Monthly Archives: November 2013

As this is now my 3rd Christmas in Colorado, decided it time to put more effort into holiday decorating.

Focused on sprucing up the evergreen on my front deck.  Strings of blue lights, red & green ball ornaments, embellished with a few Christmas Stars helped portray a good first year attempt.  Tree’s still a bit scraggly – although it’s shot up mighty fast.

ALSO, added my first LED Polar Bear.  Hope to accumulate add’l bears in years to come & create a Christmas polar bear habitat.

On Dancer & Dasher, Comet & Vixen – hurry fast, scurry quick or my bears will celebrate with Christmas venison 🙂

Happy Black Friday weekend – only 25 days ‘til Christmas!

 

LOVE LOVE National Geographic’s Crossing the Ice – AMMMMMAAAAZING!

Was it the snow, the location or just the impossibility of the challenge itself?  Yep, probably the latter.

Best film of the year.  Highly recommended!

Next time you’re in the gym & they call you crazy for thinking you can finish an Ironman, without EVER competing & completing a triathlon (never mind age) – watch these 2 Aussies first learn to ski, then reach the South Pole unassisted.

Absolutely anything is possible.

 

After the crossing the Tasman the boys took on an even more audacious challenge – the first ever unsupported trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back. Starting with very limited experience they spent months researching, consulting with experts from all round the globe, training in the Arctic and NZ, rehearsing the skills they would need to survive in the highest, driest, windiest and coldest place on Earth.

 

Pulling loads that started at 160kg and temperatures as cold as -40 C, they battled frostbite, injury, whiteouts, crevasses, gear failure and slow starvation. During the 89 days it took them to ski 2275km without any outside support or assistance they lost a combined 55kg of body weight. Their adventure set a new benchmark and raised the bar of polar exploration globally. 

Facts about Crossing the Ice:

  • Crossing the Ice was the first EVER unsupported return journey to the South Pole.
  • Cas and Jonesy are the youngest team to ever reach the South Pole.
  • Previous attempts: Jon Muir, Peter Hillary and Eric Phillips attempted the return journey in 1998. They reached the South Pole after 84 days on the ice but didn’t complete the return. Kiwi adventurers: Kevin Biggar and Jamie Fitzgerald also attempted the return journey in 2007, their attempt was also unsuccessful.
  • Less people have man hauled to the South Pole (58 people) than have stood on the summit of Mt Everest (4600).
'Crossing the Ice'

‘Crossing the Ice’

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Thankful for so many things – family, friends, great health, sunshine, mountains, snow & my Colorado home (of course).

Found myself completely caught up in the holiday spirit this year.  Signed up for not one but TWO 5K charity runs.

The trick was finishing Louisville’s 9am Turkey Trot (supporting Flood Relief) & driving to Boulder in time for the 10am Community Food Share 5K.  Backseat full of non-perishables for 9am’s charity & canned goods for the 10am run.  

Crazy huge turnout for my hometown Turkey Trot.  Excited to see 2 trucks filled with donations.  Feel super lucky & blessed that my home & most of Louisville was spared from September’s epic (500 year) flood.

Ran this first 5K mighty fast, almost breaking 21 minutes.  Quick photo with Santa — in the car & off to Boulder.

Community Food Share’s mission is to ensure that no one in Boulder and Broomfield Counties goes hungry.

What better mission than to feed our neighbors.  Dropped off 3 bags of canned goods.  Big smile.

Sunshine, warm weather – and another big crowd, all ready to run.  Beautiful view of the Flatirons, just east of CU campus.

Ended the day at M’s brother’s home for turkey & fixin’s.   No holding back this holiday – already ran off my calories 🙂