Monday, August 13, 2007

I am my own worst enemy

Last Tuesday my brother called me at work and asked if I wanted to go for a mountain bike ride when I got home. Of course I said yes. So I got home, went running, and then we left to go ride. We planned to ride Powerline Pass; which is a 6 mile uphill and then a fantastic 6 mile return downhill. After skirting some moose on the trail, we were 3 miles into the ride when I had to quit. I had worked all day, gone running, skipped dinner, and then just bonked on this ride.

We got home and I was expressing my surprise at having to cut our ride short due to having no more gas in the tank. My brother asked, "Do you think maybe you've overtrained for your marathon and this is your body telling you to slow down?" I said no. He gave me a look that said you-aren't-the-brightest-crayon-in-the-box and replied, "You really don't think so? Because the day before your 20 mile run you hiked 18 miles. And the day after your 15 mile run we hiked all day. All the extra hiking and bike rides and stuff seems like overtraining to me." I sat there stunned. The more I thought about it, obviously my brother was right (as usual).

So at that point I had 2 weeks until my marathon. So I decided to cut out all activity except for my training runs. Ri-i-i-ight. That was last Tuesday night. So Wednesday night we went for a short hike. Thursday night we went for a longer hike. Friday night I climbed a mountain. Saturday was a long run. And Sunday started out innocently enough but turned into a 6 1/2 hour death march off the trail through chest-high undergrowth and climbing the same mountain twice.

So much for taking it easy. This would explain why I've lost 20 pounds this summer.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you're so extreme (ly stupid).
haha, just kidding bro. Take it easy so the rest of us don't feel like such lazy sacks of crap.

Michel said...

Be Careful Rob,

I love reading about your adventures but make sure you get the rest you need!

Anonymous said...

Hey Cuz~ WOW! I am amazed you can do all that! I could stand to lose at least 20 pounds! Maybe I need to come hang out with the Baird brothers for a few week! Hello to Scott! Aim

Ryan Barnett said...

Alright aready, we get it. You are the most fantastically in shape person in the whole world. No more fat kid knocking people down on the way to the dessert bar. Give yourself a trophy already.

r o b said...

wow, ryan. i'm impressed by the sudden influx of communication by you. and by "sudden influx" i mean our annual phone call plus two blog comments.

Ryan Barnett said...

What can I say, God has given me the gift of [sarcastic] communication. Who am I to withold it from the ones I love.

Omar said...

how can a man who can hike and run and bike all over creation, through high-grass fields, swamps and caves still scream like a girl when he hears a bump in the night?

Anonymous said...

Blah, blah, blah, boo hoo hoo, I hiked 100 miles in beautiful Alaska and then alas, woe is me, went on 400 super-extreme fun adventures with my brother who came there just to live with me and then boo hoo-dy hoo, I couldn't hike ANYmore. You make me sick. Literally, I just threw up all over the keyboard. Luv ya anyway- SOB.

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Anonymous said...

Good job!

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Anonymous said...

Good job!

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