Weekends

Weekends...it should be listed in the dictionary as "a time to complete overdue tasks, a time to recharge your batteries, a time to regroup, a time to spend with friends and family, a time to travel, and a time to realize your dreams. Yeah baby!

I hope everyone enjoyed the great weather as much as I did this weekend!

I like to start the weekend by getting some exercise. In particular, I enjoy going to a Hot Yoga class on Friday after work. This helps me to get out the stress from the work week, and puts me in the right frame of mind for the next 2 days. It's a great way to kick-start the weekend. After yoga on Friday night, I watched "Slum-dog Millionaire" with my daughters. Impressive movie, thought provoking...I highly recommend it. I've been to India a couple times, and it sure seemed to show the India I saw while I was there. I wonder what Americans from India think of the movie.

Saturday - My friend, Scottie, and I went to the Gunks for some early season rock climbing. I couldn't believe we were climbing with snow still on the ground and ice on part of the cliff, but we had an incredible day. The Gunks are a special place. I grew up within biking distance and spent a lot of time there in high school. Now, I go there as often as possible for climbing. Considering it was our first day out for the year, we climbed some sporty stuff. Here's Scottie warming up on the first pitch of "Sixish" a popular moderate climb.I led a new pitch and Scottie led a pitch that I had never experienced which always makes it more fun. Here's a shot of my after pulling the roof on "Drunkards Delight", one of my favorite climbs.We climbed 10 pitches on the day which is less than half of my personal record of 21 pitches in one day, but still pretty darn good for the first day of the year.

Sunday - Goat and I had planned to meet for a long run on Sunday at 9AM. I was pretty burnt from climbing on Saturday, so wanted to sleep in a bit. Goat called me at 7:45 to inform me that it was really 8:45....Damn! The clocks changed...I threw on some running gear, filled a couple water bottles and jumped in the car. Captain Bill had inspired me by mentioning that he had clocked in a 15 miler last weekend, and I wanted to test the legs a bit. Goat and I headed for Hublein Tower, and I was amazed that I was able to run the steep trail to the top without walking. Hmmm...maybe I'm in better shape than I thought. The north side was really icy, so we opted to head back and do the standard reservoir loop. Lots of folks out running, walking, and biking. Great to see so many people taking advantage of the good weather. We logged 14 miles in muddy and icy conditions in a bit under 2.5 hours. The pace actually felt pretty good.

I sit here tonight relaxed and fulfilled. I didn't get all my chores completed, and I have to get my lesson ready to teach class this week. Like everyone there are issues to face in my full-time job, and a lot of time is dedicated to family, etc. It's OK though. It was a good weekend, and we just need to get through 5 more days to enjoy another one.

Hope you all had a great weekend, and are looking forward to the next one, and the one after, and ....

Peace!

P.S. - Thanks for all the great feedback on the blog. I'm glad so many enjoy reading it. I'm thinking of changing the name of the blog from "Ultra Steve" to something more meaningful. I'd appreciate any input on what you think would describe the content of this blog in a few words. Post a comments or shoot me an email. Thanks!