run (found a really good climb in the process) so it all worked out good. Guess what? it started to rain I know its hard to believe but it wouldn't be a trail run without rain, so we finished up the 6 mile run in the rain. What a great way to start the day!! Get out and check out the trails at Canoe Creek they're pretty good! Just do it!



Adam showing off the mud!



Brian finishing his run!