Run. Hike. Poop.

Running, Injury, and Awakenings

May 7, 2010By y2kemo

In Awakenings, a doctor (Robin Williams) finds himself with a ward full of comatose patients; victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years prior. He tries out a possible cure on one of the patients (Robert De Niro) and it works. The patient has a blast, lives life to its fullest, but eventually falls back into a coma after only a short time.

In January, I tore my left calf. The doc gave me PT exercises and my leg got better after 5 weeks. My first run out and the calf tore again. Back to the doc. Back to the PT. Another 5 weeks and bam, the calf tore again! Sweet JMJ. Well, I took it easy. Completed the exercises. And it appeared I was ready to go.

The Perfect Cheesecake

April 19, 2010By y2kemo

Making the perfect cheesecake is actually pretty easy. And, if you don’t care what it looks like, it’s even easier. On the other hand, if you want to prepare a Carnegie Deli style cheesecake, you’ll want to keep reading.

For starters, you’re gonna need my secret family recipe (hint: it’s the same one printed on the back of a box of Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs). Next, you’ll need a few things and a bit of hardware. Get ’em and proceed to the good part.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Four

March 5, 2010By y2kemo

2/23/10, 6AM, Day 4: Our watch alarms go off at 6AM. Daybreak is nearing. Time to break camp, fill bottles, drink coffee, and plot our course. With plenty of sunlight, we can see how to avoid the thickest patches and travel the safest route down the mountain. The downside? The slopes are steep, there’s 3 feet of snow on the ground, there are fallen trees everywhere, and to top it off, there are coyote, bobcat, and mountain lion tracks on both sides of the creek.

CHRIS: Let’s not die.
COOP: And when we don’t, let’s get Big Macs.
CHRIS: Agreed.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Three Part 2

March 4, 2010By y2kemo

2/22/10, 2AM, Day 3 Part 2: Just moments ago Search and Rescue (SNR) told us we were on our own. So much for being airlifted on a chopper. Wonder if we’d have to pay for an air rescue. Not that it matters though. According to SNR, we have to keep walking in the direction we’re headed (which we don’t know). The trail will get steep (i.e. “just shy of cliff.”) And, once we cross the valley and climb the slope we’ll be on Old Butt Knob (maybe). Is that all? Well, shoot. Honey, set me a plate. I’ll be home in a few.

CHRIS: Dude, this totally blows. Let’s get off this mountain before the weather hits.
COOP: Word.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Three Part 1

March 3, 2010By y2kemo

2/22/10, 2AM, Day 3: Morning comes sooner than expected. At 2AM rain starts to fall. At 4:15AM sleet begins to accumulate. By 6AM our tent domes sag thanks to a fresh 5 inches of sleet and snow. Thanks weatherman. Any hope of following tracks are gone. The 3 feet of snow is now 3 and a half feet. Looks like we are going to have to posthole our way down the mountain. I’m not sure about you, but when I have to lift my leg to my ear 400 hundred times in a row, I get tired. Eventually we find a clearing. Clouds settle in bringing visibility down to about 10 feet. Compass says we need to go up the mountain through all the rhododendrons. Seriously, who’s in charge of landscaping around here? We melt snow to fill our bottles and bladders, and use the surplus for a cup of coffee.

The pu-pu platter of whiteout, waist-deep snow, and bobcat tracks make choosing the correct path difficult. We choose a path that takes us through rhododendrons (a.k.a. the vineys) for a good quarter mile.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Two

March 2, 2010By y2kemo

2/21/10, 6:00AM, Day 2: Sun up at 6AM. Oatmeal and coffee are the morning’s priorities. I break down my tent and fill up on water—not sure how long the creek will follow us up the mountain. By 7AM, Coop and Bigfoot wake and join me at the fire pit. Photo ops take up a few minutes after breakfast. Bigfoot tries out my poles out of curiosity. At 9AM it’s time to gear up. Coop and I part ways with Bigfoot and continue up the trail. Nice to be hiking on an actual trail. For the first hundred yards it’s hard-packed snow. After that, we’re off trail and following Bigfoot’s tracks from the previous day.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day One

March 1, 2010By y2kemo

Not all those who wander are lost.
– J.R.R. Tolkien

The mountains of North Carolina are a thing of beauty when viewed from afar. They are an even greater spectacle when you experience them up close. And when snow blankets the ground they are truly wondrous. Until they’re not.

This past weekend my buddy, Coop, and I set our sights on the Shining Rock Wilderness for this year’s winter backpacking trip. We monitored the location via webcam, checked the weather forecast daily, and packed the essentials we thought we’d need. We planned everything out meticulously, and fully expected a flawless trip that we’d remember for a lifetime.

Share the road

January 27, 2010By y2kemo

So I’m running the other day minding my own business when out of nowhere my right arm is clipped by the side mirror of a Ford Escape. I looked at the car as if to say, “Hey! Yeah you! I’m on the curb of a two-lane road! Why don’t you move over? Don’t honk at me. Don’t curse at me. And above all, don’t hit me!”

To the guy who hit me and left, let’s think about this for a moment. You’re in a car. A big friggin’ machine with no give. I’m a human. A little bigger than a bread basket and easily broken by big friggin’ machines. Perhaps you were in a hurry or perhaps you are just a prick. Whatever the reason, you (and all drivers) should yield the right-of-way to pedestrians like me.

If you’re in disagreement I kindly direct you to North Carolina law 20-174D which states:

My WiFi password is abcde12345

January 25, 20103 commentsBy y2kemo

On a recent trip I took my iPhone with the intent of using local coffee shops, restaurants, and other public locations to access the Internet. Upon arriving at a particular restaurant, I hit up the WiFi. Hmm, all these SSIDs are password protected. I asked the host for the SSID and password. The former was far more complex than the latter. A-B-C-D-E-1-2-3-4-5. My investigation into the nature of the chosen algorithm turned up a reasonable answer, “It’s what the directions said to do when I set up the router.”

This business is not the only offender. I tried my luck with other nearby networks. When I tapped the network, a WPA-protected network message appeared. Please enter password. For poops and giggles I tried “A-B-C-D-E-1-2-3-4-5”. Bam! I’m connected. I checked my mail, some social sites, the news, downloaded a few apps, and even listened a football game. But wait, there’s more! Wireless connectivity isn’t just limited to the SSID password.

Running Barefoot

January 20, 2010By y2kemo

When I run, I enjoy the fresh air, the wind in my face, and the ground beneath my feet. Back in December, I ran my first barefoot race—a 5K in sub-freezing temperatures. On Saturday, I kicked it up a notch and ran a solid 8 miles sans the feet-protecting injury-inducing coverings. Now, before you pass judgment and consider me an idiot (not that I would argue to the contrary) you should understand that running without pain is more important (to me) than running with shoes.