Flow..........

We are currently reading and analyzing a book about called Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience  by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (don't ask me to pronounce that, I don't know either....).  So far it has been fairly informative but to me somewhat redundant and merely restating what is common sense and practice.  But it does put it in a more scientific context.  It also evaluates different ways for people to engage in flow.

Flow to me is something that you realize in hindsight,  something that while you are engaged in flow you should not be thinking about being in flow, and flow should be nowhere in your current range of thought.  And so this book kind of gets me out of flow more than it teaches me to be in flow.  Especially as a person who is as engaged in the natural world as I am. During the majority of this previous summer I have come to understand and realize that I was immersed in a constant state of flow.  My summer job is as a Ranger at the Philmont Scout Ranch, the largest youth camp in the world.  And with over 23,000 participants, the largest season yet, you'd think it would get hectic.  But throughout the summer, no matter what challenge occurred I had was ready mentally and physically.  I was in a constant state of flow allowing me to make decisions smoothly and efficiently for the groups I was leading.

And even in the past few weeks I have incurred many a moment of flow, from slack lining outside my dorm, to climbing practice and even class work.  Floating on Saint Regis in my kayak, and enjoying the sun rise and set through the fog on the lake with Mount Saint Regis standing erect and picturesque in the background. I always seem to be able to find flow in whatever it may be I am doing...it is always there..........

The Resolutions, update 1.5..............

So in the past week I have really gotten into this whole resolution thing, updating my sleeping area, so I can sleep no matter what, and researching many different ways to improve my workout, and give it a little more structure.

So here's what I have done so far in regimenting my workout, hopefully I will be able to do all of this, if not I will by the end of the semester.

Workout Regime

Sunday - Thursday

1 Hr.

Rotations: 3

Push-ups - five sets of 20 (Reg., triangle, plyometric, offsets)

Pull - ups - five sets of 10 (Wide, Parallel, Regular, Parallel, Wide)

Frenchies - 10 reps

90 degrees to elbows - five sets of 20

Bicycle Supline - 30 at 3 reps

Plank Lock-offs - 5 second holds, 3 positions, 10 times.

Total:

310 push-ups

180 pull-ups

That's it for now, I will eventually be editing and adding/subtracting things as I get in better shape.  (Big props to Marc Perry from built lean.com for much of the inspiration) I hope to get a TRX suspension trainer sometime to add to my workout.

The only real thing I've been having problems with is my eating......I'm very much a compulsive eater, like today for instance, they had strawberry shortcake, and strawberries just so happen to be my weakness.......so i had to indulge in a large portion. and I eat constantly and never seem to be filling my appetite. So we'll give it some more work, now that I have everything else figured out.......
      

Beginning the Resolutions......

Well it's not exactly New Years right now, but now is as good a time as ever to start on a resolution.  In the past couple of days I have already been keeping to my resolutions. With only a few minor faults, but give me some slack, it's only week one.
In getting in better shape I have started a three day a week workout program.  Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday(if I'm around to do it...) I workout for a half an hour before showering and hitting the sack.  It's entirely body weight workouts, pushups, bicycle supine, planks, leg raisers, inverted pushups, 6 inches, dead hangs, and a several variations of palms away pull ups. So far I've been keeping up with it, it helps with one of my other resolutions of sleeping by waisting any energy I have before I go to bed, and i do it consistently, helping set a specific routine.  It is combined with my climbing practice, every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 8:30 til 10:30.  So a great weekly workout that will hopefully improve my overall muscularity.
For sleeping better I have been getting more sleep but sometimes its not the best sleep.  While climbing at Rumney, NH this past weekend I slept on a picnic table in my sleeping bag for two nights, after staying up late, and then getting up early. But during the school week, I have been getting good amounts of sleep, showering the night before to save some time before 8 am classes, and going to bed at 10 Mon.,Weds., and around 11 on practice nights. I have also not been doing any stressful activities immediately before going to bed, and have been eliminating caffeine and soda almost completely from my diet.  especially after lunch. I have been able to remain attentive and awake during classes, despite a horrible head cold.  So, besides this past weekend, I have been doing fairly well in keeping this resolution.
 Eating healthy and smart has to be one of the hardest for me, as a person with  a very fast metabolism, I know I can eat anything, and everything and it will have no effect on me. Which is a very bad thing for a person like me with a severe sweet tooth.  Even today, I ate 4 peanut butter cookies while getting hot cocoa before class. And this past weekend I indulged in a large extreme chocolate shake from ben and jerry's, and  a double whopper from BK. Which in and of itself, with a medium fry and sprite, was over 1000 calories, and 1050 mg of sodium, talk about artery clogger.  But I have been trying, I swear, but those cookies are so tempting, and I'm still hungry.................................

My "Resolutions"..............

I choose three fairly specific goals, or resolutions to maintain this semester and hopefully for the rest of my life. One of my goals (because there is no first, second, or third in goals, they are simultaneous) was to Eat smart, eat healthier. I choose this resolution because as a college student, and one with a fast metabolism, I am always snacking. Munching on candy, tasty cakes, pudding, cookies, pretty much anything I can get my hands on. And that isn't really the best way too eat. But I don't want to stop eating completely, because with my metabolism I would be so hungry, miserable, and lose a lot of weight, fast. So I just want to eat right, eat healthy, not just what's available.
 Another one of my resolutions is to get better/more sleep. Staying up late studying, or hanging out is very easy to do without realizing, but without proper sleep I have a feeling that my grades will plummet, fast. So I hope to get to bed earlier and get into a habit of changing what I do before I go to bed to optimize my sleep. I got some help with that here. Pretty simple, lets hope it works.
 The final goal is to Work out more often, to improve my overall physique, and to improve my climbing. Right now I'm a pretty small guy, being six foot and 130 lbs. isn't the strongest build. So I hope that in combination with my climbing team practices and my personal body weight exercises in my dorm I will be able to get in a little bit better shape than I am, and improve my overall strength and endurance. Here's a link to the Nicros Holds Companies Training Section, where I've been getting a lot of the ideas for my workout sessions.  well we started some of these goals already, so lets get back to them, I'll keep you updated....................

The Adirondacks, my other home away from home..........

So, i'm finally getting settled here in the Daks, a place that i find very enjoyable, with small tight knit communities, who are still willing to welcome in the outsiders. It's a very relaxing place, and with classes ending at noon for me, when I'm not doing assignments and studying, i plan on exploring much of this vast wilderness surrounding us.  It is such a grand place, everyone looking out for each other and making sure they enjoy the astounding country in the process.  If my future careers don't take me to other wild places, i would very much enjoy living in this area.  From the abundance of local outdoor recreation locations to the lively downtowns of the nearby cities, this place can take you wherever you would want to go.......

Adirondack Rustic Furniture Fair.......

So this weekend was a beautiful one, perfect weather for the Adirondack Canoe Classic, 90 miler race. And a great time to wander around the Rustic Furniture Fair in Blue Mountain Lake and at the Adirondack Museum.  Down in town vendors set up selling hand made pieces and raw materials, while up inside the official event, craftsman displayed their intricately created masterpieces of furniture and art.  Gorgeous works of art, hewn from board and log. This event brought people from all over the Adirondack Park, many of the locals turned out to show support for their friends and family.
This event really let me see how this college is connected to the community.  While there I ran into one of my Professors, the owner of Bookman Furniture, and got to take a closer look at some of his work, and he even described the process and business, in detail to me.  And I look forward to going next year, very awe-inspiring.  I would recommend it to anyone interested in attending. My roommate and I also stopped by his stepfathers stand, selling wholesale hardwood lumber.  He explained to me about some of the finer points of unique hardwood furniture, and me and my roomy got some time to hang out and chat together while admiring the fine furniture.
Here's a link to my Picasa Slideshow, got all the pictures I took while at the festival. Hope you enjoy, mostly my taste, but some fantastic pieces anyway........
My Picasa Web Album......

Timex WS4 Watch Review........

The Timex Wide Screen Four Function Watch is quite a fashion statement along with being packed full of functions.  It's large screen layout allows for users to interact with many of the different functions at once. Whether it be the altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass, 100 hour chronograph, 24 hour count down timer, or multi day alarm you can easily access it on the wide screen display.  Coming in many fashionable and flashy colors, this watch can fit your personality. The weather update is fairly accurate, so long as you keep your watch calibrated to the environment your in.  As with the rest of the functions, the altimeter however i have found to be consistently 300 feet off, usually lower than your actual elevation.  But for durability, good locks, and overall function this watch is great.  The screws on the plastic strap fall out, but are just there for esthetics anyway.  The watch has very little breathability, and builds up quite a bit of dead skin on the underside of the strap.  It does leave a pretty wicked tan line though.  Over all, a good watch, but excessive unless you plan on using all of the functions, especially for the price.
My Rating:
Style: 5 Stars
Function: 3 Stars
Price: 3 Stars

Arc'teryx Beta Sl Hardshell Review.........

The Ar'teryx Beta Sl Hardshell is made with GORE-TEX® PacLite®  material, the lightest of the GORE-TEX® product line.  Weighing in at a mere 11.1 oz (Mens Medium) this hardshell is a weight saving hikers dream.   The high collar and Drop Hood, are perfect for backpacking, not big enough to fit a helmet under but roomy enough that your not claustrophobic.  The die cut cuff closure, waterproof zippers, and elastic hem keep cool breezes and rain out. But without any ventilation, besides the main zipper, this jacket can cause quite a bit  of condensation and heat problems, but for emergency rain gear, and less humid environs this jacket is superb. Working throughout a rather pathetic monsoon season in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of New Mexico this jacket was perfect.  Keeping me dry and warm when the weather turned sour and the temperatures dropped.  Even when hiking through extreme deluge, i was dry and comfortable. And as a multipurpose jacket when peak bagging Wheeler Peak, and Mount Baldy, it worked great to keep me warm on the exposed upper faces. As a lightweight, gram counting hiker this is exactly the jacket you'll want, there are many other options out there that may be better, but if you want the durability and quality of  an Arc'teryx jacket this is what you want.  A little on the pricy side but it will outlast much of the competition and still be able to take quite a bit of abuse.

Mountain Hardwear Mens Mountain Tech Jacket Review.......

The Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Jacket is one of those jackets that i would recommend everyone should have.  As a windbreaker it's superb; a soft-shell, outstanding; an insulating fleece, fantastic.  This jacket has become my go to jacket for nearly every occasion.  Falls in the Adirondacks can vary greatly, from misty mountain cool days, to blazing heat; it has it all.  So having a jacket that can handle anything from a mildly breezy lakeshore day, to a miserably drizzly day is wonderful.  Walking to breakfast in the morning i have no need to worry about chilly lake breezes, and walking between classes on drizzly days i know i will stay warm and dry. And all this without overheating at all, with excellent ventilation from the long and yet protected pit zips, i can stay cool and dry.  And the high collar and elastic cuffs keep out chilling breezes and rain. The large hand warmer pockets can handle anything from pens and a phone to a small water bottle or a paperback.  Overall this jacket is an excellent addition to anyones closet, both stylish and extremely functional.

Osprey Exos 46 Backpack Review........

The Exos 46 backpack by osprey is part of their super-light line, stripped down to the bare essentials, meant for fast packing and ultralight adventures. As a weekend or three day outing bag it excels, having just enough room for all of your gear but not oversized, light enough nut with enough support so as to not make your shoulders be on fire by the end of the day.  I have used this pack for winter summit hikes in the White Mountains, specifically Mount Washington, were the external tie in loops made carrying snowshoes easy, and the bag easily gobbled up crampons, extra layers, lunch, and 3 liters of water.  As a general hiking pack it fits perfectly for the weekend warrior and ultralight hiker. On three day trips as a Ranger for Philmont Scout Ranch it was all i needed to take out crews. Capable of holding my Hubba, Prolite, Sleeping bag, Pound cake, icing, food, stove, rain gear, and required ranger equipment without a problem.  On personal extended 4 to 5 day ultra light jaunts it excelled, dropping the brain and synching everything down it made hiking extremely enjoyable.  Full packing over Baldy Mt. (12,441ft) was especially fun, cruising past daypack toting crews.  However nice of a pack it is it still has some things that could be changed.  The hip belt is a little scarce in the padding, understandable for an ultralight pack, but still extremely uncomfortable for loads over 35 lbs.  But even after toting 50 lbs of water and bear patrol gear up the Tooth of Time (9003ft) in a quick hour long haul, i was surprised to find that my hips weren't to rubbed raw and the next day hiking out was just as enjoyable as before.  A wonderful pack to add to anyone's quiver of packs (we all know we have one) as a weekend and extended ultralight pack.

Gear Reviews.......

Well i am considered quite the gear head when it comes to outdoor equipment (which may be why i like outdoor retail so much....) so i thought that since i always wanted to do some online gear reviews i might as well do it right here on this blog, keep it all together, easier for me.  So let's get started!

Back to the beginning..........

Well since my personal blurb doesn't do me much justice i thought i'd start off with a little explanation of exactly who this dharma bum behind the scenes really is.....I'm an outdoorsy guy, spending as much time as i can out and about in the wilds, seeing what's over the next horizon, and so forth, i like to slackline (you tube it if you haven't got a clue), hike, backpack, climb (ice and rock), kayak, mountaineering, and other things like that.  I work as a Ranger at the worlds largest youth summer camp,Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Right now my life is devoted to school work all the time (when I'm not asleep) and climbing, slacklining, and working out when I'm not (hopefully squeezing in some personal reading in there sometime). And since now that you kind of know me, and you've already gotten your first impression i would also like to add that i am an Eagle Scout, hate adding that, people look at you different when you say that............

A festival of Hobo's and going to the farm with a fork............

Well Labor day weekend is officially over and it was a good one, besides the weather.  Saturday in Saranac Lake there was a Farm to fork farmers market and festival, with some delicious unique food, and entertainment. Took a nice drive up White Face, was a little lacking in view, until the wind picked up and blew the clouds away, awesome view of the High Peaks region, and all around.  Sunday was kind of slow until noon, when Hobofest 2011 began, a huge free concert, with tons of bands and good friendship, at the Depo in Saranac Lake it was a great time, with lots of fun going until late.

First Assignment.......

So for our first class assignment we were required to find three blogs that interest you, and then evaluate them.


The New Dharma Bums:
An older couple blogging about what they are doing now that they're retires, hiking, gardening, and just enjoying the little things......


prAna:
One of my favorite outdoor product companies blogs, updating you on what their sponsor athletes are up to, posting videos and news on upcoming events.

Appalachia and Beyond:
A blog about backpacking gear and hikes in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, also having a gear giveaway.

Getting Along......

Well it's day two, and a Friday! Labor day weekend is already upon us, and this weekend I plan on getting out and about, including attending HoboFest in Saranac Lake.  Sounds like a pretty hoppin party! No hiking or anything this weekend, being as the park is closed because of mean old Irene.  But the Climbing gym opens tonight, 6-9, and I need to finish and tweak some routes I was working on setting. Well it's off to Ethics class now, so have a good day!

Nirvana.....

"Finding Nirvana is like locating Silence."
Jack Kerouac

In the beginning.......

So, I've never blogged before, and this will be an interesting experience. Hopefully it will allow me to get to know more about myself and other people. In this blog I'll be doing some required classwork, but hopefully, as time allows, I'll be adding posts about what I've discovered about myself and my view on the world. It's pretty turbulent times and right now I'm trying to see through the haze, what comes next, who knows, hopefully the haze will clear........