24 Hours of Boulder

Kicking it at our tent city. Jane, Matt and Mark

Jane starting off the race. This was the first leg of each of our 7 mile loops. Each member of the team had to run at least one 7 mile loop and then we challenged ourselves to do as many as we could to rack up the team total miles!

Mark and Jane so cold that night! On a side note, a lantern and a new fuel bottle will last all night long if you let it burn on medium.

Jane stretching out those legs and hamstrings.

Our motley crew. from left to right, Matt. Eric, me, Mark, and Jane. We went as the Village People.

So, we had the chance to enter a team relay competition this last weekend. We didn't win the race but we did win the costume contest.

piz : )

Ouray Backpacking

Jane at the top of the pass. She was really happy at this point because we were at the highest point of the trail and it was basically all down hill from here. Beautiful scenery, the headwaters of streams, soft high alpine grasses and shrubs. What a place to camp and watch the sunset!

On day two, the trail crossed the base of this rotten cliff band. We saw a ton of mountain goats traversing the top of the wall above us and as Jane was crossing a section of washed out trail. The goats sent down boulders and luckily Jane was able to scamper out of the way back to me. Otherwise she was going to be crippled or dead from all the rockfall and the gully that she was barely standing in.

At the bottom of the mountain, we came to the river and could see how high the water rose from the flash flood, just two weeks before.

Jane cruising through the hillside with flowers as tall as her! It drizzled on and off that day, but it was still awesome.

Sound of Music anyone. Ahhh yeah.
Get out and have fun!

piz : )

Ouray Backpacking with Jane!

Jane at the top of the pass. After being beaten down for 4 miles and 4000ft of vertical gain we did it! There was a little rain and some breaks for food but we made it!!

Jane feeling the love of a heavy pack and a long and steep hill (or should I say mountain)!! You can do it love. : )

Ah just after a little rain shower. Something has to keep the grass green!!!

Jane getting the first nice views of the hike.

Bridge to Heaven trail was where we began this adventure!

Get out and have fun!!

piz : )

New Route in Kings Canyon National Park

piz : )

Back in Action

Jane and I went bouldering at the SPOT bouldering gym in Boulder, Colorado. The weather was nice outside but, there is nothing like a good training session on plastic and lots of new problems to figure out and climb.

What is this you might ask? I finally had a chance to make some of my mothers home-made pasta sauce here in Colorado. Although I lacked a few special ingredients and after browning this Italian sausage it turned out great. I think the handrolled meatballs were the hit of the meal! Thanks MOM.

Jane and her brother Clay just days before he was stationed in Japan in the United States NAVY. Thanks Clay for taking care of America. We all went bowling where the balls were flying off the bumpers a few too many times.

Jane painting one of the wooden pieces I made for the house. It is a step stool for the kitchen because everything seems out of reach. Anyway it is beautiful now that it had some paint splashed on it. Plus the color makes it easy to see, I haven't kicked it once with its bright yellow paint job. Thanks Jane : )

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.
Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net
http://www.arcteryx.com
http://camp-usa.com
http://sterlingrope.com
http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com
http://www.wunderground.com
http://climbing.com
http://rockandice.com
http://deadpointmag.com
http://urbanclimbermag.com
http://andrewburr.com
http://ladzinski.com

Jane Race Video

The race was beautifully set all over the mountains and valleys, slick rock and sand, and flats and cliffs just outside Moab, Utah.

Jane Race Photos

Jane on the last, long hill climb! The Colorado river in the background.

Jane cruising through the desert.

Jane running through the brush along the Colorado river near Kane Creek.

Jane at the prerace meeting with her favorite CAMP trail running pack.

Jane made Lexi pee before the race!
Here is a summary of the Janes first ultra marathon (50km).

-woke up, ate a bagel with pb and j and some diet pepsi

-made doggy pee

-stretched and light jog

-8 hour run/walk through desert (on and off trail)

-finish with tight IT bands and a taste for next years!

Great job Jane!

The rAcE

On the Fisher Towers freeing the moves with my CAMP helmet and Arcteryx's Dually Belay Jacket and R-320 harness in the freezing temps. AHH YEAH.

Hanging around on my roof crack project in the South Platte, Colorado.

My beautiful wife, Jane : )

This is the weekend that my wife Jane has been training for months for.

The Moab Ultimate XC is a 56km race through the desert, all off trail, all burly.

She has to climb up clifflines over the Colorado river, scramble through boulders and make her way through sandy slot canyons. She rules! I posted a wedding shot of us. Yeah, I got married in my Arcteryx Spotter pants. : )

So, I have been letting my fingers heal for a week now.

They are close to being able to be used again!
Yeah!! This week off I have have had time to take care of stuff at home and work with a new client at the climbing gym. A climber who has been climbing longer than I have been alive and still aggressive and wanting to improve! It is really fun to work with folks who are ready to take a closer look at their talents and modify what they have been doing in the name of improving.

I think that improving at anything requires the ability to constantly self monitor and evaluate.

Look closely at your habits, movements, strengths and weaknesses and dissect them and adjust them for whatever goal you are shooting for. I have had to do this on many a routes in order to complete them.