Passport Day in the USA

International adventures require a passport and, if you're in need, you're in luck! On Saturday, March 9, U.S. citizens may apply for or renew their passport book or passport card at participating non-State Department passport application acceptance facilities.  While Department of State Regional Passport Agencies and Centers will not be open on Saturday, March 9 (due to the sequester), many of the same services are available at other facilities such as libraries, post offices and clerks of court.

Lots more information at travel.state.gov. 

Zero to Sturgis in 60 Days

Last summer, my friend Joanne did something most of us only dream of doing. She got her motorcycle license, a bike and headed to the Black Hills. 

I had always wanted to get my motorcycle license. Two friends from work had gotten theirs in previous years and were talking about going to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota that summer. One day they bombarded me simultaneously with IMs egging me on. So at 56 years old I decided I’d better do it before I was no longer able. In February 2012, I signed up for a course at the Maryland MVA to be held the first weekend in June. Then I forgot about it.

As June go closer I started getting nervous. What was I thinking! But I kept telling myself no harm in trying.

We had 2 nights of classroom instruction. Then 2 days on the weekend actually riding. Within the first hour the woman I sat next to both days in the classroom had fallen twice and left the program. I was hoping that wasn’t a sign of things to come. About 45 minutes after we arrived we were riding back and forth across the parking lot. Woohoo! I was riding a motorcycle and not training wheels.

After lunch we started doing some more challenging exercises such as the figure 8. The program was getting tougher. The second day we reviewed the previous day and then started working on control at consistent speeds. All of a sudden they said “Line Up!” Was this the road test? What’s going on!

Well... it was the test and I passed. The class was about 40%-60% women to men. Most of the women passed while some of the younger, cockier men did not. It felt good to be one of the those who passed. 

It had been two very tense, hot, long days on the range and was glad to be in my air conditioned car and heading home. As I was driving home I was thinking of all the weekend chores I had to cram in to the remaining hours of Sunday afternoon. My mind was racing. Then all of a sudden it hit me. Hey. I just got a motorcycle license. How cool is that? I JUST GOT A MOTORCYCLE LICENSE! It felt like a life changing event. If I can get a motorcycle license what can’t I do?

I started thinking about Sturgis, which was in 2 months. I’d been to the northwestern part of South Dakota before and loved it. The idea of going back and taking part in Sturgis with good friends sounded great.

Two weekends before we were due to leave my friend and her husband took me out bike shopping. We found the bike the first day, bought it the next day and I started riding. On August 2nd we loaded the bikes and ourselves into a toy hauler and set out to meet another group from Arizona in Sturgis. The weather was great, the scenery beautiful, the company excellent and Sturgis was everything it was said to be. It truly was a trip of a lifetime. 

Looking back, getting the license and the bike on short notice and then heading for Sturgis within 60 days might see a little crazy and to some even reckless. Everything happened fairly spur of the moment without a lot of thought to danger or consequences. The practical portion of the course was really hard. And being a new rider is Sturgis with 600,000 experienced riders was bit daunting the first day out.  Looking back, fear could have prevented me from doing any of this. Or the thought that I was too old for this. Or what might people think? In the end none of that mattered. 2012 was a great summer filled with great experiences. I wonder what the next adventure will be.

Casting Call for Wilderness Adventure Show

I had an interesting email from Casting Director Marie Malyszek.  If you are one of the women (or men) protecting our wildlife, our land and our citizens, this casting call is for you.

What: Adventure pilot produced by award-winning production company 

Role: Adventurer

Wanted: Woman and men 30 years old and up. Fit, in-shape, rugged, full of confidence and swagger. 

Experience: MUST have some experience in the wildlife/land services world i.e. Park Ranger, Dept of Fish & Game, Bureau of Land Management, Forrest Service, Dept of Environmental Conservation, etc.

Shoot Date: TBA 

Shoot Location: USA  

Interested? Apply ASAP to FunNewShow@gmail.com

Win a Dog Sledding Vacation!

Here's a wonderful opportunity for all of you snow lovers!  Kathleen Anderson at Wintermoon Summersun Adventures is giving away a 3-day dog sledding event that includes all mushing, lodging and meals at their eco-friendly retreat lodge in northeastern Minnesota. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I mean, it isn't every day that you can learn the secrets of the the Iditarod.  I was pretty intrigued by the news so I asked Kathleen to tell me more about the trip.

For 25 years I have been teaching women the art of mushing and it has been the most amazing and rewarding experience.  To watch the connection women have with dogs, and these dogs love people, and to see them working together is so satisfying.  Huskies love to pull and run, it is in their genetic make up, and to be part of the team using positive reinforcement and praise, is exhilarating.  I love watching women try something new and take a risk; it is good for one's psyche and soul.

When you come to Wintermoon, you do not need to have any experience.  I will teach all the basics in a supportive atmosphere and will not push anyone to do anything they do not feel comfortable with.  We start with small teams and go on private trails right on our homestead.  You get to learn and be involved in the whole process of harnessing, driving, caring,... for the dogs.  We really all are a team working together.  And women do this beautifully, cooperating, encouraging and caring.  I have 36 Alaskan huskies and they are well trained, patient and very well cared for.

I am located 50 miles north of Duluth in the Superior National Forest on a 400 acre Finnish homestead.  We are eco-friendly with solar power, wood heat, sauna, organically grown food and have beautiful log buildings.  We have a Bunk-her where women sleep and we eat our meals together in the main lodge.

What a fabulous way to escape the winter blahs and try something fresh!  Click on over to  the Wintermoon Summersun Web site and enter the drawing.  Winners will be announced December 21. 

Good luck!

Urban Dare Adventure Race

“Urban Dare is the race where smarts can beat speed. It’s part trivia, part photo hunt, part mental and physical challenges, and all fun.  Think of it as a 1-day Amazing Race.”  That paragraph from the Urban Dare Web site sums it up but I will add that Urban Dare also is a great team event and it’s coming to a city near you!

My sister, Abbie, her daughter, Ciara, my friend, Kesha and I rose to the challenge this past weekend. We registered online for the DC race, so on Saturday morning we arrived at McFadden’s bar in downtown DC, signed our paperwork and changed into our new Urban Dare T-shirts.

By noon, 93 teams were pawing at the sidewalk ready to start.  A few teams made the extra effort to wear costumes, which added to the fun. At the appointed hour, the organizers herded everyone to a nearby park, reviewed the rules and passed out a sheet of 11 clues and 1 photo challenge. 

We immediately used our phone-a-friend option and called our pal Eithne who was at home with her laptop. Between Eithne’s computer and a couple of smart phones we solved all our clues in short order. Then, Kesha secured her place as MVP by pulling out a DC map.  We spent a few extra minutes charting a course to take us to each clue’s destination with the least amount of wasted effort and we were off! 

Bring back any Muppet-y memories?

One clue took us to a statue that “was filmed and subsequently used in the opening title sequence of Sesame Street during the show’s 20^th season” (the huge sculpture of Albert Einstein on Constitution Ave.) where we secured a quick team photo.

Another clue took us to a park that “was originally the site of several natural springs. The government purchased the property and by 1832 had installed pipes to carry water to the White House.” This site turned out to be Franklin Square where we had to jump rope 5 times before continuing our journey.

All in all, we solved 11 clues, conned one very nice couple into re-enacting the famous WWII photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, completed several dares and covered more than 6 miles on foot (public transportation is allowed but no taxis or bikes).

We finished 3:17:59, which put us in 35^th place. We were pleased to be in the top third-ish (especially because we had a few potty breaks and stopped at the Air and Space Museum for some freeze-dried ice cream) but were amazed to learn that the winning team completed the challenge in 1:18:45.

Urban Dare has 4 more cities scheduled for 2012 and 23 already on the list for 2013. To see when Urban Dare is coming to a city near you, check out their Web site.

Drag Queen Brunch

Recently, several members of the League of Adventurous Women went into Washington, DC for an unusual meal. My friend, Joanne, captured the experience.

What could be better than a mimosa brunch on a rainy Sunday morning? A Drag Queen mimosa brunch of course. On a rainy Sunday morning in April, Joan, Keisha, Eithne, Mary, Dawn and Karen headed to Perry’s in Adams Morgan for the weekly Sunday Drag Queen Brunch.

The company was good, the food was tasty and the show was a hoot. 4 Queens performed a variety of numbers. One of the performers was an MC/comedian who was quite funny. The rest performed song and dance numbers while moving through the crowd posing for pictures. Bring some singles if you want your picture taken with any of the Queens although the bar will gladly make change.

There are 2 seatings and it’s not a very big place so it is a good idea to get in line early.

Monster Trucks

Advance Auto Parts Monster Truck Jam in DC's Verizon Center

Mike (my husband): So, did you and the girls enjoy the Monster Truck Jam?

Me: WHAT?

Mike: I said, how was the Monster Truck Jam?

Me: YES, WE MADE IT ON TIME.  IT WAS A LOT MORE FUN THAN I EXPECTED!

Mike: I get the impression it was loud?

Me: THERE WERE SIX ENORMOUS TRUCKS AND EACH ONE HAD TIRES TALLER THAN ME. ALL OF THEM HAD THEMES LIKE BATMAN OR MONSTER MUTT OR ILLUMINATOR -- ILLUMINATOR'S CAR LIT UP.

Mike: Can you hear me?

Me: THEY STARTED OUT WITH A WHEELIE COMPETITION AND ONE OF THEM ALMOST FLIPPED OVER -- IT WAS EXCITING! THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A FEW "RACES" THAT INCLUDED A JUMP. YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH AIR SOME OF THESE THINGS GET!

Mike: I guess we won't be going to a movie this evening.

Me: THE TRUCK JAM FINISHED WITH A FREE-STYLE COMPETITION.  IN BETWEEN, THEY HAD AN ATV RACE PITTING A MEN'S TEAM AGAINST A WOMEN'S TEAM, THEY ALSO HAD A "BATTLE" BETWEEN TRANSFORMER TRUCKS.  I'M TELLING YOU, IT WAS REALLY A LOT OF FUN!

Mike: Maybe I'll go with you next time.

Me: YOU SHOULD GO WITH US NEXT TIME. BUT WE'LL NEED TO TAKE EAR PLUGS. WE SAT IN THE HIGHEST SECTION OF THE ARENA AND IT WAS STILL SHOCKINGLY LOUD!

Advance Auto Parts Monster Truck Jam is coming to a city near you!  Click here for their schedule. 

Write for "Women's Adventure" Magazine

Women's Adventure magazine is looking for women to chronicle the highs and lows of learning a new sport or outdoor activity.  They're asking for volunteers so you'll be doing this for the love of writing and to pack yet another adventure into your life.  If you've dreamed of putting pen to paper for a national magazine this is a great opportunity. Email susan@womensadventuremagazine.com to share your experiences.

Road Trip! Baltimore's HONfest

January is the perfect time to plan your adventurous new year.  My friend, Joanne hopes you'll take a trip to Baltimore's HONfest.

HONfest is a quirky 2 day “Bawlmer” street festival where beehives, bouffants and fluffy bedroom slippers abound. HONfest is the celebration of Hons, which is short for honey.  It is a term of endearment for the working women of Baltimore.

Joanne visits the Glamour Lounge

It was a hot and sticky Sunday morning when Barb, Eithne, Karen, Joanne, Michaelle and Sheryl were heading to 36^th street in the Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore, also known as “the boulevard.” It is the site of the annual HONfest. Although the day threatened rain, the intrepid League of Adventurous Women was not deterred. 

We got there early and visited a few shops and stalls for Hon accessories and memorabilia. Pink boas and cats eye glasses were in abundance. Then it was on to the Glamour Lounge where we got our beehives and bouffants on. Now we were in the mood. HONfest is like a block party open to the public. We mingled with locals and visitors alike, listening to music, people watching and enjoying a local delicacy, crab cakes.

The culmination of the weekend’s festivities is the crowning of Miss Hon during Bawlmer’s Best Hon Contest. It’s a hoot, complete with housecoats, spandex, fluffy slippers, sponge rollers and anything that represents blue collar Baltimore.

After the crowning we ducked into a local bar to cool off. This place was nothing special, no ferns, table clothes or menus. It was strictly beer out of a bottle and cheap wine is a plastic cup. We played a few games of pool, mingled with other HONfest goers and agreed that the day was worth the drive.

We made it back to the car just as a torrential rain broke out. Everyone agreed it was worth the trek to Baltimore.  I highly recommend it. 

HONfest 2012 is scheduled for June 9 and 10 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ride a Unicycle

We've all had birthdays that marked a personal milestone. You know, one of those uncomfortable ages that cause one to reflect on life and wonder if it is going in the right direction.  CBS' Susan Spencer just achieved an "unmentionable birthday" and decided to celebrate by taking on a new challenge. Her present to herself? Learn to ride a unicycle! She was brave enough to record her effort and let it air on Sunday Morning.  Happy Birthday Susan!

Learn to Fly!

Joanne & Eithne 

I mentioned that my adventure group has been making the most of great deals from LivingSocial and Groupon. A few weeks ago, three of us spent $40 on a 1-hour flying experience that allowed us to pilot a little Cessna around our part of Maryland.  My friend, Eithne, captured the experience.

Eithne, Casey and the Cessna

“Getting away from it all” usually means taking a trip or vacation, but on August 7^th Michaelle, Joanne and I literally and figuratively got away--we took off, left the ground and went flying. I have flown around the world, from Ireland to Australia, to the US and back to Ireland but in the past I have relied on folks who knew what they were doing, they flew the plane. This time, we took off and for 30 minutes each we held the controls! We were lucky, the weather cooperated and we had a terrific instructor, Casey, who although he looked 12 years old, swore he was 24 and had over 800 flying hours behind him! In for a penny in for a pound!

After about 30 minutes of “ground” instruction we were off. I went first - it was truly amazing, we were 2,000 feet above ground, close enough to see houses, cars driving by, swimming pools, and even people – for miles! As Joanne said “I can see why people get hooked.” It was also a little surreal to know that this plane was truly in our hands, we were flying! In the DC metropolitan area flight preparations are unique, because we are sandwiched between the White House and Camp David. We learned that filing an accurate flight plan is crucial, adhering to it even more crucial. Casey kept us on the straight and narrow and also ensured we stayed far away from other planes! Smaller airports do not have a control tower so navigating in the sky is dependent on the pilot being in constant communication with fellow pilots. Casey spoke to several during our 90 minute flight primarily to negotiate landing order. Suddenly, planes we could not see would appear from the clouds and land ahead of us, just as they had planned during their radio communication, it was remarkable!

In the pilot's seat

I flew from Montgomery Airpark landed in Frederick, Michaelle flew from Frederick to Carroll County and Joanne flew the home leg. Thankfully, Casey landed for all three of us and we were once again on terra firma. The next day in work, as usual, we talked about what we did over the weekend there were a few raised eyebrows when for the first time in my life but hopefully not the last I said, “I flew a plane, how about you?”

One note of congratulations to our flight instructor, Casey. He's the NFL's new Sunday-night aerial man. Next time you see an eagle's view of the stadium, you'll know who's piloting that plane!

Watch Eithne take to the skies in this video:

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: Final Entry

Taking a well-earned break

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has  spent a chunk of the summer on a new project and a new training journal.  This is her final post about her 1,000-mile challenge.

My original goal was to move 1000 miles and lose 10 pounds by Labor Day. So, how did I do? Well, as of Labor Day, I had moved 533 miles, and I lost two pounds. By some measures, you would say that I hadn’t done very well at attaining my goal, and on some days I would agree. However, I’m trying to look at the more positive side of things. When I set the goal, I didn’t even know if 1000 miles was possible, and I didn’t gain any weight.

If I had confined my activity to biking, I might have made my goal. Instead I biked, hiked, canoed/kayaked, and even swam twice. I’m still tracking my distance to see how long it takes me to hit 1000 miles. Now, I’m at 606 miles. I’ve biked 419 miles, I’ve walked/hiked/backpacked 126 miles, and I’ve canoed/kayaked/swam 61 miles. I’ve covered some ground.

Here are a few of the things I’ve done this summer to help me get towards my goal.

• I hiked 10+ miles in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.  It was a lovely day with a walk past more than four alpine lakes, and over a pass into a beautiful, glaciated valley.
• I went on a couple of great kayaking trips on Flathead Lake.  One was to some pictographs only accessible by water, and the other was to some islands we had never been to before.
• I counted my floats down the Clark Fork River in inner tubes—a summer tradition in Missoula. On a hot day, people float through town on the river on inner tubes, drinking adult beverages. It’s a very relaxing summer time activity.
• I went on a backpacking trip to Trask Lakes in the Flint Creek Range.  I hadn’t taken a backpacking trip in more than five years, but managed to make it six miles into this alpine basin where hardly anyone goes.

 Looking ahead, I’m doing the Tour de Cure next weekend, but I don’t have any other major expedition plans. I don’t think I’ll get to 1000 miles until the end of October, but I’ll keep trying. As to the weight thing, I think I’ll have to address that in another post later.

Anne

skydiving: It's nothing but "Wow!"

Thank goodness for discount deal sites like LivingSocial and Groupon. Without them, I wouldn't have had the time of my life last Sunday strapped to a barefoot stranger and falling to earth at 120 mph.

Katy & Joanne

Four members of my adventure group, Joanne, Katy, Sheryl and I, purchased a great LivingSocial deal for a tandem skydive and we were beyond excited! We booked our dive date and headed out to Warrenton Air Park in the Virginia countryside.  At least Joanne, Katy and I did. It turns out tandem skydiving is wildly popular and by the time Sheryl tried to make a reservation, they were booked solid for another month.

But back to our trip, Katy drove for about an hour and a half while I did a terrible job of navigating. Happily, we eventually found our tiny airport and were a little surprised to discover the grass runway, spraypainted directional signs and a pack of canine greeters.

My surprise was rooted in my past experiences. I'll admit right now that I have never been skydiving and I don't know anyone else who has. My expectations were totally formed by TV and movies and included harnessed soldiers packed into the belly of a big plane, instructors yelling "Go! Go! Go!" and dozens of circular parachutes drifting down over WWII France.  It wasn't like the Army. Not even a little bit. My experience was very laid back, more like camp counselors at 10,000 feet.

While the airport and staff were exceptionally casual, the legal waiver was by far the most intimidating we had ever seen.  Once it was signed and initialed in 24 places (really) AND once I'd paid an additional $85 for a video (more than worth it!) we were ready for harnesses and a few minutes of instruction. My instructor, Chris, was wearing shorts, T-shirt and a wrist cam but nothing below the knee. I suspect he enjoyed the feeling of wind between his toes. Finally, Joanne, two instructors and I squeezed into a little plane stripped of everything but a pilot and we were off. (Katy shared a plane with a kid celebrating his 21st birthday.) During our two-mile ascent, Chris, rechecked the gear, hooked our harnesses together and reviewed the dive procedure:

• pay attention,
• when leaving the plane, grip the front of the harness and ARCH YOUR BACK,
• let your feet go back toward your posterior,
• maintain this position until you feel 3 taps on your shoulder then arms out and enjoy 5,000 feet of free fall at 120 mph.

Free fall.  Honestly, I was not worried. Maybe it was because I had no responsibilities, maybe it was because I had complete confidence in my instructor, maybe it was because I'm not afraid of heights (though I was nervous on that 25 foot trapeze platform). Nope, not worried at all HOWEVER those first 10 seconds were crazy! As Chris opened the little door to my left, the wind and noise smacked me in the face. Then, suddenly there was nothing around us but air. The plane was leaving and we were alone in the sky accelerating, face first, toward the ground. I wasn't expecting noise but the wind in my ears made it impossible to communicate. I was so distracted by... well...everything that I missed Chris' signal to let go of the harness and put my hands out. I have no idea if I was arching or not but suddenly the parachute was up, we slowed from 120 mph to 40mph and it got quieter.  Chris "let me steer" then asked if I like roller coasters. He pulled on the right cord and we went into a rapid spiral. Lord, it was fun! We chatted for a few minutes then suddenly we were sitting on the runway right in front of the crowd filling out their waivers.

Katy's flight

I've posted my video below so you can get a sense of the experience.  If you're into heights and speed, this adventure is a winner!  Thanks, Kesha, for being our on-the-ground photographer.

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: Bruised, battered, and behind

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has a new project and a new training journal.  She'll be writing regular posts about her 1,000-mile challenge.

Scenic view of the North Fork of the Flathead

I truly meant to write a post a couple of weeks ago, but I have been in recovery mode from a river trip at the end of July.  So far on my goal of moving 1000 miles and losing 10 pounds by labor day, I have moved 350 miles and lost one pound.

An Update on my journey

As expected, the weight loss has been elusive. I’ve already started reading headlines on the tabloids in the check out line at the grocery—lose 10 pounds in 10 days. My brain knows this doesn’t work, but it sure would be nice if there was a magic way to lose weight.  I am eating more vegetables, less cheese, and drinking a lot less.  I’m still hoping to see some results.

On the movement end, one of our planned summer activities was a river float trip.  My husband, Eric, and I been planning to go with some friends that have a raft and two young children.  We planned to take our canoe, knowing that we have a lot of canoe experience, and we work together well as a team. We decided to float the North Fork of the Flathead River. This beautiful river flows on the Westside of Glacier National Park.  Most of the time, the beautiful mountain crest of Glacier is visible, and there’s always the possibility of seeing moose, black bears, and even grizzlies. 

Me in the front of the canoe

For our expedition, we put our boats on the river at the Canadian border. Since this was the first multi-day float trip for all of us, it took some time to load the boats.  We didn’t actually get on the water until two in the afternoon. We paddled for a couple of hours before calling it a night at a primitive (no toilets or water) campsite. We wanted to rest up before the only real rapids on the trip—upper and lower Kintla Rapids. Both are rated Class II. The water is still really high this year. The flow on the North Fork is setting a record this year. Eric also tried to cover up the front part of the canoe because we were having to bail all the time.  We were carrying about 400 pounds of gear so the canoe was riding low.

On the second day we set out and the canoe was doing better at keeping the water out of my lap in the front of the boat.  After a couple of miles we got to the rapids. We set up nicely, straight down the middle. The waves didn’t look too high, but appearance from a distance can be deceiving.  We swamped. We had so much water in the canoe that only a couple of inches of the gunnels were above water.  We went into shore to bail and regroup before the next waves. We got out of the canoe while the water was still raging. Eric had no problems finding his footing, but somehow, I ended up being swept away and farther down the river. Judging from the bruises on the right side of my body, I hit a lot of rocks before I was able to get to shore again. 

Ellie and our homemade decking to keep the water out

After bailing the canoe and assessing our situation, we were missing one dry bag, a GPS, and not much else.  We looked down the river; there was one more small rapid to run.  We decided to take a conservative line that was going to require some hard paddling. Our friends in the raft went ahead. They had no trouble.  However, we did.  When we tried to cross the river to avoid a big wave, we tipped completely over. This time I was able to stay with the boat. So was Eric. We floated down the river about a mile, holding on to the upside-down canoe, before our friends were able to pull us in.  Needless to say, I wasn’t overjoyed about spending the rest of the day in the canoe. So we switched out with the people on the raft. Our friend Jody went into the canoe with Eric, and I rode in the raft with his wife Casey and their two kids. 

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. The third day I was in the canoe and had a great time. We learned a lot on this trip—always wear your life jacket and I don’t like whitewater canoeing. 

Anne

Anne's 1000 Mile Challenge: 967 Miles and 10 Pounds to Go

Outdoor Contributor, Anne, has a new project and a new training journal.  She'll be writing regular posts about her 1000-mile challenge:

A few of my modes of travel: sea kayak, bike, swimsuit, running shoes, and hiking shoes

I'm very goal oriented.  If I set a goal that I care about, I usually hit it.  Losing weight is not a goal I've been able to do very well.  I can try to blame it on menopause, but I think I just eat too much. Anyway, this last week I decided I had to get serious about losing a few pounds.  I have another reason to care--at my most recent check up in March, my cholesterol was higher that it should be. I'm getting it re-checked in September, and I want it to go down by then.

The first half of my new goal is to lose 10 pounds by Labor Day.

But wait, there's more.  There was a challenge posted on the Weight Watchers website: lose 10 pounds by Labor Day, and move 100 miles.  I looked at that and said, "but I can go 100 miles in a week if I include biking. I need something more serious." So I decided that I needed to move 1,000 miles by Labor Day.  The only thing that counts is self-propelled travel.  I will bike, hike, walk, paddle, swim, or pogo-stick 1000 miles by Labor Day. I started this week, and I've done a measly 33 miles so far.  

When I told my husband, Eric, my plan, he suggested that I was crazy.  He said that there are only 9 weeks until Labor Day, and then he proceeded to do the math.  I need to do approximately 110 miles per week.  Well, it's not a challenge if it's easy.  

I'll post my progress and talk about the obstacles that come my way.  I’m going to keep track of all my miles, and I will keep track of what I eat on the Weight Watchers online site. There might even be a few funny stories--probably at my expense.

Anne

PS. I liked the headline even though a week has gone by since I wrote it.  Now, I only have 884 miles to go, but I’ve gained a pound (yikes).  Today, I hiked three miles with my dogs.

Some of my travel companions

Be the Dragon: join a dragon boat team

Dragon Boat  Photo credit: Morgan Crawford

Q: What traditional Chinese festival takes place on the 5^th day of the 5^th lunar month?

A: The Dragon Boat Festival, and if you start now, you and 21 of your closest friends can be part of something really exciting!

A couple of years ago, some friends and I discovered the DC Dragon Boat Festival – a weekend when the Potomac River fills with colorful 22-person canoes complete with scales and fierce dragon heads.  Why are floating dragons in Washington? They’re looking for blood because this festival is a two-day, high speed, competitive regatta. Naturally, we wanted to be part of the action.

Fortunately for my adventure club, Dragon Boat Festivals are open to community groups as well as corporate and “competition” (i.e serious) teams. When we realized we'd need  25-ish people on our roster (paddlers and alternates) we decided to look beyond the usual adventurous women. We coerced our families and begged our friends until we had enough to form our own team:  “We Be Draggin’.” With half of the crew topping the 50-year mark and the other half covering the span between 12 and 49, “We Be Draggin’” was a motley band and we took to the water like a penguin takes to flight.  But there’s a nice ending to this story so don’t think that age or talent should keep you from jumping into a dragon-headed canoe of your own. (Yes, I’m sure there is a Dragon Boat Festival near you!)

We Be Draggin' after practice

Registration for the DC festival was fast and furious and we were on the waiting list for weeks before making the final roster. Once official though, we were able to sign up for three 1-hour training sessions with an experienced paddler.  (Clearly, this isn't a huge time commitment.)

Practice one:  It was cold. We struggled into our grungy, public-use life vests as a toned team of kids in matching Under Armour and professional paddles ignored us.  Training involved:

Water safety (what to do if you fall out of your boat)

Paddling technique (it’s a full-body experience)

Paddling in unison (harder than you think)

Paddling speed (starting off, race pace, SPRINT!)


Practice two: it was warmer. Our trainer told us we were improving...a bit

Practice three: Initially, our trainer yelled instructions, helped us set the pace and kept us in sync.  By our third session, however, that job fell to the drummer.

The drummer is perched on a tiny “seat” in the bow of the boat (see top photo). She faces the paddlers as well as the steerer who stands in the stern. If the drummer is good, her efforts get the boat off the starting line quickly, establish an efficient race pace, and then inspire the team to a sprint finish. If the race doesn't go well, everyone knows whom to blame.

Festival Day: I was the drummer for our first official race and I was...um...not good.  This proved to be a mixed blessing. Our poor showing in the first heat meant we were placed in one of the lower (slower) divisions. Our second drummer, Eithne, realized that the elderly folk in our boat only had one good burst of speed and decided to forgo the warm up sprints. She also decided that we couldn’t paddle in unison AND change pace so she adopted the “sprint from beginning to end” strategy -- which worked!  We won our next two races and moved into the finals.

We Be Draggin' preparing for finals
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Final race: Most teams prepped for finals by working on timing and technique with dry-land drills. We Be Draggin's strengths lay in other areas so we concentrated on storing energy.

As our final race approached, Eithne settled into her drum seat and beat a steady, don't-hurt-yourself pace to get our boat into starting position. The wind over the Potomac calmed and the waves lulled our dragon into thinking we were out of contention. But as soon as the starting gun fired, the combined energy of our frenzied drummer and her crew rocketed us into the river, kept us neck and neck with the two high school teams to our right and left and finally allowed us to inch into the lead.  In the end, We Be Draggin' went home with gold (in the D division).

It was a very good day.

We Be Draggin' takes the lead in the final race    Photo credit: B. Mulvihill

To read a little more about the history of the Dragon Boat Festival, click here.

Check out these resources to find a Dragon Boat Festival near you.  You're just in time to get ready for the 2011 season!

Boston

Colorado

Los Angeles

Nova Scotia

Philadelphia

Texas

The American Dragon Boat Association

The International Dragon Boat Federation

Worldwide Dragon Boat Calendar