So much to do

The outdoors are becoming my life more and more in recent years. I've gone from being the good ol' american athlete playing football and baseball as a kid to now participating in these fringe rec activities of climbing, mountaineering and ultra trail running. This is only the beginning though. I don't want outdoor activities to be my hobbies but a lifestyle! I want to be a climber and a runner and a mountaineer - an overall adventurer.

Currently, my interests are mostly focused on climbing. This summer afforded me the opportunity to develop a lot as a climber, honing skills in multipitch climbing, traditional climbing and pushing me physically. Coming back to middle TN, though, I am awaken to the tremendous growth left in my future. What is 5.8, for example? Sometimes 5.8 is a warmup for me. Other times, 5.8 is the perfect trad line for me. And still other times, 5.8 is a struggle. What?! I don't even want to have to ask that question. Okay, so I realize that ratings are relative and that climbing a certain grade is not my reason for climbing, but still I have that drive! I want to climb 5.8 no problem - no concersn whatsoever. Heck, the same for 5.9! By my graduation, I would like to be a solid 5.10 leader! Will it happen? I don't know, but I certainly realize that it won't just be bestowed on me. What do I need to work on? Well, for starters, strength in my fingers and upper body. I need to get on steeper stuff. In general, I need to push my climbing to the next level. I have been too complacent for too long and not getting much better.

That was a rant. You get the point -- I want to get better! I will be working on it. Whenever I can, I want to get out to Chattanooga to T-Wall, Sunset, Fosters and to the little cliff that could, King's Bluff in Clarksville. I have a full rack now and just want to climb!

My running has been pretty down since I didn't do much this summer. Even since returning to Nashville, I have run (at most) 3 times per week and topped out at 12mi once. At this point, just 3 weeks from a 50k, there's not much I can do in preparation, so I will just be maintaining and hoping for the best. This one might be harder than the last...

In other news, I have added one more outdoor skill to my toolset - kayak rolling. Last Tuesday, I attended the Outdoor Rec's weekly roll clinic. That night I went through a progression, practicing technique, hip movements, paddle movements, different rescue techniques and, finally, the roll. After a pretty intense 1h15mins, I attempted my first roll and completely floundered. With some intense training over the next ~10mins, I got the roll and repeated it a couple of times. I was actually amazed on my first succesful roll. It felt so easy (doing it the right way) that I thought someone had helped me. I am not the most comfortable person in water, so the kayaking adventure is perfect for pushing my comfort zone. I hope to hit a river sometime this year.

That is all for now. The biggest event is that my girl is finally coming back - one week! I can't wait. It's been a long 4 months.