Climbing
I started climbing back in college (about 17 years ago) with my best friend Tracy Phillips. Neither of us knew anything about it, but it didn't take us long before we had basically become climbing bums. The first place I ever climbed was Bee Rock outside of Monteray, TN, but I really fell in love with climbing was at the Tennessee Wall outside Chattanooga, TN.
Since then climbing has taken me to places all over the country and the world - from Peru to Thailand to Colorado. For the past 9 years, I claim Boulder, CO as my home and I enjoy getting out at Eldorado Canyon, the Flatirons, and Boulder Canyon whenever I get the chance.
Best Memories: Whew, where do I start? A few that would definitely stick out would be: 1) Big wall climbing in Alaska attempting some first ascents in the Ruth Gorge, 2) Climbing my first 5.12 in New River Gorge, WV, 3) Sport climbing on the sunny beaches of Krabi, Thailand with my wife on our honeymoon, 4) First time I climbed Ames Ice Hose with my climbing partner Sean.
Worst Memories: 1) Getting all my climbing gear stolen from base camp while mountaineering in Peru. 2) Rescuing Sue Knott from the base of Seventh Tenticle/Octopussy after she rode a piece of ice to the ground.
Cycling
I started riding mountain bikes a lot when I started college in 1989. Mostly is was just used as a commuter bike. I even started my own bicycle repair business to give me extra drinking money - hey I was in college. I started occasionally doing a few mountain bike races but nothing serious.
In 1993 I moved to Memphis, Tennessee and got a little more serious about bike riding. I met several great guys while riding for a local bike shop team. I raced mostly Sport Class, but basically I sucked. I have mild asthma but it causes me a lot of problems on the shorter mountain bike races which were basically sprints. I then dabbled in duathlons and triathlons for a few years and raced for a local Fleet Feet running/triathlon team. I did better at these as the endurance was more of a factor and there were less "sprints."
In 1996 I moved to Colorado and stopped racing for a few years concentrating more on running, climbing and work. But somehow I got sucked into long distance mountain bike races and my own personal mountain bike adventures.
Over the past five years I have completed the Leadville Trail 100 twice, 12 Hours of Keystone, done five other 50 mile races, White Rim Trail and numerous other adventures.
My Mountain Bike: I have ridden hard-tails and full suspensions. I even had one of the first full suspension mountain bikes - you know before they perfected the rear travel and they would magically change gears when the suspension activated.
Right now I am riding a 2003 Trek Fuel 100 Full Suspension, XT/XTR, Rock Shox SID Race fork, Bontrager Race Lite ceramic rims with Hutchenson tubless tire system. This is probably the best mountain bike I have even ridden.
My Road Bike: 2002 Trek 5200, Ultegra 9 speed, geeky USPS Team colors.
Best Memories: 1) First time I completed the Leadville Trail 100, 2) Riding the 100 mile White Rim Trail in a day, 3) Starting the Memphis BASH with my friend Tony.
Fly Fishing
I've been fishing all my life, but exclusively fly fishing for the past 8 years. Over the past two years, I've taken it a bit more "seriously" than ever in the past - last year I had close to 100 fishing days. While most of my fly fishing happens in the Rocky Mountain states, I hope to do more traveling in the future. I recently bought a new salt-water fly fishing outfit and hope to put it to use soon ... Baja Mexico, Belize, or Florida Keys??
Best Memories: 1) Week long solo trip to Montana last fall hitting 12 different rivers, 2) just about any major hatch on the Arkansas River, 3) Re-uniting with my father after 20 years and spending our time together on the river, 3) Catching a fish with the very first fly I tied myself.
Running
I started running a few years after getting serious into bike racing. I thought it would give me the a great aerobic base for cycling. What I didn't know is that is would soon replace cycling as my favorite thing to do. I never really got into racing much at first. I did a few 5Ks, but about two years after starting running, my friend Tony Roy convinced me to do a 12 hour race with him (Dusk til Dawn). I can't remember the distance that I ran (about 58 miles), but I really enjoyed it. A month later I solo ran the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu while I was on a mountaineering trip in Peru.
Over the next few years I dabbled in just about every discipline and distance one could imagine - a few 5k and 10k road races, half marathons, marathons, 50k, 50 milers, mountain running, road running, trail running, triathlons, duathlons, etc... It didn't take me long to realize that I wasn't very fast, but that was OK because I really enjoy running.
Then in 1998 I moved to Colorado and married (a much faster runner). Shortly after that a friend introduced me to the Leadville Trail 100. After pacing him one year, I told myself, 'next year I am going to do that!' Well the next two years I tried and failed (70 miles each time). So I tried other tough races and some of them I fared much better at, but Leadville still loomed out of reach. The third times the charm! Right?
Some of my races and adventure runs have seemed to end in failure, but I think that failure has also made these memories much more dear to me and make my accomplishments so much sweeter. I have a great story behind each and every one of my 'failures.' Of course, there are the accomplishments that are still vivid memories like: the first time I ran 10 miles with my friend Tony, my first running date with my wife, solo running the Inca Trail, finishing 13th in the US SkyRunning Championships for half-marathon, finishing my first 100 mile race (Old Dominion 100), running in the Himalayas with my wife on our honeymoon, and the list goes on ... sigh.
Will this be the year for Leadville? I don't have to commit today. Do I?
Running Accomplishments:
- 5k - 18:35
- 10k - 38:40
- 1/2 marathon - 1:25:20
- marathon - 3:27:05
- 50k - 5:07:00 (trail)
- 50 miles - 10:22:00 (trail)
- 100 miles - 27:46:32 (trail)
Best Memories: 1) Running a 5k with my wife on our second date, 2) Completing the Old Dominion 100 Mile Endurance Run, 3) Running the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to_Rim, 4) Running in the Nepal Himalayas with my wife on our honeymoon, 5) Running the Jacksonville Marathon with my wife where she placed 1st in her age group and 3rd woman overall.
Skiing
I like nordic skiing - cross-country and telemark downhill. I used to snowboard, but after we moved to Vail I thought that I'd give those funny skies with a free heel a try. Now, I'd probably never go back. I've been exclusively on teles for about 8 years now and skate/classic cross-country skiing for about the same time. I usually get on the slopes or into the backcountry at least 25-35 days a year.
Best Memories: 1) 79 day ski season when we lived in Vail, 2) Skiing every month of the year (in Colorado) for 20 straight months, 3) my first backcountry hut trip with my wife and first child.
Surfing
I'll be the first to admit it, I'm not very good. However, surfing is my new favorite sport. OK, it is my favorite sport when I'm on vacation. There is not a lot of surf here in Colorado, but I try to take at least one surf trip every year or two. I first started surfing about 4 years ago when I went to a "surf camp" in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This year was Mexico.
Best Memories: 1) Going to "Surf Camp" with my wife in Costa Rica.