Balance and exercise

Last entry spoke of traveling and Trango.

I am having some anguish over aging and living at sea level the last 6 months.  Mainly, I am frustrated with my fitness, sea-level living, and lack of a training routine the last few months.  

My 2012 so far.......
January 20th - moved to North Cascades Institute for a 4 week Wilderness EMT/EMT-B course.
February 18th- 1pm completed course and tests, drove to Seattle, packed and arrived at airport
                         at 10pm for flight to Phoenix.
February 19- March 16- Climbing and adventuring in Phoenix, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and  
                      Colorado.  Driving with Prairie.  She dropped me off in Boulder on the 16th. 
March 18th- Back on the road with 8 seventh graders for a week long canyon trip in Utah.
March 24th- Returned from Utah, de-geared, re-packed for personal flight out.
March 26th- Flight to Seattle
March 28th- M.A.P.L.E (our sprinter van) packed up and headed East, Wes and I together after a
                     month apart.
March 29-30- Driving to Estes Park, Colorado.  Home.  Brief stop in Spokane to visit friends.
April 1st - Work at Ed's 6:30 am, unpack M.A.P.L.E, drive to Denver in the pm. 
April 2nd - In Denver for two days with Wes, he is working in Aurora through mid-May so staying
                   with him and training.

Wetsuitless at an exercise competition. 

This while also scheduling and planning a Yoga-Rock Climbing retreat for my company Dovetail Mountain Adventures.  Writing this helps me realize why I am lagging.
Well, I am home for awhile....2 months anyway, and need to really get on the training.  Yosemite in June!  

Photo Dan Gambino.  March bouldering in RMNP

Training.  What a fun time.  Seriously.  There is a wonderful line in "Eastbound and Down."  Ex-Pro football player turned small town gym teacher comments to his triathlon obsessed principle, "I am not trying to be the best at exercising, I play real sports!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7rbB2bteE

I chuckle.  Wes uses this line on me all the time. 

My new years resolution for 2011 was to climb The Nose of El Cap in a day and place top 5 in my age group in a triathlon---in the same month.  I have placed before in triathlons, I just struggle with focusing on them solely.  I love climbing!
I wait tables and guide for a living, which means unless I am sleeping I am on my feet.  Swimming, biking, running, hiking, climbing, and working on my feet = really tired legs.   

I did not achieve that goal last year, partner changes and an adventure to the Cirque of the Unclimbable's stirred the pot.  

Wes and I on Lotus Flower Tower

This year, though, I have reminded myself of this lofty, obscure, and self-proclaimed goal.  Since I am training to climb the Nose in a day, what a better way to cross train then do high intensity activities such as swimming, biking, and running!

I hope to succeed at one or both this summer.  The logistics of the Nose, climbing 5.11 run-out or french-freeing fast is a certain challenge.   It is April, the trying hard and training harder has only just begun. 

Since January, I have been doing 50 push-ups or dips, 150 sit-ups a day, along with stretching and yoga daily.  Running and climbing happened in spurts during my EMT course.  Since February,  I have been climbing more, doing sprints at the track again, swimming, and hope to start biking now that I am in one place.  

The southwest road trip helped get me into long climbing days, but not as high intensity as I would like.  Jes Meiris (my Nose partner this June) and I have a goal of moving for 8 hours of activity.  I need to up my heart rate for longer.  Waiting tables keeps me moving for 12 hours, but again not intense enough.

Jes climbing at Shelf Road

Enough with the computer, exercising awaits.