Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Updating Best Outdoor Blogs and Sites for Women
In 2011 I posted about the best outdoor blogs (and sites!) for women. I felt at the time that many amazing women, athletes, and outdoors people were blogging, but they were sometimes hard to find.
Well- it is definitely time for a 2012 update! I've intended to update this list before now, but ya' know sometimes dog walking, running in the freezing frickin cold, and hiking up icy mountains is way more important.
Anywho, know any great sites or blogs for women? Please share!!
Updated list/ blog post to come...
Cargo Bikes
After finding this video last week I have become obsessed with cargo bikes. I'd love to modify a cheap yard sale bike into something a little larger to take to the farmer's market and kick around town with.
Since my commute is waaaaay too far away (plus I travel for work)- I couldn't actually commute with a cargo bike. But weekends? Heck yeah.
This article (Is This the Coolest Bike Ever Made?) by Bicycling magazine is an absolute must read for more info on cargo bikes. Features many manufactures and shops that carry cargo bikes.
Ruffwear Video
Wish my work day looked a bit more like this....
A day in the life-Mt. Bachelor Avi Dogs from Ruffwear on Vimeo.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Cargo Bike Revolution
I am generally sold on anything bike related- but add commuting, biking, smiling, and easy going weekends spent pedaling- and I am even more sold. Check it out. Know anyone already cargo-ing themselves into a new life? Do share!
Water Filtration
Ever leave camp to pump water in a bottle or two and then suddenly get swamped with four more bottles? Camping with friends definitely means pitching in as a team. Simple things like pumping water soon becomes a 30 minute juggle.
After one camping trip with friends I started strapping all the bottles to a large beaner. This way- you don't suddenly lose a bottle downstream while your hands are busy filling the next bottle.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Glow in the Dark Bikes
I'm sure you've all come across this commercial recently. It definitely got me excited. I'd love to make a DIY glow in the dark bike. Not sure it will come out as good as these though. I've researched different glow in the dark spray paints and tried a paints on scraps. It doesn't really glow but rather reflects the light- so the search is still on...
Any ideas? Let me know
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Winter
Up here in New England we have had one of the weirdest winters in my memory. Snowstorm in October that dropped a foot of snow. Weird.
Really hardly any snow to speak of since. Even weirder.
I was looking through some of my old photographs at this time of year last year and this is what I found:
And the year before that- the snow looked like this:
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Yoga for Athletes
I recently posted on twitter that I have actually kept a few of my New Years Resolutions for going on 40 days now. Some of these resolutions include cutting out corn syrup and added salt, which is you have checked a label in the past ten years you know that this is not easy.
Another resolution of mine is to have an injury-free and reduced pain year while running and biking. As I've crept into a new decade of my life a persistent hip and lower back problem definitely slows me down. Some days I cave in at fewer miles because of this pain.
My hypothesis is that with some consistent stretching and strengthening of my core/back/hip muscles through yoga I can reach this resolution. Here are some links and resources that I have found helpful.
- Yoga for Athletes DVD- I've had this DVD for years and have used it to limber up any season. Just pick your sport (cycling, running, martial arts, rowing, walking, etc.) and picky the area you would like to target then settle in for some zen.
- Newbie to yoga? Check out Women's Heath and Fitness Magazine's page. Here they list all the different style of yoga.
- I recently just tried hot yoga and I am in love. Much deeper stretch.
- Lastly Women's Adventure Magazine has a few videos (see VIBE #2 for mountain bikers & Vibe #3 for balance) dedicated to outdoor sport enthusiasts. After a good hard mountain bike ride I loooove getting a good stretch and this video seems to be a perfect match
What about you? Any other pro-yogis out there? Has it helped to reduce injury or reduce persistent aches and pains?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Reading the Forested Landscape: Book Review
I recently polished off a great read for anyone truly intrigued by what the forest tell us. Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England by Tom Wessels is one of those books that you can read again and again and still learn something new from.
Every wonder why New England has so many stone walls? And trick question is- it's not because of property markers. How about aging a stand of trees based on type of tree that is currently growing? Every wonder why a stand of pines happens to be there? Well as Tom Wessels describes in easy to read and educational details- it could be due to a number of reasons- many probably haven't even crossed your mind.
Being from New England made this book even more interesting to me, but even a non-Northerner will appreciate the details and information in this book. A great read that I highly recommend.
Women's Hiking Conference
I recently received the below information regarding a truly amazing women's hiking conference taking place in Colorado. I may have to start saving my pennies!
Women gather to celebrate hiking, backpacking and the love of the outdoors
One of the wonderful things about hiking these days is the abundance of women in the outdoors. Of course, women on the trail are nothing new. For decades now, we have been out enjoying the beauty, energy and camaraderie of the trail. However, it seems that the last few years have brought about a surge in the number of ladies out there. And we aren’t the only ones that have noticed it. Outdoor retailers have gone out of their way to create equipment just for us and clubs, organizations and outlets for women’s hiking are springing up everywhere.
One of the most exciting aspects of this trend is the upcoming Summit-a hiking and backpacking conference for women. Last year, the Trail Dames hosted the Summit, billing it as the nation’s first hiking and backpacking conference for women. It was a grand success and this year the Summit is coming to Durango, Colorado.
The Summit is an opportunity for all women to come together and learn, dream and share the beauty of the outdoors. For three days, Fort Lewis College will play home to seminars, demonstrations, classes and special guest speakers, all designed to celebrate women on the trails.
The conference will feature guest speaker Sanne Larsen Bagby, aka ‘Ready”, a triple crowner with more than 10,000 miles of backpacking to her name. The conference will also include an extensive list of seminars, classes and a special screening of “Beauty beneath the Dirt”, a newly released documentary about three intrepid hikers attempting one of the most challenging outdoor adventures in the country. A Hikers Fair with gear demonstrations will be open for the duration of the Summit, as well.
“Campfire Yoga”, “Lightweight Backpacking”, “In a Woman’s Voice-writing for the outdoor woman”, “Hiking the El Camino” and “Women’s Nutrition for Hiking” are some of the clinics that will be offered.
In addition to the conference, the Durango area offers a myriad of fabulous things to do from hiking and backpacking to river rafting. The city it a short drive from the Four Corners area and is adjacent to the San Juan National Forest and the Animas River Valley. To cap off a fun holiday, our friends at Step Outdoors Colorado are offering multi-day backpacking trips for Summit attendees both before and after the Summit.
For more information or to register for the Summit, go to http://www.traildamessummit.com/
Where the Heck Have you Been?
If you have been reading me for a while you know that sometimes I wander off. Not because I don't love this little blog and the ideas and motivation it instills in me, but because sometimes life pulls me away for other reasons.
I wandered off for a minute and I hope you all don't mind. I overextended myself on this little blog here for a bit. Made a few commitments I couldn't keep while I needed to handle the life stuff. I am truly sorry for anyone that needed something from me while I was gone.
Things are a little shaken up around these parts and this blog will have to shake too. More to come!
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