TJ is scared of bears and being alone in the back-country. He is masking it by pointing out my other ‘experimental’ blog:
Andy will keep you up to date via his personal blog - http://www.route27.net/ and dog blog (if you had any questions about Andy’s orientation, this will only serve to confuse the issue)- http://shichon.blogspot.com/
So we have been planning another mancation backpacking trip in Alaska. I can’t wait to share some of the email exchanges during this. The theme has been guns and being scared of bears.
Here are some beatiful pictures of our destination:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57852891@N00/sets/72057594063340588/
our last contact with civilization, town of McCarty
This will soon be us:
Last year I took a fantastic backcountry trip with the guys in the Grand Tetons.
This year Jennifer Krupinsky and Erich Lusing threw a wedding bash in the Jackson Lodge. Before that Mara, Eric Bohms, Jennifer Weis and I did some backpacking in the Tetons. We took the Death Canyon route. It was a different hike from last year, as due to almost a double then average snow fall there was snow above 9000 feet and a lot of the mountain passes were impassable.
Despite being four months pregnant Mara did a fabulous job. Here are some pictures from the trip. We also did a early morning kayak trip. Enjoy the pictures.
Wait for it, this is great
Team Magnificent Milers took part in the 2008 MC200
We finished respectably with 30:08:07 (thats right, over 30 hours… maybe next year) in 52nd place out of 103 teams.
Here are some pictures:
Marla Aistrope
Ken Antles
Jen Weiss
Eric Bohms
Julia Knippen
Lynn Roberts
Andy Kucharski
Judah Viola
Alina Viola
Pasha Sternberg
Kandace Happ
Marla did an awesome job organizing, here is an example of her awesome skills in hearding cats.. ehh, i mean runners:
WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ME?
-reflective gear for night running (Marla & Steve)
-water, Gatorade, propel, trail mix and other snacks
-LOTS of gallon sized Ziploc bags for wet and smelly clothes
-First aid kit (Marla)
-course maps that you can run with (Ken)
-driving directions (Marla)
-race handbooks (Marla)
-cooler (Marla) – we’ll get ice from the hotel in the morning
-race number and pins
-febreeze (you’ll thank Ken later for remembering that one)
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Clothes:
-3 sets of running clothes (don’t forget extra underwear and socks too)! And I would highly suggest bringing shorts with pockets as it is REQUIRED that you run with a cell phone at all times and you’ll also be carrying a copy of your map and directions for your leg.
-long sleeve shirt for night running
-rain jacket if the forecast predicts rain
-comfortable clothes to wear when you are not running
-a hat or hats for sun or rain
-TWO pairs of running shoes. It might rain, be muddy on the trail, or one shoe might somehow disappear from the van (it happened to me).
-flip flops/sandals
Other:
-sleep bag or blanket
-towel (for sitting on in the van when you are sweating or in case of rain)
-toothbrush & toothpaste
-contacts, solution and glasses (trust me, you’ll want to take your contacts out when we have our few hours to sleep)
-Sunscreen
-Sungrasses
-Bugspray
-Roll of toilet paper
-goo, shot blocks, clif bar or anything similar that you like to eat while running
-ipod
-2 checks that you can write out to cover your portion of the vans and hotel rooms
-Pasha – please bring a signed waiver (found on the last page of the handbook online)
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO THIS WEEK TO PREPARE?
-SLEEP!!!! Really, try your best to rest up this week. If you start this race tired, you’ll feel it. And while there is an extra bench in the van that we can take turns stretching out and napping on, everyone will need to help with the driving at some point and it’s so fun, you won’t want to spend the whole race sleeping!
-Tie up loose ends at work so that once we get to Madison your laptop can remain shut and you won’t need to take a conference call during your first leg.
-Run light. This is not the week to conquer speed training or another long run.
ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?
-There will be short opportunities to catch some shut-eye. I would suggest bringing a sleeping back that you can lay out on the grass. If we have rain, sleep will occur in the van and/or inside a building at one of the exchange zones.
-While the other van is running, we will find restaurants and eat so you don’t have to worry about bringing along food for meals.
-Any CD’s, Ipods (with radio connector), or satellite radio adaptors are welcome. The majority of the race will be in the middle of nowhere and radio reception is minimal.
-There may be an opportunity to take a shower in the middle of the event. In order to be prepared, you may want to bring a towel and toiletries.
-We’ll all be sharing the driving duties and the navigation. i.e. you want to sit in the front of the van, you are either driving or navigating for the driver (and also playing dj).
-Some of us might be competitive people, but this relay race is all about fun. Don’t worry about your pace!
-Speaking of pace, I’ve attached a pace calculator that MC200 provides. I don’t have the paperwork with everyone’s pace on it at home, so I had to make them up. Please don’t be insulted if I have your pace too low or feel pressured if I put your pace too fast. It’s just to approximate.
-Final words of advice: HAVE FUN, just get out there and do your best, be midful of saving up some energy for your 3rd and final leg, do your share of the driving, laugh at my jokes and living in a van together will be a pleasure!
2008 Geezer Athlete event I have signed up for or thinking of doing
2008-02-24 - Hustle Up the Hancock [signed up]
2008-04-27 - Sunday - Ravenswood 5k [signed up]
2008-04-27 - Sunday - Bug Sur Marathon
2008-05-24 - Saturday - Soldier Feild 10 M [signed up]
2008-08-24 - Sunday - Chicago Accenture Triathlon