About My Blog

Like many blogs, I'm creating this blog primarily for myself. I tend to be a "reflective thought" type of person, and this just seems like a uniue way to keep a journal (even if I'm the only one who reads it).

I've always been an "outdoor" person. I think that started when I was a child - always wanting to take adventures fishing, camping, and running away from home. I really wasn't afraid of too much. I thought nothing of swimming in unknown ponds and creeks or staying out all night fishing.

Later, running was my passion. I spent loads of time outdoors searching parks for 6 - 15 mile trails to run. I used to think it was cool getting lost! It added to the adrenaline rush. I think I've run in every park within a 30 mile radius of home.

Then came cycling. Man, have I put in some miles on a bike! My greatest distance achievements have come doing 24 hour marathons when cycling over 200+ miles was the norm.

In my late 30's and mid 40's I became a duathlon and adventure race freak. Most du's were a run 2 - cycle 20 - run 4 types of events. These were done in many of the major State Parks across Ohio. I also got turned on to mountain bike racing and have raced single track at Hueston Woods, Caeser's Creek and Atwood Lake to name a few. The adventure races normally took me about three hours to complete and involved running, mountain biking, orienteering, and kayaking. Kayaking? Yep, have done that too. In fact, I own my own little kayak as a toy.

I may not be as competitive as I was 10 years ago, but the personal spirit to "get out there" and do some things I've not accomplished continues to excite me. I just have to do them in a different gear. Whereas once a competed to defeat other athletes, I'm more interested in defeating a trail, a river, an event, or to accomplish things I've never done before.

So here's to new and different outdoor pursuits and adventures.

Bob