trail and error

Giving Back

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:45:00 +0000

The trails out at SIUE have been my training ground for the last few years. I've run and mountain biked them until I know every twist, turn, root, and stump like the back of my hand. Although sometimes it seems like just yesterday when I couldn't turn around without getting lost out there. To say that I am thankful for this trail system is an understatement. So when I heard that the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists were having a workday in my backyard I jumped at the chance to lend a hand.

Actually I had been harboring a fair amount of guilt for not helping out in the past. GORC holds a couple of workdays out there during the year and I have always had a scheduling conflict, until now. I was informed about the workday at the January Metro Tri Club meeting and made sure my schedule was clear. One of our members always makes the argument that since we use the trails so much for training we should help maintain them as well. Agreeing was a no brainer. GORC is a volunteer organization that maintains many trail systems in the area. I'm not sure how many exactly lets just call it more than 10 less than 20. They are faced with a tremendous amount of work and the only compensation is being able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

We worked hard for about 3hours with almost 40volunteers 12of which were Metro Tri Club members including fellow bloggers Mike and Kate (visit Kate's blog to see pictures of the trail in progress). We used tools I had never heard of before. Pete our crew leader told us to grab a couple hazel hoes, a fire rake, and some pulasky's. "Excuse me but I have no idea what you just said". He explained it and we were on our way to the section our group was to work on. We did some raking, grubbing, benching, and clearing., Yeah, I didn't know what benching and grubbing were either. At the end of the day we had completed a brand new half mile section of trail, and I will admit that when I ran that section the next day I was proud of what we had built.

Seriously, do not use this as a guide.

If you use the trails in your area find out who maintains them and see if you can lend a hand because as Pete said "it helps your trail Karma to give something back".

Free Diving

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I don't remember who posted this video, or where I saw it originally but it is so bad ass I thought I would share it too. Free Diving is something I have always been impressed by watch the video and find out why.

Told you it was bad ass!

(Mountain) Lions, No Tigers, and Bears!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

A week or so ago I read in the paper that a mountain lion was trapped and later released near Centerville, Mo. located in the Southeast corner of the Mark Twain National Forest. Mountain lions and bears have been rumored to live in Missouri for some time now and the evidence has mostly been anecdotal until recent years when mountain lions have been caught on camera and now in a trap. The recent capture is a reminder to be safe and take precautions while out in remote locations. I have read that an encounter with these animals is a rare occurrence but it does happen here is what to you should do.

For black bears according to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (It came up first on google) you should:

If the bear is not paying any attention to you, slowly and quietly back away while watching the bear to make sure it isn't following you

Do not approach the bear to get a better look

If the bear obviously knows you are there, raise your arms to let the bear know you are a human. Make yourself look as big as possible. Speak in a firm but non-threatening voice while looking at the bear and backing away

Watch the bear to gauge its reaction to you. Generally, the noisier the bear is, the less dangerous it is, providing you don't approach the bear. If a bear huffs, pops its jaw or stomps its paws on the ground, it wants you to back away and give it space

If a bear closely approaches you, drop any food you are carrying and continue backing up

If the bear continues to try to approach, stand your ground and be aggressive - use your whistle or air horn, yell, stand tall, wave your arms and throw objects

If a bear keeps advancing and is getting close, continue to stand your ground. Use your bear pepper spray and anything else to threaten or distract the bear - bears will often first test to see if it is safe to approach you

Do not run or climb a tree. Bears can run faster and climb better than you

If the bear makes contact, fight back with everything you have

For mountain lions according to the Missouri Department of Conservation you should:

STOP. Back away slowly if you can do so safely. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the mountain lion, stand upright and maintain eye contact.
DO NOT APPROACH A MOUNTAIN LION, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
STAY CALM. Talk to it in a calm, yet firm voice.
DO ALL YOU CAN TO APPEAR LARGER. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you’re wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won’t panic and run.
If the mountain lion behaves aggressively, THROW STONES, BRANCHES OR WHATEVER YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. You want to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may, in fact, be a danger to it.
FIGHT BACK if a mountain lion attacks. Mountain lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and bare hands. Remain standing or try to get back up.

Now you know what to do in the unlikely occurrence that you encounter one of these animals. Remember they aren't looking to eat you but they can be dangerous and unpredictable.

2012 Goal #3: 12 Nights in the Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Some years ago when I had a subscription the Backpacker magazine I read about the term "bag nights", a term to describe the number of nights you slept in your sleeping bag. People would write in saying things like "last month I had five bag nights" or "last year I had 35 bag nights". It all sounded so great to me and I thought that I would love to be a bag night person. Fast forward to the present day and I have probably logged less than ten in the past five years. The idea of sleeping outside (camping style not homeless style) really appeals to me so this year I decided to challenge myself to log 12bag nights. One night each month should be easy, right? The challenge won't happen that way though because I don't have the gear to camp in cold weather and have no plans to buy it because as the temperature rating goes down the price goes up, up , up. I am more of a Walmart/Target camping supply shopper unless I can find a sweet deal somewhere.

The number 12 came up because I knew that there were already a few nights on the schedule (see below) so it had to be more than was already planned otherwise there would be no challenge and since it was 2012 it seemed right. Plus I didn't want to pick a number that was unattainable and 12 seemed like a fair amount.

My old tent and Chuck's old legs

So here is the breakdown so far for 2012:

3nights on the KATY trail (May)
2nights during the MR340 (Jul-Aug)
1night during the Berryman AR (Sept)

That is six nights accounted for, so that only leaves 6more nights for me to get out into the wild. Should be a piece of cake.
For the sake of clarity I should point out that in my book at least, sleeping in an actual sleeping bag is not a prerequisite to logging a bag night. My requirements are flexible depending on the situation. During the MR340 for example we won't be "camping" but we will be out in nature on the Missouri river for up to 88hours (fingers crossed that we finish sooner) so that has to count for something. Not to mention the 34hours Team POW/MIA spent wandering around the woods at last years Berryman Adventure, that has to count as one night. It is not yet decided if sleeping in a tent in the backyard will count though.

Bottom line is this, I have never found the time spend time outdoors the way I want to and this year things are going to be different.

Thus the telling of the goals was concluded.

Leave a comment below and share some of your goals for the new year!

2012 Goal #2: Increase Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0000

My second goal for 2012 is the thing I have struggled with the most, in the past. Eating right and exercising regularly are not things that come easy to me at all. Just as I typed that last sentence I felt a powerful disturbance in the force. It was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out with a collective WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! and then fell silent. Yeah I get it, everyone has this problem. There are things that I want to do that I am unable to do because of my level of fitness, so I have begun to make some changes.

Maybe that's the problem.

I have recently become a member of the wellness committee at work. Personally I feel more like the prime example of someone that needs the help of a wellness program than someone on the committee, so I was surprised when they asked me to join. People outside my immediate work area know me as the guy who runs and does all sorts of crazy races (clearly they haven't read the blog lately) so they thought I would be a good person to have on the committee. Maybe if people still see me as that "fit" guy I don't have as far to get back as I think. In conjunction with the Wellness committee there is going to be a weight loss contest starting at work and I volunteered to coordinate with the participants. Usually when things like this happen at work it is anonymous, people sign up do their thing and never know if anyone else is participating unless it is being discussed around the water cooler. We are a large hospital and have hundreds of employees so even if there is a leader board it is possible to not recognize a single name. I saw this as a huge deficiency in the program and suggested that participants have an opportunity to get to know one another, giving them a sense of camaraderie working toward a common goal. I was told that if I wanted to lead it then it would be a great idea. Seems like an actual wellness professional would be a better candidate to lead a wellness group rather than an air conditioning mechanic but if they don't have the time to make the program a success then I will gladly do it. After all it was my idea.

I have also started cooking more so I have left overs to bring for lunch (saves money too). Often I go to the cafeteria and get whatever seems like it might be good, and by good I mean taste good, not necessarily healthy. I am still struggling with my Dr. Pepper addiction, and maybe addiction is a strong word but it seems I have the least willpower to resist a couple Dr's appointments every day.

So I am making progress.

I don't want to dwell too long on this one since everyone has their own issues with food and exercise. I just wanted to put it out there as a goal. Maybe it will help this time.

I know many of you might have a similar goal for the year so I wish you the best of luck, and if you need a hand let me know, maybe we can help each other.

2012 Goal #1, Resume Transmission:

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:21:00 +0000

There are probably hundreds of goals that I could set for the new year, but as I stated in the previous post I am keeping my focus on three, and because I am a nice guy here they are so you don't have to go back and look at the last post to jog your memory.

Build on the foundation of the 100+Project.
Increase my level of fitness
Spend 12nights in the bag.

The second half of 2011 was pretty much a waste, as far as training and racing was concerned. I won't go into the details of why, but if you don't know the reason take a look back at some of my other posts to get an idea of how things fell apart.
One of the good things that came out of 2011 was the creation of the 100+Project (click the link for details). It seems like so long ago it was just an idea. The project allows me to add a bit of adventure to my life while raising money for the St Louis Asthma and Allergy Foundation. I remember contacting them for the first time thinking that they would not want me to proceed with my plans. I found that the exact opposite was true. They seemed more excited than I was. Jessica (from the foundation) and I appeared together on a local AM radio station WBGZ 1570 to talk about the foundation and the 100+Project. I was invited to speak at a board meeting (an invitation that I have yet to take them up on), and I was a guest host at their annual trivia night along with some other local celebrities. So our relationship has been one thousand percent better than the flat NO I was half expecting.
Skate 100+ was the first of the 100+Projects, since the whole idea was inspired by Dave Cornthwaite who first skateboarded the length of Great Britain, and then across Australia I though it would be a fitting homage for the first event to be skateboarding. The true benefit though lied in the fact that I already knew how to skateboard. I had never ridden a longboard before but the mechanics are the same, bend right leg, push with left, repeat. I did a few loops on the Madison county bike trails labor day weekend. The day started early and the temperature was cool, but it soon rose to over 100degrees. I had some relief in the late afternoon when severe thunderstorms moved in, and as the sun went down the temps became cooler again. My wife and daughters were my support crew for the event and I think I underestimated how hard the day was going to be on them. It took me a little under 19hours to skate the 107miles from the MCT trails on up to Grafton, IL and they were out on the road the whole time taking care of anything I might have needed. I received tons of emails, text messages, comments on facebook, and tweets to encourage me along the way, and they were very much appreciated. I met some of my friends along the route too. Cheri met me at the halfway point which was also the hottest part of the day. I was really doubting if I could finish, it was just so hot out. I had just left my family at Horseshoe lake where we had lunch, and I hid how much the heat was beating me down because I didn't want them to worry. Cheri rode alongside on her bike (the bike that she ran me over with in the past) and we talked about the heat and how far I had to go. Talking through it made it seem more manageable. I would go as long as I could and if I succumbed to heat I would figure out what to do at that point. The crazy thing about the heat was that the temperature the day before and the day after was about 25degrees cooler making the heat a non-issue. I happened to pick the freak September day was a heat wave. Cheri turned and rode home when her husband called and told her that there was a severe thunderstorm was on the way.
The storm was good news to me because when the leading edge rolled in it brought cooler temperatures with it. When I turned the corner on the Schoolhouse trail I could see the thunderheads in the distance, as well as the lightening strikes. Beating the heat was such a triumph but now I was faced with another potentially hazardous weather situation. The success of the first project was very important but was I willing to ignore some very real danger in order see it through? Checking the weather on my phone I found out that the storm was very narrow and fast moving. A message from Jackie who was at the Cardinals game said the storm would be very intense for about 15minutes and then gone. The decision to keep going was not an easy one but it seemed that if the storm was too bad I could find somewhere to ride it out before continuing on my way.
After making three loops on the MCT trails it was now time to head north making my way to Grafton. I almost made it to the Wanda park and ride lot before the the skies opened up and the rain drenched me to the bone.

Arriving at the Wanda park and ride it was time to take this show on the road, for a few miles at least. The shoulder of the road was fair but the road itself was smooth as could be so I skated toward traffic and moved to the shoulder when cars came toward me. It was fun to skate in the rain until I got to New Poag road when the storm really got going. The storm got really ugly when I made the turn. The wind was blowing me toward traffic so I switched sides of the road and fought the wind as it tried to push me off the shoulder into a ditch. It would be an understatement to say it was tough going. Tornado sirens could be heard in the distance and the very real possibility that I had made a mistake by continuing was upon me. It was then that Beth and Sarah pulled up in the car, I hopped in and rode out the storm. Safe in the car another check of the weather revealed that the storm was almost over. When it passed I was back out on the road. The shoulder at this point was not very good but there were too many cars for me to ride in the road. I pushed to the top of a pretty steep hill hoping to enjoy the freedom of the downhill side but again the cars were too frequent and the shoulder to littered with small deadly pieces of broken asphalt and gravel. Anyone who has ever ridden a skateboard knows that even the smallest piece of gravel can stop your board cold causing a sudden and immediate fall. So I spent the entire way down the hill checking my speed instead of freewheeling and enjoying the ride. Beth and Sarah were waiting for me at the Lewis and Clark visitor's center in Hartford so I resupplied and grabbed my headlamp since the daylight was fading fast and it was time to get back on the trail. After it got dark I kept my light off because I didn't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. I was still feeling strong and kept on pushing. Near Alton I noticed a runner up ahead and tried to figure out the least frightening way to pass. I guy on a skateboard at night on the trail is an unusual sight indeed and I didn't want to freak her out and get pepper sprayed. I rolled by with my light on and wished her a good evening and went about my way relieved to not have been pepper sprayed or taken out with a few handy techniques from a women's self defense class.
Once again I met Beth and Sarah, resupplied and made my way to the Vadalabene bike trail. I stopped for a minute to explain what I was doing to a couple of curious on lookers. They seemed to think what I was doing was cool and not stupid so I was pretty pleased with myself. The way to the bike trail was very difficult, the shoulder of the road was very narrow and covered in loose gravel. After such a long day I was very frustrated almost falling every time I got going. The cycle of pushing and stopping myself from falling was a low point for sure and made me wonder how long I could go on like that. Luckily though it didn't last too long and once I hit the bike path it was smooth sailing, except for the spiders.
Yes spiders! By this time I was starting to feel the effects of the days journey and was really looking forward to finishing. But what I was really looking forward to in a more immediate sense was not riding face first into giant spiderwebs. My headlamp let me see quite a few webs before I got to them but most of the time I didn't have time to react. The worst ones were when I could see the spider in the web right before I rode through it. Now where did that spider go? Eventually I switched over to the shoulder next to river always thinking Raging Rivers water park was around the next bend. Moving very slowly I still couldn't believe that it was taking so long to get to the water park. It was like my mind was playing tricks on me. I stopped to rest for a minute watching a tree up on the bluffs burn. I guessed that it had been struck by lightning when the storm blew through earlier. Finally, Finally, Finally I made it to the water park. Raging Rivers was important because it was a big landmark on the way to Grafton, a sign of progress that the end was near. Even though I have never actually been there when it was open that night it was my favorite place in the world. As happy as I was though I still had a ways to go.

Grafton, dead ahead.

Beth sent me a text saying there was a patrol car heading in my direction. I had no idea what the police would think about me skating up the River Road in the middle of the night but I had a feeling that I was about to find out. I had visions of being hauled off to jail not being able to finish. Being hauled off for skateboarding may seem a bit extreme to some of you but I was around for the second revival of skateboarding in the 80's where the battle cry was "Skateboarding is NOT a Crime". In my experience when you combine law enforcement and skateboarding the outcome is not good. Soon the patrol car pulled along side me and I summoned enough strength to speed up and look strong. The car slowed down to match speed with me, and I swear I saw the cop look at me shake his head and drive off, or maybe I just imagined it. Either way he drove off and left me to my finish my journey.
Not long after the close encounter with the law I arrived in Grafton, 107miles from the start and almost 19hours later. Beth and Sarah were so tired after spending the day (and night) on the road. I was over 100miles and Skate 100+ was a success. I raised some money for a great cause and I was feeling pretty good. The day was long and full of highs and lows and I am glad I did it.

I was glad to get the 100+Project started in 2011 and I was trying to fit another project into the schedule before winter but it just didn't work out.

In 2012 the 100+Project will include Cycle 100+ on the KATY trail over Memorial day weekend (May 25-28) 200+ miles of cycling and camping. I am inviting anyone that wants to come along to join me for the adventure. We will cover about 70miles each day. There will be more details coming soon.
Also 2012 will see Kayak 100+ when I paddle the Missouri River 340 (July31-Aug3), a 340mile race across Missouri from Kansas City to St Charles.
Sometime in the Fall I plan to embark on Unicycle 100+ I don't have a route or a date but I do have a unicycle and time to learn how to ride it!
There is a lot to look forward to in 2012 for the 100+Project hopefully a string of success as well as a rising donation total!
A huge thanks to everyone that donated in 2011, without all of you my fundraising efforts would be a total failure. I do these things for the love of the adventure and to help out a great cause. By reading this terribly long post, or by following me on twitter or liking the facebook page you are telling me that what I am doing is worth while and that you feel that we can all do something to help out those that are less fortunate. In a nutshell that is what the St Louis Asthma and Allergy Foundation does, they help those that are less fortunate deal with conditions that at times can be life threatening. They are the ones that deserve your support and I am looking forward to helping bring awareness to the work they are doing in 2012.

The 100+Project is just getting started and there is much work to do.

It's in the Bag!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:27:00 +0000

It's that time of year again. Everywhere I look people are making resolutions and goals for the coming year. Not one to totally ignore what everyone else is doing I decided to not disregard it this time and join instead. I don't have many goals for the new year and here they are.

Build on the foundation of the 100+Project.
Increase my level of fitness
Spend 12nights in the bag.

More to follow...End Transmission...

Total Reboot!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Q: So what do you do when your computer starts to get slow and bloated with cookies?

Visit Savage Chickens for more hilarity!

A: Reboot it!
A couple of years ago I read an article about the shelf life of PR's (Personal Records). The Basic premise was that having a 17min PR for a 5k is great, provided you didn't run it 20years ago when you were on the high school cross country team, and you currently run in the high 20's if at all. I agree with this philosophy whole heartedly.
As most of you know the quality of my running has diminished considerably as of late so I won't bore you with details. During this mornings run out on the trails I was so disgusted with myself that I decided to wipe the slate clean of all my old PR's, and start over. Lets face it there is know way that I could come close to any of them without extensive training. Plus I feel like Brett Michaels, nobody wants to hear his new music they just want to hear "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", I don't want to run all slow and bloated all the while talking about the time I used to run well. I'm too young to be a HasBeen! Which brings us back to the Reboot.
Starting today everything is new again. It will be a long slow climb back to where I was and an even farther climb to where I want to be. I just don't want to be the Brett Michaels of running anymore.

No offense to Brett Michaels. His music is probably awesome.

100+Project dot com

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen I am proud to announce the new website for the 100+Project. I thought it was time to separate it from this blog so things could go back to normal plus it is easier to refer someone to 100plusproject.com than patrick-trailanderror.blogspot.com (curse the person squatting on trailanderror.com).

There will certainly be overlap at times but I will try to keep it to a minimum (wink).

So what are you waiting for? Click the link and check out the new site. Trust me it will get better in time!

Castlewood Experience Video

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:31:00 +0000

Robin put together a nice video from all the footage that was shot during the Castlewood 8hour race. We all had a great time and it ended up being one of my favorite races ever.

I hope we do it again next year!

The CastleWood Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:08:00 +0000

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking "I can't believe Patrick is writing a post that does not involve the 100+Project!" That's right Ladies and Gentlemen this post will not be about fundraising, travelling 100+miles on some weird contraption, or my rising status as a local celebrity.

It will be about the Castlewood Experience.

I have explained before how my friends Robin and Chuck of ROCK Racing got me into adventure racing so I won't go over all that again. This year for the Castlewood 8hour Adventure Race Chuck and Robin are introducing even more people to this great sport, and when they asked me to be involved I couldn't say no.
ROCK Racing has put together 3teams:

ROCK Racing Rebels, a four person all female team
ROCK Racing Trail Rats, a four person coed team
ROCK Racing Renegades, a two person male team

Most of the members of these teams have little to no experience in adventure racing. The idea for the Castlewood Experience as I understand it came when Robin and Chuck got tired of hearing people say "I would love to try adventure racing but...".
They figured with a couple of seasoned vets, like themselves to guide the teams along there wouldn't be room for any more excuses. Basically we are going to move as one 10person team giving everyone a chance to navigate without the fear of being hopelessly lost in the woods (I think it is this possible outcome that keeps most people away). We will mountain bike, paddle, orienteer, and whatever else the course has to offer together having a great time along the way. What an awesome way for Chuck and Robin to give back to the sport they love.

Thanks for letting me be a part of the Castlewood Experience!

Chuck, Robin, and me Goomna 2011

What's Ahead For The 100+Project

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:32:00 +0000

After a successful Skate 100+ back in Sept I had taken a little time off from training but now I am ready to get back into things full swing again. Well maybe half swing for now, I don't want to get ahead of myself. During my hiatus I wasn't just resting on my laurels, I was mostly doing that but I did manage to acquire some new toys. But first, the next thing on the agenda for the 100+Project is being a celebrity host/announcer at the St Louis AAFA Trivia night this Saturday. I will be joined by a few other local celebrities to read the trivia questions. Sounds like it will be a fun night. Originally I wasn't going to do it because I feel awkward in situations like that but on second thought there was no way I was going to miss a golden opportunity to publicize the 100+Project. I need to grasp every chance to get the name out there so people will understand what I am doing and why especially if I plan to go after some big money corporate donations and sponsorships. Lets face it my family and friends were pretty well tapped for donations with the Skate 100+.

So 2011 is drawing to a close and 2012 looks to be a busy year. I don't have any dates for anything yet and the only certainty adventure-wise is that I will be competing in the Missouri River 340 a 340mile kayak race from Kansas City to St Charles Missouri. I was scheduled for this last year but it was cancelled because of flooding and unsafe river conditions. I hope there is better luck next year.

Right now everything is a seed of an idea and those seeds have been planted and are starting to grow and take shape. There are almost too many. Later I will consult with Beth and narrow my focus to what I believe can be accomplished in 2012, and begin to work toward making it happen.

In the meantime check out my transportation tab for information on what types of vehicles may be seen in the future of the 100+Project.

CRASH!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:32:00 +0000

Earlier this week Superkate tweeted something about most memorable bike crashes. It prompted me to access the memory banks to determine my own most memorable crash. I have crashed on a bike so often that you would think it would be hard to pick just one, and you would be right if you did. I thought of three right away and strangely enough the crash on my road bike at Tour de Donut that resulted in a broken wrist was not one of them.
I have said before that if you aren't falling you aren't really living. A life without an occasional fall is a life played a little too safe. If you don't risk falling you just might be missing out on some really great opportunities. The falling I am referring to here is not metaphorical, I am actually saying that a complete and total gravity check can enrich your life. Don't go out and fall on purpose that would be foolish and be missing the point entirely. Go take a risk and see what happens the reward is taking the risk in the first place sometimes you will totally bust your ass but sometimes you won't and that will lead you to bigger and better things. Most of the time you won't die either or even get seriously injured.
So with out further adieu here are my top three most memorable bicycle crashes in no particular order:

This how I was rollin' back in the day except mine had a chain.

1. When I was a kid I loved jumping ramps on my bike a Huffy Buckaroo, not the ideal bike for what I was using it for but it got the job done. Some of the older boys in the neighborhood had built a ramp in the alley. The ramp was nothing fancy just some plywood and 2x4's it was maybe a foot and a half tall. We jumped our bikes off that thing thousands of times, competing to see who could jump the farthest or the highest. It was really a fun time, but not without risk. I was probably around ten years old at the time and was pretty good at jumping off the ramp, as simple as it was. I remember a specific instance of riding up to the ramp wanting to jump higher and farther than I had ever done before. Everything was perfect I hit the ramp and launched my bike like a rabbit. This was going to be awesome, until I notice that my front wheel had come off in mid air. This is the part where everything went into slow-motion. I saw the wheel on the ground rolling away and had time to think about how bad it was going to be when I came down. It was very surreal knowing that my fate was fixed. There was no way to avoid it as a front wheel is a key component to a bicycle, I was going to crash. The whole episode took place in a split second but it really felt like a long time. I came down and my now wheel-less forks dug into the soft sun baked asphalt of the alley and I flipped over the handle bars with the bike landing on top of me. I was shaken up and had a few scrapes but wasn't hurt too badly (In the early 80's no one wore any protective gear). Thirty years later I still can remember the exact feeling I had when I was in the air without a front wheel. Sometimes I think if I only could have shifted my weight back I could have rode it out on the back wheel, ridiculous right? All the other kids thought it was really cool, but no one asked me to do it again.

2. The second crash also happened when I was young a little older than crash number one (so the order is chronological after all). My bicycle jumping skills were really getting better thanks to the new bmx style bike my parents bout me for Christmas. Unfortunately that bike was stolen so I was forced to bring the Buckaroo out of retirement. I didn't want to but everyone rode around on their bikes in my neighborhood so I was left with little choice in the matter because lord knows my sister was not going to let me use her ten-speed (another crash related story involving me racing a motorcycle, needing to stop quickly, and not knowing which brake was which).
There was this rock pile behind a gas station near my house that we had been jumping. We had a lot of fun jumping it and were starting to get a little fancier with our jumps, adding x-ups, and tucks, as well as table tops (if you don't know what these are don't worry it's not important to the story). Bringing the Buckaroo out of retirement didn't slow me down at all. I didn't realize at the time that it could not take the punishment that my recently stolen bike could. I was a kid not an engineer after all. The last time I jumped the rock pile behind the gas station started off like every other time before. Up the rock pile and into the air I went, Sweet! Everything seemed okay. I landed hard on the ground and immediately my handle bars broke. The right side bent all the way down and I went down with it. I couldn't believe what had just happened. There was no slow-motion moment this time I was taken completely by surprise. I don't remember the extent of my injuries but they were most likely minor. I finished breaking the right side of the handlebars off and rode my bike that way, left side handlebar, right side jagged piece of metal for a couple weeks until I got new ones.

3. The third most memorable crash happened about four years ago out on the mountain bike trails at SIUE. I had recently bought my mountain bike because I wanted to start riding again. I had ridden the trails a few times but since I didn't know any other mountain bikers in the area it just wasn't as fun as it could have been. I decided that I would recruit my nephew to be riding partner. He had a crappy mountain bike and I hoped that he would love the trails so much that he would decide to buy one of higher quality. His bike had no brakes so he did not enjoy his time on the trails and we decided to cut things short. I kept telling him how awesome it was to ride a decent bike, and how he should really think about getting a better bike. I wanted to let him ride my bike but I had clipless pedals so it wasn't possible. The area where we came out of the trails meets up with a bike path. Right at the end of the trail there is kind of a dip that I decided to jump. Ideally I would land on the path and ride away. Instead, I had too much speed and realized that when I landed I would have to stop immediately or I would fly off the other side of the trail and down the steep hill into the woods. In a panic I grabbed two handfuls of brake and flipped head over heels over bike. Flipping a bike with clipless pedals is a little crazy. So after trying so hard to convince him that mountain biking was the thing to do I ended the day with a spectacular wipe out. Not very convincing.

So those are my top three most memorable bicycle crashes what are yours? And if you don't have any maybe you should!

Feb 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:37:00 +0000

I was doing a little planning for some upcoming events and just happened to notice that 2012 is a leap year, which means one thing to me...LEAP DAY!

For about 16years now February 29th has been a very special day for me. Here is my philosophy: every 4 years an extra day is added to the calendar to keep everything in order. I see this extra day as a gift. The best gift of all, Time. The past 4 Leap Years I have taken Feb 29th off from work, and done whatever I wanted. Four years ago I spent the day laying on the couch watching TV, not very productive but it's what I felt like doing so I did it. The point is do what makes you happy. Don't worry about others, surely whoever is in your life can survive without you for one day every four years. Which is not to say you have to spend the day alone do what YOU want and don't let anyone tell you what you have to do. Don't we spend enough time already engaged in activities not of our choosing.

This Feb 29th I hope you join me in doing whatever you want, the day comes once every four years claim it for your own, there's plenty of time to worry about everyone else until it rolls around again.

Start planning now and come up with something fun!

100+ On the Air!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:35:00 +0000

Today I was on "Let's Talk" hosted by Mark Ellebracht airing on WBGZ 1570AM. Joining me on the program was Jessica from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Mark who went to school with SuperKate heard about the 100+Project and had to know more about it. He contacted me and asked if I would like to be on the show. Obviously I said yes. I have never been on the radio before and was a little nervous, in fact right before Mark threw me the first question my mind was a blank, literally. As he was asking the question there was nothing in my head, but then when it was my turn to speak I found the words. I am no great orator by any stretch of the imagination but I think I did okay. Jessica did really well too answering the questions about the Foundation that I would have answered poorly.
For the 100+Project's first media event I think things went pretty well and I look forward to doing more in the future. I will add public speaking to the list of things I need to work on right under learning to ride a unicycle.
You can listen to the audio from the show below if you missed it on the radio this morning.

Thanks to Mark for showing an interest in the 100+Project and for having Jessica and I on the show.

Magic Wheel Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:52:00 +0000

In my research of different vehicles to use for the 100+Project I happened to come across the Magic Wheel. It seemed so closely related to skateboarding that I thought it would be easy enough to learn, and I had never seen one before, which made it even more desirable. The YouTube videos didn't help matters either, one showed a guy talking on a cellphone while eating an ice cream cone, how hard could it be?
Apparently the company that manufactures these went out of business so they are pretty rare. I found one on ebay for almost $400, way too much money if you ask me. I put the aside and figured if one came along at a cheaper price I would buy it. I didn't have to wait very long. A couple weeks later and there it was again on ebay (different seller) but at a much more affordable price. I put in a bid and a few days later I was the proud owner of a slightly used Magic Wheel. The seller has another one for sale if anyone is interested.

Ladies and Gentlemen, without further adieu I present to you "Magic Wheel Practice", a short film from Trail and Error Productions.

Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:56:00 +0000

Skate100+: Getting ready to leave from the rest area by 157 on the Schoolhouse Trail, about 35miles in. I did wear my helmet occasionally.

100+Project: Project Concern

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:20:00 +0000

While skating over 100miles I made you all aware of the the St Louis Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Through my efforts many of you shared personal stories with me and some of you even opened up your wallets and donated to them through the 100+Project. I can't thank you enough for your donations, and I know the good people at the Foundation thank you as well.

Since you donated I thought you might want to know how your money will be spent. Below is some information about Project Concern that I have taken directly from the Foundations website. Project Concern is just one of the ways that the Foundation is making the world a better place for children and young adults who suffer from asthma and allergies in the St Louis metro area.

While skateboarding over 100miles may be an impressive feat, the St Louis Asthma and Allergy foundation has been working hard for 30years. That is impressive!

PROJECT CONCERN
“Over 27 years of helping children
in the St. Louis community to breathe easier”

WHAT IS PROJECT CONCERN?Project Concern is a comprehensive asthma management program that provides medications, equipment, education and support to uninsured or underinsured children with asthma and allergies from birth through age 22.

WHO DOES PROJECT CONCERN SERVE?

Children and young adults through the age of 22 who:
• Are uninsured or underinsured, with a mid- to low- income as determined by the Federal Poverty Level guidelines.
• Are in the process of applying for MC+ for Kids or Illinois All kids or Kids Care and are waiting for coverage to become effective.
• Are in need of assistance with prescription co-pays.
• Live in or are seeing a doctor in one of the following counties: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Jefferson and St. Charles; and in the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair.

HOW DOES PROJECT CONCERN WORK?

If a child is seen by a physician at one of the children’s hospitals or at a neighborhood clinic, a nurse or a social worker can assist with a Project Concern application and mail or fax it to the AAFA office. All applications are reviewed individually and in a quick manner to provide immediate assistance.
Caregivers can contact the Asthma and Allergy Foundation to obtain an application.

WHAT IS COVERED BY PROJECT CONCERN?

Approved asthma and allergy medicines
Nebulizers and attachments
Peak flow meters
Spacers
Allergic bed encasings
Asthma management/educational materials

Now when you combine that with the fact that Asthma is the #1 reason children are hospitalized in St Louis, and that approximately 80% of Asthma prescriptions go unfilled due to the family's inability to afford the medication, you can see why Project Concern and the work of the Foundation is so important (source aafastl.org).

In future post I will highlight other ways the foundation is helping.
Until then stay safe and breathe easy!

Skate 100+ The Final Five!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:19:00 +0000

So Sunday I went out and picked up the final 5miles. 112 was just an arbitrary number, the amount of miles that the route took to completion. So really within the confines of the 100+Project the 107miles from Saturday was enough. But since the 112mile distance was hyped up I figured I couldn't orphan them.

A little Skating Video

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:44:00 +0000

Not all of my preparation for the Skate 100+ was just flat out pushing the long-board for miles and miles. I had to have a little spot of fun, didn't I? There is a nice skate park up in Highland, IL so I dusted off my old board and dropped in to see what if any skills I had left. The state of my current ability is nowhere near where it was over 5years ago when I thought I left all of this nonsense behind, but I did pretty well I think, considering.

Exceed Possibility

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:01:00 +0000

My hat feels tight today.
First I am prominently featured on the AAFA StL website (did you see the size of that font?), and now I am on Tom Evans' blog Exceed Possibility! Tom was kind enough to send me some questions to answer regarding adventure and the 100+Project. It was a great honor that he would post my poor writing on his blog, I hope he doesn't lose too many followers.
You should go and read the post and the rest of his blog as well. Let's make a deal click the button to the right that says "Join this site" then go read Tom's blog and do the same..

I told you they were excited!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:22:00 +0000

I noticed someone from the Red Cross visited my blog, and then noticed they came from AAFA StL. This all feels very real!

Skate 100+ Test Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:17:00 +0000

This was from a a few days ago.

Skate 100+ the When and the Where!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:49:00 +0000

After a lot of hard work, staring at maps and drawing routes, driving around looking at road surfaces and what-not I have found a route that will be safe and limit my exposure to cars. I have also chosen a date on which to start this project. That being said I would like to officially announce that Skate 100+ the first of many projects under the 100+Project umbrella will officially take place on Sept 3rd. I will ride my Longboard from Edwardsville near the Market Basket and end approximately 18.5hours later at the Pere Marquette State Park visitors center.

I haven't left much time to raise money but I have to get this done before I run out of daylight. Minimizing my time traveling in the dark is key to my safety. I am taking every precaution, reflective vest, lights on front and back, helmet, etc. I want this to be a triumph not a tragedy. I have thought this route through and found it to be the safest route given the limited amount of daylight.

Check out my fundraising page at Crowdrise.com to donate to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America St Louis chapter. If you have any questions on the donation process check out the "How to Donate" tab at the top of the page. I appreciate any support you can give!

If anyone wants to follow along you are more than welcome to join me, you can run, ride, or meet me somewhere and give me a high-five as I roll by. If that sounds like something that interests you let me know and I will let you know where I plan on being and when, or if you wanted to surprise me you can contact Beth since she will know where I will be at all times. If you aren't interested in hanging out with me you can follow my progress on twitter @trail_and_error I will be sending out live tweets as long as I have a signal. Sadly the signal at Pere Marquette is spotty at best so there might not be a celebratory tweet from the finish, bummer.

Click on the images below to view the route I will take.

The first short loop

I will complete this loop twice

No more loops time to head North!

Why AAFA?

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Why indeed? If you have read some of the other entries I have posted recently then you are already privy to the Reader's Digest version of my story. Prepare yourself for the story in detail.
The year was 1997 and my family was living in North Carolina near Fort Bragg where I was stationed in the army. My current enlistment was coming to an end and I decided that I would not re-enlist. We decided that Beth and the girls would move back home so she could look for work. We didn't have enough money to maintain the apartment in NC as well as a place for the family to stay back home so we arranged for me to rent a room from John a guy I met during training. It was a sweet deal and I couldn't believe my luck.
We got everything packed up and Beth and the girls moved back home and I moved in with John and his family. However, in the time between making arrangements to move in with them, and actually moving in there was an addition to the family. They now had a cat! I knew that I was allergic, but never thought to mention it when we made the arrangement. I thought it was not an ideal situation that would make my stay less comfortable but decided to roll with it. My allergy symptoms were only sneezing, dry eyes, runny nose, a nuisance but not something that couldn't be managed, right? Wrong! This time things were different. The nuisance symptoms seemed to be less of a nuisance as I found myself struggling to breathe. I had never really thought much about asthma and thought it was a condition that children suffered from. My ignorance left me wondering why I was having such a hard time. I was sure it had something to do with the cat and my allergy. Growing up I took care of stray cats and eventually had an inside cat as a pet with no allergic reaction so after developing the allergy in the first place the idea that it could evolve into some other form made sense to me, even if I didn't know the exact nature of what I was going through.
I decided that since it was an allergy and the military "sick call" system basically assumes you are faking your illness/injury I would treat this myself. Keep in mind that in the late 90's the internet wasn't as awesome as it is now. If I had the resources then that I do now I would have went right to the doctor. I was popping antihistamines like they were skittles. I tried inhaling steam, both in the shower and with my head over a pot of boiling water. Nothing worked. Those of you that know anything at all about asthma are probably thinking "WOW, this guy really had no idea!". The only bright part of my day was going to work (sad I know). When I left the house I would start to feel better so that by the end of the day when it was time to go back I almost felt normal. Almost. It really sucked but after all it was only a temporary living arrangement, all I had to do was suffer through it until the end and everything would be better.
Eventually the cumulative effect took its toll on me and leaving the house for work did not bring much relief. It was at this point I stopped sleeping. Not because I wanted to, I couldn't sleep. I would lay down and try but it was taking such a conscious effort to breathe that when I would fall asleep I would stop breathing and (thankfully) wake up. John had a couch outside on the back porch (classy) so I ran an extension cord for my alarm clock and started sleeping outside. I couldn't breathe or sleep, I was trying to sleep outside on a couch, and none of my home treatments were helping, maybe it was time to get some help (Duh!).
I went to sick call when I got to work in the morning, fully expecting them to send me back to work for being a faker like they did pretty much every time in the past. This time they believed me, maybe they were convinced by my constant wheezing. They administered a breathing treatment that I felt wasn't helping at all, probably because I withheld from them that I was suffering from prolonged exposure to a cat. After all I was going through I still needed a place to stay and had few options. Despite the fact that the breathing treatment wasn't helping I was glad to finally be getting some help. They gave me a prescription for an inhaler and sent me on my way. Now I could treat myself with prescription medication this was going to be awesome. I could use the inhaler to get me through the night, and through the day. There was only one problem a rescue inhaler doesn't really do its job when you continually place yourself in danger. Back to sick call I went. They gave me another breathing treatment and made an appointment for me to see the pulmonologist. But first I had to get a pulmonary function test. This was the hardest medical thing I have ever done. The technician put nose clips on my nose and I had to blow out into a machine that measured the output. Over and over. I almost passed out. When it was time for my appointment I decided it was time to come clean about everything, and that's when the pulmonologist looked at me like I had brain damage, and said "You know you can die from this don't you?" Say what? I could die, from being stupid? I absolutely no idea the danger I was putting myself into. Job one was getting away from the cat.
I spoke to John and his wife and they agreed to find a home for the cat. To be honest I think they were glad to get rid of it. Things got better and once all of the dander from the cat was taken care of with a good cleaning I started to feel normal again. Things were going great I was fully recovered, and had a place to stay that didn't cost much. A couple of months passed. I came home from work on a Friday evening and spotted a litter box in the corner. John saw me notice it and said "Sorry man I didn't know she was going to do it." That night I stayed in my room with a towel against the gap at the bottom of the door. There was no way I was going through this again. I was so pissed, that John's wife would do that. Everyone was aware of what I went through. I woke up early the next day packed up my things and was gone before anyone woke up. I was away from the cat but now I was homeless. Eventually I found a place to stay but not after some strange living arrangements like hiding out in the barracks sleeping on a couch, and crashing with different people for a couple days at a time.
Since then I have avoided cats when I can, but it hasn't always been easy. I had a job as a kennel manager, which required me to work in the cattery occasionally. I was upfront with the owner and said that occasionally was about as often as I was willing to do that, and it wasn't a problem. There were a few times that my asthma flared up while at the kennel but as often as we cleaned and with all the hard surfaces that didn't hold onto the dander I was okay most of the time. After I left the kennel (for non-cat related reasons) I landed a job doing maintenance at a local apartment complex. Once again I was upfront and told them that I was allergic to cats and that it could conceivably interfere with my work. I encountered more than a few cats during the time I worked there and for most jobs I could be in and out before I was affected. Although I learned that some cats affected me more than others. I installed a deadbolt on one woman's door so I was there for a while but I was only inside long enough to plug in my extension cord, the rest of the time I spent standing in the doorway, and I couldn't finish soon enough and get away because I could feel my airways cinching shut. Another time I had to replace a water heater in an apartment with cats and they hardly even bothered me. It would be interesting to find out more about this phenomenon just not from first hand experience.
Now I work at a hospital so no cats for me. I avoid going to people's houses if I know they have a cat and if I am already there and notice a cat I try to find a way to leave without seeming impolite. My oldest daughter who lives in Kentucky has two cats. So I don't visit. It was easier when she first got them because she thought I was the devil and I thought she was the spawn of satan, now we get along much better, as we have both grown a little wiser, but even so the cats remain.
Cats are my kryptonite, their mere existence could cause my death. That is weird to think about, but at the same time it's true, and as bad as it is I am lucky. According to the AAFA St Louis Chapter's website asthma and allergies strike one out of four Americans. Many of these people suffer severe reactions from things that are not as easy to spot or avoid as cats are for me.
When I was looking for a charity to support with my 100+Project I knew it would have to be something to which I had a connection. Without a connection I worried that I would lose momentum. I also knew I wanted it to be at least somewhat local so that maybe I could also connect with the people I was trying to help. When I found the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America St Louis Chapter I knew that I had found the organization. They have programs that help children, and educate the community as well as healthcare providers. Asthma is serious business, and not something to be taken lightly. I didn't show any symptoms until I was 27 years old. So even if you have never been affected by it you could be at any time. I especially like that the AAFA StL helps children, it was hard enough for me to go through as an adult, I can't imagine how frightening it would be for a child, or the parent of a child powerless to help.
The AAFA StL is a great organization and I hope that you are inspired to donate whatever you can to help them continue to do the great work that they do.
If you are inspired to donate it really is very simple you can click on the "CrowdRise" button on the top right of this page to go to my fundraising page on CrowdRise.com and follow the directions or you can clickon the "How to Donate to the 100+Project" tab at the top of the page. If you don't plan to donate or are not moved by my story or enjoy when people take on crazy challenges for charity, I get it, but what you could do is tell people spread the word and maybe the people you tell will donate. I would like to thank everyone in advance for their donation, and help spreading the word.

Next I will be announcing the date and the route for Skate 100+!

Until then stay safe and breathe easy.