tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post4744416521702661022..comments2024-03-21T03:56:28.972-06:00Comments on Jill Outside: How I intend to spend my mid-life crisisJill Homerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-13210468591505118222019-09-02T03:26:45.736-06:002019-09-02T03:26:45.736-06:00Thank you for your response. I know you are carefu...Thank you for your response. I know you are careful, so let's hope all is well. Maldivitishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08749916358138289480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-38883478255336364832019-08-26T07:21:38.054-06:002019-08-26T07:21:38.054-06:00Do not fret about being 40. I got my first MTB at ...Do not fret about being 40. I got my first MTB at 40. Since then I have won 24 hr races, got a bronze vet ladies medal at the national championships, been Northern area vet ladies champion several times, podiumed at many events, ridden the MTB Tour of Mont Blanc (6oth birythday), ridden the Scottish and English mountain bike coast to coast. More recently at 65 I have completed the Kielder 200k off road race for the third time. My next plan is the Via Algarviana in Portugal. It's all good.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07820210256817922445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-74298674046952248612019-08-17T16:26:42.174-06:002019-08-17T16:26:42.174-06:00Self-rescue is nearly always the only option. It w...Self-rescue is nearly always the only option. It would have to be more of a traumatic, accidental injury for me to call in for help. And even then, I'd expect to have to wait for hours or days for either paid help (in case I truly feel stuck, there are ways to throw money at the problem) or emergency help to arrive. Believe me, this is the issue I fret about the most. When Beat and others were snowed in during a long, remote section in 2015, and were out there alone for 10 days, I gave a lot of thought to exactly how I'd manage a similar scenario. Or if I had a debilitating but not disabling injury, like a sprained ankle.. Relentless forward motion, even at less than 10 miles per day, is sometimes all you can do. This is one reason I choose to travel heavier than others, with reserves of food and excess clothing, even at the expense of my own strength to complete the task. My goal, this year, is to try to start stronger. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-15174369884778870362019-08-17T16:20:57.352-06:002019-08-17T16:20:57.352-06:00Thank you. I looked it up, it's word for word ...Thank you. I looked it up, it's word for word in "Be Brave, Be Strong." I didn't even think about that fact until after I wrote the phrase in this blog post, then added the qualifier. Funny how we sometimes plagiarize ourselves. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-72722858049805442032019-08-17T16:18:49.455-06:002019-08-17T16:18:49.455-06:00Yup. Life doesn't happen in a straight line. I...Yup. Life doesn't happen in a straight line. I've my expectations shattered enough to appreciate and even be grateful for the unexpected twists and turns. Will be interesting to see what the next year brings. (Every year is a gift, after all.) Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-28064367665156174382019-08-17T16:17:16.723-06:002019-08-17T16:17:16.723-06:00This blog will turn 14 in November. Eep! Thanks fo...This blog will turn 14 in November. Eep! Thanks for sticking around. :) Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-11444037758661829292019-08-17T16:04:55.263-06:002019-08-17T16:04:55.263-06:00This sounds awesome, awe inspiring and awful all a...This sounds awesome, awe inspiring and awful all at once! What happens if you get half way and spaz out with an injury in the wilderness? Have you got a satellite phone so you can facilitate a rescue? Maldivitishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08749916358138289480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-4388979210616942792019-08-15T18:53:05.363-06:002019-08-15T18:53:05.363-06:00I wrote that phrase down when I first read it in o...I wrote that phrase down when I first read it in one of your books, and it's one of my favorite quotes.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07224338246851125789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-1839187273718518212019-08-15T10:04:35.623-06:002019-08-15T10:04:35.623-06:00Congrats on the milestone birthday. The 40s are .....Congrats on the milestone birthday. The 40s are ... different. But in some ways you've experienced the changes in perspective and changes in body throughout your 30s so maybe the 40s will be a kinder, more even-keeled experience. 4x 14ers sounds like a great challenge. Enjoy!Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698397470514452345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-56427501485244164982019-08-14T11:58:37.422-06:002019-08-14T11:58:37.422-06:00I still do mobility and stability stuff every day ...I still do mobility and stability stuff every day (don't want to go backwards) even when I'm hiking. My 1/2" thick yoga pad is my best friend :). What sled dragging I've done, on winter camps, is pretty tame but I haven't found anything that mimics dragging a sled other than dragging something like a weighted sled, or a log,concrete block, etc, in the fall. A weighted vest ups the work out and gives more traction :).I use my chest strap to gage my exertion while I do a series of intervals. The variations of fun are endless plus you can set your "Die Empty" work out goal lower because your only steps away from the sanctuary of your home! One thing I found with the strap is my grind HR that I can maintain for hours and a rough idea of HR levels and the time I can stay there.....I find now that my mind can easily break my body, if not in the same day then no recovery the next....there is an internal "voice" now that warns me. There are still physical and mental barriers I'm breaking thru....small incremental steps.<br /><br />Jeff CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-78195991360859993722019-08-14T01:21:38.736-06:002019-08-14T01:21:38.736-06:00Hey Jill, I've been following your adventures ...Hey Jill, I've been following your adventures online since you were in Juneau and I was had just moved from Sitka to Sacramento, California (so almost 15 years+? Is that possible?). You've always been an inspiration and you still are. The way you handle the knocks life throws and the candor with which you talk about it is inspiring.Dr. Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16542493767359114575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-15707247439736420432019-08-14T01:19:19.435-06:002019-08-14T01:19:19.435-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dr. Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16542493767359114575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-79858479941558200282019-08-13T21:44:58.579-06:002019-08-13T21:44:58.579-06:00Funny thing about "Jill Outside." "...Funny thing about "Jill Outside." "Outside" is the term Alaskans use to describe the Lower 48. I was basically taking a jab at myself for moving away from Alaska, back when I had to rename my blog, which was originally called "Up in Alaska." <br /><br />Also, seemingly little know fact about me is I still do hold the record for the women's bike to Nome. It's a tighter record than my Great Divide record ever was, mostly because I got incredibly lucky with trail and weather conditions. But I may try to go back and challenge it someday. The foot challenge still holds my heart, even though I hold no delusions that I can break that record. <br /><br />Perhaps our paths will cross in New Zealand! I maintain that I have to get this Alaska stuff out of my system someday. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-19331960541251330462019-08-13T21:40:43.583-06:002019-08-13T21:40:43.583-06:00Cable lunges, yes. The forward facing stance is to...Cable lunges, yes. The forward facing stance is to work lats and triceps. I've been working on finding or modifying exercises to mimic sled-dragging as much as possible. Any suggestions are appreciated! I'm going to start incorporating more core strengthening as well. My knee-rehab routine already takes almost 45 minutes, but I can probably cut back on those exercises. I will keep the one-legged squats, monster walk and stability stuff. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-83928413700920641102019-08-13T21:05:54.756-06:002019-08-13T21:05:54.756-06:00I'll grasp at any excuse for a silly adventure...I'll grasp at any excuse for a silly adventure. My late 30s have been bumpy, so I'm hoping for a resurgence in my 40s. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-8080370072952532272019-08-13T17:50:59.937-06:002019-08-13T17:50:59.937-06:00"Jill Outside" sounds like the title of ..."Jill Outside" sounds like the title of your next book. You beat the great divide record now I anxiously await for you to break this record too, but I will still worry about you.<br /><br />NZ, 2021, I just might be there then. I would love to someday actually meet you if our paths cross.Bonnie Truax (43BlueDoors)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17112257566292617254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-34705610016906580512019-08-13T16:07:14.489-06:002019-08-13T16:07:14.489-06:00I think your doing cable lunges in the gym there?....I think your doing cable lunges in the gym there?. I started with those for my right knee then moved to using exercise bands hooked overhead to unload some of my body weight on my one leg squats at the bottom and set it up over time so there was no help from the band half way up. I'm doing the same for my shoulder in pressing movements. Just a fyi, I know you have a Dr. Rehab plan going on so empathize with incremental progress.<br /><br />Jeff CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-89456272326904408632019-08-13T15:44:35.000-06:002019-08-13T15:44:35.000-06:00I kinda figured he would have to have some kind of...I kinda figured he would have to have some kind of personality like that to keep pushing till his last breath. But then that reminds me of another personality. When you wrote for Tim Hewitt on his 8000 miles across Alaska and he took a chance on crossing a stream on a weak snow bridge on his belly and just when he was almost across the bridge it caved in but his hand caught a piece of plane wreckage and saved him from going in the icy water.....that he didn't seem to reflect on the irony of what happened and his lack of situational awareness and just a relentless push forward.....well I lost interest in his story (not the writing ) and never finished the book. ....sorry. Just my opnion. Still it's awesome that he has done the journey so many times. It works for him.<br /><br />Jeff C<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-11881678558052548382019-08-13T15:37:52.720-06:002019-08-13T15:37:52.720-06:00Oh my gosh. That just sounds awful. Ha. I'm tr...Oh my gosh. That just sounds awful. Ha. I'm trying to remember what I did for my 40th. Oh yes. Run a marathon. That's lot tamer than your plans. Btw the 40s are great. I never felt so strong. Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11166776565191771729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-76409102234304889272019-08-13T08:31:57.771-06:002019-08-13T08:31:57.771-06:00Ha ha, thanks Matt. I was so green and young durin...Ha ha, thanks Matt. I was so green and young during my first run down the Divide. I admit I look back on parts of that experience now and think "I can't believe I thought that was so hard." We find our limits and build on them. Out on the Iditarod trail, I have reached the ceiling of my limits and still I had to continue, because the remoteness and conditions leave no choice. Of course that's a huge part of the draw, but it's also the reason for strong reluctance. So I wrestle with the side of me that can't live without ever-expanding adventure and self-exploration, and the side who wishes to survive long enough to see 41. ;-) Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-49506737506920936582019-08-13T08:23:32.972-06:002019-08-13T08:23:32.972-06:00So true ... one bite at a time is the only way to ...So true ... one bite at a time is the only way to get through anything in life. <br /><br />"Try to keep your eye on the big picture, the picture just keeps getting bigger."<br /><br />"Touching the Void" is one of my favorites as well. I've had a few Twitter conversations with Joe Simpson in recent years. He is as sarcastic and curmudgeonly as anyone could be, even with such a life-shattering experience behind him. I'm a fan. Jill Homerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02983065990450931943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-55019660307806811672019-08-13T07:25:19.084-06:002019-08-13T07:25:19.084-06:00Impossible...that's funny Jill...you've be...Impossible...that's funny Jill...you've been doing the impossible (IMO) for a LONG time now. Granted, the ITI full route is a big-un for sure...but it's no less impossible than the GD (which if I recall you set a new womens record on when you did it on a whim). I think it's the cutoff that makes the ITI so much more difficult and is what's in your head. I'm sure rooting for you, as it's something I KNOW you can do...but a lot of things would have to go right to maintain that pace for a month (most notably the weather). Maybe that's one of the draws...so much of what happens out there is out of your control, you just have to deal with it and move on (much like the TD...I'm still awestruck by your New Mexico MUD story from your book...can't imagine how you moved past that. Moving past impossible obstacles seems to be something you just do...you have a meltdown and then when it's over you deal with it and continue. <br /><br />I've never read the book "Touching the Void", thanks for mentioning that Jeff...sounds amazing! Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10517087265569164625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615538.post-14699916991720734452019-08-13T06:34:36.599-06:002019-08-13T06:34:36.599-06:00"Imposible" journey's always make me..."Imposible" journey's always make me think of the book "Touching the Void". His just surviving a climbing fall in the middle of a storm wasn't enough, then left alone for dead he started dragging his broken body across the miles of cravas filled snow fields! He could not think of it as a whole because the futility of it all, to not be swallowed by the void he would pick a point that he felt he could get to in 20 minutes. That was the max horizon of his world.....only that next 20 minutes is all that mattered. ....I use that mind set in my own humble quests sometimes.<br /><br />Jeff CAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com