challenge needed... please apply within

30 years, coming up fast. Looking for something on the verge of epic for this year. any ideas

Dirty Thirty

Pre-registration is in effect... what's going down in 2011 for Child's Play dirty 30?!?!? I'm looking for some good ideas this year, so if you have any crazy ideas rolling around in that noggin, you'd better let me in on them! I'll be posting some ideas shortly here!

challenge set

This years challenge is set (though not date wise yet) for a 28 mile run and a 28 mile bike. Since I was unable to complete the 27 last year I figured I might as well try again to finally notch one out. This year will be reversed so that the run will take place first followed by the biking portion. This could very well be an overnight gig on the 18th into the 19th since I believe we have a Christmas dinner the night of the 19th. In other news I have already got the 2010 challenge underway by signing up for the Clinton Lake 30 mile ultra in March, the first part of the IL grand slam of trail running. The slam consists of a 30,31,32, and 50 mile ultras. The challenge should be a good gauge as to how that first ultra will play out. In any case I'm very excited for things to come including new training and a slightly different outlook on my diet. I will post more details when they become available and as always I'm looking for participants.

2009 challenge???

Ok so for this year I'm thinking of a repeat of last year... with one more mile added of course. I feel like I should finish through with something I'd started before adding another challenge. I didn't make the QC marathon this year due to lack of training and my superb ability to put things off. So 28 miles in running for is still a verrrry formidable challenge. So my goal will be to run 28 miles and bike 28 miles. I'm running first this year because of the catasrofuck last year. Biking will be a bit easier after running rather than vise-versa. My birthday is on a Saturday this year which is pretty cool so hopefully there will be a little more support out on the course, which will also be different this year, well more than likely. As always I'm looking for volunteers to join in festivities and drink with me afterwords. I'll do some more thinking on this and begin laying out the details very soon. Until then...

*picture is sitting ontop angel's landing UT

Birthday challenge 2009!!!

Well it's that time of the year again, time to begin deliberating on the mayhem that is birthday challenge. I don't have an agenda as of yet and I'm looking for some serious ideas. There's been word of ultras, a wing challenge, climbing challenges, and of course booze. As of now there's a 50k ultra in Missouri on the day of my birthday Dec. 19th. It's free, it's not too far away and it would definitely be a challenge. The only thing I don't like about it is nobody would go with me... likely. Any and all ideas will be considered... ok not really, but give em up anyways! You want to take part this year... let me know. Think you can beat me at something... let's give it a shot! Until then I'll be working on completing the Quad Cities Marathon in Sept. and that may help determine the future of the challenge.

Challenge 2008

So December 19th has come and gone and so has another challenge. Once again this year the weather has toyed with the potential outcome and mother nature once again walks away the victor. The day though was surely not a total loss. After the DEATH STORM 2008 the night before, we were left with several inches of sleet and snow with a nice layer of ice on top. I headed out on the bike around 6:30 and just as I opened the door there was a big flash of light and thunder... great... another good omen. The riding was even slower than planned due to the conditions but the early morning ride was quite beautiful while the snow was still falling. By 7am I had 3.2 miles in, at 8:30 I was at 10.3, 9:15 saw 16.4 and total finish by 11:40 with 27.1. Making certain I was not the most exciting story of the day, our dog Kyson went into action breaking through his electric fence and going on the hunt for me and my bike. Luckily I found him just a few blocks away from our house... all he wanted was to run next to the bike, which he did all the way home and back through the fence. I received several hellos from people out cleaning off their drives and even more bewildered looks as I made several laps around town.

The local news station was scheduled to interview me around noon, but thanks to the IL governor making a news statement and then a cameraman calling in sick it turned out that I was not quite so newsworthy. So slightly after noon I started out on the run. TERRIBLE is how I would describe it. I was already feeling tired and my shins and knees were sore, what was I suppose to expect when the longest I'd previously ridden a bike for was about 5 miles? I was able to run 11 miles on my own before my left knee really started giving me trouble, so I did a few miles on the elliptical and finished off walking the rest with Shannan. Ended up with just over 16 miles.

Though tired and hungry the night was not over as the party was about to begin. We came up a few short at the party due to weather and conflicting events but still managed a few over 20. The night went well and a good time had by all (I think) and I didn't even throw up! Overall I learned alot about my body and potential during the day along with finding out that I can eat alot and run at the same time! Next year will surely bring better preparation and more planning, but in the end it's usually the weather that determines just how far you'll go.


Here are the ending stats:
-27 miles biking - completed
-27 miles running - completed only 16 miles
-27 kiss songs - 30 sec. of 25 songs (I just can't get into them)
-27 friends at the party - ended around 22
-27 pullups and 270 pushups - Not even attempted
-A great birthday... completed

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, gifts, and for making it out to the party in less than ideal weather. See you next year!

IT'S ON!

Despite this supposed horrific weather and the ICE STORM OF THE CENTURY, the challenge is on and there's no stopping just because a little water is falling from the sky. The route may be as bad as I'd planned for so this really isn't much of a surprise. The temps are suppose to be pretty decent during the day which will hopefully melt everything down enough for people to make it out by Friday night. I've taken these past two days off to rest up and prior to that I had just been doing the daily WOD's (by the way burpees are my new worst enemy). I'm going shopping this afternoon for goodies to eat throughout the day and of course some pedialite. Then tonight it's all about prep and will for the best possible outcome. I'll be starting the biking around 5-6am tomorrow morning to leave plenty of time to finish, the running portion should take place around 12pm. I'll be stopping at the house every lap (every 30 min or so) so if you want to stop by that's where I'll be. Oh and feel free to join in for a lap if you so desire. Party is tomorrow night at Woo Dogs in Orion starting around 6:30. Hope to see everyone there and be careful out there tomorrow.

- There will come a day when you can no longer do this, today is not that day.