Wednesday, October 21, 2009

My first, but definitely not my last sheep hunt!


Opening morning, 10-15-2009. Mt. Jefferson, Nv. 10,700' 155 7/8" Net. 9 years old. This was undoubtedly the most physically demanding hunt I've ever done. I set up camp on the summit on Monday, got snowed & blown off on Tuesday, returned on Wednesday. I shot this ram on Thursday morning at 1200 noon. We made it back to camp, only 6 miles away at 8:30pm with the sheep on our backs. Took us an additional 3.5 hours the next morning to get down to the trucks, which were only about 4 miles away. I Learned a lot from this hunt, especially in the department of challenging myself. I felt what it is like to push yourself further than you think you can go, learned what real dehydration is, and learned that your mind can override your failing body. Before this hunt I wondered if I could ever complete a 50 mile race, now I know the answer.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Great Quote

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward yourcoveted goal." -- Napoleon Hill author of 1936 classic Think andGrow Rich

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Running Hurts

I was having a conversation with a co-worker about his recent leap into the pool of jogging. He was complaining about how the ball of his foot hurt after he ran. He questioned me about my feet and if I suffer from pain following a run too. We chatted about the probable cause for a while and I came to a conclusion. I looked at him and said, “running hurts.” Sometimes it hurts while you are in the midst of the act, sometimes immediately after, and most often for me, the next morning.

After my first marathon I rubbed my nipples raw from wearing a loose, heavy cotton shirt. The pain was nearly unbearable when I got in the shower and the salty sweat ran over them. I’ve suffered from lower back pain that sent me to my family practitioner, a physical therapist, a couple’s yoga class and hours searching the net for similar complaints and home remedies. I routinely place medicated powder in an area that, well lets say it’s not an easy place to put medicated powder onto; in an attempt to cool the fiery chafe.

Why do we do this? I even questioned myself for a minute thinking about the powder application. As our conversation about jogging waned, I told him that a knee replacement is better than a triple bypass. He agreed, chuckled and walked away. Truth is, I don’t want easy. Sure, when it comes to programming the TV, updating the ipod, drive up oil changes you bet. In this age of automation I don’t want to forget what its like to challenge myself. I don’t want to become soft and complain when the escalator is down and I have to take the stairs. I don’t want my son or daughter to have ‘that dad’ who can’t join them in whatever activity they are interested in. I can’t stop a receding hair line, can’t avoid the wrinkles, but I can stop the lethargy and idleness. Now, if I could only tackle the fiery chafe…..