You're a Week. I'm a Machine.

It's officially been well over a month since I began winter training. In this post I'm going to share with you, dear reader, a glimpse into my weekly regiment.

Training plans are precarious. As a rule, training cannot be done properly without a plan. One must also record information of what is done every day to effectively understand patterns in developing fitness. With this said, plans are not written in stone. Humans are inferior biological machines, and life has a curious way of altering/modifying even the most robust plans. From this I've derived an equation:

(Training + Recovery + Nutrition) / Life = Progress.

Without regimented training, without focused recovery, without proper nutrition, progress cannot be obtained maximally. Yet, as previously mentioned, we must account for life, and there it is hanging nebulously below the division line, waiting to have it's say.

Life is necessary. Fostering friendships, holiday dinner parties, and chats at a cafe are all fantastic parts of life and are relatively low 'Life' numbers that when administered properly don't affect the important numbers on top. When you throw in a drunken all-nigher, a stressful day at work, a shitty nights sleep, and/or some unnecessary relationship drama, that's when the 'Life' number gets big and starts affecting the Progress outcome. Cut out useless bullshit and your training will improve significantly.

Don't be alarmed. Simply put, I've found that the more you have your shit together the less life seems to get in the way. This requires blinders. This requires judgment and intuition (a little bit of growing-the-eff-up and realizing what you want out of life also helps). And, ultimately, this requires balance. The incessant introspective search for true fulfillment.

At this juncture in life my only concern is racing. To race fast I must train effectively. I'm the type of person that feels totally lost without a plan, a platform, a system to default to when life starts taking over. I'm also the type of person who sticks to plans whilst still being flexible and dynamic (i.e. I don't freak out if I miss my bedtime by an hour. You see, sometimes following a plan strictly builds more stress. If you are going to increase stress by rushing around to make your bedtime, you'd be better off slowing down and getting to bed a little later than planned). The main motif is: every action is thorough and slow. If you can't fit everything in, then cut shit out. Less is more. Always.

So, here is my plan. My week. The ideal week:

 (Click on it for full resolution. This is my daily schedule with hours blocked out for various task)

(And here is the numerical break down of hours dedicated to each task)

Sleep: Without Sleep your body cannot recover. There is no way around this. If you want to train hard you must schedule in sleep. Keep a sleep log. It's simple. Remember what time you go to bed and then when you wake up record the hours you slept. I also find it helps to jot down quality of sleep per night on a scale of 1-10. Sometime 7-hours of 10-quality is much better than 9-hours tossing and turning. At the end of the week add up the averages and then you can start seeing weekly trends. I have been logging sleep for well over a year and find my optimal number is 60-65hours weekly (about 9-hours average nightly).

Nap-time:  Naps are so good for you, you should nap just for the hell of it. Scientific research has shown extravagantly how napping produces various hormones essential for recovery. After a hard ride, take a nap. When you can't fit in all the night's rest you want, then nap. If you have nothing better to do but sit there and think in circles, then simmer down your internal drama and just take a bloody nap.

Interestingly, I've found naps are more effective for regeneration than sleeping-in. Often sleeping-in breaks up your daily pattern, whereas an hour nap does wonders for recovery and is a bonus jump start to the rest of your day. Don't nap too late in the day or you will sacrifice being able to fall asleep easily that night.

Riding: Quality versus Quantity (I'll talk more of this at the end). For me, this winter is all about building a huge aerobic engine. The basics: Quantity can be as high as you want until Quality begins to deteriorate. In order to fit in the Quantity you desire--without sacrificing Quality--you must cut shit out of your life. This is also known as commitment.

InCycle: I teach indoor spin classes at CycleU to pay the bills in the off-season. My obvious objective is to race at a level where I get paid year round to race. As of now, last race season I was able to make enough prize money to live of off (albeit living very minimally) and next season it's looking like I will be able to make good prize money since my team will be focusing on big money crits.

As much as I'd love to only train/race, I'm pretty damn lucky to work at CycleU. It's a killer place to work if you're a racer. To make sure I maximize all my time on the bike I teach the classes while riding on rollers with my track bike to work on technique/pedaling/etc. Pretty good way to make cash. I get to blare tunes, talk about racing, and ride my flashy bike. It requires me to wake at 430-5am, but I've adapted and enjoy the solitude of the early mornings where the world is mine with the moon and empty streets. Here, in wintry Seattle the sun sets at 4pm anyways, so waking early makes my days full and productive: fulfilling

Outside: Nothing beats riding outside. People bitch and moan about the weather. Excuses, all of them. When properly armed with good winter clothes and mugs of hot tea (check out Stanley's awesome one-handed vacuum mugs), you can handle any temperature. The bonus is that the worse the weather gets, the quieter and more empty the roads are. Monotonous sunshine pisses me off. Give me the extremes. The worse the weather the happier I am. It's simply a matter of seeing the beauty in Nature.

Work: In addition to InCycle, I work hourly odd-jobs, mostly consisting of construction/remodeling gigs. I enjoy building structures and playing with dangerous power tools, and the pay is good whilst still being flexible with my training schedule. It's hard work, so I can't ignore how it affect my overall energy levels and thus my training Quality.

Projects: Believe it or not there are many facets of life I love doing besides riding my bike. I'm always hatching ideas for the future, and this is my personal time to work on hobbies (writing/art/building things or working on ways in which I will support my passions and long-term future goals). These projects will be unveiled to you, dear reader, when the time is nigh. This is also the time where I tackle life responsibilities, i.e. finances, answering emails, grocery shopping. Time goes quick unless you use it.

Gym Jones: I had the great honor of having Mark Twight and Michael Blevins of Gym Jones teach me how to properly lift weights in a way that will work on my cycling weaknesses. I'm currently writing an in-depth story about meeting these fine fellows, and the series of serendipitous adventures that led to this meeting. What I do in the weight room is top secret.

Yoga: I dig Yoga. It's mostly to learn new ways to access my body. I'll take specific stretches/moves I learn and then implement them into my personal routine I do at home. I many ways Yoga is a break from normal training and is one of the only times I get out and do something social. There's also a lot to look at. Don't read into that too much.

Stability: This consist of a modified routine I learned from Gym Jones, i.e. I go through the weight lifting motion with less weight and increase the reps to work on balance and technique. Usually this consist of one-legged dead-lifts and overhead squats with a 45lbs bar.

CORE: I have those boots that strap to your ankle so you can do inverted sit-ups on a pull-up bar. Dead-lifts and front squats are more effective for building core strength, but I find variations of inverted sit-ups really help me connect with my abs in a very serious way I've never found in any other core routine. There are also many benefits to hanging upside-down and letting your blood drain the opposite way. Clears your head. Literally. After doing a sit-up routine I will hang there and just hang, allowing my back to stretch out.

Since I started doing this inverted routine--in conjunction with weight training--my hip and back problems have nearly vanished. I also owe a lot to Dr. Jacob Perkins, my chiropractor, at Elite Sport and Spine here in Seattle who did incredible work on my body all throughout this summer. This is substantial, considering three months ago my left leg would go completely numb on the bike after an hour of riding. Long story... And luckily that story is finished.

Cooking: Nutrition is paramount. Everything I eat I cook myself. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks and Food on the Bike is all handmade by me. No compromises. This is a lot of work, and completely worth it. Every night when I make dinner I prepare all my food for the following day. This way I never have to eat out or sacrifice food quality or eat crappy packaged foods. It also allows me to easily track what I eat.

I count calories. I don't believe counting calories is necessary, and I don't limit my calories either.  I mostly count calories to see trends and pattern in my eating habits in relation to training and it also makes me more aware of WHAT I am eating and WHEN.

There are a ba-jillion arguments about what athletes should eat. What is my opinion? Don't be stupid. Use common sense. Use your best judgement and eat clean foods. Get to know your body and what it needs. It is your body. Nobody can know your body as well as you do. It is your responsibility to find out what works for you. Educate. Read. Gain knowledge. Experiment. The needs of your body changes over time, so why wouldn't your diet also need to change? My only dietary restriction is: I eat real food. Thus, I must determine what this means to me and my body.

Here are some fun pictures from this months training:

(Facing east above Leschi on my first weekend of winter training. Coincidentally, this happen to be one of the mot beautiful winter days I've seen. Then, all of the sudden, this weather lasted for three weeks. What the hell?)

 (Morning routine. Mornings are my favorite time of the day. I love waking before dawn and easing into my day with coffee, tea, a big ol' homemade breakfast and only the quiet sound of the moon outside to accompany all the thoughts I'm eager to write down in my journal)

 (This is why I take the Ferry. The best part about riding the Ferry in the winter time is being the only person outside on the deck. You feel like your gliding over the water into the dawn of a hidden world)

 (I love chopping wood. Luckily my grandparents have a lot for me to chop. It's a hell of a work-out and is great for clearing the head. It's also a chance to get outside and breath in fresh air, a break from the city-life)

(I take an ice-bath twice a week after I weight lift. They are amazing. You feel fantastic and sleep like a baby afterward. The first second sucks, but the next twenty minutes is bliss. Read a book, drink hot tea, eat warm food, and wear a fuzzy hat. I'm also in the process of inventing a neoprene banana-hammock. Don't steal my idea!!!!)

 (I think training comes easy to me because I am a junky for Nature. Here is a view from the park next door to the little cottage I live in)

 (I'm going to miss this little park. In two weeks I'm moving into a new place twenty blocks deeper into the city, right on Belmont and Pine. It doesn't get more urban than this. Density = Progression. I walk everywhere to everything I need. When the bustle gets to be too much I bike 5-minutes to the Ferry dock and BOOM an hour later I'm on the Peninsula where Nature still roams)

 (A view from the downtown Ferry facing south. You can barely see Mt. Rainer in the distant clouds)

 (The gloom of this shadowy city is like a mistress to me. I love every dark movement she makes)

 (Quiet roads I've found that go for miles non-stop. Perfect for consistent pressure on the pedals during long winter rides)

 (Screw sunshine. Give me the beauty of the Northwest. Here is a road lacing the edge of the Hood Canal. No cars in sight. Nothing but scenery and smells of the woodland nymphs)

(Hell yeah for power tools!)

I

 (At my grandparents sawing up some wood and convincing my cousin to have a go at the chainsaw)

(She finally caved in and chainsawed all on her own without hacking off any limbs! I have a riotous lot of great cousins. Tucked in the picture background you can see my grandparents quaint home that is nestled on 10acres of land right next to the Puget Sound. A great get-away and launching pad for all my epic rides)

For the past month I'm proud to say every week I've stuck to the plan--with necessary modifications--and I daily feel strength returning. Training, at the end of the day, is supposed to be enjoyable (I use this term loosely), something to look forward to (reasons can vary dependent upon an individual's temperament), so modifications are good. Some days I will sleep in and skip a nap. Other days I will wake up early and take a Ferry ride to the Olympic Peninsula to explore a new training route. If you keep your training interesting without sacrificing quality, you create a sustainable pattern; both being keys words: Sustainable and Pattern.

Bodies adapt with consistent patterns. If you consistently eat unhealthy food and do nothing, your body adapts to this as well and I'm sure you are aware of the results. If you want to see progress, your body must adapt to positive reoccurring stimuli. Erratic training or sleep patterns will result in piss poor gains. Whenever someone asks me the best way to get in shape I say without pause:

 Be committed to being consistent.

Without commitment to a pattern you might as well hang up the towel and just workout out for 'fun.' Sustainability is critical to maintain a pattern. There is no such thing as the perfect pattern unless you can sustain it. On paper you may think you've written a "perfect plan" but if you crack half-way through the winter because the plan was too much or too boring, then what was the point in your perfect plan?

After a month of this very robust plan I've learned a lot about my body's needs. If I'm eating well and sleeping well, the training volume combined with work-load is totally manageable. Yet, when Life takes over and things get crazy, sometimes I have to grab the knife. It's hard to do. For example, after one hard weekend of training I was totally cracked on Monday. I wanted to hit the Gym and do weights (it's such a great mental break from the bike) and I wanted to go to Yoga afterward (one of the only times during the week where I see attractive girls my age), but, I was cracked.

This is the song that spurred my blog's title. GAWD I LOVE LOUD NOISE!!!

After getting home from work I laid on my floor and instantly fell asleep. When I woke, I knew today would be best spent stretching at home and cooking up a big meal before hitting the hay EARLY. The next day I woke up fresh as a daisy and was ready to slaughter the rest of the week. If I had been thick-headed and ego-motivated I would have "pushed through" and gone to the Gym, most likely resulting in my immune system plummeting into getting sick.

If you get sick: you are doing something wrong. If you don't get sick: you are doing it right. End of story. Bodies are designed to fight illness when they are running at 100%.

Staying true to yourself and fighting the ego is also essential for maximal training. I'll give a concrete example: a few weekends ago I went on a 4-hour ride with three other very fast racer buddies of mine. The pace was high. Since my winter training bike was still being built up, I rode my commuter bike, which is an old race bike I converted into a Frankenstein type touring bike. My 27lbs rattle-can black bicycle steed complete with rear rack, full fenders with flaps, 28c armadillo tires running at 60psi, and a half gallon thermos of hot tea bungee corded to the rack did not make for fast riding.

As soon as we hit any hill my heart-rate soared into threshold when I was supposed to be holding steady aerobic. The pace was too high for me, and as much as I wanted to stay with my buddies, I didn't. After three hours I pulled the plug and waved them off so I could do my own thing. I had to curb my ego and realize that right now an hour of threshold trying to keep up with my buddies is exactly what I don't need. Group rides can easily lead to the ego taking over. Control yourself and stick to your plan at all cost, even if it means getting dropped by your buddies.

No explanation needed. If you want to download an hour of LOUD music from the future, then look no further than Excision's 2011 Shamballa Mixtape. It's free!

This brings me to my last point I learned this month: Quality not Quantity. Hours on the bike mean jack unless you are connected and focused on every pedal stroke. Going on a 6-hour ride is fun as hell (I like the adventurous exploration type rides), but, let's be honest, are you really in proper Zone-2 and focused the entire 6-hours? At least 2-hours of that is fluff. So, unless your 6-hours is totally focused, cut out the fluff. Fluff still requires recovery. Wasted time recovering from fluff.

To end, I'll play devil's advocate. I'm one of those souls that really enjoys 6-hour rides that take time (fluff) to explore a new area of land and scenery. Knowing this, I make sure there is a seamless 3 or 4-hour chunk of proper Zone-2 where I am totally connected to the pedals with my mind. I also understand that this extra time out in the elements is hard on the immune system. Yet, one must not forget about the power of the mind. Rejuvenation can be found in adventure, and so I'm willing to accommodate a little fluff if it allows me to go and explore new wind-soaked roads on a bicycle.

-dan harm

Motivation is in the Ink

This month I signed onto a new squad, Astellas Pharma US Inc, p/b Trek racing, a well-funded first-year team based out of Chicago. The team is primarily focused on the NCC circuit, and will also hit select NRC events. The squad and I are well matched: I'll have tons of opportunities to refine my lead-out skills and I'll be able to do enough TTs in Stage Races to prove my against-the-clock prowess.

For the time being, after a tenuous World Cup track season last winter, I've forgo-ed pursuing track racing and decided to switch entirely to the road for the next few years. This switch stems from numerous reasons, all of them I will keep to myself, for secrets foster results. Do know I have a method to my madness.

Two days ago I received my 2012 race schedule. Having your race schedule printed with ink is incredible for training motivation. Last year, I was racing one day at a time, team-less, with no idea what the future of racing would throw at me. This is part of the reason why last year was such a shitshow. Despite the shitshow, I luckily pulled together enough results to land me a spot on a team with a big travel budget.  I'm looking forward to the potential results often produced by a stable, well-supported team environment.

I'll live in Chicago for a couple months mid-summer during the height of Midwest Crit action. Before and after this, the team agreed to let me be based out my home-town, Seattle. Along the way I'll be doing racing/training stints in So-Cal and Phoenix, and will also have a training camp in Austin sometime early March. I'm also hoping to do a block of training on the east-coast if I can fit it in. As with all race schedules, it is tentative based upon rest and event focus; i.e. for my A-races, I'll lay low from racing and focus on training.

There are no international events simply because they do not meet the Team's goals and our Sponsor's interest. I'll miss crossing over the USA border, but, at the same time, I'm excited for my first opportunity to really stamp my foot in the domestic scene.

Motivation in Ink:

I'm really stoked for: Tour of Battenkill, Redlands, and Nationals.

The best part about this calendar is simple: The racing. Look at all those 'effing races!!! Regardless of what you've heard, there's only one way to excel on a bike: race hard races. I believe this calendar suits the bill. And the demand of this robust schedule has my motivation to train breaking glass roofs straight up into the heavens. The routine is set. The dedication is welded with a fiery fury. Now it's all about long hours on the bike and equal focus on recovery.

To give an idea: I'm putting 21-28hours a week on the bike (along with numerous off-the bike training routines. Stay tuned for more info on this.) and waking up feeling fresher than ever-- all while still paying the bills! I never thought this would be possible. Luckily, I have a few mentors that help guide me towards the light. (Colby, Mark, Craig, Michael, Adrian, Jeff, Donna, Grandma, and Mom: thank YOU!)

 

(And to end. Here is a hilarious picture of me from Nats. I guess this is a: little-kid/big-kid track racing 3-wheeled tandem)

-dan harm

Enchantment me back to Sanity

    My off-season was wholly marked by the Mountains. Earlier in the summer, while schmoozing at the Seattle Bouldering Project’s grand opening party (SBP is the brainchild of Andy, one of my oldest, closest friends), I locked down a dream gig: build an alpine trail network on private Mountain property. The Universe once again noticed I’ve been listening a bit more, and has—with a cheeky smile— been tossing me reward after reward.

Another world is Here

    The property where I’d be flexing my muscles is located in Leavenworth on a plot of land bordering the federally protected and highly regulated Alpine Lakes National Wilderness area. Private land like this is not easy to come by. This particular eco-system—wrought over millions of years by the delicate, obsessive hands of our endlessly creative Nature - is extremely fragile - fragile to the point of zero-recovery when humans ‘eff it up with our slipshod ways.

 (A view from where I worked on the trails)

 
    The project would be a massive undertaking, about three-to-four weeks of labor. I was given the precarious and honorable job of designing and creating a low-impact hiking trail that would be used to explore the thirty acres of alpine wild-flower meadows, somber moss covered Ponderosa thickets, and craggy granite cliffs and overlooks.

    The steep mountain terrain, in conjunction with the fragile ecosystem, made the job difficult. The plant life here may look lush and serene, as if the land promotes rapid growth and vitality. But, don’t let the gorgeous landscape fool you. The environment is bitterly harsh and will kill anything but the hardiest, most patient forms of both plant and animal life.
 
    The only machinery I’d use is my lanky 6’5” frame, two types of shovels, a Pickaxe, a Pulaski, and leather gloves (I burned through gloves at a rate of one set per day. No Joke. Granite is awfully coarse). Every stone I had to find and carry bundled in my arms. Every shovelful of reinforcement dirt I had to haul up or down the winding trail. One false footstep and I could easily destroy thousands of years of growth.

 (First bit of winding slope through wild-flower meadow)

 

(Trail entrance)

(Here every stone was hand-laid on a steep downward section leading to the flat section that required reinforcements due to minimal top soil over a granite slab) 

 (First switchback located on lower loop)

 (Second switchback on main leg leading to first overlook. Notice the large stone retaining wall laid by hand. It took six hours to gather all the stones one by one)

 (Spiral staircase on lower loop leading to natural granite 'playground' formations)

 (Gorgeous in-cut trail navigating one of the most fragile sections of the trail. Here the trail narrows to ensure minimal foot impact and is reinforced by a small stone wall lining the edge.

  
    There are numerous reasons why this job was absolutely ideal for me. Mainly: I was getting paid good money to work long, enjoyably hard hours outside in stunning wilderness scenery on an elaborate project that required my creativity, intellect, and Mountain Man muscles. Need I say more?

      Obviously pulling ten-hour days was good for my broke bike racer financial situation. And, sure, it was good for my frail cyclist’s body (just image the cross training: shoveling and axing through dirt for hours and then running and up and down the trails I’d just built with my own muscles). But, the greatest benefit that overshadowed everything was: this job was necessary for my soul.

     To say the last year’s race season was rough is a downright understatement. For some reason I don’t bother questioning, Life has instilled me with an abnormal amount of Grit, which is the only reason I survived the madness of last year. How I didn’t crack last season is beyond my comprehension, but the fact remains: I didn’t crack. And this shows a hell of a lot about me as a human. (If you’re curious about the full extent of last-year’s insanity, keep on the lookout for my soon-to-come story, entitled, Controversy: Always move onward).

    To think that I could be paid to escape from it all and live by myself in the forest, under enigmatic stars, curled up next to the voice of the wise river, wrapped in the piercing air that purged demons from my mind, mingling with wildlife that eventually welcomed me as a long-term guest, in flow with the natural rhythms of the sun and moon (tangent: have you ever noticed how the sun and moon chase each other like two lovers blind to their mutual passion, an endless cycle of desire and needless resistance), was beyond a dream come true. Yes. I needed this badly.

    But, there was a catch. Since this job was temporary, I had to have other work seamlessly lined up in the city to keep me going after I completed the trail gig. The day after track National Championships I hopped off an airplane and had one day to get my ‘ish’ together in Seattle. The following day, at 6am, was the day InCycle at CycleU officially kicked off for the Fall.

    I organized my schedule so I’d be in the city coaching InCycle two days a week and in the mountains building the trail five days a week. I had to do this city-mountain commute twice weekly because my job as an InCycle coach is stable and long-term, one of the few jobs that lends this to an incessantly nomadic bike racer. Living entirely in the mountains for a month straight was not feasible, but five days a week would be more than enough to reset my psyche.

    For four weeks I lived a duel life: At 6am Tuesday morning I’d teach my first class, then, over the next two days I’d teach a total of five classes while also running errands like mad (During the race season ‘normal life’ ceases for a bike racer. The off-season is riotous catch-up time). On Thursday morning at 6am I’d teach my last class, thus leaving me a few hours to get ready for the mountains.

    After morning rush hour traffic died down I’d leave Seattle and drive north and east along mystical Highway-2.  Three hours is a hell of a commute, but when you’re driving on an empty two-lane highway through the vast colors of landscape bowing to the impenetrable change of seasons sitting in a truck with a hot mug of tea and a bowl of rice pudding ain’t so bad. With windows down and a couple jackets hugging me tight I puttered in my truck at 50mph through fresh air only found in the Cascade Mountains; the scenery danced by me with the same magical force recorded in fairytales. Then, after working in the mountains for the rest of Thursday through Monday, I’d hop back into my truck early Monday evening and make the return trip to the hustle and bustle of a city that always seems to draw me back like the voice of an inescapable Siren.

    Every time I got to the mountains I had to haul all my gear in on foot for about a mile. A slippery, halfway constructed bridge over Icicle Creek made it tricky to carry in coolers of food and haul-bags. There was no front door to my base camp. It was trek that usually took three trips and the better part of an hour to complete. Luckily a rusted and wobbly wheelbarrow helped me out on the flat part of the gravel road that led to the narrow trail I followed down to my nook next to the river. There, my tent was set-up and waiting for me.

(Base camp by the river)

(My kitchen. Everything I need to cook up a mean gypsy stew)

(Often I went old-school and cooked by fire. There's no rush in the forest)

(One of my inventive concoctions: beats, yams, kale and rice. Check out my HappyTiffin. I can cook in it and store my food in its stainless steel, environmentally friendly, non-plastic goodness. I ended up dropping this off a 50ft cliff and it survived with nothing but a dent!!!) 

(The good ol' trusty wheelbarrow helping me lug in supplies for the week)

 (Icicle Creek viewed from the halfway constructed bridge)

    Each day I’d wake before dawn, crawl out of my tent, take a huge pee, and then stand with my head craned upwards so I could soak in the tales of a glowing moon. My mind would wander and daydream as celestial thoughts wove in and out of me and other worlds only imagined. After I was filled with the stories of the crisp dawn I’d set up my kitchen, set the water to boil, make a huge breakfast and big ol’ healthy snack to eat later on up on the trails, and then I’d sit quietly with only the company of my thoughts and the murmurs of Nature all around. I need no other companions.

    With two large thermoses of tea to keep me going I’d pile gear into my back-pack, select my tools of choice, and make the twenty minute hike up to where the trails I was building began. The hours would slowly walk around me with the arching sun and after a productive day I’d hike back down right as shadows fully engulfed the adjacent cliff side, which meant it was time to make dinner by the flicker of firelight and prepare for a nightfall bedtime.

(The moon and I cannot be separated)

(One of the many spectacles Nature offered me)

    The city-mountain schedule was crazy. But totally worth it. Every week I slept under the stars, cooked my food next to a camp-fire, bathed daily in a frigid glacially fed river, and moved in ways my body desperately needed after being tweaked and kinked from sitting on a bike for hours upon hours over the past 20months.

    The day arrived when I had all the trails built. A bittersweet time of breaking down base camp to haul everything back to my truck and make the harsh transition to fulltime city-life. The four weeks spent in the mountains flew by too quickly. But, it had a lasting impression I still feel in my mind as I write this story.

    To celebrate success of a job well done I planned an epic hike: book-it up to the Enchantment Lakes Wilderness area in minimal time with minimal gear. At around 1pm on my last Sunday in the mountains I finished loading all the tools into my truck. I drove a few miles down Icicle Creek road and parked at the Snow Creek trailhead.

    I was determined to hike into the Enchantments through the night. By the time I hit the trail it was 3pm. Not a lot of light would be left in the day. I brought with me a small pack filled with a warm jacket and a few base layers, a couple bottles of water and three power-bars, and a lightweight sleeping bag. I wanted to go light so I left the camp stove and other unnecessary items back in the truck. If I did this right I would make it to the Enchantments around 2am, sleep until dawn, wake, explore the Enchantments, snap some photos, and then hike back mid-morning so I could return to my truck no later than 2pm in order to make it to Seattle right before Monday madness traffic hit.

    I’ve hiked this trail before (the long-route up Assgard pass, which I avoided this go-around because of heavy-snowfall) with my friend Andy. He and I, along with two other friends, hiked in, climbed Prusik peak, and hiked down to Snow Creek, all in one day. It was not an enjoyable experience in the most enjoyable of ways. More importantly, it was a while ago, and I had forgotten this by no means is an easy hike. In addition, we had scrambled the most dangerous section of trail in the middle of the night, sharing two headlamps between four of us. So, my knowledge of the trail was probably not as good as I assumed…

    The first section of the hike is a straightforward, pretty steep, yet well-marked trail. By the time night had completely fallen, I had already made it to the top of upper Snow Lake, which is about three-quarters of the way up distance-wise. I’d been cruising so fast that despite the freezing temperatures I was running in only an army tank top, jeans with lycra tights underneath, and light gloves—that had holes in every finger.

Views from the lower lakes:

    Though I was way more than halfway up, I still had the most difficult section to navigate. From the top of upper Snow Lake the trail disappears and you must scramble up exposed granite slabs.

    At the top of upper Snow Lake there is a log bridge that traverses over the large creek that feeds the lower lake system. The source of this small river originates above the upper Enchantments, fed from the glacier snowmelt way, way in the mountains.

    It was almost a full moon, so I had yet to put on my headlamp. I was hauling ass, and had crossed many bridges before, so I carried my blistering momentum right over this log bridge. After all, one of my favorite outdoor pastimes is to run like a mountain goat across boulders lining riverbanks. Often they are slippery, and this never falters my step. Sure, this particular bridge I flew over had the same sheen as a mossy river boulder, but I wasn’t worried.

    For some reason the thought didn’t cross my mind that perhaps this sheen wasn’t wet moss, but ice. I got halfway across the bridge and before I could even think of how big of an idiot I was, I slipped righteously into the air and fell right smack into the river. The water went up past my waist, soaking me through with ice water up to my chest. Luckily I landed on my feet and not my back. If I wasn’t alert before, I was now bursting with the instincts of a panther spooked by its own shadow.

    In a burst of adrenaline I pulled myself back onto the bridge and started to run as fast as I could. Half the reason I ran was to prevent myself from freezing – I had to keep circulation going – but the other half was from sheer embarrassment of doing such a dumb thing. I was my own audience and I had handfuls of rotten lettuce I was throwing at myself. I also kept running because the instincts from spending a lot of time outdoors throughout my life told me I needed to use my body heat to try and dry out these clothes as much as possible since I didn’t bring a lot of extras. Hopefully, I could dry them out enough where sleeping in my sleeping bag would suck out the rest of the moisture so I could wake up the next morning relatively dry. These were my thoughts as I blitzed up the mountain with footfalls that would make a gazelle blush. No time for a headlamp. The moon was strong with me still. Must get warm.

    My anger at my stupid carelessness pushed aside any notion of hypothermia. I knew I was fine, I just needed to limit the amount of shittiness of sleeping in wet clothes during cold night. So I gritted my teeth and swore aloud that I would make it to the upper Enchantments before stopping to sleep.

    After thirty minutes of running the trail no longer was a trail. Woops, I forgot about that too. It became a technical unmarked scramble up decently exposed slabs of granite partially covered in thickening ice. Nothing very technical in the daytime. But, at night, with a crappy headlamp and chattering teeth, it took a long time to find the cairns (stacks of rocks) that more or less led me in the right direction.

    At one confusing section I had to stop. It was a particularly icy slab. I couldn’t find the route. Still in my wet clothes, I squinted into the darkness trying to find the next cairn. My headlight panned everywhere. I spent a good hour walking in circles trying to find the route. This lull in my break-neck pace caused the cold to claw in.  I was shaking like a morphine addict kicking heroine.

    A fist of wisdom punched me square in the face. It wasn’t going to happen tonight. I wasn’t going to make it to the Enchantments and stay alive. Time to tuck my tail and cash in. I’d have to wait until dawn to hike the rest.

    I stripped naked in the freezing air and pulled on all the warm clothes I had stuffed in my bag. Once I started running again I warmed up right quick. My tights were mostly dry, but my socks still sloshed in my waterlogged boots. My jeans were another story. I wrung them out best as possible and then shoved them still dripping into the bottom of my bag. Tonight would be interesting.

    (I know jeans aren’t the best outdoor attire of choice, but I love hiking in them because they move around your body better, especially with a layer of lycra underneath. They are also comfy and robust when clamoring around on granite, plus I just think these particular jeans are hot and I wasn’t planning on swimming)

    I hiked back down to the upper Snow Lake’s campground and connected up with two hikers camping there. At a coffee shop the day before, I approached these two girls who were obviously packing up for a long weekend in the mountains. They were laidback, the northwest adventurer type. Over coffee and cinnamon rolls we talked about the various hikes and scenery the area offered and they told me they were heading into the Enchantments. I told them I was planning on going up as well, and that if I saw them, we should hang out.

    They remembered me by the sound of my voice in the darkness and welcomed me to join them. After a few minutes of small talk while looking at the stars I tried to play my cards cool and not tell them about my stupid river mishap, but I caved and told them the story half laughing to myself. They offered to let me sleep in their tent, but I refused. Just ‘cause I was a little wet didn’t mean I was gunna die. I had a sleeping bag and small sleeping pad. I would be fine for the night.

    After thirty minutes curled tight in my sleeping bag I got decently warm. Until it started to snow. Not heavy snow. Even worse. It was small, wispy snow, a sign of a cold snap, meaning the temperatures outside were hardly in the warm category.

 (How jeans look after being frozen stiff through the night)

 (Waking from a cold night)

    I did manage to sleep for a few hours. The next morning I woke at the same time as the girls. They girls shared some coffee (thank the gods for that coffee!) and made me warm oatmeal. I thanked them kindly and then hit the trail an hour after dawn. I decided to leave my pack back at camp and finish the rest of the hike with a water bottle and a power bar. No need to lug extra weight.

    With the feeling of an animal possessed I ran all the way to the base of the upper Enchantments in a little over an hour (a hike that would take your average hiker at least half a day to complete). I was on the level and trusted every footfall. I leapt from boulder to boulder and clambered up steep granite, glancing blissfully down hundred foot cliffs just inches away from me without a fleck of fear.

    And, when I got to the top, I was rewarded with serenity. A landscape constructed for the gods. I was the only person here. Surrounded by beauty. In this moment I felt completely alive. No drug could replicate the feeling. I felt transported out of this universe and into an enchanted fable.

    I climbed to the top of a snow-covered hill. The sound of my feet crunching through the layer of ice sounded like cymbals clashes in the silence. Every small sensation stood alert with a heightened awareness the Wilderness brings. Standing outside a thicket of golden Aspen I gazed over the scenery.

    Before me an enormous waterfall fell from Inspiration Lake and mixed with the flow of Perception Lake. The sound of the waterfall caused a peculiar phenomenon that altered the mind. From where I stood the waterfall was at least a mile away. Yet, the sound and stillness was so heavy around me that the distance roar of the falls swirled thickly and filled the area with an almost tangible voice. It was if the entire landscape was quietly murmuring to itself and I was privy to hear the titter and guttural gasps of its conversations.

    It is a true rarity to step into the Enchantments on a day where the sun sheds a crystal light, when the Aspen are burnt into a golden flame for a very short time, when a light snow covers the tooth-like ground, when the calmness and stillness of a content day fills the restless wild. I was very lucky to be here. Very lucky to be alive inside all this beauty.

    This beauty is not real, but it is real, and it is everywhere. We humans forget this because we lock ourselves up in big cities and walk around in circles our whole lives without experiencing everything that is out there. Don’t get me wrong. I love the city. I actually live in the densest part of Seattle right in Capital hill. But, I also know that to be alive I need to escape in to the Wild as much as possible.

    When you train fulltime as a cyclist these weekend outdoor trips do not happen often. Running up and down mountains doesn’t make for fast legs on the bike. And falling into icy rivers isn’t the best way to avoid getting sick. (How I didn’t get sick absolutely stumped me. My mind is strong these days. Getting sick is mostly in your head. If you listen to your body, if you connect your mind to your body, you rarely get sick).

Memories from the Enchantments: 

    In the couple hours that I explored the beauty painted before me I found an inner peace that would last me many months. With a resolute farewell I knew it was time to leave and exit this Enchanting world. The beauty would still be there waiting for my eventual return. And return I will.

    In the grand scheme of things this was a mild adventure compared to the feats of Reinhold Messner, Mark Twight, and Ranulph Fiennes, but I still thought it was a savage trek. Most importantly I felt savage.  I felt strong. I felt alive. I felt ready to return to the bike.

    The Enchantments offered an incredible adventure that gave me mental motivation needed to train through the hard winter ahead. I had officially fallen back in love with the Northwest, with its rain, with its cold, with its harsh beauty and timelessness. I was home.