Tales of Seven

Hitting the Trail

For a beautiful trail ride, the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center offers one that's hard to beat.

We started our ride through a quiet, mature pine forest, then passed by one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world ($100,000 annual membership!). The ride proceeded onto sand dunes, then out to the shore where we had expansive views of the coastline.

Extra bonus: Horses are leased from a rescue organization that saves horses from slaughterhouse, then leases them to stables. This riding center is using over 60 rescued horses for their trail and lesson programs. 

Shoot!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to try out pistol shooting at a shooting range up in Marin. It turned out to be quite a bit easier and more fun than I expected. The way it works is that you (1) first sign your life away in a waiver (2) select a pistol you want to rent (we used .22s) (3) buy targets and  bullets (4) get a brief tutorial on how to load/hold the pistol and (5) put on ear and eye protection and (6) get started. It's a good challenge to try to improve targeting with each shot.

(improvement!  first rounds, last rounds)

Hook...Jab...Double Jab...LeftRightLeftRightLeft

Hook...Jab...Uppercut...Straight Right...Double Jab...Combination

This was my first time in a boxing class and we were on the gym roof of the JCC. We started with three, 2-minute sets of jump roping, then raced each other across the court multiple times, and then paired off to practice, shifting back and forth from foot to foot in non-stop movement.... leftrightleftrightleftright .

Stay on your toes...keep knees bent...angle your body...hands at eye level...elbows in

leftrightleftrightleftright ....The trainer watches me hit the bag and then starts with these basics. After that, we pair off and move directly into 'bouts' where I'm told to 'really try to hit' my partner. I have five minutes of opportunity to go get 'em. The trainer pops me one on the head or ribs each time I let my defense down.

Jab...Double Jab... Right Hook

leftrightleftrightleftright ....There are a trainer and two other class participants. Each one pairs off with me to instruct in sequence and there's a feel of genuine team-like camaraderie. Push-ups, crunches, more punching, knees high....50 minutes straight of non-stop movement and enough fun and challenge that it flew by.... It will be good fun to give it another go!

Kick It

A few pictures from the 4th of July game of kickball...

• 30+ people
• 1 keg
• The pitch, the kick, and the beer-drinking outfield
• The new shape of the kickball after 13 innings

Climb a Rock

Rock climbing is an amazing sport for both mind and body. People who climb regularly can  develop strong core muscles and better balance and flexibility. But the real draw of climbing is the challenge to the mind. Each climb is a puzzle to be solved, and it sometimes takes numerous different approaches to make it up a route. Whether a person climbs indoors, does just short outdoor climbs, or does the big climbs up domes and bigger rock faces, the challenge can be found. Here are some of the other great draws....

Self-reliance: You're up there and it's just you and your equipment. While that might seem a downside, there's something wonderful about taking everything in your own hands in a world where we're often protected in every imaginable way.

Nature: The feel of the rock, the wind grazing across the cliff face, and the sun overheating the toes and fingers. Nature literally looms large in this sport.

Adventure. Finding the right route, setting up equipment, rappelling back down, problem solving far off the ground.

And here's the coolest part. On those bigger climbs, you'll get to a point where the birds are flying below you. How great is that?

(I've been climbing on and off for about 7 years in The San Francisco Bay Area and have also done climbing in Yosemite, Bishop, Tahoe. This pic is of me leading 'Revelation'. My favorite part of this shot is the background. It's truly that scenic at many of the climbing spots.)

Ten Tired Turtles on a Tuttle Tuttle Tree

My body feels like one big bruise from head to toe. I've never felt anything quite like it.

This week, I had my second session ever with a trainer, in an attempt to jumpstart out of 'just-run-about-randomly' type fitness, to something more focused. So dedicated was the trainer that he went *over* the scheduled hour for a 1:20 minute workout session. *** Whew!! *** 

Big T little t, what begins with T?

Ten tired turtles on a tuttle tuttle tree 

- Dr. Seuss

Falconry

I was once in the unusual position of knowing several people who  were state-registered falconers.

I didn’t understand the lure of the sport entirely. The birds were like feathered lizards… not terribly social. The work to keep them was incredibly high, they made an unbelievable mess, training took forever, and there was as good a chance as not that they’d just fly off the first time they were let free.

Then, one day, I was acting as bird babysitter (i.e. a bird perch) for a Red Tail Hawk. An hour of babysitting and one exhausted arm later, the falconer had the hawk fly off, then return to me. The bird swooped out of the sky, skimmed the ground, and then in a final rush, alighted on my gloved hand in a flurry of feathers . It was a majestic, adrenaline-driving-beautiful moment. Got it.

SNUBA Dive

An idea for a new sport? I've always liked snorkeling for the ease of it all, and SCUBA for the convenience of 'up-close' investigation without suffocation.

However, not all people want to put in the time and effort to get SCUBA certified.

Perphaps someone could offer people the option of 'Shallow Water' SCUBA diving, where divers may not go beyond a depth of say 10 feet. Only minimal training would be required given lowered risks (no issues with decompression), and divers might be able to use smaller or modified tanks that are less cumbersome. An added 'alarm' could warn if maximum depth is exceeded. It could be a relatively hassle free way give people a wonderful new experience.

New sport? I 'dub' thee SNUBA  (SNorkeling scUBA).

Picture by Paul Gauguin

A History with Horses

When I was 7 years old, and barely reached the underbelly of a horse, I began one of the few sports that had a lasting interest for me; horseback riding. From years in the U.S. Pony Club, through summer work at ranches, to the Intercollegiate Horse Show circuit, and ultimately ownership of my own horse, the sport has endured in my life.

Why? There is the smell of hay and freshly oiled leather, the squeak of the saddle, nickers in the barn, and riding in the silence of the early morning with no sound but the steady breath of the horse. These and other little things make me feel a sense of calm and peace around horses.

And then there is the riding itself. There's no doubt that it's amazing exercise, but every once in a while, we find that perfect balance, perfect energy, and perfect agreement with the horse. It's a weightless and magic moment that compels us to keep riding.

Vermeer, my horse from 2000-2003, is shown below. He was a 6 year-old Dutch Hannoverian Gelding, 17 hands tall. Left: taking a break at a dressage show. Right: early morning hack at the stable.

KickBoxing for Cardio

I've been searching for an activity that could provide solid cardio, without requiring the dull repetition of a treadmill, and finally found one that satisfies. Kickboxing provides an action-packed hour of kicking and punching combinations, stimulating both the body, and the mind (Mission Impossible anyone?)