I like 20 things because unlike the 101in1001 you get a little more time to complete each task; the 101in 1001 is like something every ten days if you think about it, while the 20×2020 is less than two things a month. I like this because I’m already halfway through 2019. I also winds up being less of a long list, which I think made me add stuff I wasn’t really interested in just to fill out the list. I tried to come up with 101 things I wanted to do, and I honestly couldn’t. You’ll note that I didn’t even come up with 20 for this list, which is fine because it’s okay to add on to the list (and seriously, it’s almost July, I’m a little behind here).

The 101in1001 is not a bucket list, and neither is this. It’s just 20 fitness things I’d like to get done this year. Not even sure what I’d put on my bucket list at this point.

20×2020

in no particular order:

1. Finish my Yoga Teacher Training
2. Finish my PT certification
3. Finish my Nutrition certification
4. Take a Total Immersion Clinic (rotator cuff willing)
5. Take The Roll Model Method workshops (registered!)
6. Finish couch to 5K
7. work up to 6K
8. Run a <30 min 5K (December run)
9. run 5K comfortably at the Open Space Preserve (trail run)
10. Bike the Marin Century (metric)
11. Bike the Tour de Menlo
12. Bike the Granfondo
13. Handstand (rotator cuff willing)
14. Create a climbing plan and
15. Stick to climbing plan
16. Really document my journey so I can see where I’m going
17. Make my “best me” weight (T-minus 5 lbs!)
18. Sign up for a triathlon in 2020
19. Bellydance
20. .
21. .

20×2021

Aaand since I’m already thinking ahead, here’s the rough draft of 20×2021 (aka my goals for 2020):

1. RYT300 training?
2. Do a triathlon? Wildflower is Back!
3. Half marathon?
4. Bike the Tierra Bella
5. Bike the Marin Century (metric)
6. Bike the Tour de Menlo
7. Bike the Granfondo
8. More workshops!

I’ll be revisiting this soon. If you’d like to join in, let me know so I can cheer you on!

• Six weeks
• pick something from each category (Food, Fitness, Care) to track

Food

Pick a way to track your food. I like “my fitness pal” and/or “lose it” for the iPhone. Start tracking. 

Every article I’ve read says being aware of what and how much you eat is the best way to make changes that will benefit your health. 

So let’s start tracking!

Fitness

Pick something you want to do. Is it walking? A couch to 5K? Going to a yoga class? Pick something, schedule it, and do it every week.

Care

Take care of yourself. Drink enough water, protect yourself from the sun, stretch. Pick a goal for the week, write it down, and do it.

See you with my update next week.

Who play’s ultimate?

For the most part the people who play ultimate are pretty cool. Many games always need one or two extra players so that they can have two full terms of seven with a few extra subs so people can rest, and most of those people are just happy to introduce you to the thing they love doing. The game I play at has so many levels of play and is really so laid back that about half of the time we aren’t even keeping score. Also keep in mind the concept that sets ultimate apart, which is “The Spirit of the Game” and encourages everyone to essentially not be a jerk. That being said, there are many different levels of play and many different attitudes, but I do think a sincere effort to understand is always rewarded. I would think that the person who invited you to play sincerely wants you to enjoy the game, so they won’t be inviting someone who doesn’t know how to play to one of the more competitive games anyway.

Men and women play against each other in ultimate. Many women prefer to play against another woman for height and weight reasons, but there are many reasons a woman might prefer to mark up against a man. Its ok to ask the woman who she’d like to cover but in many cases she’s already put herself across from who she’d like to cover.

What will I need?

Whatever you’d wear to work out in is fine for ultimate. Both a black AND a white shirt so you can be on either team, a pair of shorts, running shoes, etc. If you have a pair of cleats, bring them. If you don’t perhaps you will want a pair after a few games.

Sunglasses, a sun visor, and a water bottle are a good idea to bring, too.

Where do these crazy people play?

Games usually are played at a local park on grass. The game will often rotate between a few fields to keep from tearing up the grass, so check the website or mailing list or with whoever invited you to confirm which field they might be playing at. During the winter months they may play at an artificial turf field. Check out websites pickup ultimateif you are looking for a game. Most games will have a mailing list and maybe a website where you can get more information.

When?

Most of the games I know about are played during lunch hour, but some are played after work or on the weekends. Expect people to be out there for 1-2 hours for one to three games, but you can play a few points or just hang out and watch. If you show up early for a game people will be warming up the various types of throws and most will be happy to help you figure that part out, and will happily answer any questions you might have.

Why?

Running around and playing in the sunshine is really fun and a great workout. Playing in the rain is pretty cool, too. Challenging yourself and learning new skills is fun and rewarding. And you get to meet people.

How?

I found this article below that will help with understanding how the game is played.

Ultimate in Ten Simple Rules

1. The Field — A rectangular shape with endzones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards by 40 yards, with endzones 25 yards deep.
2. Initiate Play — Each point begins with both teams lining up on the front of their respective endzone line. The defense throws (“pulls”) the disc to the offense. A regulation game has seven players per team.
3. Scoring — Each time the offense completes a pass in the defense’s endzone, the offense scores a point. Play is initiated after each score.
4. Movement of the Disc — The disc may be advanced in any direction by completing a pass to a teammate. Players may not run with the disc. The person with the disc (“thrower”) has ten seconds to throw the disc. The defender guarding the thrower (“marker”) counts out the stall count.
5. Change of possession — When a pass in not completed (e.g. out of bounds, drop, block, interception), the defense immediately takes possession of the disc and becomes the offense.
6. Substitutions — Players not in the game may replace players in the game after a score and during an injury timeout.
7. Non-contact — No physical contact is allowed between players. Picks and screens are also prohibited. A foul occurs when contact is made.
8. Fouls — When a player initiates contact on another player a foul occurs. When a foul disrupts possession, the play resumes as if the possession was retained. If the player committing the foul disagrees with the foul call, the play is redone.
9. Self-Refereeing — Players are responsible for their own foul and line calls. Players resolve their own disputes.
10. Spirit of the Game — Ultimate stresses sportsmanship and fair play. Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play.

– Steve Courlang and Neal Dambra
Copyright (c) Ultimate Players Association, 1993

Appeared in old blog January 13, 2016

If you like road bikes and enjoy watching short videos to learn things, the guys at the Global Cycling Network or GCN (they have a Facebook page and a youtube channel) are hilarious and provide a lot of useful information. The video that inspired me was their “Five Minute Bike Wash.” One of the other Facebook feeds I read offered up Art’s Cyclery’s Bike wash with minimal water, and then there is the GCN “How to clean your bike like a pro” video. I just found the GCN “The 30 Minute Bike Wash” video as I was finishing writing this post, too.

Armed with this information, I hunted through the garage to see what supplies we had (links go to product listing on amazon):

• Bike Stand*
• Finish Line Super Bike Wash*
• Brush Set *
• Gear Cleaning Brush*
• Grunge Brush*
• Speedplay cleat lubricant*
• white rags*
• buckets*

I also discovered that I had an extra equine grooming tote in the same shade of blue as our bike stand, so I cleaned that up and put it in service. So what did I still need? I went to my LBS (Local Bike Shop) and started asking questions. Boy are those some patient people. Anyway, one kind soul showed me how to clean my chain (without getting your hand stuck in the bike) and how to oil the moving components on my drive train: front and rear derailleur, and brake calipers (I think that’s the right word). As usual I bought more than I needed, and I wound up with (in addition to above):

• Chain Cleaner
• Pedro’s Oranj Peelz Degreaser
• Finish Line Citrus Degreaser Bicycle Degreaser*
• Pedro’s Bike Wash
• ProGold ProLink Chain Lube*
• Tri-Flow TF0021060 Superior Lubricant*
• red shop rags (to get greasy)*
• Giant Car Wash Sponge (huge and fluffy)*
• heavy sponge*
• some dish soap*

It took probably 45 minutes to wash the bike the first time, and maybe 30 minutes the second time. At this rate I may one day be able to get it done in a reasonable amount of time. So after two washes, this is what I think needs to be part of the kit:

• A hat in case it’s sunny (I got a sunburn this last time)
• This nifty One-Hand Pressure Sprayer that we use to wash dishes when we go camping
• A beer

So after your bike ride you should open the beer and take a swig. Then put your bike on the stand and spray it down with the bike wash. I put like a quart of water in a bucket with a drop of dish soap in it, then pour some degreaser in an old cheese container and start scrubbing at the rear cassette with the brush that looks like a toothbrush. Clean the chain next (pedal backward so the tire can’t crush your fingers, duh). Then I wipe the bike down with the slightly soapy water and car wash sponge. Use the ugly sponge to soap off the cassette. I use a stiff brush to scrub my whitewalls after I’ve taken off the wheels to get in and clean the wheel wells. Then I used the spray thingy to mist off the bike and wiped it down. Make sure to clean all of the degreaser off the chain and cassette. After that I oiled the chain, removing the excess with the red rag, and all of the moving parts of the drive train and brakes. If you don’t have a spray thingy for your water and you share my paranoia with getting your bike wet, I’d suggest getting sprayer for your hose that has a “mist” setting. I have a tendency to accidentally get everything in the range of being squirted wet, including myself, so the squirty thing is a good option for me. Also if you have to wash the bike on your patio or inside the garage it’s pretty useful. [or use a bucket of clean water, like the 30 minute video suggests.]

Anyway, that’s what I’ve learned about bathing the bike. It looks pretty good now. I’m going to go finish my beer now.  Cheers!

* I put asterisk after all of the products I actually used.

Here is a picture of Rob and the bikes at the top of the parking garage across from the new 49ers stadium. The new 49ers stadium is on a loop we bike near out house.

Anyway, I have a beautiful purple 2013 Trek Domane 5.2. Rob got a red one. It’s got ultegra components (that’s fancy, btw), it weighs like 19 lbs with all of it’s stuff on it, and she and I (yes, my bike is a “she”) have been over 2500 miles in the last 16 months together. How do I know how far I’ve gone? I’m a huge fan of my Garmin 810 and both ridewithgps.com and strava.com. I’ve got a post or two about the garmin and the websites in the works.

I did the Wildflower Olympic distance Triathlon this past May (which I hope to do again in 2015!) on the bike. I have a three-part post in the works to cover my triathlon experience. We did the Western Wheeler LDT series which included a 72 mile ride around my hometown of Paso Robles. We also completed the 72 miles/7200 feet of climb Sequoia Century back in June. We hope to complete the 103 mile Gran course at Levi’s Granfondo October 5th in Santa Rosa. I have posts planned to talk a little more about these things.

This bike has been a great investment in my health and life. I do love to ride my bicycle, yes I love to ride me bike.

I have a very specific memory of a conversation I had with a very fit friend some time last spring (2012). This conversation was regarding diets and weight and fitness, and I recall saying something like “I wouldn’t give up eating to look like you, but I would give up some time to look like you.” I recall thinking to myself that yes, I do have the luxury of time to devote to this project: I don’t have a job, and my life is pretty much what I want it to be. About the same time Whisper foundered and was confined to stall rest. I’d been running up in the hills a few days a week, and I started to do yoga somewhat regularly. When Whisper reached the recuperation stage, I started hand-walking him every day. I’d go on what for me was a good run, then I’d walk with Whisper for a few miles afterward.

In August a friend invited me out to his ultimate frisbee game. I think the ultimate was a big turning point in my running and fitness. The quick sprints and the resting made raising my heart rate fun! I’m a pretty mediocre ultimate player, but I get out and do it, and sometimes I even practice on the weekends. It’s a “pickup” ultimate game, which means you just show up and play, no formal teams or anything. A few weeks ago I had to borrow another players dark jersey thing so we could even out the teams. I think I’m rocking the 80’s look here:

borrowed jersey for ultimate game.

All of this exercise lead to my March achievement of a weight I had not weighed since about 1995. I’ve been in the range of my all-time lowest weight a few times since then, but back in March Monty dumped me and I fell hard on my hip. It’s taken four months for my left thigh to stop hurting when I run around. I’m sure that my new leg strength is in part thanks to the 400 or so miles I have logged on my fancy new TREK Domane 5.2. Rob and I got eachother fancy road bikes for our five year anniversary.

Last week I was able to sprint without pain. I’ve gained a couple of pounds while recuperating. I guess it’s time to get serious again.

The fitness course I saw down by the park is a “fitcore” course and has [I think] only four stations incorporating 8 exercises. It’s fun, but not exactly the adventure I was looking for. The other day we drove a back way over to the Hobee’s on Montague Expressway, which goes past an older business park. I think we’d actually been by there a few times, but this last time I realized that there was a Parcourse surrounding the building!

I should probably explain what a Parcourse is. It’s the brand-name for a type of fitness trail that incorporates a series of stations (14 in this case) on a track that you run through (I think it’s about 1.5 miles). The stations include activities like jumping jacks, push-ups, leg lifts, balance beams, etc. They were big in the 1970’s and most, like this one, are in disrepair.

We left our apartment around 9 pm (it was quite hot yesterday) and jogged over to the office park. In the dark, we jogged the course, dimly lit by street lamps. It was like solving a mystery to be jogging along, then come across a station and figure out what we were supposed to do. A few station no longer had their signs, and two of them I am uncertain what were were supposed to be doing. I’ll bring a camera next time and ask my readers what they think. I used my new Garmin 405, but I haven’t installed the software to download the workout, and I think I might not have hit the button to have the workout recorded. Oh well. I did record that it was about 2.5 miles from door to door and we were out 58 minutes.

I’m glad we went out and checked it out! I haven’t been active lately due to stress (diabetic cat, wedding, car accident). I’ve started going to chiropractic, and this course ws a great re-introduction to getting my ass off the couch!

About Parcourse:

The first U.S. Parcourse appeared in 1973 when a Bay Area real estate developer named Peter Stocker, who had seen similar installations in Europe, bolted one together in San Francisco’s Mountain Lake Park with hand-routed wooden signs. Then, around 1979, the company got a major boost when Perrier, introducing bottled mineral water to the United States and seeking to align itself with the nascent fitness boom, began financing courses (about 200 in all) in busy public locations.

At the trend’s mid-1980s peak, close to 4,500 Parcourses studded the land, along with hundreds of knockoffs sold by rival firms. There were Aqua Parcourses for swimming-pool sessions, “joint-use” Parcourses for disabled people, indoor Parcourses, cruise-ship Parcourses, and dozens of corporate-sponsored employee Parcourses, not only in the United States but in more than 25 countries the world over. These days, many have gone the way of Hacky Sacks and A Flock of Seagulls. “The courses are relics now,” says a wistful Richard Cunningham, former owner of equipment-maker Parcourse Ltd. “But there was a time when you could stand on a corner in Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara, and see four different Parcourse facilities. It was a boom time. There were probably a hundred of them in San Jose. I bet you’d have a hard time finding a dozen of them now.” Outside Magazine May, 2005.

Extra link: Parcourse retailer