The Organic Climber – Vegetarian running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing and raw foods.

Things have been insanely busy lately with Bearded Brothers so I haven’t had much time to blog here, but hope that will change as the business becomes more self-sustaining. But, today I find myself sitting in my favorite coffee shop with a bit of time to kill. So, I thought I would write a blog I had thought about several months ago.

“I would never do that”, is something I have said many times. Many of the times it has been climbing related, other times fitness or goal related.  Despite having said that, many times I find myself doing the very thing I said I would never do.

When I first started rock climbing I felt safe in the realm of top rope climbing and said to myself I will never sport climb; but quickly realized my climbing options were very limited without that skill set. So, I set off to learn how to become a sport climber. This opened up lots more possibilities to where I could climb. Rather than being stuck at a crappy conglomerate stone crag in West Texas, I was able to venture to places such as Shelf Road in Colorado and Horseshoe Canyon in Arkansas.

The next thing I caught myself saying I would never do was trad climbing. But if you have been following this blog for any length of time, you will know I’m an avid trad climber. I would much rather spend a full day climbing 3 – 12 pitches high above the earth, than climbing just a few hard sport climbs. Trad climbing has opened up endless potential in terms of climbing.

Since taking up trad I have made many ground up first ascents of previously untouched rock. I have blazed my own trail up the East Face of Longs Peak when the start of the partially bolted route was covered in snow. There is a much greater since of satisfaction having climbed a route while placing your own gear than merely clipping a pre-drilled bolt. On top of that, I get to climb in places a majority of climbers will never even dream of. It has even allowed me to use my skills to guide groups of other climbers with the non-profit organization Ascend Outdoors.

I have even said this about running and triathlons. When I first started running I thought I would never run more than three or four miles, but one day after running six miles I was challenged to enter a half marathon. I replied, “no way, that’s not for me”. In other words, I would never do that. But, after researching the training required I realized I was half way to being able to run a half marathon with plenty of time left before the Dallas White Rock Marathon, so it was at that time I became a runner.

After having run several half marathons I knew several people that participated in triathlons, and again I said, “I would never do that”. Fast forward to over a year later I find myself starting my training for the Austin Triathlon, in which I finished 17^th out of 71 in my age group. Once again, having said I would never do something, I found myself doing that very thing.

My latest business endeavor, Bearded Brothers was another such thing I told myself I would never do. Even though I had always wanted to own my own business, I told myself I didn’t want the responsibility, but looking back on it now I see that it was just fear. Now I am fully emerged creating, selling, and marketing the best energy bars on the planet. We are just 7 months into the venture and already have a presence in nearly 50 retail locations. We are currently working on getting our product into larger grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

So, the lesson to be learned here is, never say I would never do that, because you just might. And, if you catch yourself saying it – realize it could be fear holding you back. It’s likely just an excuse to not try something you really do want to do out of fear of failure or putting in the time it takes to learn it. When in doubt, just go for it!

Climbing, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Tri Training by OrganicClimber
business, fear, rock climbing, Running, sport, trad, triathlon, venture
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Having never participated in a Triathlon before, I didn’t know what to expect for sure, so I found myself attending a couple of clinics the day before the race to get a better grasp on what to expect; and it was a good thing I did. I found out important rules, such as no drafting allowed and that I was required to wear a race number on my jersey during the bike, and the run.
The clinics were extremely helpful in figuring out exactly what I had to do, from start to finish. I was most worried about the transitions, but both clinics did a great job of explaining the process and gave helpful tips of what to do and what not to do.

Having taken the time to attend the clinics and explore the transition area the day before the race, I felt ready. My only goal was to finish in under two hours. I figured it was an attainable goal, and having beat that time in practice runs I knew I would be able to crush it.

Swim
I knew the swim portion of the race was going to be my weakest, so I went in not expecting much, but at the same time was pretty confident I could beat a time of 18 minutes for the 700 meter swim. Two weeks prior I had swam an entire mile in 40 minutes including a rest period. So, I thought with the adrenaline flowing from the race and swimming only 700 meters that time was totally attainable.

I ended up with a swim time of 19:52, so I was a little bit frustrated, but at the same time happy considering it was my first triathlon and I had never swam two months prior to that. My training never focused on form or improving my stroke, just getting through. In the future I hope to improve on my stroke and time.

I feel I made a few mistakes starting out with the swim. First of all I was one of the first ones in the water, which meant I had to wait for A LOT of other swimmers to enter the water, approximately 71 to be exact. This mean I had to tread water until all the swimmers had entered. In the future I will probably be one of the last ones in the water, rather than the first.

My second mistake was not checking my goggles before I started. About 15 meters in my goggles began filling with water, so I had to stop and fix them. Once I put them back on my right eye was smashed in. I Thought I would fight through it at first, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen, so stopped again to fix the right eye.

Seeing how it was my first tri I stayed back from the pack as much as possible to avoid getting kicked in the face or to have to compete for space, I also wanted to pace myself to be sure I didn’t tire out too soon and go faster than I was capable of. Turns out I could have gone faster. I kept noticing my form was bad while doing the breast stroke (which was 75% of my swimming) so would attempt to speed up, but then noticed myself slowing down again. I kept wanting to make sure I had enough energy for the bike.

I never found myself scared or nervous the entire time. I even eventually found myself passing a few swimmers in my wave, but at the same time was getting passed by several swimmers that started in the wave behind me. After rounding the last turn I transitioned into a freestyle stroke to give myself some extra speed at the end. As I got closer to the exit I went back into a breast stroke to make the  exit more comfortable. I found getting out more difficult than expected and took the hand of a volunteer to help myself out of the water. I was thankful they were there.

Bike
After exiting the water I felt wobbly and found it hard to get into a good stride running into the transition area. But after hobbling around a bit I was jogging behind the racers in front of me and made a 3 minute transition onto the bike. My transition time was a bit longer since I had to put on a jersey and I kept wavering back and forth between wiping off my feet and just putting on my shoes. I also had forgotten to loosen the velcro on my bike shoes, having them open and ready to jump into. But, considering the long run I had to make from the swim exit to my bike, I’m fairly pleased with the time.

I had pretty much ridden the bike course several times commuting around town so I knew a pace of 20mph would be attainable, but we had a lot of wind to contend with. Thankfully the strongest head wind we faced was going downhill, but this made going downhill feel like going uphill. At a place I would probably average 30+MPH I couldn’t break 25 MPH.

One part of the course had a gradual sloping downhill (with wind at your back) that allowed me to make up for lost time on the uphill and windy downhill. It was lots of fun riding a course I would normally get caught at numerous traffic lights. The only real challenge of the course, other than the wind, was navigating around other cyclits.

With a no draft rule, you had to make sure you passed other cyclists if you got within three bike lengths. This proved to be difficult at times, especially when one cyclist in front of you was passing another cyclists to his right. There were also occasions I wanted to pass another cyclist but couldn’t because how tightly other were riding next to them, I also broke the no passing on the right rule a few times because of this. I was even pushed into some road bumps on two occasions in the SAME spot due to riders being tightly packed during a turn. It was also partially the other rider not paying attention as well.

The course was a total of 24km, which was two loops of the same course. The entire time I bordered on 19+ MPH average, but managed to finish strong with a 20mph average. Had we not had any wind I’m sure I would have done even better. But so would everybody else. Another challenge on the course was surprisingly pedestrians trying to cross the street. On a few occasions I thought people were going to jump out in front of me. At one point a woman crossed at a 90 degree turn and was almost run over by myself and two other cyclists.

A couple times during the ride I felt like I could have been pushing myself harder, but I never really stuck with hammering hard. I’m sort of glad I didn’t though. It allowed me to truly enjoy the experience and take in my surroundings. It was fun seeing my family and friends along the course cheering me on. Had I been too focused on going fast I might have missed out on that. It was also fun zipping by people ringing cow bells. It created a nice Tour De France like feel, it made me smile!

Run
Transitioning from the bike to the run was a lot easier since I already had my jersey on and number pinned to it. The only difficult part was putting on my Vibram FiveFingers. I had practice this a lot, but still managed to get my toes jammed putting them on. But after getting the proper alignment I was off.

I had my iPhone with me to keep track of my pace, I as I was hoping to run a 7:30 pace. But my legs just wouldn’t allow it. I ended up with a time of 24.43 and a pace of 7:58, but I never felt like I was going that fast. My legs felt like led, and pretty much felt like that the entire run. They had never once felt like that during any of my training sessions, either. So it was a very odd feeling.

I kept looking at my RunKeeper to check my pace but couldn’t even believe I was averaging 7:58 – it felt like I was going SO slow. But, no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t go any faster. I also though the GPS had to be malfunctioning because It didn’t feel like I was going that fast, but I was pleased to discover my pace was even faster than the 8:32 average RunKeeper reported.

Around mile 2.5 of the run I noticed I had a small rock in the bottom of my left shoe, but decided to battle through it. I’m surprised it took that long to notice, I had assumed it was there since transition. After the race was over I pulled off the shoe to discover a large blister. So either there was never a rock and it was just a blister that formed, or the rock had moved down in the last section of the race.

Despite the rock in my shoe, I finished with a faster split than my second mile, but slower than my first. Upon entering the finish line I was cheered on by friends and even one pro triathlete I meet the day before that was cheering “Go Bearded Brother”. Upon rounding the final corner into the finish chute I heard my name called over the PA and saw my lovely wife at the end cheering me on. My parents were soon by by side too congratulating me on a strong finish.

The Festivities
The post race festival was one of the best I have seen. There were lots of vendors, plenty of free samples and New Belgium’s beer (Lips of Faith was my favorite), which beats the crummy cheap light beers most races provide. There was also live music, free massages and treatments for injured athletes. My only complaint is that the post race meal provide was cold. Although it tasted good I couldn’t pull myself to finish the cold veggie wrap.

I look forward to participating again next year. I will most likely enter the Olympic Distance as well. I just hope I won’t have to train in such extreme heat next time. Even though most of my training was done early morning, and avoided the 100+ degree days. I was forced to train in the evening at times and found it quite challenging. Hopefully by next years tri I will have entered a few others and improved my swim stroke drastically. But with other goals such as a full marathon, we will see what happens.

Time and Ranking Break Down
Finished 17th in Men 30-34 out of 72
Finished 135th overall, out of 709

Swim Time 19:52
Transition 1 3:26
Bike 50:11 (Average 20 mph)
Transition 2 2:16
Run 24:43 (7:58 pace)

Cross Training, Cycling, Running, Tri Training by OrganicClimber
austin, avia, cycling, jack and adams, Running, swimming, tri, triathlon
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With the Austin Triathlon being three weeks away there is a small part of me that wants to register for the Olympic distance after having swam 1200 meters last weekend. This was done almost without stopping. The only time I rested was at 800 meters to say hi to a friend that had entered the pool. I know I’m capable of pulling it off, but not sure how wise it would be considering I only have three more weeks to build up to a full mile and feel comfortable with it.

Chances are I will still just enter the sprint distance, seeing how it is my first triathlon. I’m very excited about it though, and have thoroughly enjoyed the training. I’m still not a huge fan of swimming, but imagine I will continue doing it on a regular basis. Especially since I will probably want to enter an Olympic distance triathlon next. I think the most enjoyable part has been seeing myself become more toned, and feel better overall.

Living in Austin really is a great place to live and train for an event like this. I can wake up early, bike 3.5 miles to Barton Springs Pool and enter the gates for FREE before 8 a.m.; this really helps when you are on a tight budget like myself. After the swim I have my choice of two places to run, and both leave from the Barton Springs parking lot. I can either run the Town Lake trail, or get some rocky trail miles in along The Greenbelt. Lately I have been opting for The Greenbelt, and have been having a blast running the trail in my Vibram FiveFingers.

Learning to swim has definitely been the most difficult part of my training, but learning to run properly in the FiveFingers has also been a challenge. I seem to be fine when running trails, but as soon as I hit the pavement sore calf muscles are an unwelcome certainty. But, the severity of the soreness has been declining lately. They key has been more trail miles, slower pace overall, and gradually building up mileage. Running with my friend John has helped with this, as he has never run more than 4 or 5 miles before and is working up to six miles for his Olympic distance tri.

I guess you could say I have been overtraining for the bike portion of the race. My weekend rides have ranged from 35-40 miles. The sprint triathlon distance is only 16 miles. But, I love cycling around the Texas Hillcountry. Austin really is a great place to live if you are into cycling. There is no shortage of group rides to join up with on the weekend.

On an unrelated note – but then again it is related based on the blog’s name. I have been climbing outdoors in the Greenbelt about once a week with a group called Climbing Buddies. My climbing ability has been slowly progressing back to what it was a few years ago. I am finally able to lead 5.10 climbs again and have been top roping 5.11 climbs. I actually feel that the triathlon training has helped my climbing ability through weight loss (less weight to pull up the rock) and a stronger core.

Having climbing access IN TOWN is just another advantage of living in Austin. I live just five to ten minutes away from all climbing access points. It makes for easy evening climbs as well as longer day trips if you so desire, but being right in town you really don’t even need to spend the entire day climbing. You can easily wear yourself out within a couple of hours. The crags are practically an outdoor gym with quick clips at the top of every route!

The climbing community here too is pretty great. There are a couple of email lists most of the regular climbers are a part of and they regularly message their climbing plans, so finding a partner to climb with is never difficult. The community is even friendly and open to new climbers. You will almost always find people willing to let you top rope climbs they have set up. I’m not even sure such community exists in places like Colorado. But I can’t say for sure since I haven’t lived there.

If you are interested in joining the email lists I mentioned, here are the links:

Austin Climbers (More hard-core climbers in this group, usually meets at New Wall)
Climbing Buddies (more laid back climbers but have lots of experience, more welcome to newbies)

Also, if you are interested in the Austin Triathlon, here is the website with complete details about registration and race distances.

Climbing, Cross Training, Cycling, Running, Tri Training, Uncategorized by OrganicClimber
austin, Climbing, cycling, Running, swimming, traithlon
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I recently mentioned I decided to train for the Austin Triathlon, Olympic distance, so I thought I would post an update about how that was going. I guess I will progress from the worst to the best, in terms of how my training is going for each event.

Barton Springs pool is where I have been doing most all of my swim training, and let me tell you –  it’s intimidating.  While in the water, I feel like a fish out of water – seriously! I’m having a hard time getting into a good rhythm and breathing properly, which causes me to get anxious and break out of whatever rhythm I had going. On top of that, early in the morning the spring is FULL of triathletes training for their next race. You are pretty much guaranteed to run into somebody every time you cross the 1/8th mile pool.

Swimming in a sea of people has advantages and disandantages. The main advantage is it comes closer to simulating actual triathlon conditions. Lets face it, swimming solo in a lap pool isn’t going to help your training for being lost in a huge pack of swimmers. The disadvantage is that it’s intimidating for a novice swimmer like myself, and often causes me to freak out and get out of a freestyle stroke and frantically preform a head out of water breast stroke, which is hardly an efficient stroke, but I find myself doing it a lot.

So far I have had good and bad days. But I have yet to swim more than 200 meters without stopping and have yet to even swim 100 meters just freestyle. I am making progress, though. Jut this morning I was struggling and feeling stressed because nothing seemed to be clicking, but I forced myself to swim another 300 meters, and swam the fastest most efficiently I have since taking on this new endeavor. Even though I’m not totally happy with where I am now, I definitely can tell I am making progress. I’ve never felt like I really struggled with running or cycling, but now I know how a lot of people feel when the first try to take on running. This is a struggle!

I also decided to step down from the Olympic distance and register for the Sprint distance instead. Even though I have already swam 900 meters (not continuously). I’m not positive I will be able to work up to a full mile in the amount of time I have, plus I want to be safe and not drown.

Running has surprisingly been challenging for me recently. This is frustrating for me because the last half marathon I ran, I finished sub 1:50 with a pace of 8:19. Lately I’m lucky if I run under a 10 minute pace. This has a lot to do with the fact that I’m running in Vibram Five Fingers, to reduce stress on my knees and back that resulted from a recent bike accident.

Running in these shoes requires a “natural” running style which is completely different from what most people do in traditional running shoes. In barefoot running shoes, you can’t heel strike, which means you have to land on your forefoot to mid-foot, lightly kissing the ground with your heel as your foot comes down. You also lift your knees high, sort of like you would do while skipping. So needless to say I am using a lot of muscles that are not normally used, so the distance I am used to running is down as well as my pace. It’s a frustrating feeling not being able to run as fast as you once did, but I also have to remember I took a LONG break from running and was completely inactive for nearly four months.

Considering how long it took me to run a pace of 8:19 in traditional runners, I guess I should not be too hard on myself, but I do hope I can at least run that pace during the 5k. Considering it is a race and the adrenaline will be flowing, I just might be able to make it happen. But I would be very happy if I ran a 9 minute pace as well. The other difficult part of running in the Five Fingers is sore calves, since those muscles aren’t used to being worked, and I’m only running twice a week, they seem to get sore very easily and sometimes force me to skip runs. So, I’m hoping the muscles build up and get stronger in the next couple weeks so I can focus on speed again before it gets to close to the race and I have to start tapering.

Cycling has surprisingly been the easiest for me during the training process. Last weekend I went on a 40 mile ride and felt like I could have gone longer. I have been riding efficiently up hills, passing other cyclists along the way. In the past I attacked hills hard and petered out towards the top and end get passed by most of the group, but now I’m flying past other cyclist and staying ahead!

Riding the hills on 360 is overkill for the course in the Austin Triathlon. My top speed going downhill has been 45 MPH, and the hills are killer going up. The return trip features approximately 3+ miles of uphill terrain. There is no point in attacking those hills. The best choice of “attack” is to just slip into a low gear and relax in the handlebars and sit back in the saddle as you slowly make your way up hill.

Also, I honestly have to say I think my love for the bike is overtaking my excitement for running (and definitely surpasses swimming). I have thoroughly enjoyed riding through the scenic hill country around Austin. I’m looking forward to one day taking my bike up to Colorado (or any mountainous state) and enjoying more challenging terrain. Not that the hills here aren’t pushing me, because they are; but I’m a glutton for punishment and enjoy being challenged.

Since I don’t imagine I will do very well in the swim, and even the run is questionable, I will have to CRUSH IT, during the bike portion of the race, which should be no problem since I ride the streets of downtown Austin on a regular basis (which is where the bike course is at). It’s familiar terraine for me, and a pice of cake compared to what I have been riding recently. Another athlete recently told me a lot of triathletes are “one trick ponies” and they rock at the swim, but suck at everything else. So, just because I don’t do well in the swim doesn’t mean I won’t finish well overall! My plan is to pass as many people as possible during the bike portion of the race.

Training for this race has been exciting and challenging! I have even been trimming down, and losing weight. I can’t say how much exactly since I don’t own a scale anymore, but I recently put on the pants I wore for my wedding 9 months ago and they are fitting loosely! I remember they fit pretty tight on my wedding day. So I’m very pleased with the changes that are occurring. I will say though, I am ALWAYS hungry! It makes me thankful I own my own energy bar company right now! Otherwise I’d be breaking the bank just buying energy bars.

Cross Training, Cycling, Running, Tri Training, Uncategorized by OrganicClimber
austin, barton springs, bearded brothers, bike, cycling, energy bar, hill country, run, Running, swim, swimming, training, triathlon
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Starting a business is very time consuming. That is why you haven’t seen a lot of posts from me lately. But during these past two weeks I was able to get outdoors TWICE, and get some climbing in. Living in Austin has it’s advantages when it comes to rock climbing, so I thought I would share about the greatness of living in Austin when it comes to outdoor activity.

You may know from my previous posts that I was dead set on moving to Colorado, but Austin has always been my second choice in terms of where I wanted to live. Granted there are no mountains here, there is surprisingly a lot of climbing options nearby, as well as access to great trails for running and biking.

Just five minutes from my house is access to The Greenbelt trail, which includes access to rock climbing, mountain biking, running and even swimming during the Spring and early Summer. If you travel two miles north of where I live, you have access to running and biking trails around Town Lake. If you are into canoeing or kayaking, they offer that too. The University of Texas crew team even practices here.

The Greenbelt

With numerous access points in town it makes for a quick getaway into the outdoors. Early mornings during the week are the best time to go if you are looking for solitude. I’ve gone on morning runs and not even encountered another human being. If you are a rock climber like myself, there are numerous developed walls along the trail and there is usually a pretty good crowd at each wall in the late afternoon and early evening. If you don’t have a climbing partner, just show up and somebody is bound to give you a belay.

The trails are also well maintained and are often filled with runners and mountain bikers, but trails were wide enough traffic is not an issue when bikes come through. The total length of the trail is 8 miles, which makes for a stellar, long trail run or an out and back bike ride. The trail goes under two main highways in Austin, but it doesn’t take too long before you are away from the noise of traffic, feeling like you are miles away from civilization.

Reimer’s Ranch

This is where most local climbers go for their weekend climbing. There are also great mountain bike trails and the Pedernales River for fishing. This well developed crag (with even more climbs going up) offers climbs ranging from 20 feet high to 45+ feet high. The grades of the climb range from 5.5 to a very difficult 5.13. Climbers of all abilities flock here for their weekend climbing. My only complaint is that it can often feel like an outdoor gym when the weather is really nice. This past weekend the walls were full of boy scouts, church groups and hard core climbers alike. But there is plenty of room for everybody, and enough climbs at every grade to keep everybody happy.

Enchanted Rock

Perhaps the most pristine, beautiful rock formation in South Texas. This giant granite dome protrudes from the Texas Hill Country, just north of Fredricksburg. There are numerous other granite formations towering out of the ground as well. This is the premier destination for trad and three pitch sport climbs in South Texas. At Enchanted Rock you will experience fresh air, gorgeous scenery, and an amazing outdoor experience. This has been one of my favorite destinations, even before I moved to Austin. With a mere hour and a half drive, E-Rock (as the locals call it), makes for an easy day trip with excellent climbing.

Camping at Enchanted Rock is plentiful, but you better make a reservation. Spots often fill up weeks before. But, if you don’t mind a 2-3 mile hike in you can always camp in the primitive area. This makes for easier access to the longer climbs on the back side of the dome. It’s also more secluded – unless there happens to be a Boy Scout troop nearby. Enchanted Rock also offers miles of hiking trails, including an easy hike up to the top of the dome. It’s very popular amongst the tourists. And, if you are a rock climber, expect a crowd to be watching you climb. It’s almost unnoticeable though, especially on the back side of the dome, because most tourists are off the climbing trail, a couple hundred yards from the wall.

Town Lake

While Town Lake doesn’t offer any climbing. It’s an excellent place for a long or short run, or bike ride. You can chose a three, four, or eight mile loop – or make your run even longer by making another lap around the lake. The Town Lake trail also has numerous access points as well. Even though there are often crowds here, the trail is plenty wide for passing in both directions. There is also a boat rental shop on the lake where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and other water related crafts. The best times to run on the trail are mid day and late evening. I always find running during peak hours energizing though. I tend to run better when other people are around. I feed off the energy of other runners.

If you are an outdoor enthusiast like myself, Austin is a GREAT place to live. There is a huge fitness and outdoors community and plenty of ways to get involved. If you are a cyclist or runner most all the shops in town offer group rides and runs. There are also a couple of different rock climbing groups that make getting plugged into the climbing community very easy. The easy access to recreation is one of my favorite things about this awesome city. I couldn’t see myself living anywhere else in Texas. If I ever move away, there is a good chance it will be some place like Boulder where recreational access is just as easy and the landscape is an added bonus.

In other news, Adventure Naturals is now FULLY funded on Kickstarter, but please keep those donations coming. Our startup costs exceed the $5,000 we raised already. All excess funds will go directly back into the business. We especially need help with the advertising and promotion side of things. Especially in our early stages.

Climbing, Cycling, Health & Fitness, Running by OrganicClimber
austin, cycling, Enchanted Rock, greenbelt, outdoors, reimer's ranch, rock climbing, Running, texas, town lake, trails
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Stress is a common part of everybody’s life. For some, stress seems to be constant, for others it comes in waves. Everybody handles stress differently. In response to the recent question posted on Daily Challenge I decided to write about my favorite activity to help release and mange stress – running!

I used to hate running. I would try to get into it from time to time, but it never really grabbed a hold of me until a year and a half ago when I started running to condition my cardiovascular system for climbing Longs Peak in Colorado. Longs Peak, is one of Colorado’s most magnificent fourteeners, with beautiful 360 degree views from the top, located inside Rocky Mountain National park.

My initial reason for starting to run was not health reasons, it wasn’t even to relieve stress or get in shape, it was simply to train for climbing, my all-time favorite hobby. I have loved climbing ever since I was a kid, and while it’s a great stress reliever in itself, I don’t do it as frequently as running because of how easy running is. It’s not hard to fit into your day because it doesn’t involve having to drive to a gym; you can simple put on a pair of running shoes and head out the front door.

My training started off as just two miles for 20 minutes, then I gradually built up to where I ran 45 minutes at a time. The furthest I ever ran before climbing Longs Peak was 4 miles. Upon returning from the trip I decided I would try and keep the running thing going. I was sharing my new found activity with a guy I know that runs 5 miles a day. He suggest I stop running around the neighborhood and just go out away from it and go as far as I could before turning around.

One day I decided try this little exercise, and upon returning home I had run just over one hour. After sitting down at the computer I discovered I had run 6 miles. I was shocked. I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to run that far. After posting my accomplishment on Facebook I had a friend suggest I run a half marathon with her and another friend. At first I thought she was crazy, but after researching it I discovered I was on pace to train for the half marathon, and my diet was already consistent with what is recommended to train.

It was at this point I began running on a regular basis. It ended up becoming a major source of stress relief too. Something I never expected. At the time I was working a job I was very unhappy with, I faced a long commute to and from work… needless to say, I would come home at the end of the day completely drained. One would think the best thing to do would be to sit on the couch and relax. Well, that isn’t true at all. Exercise is the best source of stress relief.

Exercise in general releases endorphins, which help relieve pain and create a sense of well-being and relaxation. When the body is stressed a chemical change takes place; if a “fight or flight” action is not taken, the byproducts continue to circulate and can cause illness. Exercise is a perfect way to alleviate the stress. For me, that is running, cycling, and climbing.

Lately though, I have sadly not been able to exercise much. I was in a bike accident back in October, and I’m suffering from bone contusions and a torn meniscus. So, I have to settle for the occasional bike ride, an easy walk, or climbing on easy terrain. This dry spell from running has made me miss it immensely. I long to throw on the running shows after a long productive day at work and let my mind go.

When I first started running it not only helped me relieve work related stress, but it helped me dealing with a break up with the woman who is actually now my wife (you can hear more about that, here). I’ve heard countless stories of how running helped people cope with the loss of loved ones, disease, and just general struggles in life. It amazes me how much running can change your state of mind. But I don’t believe it’s a cure; there is more in life, and things bigger than us that are truly helpful for overcoming problems. But I’m a firm believer in using running to reliever stress, it helps us clear our mind so we are able to deal with the real problem.

So, for anybody that suffers from stress, anxiety, frustration, or is struggling with anything in life, I highly suggest you take up running. It really brings about a lot of relief. It makes your mind clearer, and helps you continue to enjoy life when times are tough. I think that is one of the biggest reasons I miss it. It’s not the health benefits that come from it, but how it makes me feel. Right now, I’m really wishing I could throw everything the doctors said out the window, ignore the pain in my knees and go on a run. I look forward to the day I am able to do that again.

Also, don’t forget about the energy bar special I have going on right now for my project on Kickstarter. Donate $5 or more through Christmas and receive an extra energy bar with your pledge. Retail value on the bars will be around $3, so that is a steal, especially at the $5 giving level. Every little bit helps us launch our 100% organic, all-natural energy bars and seasoned nuts.

Cycling, Health & Fitness, Running by OrganicClimber
exercise, relief, Running, stress
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Earlier this week I finally made a trip to an Orthopedic Specialist to get my knees and MRI’s further examined. As it turns out, the cause of my knee pain isn’t likely the torn meniscus, but rather bone contusions. Bone contusions are basically small micro fractures inside the bone. The can be very painful and can take months to heal. This wasn’t the most encouraging news, but I am glad that I will not likely require surgery for the torn meniscus.

The Orthopedic wants me to wait a couple months to see if the contusions heal so we can figure out of the meniscus is part of the problem, but based on his assessment the primary cause for the pain is the contusions. The biggest down side is that I have to rest from running until I am healed. I have been cleared to cycle though since that is low impact. Cycling will actually benefit the problem  by increasing blood flow to the knees, which will help reduce inflammation. I have also read online from others suffering from bone bruising that cycling was beneficial for them. So, that is encouraging.

I had completely forgotten to ask the doctor about climbing though, so I will have to follow up with him to get his opinion on that. I’m really surprised that is not the first thing I asked. But for some reason running and cycling was the only thing on my mind at the time. I have missed all three activities a lot. I’m excited that I will at least be able to be active in one of those three.

I plan on continuing with my anti-inflammatory regiment as well to keep inflammation down around the knee. Tomorrow I will be going on my first long ride since the accident five weeks ago. I hope I will be able to last for the whole ride (30 miles). I would hate to have to turn back early and ride home alone. I much prefer riding in a large group, especially after having experienced being hit by a car. It’s not something I want to experience again.

I plan on bringing along my Canon G9 with me for the ride and capturing some video to use on the video I’m working on to post on Kickstarter to raise startup funds for Adventure Naturals. Hopefully the weather is good, we have a good number of riders, and that I’m able to keep up. I will be sure to post about how the ride went.

In even more exciting news, I am getting married in eight days! So this next week is going to be extremely busy. I will be surprised if I’m able to launch our Kickstarter project, but I do hope I can get that going before we leave for the Honeymoon Cruise in the Western Caribbean. I’m looking forward to a week of relaxing, but at the same time I have been enjoying working on Adventure Naturals so much, I will miss it. I’m sure I will be ready to get back into it immediately upon returning. It feels so great to have found something I am so passionate about that I enjoy every bit of my work. I look forward to sharing my healthy creations with you all.

Climbing, Cross Training, Cycling, Running, Uncategorized by OrganicClimber
bone contusion, cycling, knee, knee pain, recovery, rock climbing, Running, torn meniscus
1 comment

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When I say epic, I mean bad! It’s crazy to think how people have begun to describe awesome adventures as epic when nothing disastrous came about. I also tend to associate the word “epic” with climbing mishaps. But really, epic adventures can happen with any sport.

This past weekend my bike ride in a way, turned epic, and it caused me to think while waiting out a thunderstorm under a gas station awning, “what would I have done if I blew a flat 30 miles from home, how would I manage to get home if I bent a rim, or what do I do when I ride into the only thunderstorm cell within miles, as I did the other day?”

When I left my apartment Friday afternoon I checked the weather on my iPhone and saw that there was zero chance of rain all day, but what I didn’t know was a storm cell was sitting just south of Austin, right where I was planning on riding. As I pedaled south I began to see the sky darken and the drops begin to fall. I thought the rain would just pass and kept riding, but it only got worse. After attempting to wait it out under an awning at a storage facility I decided to just put on a smile and enjoy a wet ride. But, before too long the rain began to fall hard and I couldn’t even see where I was going, and the rain felt like sharp needles smashing into my face. Thankfully I came upon a gas station and was able to take shelter there.

This “epic” caused me to ponder many of those questions about how to avoid the inevitable epic. So, I came up with a guide to avoiding an epic and turning your ride into the epic everybody wants to remember.

How to Avoid an Epic Bike Ride

1. Most importantly remember to have a good attitude and put on a smile. It’s amazing how much more enjoyable something can be when you just smile. I’ve had a few runs where I got rained on and I just decided to smile and enjoy it. The same can be said for many adventurous climbs I have been on. When things seem to be going bad, just adjust your mindset, smile and enjoy the ride.
2. Bring your smart phone. While waiting out the storm, I was able to check the weather and get encouragement to continue the ride from friends on Twitter. It can also be a lifesaver if you get stranded. Never leave home for a ride without a phone in hand. You never know when you might break down and need to call for help.
3. Pack a spare tire or two along with an air pump, bike tools, and a patch kit. I have all three of these in my bike bag. For an air pump I use a small CO2 bike tube inflator (along with a couple cartridges), I always have at least one spare tube along with a patch kit in case another tire goes out or I forget to replace a tire I used. The bike tool is good for minor repairs and adjustments.Note: After writing this post I was on another ride and blew out TWO tires. But, it wasn’t because I hit something again. It was because I did not check the tire itself to remove any debris that had come through the tire. Also, make sure that you check for more than one foreign object. I also patched a hole in the second blow out and found a shard of metal in the tire, but what I didn’t know was I had a second piece of metal in the tire, so when I aired the tire back up, air began to leak immediately. At this point I had to call for help since I had used my last CO2 cartridge. Thankfully I had my cell phone!
4. Know how to make minor adjustments to your bike. Merely bringing the tools to fix your bike isn’t going to help if you don’t know how to make minor adjustments. Most bike adjustments are very easy to make. There are plenty of good books on the subject of bike repair, and simple Google searches will help you learn all you need to know.
5. Know your route. Before leaving for a ride study the road maps and know exactly where you are going. This will ensure you don’t end up riding on dangerous roads. Google Maps has a bike direction feature that is nice for planning one-way bike routes. It will even highlight bicycle routes if they exist. If you plan on riding on busier roads, make sure you ride in groups. This will ensure you are more visible to motorists and it will also force them to go around you rather than passing as close to you as possible. Google Pedometer is another great resource for planning routes. It seems to be resource not many people know about. There are even Firefox Plugins that allow you to export your route into GPX format and import it into your GPS. You can even pull up a USGS topographical map.
6. Check the weather! This is one I learned the hard way. Even though the local weather might say there is a zero percent chance of rain, it would be wise to check the radar to make sure there are no storm cells along the route you plan to ride. If you do perceive a chance of rain it would be wise to pick another route, or come prepared with a raincoat and good attitude.
7. Ride with friends. It’s always better to ride in groups. There is safety in numbers, and if you break down there will be somebody there to help you. If you are new to riding and don’t know any other riders yet, just call your local bike shop. Most of them have several group rides a week. Here in Austin, there are SEVERAL bike shops, and all of them have weekly rides. It’s a great way to meet fellow cyclists and find riding partners. Riding with groups is also fun. You will learn more about the sport and other riders will challenge you to become a stronger rider.
8. Let others know where you are going, and carry an ID. In the event of an accident you will want to be identified so that your emergency contact can be called. There are even great products such as Road ID that you can wear while riding that display your name and emergency contact number. Letting a loved one know where you are going and when you will be back will also ensue your safety if a break down occurs when you are not riding with a group. I also recommend carrying a few dollars or a credit card.
9. Stay hydrated and stay fed. When going on long rides it’s very important to stay hydrated and consume small amounts of easily digestible food. This is especially important in the warmer months, as dehydration can easily occur. Without proper hydration and fuel, your body will shut down and your ride will be over. You should be consuming 8-10 ounces of water ever 15 minutes during exercise. If you will be on a ride lasting longer than 90 minutes you should be consuming a drink with electrolytes. It’s also important to hydrate yourself before the ride. I can tell you from experience, dehydration is not fun. So, make sure you drink plenty of water and replenish electrolytes.

A lot of these tips even translate into running, as well as climbing. If you play it smart you are sure to have a safe adventure.

Although my ride was somewhat epic, I had a great time. The town of Buda looked pretty cool. Next time I take this route, I will probably make a day out of it and take the 45 mile route out to San Marcos.

Cross Training, Cycling, Running by OrganicClimber
cycling, epic, Running, safety
3 comments

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There is no better way to fuel your adventures than with raw foods! Whether you are a climber, a runner, a cyclist or backpacker – raw foods are the optimal source of energy. Just a few years ago you would have found me at the climbing area with a bag full of gummy bears, orange slices (not the fruit, the candy) and maybe a peanut butter sandwich. I have even heard other climbers and hikers refer to these sugary snacks as energy. Sure, they may provide a quick boost and large amount of calories; but, it will quickly wear off. Additionally, these types of snacks are void of any real nutritional value.

When fueling your adventure, you want to give your body the most nutrient rich, easily digestible food possible. Foods high in calories and carbohydrates are going to be your best option. This is important so your body doesn’t start burning protein as a source of energy, thus reducing your bodies’ ability to build up muscle tissue. It’s crucial that your body burn fat as a source of energy, not muscle.

Most importantly though, simple carbohydrates are the best source of “quick” fuel available. They are easy to digest and provide a quick release of energy. These simple carbohydrate foods are what Brendan Brazier calls a one-step nutrient; they can be directly used as fuel by the body.

Foods rich in simple carbohydrates
Bananas
Dates
Mangos
Pineapples
Berries

Another reason to focus on simple carbohydrate foods as fuel, is that your body requires the least amount of energy to process, thus providing your body with more energy by conserving energy during digestion. Your goal is to gain the most amount of energy with the least amount of food, also the goal of the Thrive Diet.

When climbing or hiking my favorite simple carbohydrate foods to pack in my bag are: dates, bananas, and dehydrated mangoes. Really, the mangoes would be better fresh because they help in maintaining hydration, but when dehydrated they are lighter and easier to carry.

Fueling your adventure when running or cycling with these clunky fruits can be a bit more difficult, but have no fear. There is a great solution. I have developed my own energy bars, raw “shot bloks”, and energy gel to help fuel your endurance sport. Below is a list of recipes I have posted throughout the blog that use dates and agave nectar as the primary source of fuel. They also contain a small amount of protein as well.

Recipes to fuel your endurance sport, hiking or climbing trip
- Raw Shot Bloks
- Raw Energy Bars
- Raw Energy Gel (this recipe is coming soon, I thought I had posted it already)

Another favorite of mine that is easy to make if you have a food dehydrator is my raw buckwheat treats. These tasty snacks are actual full of both complex and simple carbs that will help provide you with longer lasting energy. A quick note on complex carbs; these are essential for providing high-quality protein but take longer to process and are not as readily available as energy to our body.

Climbing, Cross Training, Cycling, Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
complex carbohydrates, cycling, energy, RAW Food, Running, simple carbohydrates
4 comments

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Last night I had my first taste of barefoot running. Prior to last night I had pretty much dismissed it completely and never saw it as something I would ever want to do. This sort of surprises a lot of people seeing as it’s often referred to as “natural running,” and I’m all about the all natural thing. But last nights experience was quite pleasant.

This week has been, and will continue to be a very busy week. The week ended up being short due to visiting my girlfriend in Austin, so I was a bit shocked when I realized late on Monday that it was actually Tuesday. My time frame for getting things done was dwindling. Still needing to get a lot done last night I decided to just go on a short run rather than a longer run.

Seeing how I was only planning on running two miles I thought it might be nice to change things up a bit and give myself a challenge since I was running a shorter distance – I decided to give barefoot a try. After getting a bit of advice from my roommate who only goes barefoot (even to work) I threw on my running shorts and shirt, and was out the door.

About one mile into the run I was feeling pretty good and decided to run another quarter mile or so – keep in mind I still have the return trip to the house. After finishing the extra quarter mile I was feeling great and decided to keep going. I was alternating back and forth between the sidewalk and the grass. Mostly because of dark areas in the grass where I could not really see what was there.

When running in the grass I felt alive as I felt the wet grass and earth crush between my toes with each step. I hadn’t felt this alive since the first time I ran six miles, which was the launching pad for me getting into running seriously. I spent the next mile alternating between sprints and jogs, It felt great. It was a great experience because I needed inspiration to keep running. For the past few months I have been out of routine and less motivated to run.

The newness of barefoot running was exactly what I needed to get my head back in the game. I believe I bit off more than I could chew during my first run tough. When I got back and calculated the miles it turns out I ran four whole miles! Usually when I read other’s blog posts about their first experience with barefoot running, they only run a mile or two at the most.

Needless to say, my calves are barking today. I’m wobbling around all stiff legged and slow. I’m surprised nobody at work has asked me what’s wrong yet. I will have to make sure to stretch those suckers out good tonight. Hopefully I will be able to get one more barefoot run in before I leave for Colorado. I can see this becoming an obsession.

Oh, not only did I run further than I probably should have, I was completely barefoot. Most people transition into barefoot by wearing shoes such as the Vibram Five Fingers. But, I can be stubborn about stuff like that. I wanted to do it, so I did it. However, I do think I might eventually buy a pair so I can go trail running when I move to Austin. It would be awesome to go zipping past hikers and clumsy mountain bikers in a pair of those!

Who knows, eventually I may even run the trails completely barefoot. But, I will more than likely stick to something like the Five Fingers for trails since I am first and foremost a climber. I wouldn’t want to go tearing up my feet and not be able to climb. I’m actually glad I didn’t really tear up the bottom of my feet before my Colorado trip. Had I done that, the six mile hike in to the base of Crestone Needle would have been pretty brutal.

Cross Training, Running by OrganicClimber
barefoot, inspiration, Running, virbram five fingers
3 comments

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