Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Black Friday Bushwhack!

Black Friday is a great tradition of fighting the masses and hordes of undead freaks looking for brains...



I mean shoppers looking for a bargain!


Sheesh!

Stop throwing stuff at me!

Black Friday is not for me!

This year we wore black on a RUN for black Friday and decided to hit some trails.

We've done Flag Rock quite a few times now, but I've always wondered how the 'Steed Creek' trail connects to the Steed Creek trailhead - because the trail goes UP from Flag Rock, and Steed Creek is South - we normally pass it on our way towards Patsy's mine on the way to Flag Rock.

I suggested maybe we try that trail - and I should realize by now that when I make a suggestion for a trail I've never experienced... 'bad things' tend to happen.

It's always harder, steeper, rockier, whatever than expected or desired.

This time, we started of from the Farmington Pond road (the pond and parking lot is closed at this time of year, along with the canyon we've mentioned before) and followed the BST up until the Flag Rock trail splits off and headed up the millions of switchbacks to get to flag rock.

My legs were definitely feeling it from the 5k, but they weren't TOO bad, but still I was SLOW compared to the other guys! And I can't use the 5k as an excuse either as both my brother and the other Matt had run the same 5k! (I did beat my brother, but MVH was 2 minutes faster than me!) And Craig runs a ton all the time, so... yeah.

I definitely need to run up more mountains. I'm strong, but those muscles are still very weak and not that fast! I've got some work to do!

Then again, these guys run 50 and 100 mile mountain races... I don't and currently don't have any plans to - so I really don't need to be competitive! I am okay being last, but I don't like making people wait, if that makes sense.

I did end up being the last one to Flag Rock, (but not by that much) where we paused and took some video and pics and rested a bit.



Then we headed UP the trail - definitely not as marked or cut as the Flag rock trail, but it started out fairly decently until suddenly - we lost it! The trail was gone!

Of course we continued up and had to fight through all sorts of leafless scrub oak.

Ouch! Ooch! Eech!

Get me outta this!

My legs and arms were scratched to pieces!

Here's a video of the entire Bushwhackin Adventure from Flag Rock! Shot on Craig's amazing Sony HDR-AS15 Action Video Camera (Black) (Yep that's an affiliate link and if you bought something via that link I'd get like a DOLLAR!). I wouldn't mind one of thems AT ALL!



That thing takes beautiful video.

That run put me in PAIN. Not my legs, although between the 5k and the Mountain they are still pretty sore, but my lower back made me move like an old man who's used to a walker the whole weekend!

Final tally, over 7 miles in 2 and a half hours, pretty slow, but a LOT of vert and bushwhackin!

Needless to say I didn't do too much on Saturday and Sunday.

Oh wait - except I got a picture of THIS on Saturday:


Yeah.. you are right that's really not that impressive... Especially since I'm not even vertical!

I blame my old man back. Yeah, that's it!

Yoga yesterday helped me start to feel a bit less stiff in my back.

Today it's still bugging a little, but it didn't affect me in BJJ at all.
Also, for my own sake in remembering, we went over:
Sit up sweep drill, Leg switching drill (and the sweep that goes with it)
Trapping the arm of somebody in your guard and submitting them, (similar to the violin-type armbar), leg version if your arm can't get the elbow, knee sweep... and my mind completely went blank on the rest of them! I'll have to get the list from Micah.  We took so long drilling though that we didn't have time to roll and grapple at all - which is where I'm learning the most right now. Oh well - still good to get back into it some!

I look forward to ramping up to SOMETHING somehow!

Now to figure out WHAT that something is!

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