Against the Wind

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." - Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

I have started to run and most importantly, started to enjoy it.   Here is the genesis on how this started. I have never enjoyed running, at least that is what I told myself.  I was an overweight kid with exercised induced asthma and flat feet (though by today's standards, quite fit actually).  I was always one of the last kids in elementary when we ran laps, though not being "the" last kid always did make me feel better.  For me running was something that made my side hurt and made it impossible to breathe and I hated the feeling of wheezing.  I was not fond of it and that mindset permeated my thinking as I grew up.

I do love sports and as I got older, I played a few including tennis, but my favorite was football.  Clearly I had to run when I played football, so I got in shape and did a lot of running in the process, but it was for a purpose and served a function as part of a game. Though my sprint times improved, there wasn't much distance running in my training. I did learn to build endurance though.  I really do enjoy sprints and short distance running.  Running made sense for me in this context.

I met my first real runner my sophomore year of high school.  She was a senior and a good buddy of mine, and man she loved to run.  She ran for no other purpose than because it made her happy, though I'm sure she probably enjoyed the competition too.  I could not understand it so I would quiz her about this incessantly, asking all kinds of questions as I am prone to do. Why? But you don't accomplish anything but make yourself tired. What is the point?  She tried her best to explain, but I just could not get it.  I could see in the way she talked about it that there was something real I could just not understand.  So I just gave up on trying to understand it. Like dancing, dishes, yard work or cooking, my view at the time was that it just wasn't for me.

As I got older, I met other runners and continued to play sports, but other than half an hour to forty-five minutes on the treadmill at the gym, I had no aspirations to run any more than that. It was purely about trying to get back in shape or to kick off some sort of healthy losing weight kick that never lasted long enough to be a habit.  To make matters worse, after a really bad break up once, I tried to run on a treadmill to "feel better," since I had recently made a habit of putting in 45 mins a day, but I felt so horrible in my stomach I couldn't continue.  Now I had that negative feeling tied to running too that I would have to contend with.  People make silly irrational connections I know.

A little over a year ago I read the book "Born to Run" which made me interested in running for the first time.  It is a great book and I recommend it.  I thought that maybe I was just looking at this wrong and decided I wanted to start running.  I bought some vibram five fingers and started running with the goal of trying to have as minimal as possible shoes as I could.  This phase valiantly lasted for a few months, but like many of my endeavors, just didn't stick.  I was back to treadmill running at the gym, if any running at all. At least that I enjoyed, the gym and working out.

I have facebook friends that run and some for noble causes and I would follow their updates, but even watching them log ever longer miles, though it filled me with admiration, I still didn't think it was for me. That brings us to early 2012 where I committed to hike with my brother to the top of Longs Peak in Colorado. I initially viewed this as just walking for hours on end carrying a heavy pack, I could possibly do this.  It was a lot more than that I quickly learned.  After my first long seven hour hike, I could barely walk and my entire body started to cramp.  But if there is one thing I'm good at is not giving up and turning roadblocks into challenges.  So I trained and trained until we eventually met our goal and triumphantly reached the summit of Longs Peak in August. (For a fuller story on this epic hike, check out my entry about the hiking trip here. ) Here are some photos from the trip too. 

When I got back from Colorado, I knew I had built up endurance due to all the hiking training and didn't want it to go to waste as I returned to old habits. One option was to keep hiking, but the amount of time that took was a lot and I wasn't sure I would really keep up with that. The trail runners I would see each time I was out started to spark an idea in my head.  I decided to focus on going to the gym more, a habit I started again in April and was keeping up with consistently. As luck would have it, later in the summer I started dating a girl who liked to run, so that also peaked my interest in running.  The things people will try because of girls.  We signed up for a 5k together and it was my first one ever which was exciting for me.  The 3 mile distance seemed really far to me, which now seems ridiculous now in retrospect, but by the time the race came, I felt ready.  The race was so much fun that I knew I would like this running thing.  Interestingly, it was the only time we ever ran together as this wasn't one of her main hobbies. I started to make running a habit on my own, but I was still aimless.  One night she told me how she had ran the SA half marathon the year before and told me to try it with her.  It was only a few months away and 13.1 miles seemed insurmountable.  I told her that I didn't think I could do it, but she reassured me that I could just walk if I got tired.  My instinctual reaction was, walk why? If I'm not going to run it all, then why even try it I said.  I know I can walk that far, I had already done it.  A challenge was starting to form in my head.  I'm not one to back down to a challenge, especially one I give to myself, so I started reading up on it and created a training plan and signed up for the half marathon.  I will admit to being a bit shocked as to how much those races cost, it was a just a world I knew nothing about.  The money I had invested was also a motivator.  I ordered a pair of shoes online that had great reviews and if being a kid taught me anything, a new pair of shoes can make you run faster, jump higher and just be more awesome than you were before.   And so it began, just myself, a defined goal, my written miles goal chart I crafted from random internet sources and determination to hit my goal.  It wasn't long until the girl faded out of the picture, but the fact that I was still training really showed me that this venture was mine and not something I was doing because of her.  I later even signed up for a Superhero 5k which motivated me further. 


During this training process, which was mostly solo runs at the local park alone because I work best that way, my friend Ricardo had joined a running class downtown and recommended it to me.  At first I was averse to the idea, seeing it as something that would get in the way of the plan I was following.  But I thought about it and in my resolution to be more social, I thought I would give it a try.  The price was right and it was only for a month.  I joined the beginners running class the following month and ended up liking it a lot more than I expected.  I have even met a few new friends there and having people around you while you run does give you the motivation boost that can at times be lacking.  I'm now finishing my second month and have already signed up for my third month in December.  My favorite part is the Saturday long runs, where I wake up early for an 8am run in downtown Austin.  I actually look forward to this day all week.

The San Antonio Half Marathon was in mid-November.  Having not run more than 3 miles prior to the summer, the idea of 13.1 really seemed impossible, but it has been a year of challenges and I felt like I could do anything I put my mind to.  Plus, my goal was only to finish without stopping, it didn't matter how slow, which really took a lot of pressure off.  It happened that a lot of my San Antonio friends were out of town on the day of the race, so this was something I was going to do on my own.  I headed down to SA the day before and was in awe of the spectacle of the whole thing.  After I got my running bib and my swag,  I wandered the streets of San Antonio for a while which was nice having no where to be and no deadlines to worry about.  It was a take me where the wind takes me type of evening that I don't have enough of.  I woke up very early the next morning for the race. I was lucky enough to run into my friend Elaine, my brothers good friend from high school, and I started the race off with them in a much better starting area than the one I was assigned to. She gave me a lot of helpful advice before the race that was actually very helpful.   The starting line was packed and there were so many people there it was ridiculous.  There were so may cute girls in adorable running outfits that it was distracting, but I couldn't figure out if it was in a good way or a bad way.  There were so many people running for causes and had shirts that at times wanted to make you tear up.

The starting gun was anti-climatic as you still had to wait some time before your group got to start.  When I started off the race, I kept reminding myself that I needed to keep my my own pace and not worry about anybody else.  I felt positive, but I also knew that my personal record was only 10 miles and I was going to find out on this day if I could make it.  The first two miles for me are always the hardest, the part where I just want to quit and go home.  By mile 3 my body accepts that we are going to do this running thing and stops complaining and starts to work.   The race was a great experience that I'll never forget.  The signs and the people cheering really fill you with positive emotions.  So many little kids with posters supporting their parents and just kind people who cheer for everybody.  I had been working for months on the perfect music playlist for me and it performed perfectly.  When I finally crossed the finish line to complete my 13.1 miles (my phone tracked 13.5, but same difference), I felt great and very accomplished. I also didn't feel spent, but knew I didn't have a full marathon in me.  I didn't know what to do with the sponges and wet towels, but it didn't matter.  They gave me a participant medal, which meant a lot to me. It was, and to date is, the longest I've ever run.  It also cemented my motivation to keep on running.

Here are the photos from my First Half Marathon in SA

Now my next goal is to run a full marathon in February in Austin, another daunting goal as there isn't much time and doubling what I did is going to be much harder I think.  I get tired driving 26.2 miles, so running it will be an experience.  I'm excited about it and look forward to the challenge.  It is going to be hard to keep from injuring myself as I'm prone to pushing myself for short-term gains that ultimately just end up in long term setbacks.  I'm going to do my best to be careful and most importantly to try and enjoy the experience.

I will say, I think a lot of people start running to try and lose weight.  I have in the past and that might explain all the stops and starts and my negative feelings attached to running.  This time I didn't care at all about losing weight, actually, I didn't even lose a pound in the process, but this time it was just about the running and how it made me feel. The idea of beating your personal best and improving.  I think having the right goals helps motivation more.  I'm an more of an internal motivated person and external motivations tend to have the opposite effect.  I see so many people start running or continue running in honor of all these worthy causes and to raise money for them, and compared to them I feel selfish, but I will continue to support those causes just not through running.  I've probably made the most charitable contributions this year as I ever have, but I need to get better at keeping track since tax season isn't too far away.

I'll never be the fastest runner or be able to go the longest, but I'd really like to be a person who just enjoys the idea of running and does it for the fun of it.  I am realistic about endeavors I take on and know that I can hop from hobby to hobby like a kid looking for a distraction, but I really do hope I keep up with running, even if not at the level that I'm currently working towards now.  It has been a great outlet for stress, gives me time to think and has really reacquainted me with music again.  There is still a lot more to go and I don't want to get ahead of myself.  Finishing the marathon in February is just so that I can feel validated, like I'm a runner now, and after I want to start from the beginning and work my way from 5ks to 10ks trying to beat my own personal bests.  I look forward to this fun journey because the journey to this point has been a good one.

be careful not to injure yourself

Keeping Busy

"I don't know, I like to go on really different types of dates. Going someplace new or some new part of the city, something that's not your average thing. Something where you just go have an adventure together." - Rachel McAdams

I have been keeping busy lately, but it has resulted in putting off entries.  This is unfortunate because I really enjoy writing and find journaling cathartic.  2012 is by far the year with the fewest entries and when you stop doing something it is harder to start again. You know, that is probably the theme of my life actually.  My on and off relationship with the gym can tell you that, even though we are in a good place right now.   I'm starting to realize that my Facebook status updates chronicle a lot of the things I would normally write about, which makes me less interested in putting my thoughts in a blog post about it later since it feels somewhat redundant.  I think I'm ok with that.  I'm going for a "quick" catch-all entry to cover the last six months or so I've been off keeping busy. I'm interested to see where this leads me.

The Year of Love

A theme I've talked a lot about in 2012 has been about this being the year of love, evidenced by the ungodly amount of weddings that have happened this year.  (Think somewhere around 7 weddings.) So many friends and family members have gotten married this year that there has been so much to celebrate. All these weddings make you take stock of your own life too and focus on what you want instead of what you think you should want.  Adding to this romantic theme, my college roommate, Juan Carlos also got engaged and married this year on August 17, 2012 to his fiancé Eloisa.  They have such a sweet love story and I'm extremely excited for him and his sweetheart.  They are perfect for each other. I wasn't able to make it to the wedding in NYC, but I can't wait to celebrate with everyone the next chance we get.  The world is changing and people are growing up.

My brother Abram's wedding happened in October and I've written a more detailed entry to share my thoughts on that event here.  So that about sums it up, and brings to an end a year where so many of my friends and family took such an important step forward in their lives.  Here is hoping for continued love and happiness.  Thank you for all the champagne toasts.  Side note: I've resolved that for 2013 I'm going to drink champagne more, for no other reason than because it is great and shouldn't be horded for just special occasions.

Austin City Limits Festival

The Austin City Limits music festival is one of my favorite parts of the year.  I have a lot of good memories from my experiences there.  This year I had hoped that some of my out-of-state friends would come down to join me for Austin City Limits in October. I even purchased extra tickets a year in advance in anticipation.  Unfortunately, due to other engagements and unforeseen time constraints they were not be able to make it.  Maybe next year.  I still ended up having a fun time at ACL and I got to hang out with a lot of my good Austin friends.  I was most excited about seeing Weezer, a band I hadn't seen since college and whose early work defined my development. They didn't have a prominent time spot, but it didn't matter.  There were a lot of good bands though, but I'm usually only familiar with the more established and famous ones.  I enjoy live music, but sometimes it feels like too many people and three days of being outdoors can feel like an endurance contest.  Nevertheless, I do always walk away having had a good time, despite the parking, crowds and weather.  At one point during the festival, I got pushed backstage beyond the gates because of crowding and I just wandered around for a while seeing a whole other underworld of ACL filled with VIPs and worker bees behind the stages.  It was interesting, but scared I might get in trouble, I found my way back inside the park much sooner than in retrospect I should have.  I did miss one day of the festival because my niece Jamie who lives in the Valley had a high school band competition in Austin and I had never seen her show off her Drum Major skills.  I was a very proud uncle that day.  Both Jamie and her older sister Bekkah were drum majors, and at different schools.  I've gone to ACL every year since I first moved to Austin in 2007 and each year has its own distinct memories that seem to pop up as certain songs play on the radio.  This year I hung out with my friend Ricardo and even saw my friends Cynthia and Claudia.  I hadn't seen much of my good friend Christina for the better part of the year, so it was nice to serendipitously run into her and her sister on the last day.  I already have my tickets purchased for next year, which is going to be on two weekends.  This is an open invitation to my out of state friends who would like to come visit in October 2013, it will be blast. That reminds me that I owe a lot of friends visits, and hopefully I'll get to visit Miami, LA, and DC this coming year.  I really do miss these friendships and look forward to catching up.

The Austin Summer

I had a particularly good summer that was quintessentially Austin themed.  I tried many new and fun experiences like stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, yoga, running my first 5K race, salsa lessons, beach volleyball, zip lining across Lake Travis, firework shows, and learning to hike/climb in Zilker for my Longs Peak trip to Colorado.  I even decided to take on a half marathon.  It was a summer filled with the fun and adventure of concerts, dates, drinks, good friends, catching up with old friends and even making some new ones.

A old friend of mine who I hadn't seen since college came to Austin to visit for a job interview and I got to share my adoration for the city with her. It is always nice to see how well people you crossed paths with in the past are now doing.  In the end Austin wasn't the best choice for her at the moment, but it gave me the chance to remember that there is a lot to take advantage of here and I need to continue to expand my horizons.

Summer Gallivanting

When it comes to matters of the heart, I tend to keep those cards close and mostly private, but since I'm caught in a moment of general reflection, I do have a few things on my mind that I took away from the summer. This summer I ventured away from sporadic serial dating to a little more get-to-know-you-better low stakes type of dating. It is easy to get caught up in the short-term excitement of meeting someone new. I feel like each new person I meet helps me learn something new about myself.  I not only refine who I am in the process, but also who I want to be. 

I feel like what I value has changed over time as I have changed, although some of it is still very much the same. I make a lot of the same mistakes I've always made.  Sometimes I confuse who I want a person to be (or wish they would be) with trying to get to know them and accept them for who they actually are.  In the end knowing the true person may lead to incompatibilities that extinguish an imaginary future, but falling for aspirations usually leads to a future where you don't feel fulfilled. You really should believe someone when they show you glimpses of their true selves, but extrapolating one interaction to define a person can also leave you walking away prematurely. Everything is easier said than done and it is hard to be so rational when emotions are involved.  I think we all essentially want the same things and hope can be an inspiring thing, but it can also make you less objective.  That said, who can complain when you have a great time, grow from the experience and no one walks away with any lasting type of hurt. You can't blame a person for not being who you wanted them to be, but if the they don't convince you that you didn't know what you wanted, then when the excitement starts to fade you move on.

I keep being reminded, sometimes by experience, other times quite literally, that you need to live each day on its own and be more present since we are not guaranteed anything.  Why not enjoy the each moment even if, like everything in this world, it cannot last forever.  I get it, I do, and aspire to this, but I do qualify that with the fact that sometimes a moment's importance is underscored by what it means for the future.  A string of moments can have more lasting impact than a solitary one. The idea of insulating yourself from pain seems prudent, there is always the fear that it keeps you from fully enjoying the positive feelings that are right in front of you.  There are enough jaded people in this world to add another one.

The Fall of Transition

The fall snuck up on me, which is much easier in a place like Texas where it can feel like summer late into the fall at times.  In the late summer and early fall my professional life became particularly busy, so my socializing decreased, but I tried to hold on to some work-life balance. I was working until 8pm some nights and even on weekends on my own volition always feeling one action item away from where I needed to be.  I did get a reprieve and now things are back to normal, but it reminded me how thankful I am that I don't life that type of life. It also reminded me that I need to focus on being more efficient so that I can better handle opportunities like that.

In my home life, I took some time for myself to try and get things in order.  I started to put more time into home organizing and cleaning, but somehow I always feel like I can't make a lot of headway in that department.  Things always look 10 times worse halfway through my cleaning project than when I started.  A girl I lived with once shared with me the old adage, "a place for everything and everything in its place."  I'm not very good at finding a place for everything to begin with, which might explain why everything isn't always in its place.  One of my goals is to reduce the amount of clutter that I have, namely accepting that my definition of clutter is way too narrow and that old battery charger I never used is probably better suited for the trash than taking up space in my closet because I might need it one day.  The problem is that I thrive on clutter, maybe because that is how my brain is organized.  That doesn’t mean that I still can’t work on reducing it and managing it better.  Don't get me wrong, I'm relatively organized for a guy, but my socks don't always find the hamper until laundry day and I'm not the best at getting the dishes washed in a timely manner.   Speaking of clutter, it is hard to throw out a perfectly good looking shirt just because odds are that I’ll probably never wear it.  That leads to a closet of approximately 60% of clothes just taking of space.

My Television Shows

I read this Onion article yesterday and it made me laugh, a lot.  [In Focus] Area Man Constantly Mentioning He Doesn't Own A Television. I've run into that so much these fast few years, it even makes me laugh now.  Though I did meet a girl who didn't have a TV, but she didn't tell me until I directly asked her.  I gave her credit for not mentioning it at the first reference to a TV show.   The beginning of the fall tv season is usually a big deal for me as I follow  quite a few shows.  This year I didn't care too much about it and just let the DVR take care of it.  I've cut down a lot of my TV watching, especially cable news.  Well I did break that rule for the weeks heading up to the election, but for me that is the Superbowl of cable news, so I allowed myself that indulgence.  I think that if I didn’t have one more year left on my DirecTV contract, I would probably consider trying to cutting the proverbial cord and try getting away with just using over the air and Internet sources for my TV watching.  The problem is, even if I could make that work, there is something very convenient about having a DVR that I can pause and watch in any room of the house.  Damn you convenience. All that said, I recently marathon caught up on Season 3 of the Walking Dead.

The 2012 Election

I'll skip the usual politics diatribe as most people have their own established views. Needless to say, I was happy with the outcome of the election and was proud that I exercised my right to vote.  I enjoy political discussions more than the average person, but hate how divisive some of the issues can make people.  I'm adamant about my policy positions, but enjoy learning information that can help me change my mind.  The important thing is that I don't dislike people for having different view points and most of the time they don't affect your daily interactions with people, no matter how fundamentally different they can be. Either way, I am happy my President won for reasons you can ask me about in person, though I must say I'm mostly relieved.

The Wilfred Costume Halloween

I had a great Halloween experience this year.  My friend Danny invited me to a Halloween Weekend Party.  I really appreciated the invitation as his friends always seem to be up to something fun.    I decided to work on my home made outfit and make it into a Wilfred costume.  I think I enjoy creative projects more than I thought and can really get into them. My costume wasn't done in time for the party as the tail was still unsewn and I almost decided to flake, but I am glad I didn't.  When I got to Danny's place, I was quickly impressed with the costume selections. Danny dressed up as Launchpad Mcquack, which was very clever and brought back some fun Duck Tales memories. I got to meet some of Danny's friends, TJ, Caroline, and Lindsey.   They dressed up as a 70s style pimp, a Top Gun character and Snow White respectively.

We then headed off to the house party and on the way I had some good conversations with TJ about improv and some of his stand up. The costume party was impressive.  Beer, drinks and costume contest, it was very well done.  My silly dog outfit got very positive reviews which made me feel very good.

I met some really cool people and had some engaging conversations with Lindsey who I had just met.  I was very impressed with the creatively of all the costumes, from Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Waldo, Dr. Seuss, troll dolls, Hunger Games, to an Owl.  I was also happy to see a lot of friends I hadn't seen in a while like Bernie and had jungle juice for the first time probably since college. It was a memorable night.

On the actual night of Halloween which fell on a Wednesday, I had candy at my house for the trick-o-treaters.  The year before hardly anyone came, but this year I was swamped with little kids from ages 2 to 14 and it wasn't long until I was out of candy.  I'm still not sure how much candy per kid I'm supposed to give out, but if I erred, it was on the too much side.  It didn't take long to learn that "as much as you can grab in one hand" was not the best approach.  After the candy was out, I turned out the lights and I headed downtown in my Halloween costume to have some drinks with Itamar, his wife and their friends.

It was an enjoyable night despite being a weeknight and somewhat of a shadow of the weekend Halloween celebration.  I probably had the most conversations with random strangers that night than I had ever had.  I bet a guy from Australia who appreciated my choice of Wilfred.  I'm always so impressed with how much thought goes into some people's costumes.  There were two couples that dressed up, so I'm told, as Moonrise Kingdom characters and happened to run into each other.  I need to see this movie. 

Lamby Pie!

I did have a moment that was by far my Halloween highlight.  I had called it a night and was walking back to my car after having been very disappointed in how 6th Street on Halloween night wasn't the way I remembered it.  I had still had a good night and was in a chipper mood, but was ready to get home.  As I'm getting near my car a black SUV at a stop light opens their window and asks me for a photo of my costume.  Having done a few photos that night, I was like sure, expecting a photo out the window of me posing.  Instead, they stop traffic and open the door to get out and take the photo with me. That was nice I thought.   Then I look at who it is that is getting out and I'm shocked to see it is Jessica Alba and a friend I guess. Yes, the beautiful actress I first got to know in Dark Angel so many years ago.  She was in town filming a movie.  Jessica, or Jess as I call her in my head, was sure I was a lamb called Lamby Pie and I went with it because, for her, I would totally be anything.  (Side note: actually, my costume looks so much like a lamb, I might remake it into Lamb Chop one of these years.  I can spend the night singing the song that doesn't end.)  Her bodyguard or male friend gets ready to take the photo as her and her friend hug me from the sides.  How I could be any happier?  Jess reminds me that lambie-pie does the peace sign, of course, how could I forget, still having no clue which character I was portraying, so I did my peace sign and the picture was taken. The body guard guy would not take a photo with my phone with an explanation that was more of a look that conveyed "never gonna happen" rather than a clear verbal reason. I didn't care and just tried to enjoy the moment that a celebrity asked for a photo with me.  It really made my night, was a wonderful memory, and capped off a very fun Halloween.

By the way, some research on the internets revealed that there is a doll from I think the 80s called Lamby Pie, which I can say I did look very close to.  I can see why she thought that, but talk about a particular reference.

Running - Half Marathon

This section on my running stories was going to be part of this catch-all entry, but it got so long I decided to do a full separate entry on it here.

Holidays

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, man that came fast.  My plan was to stay in Austin since Christmas is so close and two trips down to the Valley in such a short period just seemed like a hassle right now.  But as things turned out, I'm instead going to Ft. Worth to visit my grandmother who I haven't seen in few months.  It will be nice to spent some time with her as it has been too long.  We used to talk a lot on the phone, but now that she has been battling illness after illness, we talk on the phone a lot less.  My mother and sister Ana drove up to Ft. Worth for Thanksgiving too and stopped at my house on the way up.  It was nice visiting with them and I'm always impressed with how much stuff, namely ice chests full of food, that my mom travels with.  I'm sure everyone will be happy when they try the tamales.

I'm looking forward to Christmas and need to get on my gift shopping.  Despite my agnostic leanings, Christmas is still one of my favorite holidays, which ironically is simultaneously one of the most religious and most secular holidays there is.  I see it as part of the year where you refresh, reflect and get ready for the next year upon you.  It is like one big holiday that starts on Christmas eve and ends on New Years day for me. You get to reconnect with family and every now and then you get surprised with a present you weren't expecting, but absolutely love.  It also doesn't hurt that my birthday comes two days after Christmas too, making it that much more of a super holiday. 

Looking Forward

It has been a good year so far and that was not the feeling I had as it started. I feel more filled with optimism and hope than I have been in a while.  From trying new things to getting to know new people, I have a feeling that the months ahead have a lot to look forward to. By the way, I'm well aware that I probably took some liberties with the word "quick" when referring to this entry in the intro, but that is what happens when you take too much time off.

It is easier to know about a person than to know a person.

Abram & Ashley's Wedding

"Love one another and you will be happy.  It's as simple and as difficult as that."  -Michael Leunig

On October 21, 2012, my brother Abram married his bride Ashley in what was such a beautiful and emotionally moving ceremony.   I was excited for them both, but also so full of joy that my brother found a person that made him feel so happy that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

I'll start off with the wedding photos I collected since that always seems to give the best impression of an occasion. Here are some of the professional photos.   Here are the Facebook photos I put up.

Abram is my younger brother and he lives here in Austin.  There is something about being able to watch a person grow up from birth to adulthood and to be there to watch as they hit different milestones in their life.  One of the most important is when they meet a person, fall in love and get married.  I've never had a sister-in-law, and I must say I'm very excited to have such a kind and caring one as Ashley.  She will forever be family and that is something to cherish.

I remember hearing about Ashley and meeting her for the first time.  There was something special about her and the way they instantly connected.  I was living with Abram at the time, so I had the benefit of being witness as their romance developed.  I quickly considered Ashley a friend and could see how much Abram meant to her.  They made a good couple and I was delighted to hear the news when they got engaged.

Abram and Ashley were so much on top of the wedding planning, I wondered if planning was even happening.  I knew Ashley had her book and that things were indeed happening, but they seemed so calm about it.  I know it was probably extremely stressful and a lot of hard work, but as a family member, all I had to worry about was just showing up.  That was very thoughtful of them. 

All their hard work paid off and they put together a beautiful wedding and everything went according to plan.  I later found out that Ashley's mom also worked very hard to make sure her daughter had the day she deserved.  I was impressed with the choice of venue, the decorations, and even enjoyed the food.  If I have learned anything in this year of wedding after wedding, its that they are a lot of hard work.  But they also have a good payoff.

Abram's best man Cory is the kind of man anyone would be lucky to have by their side.  Abram met Cory in college and was his best man when he got married.  Cory performed dutifully and it was nice to finally meet his wife after having met her once while they were in college. They are one of those role model couples that seem to genuinely fit together so well.  I got to get to know Cory better during the hike to the top of Longs Peak this past summer. I was given the honor to walk Ashley's mother down the aisle and really appreciated the flowers they had set out for my sister Veronica.

This was also a big day for my family, Abram is the baby of the family and his getting married marks the end of an era almost.  Like a transition from "the kids" to "the families."  My sisters, who can be protective, were so very happy and visually emotional.   My parents probably went through the, "your not losing a son, you are gaining a daughter" phase, that seems to apply more to parents of the bride. You could see the pride in their eyes.   All the nieces and nephews ("grand kids") were there to celebrate their uncle getting married. Ranging from ages 22 to 3, the grand kids run the gamut of uncle vs. older brother type relationships with Abram.  I have a lot of things to be thankful for, but one is that we have a close family with strong bonds.  We might not be as outwardly affectionate as some families, but the love is strong and loyal.

When the wedding music started, Abram was at the alter looking sharp dressed in his tux and you could see a sparkle in his eyes as Ashley came out down the stairs in her beautiful wedding gown.  Everyone's eyes were on the bride, but none probably as close as his were.   As they stood at the alter together, Ashley was outwardly emotional as she couldn't hold back the emotions she was feeling.  It was genuine and moving.  You could see it in how they held hands, as she squeezed tight looking for the comfort of his hand. They could have both jumped off a cliff into the water at that moment, and she would have happily followed, though I think I'm just describing one of their early dates.

A lot of people talk about when you become a man, and though there are many rites of passage, Abram was now mostly clearly a man.  This was the start of his own family, the next step in his life that was no longer just his, but shared with a person that he was vowing to love and protect for the rest of his life.  The meaning of this day did not seem lost on them.  I was very proud of my brother.

They did the mixing of the different color sands and the letters they wrote to each other, instead of being read at the ceremony, were sealed with wine for their first anniversary. The outdoor ceremony was lovely and everyone cheered when they were pronounced man and wife.  Weddings have this surreal feeling to them where everything seems the same, but you know it isn't.

The family all took a lot of professional post-wedding photos which can take some time with such a large family.  After, we worked our way to the reception hall.  A great thing about weddings is that they also function as much needed family reunions.  I got to visit with family on my Dad's side and a lot of my cousins on my mom's side.  My cousin Rino and his wife Jessica were there, and my cousin Adam and his wife Kirby were there, newlyweds and a little more seasoned newlyweds.  Adam, Rino, Abram and myself spent a lot of time together as kids and we are all very close like brothers. So many of my cousins were there and it made me so very happy to catch up.

The reception was fancy and  I had a very good time and even made it a point to do my signature wedding dance moves which I reprised from my sister's Ana's wedding when I was about 15 years old and which always bring me a great laugh.  The table decorations were very impressive and I liked the tree cut outs with candles on them.  Two new families are now connected and I enjoyed getting to know Ashley's family even better. I had some very good conversations with them.   The reception also had one of those photo booths were people take silly pictures.  Man those are always a hit, but I'm still waiting for a person to explain the ironic mustache to me. 

At the end of the night, we all blew bubbles as the bride and groom headed out to cheers, which ended up making really great photos as light reflects in rainbows off bubbles.  A lot of us retired to my house were we had menudo that my dad worked hard preparing all day.  It was the perfect dish to end the joyous day. 

The entire weekend was a lot of great family time that makes you appreciate coming from such a loving family and watching it grow over the years.  I did take a moment to reflect on how old all my parent's grand kids/my nieces and nephews are and it isn't going to be long before they too are getting married.  Life can move fast.

In related news, Abram and Ashley are buying/building a house.  What a perfect way to start a new life than with your very own home to call your own.  They are literally and figuratively building a home. They will be closer to my part of town which is nice and seem to be in an area that fits them perfectly.  I can't wait until they close and I get to go visit.

another milestone

Longs Peak Hike/Climb Adventure

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” -Helen Keller

Background 

 My brother Abram is getting married this October to his fiancée Ashley. For his bachelor party, instead of the usual customary spectacle, he decided he wanted to hike Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I agreed to this long ago, but didn't really do much research until the date started to approach.  I had just assumed it was a nice scenic stroll through the outdoors of Colorado.  I was mostly wrong, it was a lot more than that, it was a challenging hike and climb that would really test my endurance and determination.  Here is an overview of what the hike entails: 14ers Route of Longs Peak

The hike is about 7.5 miles each way (15 miles total) and goes from about 9,405 ft at the trail head to 14,295 ft (about a mile up) at the summit.  It doesn't sound like a lot of distance, but it is time consuming, especially for a novice.

Here is a model of the mountain that was in the Ranger's office that gives you an idea of what the mountain looks like.  You can see the trail starting at the top left and the peak right in the front is what you climb.

This is a topographic map of the trail we took:

Photos from the trip

I tried to take as many photos as I could on the trip and here are a few of them: Flickr Longs Peak Photos. They came out a lot better than I expected and am glad we were able to capture those memories.  There are also some photos on my Facebook Album.

The Preparation

I was surprised to read in the description that it was more of a climb than a hike, so it became apparent that I had a lot of preparing to do, especially considering that I had never been on a hike before in my life.  I was never much of an outdoors person, something I attributed to my allergies.  I've been having a good year allergy wise and luckily, I had been running a lot more often and had just finished my first 5K and was working on moving on to my first 10K on the way to my half marathon goal.

I started doing a lot research online and doing a lot of practice hikes on the weekends with friends that really pushed my limits. I bought some hiking supplies, like a camelbak backpack, hiking shoes, a headlamp, and even hiking poles. I really enjoyed the process of preparing and like the feeling of having a goal that I'm working towards.  Sometimes I worry I might get too narrow sighted in the process, but that is how I do things. By the time the hike came along, I felt as prepared as I could be, but knew I was getting into something more challenging than I had ever experienced.

The Adventure Begins

It was Wednesday, August 8, 2012, and the trip to Denver, CO was set to begin. The group of close friends Abram assembled for this trip included Norbert, Cory and Todd. They took off from Austin on a road trip in his new Xterra for Denver at 3am on Wednesday and I joined them that night since I chose to fly to Denver instead so I could get in an extra day of work.

Arrival in Denver, Colorado and the Campsite

Wednesday night, I got into Denver late and took a shuttle to meet everyone at their hotel. We all got a good night's sleep and then headed really early to the Roosevelt National Park campsite at around 6am to try to find a place to camp out. When we got to the campsite, we had to find an open site in a first come first serve setup, which lucky for us, there was only one spot open and we got it right before another group.


I had never been camping in my life, not counting that time I was 6 years old and set up a tent in the backyard, which I stayed in for a few hours before coming inside to sleep in my bed.  Everyone started setting up and I helped in what ways I could as they put up the two tents that Abram brought.

I was ecstatic to find that the campsite had a restroom, the one thing that kept me from being interested in camping to begin with.  Camping was more fun than I expected and I do see myself trying it again. We didn't have any cell phone reception which matched well with Abram's "Unplug, Run, and Hike" project that was also the inspiration for this hike.

The Day Before the Hike

It was early in the day on Thursday and after setting the campsite up and getting in trouble for hanging our big Texas flag on a nearby tree, we had the rest of the day to fill. The plan was to go to bed by 8pm and wake up at 2am that night so we could leave at 3am for the Longs Peak hike which was estimated to take anywhere from 12-15 hours. These times were recommended in many guides and seemed like the best approach.

The park was absolutely beautiful and made me proud that our government has preserved such places for the public. 



The group decided to go on a short hike spanning the first 2.25 mile part of the trail so that we could be aware of what the forest portion of the trail looked like since we would be going through it in the dark of night. I thought a rest day was in order and didn't think doing any hiking was a good idea, but I went along because I too was itching to do something and everyone was really excited to enjoy the outdoors. It was also hard to argue with the idea of trying to acclimate to the higher altitude so that we could be better prepared. The decision didn't affect the hike the next day for anyone, but probably did for me a bit.

Here is a photo the Cory took of us out in the forest on our practice hike:

The forest was exactly the way you would imagine a forest in a fairytale with brooks and high dark green trees. I was told to watch out for bears and that my defense plan of curling up in a ball was not a good one.  We hiked a total of 4.5 miles that day, which is in itself still quite a hike in my book, but we all felt great. We took in the nature and it was a really nice experience that made me appreciate Colorado more.  I really understand why people move to live there.

After returning from the short hike, we found a local general store and stocked up on welcomed, but over priced water and supplies. Everyone then went to a nearby lake to hang out while I took a nap in the tent.  When they returned to the campsite, we all prepared our hiking backpacks for the next morning, hung out, started a fire and the guys cooked some burgers that we picked up.  They didn't cook well, so we ended up making a burger/onion/chips mashup that actually tasted good as a sandwich. It went by many names from campburger helper to campfire helper, but it did the trick.

Good laughs were had by all and then we all hit the sack at about 8pm to rest up for our big hike that night. It was my first time sleeping in a tent.  I wished I had a blindfold and used a shirt to cover my eyes and ended up sleeping well.

 Long Story Short - We Made It!

The story of the hike on Longs Peak is long one, full of twists, turns, good deeds, triumphs, adversity, laughs, and multiple dangerous situations for beginners. But I will skip to the important part as a preface. Abram's goal of summiting Longs Peak was accomplished by everyone one of us and we all stood atop the mountain triumphantly, worn down and tired, but proud. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget, but more on this later.

My Fears and Anxieties

Back to the play by play though.  The longest hike I had been on while I was practicing was my first one with Abram and my cousin Rino a bit over a month ago.  It was 16 miles in the Greenbelt in Austin and it took us about 7 hours to complete.  By the end, I could not walk, was cramping and wondered if I had twice that amount of time in me. (The mileage would be the same, but it really isn't comparable since no real climbing was done.) I had a feeling that I would be fine endurance wise since I knew I wouldn't give up, but I worried that altitude sickness cause me to have to give up. My next concern was injuring my ankle or worst case slipping or falling. I know it is rare, but from what I read, at least 2 people a year die on the trek, usually from either falling, lightening strikes, or hypothermia. I also have a fear of heights that I have been fighting since I was a kid that I knew I would have to battle. I try to stand up to it by riding the highest rollercoasters or going to the top of the highest buildings, but it still can make me freeze up at times. I know some of my concern was irrational, but considering we were not experienced, my main concern was safety and getting everyone back in one piece.  I tried to be the safety monitor the best I could and the most important part of safety is preparation.

The Characters

The characters on the hike were, myself, my brother Abram (the bachelor, four years younger than me and the outdoors type), Norbert (Abram's college roommate, my current roommate, who trained hard in the gym with a lot of running, but this was his first hike), Todd (Abram's friend who managers a very cool bar, 6ft 7in who has great endurance from playing basketball, was dealing with 10 stitches on his head from a recent game, but was experienced in hiking), and Cory (Abram's best man and college roommate who was coming off of a knee injury that had him bed ridden for over a week, but who was a strong athletic guy who coaches football among other things.)

Here are Abram's good friends that were able to make it:

 My Perspective of the Hike

My perspective of the hike is just that, mine and I don't mean to speak for any other people on the hike because although we all shared many of the same experiences, we also had very different ones and most people frankly did a lot better than I did. I know it is apparent that I'm an inexperienced beginner, but I'd like to note that when I describe my experience because I'm sure it will sound more dramatic than that of a more experienced person not encountering many of these obstacles for the first time.

The Journey Begins

The soft sounding alarm rang at 2am and we all woke up and got ready in the dark as Norbert graciously cooked egg tacos for everyone. I tried to hydrate as much as possible that morning and made sure I had my 5 liters of water for my hike. It was cold and I had wind pants over full leg running tights, a long sleeve workout shirt, wind jacket and my hiking boots. I put on my workout cap with the attached headlamp to see in the dark,which made me feel like a miner. I gave one walkie takie to Todd and one to Cory so that we could have communication if the group broke up. I had my reception-less cell phone in my bad to track the trip and "Don Diego," a small stuffed dog who I take on adventures like visiting Spain, Italy and France for photos.

The Forest 2.5 miles

We signed into the hike log at about 3:35am and headed out in darkness with our packs, a fog of sleepiness and a lot of hope and inspiration.

 The hike through the woods in the darkness is a bit of a foggy memory now. We hiked about 2.5 miles until we cleared the tree line tracking the path we had leisurely done the day before. The sun rise was a sight to be seen as it came up over the background of the Rocky Mountains. The group was mostly together until this point when Todd and Norbert continued in front at a faster pace while Abram, Cory and I went at a slower pace to conserve energy.

Granite Pass at 4.1 miles to Boulder Field at 6.0 miles

The next section was called the Granite Pass, and it felt like it went forever. At this point I was already feeling it, I felt winded and my breathing was more labored.  I wondered how I would be feeling hours later since there was still a lot to go. We finally got to Boulder field, something I wasn't quite sure would be like, and then traversed boulders for what felt like a long time.

 The Key Hole at 6.25 miles

About 4 hours into the hike, we approached the Key Hole, which was where the hike ends and the climbing really begins. It was the landmark we constantly talked about and were looking forward to reaching.  I looked up at the climb to the Key Hole from Boulder Field and thought that I was really in for it, not knowing that what I was looking at was a piece of cake compared to what was coming.

Todd and Norbert waited for us at the top of the Key Hole and when we got to the top, I could feel the fatigue.  I was also having an issue where I was peeing often and losing water that way which didn't help.  When I was at the top and looked around the corner, I saw the Ledges and knew I was in for a challenging experience.   There is a part near the end called the Narrows, where it is just that, narrow ledges with a huge drop off. Well I think that would be apt to describe the Ledges as well. I looked down at the steep fall into Glacier Gorge and fought the urge to let my fear of heights reaction take over. We had about 4 more hours to traverse the last 1.25 miles to the summit of Longs Peak. It made sense to me why only 30% of people who attempt to climb to the Longs Peak summit succeed and why the Keyhole is the point where most people turn back. This where it becomes a Class 3 mountain for those of you that understand those classifications.

The Ledges through the Trough

Todd and Norbert took the lead and we headed off for what we came to do. I stayed close to the wall along the ledges and was very careful to watch every step and make sure I had a hand hold whenever I could. My concern was that in my tired state, would I be as careful as I needed to be. You could see the Glacier Gorge down to the right. Slowly, but surely, we made out way until we hit an area of the mountain called The Trough.  You had to keep following the bulls-eyes painted on the rocks and sometimes they were hard to find, but they helped tremendously.  It all felt the same, just a lot of climbing over rocks moving up higher and higher and then sometimes having to go down to go back up. I now understand what scrambling means, as I was mostly on all fours climbing up over the rocks. I was with Abram and Cory for most of this time and Norbert and Todd were nowhere to be seen because they were pretty awesome and were far in front of us. I was also going through water at a faster pace than I anticipated and felt the effects of dehydration starting up, but knew I would be good for some time. It felt like it would never end, but it was also a lot of fun.  I had never done anything like that before and part of me felt like a kid in a jungle gym. At the end was a huge upward climb that felt like it just kept going with no end in sight.

The Narrows to the Homestretch

We finally reached the Narrows. From all I had read, this was my dreaded segment because of the drop off. A lot of people, including most people in our group thought it was fine and overrated, but for me it was my personal ghost I had to battle. I vowed to myself not to look down and stayed even closer to the wall than I had already been.  I thought about taking some time to look down and reflect on what I was doing, but I didn't want that imagine in my head on my way back.  I just wanted the particular section to be over, and I was proud of myself when I got past it, not wanting to think about how in the world I was going to get back later on.


We finally got to the final climb called the Homestretch, a 300 ft climb to the summit which I was told looks more daunting than it is.  There is an adrenaline rush feeling that comes over you as the summit is in sight. Abram moved ahead and Norbert and Todd I assumed correctly were waiting at the top already triumphant in their climb and enjoying their spoils at the top.

This was my view of the guys waiting for me as I was just about to summit:

We met a lot of new friends along the way and there was this father son combo who I spent a lot of time climbing near. They both had the blondest of blond hair, orange sun burned skin and hailed from North Carolina. At the bottom of the homestretch, the 17 year old son was done, he didn't want to keep going, even with the summit in sight, the last climb just looked impossible for him. The father, a built, late forties ex-military man, was disappointed and tried to motivate his son by telling him not to be a quitter, the same way he quit football and how he would regret quitting. We each took a second to impart a bit of wisdom to the kid as we passed by. Mine was that he needed to decided if he "wanted" to climb to the top. If he felt he "needed" to climb, or "should" climb, that that wasn't enough, he had to "want it" for himself and not his Dad. If he did want it, then there was no keeping him from going on.

What I was probably doing was talking to myself because I did question my ability to make up there, but I tried to turn that thought of and just keep moving. It just looked so upright and breathing was getting harder. Cory and I climbed up near each other and as I got closer, the feeling exhilaration gave me the extra energy I needed to make it to the top.  My chest swelled up with pride as I got closer and closer.

This is me reaching the summit with Cory in orange not far behind:

The Summit of Longs Peak

The moment I climbed past the last rock and got up there was better than I expected, complete joy and pride of accomplishing this feat. I could really give a shit for the actual summit, or even the beautiful views which I did later make time to take in, but it was the internal gratification of meeting my goal that meant everything. It had been 8 hours of very hard work and months of preparation.  I knew I was by no means done, but the most important and exciting component of my goal was achieved.

We all took pictures, signed the summit log and most importantly rested. Norbert gave me some of his water which helped a lot too. I know the altitude affected me and any altitude sickness I may have had I could not differentiate from exhaustion and dehydration. I felt foggy, but didn't have a headache or nausea.  The happiness also clouded out any ill effects I was dealing with.

I made some time to take Don Diego, my stuffed dog, out and get a picture of him on the summit, another adventure he joined me on.  The view was breathtaking:

 The Way Back

The way back is where my real journey of self discovery and determination began. I knew I had the energy and endurance to make it to my goal, but the feat would not be complete until I made it back to the trail head where I started.  This was a journey that tested me like I have never been tested before. Abram's fiancée, Ashley, had said that she was concerned that we would be able to make it to the top, but not have enough energy to make it back. That was a legitimate concern and coincided with the stats that 80% of climbing accidents happen on the way down and that you are not done at the top, you are done when you are back. This made me extra aware of each action I was taking, but it was hard to be careful when your body was depleting of energy and your knees hurt. 

The ironic part was that everyone talks about how the trip down is usually easier and faster than the trip up. That is normally the case, and was for most of my group members, but it was not the case for me. It all just felt harder and I felt like I had to be more careful since my body wasn't as tough. I probably should have eaten more energy bars in retrospect, but I really did have a lot of them.

Down the Homestretch back to the Narrows

The first part was working my way down the homestretch, the 300 ft wall that I just finished climbing. I was told that sliding on my butt was the safest way to move downward, so I tried that out. There was a lot of sliding on my butt for the next few hours, though there might have been parts I could have walked down, but I was not taking any chances. and utilized this slower approach. It didn't take long before I had a long slide where I hit a rock with my feet to stop my momentum downward. It hurt as my legs hit the rock with a thud instead of a spring like I imagined in my head. I didn't like the feeling of loss of control when I slide too far and knew I had to be more careful.  It was not a good time to be learning lessons by trial and error.

Everything on the mountain just felt longer than on the way over. I was constantly searching for makers trying to make sure I was going the right way, but I was mostly focused on the very next step or action right in front of me. My knees hurt, but I was proud of how well my ankles were holding up. Even with the water Norbert gave me, I was quickly running out of water, but I had left a bottle of coconut water at the bottom of the keyhole in the boulder field and I was just hoping that would be my saving grace.

I started the climb down with Cory and Abram, but they ended up going at a faster pace than I could keep.  I was very lucky that the blond father/son combo, who did finally summit, climbed down right behind me and the father gave me a lot of good advice and looked out for me I think. When we hit the narrows, I knew this was my most feared section, so I hugged the walls again and methodically kept one foot in front of other never lacking a hand hold. When we made it to the trough I was elated to be past that obstacle once and for all.

Back through the Trough through the Ledges

Next, we worked though the trough and at some points had to climb up to later climb down to make progress. My legs were really hurting and each descent down from one rock to another made an impact on my knees that I could really feel. They held up though, but I knew that I would pay for this later. This segment felt very long and wasn't as fun and exciting as it was on the way over.

We finally made it to the Ledges, which to me were too similar to the Narrows, just not as narrow. There was one point where I couldn't find my foothold and was supporting my body by my upper body strength. I lost my balance a few times, but I was lucky that it wasn't at an inopportune time. I was in good condition, just tired and at no point felt like I had no business being there.  There was this one rock that I had trouble figuring out how to get around without risking slipping.  We used team work at that point and made it past it.

The goal was to get back to the key hole, but it always felt so far away and each time I turned a corner and thought I was getting closer, it was still a ways off. Your mind spends a lot of time thinking about how far things are, which is why I keep mentioning it. 

The Keyhole

When I finally got back to the Key Hole, I felt so accomplished and knew that I was now out of the the danger of slipping, but it didn't mean all dangers had past. The rest would just be a hike back and I was looking forward to being back. I was still making good time, but it was the rest of the hike that would take more time than expected. We all rested at the top of the key hole and I glanced out at the boulder field and could see nothing but boulders for as far as I could see. This was where I started to really feel the dehydration kicking in, but my water bottle wasn't far away.

Boulder Field

Norbert and Todd waited for us at the key hole and we all talked about how happy we were to be back.  We all then started our way down the rocks to where boulder field began, but this descent wasn't too bad except for that I was moving especially slow.

When we got to the bottom, there was a small campsite in Boulder Field that we rested again at.  Norbert was able to find a guy who had a water filter and was able to fill up on some water. I found my coconut water and mixed that with water Norbert has gotten for me. I was very lucky to have him looking out for me and the water helped me a lot.

As we were hopping boulders making our way back for the last 6 miles left of the trip, I felt the worst pain in my left Achilles. It was unlike any pain I have ever had and I didn't need this complication. It was like a sharp burning pain that hit every third or fourth step. I couldn't figure what was different when I stepped that made it hurt or feel fine so I could make sure to step on it right.  I pulled out my trekking poles and started to use them.  This really slowed me down, so I took a walkie takie and everyone else headed back in front of me. I felt bad for holding people back and slowing down the group.  The next few miles was the longest period I spent alone, just taking one step at a time with my trekking poles which severed as crutches of sorts.  As time passed, it started hurting less and less.

 Rain, Thunder and Lightning through Granite Pass

We thought we were in the clear from danger, but then one of our biggest concerns, rain and lightning started.  It started off as rain, but it quickly turned to bb sized hail that stung as it hit. Everyone raced to the tree line ahead to get out of danger, but I just kept up the best pace I could hoping I wasn’t unlucky enough to invite a lightning strike.  At this point I really wished I knew more about how lightning works and what I should be doing.  Were my trekking poles a bad accessory?  Should I hide under a rock?  I just kept moving because I was already behind to begin with.  The rain would die down and I would get hope, but then it would just pick up again. Each lightening and thunder sound made me tense up.  While this was going on, there was also a beautiful rainbow that I took a second to appreciate.

 Wrong Turn

Six miles is a long way when you are stumbling along.  As I was approaching the end of Granite pass, I was so disoriented that I misread a sign and started up a hill instead of turning left towards the forest. Luckily, when I got to the top, Abram, who was kind enough to wait for me, spotted me and yelled up at me that I was going the wrong way. I turned around and headed back and missed my turn again, honestly, not a hard turn to miss, and ending up going the wrong way back towards Boulder field for a bit when I decided to turn around and I finally got it right.  I finally met up with Abram and we ran into a hiker who gave us a message from Norbert that their walkie talkie was out of battery.  That was kind of him.

Granite Pass to the Forest

I finished the rest of granite pass with Abram as the rain finally died down and we were happy when we hit the tree line where we ran into Cory.  He had hurried ahead of us to try to avoid any more possible rain. Then it was just 2.5 miles to go, but at least we were out of danger from lightning and knew it wouldn’t be long before we were done.

The End of the Hike

This was the second time I had hiked back through the forest, but it felt longer than the stroll from the day before. We actually had a fast pace and I tried not to take any more breaks. There was nothing that was going to stop me from getting to the finish line, but the idea of rest being on the other side was also inspirational.

Abram and I arrived at the trail head 16 hours 49 minutes from the moment we left that we hit the trail head the night before and were finally done. My goal was complete and I felt great, but my body was in a numb pain that didn't seem to matter anymore.  Abram signed out of the trail log that we had returned. This didn't have the exhilaration that being at the summit had, but it was a special moment of accomplishment for me.

Here is my tracking of the trip:  Every Trail Tracking

Back to Base Camp

When we got back to the camp, before we could even sit down, we found out that our that the insides of our tents were soaked from the rain. Apparently, my rain prevention tarp idea ended up causing rain to go into the tent when normally it wouldn't have. I had never been camping before, so give me a break.  It was cold, all our stuff was wet and we were wet, so I decided to just rent a hotel room and give up on trying to camp out that night. Everyone as in and we packed up the campsite, a task which isn't enjoyable in the best conditions, but is worse when everything is wet and it hurts for everyone to move. I probably didn't help as much as I should have, but we somehow got everything back into the Xterra. Somehow it felt like we had more stuff than we arrived with.

Back in Denver

We headed back to the same hotel in Denver that we had stayed at the first night. It was a long drive, but it was the only place we could find on such short notice now that it was 10pm.  We also picked up some fast food since we were done with energy bars, took showers and I had the best sleep I have had in years.

The next morning we had lunch, reminisced about the trip, and then checked out of the hotel.  Abram dropped me off at the airport a few hours early as the rest of the gang headed on their roadtrip back to Texas.

Closing Thoughts

I'm glad that Abram decided to make this his goal. At first it became a project where I didn't want to let my brother down, but as I got more into it, it became my own goal and something I wanted for myself.  I feel like I grew closer with his friends since we were able to share this unique experience together. I really challenged myself and pushed myself to depths were I chose to keep going instead of quitting.  I proved a lot to myself and it made me want to pursue more goals in many different aspects of my life. I look forward to what comes next.

Here is Abram celebrating his bachelor party at the top of Longs Peak Summit:

determination