2014 Resolutions Recap

When 2014 started, I had set ten goals for myself. Now that the year is over, it’s time to review how well I did at completing them.

1: Run at Least Two Marathons

I was originally planning to go for two marathons in 2014, a 50K in 2015, two 50Ks in 2016, and a 50-miler in 2017. Instead, I knocked out a 50K in February, a 50-miler in May, and still completed two marathons in June and October. On top of that, I ran a trail marathon (Masters of All Terrain in June) in the blazing heat, a trail 50K (Bandit Ultra Trail Run) in California, up and down mountains, and the Chicago Marathon in October, one of the six World Marathon Majors. I call this goal Beyond Achieved.

2: Complete an Olympic-Distance Triathlon

This one was completed back in March when I completed the Greater Cleremont Triathlon. I did better than I thought I would and was hoping to work up to a Half-Ironman Triathlon, but other things got in the way and I didn’t ride my bike for a while. Now it’s got some issues that need repairing before I can start training again. But nonetheless, this goal was easily Achieved.

3: Get Scuba Certified for Nitrox and Advanced Open Water

I got my Nitrox Certification in January and my Advanced Open Water Certification a couple days into February. I followed it up by getting Rescue Diver Certified in July, but blew out my shoulder during the class – an injury I still haven’t recovered from. I think Rescue Diver is as far as I’m going to go with my certifications, especially with how expensive scuba diving is, but I did have some great dives this year, including diving with sharks and diving in Zanzibar. This goal was Beyond Achieved.

4: Go to Burning Man

I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to be able to complete this in 2014 and it wasn’t high on my priority list anyway, so I scratched it. That’s the beauty of having 10 goals for the year and have some very difficult goals is that I can feel perfectly fine in scrapping a few. Therefore, I must mark this goal as Retracted.

5: Go Hiking

The goal was to hike a long trail – the John Muir Trail, the Appalachian Trail, or Mount Kilimanjaro. Well, I completed Mount Kilimanjaro on November 15th (summiting on the 14th) after a 6-day trek. I still need to do a write-up on this hike, but I did post pictures. However, even without the write-up, it’s still Achieved.

6: Travel Outside the Country

Like I just said above, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in November. If you don’t know, Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania. And if you don’t know, Tanzania is in Africa. And if you still don’t know, Tanzania is another country and Africa is another continent. I also took a trip to the Bahamas for a day for scuba diving, but does that really count? Africa however took 35 hours to fly to and 40 hours to fly home from. I got to travel through Paris and Amsterdam, but never left either airport. The flights out, climbing Kilimanjaro, and most of the flights home I was by myself, which got lonely at times. I was so excited when I finally met up with the rest of our group for the safaris and I was also excited when I got home and could talk to people again. International Travel? Achieved.

7: See My Sports Teams Play Live

This didn’t go as well as some of the other goals. I saw the Bruins play in Tampa in the early part of the year, but that was it. The Celtics suck so bad, it’s not worth the money (and I hate the NBA anyway). The Red Sox had a crappy year and I didn’t make it to Tampa for a game. The closest the Patriots came was Miami, but that was Week 1 of the season. If they came to Miami later in the season I might have gone. Or if they came to Tampa or Jacksonville. Next year won’t be much better, but the New England Revolution will be down to play Orlando now that Orlando is in the MLS. For 2014, I have to mark it as Partially Achieved.

8: Write Something

Erm… So I didn’t even bother posted in this blog for most of the year. I guess I’ll mark this one down as a Failure.

9: Meet New People

I met so many new people this year. I made some friends at karaoke, I made some new scuba diving friends, and I got to meet a lot of people in my travels from Africa to Chicago. I also got into online dating and had a few dates (and some no-shows). I’d say this goal was Achieved.

10: Find Something New and Jump Right In

This was really more of an abstract idea in my mind. I started going to karaoke regularly, which kind of qualified, though it wasn’t completely spontaneous. Traveling around the world was also a big jump, but again not spontaneous. One spontaneous action that I definitely remember from this year however was going to Universal and riding Dr Doom for the first time. A friend of mine convinced me to get an annual pass and we went with some of his other friends. I had never ridden Dr Doom or any ride like it due to my fear of heights. When asked if I would ride it, I said yes and hopped right on. My palms were sweaty and I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, but I did it. And then I did it a second time a month later, though I was still shaking like a leaf. Any way you cut it – Achieved.

So there we have it, 2014 contained one Failure, one Retracted goal, one that was Partially Achieved, and seven that I completed successfully (and sometimes went even farther). I’d consider that a successful year.

Pictures from Africa – Part 1: Kilimanjaro

In November, I went to Africa for three weeks – one week to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, one week on Safari in Amboseli and Maasai Mara and the final week in Zanzibar scuba diving. Here are some of the photos I took while I was there.

Shira 2 Camp, Morning Day 3

Shira 2 Camp, Morning Day 3

Shira 2 Camp, Morning Day 3

Shira 2 Camp, Morning Day 3

Summit Attempt, Morning Day 5

Kibo Peak, Morning Day 5

Uhuru Peak, Morning Day 5

Uhuru Peak, Morning Day 5

New Year’s Resolutions

So 2013 is gone… well, it’s almost gone anyway. While I’ve only completed four of my ten goals that I set in August to complete before I turn 28 next August, I still feel like setting more goals for 2014. I’m going to try not to duplicate any uncompleted goals from my other list, but I may if I feel I need to.

1: Run at Least Two Marathons

First on this list is similar to the first on the last list, except I’ve upped the ante – two marathons. Now that I’ve completed the Space Coast Marathon, I intend to complete that marathon again, but I’d also like to try my hand at another new marathon. Which one, I haven’t decided. I’ve heard lots of good things about the Disney Marathon, but it’s already booked. Maybe I’ll shoot for something later in the year.

2: Complete an Olympic-Distance Triathlon

I completed my first Triathlon this year – the Beat the Heat Sprint Triathlon. Now I need to up the distance and aim for the Olympic level – 1500m swim, 40k bike, and 10k run. The biking portion is my current downfall, though I had most of my trouble in the sprint with the swim, though the waves were about ten feet tall and relentless, so perhaps I’ll have better luck next time.

3: Get Scuba Certified for Nitrox and Advanced Open Water

Last November I spent two weeks getting PADI Open Water Diver Certified. In January, I plan to get certified to use Nitrox (higher concentration of Oxygen to Nitrogen than regular air). On the first weekend of February, I plan to get my Advanced Open Water Diver Certification, including night diving, wreck diving, and deep diving. That should open up a whole new world of adventures, though I’ve already dropped almost two grand on the classes and equipment. The Advanced class also falls on Super Bowl Weekend – a sad thought indeed, especially if either of my teams are in the Super Bowl, the Patriots and the Panthers.

4: Go to Burning Man

I’ve always thought about going to Burning Man, but recently the thought has had a deeper imprint on my mind. All the artistic talent on display and the free-spirit vibe of the whole event sounds like an exciting time.

5: Go Hiking

Here’s where I cheat a little and combine some previous goals. The goal here is to complete at least one hiking adventure bucket-list item. This could be a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, which would take four to six months, a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail, which would take about three weeks, or maybe just Climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which would take a little over a week.

Top 7 Places: Mountains I Want to Summit

Another top 7 list because I’m lazy – and possibly getting sick. Here’s a list of the top 7 mountains that I want to summit. No rules on this one, but they ended up being pretty dispersed anyway, so yay!

 

7: The Matterhorn (Swiss Alps)

One of the most popular mountains to climb, The Matterhorn rises high in the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. No confirmed Yeti sightings have come forth yet, but there’s still a chance.

 

6: Mount Katahdin (Maine)

The highest point in Maine, Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. For most thru-hikers, hiking northbound means Mount Katahdin is the end of the AT. Supposedly, it’s a pretty spectacular finale to a four-to-six-month trek.

 

5: Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)

The tallest mountain in Africa, it is considered the easiest of the Seven Summits to climb, being more of a hike to the top than a technical climb. The mountain has many different regions ranging from rainforest to mountaintop.

 

4: Mount Denali (Alaska)

Also known as Mount McKinley, Mount Denali is the highest point in North America. It can be extremely dangerous to climb, just like most mountains on this list.

 

3: Mons Huygens (Moon)

The tallest mountain on our orbiting satellite, Luna – more commonly referred to as the Moon. With much-reduced gravity, the climb should be considerably less taxing, but having to plan to bring enough oxygen and somehow find a way to eat and drink in a spacesuit protecting you from certain death would be a tough technical obstacle to overcome.

 

2: Mount Everest (Himalayas)

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on our planet, but nowhere near the most difficult. People practically get ferried up the mountain nowadays, but a good combination of hard work and support would satisfy my desire of standing on top of the world. I bet the view is spectacular.

 

1: Olympus Mons (Mars)

Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain on any planet in our solar system at a height of nearly 22 kilometers, three times higher than Mount Everest. How cool would it be to stand atop the tallest planetary mountain in our solar system?

10 Goals for Age 27

I recently turned 27 years old and I’ve decided to come up with a list of 10 goals to complete before I turn 28. Some will be simple, some will be hard, and maybe I’ll throw something nearly impossible in here too, just for fun.

1. Complete a marathon
   Here’s a goal I’ve already been working towards. I’ve signed up for the Space Coast Marathon on December 1^st. From today (August 23^rd) that means it’s 100 days away! The longest road-race I’ve run has been a 10k (6.2 miles). I’ve run, back-to-back, a 5-miler and 2-miler for a total of 7 miles with a  short break in between. And I’ve also run Tough Mudder, which was around 11 or 12 miles. Outside of organized races, the longest run I’ve had has been 19 miles.
   The marathon will take place from 6:30 to 13:30, giving me 7 hours to complete the race. I’m planning to run/walk at either 1min/1min or 1min/2min. My training so far has been 1min/1min up to 5 miles.
2. Quit my job
   This has been one of those things that has slowly grown from a wishful thought to a need in order to remain sane. I really can’t take much longer. Luckily, I have fourteen more vacation days to take this year, plus five carried over to next year, so that should keep me going just long enough. I’ve spent some time checking out job offers elsewhere, as well as seeking a raise at my current company, but alas to no avail.
3. Swim and Bike more – Train for a Triathlon
   I just got bought a used bike off of a friend, so hopefully I can start putting some miles on it – especially since I only live a mile and a half from work. Unfortunately, I haven’t ridden a bike since 1996, when I was ten and crashed my bike after a dumbass game of “look ma, no hands!”Tangent: Okay, so I’m 10 years old, going around my neighborhood on my bike. I decide to play a little “look ma, no hands” and coast for a bit with my hands in the air. I safely grab back onto the handlebars and decide to up it to “look ma, no feet.” I take my feet off the pedals and hold them up, still coasting along. I safely return them to the pedals and decide to really up the stakes – no hands or feet. I try it for a second and quickly return all my appendages to their appropriate positions in order to prepare for a turn. I turn down the next road and let loose again – no hands or feet. I coast a several feet before losing balance, crashing hard into the sidewalk and getting my thigh stuck under the seat, wedged between the seat and the bar. Being completely unable to free myself, I yelled for help. After about 30 seconds of struggling, I finally freed my leg from its trap, only to have the woman who lived in the house I was in front of come running out not five seconds later. She saw me all scraped up and assumed I had been yelling for help because I was hurt. Embarrassed, I let her wipe my wounds before assuring her I was fine to walk back home. So now, I just don’t ask people for help. I’ll do it myself if I have to.
   
   Swimming might be a little trickier. I have a pool at my house, but I prefer not to swim in cat urine and feces, so I avoid it. There’s a pool in the apartment complex by work, but it’s not exactly large and if there’re people there, it becomes a chore to avoid them. The gym I go to doesn’t have a pool, but the YMCA down the street does. However, it’s too far from work to swim during lunch, or work out at, which would mean I would need two gym memberships.
   And all this leads up to completing my first triathlon (probably a sprint).
4. Go to a Medieval Faire
   I’ve always been fascinated with medieval times. Swords, knights, jousting – it’s all so interesting to me. So the last year or so I’ve been looking at medieval faires in my area. They’re all a good two-hour-plus drive, which turned me off a little bit, but after making four-and-twelve-hour drives this past year, two hours just doesn’t seem like all that much anymore. Unfortunately, there’s nothing in the summer, so it’ll be November until one pops up.
5. Get a Tattoo
   This has been something I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while, but the art had never formed in my mind. Now I have a couple of designs created in Photoshop that I really like. Next up is figuring out placement and size. And it doesn’t hurt that after a year of working out, I feel like I have at least a little more canvas to work with.
6. Hike a Long Trail
   The three that stand out the most as possibilities are the Appalachian Trail, which is 2200 miles and would take at least four months, the Florida Trail, which is 1400 miles and would take at least a couple months, and the John Muir Trail, which is a short 210 miles and would only take a few weeks. Peak season for John Muir is July – September and requires permits, so that’s just about passed. Peak start for the Florida Trail is January, and peak start for the Appalachian Trail is March-May. Perhaps one of those is in the forecast this year – and would even help satisfy Goal #2 most likely.
7. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
   The easiest of the Seven Summits, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. It would take about a week and a half to fly out there, climb it, and return home. It would also take about $4000 to complete. The best times to climb seem to be August – October, when there’s less chance of rain, but that also means everyone else is going at that time and it gets crowded. During the high precipitation months, the traffic is low, but there might not be views to behold.
8. Ride a Roller Coaster at Night
   This has been on my list for a while. And while I’ve ridden some Disney coasters in the dark, I need something a little more extreme to fulfill this bucket-list item. Busch Gardens would be the primo choice due to their immense selection of sweet coasters, but Universal has a few decent choices as well. And the parks are always open late for the Halloween shows, so perhaps that’ll be the perfect opportunity.
9. Learn to Scuba Dive
   Another bucket-list item that’s taken a back-seat. Wouldn’t mind having a new hobby come next summer – which in Florida is really April – November. My brother is into diving, so it’ll be another activity we can partake in when I visit my New England friends and family.
10. Build and Launch a PVC Rocket
    Ever since reading Rocket Boys, I’ve had the compulsion to build a rocket and fire it off. After some research, PVC rockets seem to be relatively easy to make and the parts are relatively cheap. The trouble here would be finding a suitable launch site and also having something to protect against exploding or misguided rockets. And I don’t really want my car to be that thing. Don’t hurt the Camaro!