2009 Goal Trifecta

My 2K9 List:

Purity
Read New Testament- finished on 5/3/09
Splits
250 push ups- 10/8/09
2000 squats- 5/7/09
Ab bridge- 5 minutes- 12/31/09

I'm not pure, and I still can't do the splits, but I read the New Testament, did a set of 2000 body weight squats, a set of 250 push ups, and held an ab bridge for five minutes.

I didn't start working on the ab bridge until December, and the longest I could hold it was 3:30. I tried several times yesterday, but I couldn't get close to five minutes. I usually listen to Indifference by Pearl Jam, and I tried listening to movie soundbites to see if that would help. It didn't. Today I went without music, setting a repeating 60 second countdown timer to see if that would help. I only got to two minutes. I was upset with myself, so I grabbed Pearl Jam and set the countdown timer for 30 seconds. I wanted to hit four minutes and fail, telling myself that I didn't allow enough time to build up to my goal, but the 30 second timer helped to gauge where I was, and I was able to hold on for five minutes.

My plan was to hit the five minute ab bridge yesterday or today, then do 2000 squats and 250 push ups to prove I could still do it. My son helped me keep track of the squats and push ups. I don't think I could have gotten the push ups without his help. So I completed a 2009 goal trifecta this morning- ab bridge, squats and push ups. I rule.

Awesome Christmas gift

DeLana had one of our neighbors edit my mountain bike videos and make this compilation. I think Kristy did a great job.

Shelves

Day 1. Add sheetrock, move an outlet and secure the back support boards.














Day 2. Frame the two bottom north shelves.














Day 3. Frame the top three north shelves.














Day 4. Frame the south wall and secure the back support boards.














Day 5. Frame the west wall and cut the middle support boards.














Day 6. Frame the west and south shelves.














Day 7. Secured the plywood on the bottom three north shelves.














Day 8. Secured the plywood on the top two north shelves and the bottom west and south shelves.














Day 9. Secured the plywood on two south and west shelves.














Day 10. Secured the remaining plywood, added backstraps on the south and west shelves, and added the west vertical support.

Shelves- Day 6

Today we finished framing the shelves on the south and west sides. It was the most gratifying day because we saw the most progress. The only thing left to do is lay the plywood. And put the food back in.

Shelves

On Monday I started to build food storage shelves in our basement. All the wood came from local dumpsters on construction sites. On Day 1 I had to lay some sheetrock, move an outlet, and lay out the back support boards.














Day 2 was spent building out the two longer bottom shelves on the north end.













Day 3 was adding the three shorter shelves on the north end.














Day 4 was spent framing the south wall and adding the back supports.














Day 5 was framing the west wall and preparing the middle brace supports for the south end. I took today off to ride the Bobsled in SLC. Back at it on Monday.

Skeleton

We went to Park City to watch Noelle compete in the skeleton. She made the World Cup team and is hopeful to make the Olympic team. It was a blast to watch her race again. I think some of the men are upset that she beats their times. Ha!















This is the sled her husband Janson made.



















Bobsled run.

Boise bike park 2

This is the biggest of three drops at the bike park.




I got to ride at the bike park twice. There were the freeride lines, the downhill section, skills areas, pump tracks and cross-country trails. I rode two days for almost three hours without injury. Then I went to Powell's Sweet Shoppe and dropped too much money on candy and freaky soda.

It was a great break, and a fun time with Erick, Tami and their kids.

I came home and bought a Specialized Roubaix carbon fiber road bike and trainer. I spent an hour on it this morning. I will be using it to train for mountain biking, but not replacing mountain biking.

Boise bike park

We got back yesterday from out trip to Boise. I took my bike so I could ride at the bike park in Eagle. This is me on the middle freeride line.



This is me in the skills park

The BRG Trifecta

Mike Both and I are awesome today. We created the idea of the BRG Trifecta a few weeks ago, but we didn't name it. We started with the Goiter, a hill we named a few years ago. It's a mother grind for about .75 miles. Then we rode down and climbed the Radio Tower, which is another hill I started climbing a few years ago. From the top of Radio Tower hill we decided to try and complete the Trifecta by climbing Buttlicker, so named by Mike Both because you would rather lick your own butt than climb that hill. Each of us had a spin out, but we immediately started climbing without taking a rest break. This was the first time I've climbed Buttlicker without resting, so I was pleased. We climbed about 1,100 feet in about 1.75 miles. We rule. I will try to take better pictures soon and post them. These were taken from my phone, so it's hard to truly appreciate the level of our awesomeness.

Goiter, taken from Buttlicker.

Radio Tower hill, taken from Buttlicker.

Buttlicker, taken from Nolan Park.

Sam's Toy Box

I just added a link to Sam's Toy Box. My friends Erick and Tami run the store from Meridian, Idaho, just outside of Boise. They also have an Amazon storefront and can ship anywhere.

Garett's wedding trip

We had a long weekend of driving to get to Garett's wedding. Thankfully we were able to stop in Boise to see Erick and Tami and their toy store, Sam's Toy Box. We went to Eagle and found the bike park, and I would have been in heaven, but I didn't have my bike. It is a really big park with jump lines, dual slalom and a skills section. These two pictures are from the skill area.
















We also went to Powell's Sweet Shoppe, and they carry Brainwash. I used to drink this in California in 1994. It was the precursor to energy drinks. It has some interesting side effects.













Like this. It stains anything it touches.

All weekend I had been anticipating the seven foot gap jump on the Flintstone Trail in Eagle Mountain. I've watched Mike Both do it several times, but it was a mental block for me. I rolled the rock face, then crashed about 100 feet before the jump, hurting my knee and calf. My first thought was that I wouldn't be able to do the jump, and I had crashed by sliding off the trail. I worked the stiffness out of my knee, and after two failed approaches I let go and took the jump. It happened so fast that I wasn't able to pull up as I launched, and I landed front tire first. Thanks to a fantastic Marzocchi Bomber fork I rode it out without any problem. The approach to the jump happened so fast that I lost about a 20 foot section of the trail from my memory. I took the turn on the trail, and the next thing I knew I was in the air. Today I conquered the smoky monster.

370 days

We were at Lake Powell last week when I hit my one year anniversary since divorcing energy drinks. My last one was a Monster Lo-Carb on August 13, 2008. I still miss the taste, but I don't need it anymore. Now it's time to quit soda altogether.

Lake Powell was a fun time, with wake boarding, knee boarding, rappelling, cliff jumping, reading and hiking. Coming back to work and 399 e-mail sucks though. I need another vacation.

38 = 251

Today is my birthday, so I slept in. Work was hectic with all that has happened this week, and it has brought many changes in just a few days. I enjoyed a few moments of serenity with Deb, Jana, Amy and Terry while we discussed our future leaders and ate cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. My co-workers know me well. What they didn't know is that I have written in my Journal everyday for the last 18 years. They gave me a huge Sponge Bob birthday card, and I told them that it would still fit in my Journal. I quickly retrieved my Journal from my desk and showed them how I record my life. I worked late so I could catch up and fill the time until X-Men Origins: Wolverine started at 7:20 pm. I sat at my desk reflecting on the things that had happened today, and I truly felt blessed. I have a wonderful family and great co-workers. Being with my co-workers is the best part of my workday. Today I really felt like people cared about me. And lest I forget, Patricia sent me an e-mail from Manila wishing me a happy birthday. Wolverine was fun, and I came home to find this poster and "treat" courtesy of Lori, Hannah and Andrea. I love it.

Anyhow, today I'm 38 and I bench pressed the 45 pound bar 251 times. I got tired and slowed down at the end, so I want to be able to do it more smoothly, but 38 still equals 251. Chuck Norris is proud of me.

Moon landing was fake!

The moon landing was fake, and I have irrefutable proof. I don't believe for one minute that we can put a man on the moon when we can't keep my bright yellow highlighter from turning an ugly yellow color in two days. Case closed.

Skinny jump

Mike, Mike.com, Ben and I am rode the bike park and the Flintstone Trail. This is me on the skinny.


Mike Both.


Mike Engberson, aka Mike.com.


Ben Schmalz.

Bike Park action

I hit the Eagle Mountain Bike Park after work today. The teeter totter.


The three steps.


The 220 Trail table top.


My pride and joy- the 220 Trail drop in.

Goodbye, my friend

Today we sold the Corvette. I took #4 with me to drop it off. I thought he would cry like he has when we talked about selling it before. We owned it for just over two years, and it was a great summer ride. T-Tops rule. I hated to part with it, but it was the right thing to do. Hopefully it won't be our last Corvette. It was fun while it lasted, and it fulfilled a dream I held since I was in high school.

Hiatus

Tonight was my last night of teaching Karate for a while. My kids and I will be taking the summer off for financial reasons, but we hope to be back shortly. I'm not sure if I will be teaching at that point. I usually don't do the warm ups with the students, but tonight I wanted to fully participate. We did shoulder rolls and my shoulder wasn't a concern.














I will miss the experience of passing on the knowledge and applications that I have learned, but I will continue to teach it to my kids. Tonight was bittersweet because I really enjoy working with Jeremy and Tiffany, and I don't want to lose that association.

A sad farewell

Shawn Clark moved to Louisiana today. He and I worked together doing collections at Wilkinson & Sood in 1995. When DeLana moved here we all started to hang out. Shawn and I quickly connected and spent most of that summer roller blading and trying to pick up chicks. We grew closer through the years, and were able to pick up where we left off during his deployments. We often talked about the things that we thought were cool, like fountain pens, cufflinks and hats. We often read his gentleman’s book to learn how to tie new knots for our neckties, or dress professionally according to London standards. We wished we could fly to Italy and England to get custom-made suits. We really connected on that issue, and it was Shawn showing me the way. I’ve always admired his style and fashion sense, and I got what he already understood. I’ve never had that connection with anyone else, and I hope we can keep that going. He definitely influenced the way I dress at work, trying to be the professional example to those I lead. They will be greatly missed, but I know we will do all we can to keep the friendship going.

Sweet Saturday

I played softball with the ward this morning. I haven't played for years, and I haven't thrown a ball or swung a bat since before my surgery. It was so fun. The weather was perfect and it was nice to hang out with those guys. My shoulder is sore, but I think it's muscle and not cartilage.

I went to the Eagle Mountain bike park with Mike Both, Tim Shaw and Shawn Peck. We rode the jump sections, pump track and the new wood sections. Then we headed up and rode the single track. I hit the jump at the north exit of the trail and it felt great. Perfect line and perfect landing. Then I went and hit this ramp five times.

This is a good jump because the trail takes a hard right, so I have to land the jump and make the turn immediately, which freaks me out.

This table top is up near the top of the jump section. I had to hit it a few times to be able to launch it.

Today was a great jumping day. I felt so good with everything I did. I love mountain biking.

One year later

Today is the one year anniversary of my shoulder surgery. My doctor told me I would be back to 100% at one year if I avoided injury. I'm still a little nervous about grappling, but I sparred at Karate tonight. I felt good, and I didn't think about my shoulder while I was avoiding attacks and dishing it out. Grappling would still be higher risk because of the torque in a key lock or chicken wing. I went old school with my original white Gi top and heavy weight black pants, and my back didn't bother me very much.

Since it was a special day I wanted to do something to overcome myself, so I did a set of 3000 body weight squats. My goal was 2000, so I'm pleased with that. That's two things completed on my 2k9 List.

I also finished reading Leadership and Self-Deception. That is a great book, and I thank Patricia for pushing me to read it.

2k9 List update

I completed my first task on my 2k9 List tonight. I read Revelation 1-22 to complete the New Testament. It's been years since I read it cover to cover. That was a good choice.

So far I've been able to do 1500 squats and 150 push ups. I haven't tried ab bridges yet this year. It's time to start.

I love my bike

St. George was a great mountain bike road trip, but I couldn't use my middle chainring at all. The gears kept slipping, and it was obvious that I needed to get a new drivetrain. I thought a new chainring set, chain and cassette would do it, but the set was wobbling last night. I elected to replace it with a new set that included the cranks and bottom bracket.

My bike.














New cassette.














New Race Face chainrings, cranks and bottom bracket.














We are going to the Eagle Mountain bike park in an hour. I can't wait to hit the trail. Then it's off to St. George on Sunday for Spring Break.

Change is good

These are the murals from our old dojo in Saratoga Springs. This is Jeremy Sanderson- 3rd Dan.














Steve Smith- 2nd Dan.














Sidnee Smith- Red belt


Tonight was our first night in the new dojo. We spent a little more than three years in the first building. Everyone was excited to be in the new building. It's a wood floor and the room is much bigger. We have mirrors again, and a great view of the valley. This is a great change. I was so glad to be there tonight.

St. George bike trip- Day 2

Shawn Peck joined us Friday night for a huge ride on Saturday. We started the JEM Trail outside La Verkin. This is me and Agent Peck standing over the Virgin River.














This is me and Tim Shaw riding the cliff over the Virgin River.














Mike and Tim at the beginning of the ride.














Our beautiful scenery.














Scenery.














More scenery.














Overlooking La Verkin. This wasn't even halfway on our 27 mile ride.















We took the Hurrican Rim cutoff and rode passed this La Verkin lookout to the parking lot where Shawn, Bevan, Evan, Kevin and I stopped last year. It was a challenging climb, but the downhill to the parking lot was worth it. We crossed Highway 59 and climbed the fireroad for qyite a while before taking the cutoff to Gould's Rim. We rode that part for several miles on Gould's Rim when Shawn got a flat tire. We fixed that and stopped to rest at Highway 59 when we noticed he had torn the sidewall on his tire. My friend Rob Brown told me you can stick a dollar bill over a tire hole until you get off the trail. We were about to do that when Mike suggested we try using the Cliff Gel wrappers. We didn't have any other problems with the tires. We flew down from Highway 59 passed the Hurrican Rim cutoff and continued to the car. The trail was in great shape and I let go of the apprehension I had from Friday. That section is probably my favorite section of trail. It was a great trip and we put down some good miles. No one got hurt and the mechanical problems were minimal. And we learned a lot about Tim and Mike's moms.

St. George bike trip- Day 1

Mike Both, Tim Shaw and I went to St. George on Friday for a mountain bike road trip. We rode for several hours on the Bearclaw Poppy trail, then rode part of the Zen trail. This is Tim and Mike on Bearclaw Poppy.














Tim on a double jump on Bearclaw Poppy.


This is me on the Bearclaw double. I was really nervous about crashing and hurting my shoulder. It's been 10 months, but I have to get passed one year for it to be totally healed.


Mike on the third Finger of Death. I missed his landing. I suck.


We followed the riverbed to try and get out to the Zen Trail. That sucked. We had to bike/hike quite a bit, but we caught the trail and started our climb above Bearclaw Poppy. This picture is the Three Fingers of Death from the Zen Trail.














Close up of the Three Fingers of Death from the Zen Trail.














The riverbed approaching the Three Fingers of Death.














This is me and Mike overlooking the Three Fingers of Death from the Zen Trail. We lost the trail and come down too soon, so we went to our Trendwest timeshare to get more water. We hit several jumps on the way back to the car and felt pleased with what we had done.