With 202 days left until we toe the line at Sahara 2014 it was really cool to have Sister Heather back and doing some training with me yesterday. Although I have been doing the majority of my training in the mountains and other trail systems, as well as a little some road work (big boo hiss there) it felt really good to get back to the sand at the Pismo Dunes. Had a great four hours just plugging away doing our thing with no real agenda which was great because I got us lost for about 45 minutes in some really nasty brush. (The one time I'm in shorts and Heather was in pants o' well serves me right I suppose). Glad to report that all the equipment is coming together nicely and seem to have the big issues of footwear and hydration figured out. Hopefully going to be getting the trekking poles in the next week or two. I have never used them so I imagine that it will take some getting used to, but I am really looking forward to having them as an option. Highlight of the day was the last mile and a half we did barefoot. You think you are in shape? Try it!! It was crazy fun, and totally amazing how much support you are missing not having the shoes doing the work for you, took the post holing to a whole new level. Anyway back to the trails tonight For more Blog entries and to learn more about Racing to Rescue please visit our website at www.racingtorescue.com

When people first hear of my plan to run a footrace across the hottest desert in the world, the first words I hear back are " That is crazy". I have to agree with them, it is crazy. The reason I am doing it, not so much. I am trying to raise funds and awareness for an organization that I give full earthly credit for saving my life. The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. Below is an abbreviated portion of my story as it relates to my personal struggle with alcoholism. As always there is much more to the story. I hope in reading this you may find it in your heart to share this and help spread the word that there is hope. And please pray for us. Coming to the realization that my use of alcohol was way past any standard of normalcy didn't bother me. Coming to the realization that my use of alcohol was at a fatal level, only made me more determined to control it. Coming to the realization that any attempts to reconcile my love for drinking with any and all things that should have truly mattered was hopeless, left me with a choice. I chose and it nearly cost me my life, and as a result the lives of many others were affected in ways I still can

Sand Dune Beat Down I found it pretty amazing and completely humbling that any and all motivation and resolve I thought I had at the start of the training day could be stripped away almost instantly....... Come by Racing To Rescue for the rest of the scoop and plenty of pictures.  
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So what to say about the first effort my sister Heather and I made on what we hope to be the first of many sand dune training sessions? Well my first effort anyway, at least in the last 22 years (Heather used to do her snow shoe training on them but that was also some years back). We are fortunate to have in our Southern California backyard Pismo Beach. The coast line of which is the beloved weekend destination for central coast off road enthusiasts who bring with them everything from sand rails and quads to good old fashioned two wheelers. Luckily for us however there is one area in the middle of this off road vehicle oasis where such shenanigans are prohibited. It was at this protected area that Heather and I slipped on our fully loaded race packs (sans sleeping mats) and set out to just have some fun. I really had no idea what we were in for but felt pretty comfortable in our agreement to stay out no less than three hours. The goals for the day, gear testing and of course to take advantage of what we figured to be a fairly accurate simulation (at least in part) of what we might encounter next year in Egypt. It was an added bonus that we found it this close to home.

And a fantastic opportunity it was. I chose to stick with my North Face Terra 30 pack it is a little older and on the heavier side but I am hard pressed to yet find a lighter pack that fits as well and is as durable as this old standby. I took the time to do a little repacking prior to going out and was rewarded with a very comfortable fit all day. For hydration I started the day with a 2 liter bladder in the pack and a single 1/2 liter hand held bottle. What I learned shortly into our time out was I will not use a hydration bladder come race time. I found it to be cumbersome and quite frankly it seemed to take an unreasonable amount of effort to use. The hand held however was easy to use and really allowed me to monitor my fluid intake (I refilled it from the bladder). This is a strategy I have used in the past and it seems to work well for me. I will however replace the bladder with a couple of 750ml strap mounted bottles (I like the looks of the ones RaidLight has) and will carry enough water in reserve to fulfill race requirements. Also I'm thinking the pack space reserved for the bladder may be put to better use housing other essentials............... To read more please vistit my site at http://www.racingtorescue.com/_blog/SAHARA_2014/post/SAND_DUNE_PRE-SCHOOL/

Finally got the Bank to play ball. I appreciate the security measures some banks take but I was getting a little fed up with them while trying to get my race registration payed. I will keep this in mind when it gets closer to the time of the race and make all the appropriate arrangements so I don't get blind sided by further complications.

Other than that, I'm super excited about seeing my sisters name on the roster as well. We have shared many great  ( and some not so great) experiences. When all is said and done this race should prove to be at the top of the list of great ones. Right now its just a matter of getting my training dialed in, I'll try to write my experiences along the way, both good and bad, to possibly help others from slipping on any banana peels I will no doubt encounter along the way.

Cheers