One of those Weeks

This week has been one of those weeks. I haven't had the chance to work in any extra workouts at all. We met with our accountant, we met with a client for a wedding, we had our monthly class with our midwifery group, I worked late for two days, we worked for 9 hours straight to launch our new photography blog and today, finally, we woke up and felt like we turned a corner in our business.

So much of my blog thus far has mentioned how I build in my workouts so if I have a week like this then I don't have to feel guilty for not jogging 5 miles every other day. I've been banned from running at night in the city because I'm a father-to-be...plus, I suppose it can be a little sketchy anyways! I continued to do what I could: watching what I eat, doing the stairs at work, doing lunges and push-ups at night and basically trying out this new thing called maintenance. I was shocked that giving my body a break for a week actually made a difference.

I hit 215 on multiple days in the morning...at one point the scale said 214!? My body needed a little rest and it needed to see what it's like to be at it's new and vastly improved weight.

I don't let on to what I do much outside of this working out/losing weight gig but a huge part of my time can be divided into two distinct areas:

1.) Getting ready (mentally) for our baby's arrival. This means classes, painting rooms, reading about things, talking with my wife about observations we've made of other parenting techniques (use your imagination) and various other things that take up a lot of time.

2.) I work a second job. Sea Studio photography is a business that my wife and I started a year or so ago. We are constantly looking, talking and translating our inspirations into new blogs, blog postings, website redesigns, etc, etc. We make lists about everything, we even make lists of lists, it's crazy.

What I think has made the biggest difference this time around in my weight loss journey is I actually believe I can do it. I finally have stopped listening to that little, negative voice inside me that tells me every lie possible in order to keep me from making my dream a reality.

Anyways, I really just want you to check out our new Sea Studio Photo Blog...we put a ton of time and energy into it:) I will be back onto regular posting for this blog starting this week!! Thanks again for following along, as always!

Snoose for a Slice?

Temptations abound in the Greenwood neighborhood starting next month. We just got word (or were reminded) that we have an amazing pizza place (Snoose Junction) opening within walking distance from our house. We are very happy about this but this will be a test for me because good pizza is my kryptonite, my weakness...and like all temptations, proximity is usually the catalyst for failure.

I vow to forgive myself for a slice here and there. And, I also vow to stop after just a slice!

Other notables about Snoose Junction are their commitment to being an Eco-friendly company. The decor inside is all reclaimed woods, some of which are taken from the lanes at a now defunct Sunset Bowl and the coolest part (sort of:) is all deliveries are done by bicycle!

It should be a welcomed addition to this growing neighborhood!  They even have a cool logo;)

(Yes, I do realize that's two postings in a row that mentions pizza...I told you it was my kryptonite!)

Dream Run - #6 (New York, New York)

A few years back, Sally and I lived in a very small Greenwich Village aparment in Manhattan. The adventure we had out there could fill an entire blog on it's own (or book) so I'll try to limit my excitement to just one of many walks I'd love to go on if we go back. This could very well turn into a Dream Run subset. I find myself gravitating to the things I know (Manhattan, Italy, Spain and pretty much anywhere I've traveled to)…I didn't have the foresight to see how hard it would be to choose somewhere like Bali or Rio and try to come up with a "dream run". If you've been to Manhattan with Sally or myself this isn't too far off what we would've made you endure! We loved torturing, er…touring with our visitors showing them the sites…we had it down, too!

Starting at Bedford and Downing (our apartment) we walk towards SoHo..saying hi to the Joe's on the road (old super). In order to get us through this long journey we have to (MUST) stop at Ben's Pizzeria for a slice of the best NY pizza (in my opinion) on the corner of Thompson and Spring. Refreshed we walk further south on the coolest, cobble-stoned road (and only with trees) in SoHo, Wooster! We swing by Sally's old work then cruise up by mine. It's out to Broadway and up to Bleecker…turning right we head towards the Bowery and see the remains of CBGB (rip). We navigate through a few streets with our sites set on McSorley's Old Ale House…(I see a common theme here reminds me of Dublin).

We then take a small detour to 1st Ave then brings us back to Day 1 when we stayed at a shoddy hostel! We walk down 14th Street (the longest of all the Streets on Manhattan...not Avenues, Streets) to Union Square and turn to head up Broadway to the Flatiron building. We look up at it and then push on across town on another long thoroughfare, 23rd st. We turn on 9th and head back downtown stopping in at the Chelsea Market to see if we can find Emeril. After checking out the market we browse up and down the Meatpacking District. We work our way towards Hudson Street passing Cowgirls and Christian Louboutin along the way. After enjoying our favorite stretch of the Far West Village we head back to Bedford, across 7th and back to our 400 sq. foot place we called home. I guess it would be weird to go back there now since we don't live there, but hey this is my dream run:)

Here's a picture of Ben's...oh how I love it so!

Do Your Chores!

Yesterday I concerned myself with the amount of time it would take me to burn the calories of a truffle I ate. Today I'm doing chores. Last weekend, there was a lull in my posting because I was working hard on getting our baby room ready. I painted. I painted the baby room on Saturday, then I painted our room on Sunday. 

This weekend, I escaped the big project list but am left with a house that needs a series of smaller chores done to make it look exceptionally clean. Just the way my prego wife loves it;) Right, honey..."yes, I know, just after I'm done here writing this post...I promise." Geesh, all those years of laughing at my dad's supposed "honey-do" list has come back to bite me!  

In an effort to ease my mind for losing a day of jogging or feeling guilty that I didn't do a proper workout, I set out to find any information on caloric burn potential for the average household chore. I was pleasantly surprised, actually. Lugging that vacuum up and down and all around this house can burn 658 calories for a guy my size in only 30 minutes! That's about how long it takes. I was also surprised to see that my painting effort while beautiful and renaissance-esque, was also a helluva good workout, 490 calories an hour!

Here's another chart that I found out there with some common chores and the burn potential. It hasn't changed my mind on doing them, I still don't love to do them, but if I can work in a workout while doing them then I guess it's worth it...plus it makes the misses happy;)

Burning (Calories) Man

While I was jogging yesterday (during the first good mile) I had this thought. Is there a calculation out there or a program that exists that could tell me how many minutes of a specific workout I would have to perform to burn off the amount of calories I'm about to ingest? In other words, I'm about to pop into my mouth an amazing truffle that is 50 calories...how long will I need to run and at what pace?

The answer I've come up with after hours of exhaustive searching on this convoluted thing called the world wide web is no, not really. If you want to figure this out there are a few different things to take into consideration. How many calories will you burn doing a specific exercise for your specific weight during a minute or an hour. Thankfully I came across multiple, very easy to use sites that have a calculator that does just that. So far the one I like best is here. After you've determined this, then you'd have to find an example. Let's say that truffle I was talking about...50 calories, not bad for a truffle...how long will I need to do the exercise of my choice in order to burn the caloric content of my chocolate treat? There must be something out there that can do this in one easy to use calculation...right? Nope, I had to take matters into my own hand.

I created a simple (very simple) spreadsheet that I have to enter numbers into but shows me very clearly the work I have to do to shed the calories I'm about to eat. It could be useful for making up my mind, maybe it'll get me to think: "do I really want to eat this" or "I have to run how far to burn that?" or on certain days I could use this as an excuse "If I run for 7 miles, tonight I can eat that whole Ben & Jerry's pint all by myself". Thank God those days are over;)

I'm still trying to figure out how to post my spreadsheet but here's a screen shot of what I made for myself to help me "weigh" the pros and cons. Yes, a horrible pun that unfortunately was intended:) Also, if you would like me to tweak the spreadsheet and make one for you I'd be happy to...just let me know your current weight and your exercise of choice! I'll input the numbers and send you your own cool, calorie calculator! 

Head Games

I've struggled a little this week coming up with things I want to blog about. Is that the right verb, "blog" or should it be "post"?  Having a short week messed with my mind a bit, I kept thinking I had more time that I actually did. I would refer to tomorrow as the day itself...like "on Sunday I will do such and such" when usually I would just say "tomorrow..." 

Or maybe it's just this week? Yesterday (which was Friday) I got off work and didn't feel inspired to do anything. But, I forced myself out the door and jogged 5 miles. I felt great for the first 2 then instead of kicking it into a nice, smooth cruising gear I hit a mental wall. It really made me think about how much of running/jogging really is psychological. It's mind games. I didn't want to be out there and I was in a hurry to get back home...therefore, my run sucked. On Monday when I ran 10.6 miles I had nothing to do and my only goal for the day was a long run. Go figure, it was a great run. 

I guess what I'm really wondering is how beneficial is a workout if you aren't feeling it? Most of the time if I can just get myself started, the funk will subside and the workout seems worthwhile. But, on those occasions (such as yesterday) when I just can't get it to click I feel it was a waste of time. The funny thing is, I still jogged the 5 miles so physically I still "got" the workout. 

I suppose there must be some benefit in at least going through the motions. I had to battle my laziness yesterday and I beat that so that's a win. The next skill to figure out is once I'm out there, how do I enter that blissful feeling of workout goodness. How do I let go of the week's stress and really just focus on how great it feels? Mind you, this only happens once-in-a-while, usually I have no problem getting out there...I usually am looking forward to it!

As for today, possibly our last sunny day for a week or so, what am I going to do? I haven't figured that out. I would love to get down to Greenlake again and at least put in one good lap around the outside...then maybe later on I could do a little yoga to settle myself down and give my tired body a stretch. Battling the head games has been exhausting lately but I'm still progressing which inspires me to get back out there. This morning I weighed 216.5, a new low! 

Progress Report

I weighed in at 217 this morning. I've been up and down, up and down the past few weeks but a breakthrough run and another look at my diet is showing me that I have much room for improvement. By the end of the month I want to be weighing in at 215 consistently. I know it'll happen!!

Some changes I've noticed lately are:

1. Further tightening of my mid section - less jiggle in the middle
2. I can feel more bones - I can see my ribs (but not in a starving-kid kind of way), I can see and feel those hip bones and I'm starting to see more of my neck (muscles/tendons/jugular/adam's apple).
3. My arms are taking shape - I'm seeing indentations by my bicep/tricep area and what appears to be deltoids
4. Sally said I'm "starting to get that v-shaped thing going on, broad shoulders down to skinny waist" - that's cool

Here's a graph of my weight loss since August (35 lbs.) Sally will be taking pictures of me next week so I can post some better Before/After shots!

Double Digits

I did it!  I was feeling good this morning and have had a run in my mind for the past few weeks.  After my last "long" run of 7.2 when I went down to Greenlake around it once and came back, despite the watery left eye, I thought it would be possible to add a second time around Greenlake. 

As I was jogging up to the lake I decided to stay along the outside ring and then I was going to pop into the middle eventually. However, today is a holiday and it was sunny out which in Seattle means EVERYONE was out in full force today. The double-wide stroller gangs (at least 3 wide and 2 deep), the latte holding weavers (matching North Face jackets and jeans), the high school crew teams (with oversized t-shirts and what appears to be spandex short-shorts), the tight-rope walkers, the Greenlake Speedwalker (complete with black yoga pants, Nike jacket and Nike hat with pony-tail out the back [can be confused with the Bellevue mall mom]), the roller-derby girls (no joke), the "way-too-cool" long boarders, the horse-like dogs with human size poop, the Lance Armstrong full-gear bikers and a bunch of other characters ...needless to say I stayed on the outer ring.

About 100 yards ahead of me I saw another guy going about the pace I wanted to go...so I switched gears and just cruised.  Once I caught up to him (a safe, non-stalker distance) I just paced him. That dude was a machine...in fact he's probably still down there running laps. 

The first one went by pretty easy. By the second lap I was feeling a little tightening on the sides of my quads along that muscle that runs from your knee up the side of your leg connecting to your hip...ooh yeah, I still feel it! But I kept on and before I knew it lap two was over and I was on my way back to Greenwood. I staggered into the house and plopped down to write this. 

The double-digit mark has been a long time coming and really opens the door for more long distance runs. Or at least it's easier to conceive of them. With the half-marathon coming up in May or June (not sure which I'm doing) this is definitely helping with the frame of mind I think I'll need to make it 13.1 miles. In fact, if I add another lap around Greenlake it would be close to 14 miles! 

Today I ran 10.6 miles...here's the link

Ode to Sigg

My brother-in-law, Jafar, sent me a text that made me laugh then got me to think. It was a small poem about his Sigg bottle that Sally and I got for him for Christmas. When we gave it to him we gave him the rundown on the benefits of having a reusable bottle (yada yada) and I told him how I find that I drink a lot more water because of it. Jafar and I talk a lot about our eating (or over-eating) habits and when he sent me this text it hit a chord because I have come to the realization lately how important it is to drink water all the time. I find that if I'm not at work, I don't drink nearly enough. I'm working on it, but without further ado…here is the text I received this morning:

"Take a swig out my sigg helps prevent me eatin like a pig! Ya dig!" ~Jafar

I was searching around for a scientific interpretation of Jafar's poem and found this strikingly similar message:

"If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid."

Personally, I like Jafar's quote…It rhymes, it's to the point and it's backed by science!

Here's a picture of Jafar and his wife, Hailey, during a photo shoot we did of them awhile back. This was before he had his new Sigg...just think of how much higher he may have jumped!




Just a reminder...I'm still hoping more of you will share songs that you like when you work out. I'm thinking of compiling them all onto my iPod and taking them out for a jog...just enter them in the comments field of the last post!!



One last thing, DRINK MORE WATER!

Soothing the Savage Beast

I've been having a hard time figuring out how to write this posting because it is of great importance to me.  Music helps me in so many ways but I'm not going to write a self-help on how music saved or changed my life, maybe it has maybe it hasn't, I'm just going to break it down into it's simplest meanings (for me). 

It helps me run. It keeps me moving. It keeps me company (on those long runs). It makes it so I can't hear myself breathe hard (which is helpful). It's mine. The music I like is the best music in the world, according to me. Therefore, music is personal. But today music is simply a tool for working out.

I want anyone reading this to share with me 3 songs that you love to listen to when you work out. Personally, I like songs that have a medium to high beat per minute. I try to mimic the beats to my steps. Here are my 3 recent songs I want to share that are on my playlist at this very moment:

Noah & the Whale - "5 Years Time" - it tricks me into thinking it's warm out [good for those long straight-aways]

Tokyo Police Club - "Be Good" - dunno, just like the beat [good during the 1st mile]

The Von Bondies - "C'mon C'mon" - an older song that I used to listen to when I "used" to jog [good for those damn hills]

***One last note, I am not a "lyrics" guy...I mean, sometimes I hear them but usually I just pay attention to the music and not what they are actually singing about (this has caused some interesting situations btw)***

Now share with me 3 of the songs on your playlist! 

Sweatin' to the Yogi's

Sometimes I write things off without trying them. Sometimes it's intuition and sometimes it's someone's advice that leads me to not try something; then there's yoga. It wasn't because of something that someone said nor was it because of this supposed intuition, it just never happened. It was more of an after-thought. I guess I was just indifferent to the whole thing. I never even gave it a second thought. People asked if I'd ever tried it or would like to try it and it was more just a shrug and a "nah, maybe some other time". Maybe I was put off by the names of the moves? Downward Dog?

One day, about 2 months ago, I was sitting at home and it was starting to snow which made my afternoon jog unlikely. I sat on the couch, moping about wondering what to do. I saw Sally's Yoga DVD staring at me and I thought "no one's home, I guess I'll see what this is all about, it can't be too hard?" I got my ass kicked that snowy afternoon by a very calm, blonde lady on our JC Penney TV. I was hooked.

Sally got me my very own DVD by this guy (Eoin Finn) that's a surfer (imagine that) and now I was doing it at least once, sometimes twice a week. I'm a believer now. I don't have too much to say as far as yoga goes because I'm still learning it and trying to understand it but what I can say is that makes you feel amazing. It feels like your body is functioning as it was intended. The blood flows unobstructed delivering all the necessities through your body. My posture is straighter, I want to eat better and I swear it makes you feel like a better person. It's not an easy thing to explain without sounding like a freakjob hippie but the word "centered" has never made more sense than it does after you do yoga. Plus you sweat, a lot, and that makes it feel worth-while!

There so many dvd's out there that it's hard to know where to start. I like the one I use…here it is at Amazon and pictured to the left.

Birth-days

I just wanted to take a moment to wish my wife, Sally, a very happy birthday (belated in real time, it was on 2/7…no, I didn’t miss it!)

By now it should be very obvious how important my support group has been. Sally has been there from the start for me. She listens to all my ideas, is excited for all my "ah-ha" moments, inspires and motivates me to do more…she even tempts me with ice cream and this amazing chocolate sauce that she "whips up". I usually cave in but a little ice cream isn't what makes you fat it's the lifestyle. Yes, an "ah-ha" moment!

I also wanted to announce (if I haven't already) that I'm going to be a Dad! (this is where you have an ah-ha moment). Yes, it's true…our own little, bundle of joy! This has been a huge motivation for me because I want to be living a healthy lifestyle and be able to teach our child(ren) without seeming like a hypocrite! I want to be around a long, long time and enjoy all of life's craziness!!

So…Happy Birthday Sally (I love you!) and happy almost birth-day to our baby. (does that mean our baby is -4 months old? Hmm)

(not) Blood, (maybe) Sweat and (or) Tears?

I Google'd it. Nothing. I found how to keep sweat out of the eyes but that's not what was going on. I also found information about "dry eyes" which is an ironic name btw but not what was really going on either. The best way to describe it is; I was sweating out my eyes or I was suffering from non-emotional crying in the left eye. Yeah, I know, weird.

When I got home yesterday I plotted out a jog that would change my course and give me a new long mileage to work on, 7.2 miles. I set out on my jog and my eyes were unusually blurry but I figured it was because it was starting to get dark and my eyes don't see well in that dusk light. By the time I got 2 miles into it I felt my left eye well up with "tears?" but I wasn't sad. Hmmm…I kept going. Then a tear or tear like fluid rolled all the way down my cheek…I couldn't keep my eye dry. This lasted the rest of my run.

I jogged right in to the office and tried to figure out what was wrong with me? The only thing I did differently today was drink a big glass of water before I left. Has anyone ever experienced this? I don't think it's possible to have eye sweat but that's the best way to describe it?!

I made it through my run pretty painlessly (other than the overproducing tear duct) which is exciting and I woke this morning with a new low of 217 on the scale.

Another Notch

I've got this belt. It's a pretty normal belt as far as leather belts go. Silver buckle, a few holes and it holds my pants up pretty well. I've had this belt for over 7 years. It's faded, cracked, the stitching by the buckle is frayed and it's actually mishapen from the years of yanking and stretching. There never was any sentimental value for me because it's just a belt.

A few months and about 15-20 pounds ago, Sally and I were visiting her parents up in Bellingham and I was giving my progress report when Dennis looked at me and offered to add a new hole in my belt. My belt wasn't really doing anything but being a waist accessory so I took it off and we went out to the garage to perform surgery…it felt like we were going to go shoot the old horse out back. Maybe it was time to just kill it and get a new one.

With the new hole, my belt worked again and the excess wraps so far around me that I have to pull the belt buckle to the side just so it doesn't hang down like that brief and really bad braided belt trend back in 8th grade (which I was never cool enough to pull off; who's cool now?!). With the revival of my old belt I decided to use it as a reminder of my journey, yeah, yeah all that cliché stuff.

Flash forward to yesterday. I was chatting with my dad (who has embarked on his own quest) and he just added a hole in his belt. I'm not sure if his belt is as uncool or old as mine but I was proud of his achievement because I know what that feels like. I pulled on my pants this morning and as I was blindly trying to buckle the belt (or thread it through the hole) I realized that I'm in need of a new hole. Could that be possible?! Yes, it is true and apparently quite possible so I am adding a new hole and perpetuating my belt's life.

It's more than just another hole though, it's an achievement and I'm keeping it! (I hear Sally groaning)

Mental Hurdle #3 - The Plateau

I welcome the plateau (let me explain). A plateau signifies that things are clicking for me, I'm maintaining my current weight effortlessly, or shall I say, I'm more in tune with the changes I've been making and now I'm used to it. But, it also gives me the perfect opportunity to really break down my habits and make new goals.

Here's what I do everyday (almost):

Wake up, have coffee, have breakfast (always!), catch the bus to work, walk .6 miles to my building, climb 16-23 flights, sit on my butt all day, drink 2 liters of water, eat a PBJ and usually a piece of fruit, walk .3 miles to my bus stop, get home, go for a 4-6 mile jog (or 45 mins of yoga or nothing), then I settle in to figure out my dinner situation.

When I first started this weight-loss thing I was upset when I wasn't losing consistently and drastically but now recognizing a plateau, I will tweak my everyday routine and plan on other ways to make changes. What's next you say? Training for a half-marathon, different weight training routines and I am flirting with the notion of starting a food journal. It is amazing when you write things out, it holds you to your own word and will make you look at it differently. The best way to explain this is write down your age: (for me) 30. Only I know how I perceive this number and all the memories that are associated with it. I have my own time relativity and only I know how old I really feel.

But try this out, write out all the years you've lived consecutively.
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

Wow, yeah I know…I've been doing this exercise recently which would explain the get married, buy a house and have a kid on the way phenomena;)

Embrace the Plateau! Then change something…you'll continue to lose in no time!

Worldwide Support Group

Why Blog? I've been talking a lot about support from friends and family but as I'm reaching out and checking for new inspirations all over the internet I'm finding more and more people that are blogging about the same thing and I've started linking to my favorites.

I stumbled upon a guy named Andrew from New Zealand (check out his blog). He has already lost 113 pounds and has really changed his life! The other day I was thinking how funny it was for the past 4 or 5 years how I always talked about running when I "used" to do it "a lot". I did have my running phase back in 2000 and I probably lost some weight but I was better at being a bachelor and gained it all back and more. As I was making the final turn onto Greenwood off of 82nd the other night (a rare clear night) I got inspired. I was thinking about all the new inspirational blogs I've been reading and some of the running tips I had read about and it all made sense. I'm a runner again.

The other night we had Amy (Sally's best friend) over for dinner and she has started training to do a half-marathon. I realized the only thing preventing me from joining her is me.

So…why blog? To find inspiration! With the internet connecting people globally I am creating a virtual support group! Amazing blogs from people on all continents! I was on Andrew's blog and he had this video posted about another blogger.

Dietgirl…an Aussie living in Scotland, lost half her weight (175 lbs!) and has written a book about her experience:) Enjoy!

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Laird, Gabrielle and Surf Lessons

I've got this weird thing where I think I'm a surfer. Or, maybe it's that I want to be a surfer. Or, maybe it's more that I admire what they stand for?

Well, whatever it is it's weird that I've always had that feeling of attachment to the surf culture. What they wear, the music they make, their love of the earth, their laid back lifestyle…so many things. I've never surfed, ever, never even tried it. This is going somewhere…bear with me.

I came across an article about Laird Hamilton on MSN. It lists Laird's 10 rules on eating healthily as well as plugs his book "Forces of Nature". I found it very inspiring and in line with my beliefs…and then it dawned on me. Maybe I want to be like Laird, or at least aspire to have that surfer bod (as my wife calls it). Laird is married to Gabrielle Reece, a pro beach volleyball player. Which, coincidentally is my wife's fitness inspiration.

Kind of random but worth mentioning! Check out both of their bods (and an interesting swim suit) here.

A new goal: surf in Hawaii

A Little Help from my Friends

Building a support system has been the key to much of my success. Sure, I can find the best workouts, add another mile, eat a little less but when you are just getting started nothing helps more than having someone to turn to for inspiration, for kind words and/or someone to keep you honest!

I have been very fortunate to have a wife and family that (of course) accept me for who I am or whatever I looked like. And, when I finally hit my breaking point, when I was wheezing to put a pair of shoes on or had to stretch my T-shirts before I put them on these people I had around me helped me more than I ever imagined.

With the help of a few goals (attainable yet lofty) I set out to transform myself. Sally was there to help me with anything she could and was absolutely the biggest support for me (on a daily basis). As time went on the occasional "wow, have you lost weight?!" helped but when I finally started feeling good inside everything changed. I had a tone of hope in my voice and a purpose in my stride. I seeked answers and tips, and I started asking the right questions to the right people. As time went on I found myself getting motivated to look different and weigh less everytime I saw my in-laws, my parents, siblings and even my co-workers.

This motivation has driven me far past the point of just losing a few pounds because Doc says so...this has helped me change my life. I'm indebted to all those who have helped me along the way and I'm trying to give back now. I'm giving all that I've learned and lending any support I can because I know how important it was to me! With that, my Dad is in the same boat I was in last year at this time...and HE IS MOTIVATED. I can't tell you how stoked I am to hear the same fire in his voice as I have in mine. I sent him a map of Chelan with a proposed loop that would make me even think twice. They conquered it and I want to share it with you!

Congrats Dad and Mom for demolishing this loop! Can't wait to walk it with you!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2487041