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.

Cake eating

I don't really enjoy cake.  I do enjoy cookies and ice cream though!  "Having my ice cream and eating it too," doesn't really have as much of a profound impact.  One MUST eat the ice cream, otherwise it will just melt all over everything and make a complete mess.

I digress.

I just spent the last moldy and damp 2 days hanging out with 25 females and 2 males at a retreat center in north Washington.  All of us part of the Fall 2011 cohort in a variety of Antioch University in Seattle, Master of Arts program.   It was an enlightening and frustrating two days.  Mixed emotions about why I am starting this journey, and a bit long winded as conversation and the flow of ideas are concerned.  I look forward to the challenges classroom immersion provides.  This weekend should be knowledge packed, as I have four 9-530 days in a row.  Topics include Methods in Sustainability and Systems change.
http://antiochseattle.edu/academics/enviro/index.html

Wes is currently working in Rapid City for the next 10 days or so.  After which we will meet up in Yosemite valley.  This is where the cake part comes in.  I am attempting to go to graduate school, climb my ass off, and take a WEMT course to further my guiding company and other climbing related pursuits.

Home

Countless e-mails to various environmental non-profits returned fruitless new vocation avenues.  I haven't given up hope, and I am aware that phone calls and hand shakes make all the difference!!  I selfishly admit that I would also like to continue this climbing thing.  I am getting a better head these days and the injections of Chromosome 19 (the try hard gene) are seemingly working!  I recognize that this is a slim pursuit as far as money and sponsorship go, but I don't want to NOT try! 

For now the schedule and work load of graduate school is conducive to this idealist lifestyle.  Monetary funds, thanks to "Maple" (our new home on wheels) are quite limited, but I think with a little writing or creativity funds may procure.  If not, I will search harder for work....either that or delve further into the student loans!  HA!

(Pictures of van to come).

So, while I half-heartedly explore non-profits and environmentally based organizations that may have openings in grant writing, policy research, event planning, education programming, etc.   I continue to pursue climbing goals, graduate school, and personal company goals.  My plate is full and Wes is amazingly supportive.  He is ready to settle down, have a garden, a house, and a mailbox.  I just can't settle yet.    I am not exhausted yet.

We will see if I maintain!!!