Last Week of the Year in Review

The week started off with a trip to Cochise for Mike, Paul, and me. Long story short, we got on the wrong route. Fortunately it wasn't finished so I ended up about 40' run out looking for pro or bolts. I don't know why I was looking for pro. All we had was four tri-cams and three hexes because we were supposed to be on a bolted route. Won't make that mistake again. Mike did have two very nice leads on some very hard slab. We later found out that the route is unfinished. That must be why the bolts ended so abruptly, and that it is supposed to be very hard. Live and learn.

 Wednesday the family agreed to go climbing so we invited a bunch of our friends, and guess what? A bunch of our friends came. What a good day. I only wish Ryan had been off so he could have come too. Here is Bob and Vivian. They make such a great climbing team.

 Lori Olsen came too. Here she is on her second ever outdoor lead. I have never seen a new leader with such a cool head. It doesn't hurt that she is super strong. She was breaking in a new rope and draws from Christmas. I think her husband did very well.

 It was nice to have my kids along. They don't want to go climbing very often so it is a real treat to get them outside to see what their dad spends so much time doing.

 Mike came. It was good to have him. I wish his family had made it. He helped belay so everyone got in plenty of climbing. He also made sure to climb a 10 so I would feel obligated to follow so as to not be out done.

 Brett even showed up. I wasn't sure he was still climbing. At least with me. I figured it had something to do with my new climbing motto: "Safety Third".

 Amy even climbed. I think she would be pretty good at it if she decided to work at it.

 Tyler had a great time. He worked his way up several climbs, and was a real trooper for such a long day. He chattered away to me all the way back to the truck. I think he may end up being a climber.

 Some dirty hippie showed up too. No one seemed to mind to bad. I know he had a great time.

Friday Mike and I headed up to Chimney Rock so that I could try to onsight Mistaken Identity. Notice I said try. I went to make the crux move, and went for the sucker hold. I was able to lower back to a stance without going onto the rope, and made a second try although the move was significantly harder. My foot popped, and I went for a ride. It was a short ride though. Maybe twelve feet?

 The only problem is that I went for a ride on this cam. It's not very big, but it was the only piece that would fit. I am pretty confident in these little cams now as long as they are well placed. It came right out too even after being loaded, hard.

Look at the size of the lobes compared to my fingers. Anyone else want to whip on it?

I finished the climb, and figured out the crux. Then Mike took his turn. He got suckered by the awful hold too, (maybe because of all the chalk I left on it), and then his foot popped. I saw the wind in his hair, the chalk flying out of his chalkbag, and his arms windmilling. He was going for a very long ride. I moved to take in as much rope as I could, but Mike caught his heals. He inverted, and then came to a sudden stop when he hit the end of the rope and the wall at the same time. There was silence for several seconds. I wasn't sure Mike was OK, or even conscious. It was the most scarred I had ever been while climbing. Then he said he was alright. He righted himself, and asked to be lowered.

It turns out that Mike is a little banged up. His shoulder hurts, he has some rock rash, and a tweaked knee. Not to bad for an inverted twenty+ footer (without a helmet too).

I went up to retrieve Mike's gear, and was able to pull the crux. We decided that was enough fun for one day. I went home and went for a run because I was so happy to be alive..........still.

Blink 182 - I won't be home for christmas, FULL, (with lyrics)

Is it wrong? Probably. Is it funny? Definately.

Six Days

Six work days left until the end of peak season, and a week long vacation. I volunteered to work next Saturday (Christmas Eve) because it will be a time and a half day. Like Brett says "I can do anything for three Weeks". So I figure I should be able to handle six days.

Since you probably won't be hearing much from me again this week I put up a Christmas classic from Cheech and Chong. Well it is a classic If you grew up in the 1980's, and were a juvenile delinquent. I also added my kids favorite funny Christmas song. Enjoy.

Don't forget to sign up for the Team Brenton, BB&S, and Running Around On Empty 5th and 6th biannual 2.55K fun runs. Let me know if you are planning on participating so I can get your finisher's award ready.

UPS Tired

There is no tired like UPS tired during the month of December. OK, Kent, Angela, and Lisa might say that ER doc or trauma surgeon tired is far worse, and I might agree. Ann and Michelle would probably say that mother of a newborn with two toddlers tired is even worse, and I guess I would have to be a real jerk to argue. Mike, Brett and Dave might claim engineer quickly closing in on a deadline tired is the worst of all, and not being smart enough to make it out of college algebra I would have to accept their opinion.

But ultimately Ryan, Stayc, and I know from first hand experience what UPS tired is like. It seeps deep into your bones, and can only be leached out with several months of recovery. It makes my head cloudy for the whole month, and makes me feel really disconnected. If I seem strange to any of you, (stranger than normal that is), please chalk it up to UPS tired. Sometimes after I talk to one of you I wonder if I said things that were taken differently than I meant, or what I said had nothing to do with what I was thinking. In fact I have no idea what I am trying to write. Just remember it is the UPS tired talking.

Registration

We have already received a couple of registrations, (with very generous Payless Shoe gift cards). We are getting materials together for finisher prizes so register soon so we can get your prize ready to go after we run, or see your finishing pictures.

We have had a few questions about the Fun Run so I will try to answer them here.

Q.How does this Fun Run work?

A. Basically the idea is to run a 5k in two days time. We like to start just before midnight on Dec. 31st, and finish the second half on New Year's Day. We like to end and begin the year running, but you can run the first half anytime on New Year's Eve, and the second half on New Year's Day.

Q. Where is the run going to be held?

A. We are going to try to find a central location for anyone that wants to run with us, but it can be held anywhere that you are. Our run will be a no drop run. That means we will run the least fastest runner's pace.

Q. What if I don't/can't run?

A. Cover the distance any way you can as long as it is non-motorized (no DUI bikes). If you ride a bike, ride. If you snowshoe, snowshoe away. My friend Steve may ski the distance, (although he is more than capable of running the 5k and probably at a 6:00 pace).

Q. Where can we send our registration?

A. You can either send it to us:

Rik & Amy Brenton

1454 W. La Pasadita St

Tucson AZ, 85705

or

Walter Douglas Elementary

attn: Tamara McAllister

3302 N. Flowing Wells

Tucson AZ, 85705

Q. How do I know my donation will be used to help a needy kid.

A. That is why we decided to have the donation be in the form of a gift card. The family resource center is on the same campus that Amy works at so we know it to be a good cause. As for us, well I guess you will just have to take our word for it. If you see us walking around in new shoes from Payless you will know we are crooks.

It Is Going to Happen Again This Year, (Ann)

Consider this the official announcement. We are doing the fun runs again this year. We hope it will get bigger and better every year. This year we are going to get together with anyone who will be in Tucson so we can all run out the old year, and run in the new one.

Another thing we are going to do differently is that we are collecting donations for a local charity that we can make sure any donations raised get where they should. Last year one of the charities we endorsed came under fire for some shady business. To avoid that this year we are going to try to raise gift cards (not cash) to Payless shoes for the school Amy works at. It may not seem like much, but when I hear Amy's stories about kids showing up to school with their shoes falling off their feet, or being three sizes to small it really makes me feel awful for even thinking about buying a $50 mountain bike tire. We know for a fact that any donations will go directly to a kid who needs shoes badly. We are asking for a $5 gift card for adult registration, and a $3 gift card for kids. The lady that runs the Family Resource center has a good relationship with Payless, and gets a good deal on shoes for the school. So your dollars will go farther than they normally would.

The other exciting news is that all finishers will receive an award, but not just any award. Lara from Rainbow Signs has donated her time and materials to help make this year's awards the best ever (you should Like Rainbow Signs on facebook). Not only are they going to be super cool, but they will be part of other events throughout  the year.

So mark your calendar, and get ready to run on New Year's Eve, and New Year's day to help put some kids in new shoes that they will truly appreciate. If you are going to be in town make plans to come run with us between 11:45pm December 31st, 2011 to 12:15am January 1st, 2012.

Tyler

The other day my little buddy Tyler (Brett and Michelle's son) ran up to me and was really excited to show me his battle scars. Where else should they end up but here on Broken, Beat & Scarred.

Not only did he get his elbow..............

but both knees too. That must have been some scooter crash. Don't worry Tyler, chicks dig scars.

Turkey Trot 2011

I wasn't going to post on the Turkey Trot this year for several reasons. Amy was in Phoenix, and I didn't do as well as I had hoped so i was just going to ignore it. Then I looked at my pictures and changed my mind.

It gets more crowded every year. There were over twice as many runners this year compared to the first time I ran it six years ago. It is getting to big for the course in my opinion.

Here is why I decided to post about this year's race. Brett and Michelle ran it with me. Here Michelle clears the first water hazard. She ran well, and came in several minutes under what she had anticipated she would run. Nice job Michelle! Brett did well too, but since we were both in the men's race I didn't get any pictures of him.

There I am #107. The guy right in front of me is Chad Miller. I went to school with his wife, and live across the street from his in laws. This is  the closest I have ever run to him in a race. He beat me by ten seconds instead of minutes like normal. He is the principal at the elementary school I went to.

As I was leaving they started the fun run. I just turned on my hazards, and enjoyed watching all the little kids running like mad.



Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills

Since it is Thanksgiving week I thought I would post my favorite Thanksgiving song. You may remember it from last year, but I never get tired of listening to it.

Moby Dick

What do you get when you mix four guys, two ropes, two racks, and a big piece of granite? A really good time. It was a dawn to dusk day with a two and a half hour drive one way, and an hour long bushwhack approach. It was also really fun.

 Can you see why it is called the Whale Dome?

 Mike caught up to Ryan and me at the first belay.

 Mike climbing the third pitch which was really fun. The first, third, and fifth pitches were the best. Ryan was nice enough to let me have them. I felt a little badly about it because two of his pitches weren't nearly as good. I  guess we will have to go do it again so I can repay the favor.

Ryan at the top of the second pitch. It was sure nice of that little tree to provide an anchor for us.

Ryan soloing the last pitch. It just wasn't hard enough to protect, and was barely fifth class. It would have been a nasty fall though, but a climber would have to be trying really hard to fall off there.

Paul, Mike, and Ryan on top. Good climbing, beautiful country, and great friends. What more could you ask for?

The rap off was a little scary too. Once we were over the edge it was 170 feet of free hang. the wind was really blowing, it was getting cold, and we were tired. All the reasons climbers hate rappels. We were careful, and all made it down safely.

That bent up hanger was really confidence inspiring too.

(Sorry about the alignment of this post. I am having blogger problems again, and it won't let me make all the text either centered or aligned left.)

Race Etiquite

I thought I would share my rules for racing since many of us will be running turkey trots, and all of us will surely be running the Team Brenton, Broken, Beat & Scarred, Running Around on Empty 5th and 6th bi-annual charity fun run (this is your second notification that it will be happening again this year (Ann)). I think my rules are pretty much common sense, but after my experiences at several races over the past few years sense apparently isn't so common. Please note that every rule has it's exception, and I will address several here. My general rule is if it doesn't take away from another runner's experience, and doesn't give you an unfair advantage it is probably OK.

1. Be prepared. Do your training, and know you can run the distance. When races start to get longer, like say half marathon or longer, that is not always possible. You may have to walk a water station. Just try not to hold anyone else up.

2. Try to line up with others of similar pace. I always try to line up with the 8:00 milers. I know from experience that is about my race pace. I will look for the guys I  recognize from the finish of other races, or ask a few guys what pace they plan to run. If you are a 9:00 minute miler don't line up with the 6:00 minute pace guys. You will only look clueless, and make it harder for someone to run their race.

3. If you are going to move, slow to a walk, spit, or make any other changes look around so you don't collide with another runner. Pretend like you are on a freeway, and you need to look behind you before you change lanes.

4. If the course is a loop where you have to make several laps look for people coming up behind you so you can give them room to pass. This is why I am against walkers in a race. I had a trio of very voluptuous walkers hold me up for quite a while at a trail race. I had to get two laps in to make the ten miles. I came upon them in a section of single track, and there was no good way around them. They saw me, but wouldn't give me any room to pass. I ended up off trail to get around them. I wasn't very happy, and had to bite my tongue to keep from making the pilot car, and warning flag joke I cooked up while trying to get around them.

5. Have fun, and be friendly. You will meet some very cool people with similar interests. You might even learn, or teach, someone something.

The Agenda

It is fall in Tucson again. Well, I guess it is fall everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, but fall is a special time in Tucson. The  weather is finally good enough that being outside, even at noon, is not only bearable, but enjoyable. That only means one things. I need to come up with a plan. Lots of events, and individual things to do. Which ones should I pick?

I will be running the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and the Team Brenton 5th and 6th bi-annual 1.55K New Years Run (that would be your notification that it is on again this year, and that you should make plans to do it (Ann)). I am in the process of coming up with a list of ten climbs that will be either challenging, adventurous, fun, or all of the above. Ryan is coming up with his own list. I'll bet that Steve's Arete makes it on both lists. After that the "agenda" starts to get a little cloudy.

There is the Tucson Marathon, the Pemberton 50k (that I have threatened to run for the last three years, but who's counting), 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, an April J-Tree trip, Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon, and a few other things I've been considering. Can you think of something I have left out? Is there something you think I might like to do? What is on your agenda? What do you think should be on mine? I really am interested in your opinion. Help me sort out this mess that is jumbling up my head, please.

Team Brenton Halloween

Since the kids don't Trick-Or-Treat anymore we decided to make Halloween at the Brenton home (and gear storage unit) something special.

What else would Team Brenton carve into their pumpkins besides skulls. I did this one, and..........

Caitlin carved Jack the Pumpkin King. Philip was at soccer tryouts so he didn't have time to carve one.

We decided to dress Gus up for Halloween too. We called him Gus the Haunted Surf Bus. Complete with Jack-O-Lanterns, spider webs, skeletons, ghosts surfboard, Halloween music, black lights, and longboards (not pictured). We had fun.

Not a great picture, but you can get the idea if you use your imagination.

Gus the Haunted Surf Bus really played the part.

Another shot where imagination is mandatory. The black lights worked out pretty well though.

Munchkin Land 10-22-2011

We haven't had any carnage here on Broken, Beat & Scarred lately, and I think Meagan was really starting to miss it. Fortunately she decided to take matters in her own hands and create some.

 While we were walking into Munchkin Land on Saturday Meagan stepped on a rock that decided to move. She ended up headed face first for the ground. I tried to grab her pack, but she was already on her way down slope. Ryan was in front of her, and was able to grab a strap on her pack before she made a second somersault. Fortunately she was only scraped and bruised. No major injuries. I am guessing she has bruises that she didn't know she was going to get. She toughed it out, and we climbed the rest of the day.

Ryan and I both led 3 really fun 5.10's, but I had to hang on one. Ryan of course got all three clean. At the end of the day I finally got to try out my top rope soloing set up. It worked really well. No hitches at all. Well, except one. There was no real adventure in it. I felt that with three backups it was less fun than top roping. I guess it's time to look into lead rope soloing. Another problem as pointed out by several of my climbing partners is that I have more climbing partners than I have the time to climb. I guess it's just another skill I want to learn.

On the way down the mountain we saw several rescue vehicles, and a helicopter at Windy Point. Someone had fallen fifty feet while rappelling. We looked over the parking area, and were relieved to see no cars we recognized. I think I will start backing up my rappels. 

Del Mar

I got home from J-Tree, unpacked, repacked, ran some errands, went to a XC meet, and then headed back to CA. We went as a family to Del Mar on Ryan's recommendation. It was awesome.

 We walked the beach quite a bit, and found some really cool shells and Sand Dollars.

 We rented wet suits, a surfboard, and a Boogie board. We had all been wanting to surf, and decided to make it happen.

 We have lots of hero pics with the surfboard. I think Philip enjoyed it more than anyone. He did pretty well too.

 Funny license plate in Cardiff just North of Del Mar. They have a statue called the Cardiff Kook that the locals dress up, and hang things on. The city paid an artist $92,000 to sculpt it, and no one likes it so they make fun of it.

 Amy and I went out for a nice dinner at Brigantine (also on Ryan's recommendation). I wore my "nice clothes" (yes I do own pants). Then we went to downtown La Jolla to walk around.

 No trip is complete without stopping by the local Patagonia. This one was in Cardiff about two minutes North of where we stayed. I really wanted a T-Shirt, but I have a hard time parting with $30 for a little bit of cotton. I ended up with some Patagonia Cardiff stickers, and got to look at some of Fletcher Chiounard's surfboards. Then we went to a local board builder's shop, and I  got one of his T-Shirts. It says "don't be a Kook."  Not hypocritical at all, do you think?

 I even got Amy into a wet suit, and I think she had fun catching a few waves.

Beach ballet. No matter where we go, or what we do Caitlin would always rather be dancing.

Six Days in Joshua Tree (still not enough)

 Some quick highlights of our J-Tree 2011 trip. Stacy made us all tape gloves. They worked great, and I won't climb crack without them again. Here Paul is getting the custom treatment.

 One of the great routes we got to climb. This is overhang Bypass. It is rated 5.7, but is very heady. I truly enjoyed it.

 This is part of the reason the climb was so good. Great company. I don't get to spend enough time with these two guys. Better climbing partners would be tough to find if possible at all.

 Another great route. Mike leading Mental Physics. Very heady, exposed, and super fun.

 The three amigos at the top of Walk on the Wild Side. Eleven bolts in close to 400 feet of climbing. Six of the bolts are on the first pitch. Slab climbing is generally not my favorite, but I really liked this climb.

 The Gang.

Walk on the Wild Side from a distance. It was hard to pick just a few pics for this post. If you would like to see more I have them posted on facebook. If you climb, and have not been to Josh I recommend you plan a trip. I can't wait to go again.

In the Last Week to Ten Days.

 I have been wanting to get a Night Blooming Cerus for a couple of years now. Amy and I saw them at Tohono Chul Park one night when they were blooming, and I thought it would be cool to have one here at the house. My friend Vivian posts sightings of them from around town, and out in the desert that I enjoy seeing. Porter and Stayc gave me this one. I can't wait for it to bloom.

 My pepper plants have really come to life since the temps have dropped below 100 degrees. This is a blossom on one of my Purple Chiltepene. I planted several of them from seed, and they are starting to produce.

 A small Jalapeno on my plant. Amy has been pickling them for me.

 My Serrano plant is covered with peppers. I am going to end up with more than we can eat.

This is a picture of the climb Mike and I got rained off last week. It is an old school 5.7, and is really fun. It is no 5.7 though.

Last week on my way out to ride my bike I stopped to get gas, and  they had these on sale. I hadn't had one in a long time. As a kid we used to get them from the little general store in Silverbell. They were a real treat. I figured I couldn't go wrong for a quarter. I still like them as much as I did as a kid. I know they are not good for me, but I highly recommend you try one if you ever see them (except for you Brett, a Big Cherry would make the chocolate snob in you shake and sweat).