Cold Weather Running

When I started running in the fall of 2008, it was exclusively on the treadmill at the local YMCA. The only time I ventured out on the roads was to run a race. As I went through early 2009, I was still shy about going outside but once the weather turned nice, I got some cabin fever and went out for some fresh air. Add to the nice weather a comment I read where a runner said something to the tune of "there are very few races on a treadmill so you might as well train for the road conditions you may have on race day" and I never looked back. In fact, I'm doing my best to avoid the treadmill at all costs. I've run faster on the treadmill and enjoy watching TV while I run. There are no cars to worry about, the temperature is always the same, but I swear I get sick when I get on that evil hamster wheel.

So this winter (2009/2010) I made a very conscious decision to tough it out and go hardcore by running outside no matter the conditions. I think I did okay, but had a few relapses where the wind was just too cold or there was too much rain or too much snow and I wimped out. Those were the runs where I felt lousy when I was done and swore I'd never go back to the treadmill.

My final tipping point was a year ago (almost exactly) when I ran a 5k race in mid-December. This was before our heavy double-blizzard of 2010. Any snow in eastern Virginia is bad. A few inches in the forecast can result in closed schools. So you can imagine what two storms with 14+ inches each did to us. Anyway, my 5k was in mid-December and it was cold and wet. As in just above freezing and raining. Sometimes just a mist, sometimes a downpour. The event also had a half-marathon that started just before us, so those runners were even more hardcore than me. I had no idea how to dress, so I made due with what I had. An old rain jacket, some winter clothes, and a pair of bamboo socks I got at the last minute. By the time I finished I was soaked to my underwear, cold, and wanting to do more. I changed into dry clothes, ate breakfast, and came back in time to see some friends finish the half. They were shivering, soaked, and had an awesome glow. I wanted to be just like them next year (I'm already signed-up for the half in two weeks). So I knew it was time to commit to running outside to not only capture that "hardcore runner" high, but to also prepare for any race-day condition I may have to endure.

While I did take time off during the blizzards (kind of hard to run in 14 inches of snow), I've stuck to my guns and avoided the treadmill. So where does that leave me during the upcoming winter season and running outside? Much more prepared. I've had more time to run outside, adapt to the changing weather, and learn what equipment to use. So from here, I'll finally get into what I've learned about running in the winter. The overall idea here is broken down into a few, simple areas that you'll need to be aware of; weather, equipment, your body, and adaptation.

Weather
I've mentioned it before when I talked about running in the rain, but weather has never been important to me. I worked in an office for years and now work at home, so other than the quick dash between the house and my car, I didn't care. Now that I'm running outside, weather is important. And the forecast for the week can often times dictate when I run and how long I run. For example, they're calling for rain Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Tuesday and Thursday are usually my heavy running days, so now I know I may need to run in the rain or maybe make it a short day instead of a long day on Tuesday and run longer on Friday. This is a big part of adaptation, but more on that later. The big thing with weather though, is to just pay attention. I can't read the clouds and tell you when it'll rain, but I can tell you running down the road where the wind will pick up because I'm next to an open field. Or where I'll have mud on the trail because it rained last night. Or that it may start out at 40 degrees on my long run and warm up to 60 degrees by the time I'm finished. So pay attention to the forecast and plan accordingly.

Equipment
The weather can make your run wonderful or miserable. But it's something that you can't control. Your equipment on the other hand, you only have yourself to blame if you don't come dressed for the occasion. In other words, this can make or break your run. It can keep you going for miles on end or it can turn you into a hypothermic ball of whimpering blubber. And everything matters here. From your shoes to your hat, what you choose needs to be the right thing.

For winter runs, I would keep two key points in mind. First, from Les Stroud, if you sweat, you die. Simply put, dress in layers and remember to strip one off as you warm up. You shouldn't be in danger of death when you run, but the idea is to not sweat if at all possible. Second, the 20 degrees rule. As in you need to dress as if it were 20 degrees warmer out. So if it's 40 degrees out, dress as it were 60 degrees. Obviously everyone is different, so it may be 15 degrees for you. But I'll get into knowing your body in a minute.

The key point is that you'll warm up during your run, so dress with less than you think you'll need. If you're cold when you start, that's good. If you're still cold after a mile or two, maybe you need to add another layer or run a little faster.

For me, I choose from an array of hats and gloves to stay warm. But it's more than that. So I'll just give you an example of what I wore during a recent run. Weather was clear and sunny. Time was between 9am and 11am (2 hour run over 10 miles). Temperatures ranged from 40 to 45 degrees. Wind was light at 5 to 10 miles per hour so wind chill temps were around 35 degrees or so. All of this means that it was cold out and a little windy here and there. From head to toe I wore:

- a winter hat (Saucony DryLete Skull Cap)
- sunglasses (Oakley)
- TRI top (Saucony)
- arm sleeves (Saucony)
- long sleeve shirt (Saucony)
- underwear (Reebok)
- calf sleeves (Saucony AmpPro2)
- pants (Brooks)
- socks (Saucony)
- shoes (Saucony Exodus 2)

Other than the obvious love of Saucony products, what you'll see is a layering system that works for me. While I could have worn a long sleeve shirt under a light jacket, I chose to wear a triathlon top with arm sleeves under a long sleeve shirt. The big reason for this was to have pockets available on the TRI top to carry my e-Gel, but also because it had a long zipper down the front. I knew this would give me plenty of ventilation so I could adjust it up or down as I got warm or cold. So when I started, it was zipped up tight but when I was finished it was unzipped to the bottom. The arm sleeves are another great method for me to control my temperature. They can easily be pulled up or pushed down but they're also easy to manage during a race. pushing them down doesn't really cause a problem, so you don't have to worry about stashing them in a pocket along the way. Plus it gives my body room to sweat and lose heat in my armpits where a long sleeve shirt would seal things up a bit warmer than I'd prefer.

The pants are also a big deal for winter running. I used to be very self-conscious about my body (I still am, just not so much when I run) so I avoided the dreaded tight pants at all costs. Between my big butt and bigger gut, I didn't want to show off all the wrong things. And with cold weather brings shrinkage, so I feared even more sidelong glances. While my body hasn't changed much, my attitude about it has. I'd rather wear something that works and looks horrible than something that looks cool and makes things shrink even more. I'll take function over fashion any day. Which means I wear pants now and I'm not afraid. I'll even wear tight pants. As long as I'm warm, I'm good. But remember that your legs will be doing a lot of the work when you run, so they'll be warm. So even though it was cold out during my run, my legs were never cold.

Your Body
As usual when it comes to my opinions and reviews, your mileage and pace may vary. So what works for me, may not work for you. This is because everyone is different. So part of learning what to wear during winter runs is learning what your body needs. I know I need gloves before a hat. When temps drop into the 50s, I need gloves. For some reason my hands always get cold. But when temps drop into the 50s I can get away with a regular hat or maybe a headband. But when the temps drop to the 40s, I know I need to think about wearing a winter hat. And if it's going to rain when it's, I need to wear something that will retain heat on my head when it's wet. Same goes for socks. I have bamboo socks that keep my feet warm even when they're soaked through. But if I wore them on a summer day I'd end up with baked and blistered feet from all the heat and sweat. So learn what your body needs. This goes hand-in-hand with the weather part. When you see your breath, learn how many layers you'll need. When the car window is coated in a heavy frost, learn what gloves to wear. When the flag on the pole is snapping in the heavy wind, learn what windbreaker to wear. Your body may need more or less, you just need to know what works best.

Adaptation
Adaptation is a huge part of running. HUGE. If your training schedule is so strict that you can't switch your long run with your cross-training or you can't miss a day because you need an extra rest day, then it doesn't sound like you're much having fun. And even if it's something small, like my favorite shirt is dirty, I'll need to pick a different one, the key is to learn how to adapt. This can make or break your run or your race. I recently had to deal with some GI issues during a trail run and I had to deal with them in a more graphic way than I'd prefer. But I adapted to the situation, dealt with it, and kept on going. Just like those layers help during winter runs, you need to plan for the worst, hope for the best, and deal with whatever comes your way. Just like knowing your body, you may realize 3 miles into a 10 mile run that you didn't wear enough layers and need to call it quits before your toes fall off. Literally. Be prepared to do that and not feel bad about it. Things can always be worse, right?

Bottom Line
Learn your body's needs, adapt to changing conditions, wear the right gear (in layers), and watch the weather.

Television Is Brainwashing Me

Part of this post is inspired by my virtual slave-driver, Kelly (aka 1979 Semi-Finalist). The other part is inspired by FlashForward, the new TV series on ABC. You see, Hulu was kind enough to post the first 18 minutes of FlashForward. And based on that I bought the book. And another copy to give away. Even though I know the book and TV show differ. I'm sure I'm missing a show or two, but without further ado, here's what I plan on (or already am) watching.

Sunday

Defying Gravity - Ron Livingston isn't the funny guy from Office Space anymore, but he's still a good actor. And the "5 years earlier" flashbacks help build the characters. The "uber-secret" payload is kind of lackluster right now, but it is nice to see the crew has finally seen it.

Monday

Jon & Kate Plus 8 - Yes, I watch this show and no I don't care what you think. I've watched the show for some time now and I like it.

Castle - An awesome idea with great chemistry. I've considered watching Bones to see if the chemistry is as good as it is here. This season had a bumpy start. The comedic timing felt a little off and there wasn't much of a "bridge" between seasons. Beyond that, I loved it.

Tuesday

NCIS - Another show I've watched for years. While Mark Harmon is okay as an actor, I actually enjoy the rest of the cast more. They make a good group.

NCIS: Los Angeles - I'll be trying this because of NCIS and will hope it is just as good.

Wednesday

Mythbusters - Somewhere out there is a new episode of this great show. Sometimes the show has a few too many explosions, but it is still education (who knew you only needed a few things to make a column of bubbles burst into flames).

Thursday

CSI - I think I've watched this since it first started. I'm not sure how many twists and turns they have left to throw our way, but I still enjoy it.

FlashForward - One of the best advertised shows I've seen yet. And like I said before, I've bought the book and already started reading it despite knowing they differ widely.

Community - The first episode was good but since it conflicts with CSI, I'll probably catch it on Hulu. More on Hulu later.

Friday

Monk - I was late to the Monk party, but this show is very much about me. If I could stand to wear a suit and tie everyday, this show would indeed be about me. Instead, it's about someone very much like me.

Psych - More great chemistry, but this time between two straight guys. And another great idea that, so far, has been awesomely executed.

Saturday

Cops - I watch it when I can and have stuck to that for years. Since my college background is in criminal justice, I've always been drawn to the show.

Everything Else

V - Another ABC show due to arrive soon. I'm hoping they don't mangle the old 80s show, but hey, it can't be worse, right?

LOST - If you've never seen LOST, then you'll be lost on why this is such an awesome show. The is the ONLY show I have entirely on BluRay. In fact, this show is the REASON I got BluRay.
Warehouse 13 - An okay series that's a bit campy. It's no biggie if I miss it, but Hulu let's me watch anything I've missed.

Wipeout - My wife turned me on to this show with big balls. And I like big balls, I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny, this show makes me laugh out loud every week.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien - Thanks to Hulu, I can watch this show. So far I haven't missed an episode since he took over and I've enjoyed most of them. I tend to skip the musical guest at the end, but I feel a little more "hip" now that I can hear all about TWITTER TRACKER TWITTER TRACKER TWITTER TRACKER TWITTER TRACKER TWITTER TRACKER!!!!!

Stargate Universe - I'm kind of on the fence on this one. I lost interest in Stargate Atlantis, but was a die-hard Stargate SG-1 fan. I'm hoping it's good enough to keep me hooked.

Survivorman - Les Stroud is a great survivalist that actually teaches you something about surviving. And while I hope I never have to survive, I'd like to think I've learned enough from him to make it a day or two on my own.

Deadliest Catch - Another show that's not on right now but I enjoy. I love crab, love seafood, but rarely get to eat it. Watching how much people put on the line to catch the damn things makes me appreciate it that much more.

Woodwright's Shop - I know, sounds corny, but I've always enjoyed seeing how things were made "the old fashioned way."

Hulu

Hulu has become my drug. I've watched several movies and TV shows on Hulu and love it. I've seen Buffy (seasons 1-3), Angel (season 1), tried to watch The Time Tunnel (didn't like it), and just saw a great classic movie, Gotcha! In the end, Hulu is my crutch. I can use it as a backup-DVR of sorts if any conflicts arise.

The Year's End

With so much happening over the holidays and with my taking some vacation time, it's hard to find time to sit back, check email, skim the RSS feeds, and post something here.

So, I thought I'd share some quick thoughts on memorable moments that have happened over the past week or two.

Elizabeth stopped me one day while I was sharpening the kitchen knives on one of those wheely-sharpener-thingies and asked how it worked. So I showed how you sharpened the knives, then explained how it was like the emory board you use on her fingernails. After giving her an example with her fingernail, she said something to the effect of "Dad, you're the bestest teacher. You always take the time to explain to William and me how things work and we learn it so fast. You're a great learner."

I finished Abercrombie's final book, The Last Argument of Kings. While I can certainly see how some may take the ending as below par for his level of work, I must say I can see his subtle hand in the workings of the greater machine of a genius author. All those comparisons of him being the Tarentino of fantasy aren't true. He's better than that. Glotka is gruesome. Logen is human. And Bayaz makes the Emperor in Star Wars look like a sissy boy.

It snowed today. Briefly, but it snowed. Yvonne and I got a "grown-up day" while the in-laws babysat the kids. We did some returns, spent time together, had lunch, and painted a plate (at a pottery place - something I haven't done in several years).

There were presents galore. So many presents I know I didn't get pictures of them all. Me, I got a Les Stroud book, and a jacket, pants, and new shoes for running. Yvonne got lots of stuff she returned (so much for me thinking I know her size), books, and movies. Oh, I got movies too. We scored big on DVDs this year. Movies, TV shows, etc. And of course there were a ton of toys and clothes for the kids. A few duplicates we returned today, but overall some nice stuff. Like stuff I'm excited about playing with too.

William is getting big. And he's starting to understand more and more everyday. Lately I've noticed he's learning to shake his head "no" when he doesn't want something. You'll ask him if he wants a "milk" or a "toy" and he'll shake his head. Trust me, it's an improvement on him just shaking his head "no" when you tell him not to do something.

Oh, and if you've made it this far, I've started a new blog (this will be number four in my resume) over at Library Dad. Go there to see what it's all about. I'm hoping, really hoping, that I'll be able to spend most of my year over there instead of here. Which means fewer updates on my life and more updates on the library.

There are of course more updates of a more personal nature, but I'll just leave it at saying I love my wife and I like our (joint) New Year's resolution.

I'm over halfway through Chabon's Kavalier and Clay novel. Not quite as good as his Yiddish Policemen's Union, but still a work of art. Chabon is a master with words.

I also finished The Road Taken by Megan Hart. Simply put, it's a short, lame, romance novel with some dirty scenes in it. But it was free.

I'm still reading the Bible. I'm in 2 Samuel and it's actually (and surprisingly) getting interesting. More so than some of the other books I've read this year.

I'm looking forward to you, the reader, to tell me what to read next over at Library Dad.

And I think that's it. If you care, I don't really have a New Year's resolution for myself. I would like to run most or all of the Grand Prix events in the area (tomorrow's race isn't part of the Grand Prix, but I figured, hell, what's some frigid temperatures when it comes to starting the year off right, right? Yeah. We'll see if I freeze, run, walk, and finish.

A goat by any other name

Is still a goat. So, recently, author-extraordinaire Pat Rothfuss has been working up some fundraising for Heifer International. And at over $15,000, the fans are answering loudly.

Which brings us to a goat-inclusive music video.



So, for all you college kids out there, are these guys really that cool?

And for the rest of us fogies, are they hippies, emos, church choir, or something else?

PS - While I would greatly appreciate some Rothfuss swag, you can save some money by shopping from my Christmas list:
- iTunes money (I want to buy a Whiskey Bards album)
- The Cosby Show (entire series - this would be for both Yvonne and myself)
- The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe
- Survive! by Les Stroud
- The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama
- Costco gift card (any amount, we shop there all the time)
- Lost (any season on DVD)
- iPod video docking station (still not sure if I want this, but it's an option)

Good news or Bad news?

1. The peanut butter is gone from the three mouse traps. Good
2. No mouse in the mouse traps. Bad
3. Eight new glue traps placed. Good
4. Found potential hiding place of mouse. Good
5. Hiding place is over kitchen cabinets. Bad
6. 38 inch waist pants keep riding low, gangsta style. Bad
7. Waist appears to have shrunk from working out. Good
8. All shorts and pants are 38 inch waist. Bad
9. The shed getting primed some more today. Good
10. The weather is in the 70s today. Good
11. Survivorman Season 3 starts tonight. Good
12. This stupid list. Bad

Total Bad = 5

Total Good = 7

Therefore, it's a good day.

Programming line-up

Not to worry, there's a photo at the end of this rant.

So, here's the general list of programs I watch at any given time and how I feel about them.

Monday

Chuck

Chuck is a good action comedy. Nearly as good as Psyche or NCIS, but not quite there yet.

Heroes

Heroes is awesome. Well, last year was, this year is still working up to that status. I'm sure it will be good, but I still hate that damn kid that can fly (not Nathan, the teenager with Claire).

CSI: Miami

Horatio has a son. A bastard son. Whoopee. Let's work in a serial killer or something. And why can't we have more Speadle?

Tuesday

NCIS

Still a solid show, but needs a meta plot to mix it up a bit. Haven't seen one of those in awhile.

The Unit

A surprise addition to this year's line-up. Good enough to keep me watching. The only thing I would change is the wives. Ditch them until they start carrying guns and getting in on the missions.

Wednesday

Mythbusters

Out of season right now but still a great show.

CSI: New York

Another break-out surprise for this year. There's now an assassin on the loose and the mysterious "333" caller. Are they the same person?

Thursday

CSI

CSI is still the top show, but it's going to lose Gil's girl soon and might not be as exciting. And how can you top the miniature killer from last year?

Friday

Monk

Psyche

Both are off the air until January and both are hilariously funny. Monk is very much like me (or vice versa) and Psyche has one of the best casts I've seen in ages. Like M*A*S*H in its later years, but not as many people.

Stargate Atlantis

Another show that's still in my line-up and still plugging along, but it may not survive. Right now I have no other sci-fi show to replace it with so it stays.

Survivorman

Off air at the moment, but by far the best non-fiction show out there. Even better than Mythbusters.

Saturday

Cops

Off air until the World Series is over but I'll watch it if I think about it or if there's nothing else on.

Sunday

Steelers Football

After last week's loss, I'm not to happy. Hopeful we'll win the game against the Bengals.

And as a reward for hanging in there, here's another photo from the family archives. This is Arthur and Loyd Piester in 1916, standing in front of their parent's new car. Can anyone identify the item on the left? And what's on the right?

Huh? What?

I'm in a daze at the moment. You know when you eat a meal and your body decides to send some much needed energy to your stomach to digest things you start to slip into a post-lunch coma of sorts?

Well, that's where I am at the moment, doing my best not to turn into a narcoleptic.

And along that vein of thought, I'll be keeping myself awake by putting you to sleep with the boring events of my life. No, no. No need for a sleeping pill. And please don't read this while you're driving.

And you might want to put a pillow between you and the keyboard in case things go drastically wrong.

Reading
A Game of Thrones by "Rail Road" Martin - I haven't touched this one in ages. I've just about given up.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Trying to make my way through this one, but I've got limited amounts of interest at the moment.

Writing
War Wagon - Still stuck on hold as I gather steam slowly to return to the writing habit I've lost. I'm awaiting feedback from a professional editor on my first 15 pages as well as feedback from Epheros on the same 15 pages (no rush, whenever you're done with your reviews).
Unnamed 1 - I have an interesting idea around a container ship on the ocean. Simply an idea now.
Unnamed 2 - I have another interesting idea about a modern pirate ship. Same as above, simply an idea.

Listening
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Almost done with this one. Kind of depressing, but a decent account of how things were in Nebraska in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Harry Potter #1 - Waiting on deck.

Watching
Survivorman - If it weren't for Les Stroud, I would not know half what I do about survival. Here's to hoping I never have to use it.
Hell's Kitchen - Just finished but I'm curious to see how Ramsey's Americanized version of Kitchen Nightmares will do. His BBC version is pretty good.
Monk - Monk isn't my idol, he's just what I could become under the wrong (or right) circumstances.
Psyche - The funniest show on TV right now.
Deadwood - My guilty pleasure. Plus I need to catch up so I can get into Season 3.
M*A*S*H and Friends - These are during dinner or dish time.

Eating
A bunch of chili for lunch. That's why I'm sleepy and full of hot air.

Sleeping
Clearly not enough if I'm tired. It sounds odd, but I'm hoping to get more sleep once the baby arrives. At least then I know I can get a decent night of sleep every other day.

Upcoming
More family history (hopefully from Dad's Nebraska trip)
A final edit on my video for work (only 4 months late)
A new USB drive (2 GB just isn't big enough)
A new knife (a chipped blade isn't pretty)
New sunglasses (it's been a few years and I'm due)
A final grade in my class (I know what it is, it just isn't "official" yet)
More writing.....well, maybe now I'm getting in the dreams section of life
And let's not forget the new baby (which I still think will come before the end of the month)

Asleep yet? No? Well congratulations.

Status Update

So, where are we now? Hopefully out of the woods. But to get out, I'll need to lead you on a long path from topic to topic, so bear with me. Or skip ahead. Whatever tickles your pickle.

School
I've finally finished all of my assignments for my last week of class (Managerial Communications). I still have another week of posting and responding to do, but the writing is done and turned in. The professor was, well, a bag of hot air. I could get more information form a pile of shit in the street than from this guy. But my fellow students were great and I learned a lot from them. I'll be sitting out the next couple of months due to the pending baby and lack of money and will start again in October.

Weddings
Well, really only one wedding, but anyways. A good friend of ours gets married this weekend. We both want to go, but neither of us feel comfortable being that far from the doctor if the baby decides to come early. So, we're sitting tight and playing it safe. And with Yvonne having contractions everyday, I'd rather play it safe. So sorry, Hutz and Molly, we'll be thinking about you. Guess I have to start calling you Dave now. Or should I call both of you Hutz?

Work
Well, some things don't change. That's good.

Reading
I finished S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire and promptly took up the next in the series, The Protector's War. Way, way too much Wiccan in it for me, but seeing as one of the main characters is Wiccan, I slog through it. So far The Protector's War has started slow, but there's new characters coming in from Britain, so it should be interesting. After I finish this, I don't know what's next, guess I should look into that. I've also been listening to the Essential Lewis and Clark in the car. Not too bad as it keeps to the interesting parts of their journals, like York getting frostbite on his, well, that "certain male anatomy." I'll listen to Captain Blood next courtesy of LibriVox.

Writing
Ha. No update here. Haven't written a lick in a long time, but I have resolved my issue of where to go next with War Wagon. Epheros, the Chinese invade. That's all I'm saying until I write more. Hopefully soon. And I came up with another idea for a story. Not sure how long it would be, but it's interesting enough to make me curious how everything would work. Think Waterworld meets BioDome. But without the humor.

Survivorman
Les Stroud is back on TV tonight with Shark Week (I'll be skipping that one) and back with new episodes of Survivorman next week. He's the real deal folks, not the faker like Bear Grylls with his conjured bear attacks. I hate to badmouth the guy, but Les humps his own camera gear while Bear has someone else do it for him.

Watching
I've been re-visiting Deadwood lately. I picked up Season 3 on DVD and felt I needed to go back to the beginning to make sure I caught everything. It's been my lunch-time addiction of late. At home, I've been revisiting Firefly. Just a hands-down great show. Dad also picked up a few new movies (Shooter - not so hot, Davy Crockett - decent Disney, and the entire series of Daniel Boone - haven't seen it yet). As for "regular" programming, it's been Hell's Kitchen on Mondays with Monk and Psych on Fridays. Not too much worth my time at the moment.

Waiting
Dad's away shortly to Nebraska for a family reunion and to visit the family farm. I'm eagerly awaiting the goodies he should be bringing back as well as new information for the family tree.

Well, that's about it for now. Catch you all later.

Les Stroud and Survivorman News

This just in from Les Stroud:

- Season 2 starts August 10th on Discovery (October 2nd on OLN).

- Les is hosting all of Shark Week on Discovery (July 24th through August 4th).

- Les is swimming with the sharks in a one-hour special (July 31st at 9 pm EST on Discovery).

- Read about Les' latest adventure in Labrador Canada on his blog.

That is all.

Les Stroud in Africa this week

Les is getting dropped via hot air balloon into South Africa. He shows some obvious concern over the lions in the area. Here's to hoping he'll make the 7 day trek safely!

Survivorman scouts out Africa

Les Stroud has posted another blog entry giving us some details on his scouting mission to Africa (after which he stayed somewhere around here). He's looking for two locations for an episode a piece. Interesting that most documentaries are within fenced areas (to keep the animals in and poachers out). Never thought of Africa as having a lot of fences.

The encounter with the snake was a bit creepy. Not being a fan of snakes made it a bit hard to read, but I am glad everythign turned out well.

Here's hoping the episode goes well too.

Oh, side note, the Forums are now open on the Les Stroud site. Yeah!

Les Stroud in the Amazon

As I sit here at my cube on a Sunday afternoon, I wonder what life would be like if I had made different choices in life. Like, if I had learned that my some-time hero as a child (Richard Dean Anderson) bicycled across Canada as a teenager. Would I have done something similar to discover myself? Would I have taken an interest in the outdoors more and looked for a job in that arena?

Well, we can dwell in the past, but we must excel into the future.

On that note, the fans of Les Stroud can finally read about his latest adventure into the jungles of the Amazon where snakes are just as dangerous as the local tribes.

You can read more here about his trip, but I'll give you the highlights.

He's taking the following supplies:

• 3 feet of fishing line
• one can of soda
• one match
• fire "dust" [not exactly sure what this is]
• mosquito hat
• multi-tool
• dugout canoe
• blowgun*
• machete*
• spear*

*The last three items are included so he can "live like the tribesmen."

He's in Ecuador.

There are vampire bats that pee on him.

He leaves his camp on the night of the sixth day (early by his standards) because of a jaguar.

Thanks Les for doing what the rest of us are too afraid to do. And thanks for being intelligent about it too.

Not like that idiotic Man vs. Wild guy. Now there's proof that natural selection isn't working.