Back in touch...

Last post, I talked about some around-the-world-on-motorcycle blogs/websites that I had been following lately. I was worried because there hadn't been any updates for a little while and I quite frankly wondered if something bad had happened to them. Finally a little news about them.
The World Rider guy finally put up a quick post and picture saying he was in Santiago, Chile. No explanation as to why he hadn't posted nor were there any tales of his travels. He did say he was behind and has lots of photos and stories to tell.
The "Round the World or Bust!" couple also updated and included a bit of a journal with their adventures. The key reason they hadn't updated was due to a maid knocking their laptop off the nightstand and breaking it. They've got a replacement computer now and should be back to regular updates.
Weather
Yesterday the weather was to take a turn for the worse. Rain was to change to freezing rain and later this weekend it's supposed to snow a little. It didn't seem too bad at first, but as the day wore on, I noticed more and more cars with ice on them. Salt spreaders were out in force, trying to stay ahead of the weather. There was a really bad winter storm in November/December that shut down this area. The storm came and went but the recovery took longer than many think it should have. Now public officials are wanting to seem proactive and implement a better snow/winter storm plan.
Fitness
My coworker Greg and I have been trying to focus on maintaining a level of fitness that will allow us to pick up where we left off in better weather and hopefully notch it up a ways. We are afforded the opportunity to work out three times a week on company time. We typically run a trail in the back 40 that has some steep hills. The trail itself is just shy of three miles. Greg started working with us full time in the spring last year and it only took him a few times to consistently run the trail without stopping. I took much longer to get there due to shin splints and foot problems. After changing to the Brooks Cascadia trail shoe, my legs and feet got better and I was able to run the whole trail without stopping on a much more consistent basis. With the onset of winter, we've been determined to continue hitting the trail, but we're not running it every time. Some times we'll run as far as we can, other times we'll fast walk, and still other times we'll fast walk most of the trail and run some of the hills. We've not allowed rain or snow or darkness deter us. After the first snow of the season, we put on the mukluks and waded through some knee -deep snow. Another time it had rained all day, but we hit the wet muddy trail with enthusiasm. By the way, we didn't see anyone else out there that day!
Last year, we were prepping for a major exercise and in turn a major inspection to prove that our unit was ready for war. A big part of the exercise/inspection process is to wear an anti-chemical suit, flak jacket and kevlar helmet while waiting for attacks to happen. If it's a chemical attack, you have to put on a mask and gloves and do what you have to do. During the simulated war, you most likely wear the ensemble minus gloves and mask for your entire shift. The chemical attacks in these simulations will put you the whole getup and "sucking rubber" for up to six hours. Greg and I prepped for these times by walking the trail in our flak jackets and masks. This was July and August by the way. In September when we had to play the first war game, Greg found himself in the mask and started to get a bit of a mild "panic attack". He calmed himself down immediately by thinking back to walking the trail in the mask and knowing that he made it through that hard physical exertion so sitting on the floor waiting for instructions should be a piece of cake.
Another benefit we've both noticed is that we pass our annual fitness tests much easier than before. There are four major components to the test and each carry certain amount of points. Waist measurement and cardio recovery comprise the most points and if you can't get decent scores on those, you get a marginal or poor score. Greg and I both improved our cardio scores and that's directly attributed to our running/walking regimen.
Greg has a goal of running the 15k Steamboat Classic which I think is in June. I haven't decided if I want to do that yet. Either way, we'll be increasing our distances. Don't be surprised if I get roped into it!!
Rivermen
The Rivermen won last night and are third in their division and not too far behind first and second. They're looking pretty good overall, but occasionally will have lapses that cost them dearly. They face the same problems that all farm teams have to deal with such as player callups, injuries, injury-rehab assignments, and the dreaded impatient - foreign - players - who - think - they - should - jump - right - into - the - NHL - because - they - were - stars - in - their - country - but - aren't - adjusting - well - because - the - game - is - more - physical - and - faster - so - they - jump - ship - and - run - home - to - mama types. Let's see how the rivs do tonight against a Milwaukee team that's not too far behind in the standings.