May 2012

Wow, what can I say. Apparently I haven't posted on this blog since last fall. That's pretty bad. So, for anyone who cares, just an update of what has been going on. This winter was pretty great. Mild temps, and TWO western US snow skiing trips. Yep, I said TWO.

First trip was in early February. Flew to Portland, OR, then drove to Bend, Oregon and skied a few days on Mt Bachelor. What a great mountain to ski. Normally being a snowboarder on all of my previous winter trips out west, I decided to mix it up and ski this time. While it started off as a fiasco, it got a little better as I worked my way around the easy intermediate runs. Fast forward to late February and I did a family ski vacation to Salt Lake City, UT and then nearby Park City, Utah. Stayed in Park City, skied every day I was there, which was Wednesday through Sunday. Well, Sunday was a travel day. Anyway, we skied at Park City and nearby Deer Valley too. Only my second ski trip on ski's, and I was really really ripping it. Super confident on hard blues, so my good buddy Tom lures me onto a mogul'ed up Black Diamond. Boy that was a fiasco, but at least I tried it. I'll hit the blues again next trip and then progress to Black Diamonds again though. But the blue runs are plenty fun for a person who only snow ski's once or twice a year. In April I camped out and rode some sweet singletrack at Council Bluffs National Recreation Area with good buddies. Rode part of North Trace Creek of the Ozark Trail, then the next day rode part of South Trace Creek. Incredible singletrack out there in that region. What a hidden jewel that area is. Other than that, I've stepped up my training alot lately, mixing it between mountain biking and running. I've got a 50 mile trail run I am signed up for in October of this year out near Branson with Ken Chappell who will definitely be pushing a redzone pace throughout. I am still hopeful to do some adventure races this year but they pretty much taper off in the hot humid summer months, so it will probably be fall again. I'll also be looking regionally for some duathlons (mountain bike and trail run versions) since my old time favorite, the Berryman duathlon, won't be happening in June any longer. In the meantime, still training. And living, L I V I N. post by Bryan Greaser