New Post - Wow!

Thought I would at least get one more post in before the end of the year. Conservation seems to have moved over to FB/Twitter now. :)

Here I was yesterday ice biking on Riverbend Lake - the words Merry Xmas with GPS. Click on title to go to link!

Z

Oregon Mountain Biking

Here is some bike camera video from Nick and I mountain biking around Oregon 7/6-7/11/09. I just have bike video of basically the Upper McKenzie River portion of trip right now - Windows Movie Maker is having issues. More to come though.

UPDATE! - 2nd video below (on the left) is now the Newberry Calderra Rim Loop. I didn't compress it, so a little smoother. :)

UPDATE #2 - 3rd video below (on the right) is Umpqua River Trail portion of trip - including infamous Dread and Terror. It's also uncompressed video and a little smoother and longer.

What a fantastic trip! We had two days on McKenzie River Trail - camping at River Bridge campground one night. 1 day riding Newberry Calderra Rim loop outside Bend, with two nights staying in DT Bend with friends. 3 days/ 3 nights riding the Umpqua River Trail, camping at the Eagle Rock Campground. Umpqua Trail riding including do the infamous Dread and Terror Segment, and riding the Applewood Segment that was a major forest fire back in 2002. Actually the biggest thing to Dread about Dread and Terror are the mosquitoes. That does keep you moving though.

I had one good endo the first day doing the upper half of McKenzie River Trail, right on some nice sharp lava rock. Just a nice souvenir for the trip. I was a little more careful for a while after that. :P

We had about 150miles total riding, maybe a third of that was road riding to and from single track trail. I would have sweet Garmin GEarth maps of bike routes, but Garmin started turning itself off all the time when I hit any bump. Maybe time for Garmin upgrade.... :)

Z

20th Century Ultra Trail Run

Saturday 6/20/09 was 20th Century Ultra Trail Run.

Not related to Mutual Fund! 100K from Lake Easton, passing over the Cascade Range on PCT, to Carnation (Tolt MacDonald State Park). Only wildlife I saw was a marmot up in rocky area around Ollalie Meadows. I didn't need to see a bear that day.

Perfect weather - sun in the AM, then cloudy and cool in the afternoon. 7AM to 7:01PM (721min) - 7th place out of 15 (8 women and 7 guys). Here is GEarth pic of route and me at finish turning off my Nike+ ipod.

The last 12-13 miles by far the hardest - I felt pretty good up to about 50miles. I couldn't believe how long the several last miles seemed to be. I was half joking with someone that passed me near the end that I forgot if was doing the 50K or 100K. I think she was a little worried about my mental state after I said that, and one of the race organizers came looking for me. But I was just about then crossing the finish line. Very nice to see Marilyse waiting for me at finish and have some real food - no more Gu, Powerbars, or electrolyte mix!

Race organizers did an awesome job with stations, support, logistics - especially considering distances and trail bypasses involved!

Here is GEarth pic of route and me at finish turning off my Nike+ ipod.

-Zach

2Kmiles with Nike+!

Last Saturday, I realized that I was only 22.5 miles short of 2000mile goal with Nike+ system. So what the hay, a beautiful sunny spring weekend and I went out for a 23.2mi run - about a mile of it I had to walk around the end. Riverbend running down to Tokul Trussle and then back Snoq Trail where you can see 34 exit. Good times!

Click on link for Nike+ Cert.

Z

Sunflower Iron Completed

What a Trail Run! I did the Methow Valley Sunflower Iron Trail Run on 5/2/09. 3hrs 17min for 21.7miles, about 2,400ft total elevation gain, 35th place out of 143 Iron Runners - click on title to link to all race results. My Nike+ chip overclocked it a little at 23miles. Incredible views and yes, lots of sunflowers! Race is very well supported and organized, with lots of happy runners. Keith - thanks for the potato, strawberry, and gu drop at mile 8. The free baked potato at the finish was real incentive to keep going. :P

Z

Budu race 3/1/09 Soaring Eagle Icey Qua

Here I am avoiding rock at Budu race at Soaring Eagle Park.
Lucked out with good weather - 6 of 20 in my sport class on this one.
Good times!
Mom was there was to cheer me on. Thanks Mom!

Last two budu races I bailed on because of weather - mud/snow/rain fests.

Next big event is Sunflower Iron in Wintrop, WA - 5/2/09.

Z

Sporting

I finished first Sport Class Mtn Bike Race last Sunday - Budu Seatac. Great Times!
It had rained the night before, but sun was peeking out by race time. A little mud and slick roots, but mostly nice tacky course. I was 8 of 15 in mens 30something Sport Class. I'll take it, now onto next weekend at Soaring Eagle. Click on title for link to results.

Z

Sunflower Iron Event

I signed up for the Sunflower Iron Event on May 2nd in Wintrop.
Abour 22mi total to race - a mix of hiking trails, roads, and everything in between. Check out elevation graph on right. I think I am mostly worried about that last section of downhill.
Looking forward to hanging out in Wintrop a bit, before and after race - it should be a fun place. Click on Post Title for link to Sunflower website.

Z

Sega Team Ride 2/1/09

Sweet Sega Team Ride in Black Diamond on Super Bowl Sunday. Sun peeked out after a morning chill. Awesome to see everyone out there!!

On the right are GEarth pics of Peter's "Medium" Group Ride. About 8.2miles, 1.5hr ride time by my calculations. Click on Title for motionbased.com ride detail.

I'll try to have some video up later. :P

Cheers,

-Zach

Red Hot Hydroponic Chili Peppers

The Hydroponic Chili Peppers are starting to grow, at least 6 of the 7 Pods. Another month or so, and we'll be ready for some hot cooking!

There are three types here: Jalapeno, Red Fire, and "Super Hot" Chili Pepper Plants. The Super Hots seem to take the longest to grow....

Z

10 million CMs

On the right is pic of 100K 'fun run' from Easton to Carnation, WA.
Almost all on Rail Trail, and net downhill. I've run the middle section of this course before and biked the beginning and end sections. Should be a piece of cake! June 20th 2009 - I'll need to set my alarm really early. :P

Z
P.S. Only part I am a little worried about is running the 2-3 miles through Hyak Tunnel - dark, wet, potholes, orcs, etc.

Quote of the Day

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.
— Philip K. Dick

Now this made me think: if I believe it, then it does go away, at least metaphorically :)

ZMac

More snow and shoeing

Here are a couple pics (from the G1 Android) from South Fork of Snoqualmie at the Bridge near Riverbend (12/25) and My better half up at Rattlesnake Lake/Ridge (12/28). Now the snow is all a yucky/slushy mush. :(

Z

Icebiker

Yesterday I "icebiked" around Riverbend neighboorhood. Included was a ride ontop of riverbend pond. Worst case, I think the water is only like 4 feet deep. See video here. :)

Wikipedia even has a icebiking entry, funny:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icebiking


Click on title link for motionbased workout details - a woping 4.6 miles in a hour! Actually they have new map player working now which is pretty cool. It auto-detects pauses in workout.

No slippage as long as I was on compact snow/ice. Once I was on side roads or trail in the thick snow I slidding all over. Good for heart rate though - I was up to 164 bpm.

I needed to get out of house anyway. We had pipe burst yesterday and spent hours and hours wiping up water damage. See what ice did to our copper pipe (pic on right). All good now though, especially thanks to Handy Man!

Z

Fun in the Snow

Snow, Fire, Ice, Bike with Studded Tires. Enuf said....

I'm not sure that St. Francis likes that fire.

Bring it on Mother Nature. Is saying that now a jinx? :P

Z

So here is just a text post.
I really liked this Carl Sagan quote I recently ran across. Could be applied to sports world too:

"The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what’s true. "
— Carl Sagan

I am paraphrasing, but reminds me a little of coach Bill Parcells quote along the lines of:
You are what your record (win/loss) says you are.

ZMac.

Halloween Treat

Here is my better half, handing out candy last night, what a cutie! :P

I also tried giving candy to pizza delivery guy dressed a surgeon but he wouldn't take any! Oh well, more for me. We enter the dangerous holiday-fattening time of year with way too much food to go around.

Z

Riverbend to Duvall and back

I think this is my longest ride of the year. Awesome October Fall Day - it's the foliage, sun and crisp air!!


55 Miles in 4:30hours with a couple breaks - all on the Snoq.Trail. I almost reached the very north end of Snoq Trail. :P
Very cool the way trail opens up into farm country as you get closer to Duvall. You go right by Remlinger Farms, with everyone getting into the Pumpkin Patch!

Z

Lost Lake

Nike and I biked up the John Wayne from North Bend to Lost Lake 09/12-09/14, with 3 days/2nights of camping & fishing gear (about 65 mi roundtrip). Completely self contained trip, except for a couple cans of bud from fellow camper. :P

What an awesome time: biking, fishing, swimming, hiking, camping. We caught about 5 trout that supplied much of the protein, saving some of the freeze dried meals for another time. Nick caught a monster 18" trout!

Other wildlife was mostly just some very hyper chipmunks near camp - bad chipmunk! No bears on this trip, but we still kept food suspended up in trees at night, mostly to keep away from chipmunks really.

09/13 Hike from Lost Lake to Mirror Lake was sweet - Mirror Lake looks like something out of an "Alpine" Disney movie. Here is route, a few pics and workout data by clicking on "Lost Lake" Title.

Cheers,

Z

PS I did learn that those tiny emergency shelter bivie sacks don't work for camping purposes - since the sack doesn't breathe you get nice and damp being in it too long. Ack!

Moo Moo Moolock Lake

Keith, Nick and I mtn biked up to Lake Moolock yesterday - a nice little alpine lake North of North Bend. About 4,000 feet of total elevation gain - some spots were 20% + elevation grade! Post title has workout details. Local biker Kent Peterson inspired this ride - kudos to him.

What an awesome ride. Down to 166 pounds when I got home - need to drink more water I think.

I'll try to add some video and pics a little later...... VIDEO is up now (see below)- most of it double speed so watchout!

Cheers,

Z