Packing in the calories

Last night Cupcake prepared a perfect goodbye for me: fish curry (surely with some coconut or almond milk in it) with potatoes and asparagus. Desert was a bowl (remnants seen above) of Coconut Bliss--yummy, smooth cocunut milk-based ice cream. I had three different flavors after a full plate of curry, a small second helping, and cleaning the pan right at the stove. I think I got a few thousand calories in, or at least 30-40g of fat. Yum! Thank you, Cupcake!

Last week I visited Jake at rehab in Beaverton, and I was able to see him doing shoulder exercises (while standing, braced in and looking mighty tall I should add) and some movement in his legs while on the leg press! He and his mom, Margaret treated me to a 1300-calorie smoothie, "The Builder" (with how many grams of protein, Jake?), and subs for lunch! Thank you!!

5 days to MX!

Test post of photo from my Iphone! My super white Adidas Sequence and dirty girl gaiters.

Test run on posting photos

Test run on getting photos up! I decided to post a pic of my tent, pitched in my backyard of course. Also a shot of my general gear--the pink nanopuff, my waist belt for carrying extra water, my back pack, and as always, some cool shades. As soon as I can figure out how to get a few shots off my iPhone, I can definitely post some from the trail!

Fueling my body...and how you can participate

So people have started to ask me what I will be eating on the trail...
Breakfast:
Cup of granola or other sugary, fatty cereal (that is prohibited in normal, healthy lifestyles)
Spoonful of instant coffee
1/4 cup of dry milk

Snacks:
Various Trader Joe's nuts, trail mixes, dried fruit, fried green beans, snap peas, plaintain chips, rye crisps, and pretzels

Lunch:
If I'm lucky I'll snag some yeasty bread or tortillas, real cheese and nitrite-free meat (probably not feasible in hiker towns like Julian, CA).

More snacks:
Paley Bars, Snickers Bars, Power Bars, just plain bars. ohh, and maybe a pop-tart or two or three, beef jerkey, turkey jerkey (all nitrite free)

Dinner:
Ramen, soba noodles, tuna packets, dried shitaki mushrooms, dried lentil, split pea & potato leek soups, dried miso soup, thai noodles, and once in each box I afford myself a slightly heavier indian meal (like Tasty Bite).

Chocolate-covered espresso beans sprinkled throughout the day to retain my stamina. I love chewing gum or sucking on Life-savers.

I love tortilla chips, coffee, chocolate (but hard to carry in the desert, so I will stuff it in my face immediately if sent to me), dried figs, and whole wheat fig, bluberry or raspberry bars (usually in the bulk aisle at natural food stores).

I hate mint and salmon jerky.

What can you send me? Generally after coming off of the trail, I am looking to have things different from what I have been eating for the last five days. Nutritious, high-quality food is good. Sweets and fatty things are good. I will try to eat 10,000 calories per day in town (and althought it sounds luxurious and pleasurably gluttonous, it is difficult and somewhat disgusting) and attempt to do this via meat, dairy, and lots of veggies and fruits. Plus a few pints of Ben and Jerry's. Maybe a few pints of beer, too.

I will enjoy anything that you send. Would love to receive letters without food, too. Thanks for your support.

--Sticky (12 days to go)

Tough training

I thought it might be useful to talk training while training to cut the boredom down. Right now I am typing on my new and improved iPhone--3GS. I caved for speed. Way faster than the older one. And, sure, something better and faster, but not necessarily cheaper, will come out very soon. I don't care because I'm leaving in 21 days.

So, training. Right now I am on the stairclimber at the gym. Hour #2. Level 13. Sweating like a pig, breaking in my new Adidas Sequence and even wearing the socks I will have on the trail. This is the real foot training, letting my feet get hot and sweaty and figuring out where the blisters will form. I am a little worried about the small twinge in my right toe, the one I broke last summer right before our PCT trip in Oregon. Otherwise shoes feel great. Socks feel fat and cushy, perfect for the hard, dusty LA aqueduct. Eeww.

I have been spending at least one hour per day on the treadmill (3.8mph, 6-7% incline) for my hamstring workout or one hour+ on the stairclimber for my quad workout. Some days--soon three days per week--I walk 4 miles to the gym, do core exercises, weight training for legs, then 4 miles home. All of this is not for cardio but for repetitive movement training...where am I going to hurt after two to three days at 20+ miles/day?

Weekends are for longer outdoor hikes in Forest Park, with backpacks, poles and water. Big climbs for cardio. Plus, this is when we get to see Cupcake, and he and Happy JO critique my readiness for trail. I should have all my gear and food boxes done at the end of this week.

Now I'll get off the climber and go do some balancing on the Bosu ball. That part makes me feel tough because I pretend that I am pummeling my enemies with roundhouse kicks. Who am I kidding? I don't have any enemies..

Next post: what I will be eating for two months and tips on what to send me!

--Sticky ( -871 calories, must replenish with a burger)