Ok, its summer and not much skiing.....

[midwif]

But this board is damn boring!

So, what is everyone doing this summer?
Any special plans?
Any insane workouts planned (Ron)?

Any great trips?
Any good gossip?

Lynn

[Ron]

Hey, Epic is jammin' away and still folks skiing and posting pics!

Nothing crazy, this summer, enjoying running and biking. Running every other day and riding at least twice  a week, some times I substitute a ride for running if my knees are aching too much. My bicep/shoulder is about 60-70% healed up. I can't curl more than a few pounds but the rest of the arm is doing well, so it's a matter of time and patience, its not stopping me from running or biking now and i just modify my lifting. I want to get back on the road bike.  I have been running with my wife, we do 5K's and she does 10K & 15K's. I will do a 10K but I need to get by miles to low 8's. I really want to amp up the training though, I need to make the effort to push harder to get into better condition, when you look at folks who are in really good shape, what I do is pretty mediocre.

I started to work a little with Icelantic helping them with developing surveys and doing some marketing. It's fun and they are a good company with really cool people. It's just for fun and I enjoy it.

Heading out to Steamboat,  July 9-20 with my wife, looking forward to some mtn biking, trail running, hiking, fly fishing, and just enjoying it out there. There's a balloon festival and a some great town-wide festivals.

Valle Nevade/LaParva August 18-27.  Looking forward to just free-skiing with some of the same gang from last year. We have stayed in touch and a few of us skied together during the season.

[Ron]

Hey Lynn, I tried.....

[midwif]

and a good one it is!
Nice schedule you've got. Good mix of activities and fun.
Of course, I am a bit envious of your mid summer ski vacation! 
One of these days.......

I do check in on Epic, but find very little that is actually fun to read.
It has a really big membership and many of the old time posters are no longer
posting regularly.
I know that you are a regular there and always get a kick out of reading your posts.

[Ron]

yeah, it's summer, its the time of year where old posts get revived and the petty bickering over whether or not fat ski suck or you should wear a helmet. i actually post and read a lot more over at TGR now. I guess I prefer it over there for the most part.  Have you become "sharp edges" He/she has got to be a HH groupie.

Hey are you getting ready to head down to HAiti? that's such a noble cause and unselfish endeavour. the karma you will gain from that is huge baby, huge.. I'll be skiing any where you go after that as I have to beleive God will be pouring down some serious payback in the form of serious blower! 

[midwif]

No, not heading to Haiti yet.
I am going sept 18-oct 2.

It looks to be an incredible experience. The hospital where our group is situated has no running water. You fill up large containers from an outside tap to bring inside. Good thing I have strong upper body for a woman!

I also very much like that the group I am volunteering with is teaching native haitian student midwives. You know, give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime....
Haiti has the worst maternal mortality rates in the northern hemisphere.
And that was BEFORE the earthquake. Things have worsened since.

Mosquito netting and DEET are requirements to bring.
Not much skiing there though.

L.

[Ron]

Wow!  Skiing will be the last thing on your mind......  skiing is a great thing but in terms of it's importance, its pretty low on the scale.... more of a selfish endeavour really.

[Svend]

Hi Lynn,

Yeah, it's pretty quiet in here these days.? Lots of echos when you shout "Is there anyone in here?!"? I drop in from time-to-time between work trips, but not much to chime in on.

Your trip to Haiti sounds amazing.? What a fantastic experience that will be for you.? Interesting how that has dropped off the media radar of late, and yet the country was so devastated that it's probably in as bad or worse shape than it was in just after the quake.? And the rainy/hurricane season in coming....just in time for your visit!?

I have the greatest respect for people like you, who go there as volunteers to give their time and expertise to people in need.? Hat's off to you!!!

As for our summer, Terryl and the girls will be busy holidaying in various places here and there, and generally being lazy and soaking up the R&R time.? Our youngest daughter (11 yo) is playing on a competitive soccer team (I think they are called travel teams in the U.S.), and Terryl is the asst. coach.? Lots of fun, and very satisfying for her, but busy with training and games and tournaments.? They both love it, though.? What a great game! Our daughter is playing with girls a year older than her, so it is challenging but very rewarding.? And once a week the parents play a scrimmage against the girls -- FUN -- lots of joking around and laughter! And a great workout.

As for me, I have an even busier work and travel schedule than ever, so won't have time for holidays until winter (aww, shucks....that means only one thing.....SKIING!!!).? Looks like my work will take me into the eastern US this year.? I'll probably be in the Baltimore/Virginia/DC area for a week or so.? If JR is around, I'll buy him a pint! (or at least a really good espresso? )

Otherwise, I'll be riding my new mtn. bike at every opportunity (however rare it is).? Love that bike....what a great fit.? I read your posts with RC about bike fitting, and I totally get that.? Makes a huge difference, even subtle little changes.? Fun sport! And we are lucky to have hundreds of kilometers of forested trails to ride through within minutes of our house.?

Cheers!

[gregmerz]

I hear Gary's rocking chair creaking on the porch...   

[jim-ratliff]

Lynn and I have a bike ride coming up July 18th that we are working towards, so we took a couple of bike rides over the weekend down by Richmond.? Water is key!!!

Staturday.? 29 miles, 98 degrees when we started at 4pm and still 94 degrees when we got back a couple of hours later.
Sunday.? decided to get out a bit earlier, started 17 mile ride about 10am, temperature of 88 degrees.? I parked my car in the shade of a tree and the car's outside thermometer still was saying 107 when we got back.? The real temperature was ONLY about 103, but that was at 11:30 in the morning.? Brutally hot down here.

Amazing that it didn't feel that hot when riding, but as soon as you stop you realize how much you've been sweating.? But makes me feel good that I can still be out on the bike in that weather rather than just staying in the rocking chair in the air conditioning.

I'm off tomorrow for a week in Paraguay and Brazil.

[Svend]

So, you're finally heading to Paraguay.? Good on ya! Safe travels, and enjoy every minute of it.? Sounds like a fantastic trip.? And Brazil too! Right in the middle of the World Cup....love it! Should be a great vibe down there now, esp. with Brazil being favourite to win the whole empanada, and Paraguay winning their Group round and advancing (beating out Italy, no less!).? Big game tomorrow -- Paraguay v. Japan.? You might land in the middle of a national party tomorrow (if they win....)? ?

Have a great trip!

[jim-ratliff]

Thank you Sir Svend.

BTW, I think that its really a neat idea that the soccer team scrimmages every week with the parents.? Travel teams can become pretty competitive, really nice to hear that they are making pains to keep reminding parents and kids that "its a game" and supposed to be fun.? Sounds like you have rights to be proud of a couple of the women/girls in your life.

[Ron]

Great to hear of everyone's suymmers. Sven post up some pics from trail, I wish we had some of that around here, very limited single track.  Excellent road riding though, glad Terryl is feeling well and having fun,

Jim- safe travels and enjoy. Just remember football down there is sacred so don't even joke with them!  If Brazil looses, leave the country as fast as possible!:)

Greg; where's your post- I know you have a lot to tell here!  He's been very busy busting some serious ass and has a sweet new MTN bike.......

[Svend]

Jim....the scrimmages sure have put things in perspective for a few of the more critical, discontented parents. ?You know the type -- push their kids hard to perform, berate them when they make mistakes, shout and scowl and rant, gripe at the coaches. ?Despicable bunch. ?Not a whisper of positive praise from them. ?But, once they got on the pitch with their daughters, and had the latter run circles around them and otherwise thoroughly thrash and outrun them for 60 minutes straight without even breaking a sweat.....well, the rabble shut up pretty fast. ?Sweet!!! ?Luckily, that group of parents is a small minority on our team -- the rest "get it" and just want their kids to have fun, enjoy a great sport and team camaraderie. ?

Hey, Ron....great to hear that your bike is working well for you finally.  Hope you get a chance to ride it out at Steamboat soon.  Those pics from the aspen groves looked like pure paradise......gonna snap some more this year?

[Ron]

Heading up on the 9th. This time I am hoping i am in better shape for the climbs out there   After riding a few times since I had the fitting, I want to shorten up the Stem, I have a 110 on there but now that the seat is back 2cm's its fine when riding the rails to trails over straight flat stuff but I want it shorter for single track. I am a little too strecthed out. I am thinking to go to a 90.

I loved where you were riding in the deep forests with the evergreens and all, that's just beautiful sutff.