Montana Jones

From the Spokane Half Marathon

• The best way to see a new city is to run a marathon in it. (Half marathons are good too.) Spokane, I salute your beautiful city.
• I swear, the next race I run I will train for the last miles as much as I train for the first miles. (I think I told myself this after my last race too.)
• Do not fear the hills.
• It takes about a quarter mile to go from cold and underdressed to hot and overdressed.
• Hey race organizers; how about taking a ten cent piece of chalk and drawing a line on the sidewalk where the finish line is. Do the same for the starting line too. And get a gun or honk a horn or make some sort of loud noise to indicate the start of the race.
• More volunteers stationed in the last third of the course please. More cheering spectators would be good too. It's lonely near the end.
• It sucks when your watch battery dies at the starting line.
• Not knowing the time did not really affect my pace.
• Not knowing the time gives me less to think about while running.
• Who in their right mind thinks that watermelon is a good flavor for a sports drink? Are your really trying to make me barf mid race?
• In the latter portion of the race I asked all the volunteers I passed if I was winning. Some of them said yes, some of them said no, I don't think any of them found the question as amusing as I did.
• Some people run funny. How is it possible to move forward at a run while holding your knees together and throwing your feet out to the side? Also, dude, don't shuffle your feet. Pick your foot all the way up off the ground and then put the heel down first and roll across the ball of your foot and launch with your toe.
• I finished this half marathon in half the time of my last marathon back in 2003. Not bad for being under trained and having a nasty cold.
• Sorry girl right behind me at the finish line, but there was no way I was going to let you pass me in the last 100 yards of a race.
• Extra special thanks to the girl at the race start that directed us to the empty public toilet just out of sight from the hundred person long line for the port-a-johns.
• The next day I had almost no pain at all. That is good clean living right there.
• If you are ever passing through Coeur d'Alene, Hudson's is the best damn hamburger joint anywhere.

Labels: Coeur d'Alene, half marathon, hamburger, list, marathon, race, run, running, Spokane, time, training

Observed in Hungry Horse on the Fourth of July

• This year the observers were segregated to one side of the street and the participants were on the other.
• At least one family set up their lawn chairs a full three quarters of a mile up the highway, well out of range.
• I saw two teenagers duck, cover and crawl into the fetal position when they realized they were too close to their explosives.
• At least one group found it more entertaining to launch their fireworks horizontally.
• In the half hour I was there, I saw two explosives go off in the middle of the highway between the passing cars.
• The alert helicopter was spotted in the Martin City area.
• One dude with a beer and a mullet was overheard instructing his wife and age seven-ish son: "Are you crazy? That there is a mortar shell, you need to fire it farther back. Put it near those people."

Labels: explosives, fireworks, fourth of July, Hungry Horse, list

Pre Hike Checklist

Clothing to wear:

• Base layer socks
• Sturdy hiking socks
• Underpants
• Shorts
• Synthetic, wicking fabric shirt
• Denim or flannel shirt
• Boots
• Bandana
• Hat

Clothing to pack:

• Long pants
• Cotton tee shirt (or two)
• Fleece or warm jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Extra socks
• Extra underpants on multiple night adventures.
• Gloves. (Type dependant on season and work to be done.)
• Spare bandana

Gear to pack:

• First aid kit
• Sports tape
• Flashlight
• Bug dope
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss
• Water bottles
• Food

Utility Belt:

• Bear spray
• Camera
• Binoculars
• Spare battery
• Leatherman

Tools:
(depending on the work to be done)

• N100 dust mask. (Hantavirus protection)
• Keys
• Phone
• Radio
• Screwdrivers
• Voltmeter
• Notebook & pencil

Labels: boots, camera, checklist, clothes, gear, hike, hiking, list, lists, pack, tools, trail, work

Things I have learned volunteering at the food bank

• You can usually get a little more if you just ask.
• You can also get toothpaste, soap, diapers, deodorant, tampons and other stuff. But you have to ask.
• Muffins tend to be more popular than doughnuts.
• It feels good to give someone something extra that they did not ask for.
• It is easier to give and to receive when you smile, are courteous, friendly and say thank you.
• Most of the volunteers are retirees that need something to do, teenagers, or people that have used the food bank and want to give back.
• In general, rich people tend to donate money, poor people give time and money, and middle class people donate food.
• Some people have no qualms about donating food that they would not eat themselves.
• I was surprised at how much meat is given out and how little rice and potatoes.
• There is little to no effort put into choosing healthy foods. At the food bank edible is more important than healthy.
• It is frightening how many people don't understand that dented canned goods can be dangerous.
• It would be political suicide for the health department to audit the food bank. They don't go near the place.
• The food bank is very clean anyway. Volunteers are constantly cleaning, raw foods are handled with gloves and there is easy access to hand sanitizer everywhere.
• People with new and expensive clothing do use the food bank, but I have never seen the same person twice. People with worn and cheap clothing are the repeat customers.
• Creating more rules and regulations with the intent to deter people abusing the system will stop some of the abuse. It will also stop some of the people that need help.
• People that think the world owes them something are more likely to need a handout.
• Some of the people that think the world owes them something don't need the handout, but they take it anyway.

Labels: charity, donation, food, food bank, health, learning, list, observations, volunteer

June rituals

• Waterproof my boots and hiking hat with mink oil.
• Tune up and change the oil in my car.
• Stock the pantry with convenience foods.
• Put new batteries in all my flashlights.
• Inventory my first aid kit.
• Make a new mix CD for the car.
• Buy new socks.
• Trim my hair down really close.
• Stock my car with a change of clothes, extra tee shirts and underpants, hand towel, toothbrush, deodorant and sleeping bag.
• Make backup disks of all computers.

Labels: June, list, ritual