Hi guys,
Thanks for the props. I'll post more in a few.
My vacation was great! 2 days to tour Washington DC (Bicycling around the monuments, and visits to a number of indoor sites). And then a 9-day cruise to the Caribbean from Baltimore, MD, USA. We rode on the Enchantment of the Seas. And what a floating
City that was!
We did it all: Swimming, dining, shows, bungee cords, dining, 2600ft zip line, alpine slide coaster, dining, spin classes, island tours, dining, and
then the midnight buffet. Life was good.
I spent first-time climbing the 30-foot rock wall on the stern of the ship. I practiced going up a couple of routes and did good. The next day they were having the
Rock Wall Olympics: A timed run up the easiest course. As an example to my 7-yr-old son that we should be
always ready to join a competition, and be fully prepared to be smoked. Losing is part of life. Losing with
sportsmanship and grace are attributes to apply.
Here I am on the left going up the harder Red route....
I did the Blue run twice in the afternoon and had the instructor time me: First run from the bottom: 0:18" seconds. Second trial: 0:17". My legs were shaky now. Good enough to compete.
I signed up last of 9 and there were NO other guys over 50 doing this. I watched and some of the guys were fast and some weren't as such.
I watched one guy go up two holds, slip down from a mishold and they barked him to keep going. He then FLEW up the course. Yikes!
My turn: One foot and one hand on, and one hand behind your back.
Ready... GO! I scrambled up taking longreaches and grabbing every other hold, really crunching and pushing with my legs. At the top you ring the bell to stop the times.
When the guests all finished they announced the
best times:
3rd place: 0:16.6" (Young stud)
2nd Place: 0:14.7" (Mr. Slip and Go....)
1st place: 0:13.8" (That would be ME!
:thumbup: )
Winner got a medal and a new carry-bag. Well, I have a great story to relate to my son and the athletes I coach:
- Never be afraid to challenge yourself.
- Prepare and practice.
- Observe technique and apply.
- DON'T make mistakes!
- Be prepared to lose.
In my case I was NOT the fastest up the course; Mr. Slip and Go lost at least :02" in his fumble. But his clock kept running and he made a mistake--and I didn't. That's racing.
I wore my medal to the dinner table that evening along with a big smile and shaky legs.
Knives:
Roger: I'm as curious as you. I still haven't seen the final result, and it's somewhere between Washington or Texas or here. There was a LOT of extra time spent on blade finish, but the final result, I'm told, is spectacular. :thumbup:
That one will deserve it's very own thread....
Others: If you don't know what I'm talking about, you will soon.
Coop
:thumbup: ...... especially for someone your age
